I have to disagree with you there, John. I am a self-respecting, self sufficient adult with a good job (for now). I own my own home and I love EQ dearly. But let's not get into that.
Running a server takes, very simply, devotion. Take for instance, Zeb. I believe Jibb operated his server for a year or so. He was driven by his desire to develop the db with a great deal of content. Obviously, considering the state of his db (meaning it's a little dated and was a bit of a mess). But he really did an amazing job with the content he designed. In fact it's really incredible.
I wish I had continued on with the db I was working on. I may yet still. I really am not interested in running a server, but more so in working on the db. There are many great servers that exist. And everyday someone does something amazing. Finds a way to do something better or fixes something that never worked.
Jest,
GC and
RA are prime examples of this.
But as with most computer hobbies or projects people get burnt out. That's what , I guess, happened to Jibb. When it becomes a job it's no longer fun. And its tough dealing with a large population as Zeb had. People lose heart but they usually come back in some capacity. It's that nostalgic pull in all of us.
What really needs to happen is more support for the Emu developers. It's very unfortunate that it took the threat of EqEmu losing hosting to gather some donations. If you look at the login server population there are at the least 100 people on at a given time. It's not very accurate but it gives a good indication there are still people very interested. They need direction and information on how to donate from the servers they play on. Not just donating to that particular server, but to the project itself. Of course those servers do deserve support if they can get it.
People need to understand that in order to continue this project they must peak developers’ interests. It's not all about money though. It's about appreciation and support, as well as providing and sharing information. There are a good handful of people like you John, Angelox, Techguy, GeorgeS, Kayot and many others etc.. that have been here a while and devoted much time and energy giving to the community.
This is by no means directed at you or anyone at all, but us as a whole. If we can get servers operators to provide players with information and urge them to support the developers I think it would have a great result . Most players don't even come to this board.
Sorry for my ramble.
Anyway, server is up
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