Everquest TLP - Aradune and Rizlona Servers (Now with real customer service)

I use a barrier I compiled myself and it works by dragging the mouse off one comp onto another, so you can only control one at a time.

Tuco said:

I've never played on TLP, but I'm kind of curious, what are the policies on what is and isn't OK on a Truebox server? The intent is obvious: you're supposed to have shitty boxing setups because that's easy for DPG to implement. But I see Multiplicity talked about openly on the forums, is that generally accepted by the community? What about different methods to share key presses among the boxes without shit like the G13 above? Or is anyone who is streamlining their setup a little implementing MQ2 and the whole line of botting / showeq software that nobody talks about what is acceptable?

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Well, keep in mind, enforcement of anything is almost zero.

To my knowledge, they've never commented about software like Multiplicity or other keyboard/mouse switching solutions but the rules do say no third party software. They have, however, explicitly said in the past that broadcasting to other PCs to make them do stuff is not allowed for TLP. So you're not going to see people sharing broadcasting tips for TLPs, for example.

If you want to talk about the TLP community itself and not DBG.... the opinions vary so widely I'm not sure you can really say anything. There are some people who think even boxing at all is horrible. However, use of Multiplicity and ShowEQ is very widespread in any top guild.

What size monitor are you running, Tuco? It looks like an easy box setup, so I may check it out. I have a 27'' 1080p monitor.

I'd like some feedback on what playing on these TLP servers is like, these days. I haven't played EQLive since the GoD era. I've recently started a character on P99, and either I'm getting old and high on nostalgia, or this game is actually still somewhat fun to play 20 years later, in all it's broken, janky glory. P99, while fun, will be limited to Velious, and I wouldn't mind to relive some of the later expansions. More to the point, the raid scene seems to be toxic cesspool, so maybe Aradune is a better option.

- If I play a cleric again, will grouping be as effortless as it was? Or is everyone running CLR/ENC boxes?
- How active is a TLP in Euro timezones?
- In general, anything I should know about how these servers usually play out?

Philonius said:

I'd like some feedback on what playing on these TLP servers is like, these days. I haven't played EQLive since the GoD era. I've recently started a character on P99, and either I'm getting old and high on nostalgia, or this game is actually still somewhat fun to play 20 years later, in all it's broken, janky glory. P99, while fun, will be limited to Velious, and I wouldn't mind to relive some of the later expansions. More to the point, the raid scene seems to be toxic cesspool, so maybe Aradune is a better option.

- If I play a cleric again, will grouping be as effortless as it was? Or is everyone running CLR/ENC boxes?
- How active is a TLP in Euro timezones?
- In general, anything I should know about how these servers usually play out?

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I've done Agnarr and Mangler. From my own experience, I usually burn out from Classic into Kunark. That's just me, though.

Clerics will be in demand, but not as much as Tanks. Tanks find groups rather quickly. At least they did for me when I play, which is after 8 PST. The problem with Clerics is you don't need much healing to sustain a TLP group. Most classes are OP compared to P99, so any class can heal fine in a group setting for the most part.

I can't comment on Euro time zone. There will probably be a guild or two at that time.

Keep in mind these servers usually nosedive in population after PoP and a new TLP releases. Mangler may have more legs than most, but I would think it will take a hit as well.

Tuco said:

I don't have any answers for you but the biggest thing I'm curious about is how much of a kill-stealing shitshow it's going to be. If I want an FBSS (or some other big-impact OEQ item) is it going to be pretty much 24/7 DPS races until Kunark comes out? Is that behavior endemic through the entire game such that a month after launch and you're leveling up an alt is anyone near you going to try and kill steal from you? Or are the only people really vigorously competing the players at the top who are going to hit 50 in the first week and then mostly compete over a small selection of drops?

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It's not all shitshows 24/7 especially with pickzones. But it does happen, especially at certain camps although Frenzy isn't really one of those. Efreeti is probably the most notorious for it.

Sterling said:

Efreeti is probably the most notorious for it.

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SDsurfer said:

I've done Agnarr and Mangler. From my own experience, I usually burn out from Classic into Kunark. That's just me, though.

Clerics will be in demand, but not as much as Tanks. Tanks find groups rather quickly. At least they did for me when I play, which is after 8 PST. The problem with Clerics is you don't need much healing to sustain a TLP group. Most classes are OP compared to P99, so any class can heal fine in a group setting for the most part.

I can't comment on Euro time zone. There will probably be a guild or two at that time.

Keep in mind these servers usually nosedive in population after PoP and a new TLP releases. Mangler may have more legs than most, but I would think it will take a hit as well.

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So the healing power of a cleric is not really necessary? I recall rerolling from druid to cleric back in the day, specifically because I was always expected to heal and could never quite keep up as a non-cleric priest. If a shaman could keep up, might be better to roll as that, since clerics do nothing else but heal.

Tuco said:

So is it common for the top guilds to escalate wars over the efreeti camp until you get multiple groups trying to out DPS each other just to win the war?

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It's generally individual boxers/groups, not whole guilds but yeah it can be a real mess. Not just dps racing, but some excellent trains have been known to happen from time to time.

Philonius said:

I'd like some feedback on what playing on these TLP servers is like, these days. I haven't played EQLive since the GoD era. I've recently started a character on P99, and either I'm getting old and high on nostalgia, or this game is actually still somewhat fun to play 20 years later, in all it's broken, janky glory. P99, while fun, will be limited to Velious, and I wouldn't mind to relive some of the later expansions. More to the point, the raid scene seems to be toxic cesspool, so maybe Aradune is a better option.

- If I play a cleric again, will grouping be as effortless as it was? Or is everyone running CLR/ENC boxes?
- How active is a TLP in Euro timezones?
- In general, anything I should know about how these servers usually play out?

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I'm in Europe as well. After the first 3-4 weeks of an expansion it does get kind of quiet during the daytime, can be hard to find a group sometimes. Usually okay in the evening. Mangler has 2 or 3 EU timezone guilds and there will probably be one or more on Aradune. With AoC instances available for raid targets, there's no toxic inter-guild fighting and you can raid at your guilds' convenience, which is great.

Don't see a reason not to play cleric if you want to, there's more of them than back in the day but they'll always be wanted. Don't do it to get rich of rezzes though. Lot of people run a cleric box and XP is usually quick enough that eating an unrezzed death isn't nearly as bad as it was 20 years ago.

I played a druid on Mangler and while their healing is okay, you're still the "can't find a cleric" choice. Charm is the name of the game these days and especially in Luclin and PoP when mob DPS spikes up you really need a cleric CH'ing to keep up.

People picking around is always annoying. At frenzy groups usually sit in the hallway outside, but pick hoppers will pick in the frenzy room, then they can't pick again for 5 minutes so there's this tense staredown while you wait for them to gtfo. Same with efreeti, people pick hop in the room.

Then you have the lord group having different group members answer camp checks as if they are at the other spot so lord ends up taking frenzy as well etc.

Tuco said:

So is it common for the top guilds to escalate wars over the efreeti camp until you get multiple groups trying to out DPS each other just to win the war?

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Avoiding that specific camp will make your classic experience more enjoyable. Or at minimum, get your ring and or boots then never go back.

/pick sends you to the evac spot now so there's that. Freeto is a rite of passage for TLP.

Kharzette said:

People picking around is always annoying. At frenzy groups usually sit in the hallway outside, but pick hoppers will pick in the frenzy room, then they can't pick again for 5 minutes so there's this tense staredown while you wait for them to gtfo. Same with efreeti, people pick hop in the room.

Then you have the lord group having different group members answer camp checks as if they are at the other spot so lord ends up taking frenzy as well etc.

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Picking punts you back to zone safe point now so they will have to run all the way to the camp first.

Tuco said:

What about that camp makes it such a hotbed for scum and villainy? Without focus effects the ring and boots aren't really game-changers, right?

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Boots are still BiS for many classes even without the focus effect. Plus for some people I'm sure it's just an embedded routine for what they've done for all the other TLPs so it's what they'll do again.

I played on agnarr before focus was removed, so maybe it changed since. The issue is both items are (were?) worth a decent amount of krono in comparison to other classic drops.

Edit - also think players get heavily funneled there as the amount of non-raid stuff you can do at 50 in classic is small.