The Zek Crunch: Out of the...err, Blue?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

All--

Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was the
first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was there any
kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the PVPers come
morning?

--
--Jekke
=====================
Playing on Torvonilous
Baron Mipmip Bromeliad (Froglok Cleric, 66)
http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=850034
Venerable Sheava Ebonrezzor (Dark Elf Cleric, 65) *STOLEN*
Veteran Moulin Khmer (Dark Elf Rogue, 65)
http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=87681
Qiin Dred (Iksar Necromancer, 55)
http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=717977
Brikk Hauss (Ogre Warrior, 51)

 

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Jekke, Just Jekke wrote:
> All--
>
> Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was the
> first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was there any
> kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the PVPers come
> morning?
>


There was a message in this newsgroup sometime last week I believe it
was, or the week before, which basically said that all Zek servers would
be merged into one, so you wouldn't lose your mates but the server would
have one giant population.

Or so it said

--
Michael Greenhalgh
---
www.tripleb.co.uk | Weblog
www.loonygooncircus.com | {LgC} Clan Site
www.suta.co.uk | Swansea University Tactical Airsoft Society
---
MMORPGs
EverQuest:
Miglok | Half-Elf Ranger | Venril Sathir

EverQuest 2:
Miglok | Half-Elf Predator | Lavastorm

City of Heroes:
Shadow Ranger | Mutation Scrapper | Virtue
---

 

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"Jekke, Just Jekke" <jekke@REMOVEALLinsidejoke.tvCAPS> wrote in message
news:h30h0194ugu3su0jh0ag8k14hm1m6agl96@4ax.com...
> All--
>
> Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was the
> first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was there any
> kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the PVPers come
> morning?

It was all over the 'eqlive' forums, but who reads those? Mind, you for
all we know Sony sent email to both remaining regular PvP server players
warning them in advance that they might bump into each other sometime
tomorrow.

Say Jekke, any chance you could post the patch message?

Regards,
James

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

My guess is that this is their trial balloon. They want to guage how
people will react to merging servers, since they know it may be needed
on other servers. They also want to try to mitigate any repercussions
it might have on people's opinion of Eqlive, so they do it to the
servers that everyone knows are habitually underpopulated. Also I
would bet that people on the zek servers are the most likely to have
well-played alts on the regular servers, so if it causes problems
technical or otherwise, players still have the blue servers.

Just my reading of their logic...

 

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"Beal" <bealrabbitslayer@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1107936056.598637.252520@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> My guess is that this is their trial balloon. They want to guage how
> people will react to merging servers, since they know it may be needed
> on other servers. They also want to try to mitigate any repercussions
> it might have on people's opinion of Eqlive, so they do it to the
> servers that everyone knows are habitually underpopulated. Also I
> would bet that people on the zek servers are the most likely to have
> well-played alts on the regular servers, so if it causes problems
> technical or otherwise, players still have the blue servers.
>
> Just my reading of their logic...

The Zeks were an empty wasteland (even more so than normal) after the
release of PVP-friendly WoW. Someone posted the LDoN stats for all the
servers on EQLive, and the Zeks were at half or less of a comparable blue
server. Considering that the blue servers have seen numbers drop by about a
third, a merge of some sort had to be done. Kane Bayle also has Zek-like
numbers, so I'm sure we'll see that experiment also be folded. Beyond that,
hard to say. My server is down 35% over pre-WoW numbers, but seems to be
holding semi-steady now. Combining us with another typical blue server would
result in a server much more crowded than pre-WoW, so that wouldn't work
well. So what do you do? Split a server, possibly splitting up friends and
making them quit? I think SOE secretly hopes that all the new Zek players
use the free /movelog they've been given and go blue. That would let SOE put
all the resources they've used on PVP to use on the PVE game, and give the
blue servers a small boost in numbers.

James

 

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<jamesgrahame@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
> "Beal" <bealrabbitslayer@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1107936056.598637.252520@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > My guess is that this is their trial balloon. They want to guage how
> > people will react to merging servers, since they know it may be needed
> > on other servers. They also want to try to mitigate any repercussions
> > it might have on people's opinion of Eqlive, so they do it to the
> > servers that everyone knows are habitually underpopulated. Also I
> > would bet that people on the zek servers are the most likely to have
> > well-played alts on the regular servers, so if it causes problems
> > technical or otherwise, players still have the blue servers.
> >
> > Just my reading of their logic...
>
> The Zeks were an empty wasteland (even more so than normal) after the
> release of PVP-friendly WoW. Someone posted the LDoN stats for all the
> servers on EQLive, and the Zeks were at half or less of a comparable blue
> server. Considering that the blue servers have seen numbers drop by about a
> third, a merge of some sort had to be done. Kane Bayle also has Zek-like
> numbers, so I'm sure we'll see that experiment also be folded. Beyond that,
> hard to say. My server is down 35% over pre-WoW numbers, but seems to be
> holding semi-steady now. Combining us with another typical blue server would
> result in a server much more crowded than pre-WoW, so that wouldn't work
> well. So what do you do? Split a server, possibly splitting up friends and
> making them quit? I think SOE secretly hopes that all the new Zek players
> use the free /movelog they've been given and go blue. That would let SOE put
> all the resources they've used on PVP to use on the PVE game, and give the
> blue servers a small boost in numbers.

Numbers look about the same from my viewpoint. About 1/3 gone from the
established server population. My server has lost 1/2 of its "top" guilds,
but at the same time I'd definitely not want to see a server merge with
another serve with a similar guild situation. Right now, you have to work
to actually get into any head-to-head confrontation between guilds.

I think there's another hit (or possibly two) coming, though. WoW raiding
is just getting started, and as far as I can tell is still a ways off for
EQ2, and either or both of those could entice a fairly large number away
from EQ once they are well established. It will be a smaller hit
undoubtedly, but has a reasonable chance of being a significant one. It
also won't have a day you can point to and say "that was when it happened."

 

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"Faned" <faned@wyld.qx.net> wrote in message
news:slrnd0kot1.8ne.faned@wyld.qx.net...

> WoW raiding
> is just getting started, and as far as I can tell is still a ways off for
> EQ2,

Huh? Raiding has been going strong in EQ2 for some time. My guild held its
first raid in November of last year and we've had regular raiding events
ever since. We raided Bloodskull Valley last weekend, Cauldron Hollow the
weekend before, and will probably have two raids this weekend (Cove of Decay
and probably Daughters of Lucan). And we're just one small guild out of
hundreds on this one server.

--
Redbeard, the Treasure Hunter
<Veritas>
Dwarven Mystic and Alchemist
Loyal Citizen of the Antonia Bayle
Current resident of the Willow Wood, City of Qeynos
http://veritas.everquest2guilds.com

Descendant of the Elder Winterfury Thunderwolf
<Resolution, Retired>
Barbarian Prophet of The Tribunal
Retired Citizen of Firiona Vie

 

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<myfirstname@thecomdomaincalledSHADOWPIKE> wrote:
>
> "Faned" <faned@wyld.qx.net> wrote in message
> news:slrnd0kot1.8ne.faned@wyld.qx.net...
>
> > WoW raiding
> > is just getting started, and as far as I can tell is still a ways off for
> > EQ2,
>
> Huh? Raiding has been going strong in EQ2 for some time. My guild held its
> first raid in November of last year and we've had regular raiding events
> ever since. We raided Bloodskull Valley last weekend, Cauldron Hollow the
> weekend before, and will probably have two raids this weekend (Cove of Decay
> and probably Daughters of Lucan). And we're just one small guild out of
> hundreds on this one server.

Cultural linguistic differences. Perhaps I should have said "dedicated
raiding" or "hardcore raiding" or something to differentiate what I meant
from what sounds comparable to a 3-group romp through Lower Guk.

 

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"Michael Greenhalgh" <spammy@tripleb.co.uk> wrote in message
news:36ribbF548apvU1@individual.net...
> Jekke, Just Jekke wrote:
>> All--
>>
>> Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was the
>> first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was there any
>> kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the PVPers come
>> morning?
>
> There was a message in this newsgroup sometime last week I believe it was,
> or the week before, which basically said that all Zek servers would be
> merged into one, so you wouldn't lose your mates but the server would have
> one giant population.
>
> Or so it said

What about characters on the four servers that have the same names? How will
they be handling that? I THINK I have some characters on one or two of the
zek servers (haven't done PvP in EQ in quite some time), and they may even
have the same names if indeed they are on more than 1 of the
servers...hmm...and this went into effect already? I may have to check it
out to see what happened. *grin*

--
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thoisar, 12th level Night Elf Druid, Hellscream
Putrescence, 12th level Undead Warlock, Hellscream
Stumpie, 13th level Dwarf Hunter, Ner'zhul
Widdershins, 9th level Orc Hunter, Hellscream

 

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"Faned" <faned@wyld.qx.net> wrote in message
news:slrnd0kot1.8ne.faned@wyld.qx.net...
>
> I think there's another hit (or possibly two) coming, though. WoW raiding
> is just getting started

For one, I think any raiders that wanted to get in on WoW raiding are
already gone. That sort of player wants to be first, and won't wait until
later to see if the game has a quality raid game. Also, you should start
reading about the WoW raiding game. Conquest (remember them?) has already
earned three day suspensions for exploiting, in response to which they
posted the strats for every boss kill they have in the one raid zone
currently in game. In response to that, the nerfs have started of things
used in the strats. Players have been complaining about poor class balance
at 60, about lack of content, about delayed bug fixes while the nerfs are
pushed live ASAP, about how amazingly buggy the raid-level content is, about
how poor the itemization is, about the lack of communication from Blizzard
to players... remind you of another game you know? ;-) Right now, the WoW
raid game is in no way enticing to raiders - they'd be better off playing EQ
and enjoying relatively tuned content.

James

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

<jamesgrahame@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
> "Faned" <faned@wyld.qx.net> wrote in message
> news:slrnd0kot1.8ne.faned@wyld.qx.net...
> >
> > I think there's another hit (or possibly two) coming, though. WoW raiding
> > is just getting started
>
> For one, I think any raiders that wanted to get in on WoW raiding are
> already gone. That sort of player wants to be first, and won't wait until
> later to see if the game has a quality raid game. Also, you should start
> reading about the WoW raiding game. Conquest (remember them?) has already
> earned three day suspensions for exploiting, in response to which they
> posted the strats for every boss kill they have in the one raid zone
> currently in game. In response to that, the nerfs have started of things
> used in the strats. Players have been complaining about poor class balance
> at 60, about lack of content, about delayed bug fixes while the nerfs are
> pushed live ASAP, about how amazingly buggy the raid-level content is, about
> how poor the itemization is, about the lack of communication from Blizzard
> to players... remind you of another game you know? ;-) Right now, the WoW
> raid game is in no way enticing to raiders - they'd be better off playing EQ
> and enjoying relatively tuned content.

Sounds like how EQ players have been "enjoying relatively tuned content" for
years. =)

Your post actually makes me think I may have underestimated the impact it
may eventually have, because it does suggest they have taken the cues from
EQ on raid encounters for the most part (no huge surprise, but at the same
time it doesn't sound like EQ2 even did that, which is somewhat of a
surprise).

It is amusing that Conquest pops up in this scenario though. =)

 

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Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"Firian" <G.Booth@usm.edu> wrote in news:420be300$1@nntp.usm.edu:

> "Michael Greenhalgh" <spammy@tripleb.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:36ribbF548apvU1@individual.net...
>> Jekke, Just Jekke wrote:
>>> All--
>>>
>>> Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was
>>> the first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was
>>> there any kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the
>>> PVPers come morning?
>>
>> There was a message in this newsgroup sometime last week I believe it
>> was, or the week before, which basically said that all Zek servers
>> would be merged into one, so you wouldn't lose your mates but the
>> server would have one giant population.
>>
>> Or so it said
>
> What about characters on the four servers that have the same names?
> How will they be handling that? I THINK I have some characters on one
> or two of the zek servers (haven't done PvP in EQ in quite some time),
> and they may even have the same names if indeed they are on more than
> 1 of the servers...hmm...and this went into effect already? I may have
> to check it out to see what happened. *grin*
>

They stated what happens. The oldest (created earliest) character keeps
the name, the others get an X (presumably more than one if there is still
a conflict) appended, much as already happens with a server transfer
right now.

--
On Erollisi Marr in <Sanctuary of Marr>
Ancient Graeme Faelban, Barbarian Soothsayer of 70 seasons

On Steamfont in <Insanity Plea>
Graeme, 24 Dwarven Mystic, 21 Sage
Aviv, 12 Gnome Brawler, 19 Craftsman

 

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<RichardRapier@netscape.net> wrote:
> "Firian" <G.Booth@usm.edu> wrote in news:420be300$1@nntp.usm.edu:
>
> > "Michael Greenhalgh" <spammy@tripleb.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:36ribbF548apvU1@individual.net...
> >> Jekke, Just Jekke wrote:
> >>> All--
> >>>
> >>> Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was
> >>> the first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was
> >>> there any kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the
> >>> PVPers come morning?
> >>
> >> There was a message in this newsgroup sometime last week I believe it
> >> was, or the week before, which basically said that all Zek servers
> >> would be merged into one, so you wouldn't lose your mates but the
> >> server would have one giant population.
> >>
> >> Or so it said
> >
> > What about characters on the four servers that have the same names?
> > How will they be handling that? I THINK I have some characters on one
> > or two of the zek servers (haven't done PvP in EQ in quite some time),
> > and they may even have the same names if indeed they are on more than
> > 1 of the servers...hmm...and this went into effect already? I may have
> > to check it out to see what happened. *grin*
> >
>
> They stated what happens. The oldest (created earliest) character keeps
> the name, the others get an X (presumably more than one if there is still
> a conflict) appended, much as already happens with a server transfer
> right now.

Actually, longest played time kept the name. Not sure I agree with that
decision, but it was probably the best one.

 

[user]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

In article <slrnd0nu9v.8ne.faned@wyld.qx.net>, faned@wyld.qx.net says...
> <RichardRapier@netscape.net> wrote:
> > "Firian" <G.Booth@usm.edu> wrote in news:420be300$1@nntp.usm.edu:
> >
> > > "Michael Greenhalgh" <spammy@tripleb.co.uk> wrote in message
> > > news:36ribbF548apvU1@individual.net...
> > >> Jekke, Just Jekke wrote:
> > >>> All--
> > >>>
> > >>> Tonight's patch message mentions merging the Zek servers. This was
> > >>> the first I'd heard of SOE even considering a server merge. Was
> > >>> there any kind of advance notice or will this come as a shock to the
> > >>> PVPers come morning?
> > >>
> > >> There was a message in this newsgroup sometime last week I believe it
> > >> was, or the week before, which basically said that all Zek servers
> > >> would be merged into one, so you wouldn't lose your mates but the
> > >> server would have one giant population.
> > >>
> > >> Or so it said
> > >
> > > What about characters on the four servers that have the same names?
> > > How will they be handling that? I THINK I have some characters on one
> > > or two of the zek servers (haven't done PvP in EQ in quite some time),
> > > and they may even have the same names if indeed they are on more than
> > > 1 of the servers...hmm...and this went into effect already? I may have
> > > to check it out to see what happened. *grin*
> > >
> >
> > They stated what happens. The oldest (created earliest) character keeps
> > the name, the others get an X (presumably more than one if there is still
> > a conflict) appended, much as already happens with a server transfer
> > right now.
>
> Actually, longest played time kept the name. Not sure I agree with that
> decision, but it was probably the best one.

I'd agree with it wholeheartedly if the /trader time was not included.
Bazaar mules shouldn't pre-empt played characters.

Date created is a bad idea for obvious reasons, and c-level similiarly
so. /played is the best by far... except for the issues with /trader
time. IMO.

 

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"Graeme Faelban" <RichardRapier@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:Xns95F9A030B3321richardrapiernetscap@130.133.1.4...
> "Firian" <G.Booth@usm.edu> wrote in news:420be300$1@nntp.usm.edu:
>
>> What about characters on the four servers that have the same names?
>> How will they be handling that? I THINK I have some characters on one
>> or two of the zek servers (haven't done PvP in EQ in quite some time),
>> and they may even have the same names if indeed they are on more than
>> 1 of the servers...hmm...and this went into effect already? I may have
>> to check it out to see what happened. *grin*
>>
>
> They stated what happens. The oldest (created earliest) character keeps
> the name, the others get an X (presumably more than one if there is still
> a conflict) appended, much as already happens with a server transfer
> right now.

Ah, thanks, I missed where they stated that. I went on Zek for a while last
night, found I had only one character (I must have deleted the others, as
I'm pretty sure I had more than 1 on the 4 zeks way back when), played him
for a bit, remembered I don't like playing druids anymore, so exchanged him
for a brand new cleric...and got guilded right off, lol. A guild recruiter
had created a low-level character to sit in the tutorial and grab people as
they came in. While not a guarantee for quality, she did a great job in
building up her guild numbers.

I did hear one of the new guildies talking about his higher level rogue,
with 100k in gear on him, seemed to have gotten 'lost' in the consolidation.
He petitioned it, but I logged off before I heard if anyone had gotten back
with him at that time. Not sure how often I'll play the cleric, but should
be fun once in a while.

--
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thoisar, 12th level Night Elf Druid, Hellscream
Putrescence, 11th level Undead Warlock, Hellscream
Stumpie, 13th level Dwarf Hunter, Ner'zhul
Widdershins, 10th level Orc Hunter, Hellscream
EQ:
Berdache, 12th level Iksar Shaman, Firiona Vie
Berdache, 4th level Froglok Cleric, Zek