Wanting to setup my own server. Have some questions.

[Draugr]

Ok, I have been following this project since the beginning and have tinkered with running my own server for a while. I finally got the server running and allowing me to log in a few months back, but I haven't done anything with it since because I had some issues with gameplay. Note that it had nothing to do with the server code, but with my visions of what I watned to do and not knowing how to do it. Anyohw, I now want to try again and thought that maybe I could enter my questions here and get some answers from the experts. I'm sorry for soo many questions, but I'm a sort of EQ Addict and haven't been online in a year so its been killing me to return.

Questions

1. How complete is the server code now? If I wanted to run a mini server. Lets say Qeynos, Qeynos Catacombs, Qeynos Hills, BB, Surefall Glade, West Karana and North Karana. Will I be able to have my friends log in and play as fighters, rogues and casters with full abilities or is the server not yet 100% completed when it comes to skills and spells for such classes?

2. Has anyone come up with a formula to convert mob stats, and player stats to accomodate a small server? One thing that will be a problem for small servers is the bigger mobs like Dragons and such. On a EQ server with hundreds of people it may be possible to get enough together to slay Lady Vox, but on a server with 6-10 people on at random times, it would be impossible. I'd love to find a way (formula) to create challenging creatures for solo players or small parties of 2 or 3 people. Perhaps a dragon would still require 6 people, but not 30 or more. If anyone has any formulas to convert standard EQ mob stats to stats that can be used in small servers please let me know. One idea I had a long while back, but wouldn't even know where to begin, is to mirror the stats of most monsters to that of their D&D 3rd edition counterparts. Obviously though with the EQ rulebase it would not be ballanced much. :(

3. Ok, again I'm interested in creating custom mob stats and perhaps even custom items. How difficult is it for a new user to create their own spells, items, loot tables, merchant inventories, etc.. I really want to make a watered down version of EQ for my own group of friends. I wouldn't need all the items in EQ for the small amount of people that will be playing on it. Hmmm let me ask this. What if I wa to take the Everquest Pen & Paper rulebook which uses the generic D20 ruleset and perhaps alter the mob stats to mirror that books stats and then create my own items that would mirror the item stats from those pen and paper EQ books. Would this work at making a better ballanced small sized server?

4. I know there is a EQAdmin tool, I guess I'll look into using it. Not sure how simple it is. I don't know SQL besides the basics to get my server up. I have used various editing programs like the ones for the UO emulators and the Neverwinter Nights toolset. Is EQAdmin like those programs? If so how reliable/easy is EQAdmin or the current EQ admin program with regards to building all of the above in #2 and #3?

5. If I want to start a custom server with all of the above, is it better if I just start with a blank database or is there a bare bones database that I will need to use?

6. Finally, what is everyones thoughts on the status of the server. Is it worth putting the time into creating ones own custom world yet, or are there anticipations that future updates might make current work obsolete thus wasting lots of hours building a database? I wouldn't want to spend weeks or months populating my server to find out that its all for nothing as a new version requires a total restart. I know when projects are not final releases there is always the possibility of future versions not being compatible with prior versions. I'd just like to get the thoughts of some of the experts on this question I have.

Well, sorry for the long message. I really hope to get started on this as I can't wait to play EQ again.

Thanks
John