Asking for advice on creating a casual play server

[kavren]

Simplified version of my big question: Would I be able to create EQEmu server with basic content for me and a few friends to play on occasion?

Simplified version of what I want: To setup a "minimal" server. I have minimal experience with emulators. I have setup a Dawn Of Light (Dark Age of Camelot) server before, I've messed around with sql. Heck, I've messed around with sql tables and entries.

Long version of what I want: What I want is to set up a EQEmu server for me and about 4 friends to play (we will probably only play for 2 or 3 months, up to maybe level 15 or 20). I would like the server to have some basic content, like mobs and boss mobs. I don't need Uber drops, or any special named drops. I would like it so I and my friends could just buy normal equipment from merchants and get random drops from mobs and sell them back to merchants. Don't need quests either. Also, I would like an old school server with exp loss that could mean loss of your current level.

I assume getting the basic emulator up is do-able for a newbie like me. But I don't know if getting the basic content i want (the random drops, the mobs and mob bosses, and the merchants) is do-able for a newbie like me.

Long version of my big question: Would a newbie like me be able to set up basic content like the random drops, the mobs and mob bosses, and the merchants? Is this content already prepped when the emulator is brought online?

Would I be able to handle something like this?

[trevius]

If have setup the DAoC emu, you will have no trouble at all with this one. You will also find that the EQEmu is MUCH more complete and less buggy than the DAoC one.

If you follow the server setup wiki, it will show you how to setup a premade database from 1 of 2 separate sources. Personally, I prefer the PEQ one as it is what I consider more complete.

Here is the wiki page:
http://www.eqemulator.net/wiki/wikka...ka=ws992mysql5

Also, I highly recommend GeorgeS' tools to get a quick start on content development. You can find them at his page here:

http://66.159.225.58/eqemu/eq.html

Make sure you also download the ODBC drivers on that page and install them to get the tools running. You will also need to run the register_ocx.bat file in the resource directory of his tools.

Other than that, you will want Navicat Lite to make database edits quicker and easier unless you are very comfortable with editing mysql from command line or another gui tool for it.