Alternate Everquest (AEQ)

[blooberry_eq99]

I've had nothing but a pleasant experience here so far. Staff responds to issues extremely fast, sometimes within minutes of it being reported. I've found a couple exploits, and when I reported them, I was thanked and given a 100% WR bag for being honest.

Found some issues with newbie quests, and some of them were fixed in less than 30 minutes! They ran a holiday quest for Christmas, like 15 quests in a progression that ended up with some really cool things like custom augs and a WR bag.

The level 50 content is very challenging, and so far, most of it is interesting. I can't wait to see what else they are cooking up!

[Navabi]

I am also having a blast! I have played EQ for almost 20 years, and I am amazed at the responsiveness to every word of player feedback. As one of the "original" testers for 6+ months, I continue to be impressed with the continued new content. We all love the game (or we wouldn't even be aware of this forum) -- I find myself having the same level of excitement to play, just like I did many years ago! I guess you can't please everyone, but from what I have seen, the server owner goes out of his way to maintain a positive environment for our "playtime" on AEQ. The main rule is we must have fun! LOL

[Peete]

I really liked this part of the above post:
"The real kicker... the head dev is addicted to Xanax (and not at a recreational level). Many players stopped using the server discord due to this. He had a habit of coming on the server Discord late at night and jumping into various groups voice chats after taking 3mg of Xanax and drinking alcohol. Multiple players warned him against this and that he was risking his life by taking large doses AND drinking alcohol."
Trying to pretend that you care, just to add validity to your claims is really low and is telling about your character. When is the last time you took a risk and created something for the public? It takes courage and if you ever read this, just know that what you wrote was slimy and self serving. Good riddance, and I hope you never come back. For those of you that are thinking about joining the server, know this.. Its not perfect (yet) but is it fun? Hell yes. The content is very original and it is a new take for people that love to play EQ. There is a community on this server that is very friendly and the head dev is a big part of that. I've known the dev in question for many years now and I have never witnessed the behavior that was described above. I think someone had grandiose delusions and when put in his rightful place, lost his mind. He claims to have loved this server and then turns around and bashes it. Again, good riddance and stay gone. This has been a very stress free and fun server and the likes of that person will just ruin it for us.

[Shadowclan]

Sounds like a hit piece that is far from the truth. When I read JarL05's post, I had to step away to gather my thoughts ... especially since I have been playing on AEQ before, during and after JarL05's existence on the server.

I chuckled when I read "... I alone tested nearly all of his end game content and relentlessly provided feedback ..." since that is very far from the truth. While others would make posts and submit concerns/issues, Jarl05 seemed like he wanted to be at the center of everyone's attention using this to say "look at me !!!" Please take things with a gain of salt such as the comment "... while being the sole group testing his newest zone ..." At that particular moment, yes they were the only group in there at that time, but doesn't mean they were the only ones who had been there trying things out. Half truths ...

As for the "unstable server and buggy ...", more non 100% truths.

• Unstable Server - Whaaaat ... not sure what thats about, the server doesn't randomly crash. There are times a reboot occurs to address issues that would immediately improve the game

• Buggy Pathing - Some of the best pathing implements I have encountered. I gave compliments to the staff for a named NPC that would run to rooms with other mobs for help (yes it hurt on my end, but I appreciate the intention of game). There were some issues early on that staff were notified of, and they addressed in a timely manner. As things are identified, they are quick to respond based on priority.

• Buggy boss scripts - There have been some that did not function as initially intended but were corrected quickly. What bothers me about this statement is Eldarian and staff would say, hey, we want to try this script, could you X amount of folks help test this? During the Beta testing ... THAT WAS THE PURPOSE ... to try to work those bugs out lol ...

• Buggy spawns - Baffled ... not sure what that is about ... I know it's been stated numerous times, effort begets reward ... so if it is a rare spawn, then the rewards reflect the effort.

• Buggy AA/spells/skills - The developers have done an AMAZING job recapturing my late teen years playing EQ with their little twists on life. They are making every reasonable (and above and beyond) effort to improve things for players and the community. If there is a bump in the road, they have been looking into and communicating with the players so they know whats going on. Ohhh, i said the "C-Word" ... yes they communicate and keep the community well informed ... MUCH APPRECIATED !!!

• As for raids of 13+ (more than 2 full groups), an issue the server is aware of and working together to accommodate at this time. Eldarian and staff have been keeping everyone fully in the loop of what is going on so we don't have any surprises. They spent an exhaustive amount of their lives over several days addressing the issue to figure out what the problem was. The entire time, they kept communicating with players so things were very transparent. To solve the mystery issue, players had to take an active role in helping troubleshoot by forming up and raiding targets so the issues could be narrowed. Kudos to Eldarian and staff for efforts.

As for the direct attacks on Eldarian, I find when someone points a finger, look where the other three fingers are pointing ... yes, many of you are pointing at the screen and looking at the other three fingers. Generally, the other three are pointing back at the person pointing. I will use Jarl05's line of "I won't get into specifics" but when a player such as Jarl05 has issues with the developers and a large number of community doing the same content, it might not be those he is pointing at ...

There has been 4 waves of 3 to 5 players who have come to AEQ and then faded from the online numbers. I was very happy to see two of these groups return shortly after the server officially was live. A few of the individuals from the other 2 missing waves have returned also because more content has been made available or they had missed the server.

I have enjoyed the AEQ server and would recommend to all ... minus JarL05. The developers/staff have been considerate, responsive, but open about the direction of the server and its content. There is a vision with an in depth story line on the server, and the staff works hard to ensure they are available.

Thank you for taking the time and consideration to read my post.
- Demodread

[greenspectre]

Just finished hitting 51 (max level on this server) and thought I'd post my review for anybody wondering what the experience on AEQ is like. Bear in mind any criticisms I listed are ones actively being worked on by AEQ staff, who have been extremely responsive in my experience on the server.

(Copied from the AEQ forum and posted at the request of the AEQ GM's)

Upon initially reading server discussions, and feeling a bit nostalgic for my very first EQ main, a paladin, I decided to roll an Ogre Paladin, and paired him with a Troll Shaman. I figured this would let me cover as many bases as possible, role-wise, with 2 characters, only really losing out on DPS.

Nostalgia factor- 10.

This server is set to classic EQ and as a result, you cover a lot of familiar ground. Also, fwiw, the slightly lower experience gain on this server in comparison to other "solo plus" servers means you spend a bit more TIME in the grind game, but it was time well spent. I always felt like there was something to do, another goal to hit, something to aim for other than the next DING. During my grind I spent time leveling practically everywhere- Feerrott, Upper Guk, Oasis, Lavastorm, Crushbone, Unrest, SolA, Lower Guk, SolB, and LOTS and LOTS of Mistmoore (more on that later) as well as the Hole. There was a specific reason to be in each and every one of these zones when I was there, so I always felt like I was killing at least two birds with one stone and the constant change of scenery kept me from getting bored.

Complaints- None

Quality of Life- 7

Though this server is set to classic EQ, there’s enough quality of life improvement to keep things moving smoother than actual classic. Exp rates are improved, but not so much that you blow through content. Mobs feel a bit easier than live, and I didn’t feel that my shammy box was really “Necessary” at any point in the game, just helped keep this running smooth and let me take down important quest mobs a bit earlier than normal. Getting around is much easier here, though not so much easier that druids and wizards become useless- it’s a nice balance. Between the Gfay cloak and the travel NPC’s, as well as a somewhat reduced cast time on the Origin AA, even a melee character can easily hit their Bind Point, Gfay, EC, Qeynos Hills, and Rathe Mountains, which means no zone ever feels TOO far away. I think I only had to hoof it across the Karanas once, and that was to get my Qeynos Hills shard. Also, the death exp penalty is small enough that even ranger gating as a means of travel is not the worst. All in all, you can get around fairly easily, but will still do a bit of running enough that it feels classic-ish. Bring a SOW class or prepare to cry!

It’s also worth mentioning that this server takes a lot of the sting out of being Evil by giving you a good-race illusion item that can essentially be “bought” in highkeep for 50 plat. This can be exchanged down the line for an evil-race illusion item as well, so no individual city or quest is ever off limits. In addition to that, once you hit mid-level, there is a quest line that nets you an invis clicky and a levitate clicky, so the bottom line is a non-invis and non-porting class is going to have a decent time still.

My first real gripe, however, is with spell distribution. Not all cities carry all spells for the classes that come from there, so I found myself having to make a froglok newbie to buy spells in Gukta as I leveled, as Gukta seems to be the city that actually has everything.

My second gripe is with drops, most especially when it comes to rare or uncommon spawn mobs. Due to the nature of this server, questing mid-level gear is a must for some classes, usually your melees. However, a lot of these quests require drops from mobs that may have placeholders, may be roomers in zones like *groan* South Karana, or may have their item drop uncommonly or any combination of the three. This led me to some points of frustration, like having to find 3 roaming Nightfall Giants in West Commons before I found my Head needed for Greaves of Ro. To balance this out, it appears SOME items have been purchasable from merchants, such as Fairy Dust from the brownie town and Melatite from the Gnomes in solA, but some drops are weird.

Some loot-bearing mobs don’t drop ANYTHING sometimes. As an example, the Hooded Black Cloak has a clicky damage shield, so I tracked down the cloaked dhampyre and camped him. I understand it’s a rare drop from a mob with a placeholder, and accepted a few “Blood of the Dhampyre” drops to my chagrin knowing that’s just part of the game, but every time I killed him and saw absolutely nothing in the loot window it stung just a bit. I got all 3 Xicotl hilts I needed without the cloak dropping, and then resigned myself to parking the shaman in the fountain area while I ran the paladin around doing errands. I get placeholders, and rare drops, but in my opinion, a named should ALWAYS drop at least one of their loots, even if true classic wasn’t like that.

Complaints- Spell merchant distribution is a bit wonky. Looting a named with nothing on him feels really bad.

Gear improvements- 7

Currently a hot topic on their forums, but I’ll throw in my 2 cents. Some of the gear on this server has been buffed to make it more desirable. The newbie armor and weapon quests are excellent, and I was pleased to discover a follow-up quest available to my paladin by turning in both the paladin and SK newbie weapons to an NPC in Sol Ro Temple. Ghoulbane received a huge overhaul, making it a must-have and I finished my quested one at around 29 because it was a MUST. The Armor of Ro quests yielded amazing upgrades to my newbie armor, though I still can’t find that damned plague shark in Eruds Crossing. Either way, for the class with the most pain-in-the-ass Quest armor, the reward felt completely worth it. Some items have received SUPER buffs, making them must-haves. IGS, Hero Bracers, Hooded Black Cloak just to name a few. Loot in Blackburrow and Crushbone we’re both significantly overhauled and it was nice to have something to shoot for in my teens.

The flip side, mostly due to server infancy i’d imagine, is that some items are untouched, or still need more love. Totemic Armor as a whole is still unchanged from live, which posed a serious disappointment when I finally handed in my stuff. Glowing Wooden Crook was somewhat upgraded from live but still didn’t compare to newbie weapon plus shield. Marr’s Promise is insane, but it’s cousins Woe and Envy are anything but. Polished Granite Tomahawk has an illusion effect but no other changes. Some items feel changed in weird ways and there is an argument to be made for other items being buffed so much that there’s no point in seeking anything else in that slot. Especially if a wiki starts up and people can look up the gear ahead of time.

Gripes- some gear untouched, others improved but still not relevant. GMs seem to be fairly good at addressing these concerns as they pop up in forums. Some gear OP and making other gear at or above it’s difficulty level irrelevant.

Custom content- 10.

I have to hand it to Eld here. There is custom content interweaved with the classic content so seamlessly that you would have never known it was custom if you hadn’t played original EQ. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lucky the Beggar quests start to finish, and loved the GFay cloak quest, lavastorm earrings, and Mistmoore earring quests. I’m currently working on the Skyfall Seeker which isn’t custom per se but was given a very desirable effect, and the Timmothy quest line also yielded lots of fun and useful gear. I’ve just gotten my feet wet in Lavaspinner’s and the Hatchery, but so far custom zones feel as they should- more challenging but with greater rewards. Epic 0.5’s are being pushed out too and they sound exciting, but as far as I know nobody has finished theirs yet.

Also the changes to Paladins were MUCH appreciated. At higher levels, having Nuke-stuns didn’t feel overpowered, but at mid and low levels, having some form of additional DPS was SO nice. The class feels much better to play while still feeling comparable, not better than, the SK.

The only gripe I could have is that there’s still undiscovered content and I have no idea what it is, but that’s half the fun of playing a new server!

[adamle00]

I'm not sure why they didn't just adjust gear across the board (like Nagafen's Lair server) up damage and delay by a % or hp's and resists or whatever. This can be done globally and then you can go ahead and readjust things later on as needed. Removing placeholders so that just named will pop is a good idea (done by other servers as well) but has to be done on a case by case basis.

Btw I have played here a bit before christmas and found the mob pathing to be awful (mobs when they ran would poof into the wall or ground) basically requiring you to play a snare and or a pet class. Maybe that's fixed now tho I don't know. No server is perfect, they all need fixing or adjustments in some way it's just depends if the dev's even know or care to change things.

With all the custom items and quests and what not on the server and no wiki or anything you quite literally don't know what you are missing.

[greenspectre]

I felt like the items were adjusted in specific ways to make them still feel unique. Some items got illusion clickers, some got stat buffs, and some were changed in other ways. This made the gear unique, but in different ways than I was used to, which was nice.

Mob pathing seemed normal to me.

[eldarian]

I would be interested in talking to you more if you feel pathing is terrible. Might be an issue that carried to other servers as well since many of us use the same pathing system. So feel free to reach to me on discord and we can talk about it more.

-Eldarian-

[adamle00]

I found that as soon as mobs would try to run at low health they would warp into walls or underground, saw this in a few dungeons (Blackburrow, crushbone, sol A and upper and lower guk).

You would either have to nuke them at the right time before they ran or snare them, or with one of my tandems let the BL pet follow into floor or wall and prey it killed them before you get trained.

Even outside in Lavastorm mobs that would run would path into hills.

I also noticed in Lower guk on the first 2 pull of frogs before jumping into water to get to the bedroom camp that if you tried to pull either or both of those frogs with a bow or ranged spell they would warp away and then reappear after quite a while with a train of frogs in tow. The only way to avoid this I found was to lull and bypass them or lull and jump and attack them right on the spawn point (and snare or nuke beofore they run).

Like I said tho I haven't played in a few weeks so maybe this has been solved already

[greenspectre]

Actually now that he mentions it I remember the exact Lower Guk pull he’s talking about and can confirm the same happened to me, though they reappeared without a train but it took like a full 60s. I think it’s the water pathing big the GMs are still working on.

[Khokon]

This a great server, a true gem. To me, just custumized enough to have both old and new things.

[DaceIre]

Really having a blast with the server so far, I have a few characters in the mid 20's. The leveling goes fast enough to not feel like a grind, while still giving you enough time to explore classic areas you are used to (with some refreshed loot!)

I ignored my armor quests at first. Don't make that mistake, its worth the hassle. The newbie weapons too, upgraded visually and with new stats and procs!

Can't wait to see what happens next!

[eldarian]

Iksar are comming!

[eldarian]

Kunark is expected to launch August 2022. Kunark will bring
-Iksars
-new AA's
-upgraded epic quest chains
-Vizel, and his sister sword Leziv,
-Convent Lore further explored
-Customized zone for higher and lower level players
-More Open world bosses
-Several unique quest chains
-Dragon quest chains
-new raids!
-LEVEL CAP INCREASED!

Gather your forces and join in on the fun, prepare now for the invasion of Kunark by embarking on raiding Plane of sky and other customized raids on AEQ

https://discord.gg/HUehBFDSBd

[CrispyMage]

I've been playing here for a few weeks now. I originally joined the discord about 8 months ago. Watched the community and finally gave it a go.

It's been a wonderful experience. It's all the familiar feels from playing eq but with lots of quality of life improvements and fun stuff added. The newbie quests are good and worth doing. The lower level redo of zones in like runneye and crushbone. Items have been updated. So that kinda cruddy shiny brass shield you use for maybe 5 levels now hangs on for like 15 levels.

Epic quests are different rewards and quests(just starting mine). Xp is fast enough to be enjoyable. Community is friendly and will help you complete stuff. It has the smaller server vibe. Think of it like it's just your guild playing on a server. I've now brought over 2 of my friends from live eq to this with me and am having even more fun.

/ooc is server wide so you can chat with other players and ask for hints. Discord is active any there is a handful of people hanging out at any time.

I've played on all the new TLPs and P99. I'm finding this my favorite experience since random loot on mischief. It has that feel of random loot because you don't know if new loot is on the mob, or if the stats have been upgraded. Also there are new zones to do with completely new loot.

An example of an upgrade, the fish bone earring has a fun illusion added to it.