New Server - Retribution (RetributionEQ.com)

[Akkadius]

This looks like this has a lot of thought, care and passion going into this project.

I wish you guys the best in your endeavors!

[Aeventh]

Originally Posted by Akkadius

This looks like this has a lot of thought, care and passion going into this project.

I wish you guys the best in your endeavors!

Thanks so much Akk!

I actually popped on tonight to share some big (nerdy) news.

Retribution is officially leveraging Git for versioning AND has updated to the latest EQEmu binaries! This was a huge step for us in legitimizing how we operate and sets a cadence of reliability that we hope to be known for.

Additionally, all crafted items can now roll Apocryphal or Rose Colored, just like enemy drops AND quests do!

Tonight was a HUGE update for us and it went incredibly well.

Thank you all for the support.

If you haven't checked us out yet, please feel welcomed to do so!

[Eastwood]

This server has sweatiness like I did not expect on EQEmu. I'm sick of it.

[Kobex]

As someone who runs an account-based progression server myself, you might say I could be biased against this server...

I have to say, this server is great! If you're looking for a premier 1-3 box experience, I would highly recommend it. The devs have been very active and responsive. It also has a rapidly growing and very helpful community.

If you've been on the fence, check it out!

[Aeventh]

Originally Posted by Eastwood

This server has sweatiness like I did not expect on EQEmu. I'm sick of it.

Hey Eastwood!

Thanks for sharing your feedback with me. I appreciate the months you've been here and the positive force you've been in the community.

I'd like to take this as an opportunity to publicly remind everyone that this is a personal progression server and the journey is what you make of it.

Everyone starts here with their own expectations and hopes for what kind of experience they will have. Over time those expectations change. Not just of the game, but of themselves.

We are all adults now, and this experience is bringing the sweaty out in a lot of people. The reality is, though, that most of us cannot afford the time to be as sweaty as we want to be, as often as we want to be. This is EQEmu after all... if you are here, a part of you wants to get absolutely lost in this game- and that's OK!

The issue I see, is that this many people, having fun, playing EQ, reliving old memories, making new ones- exacerbates latent desires to compete for unattainable goals in ways that are no longer healthy BUT for no other reason than a love for the game.

I think it's absolutely amazing that so many people are enjoying themselves here and allowing themselves to get a little sweaty. Do I think some people are going a little too hard? Maybe.

BUT all of our situations are different! For anyone reading this, just remember that someone else's successes in no way diminish your own!

Have fun adventurers! If you don't want to leave classic until you down every single raid boss with just you and your homeboy that can only play twice a week- don't! If you want to get in on a public raid and two day your way into Kunark- do it!

This is your experience. I'm just an NPC in your life trying to facilitate some fun <3

[Eastwood]

Edit, what it is.

[Jcr4990]

Originally Posted by Eastwood

This server has sweatiness like I did not expect on EQEmu. I'm sick of it.

Can't really judge a server for the actions of the players. EQ has always and will always have a portion of the playerbase that gets ultra sweaty with it. It's nearly impossible to completely curb that (nor do I think it's really a good idea to even try) as a server operator. Short of making it a single player game people will always find ways to min/max and sweat it up and compete with each other and brag about their accomplishments. Kind of is what it is ya know? It's just part of the nature of mmorpg's and multiplayer games in general. Even if you make the entirety of the content instanced people will still compete with each other to see who can clear stuff fastest or with the least number of people or what have you and brag about it or belittle others that didn't do it as well as they did. Or don't have as much gear or as many AA.etc.etc

[Tossica]

I had to research what "sweatiness" meant in this context. Yeah, some people are just ultra competitive/need to WIN and will find things to compete over even if you try to mitigate that kind of thing. Private server seems to be one of the only ways to really eliminate it if that's your goal.

[Aeventh]

Greetings friends!

It has officially been just over three months since our official launch and I wanted to give a quick round up.

Since launch:

- Over 2,300 accounts have logged into Retribution.
- Over 5,000 characters have been created.
- Over 450 players have joined the Discord community.
- Max online count has increased weekly, peaking last week at 332 players online.
- We are seeing around 20-30 traders active in the bazaar every day.
- We have seen zero server crashes since leveraging Akk's Occulus early January.
- We are averaging less than one hour of downtime per week, of which, 100% are GM initiated with countdowns.
- Our Discord Bug and Suggestion forums are continuing to be addressed daily, with the current outstanding issues now flowing < 10.

As my initial roadmap for this server comes to fruition. with only a handful of PoP events left to clean up, my sights will shift to addressing non critical early expansion discrepancies that the were back-burnered for progression's sake in order to give an even better, more polished experience to our player base.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has participated in this incredibly journey- it is truly the wonderful people that we have attracted that help make this such a special experience. Please be welcomed to join us as we look ahead to years of nostalgic PEQ fun, remembering and reliving some of our favorite EQ memories. As a personal progression server, it is literally never to late to join the fun!

[JarL05]

A+ server.

Admins and friendly and engaged with the community. Which may seem like a no-brainer, but I can assure you it's not always the case. Likewise, they are quick to fix issues and address QoL improvements and/or balancing of classes based on community feedback.

The Rose/Apoc loot system breathes new life into the game as otherwise untouched items become strong in their own right. Symp healing/flames procs giving healers and casters extra heal/dps boosts bringing them up in power enough that running 3 toons doesn't feel awful compared to 4-6.

If you played Laz in it's early days the trajectory of the server will feel very similar. I'd expect them to hit preferred status soon and see another population boom the same way Laz did.

Overall this server is a 10/10. Will be 11/10 if they figure out how to implement SSF mode =)

[n00bertz]

10/10, fantastic server, you go from the early stages of struggling a bit, to actually noticing the power change with every upgrade. smooth sailing, best around! As previous posts have stated, the population is pretty big, the community is overall great and helpful, and it will only be bigger if it reaches preferred! can't wait!

[odank]

I played EQ until OoW and only returned recently for the Mischief TLP server. Then a few months ago I was introduced to Retribution by a friend. The apoc/rose colored loot on Retribution has given me the same excitement as the random loot on Mischief did, but the personal progression allows me to enjoy it at my own pace. Six boxing overwhelmed me on other servers, but with a three box I still feel like I'm fully playing each class. Looking forward to clearing Luclin and then PoP content with a good friend of mine.

I recommend this server to everyone who is seeking a fresh yet familiar EQ experience. Bonus points for the welcoming community. 10/10 server for sure.

[zutfen]

I've been playing EQ since 1999 and EQEmu for well over a decade, so get off my lawn <shakes cane>.

I've played on classic restricted servers and boxed 48 at a time on others... but the system that is in place here is so rewarding that it's hard to put into words.

You look at the Rose Colored and Apocryphal items and the stats that they give and think "this will be too easy and no fun" but to a large extent you get to choose your own adventure. Having to unlock progression gives you something to work towards: you can do it via a fairly epic quest or by killing raid mobs.

You can, if you know what you're doing, do most things with a friend if both of you both 3-box, sometimes some outside the box thinking is required, but with enough AA and decent gear, even in-era you can do most content with 6 characters.

I haven't even mentioned the community, which is one of the best reasons to play here. Broadly speaking, most of the player base has been around the block a few dozen (or hundred) times, and we all want to be helpful to folks that start out fresh here. It's not uncommon to have new players ask for buffs and walk away with hand-me-down gear that makes the levelling far more enjoyable.

All said and done, I tip my hat to Aporia and crew for making a server where there's *just enough* of a grind to feel like EQ, without ever feeling oppressively grindy.

[Aeventh]

Awh...I have this silly grin now. Thank you all!

As we come up on our sixth month anniversary in just a couple weeks, I wanted to share a bit from my perspective.

This project has been one of the most time consuming, yet rewarding experiences I've had in a very long time. I set out to bring a childhood desire to life and was fortunate enough to meet many wonderful and talented individuals that have helped, taught, and encouraged me along the way. The overall supportive nature of the greater EQEmu/PEQ community is truly incredible and I consider myself proud to be a part of it.

As of this post, we have accomplished every single goal on our initial roadmap for Retribution, and then some.

Every week since our launch has been filled with bug fixes, iterative balance passes, and implementation of content based on community feedback according to the vision for this little slice of EQ nostalgia.

I'd list all the things we've done, but there are simply too many. I welcome anyone that's interested to check out the #change-log in Discord to see all the many wonderful changes. Engage with the community. I know it's not for everyone, but I know it's exactly what some have been looking for. If you want a quick overview, you can find one on the FAQ page of RetributionEQ.com

As some players have gone on to defeat Quarm, I was asked, will we be unlocking future expansions. The answer to that is no. For me, my fondest memories of EQ ended in PoP. However, we have a different plan for progression beyond Quarm that involves an intimate tie to the theme of the server- which is what and how we remember EQ.

For our 6th month anniversary we will be opening the first Fabled raid encounter and intend on opening one, every month or two, based on classic raid encounters, for the foreseeable future. This is a manageable cadence for us long term that provides further progression without tarnishing the goal of providing a familiar, albeit, more powerful way to relive some of our favorite EQ memories through Planes of Power. These encounters will be a continuation of the personal progression locks which previously ended with Quarm. More details to come in the near future!

Thank you all again for the kind words and a thank you to those that are just reading along and smiling. Thank you for enjoying what we've created. I look forward to making many more fond memories with you!

[lenjurik]

I'm having a ton of fun on this server. The idea of account progression is a good one and it promotes a "play your way" style with the options of solo, 3box, playing with a few friends or going hard...you are less bound by having to play a certain way. The balance changes are a happy medium between having the classic experiences but with the enhanced QoL of available AAs and better loot. You're strong, but not too strong (until later), and you still have to earn it which feels good.

The staff and community are fantastic and are constantly improving things and listening to feedback. I expect the server to keep growing.