LD constantly? I can't play so i'll start a revolution

[c]

I've heard horror stories like this, but i've always been fine. Cable
connection, fast computer, all set - but the last few days i've been
tooling around in norrath again and i go linkdead when i zone. What
gives? Known issue? Hopefully with a known fix (that someone could
point me toward?).

Presently I can't even log in without going LD between character
select and the actual game. Gonna start messing around with my
firewall (running winXP pro, like a fewl). The 5 minutes of waiting
between the LD and when i can resume playing = enough to make me quit
another year or two.

We, the players, should organize and become vocal so that no new
players will take up a sony game until stupid, careless bugs/issues
are fixed/resolved. I played for 5 years without this problem, so they
clearly changed something (i haven't touched my settings from the last
time i played, without issue, last summer). They really do focus their
efforts on new content to try to pull in new players (or is it to
appease the powergamer crowd?), believing that having happy casual
players is (fixing bugs, improving things that are broken) the least
lucrative business model. Am i wrong in that perception? Because if
not, we should do that, we should make it clear to potential new
players that sony doesn't know how to administrate an mmo, and let
sony see we're doing that. Maybe that would work. Guess we'd have to
convince them that we happy, older players would pull in people via
word of mouth once we were satisfied with the quality of the game.

Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

Faza

[Don Woods]

Post by c
I've heard horror stories like this, but i've always been fine. Cable
connection, fast computer, all set - but the last few days i've been
tooling around in norrath again and i go linkdead when i zone. What
gives? Known issue? Hopefully with a known fix (that someone could
point me toward?).
Presently I can't even log in without going LD between character
select and the actual game. Gonna start messing around with my
firewall (running winXP pro, like a fewl). The 5 minutes of waiting
between the LD and when i can resume playing = enough to make me quit
another year or two.

This sounds like your character files have gotten corrupted. Another
possibility is the zone data files are corrupted for the zones those
characters are trying to zone into (either from another zone or from
character select). Try moving some or all of those files out of your
Everquest folder, then do a full file check to recreate any of those
files (such as the default maps) that are required, and see if the
characters are able to zone in. If that works, try to narrow down
which file was causing the problem, and then which part of that file.

The character files are Yourcharactername_Servername.ini and
UI_Yourcharactername_Servername.ini. The most likely zone files to
cause trouble are the maps.

I do get the feeling that there've been a lot of posts like yours
recently. I wonder if there's a new bug that's causing files to
become corrupted.

-- Don.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- See the a.g.e/EQ1 FAQ at http://www.iCynic.com/~don/EQ/age.faq.htm
--
-- Sukrasisx, Monk 68 on E. Marr Note: If you reply by mail,
-- Terrwini, Druid 58 on E. Marr I'll get to it sooner if you
-- Teviron, Knight 58 on E. Marr remove the "hyphen n s"
-- Wizbeau, Wizard 36 on E. Marr

[Lief]

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

[murdocj]

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

[Lief]

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

It's called having an opinion. I played WoW, I thought it sucked, and took
little skill compared to EQ.

As with all things, opinions vary.

[Eric D. Braden]

Post by Lief

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

It's called having an opinion. I played WoW, I thought it sucked, and took
little skill compared to EQ.
As with all things, opinions vary.

Having an opinion is great. Rehashing the same stupid bashing ("I
have a brain") is just tired. It's an opinion, it's just an
unoriginal one. My return to EQ has been severly dampened by the
simple fact that it seems like most of the people still playing are
simply elitist dicks. There are plenty of friendly people, but so
many are so eager to just jump all over people and attempt to appear
superior.

Look at this newsgroup. Near-flatline the entire time I've been
reading it, until an opportunity arises to jerk people around. Now
we've got dozens of posts in a couple of days. Most calling other
people jerks.

[Lief]

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

It's called having an opinion. I played WoW, I thought it sucked, and took
little skill compared to EQ.
As with all things, opinions vary.

Having an opinion is great. Rehashing the same stupid bashing ("I
have a brain") is just tired. It's an opinion, it's just an
unoriginal one. My return to EQ has been severly dampened by the
simple fact that it seems like most of the people still playing are
simply elitist dicks. There are plenty of friendly people, but so
many are so eager to just jump all over people and attempt to appear
superior.

It isn't a bash at anyone, it's a statement of fact. WoW is an easier game,
which the majority of people seem to prefer. Having played all MMORPG on
the market, compared to EQ they are all easy, dull, and require less
brainpower. However, that doesnt mean people have to agree with me, I dont
care what others play...

Post by Eric D. Braden
Look at this newsgroup. Near-flatline the entire time I've been
reading it, until an opportunity arises to jerk people around. Now
we've got dozens of posts in a couple of days. Most calling other
people jerks.

And this is different to the rest of USENET how? :P And in fact it is
merely people arguing....about pointless crap but again, that's what teh
intraweb is for! :P

[Eric D. Braden]

Post by Lief

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then

not

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

It's called having an opinion. I played WoW, I thought it sucked, and

took

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief
little skill compared to EQ.
As with all things, opinions vary.

Having an opinion is great. Rehashing the same stupid bashing ("I
have a brain") is just tired. It's an opinion, it's just an
unoriginal one. My return to EQ has been severly dampened by the
simple fact that it seems like most of the people still playing are
simply elitist dicks. There are plenty of friendly people, but so
many are so eager to just jump all over people and attempt to appear
superior.

It isn't a bash at anyone,

Yes it is :P "You don't have a brain, so you play WoW" is a bash.
"EQ is a lot harder than WoW" is a statement of fact (though I may
disagree for the most part).

Post by Lief
WoW is an easier game, which the majority of people seem to prefer.

To be honest, I think it's mostly the fact that they learned a lot of
lessons from previous MMOs and made the game accessible. In my
opinion, it's not popular because it's easy. It's popular because it
is a fluid, well-designed game that has a good company, pre-existing
fanbase and IP behind it, and it came out with sane hardware
requirements.

It's not perfect by any means, and I personally really didn't like the
game at 70 (and quit), but that might be different if I was still 19
with 16 free hours a day instead of a few hours on the weekend.

Post by Lief
However, that doesnt mean people have to agree with me, I dont
care what others play...

That's great. Just accept that most people consider the phrase "I
don't care what others play" doesn't come with tired insults. It's
like if every person who ever mentioned EQ in WoW immediately followed
it up with personal insults aimed at its players (hrm...what would a
good one be? I don't think being called old and stubborn is all that
insulting...).

Post by Lief
And this is different to the rest of USENET how? :P And in fact it is
merely people arguing....about pointless crap but again, that's what teh
intraweb is for! :P

Yeah, I was just lamenting the fact that it's so negative. I got kind
of excited that there was activity, but was disappointed when it all
turned out to be flames. Bad example. I've been witness to some
extremely nasty arguments in in-game chat channels which usually focus
on bashing people who play games other than EQ.

[murdocj]

Post by Lief
It isn't a bash at anyone, it's a statement of fact. WoW is an easier game,
which the majority of people seem to prefer. Having played all MMORPG on
the market, compared to EQ they are all easy, dull, and require less
brainpower. However, that doesnt mean people have to agree with me, I dont
care what others play...

The "statement of fact" part is what I disagree with. Having played
both EQ and WoW to a high level, I just have to call bullshit on this.
If you want to say "IMHO, WoW is easier than EQ", well, that's fine.
If you want to back it up with some logical arguments, even better, we
can have a rational discussion. But when you toss out stuff that
(IMHO) is BS, and don't bother to even try to back it up, it sounds
like you are trying to make yourself feel good by bashing other
people.

[Lief]

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief
It isn't a bash at anyone, it's a statement of fact. WoW is an easier game,
which the majority of people seem to prefer. Having played all MMORPG on
the market, compared to EQ they are all easy, dull, and require less
brainpower. However, that doesnt mean people have to agree with me, I dont
care what others play...

The "statement of fact" part is what I disagree with. Having played
both EQ and WoW to a high level, I just have to call bullshit on this.

WoW is easier, fact.

Post by murdocj
If you want to say "IMHO, WoW is easier than EQ", well, that's fine.

Yes because it is true.

Post by murdocj
If you want to back it up with some logical arguments, even better, we
can have a rational discussion. But when you toss out stuff that
(IMHO) is BS, and don't bother to even try to back it up, it sounds
like you are trying to make yourself feel good by bashing other
people.

You used IMHO, which is your opinion...never said you had to agree with me.
Seems like you have some paranoia issues steming from the fact you know I am
correct :P

[murdocj]

Post by Lief

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

It's called having an opinion. I played WoW, I thought it sucked, and took
little skill compared to EQ.
As with all things, opinions vary.

Having an opinion is fine, no matter how uninformed and incorrect it
may be.

[Lief]

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by murdocj

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

I'm curious as to why you feel a need to bash other games. If you
like EQ, and you're having a good time playing it, why the need to
piss on non-EQ players? Do you really think that playing EQ grants
you some sort of superiority?

It's called having an opinion. I played WoW, I thought it sucked, and took
little skill compared to EQ.
As with all things, opinions vary.

Having an opinion is fine, no matter how uninformed and incorrect it
may be.

But it isn't uninformed is it? Seeing as I played wow and eq to a high
level I think I can make a distinction as to which requires more
skill.....25 man raids are simple to co-ordinate, with most just requiring
DPS and little actual skill / knowledge.

Doesn't really matter if you agree does it? Long as you having fun who
cares.

[Vladesch]

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

Try raiding some of the BC content and come back and tell us how easy it
was.

[Lief]

Post by Vladesch

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

Try raiding some of the BC content and come back and tell us how easy it
was.

It is easy...:P

[murdocj]

Post by Lief

Post by Vladesch

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

Try raiding some of the BC content and come back and tell us how easy it
was.

It is easy...:P

Ah, thanks. Your clear, well reasoned arguments and cogent examples
have convinced me. I just hadn't understood it that way before.

I had thought that ZG and Karazhan required skill, determination,
coordinated teamwork, and consistent play over a long period of time.
But based on all the data you've presented, they're obviously quite
easy, any 10 or 20 people can just walk in and master them. Thanks
for enlightening me.

[c]

SO yeah...i messed with my firewall and ended up turning it off - nice
improvement in counterstrike/dod, but with EQ i'm still going LD when
i zone ... it's annoying and dreadful...

on the bright side, i've connected with some old friends and might
just get back into the swing of things (if i can lick the LD and
broken-animations bugs)

Fennin.Faza

[Eric D. Braden]

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

One more tiny thing:

People didn't leave EQ because it was hard. They left because it was
old and new games with big potential were coming out and (from what
I've read) GoD sucked complete ass.

People don't avoid EQ because it's hard. They avoid it because it's
old and inaccessible. I returned after being gone since Luclin and I
feel completely locked out of the game. The complete derth of low
level people (low level as in <30, not <70) is killer. It means the
only way to start playing is to buy some plat, buy some skinspikes,
beg for a temp and go solo for 3 months. Which is mindnumbingly
boring and not at all in the spirit of EQ. There are no groups at any
level I've been at since returning unless you know people already.
Not because you're too lazy to form a group, because there's literally
NO-ONE within 10 levels of you that isn't in trader mode in the
bazaar.

The only thing keeping me mildly interested is the fact that I know
one person who plays, so I have someone to play with. I really miss
the fun I had in this game in the past, and I'm sure I could have that
fun again if I bought a level 75 character. But that's not something
I want to do.

It's not "difficulty." It's barrier to entry. If it was difficulty,
people wouldn't play the hundreds of console games that require more
"skill" than MMOs.

[Lief]

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

200,000 players at the moment. Not WoW level of players, but then not
everyone has a brain and they prefer 'easy' games.

People didn't leave EQ because it was hard. They left because it was
old and new games with big potential were coming out and (from what
I've read) GoD sucked complete ass.

Yep, but then EQ was the original game of it's type, and it is now what, 8
years old?

GoD is a great expansion imo :P

Post by Eric D. Braden
People don't avoid EQ because it's hard. They avoid it because it's
old and inaccessible. I returned after being gone since Luclin and I
feel completely locked out of the game. The complete derth of low
level people (low level as in <30, not <70) is killer. It means the
only way to start playing is to buy some plat, buy some skinspikes,
beg for a temp and go solo for 3 months. Which is mindnumbingly
boring and not at all in the spirit of EQ. There are no groups at any
level I've been at since returning unless you know people already.
Not because you're too lazy to form a group, because there's literally
NO-ONE within 10 levels of you that isn't in trader mode in the
bazaar.

Yes, due to it's age it is not exactly noobie friendly, but there are still
plenty of guilds out there who would be more than likely happy to group with
you etc. Really, you do need a guild if you are a lowbie in EQ now, or you
stand no chance.

Post by Eric D. Braden
The only thing keeping me mildly interested is the fact that I know
one person who plays, so I have someone to play with. I really miss
the fun I had in this game in the past, and I'm sure I could have that
fun again if I bought a level 75 character. But that's not something
I want to do.

Why did you sell your character? :P

Post by Eric D. Braden
It's not "difficulty." It's barrier to entry. If it was difficulty,
people wouldn't play the hundreds of console games that require more
"skill" than MMOs.

All of what you said still doesnt change the fact it IS more difficult than
any other MMORPG (possible exception vanguard, I haven't played that for
more than an hour).

My g/f just started playing eq, has a level 9 mage, and is loving it, of
course she has me to help her learn how to play, but, that isn't something
unique. Any other newbie could just as easily ask for help in one of the
general channels or find a guild with helpful members.

I dont see the barrier you are harping on about.

[Eric D. Braden]

Post by Lief
Yes, due to it's age it is not exactly noobie friendly, but there are still
plenty of guilds out there who would be more than likely happy to group with
you etc. Really, you do need a guild if you are a lowbie in EQ now, or you
stand no chance.

This is the barrier I'm harping on.

Post by Lief
Why did you sell your character? :P

Rent. My early 20s were "starvation years". I sold a lot of things I
would really like to still own. The person I'm playing with now is
actually the person I sold my account to. I contacted him and asked
if I could buy it back. His brother had it and was being stubborn, so
the guy is now giving me a hand starting up and leveling his multi-box
characters with me.

Post by Lief

Post by Eric D. Braden
It's not "difficulty." It's barrier to entry. If it was difficulty,
people wouldn't play the hundreds of console games that require more
"skill" than MMOs.

All of what you said still doesnt change the fact it IS more difficult than
any other MMORPG (possible exception vanguard, I haven't played that for
more than an hour).

When you say "Not WoW level of players, but then not everyone has a
brain and they prefer 'easy' games" you're saying people don't play EQ
because they think it's hard. I'm saying people don't play EQ because
it's an old game that is infinitely less accessible at this point than
newer games. That's why I went on about all that.

I guess that's the opinion thing. I don't think EQ is the hardest MMO
I've played. I don't equate "hard" with "tedious." I don't think EQ
is purely tedious (I haven't really seen an MMO that lacked some
tedium), but it seems like most things that make it "difficult" are
just things that create tedium.

Honest question: What makes EQ more difficult than other games? Is
soloability equal to ease? Does a harsh death penalty make a game
difficult?

I didn't really feel any MMO I've played was all that difficult.
Maybe it's just because difficulty and skill are pretty vague when it
comes to video games in general and MMOs in particular. Some people
say twitch = skill, some say twitch is kid-stuff. The main skill I
see in MMOs is just the ability to corral a large group of people and
get them to hit the right buttons at the right time.

[Lief]

Post by Eric D. Braden
Honest question: What makes EQ more difficult than other games? Is
soloability equal to ease? Does a harsh death penalty make a game
difficult?

Not being hand fed the entire way, learning your class / others classes and
what they can do, learning what mobs do, learning how to raid, learning raid
roles, co-ordinating large raids which require more than just TANK / DPS /
HEAL etc...

Post by Eric D. Braden
I didn't really feel any MMO I've played was all that difficult.
Maybe it's just because difficulty and skill are pretty vague when it
comes to video games in general and MMOs in particular. Some people
say twitch = skill, some say twitch is kid-stuff. The main skill I
see in MMOs is just the ability to corral a large group of people and
get them to hit the right buttons at the right time.

Heh, twitch is just reaction's, you can't learn that, EQ requires some
twitch but alot of knowledge, knowing what to do and when, doing something
wrong can kill an entire raid (hatchet for example).

[Eric D. Braden]

Post by Lief

Post by Eric D. Braden
Honest question: What makes EQ more difficult than other games? Is
soloability equal to ease? Does a harsh death penalty make a game
difficult?

Not being hand fed the entire way, learning your class / others classes and
what they can do, learning what mobs do, learning how to raid, learning raid
roles, co-ordinating large raids which require more than just TANK / DPS /
HEAL etc...

Take out "large" and I don't see the difference. I will agree that 60
people are harder to coordinate than 25.

Post by Lief
Heh, twitch is just reaction's, you can't learn that, EQ requires some
twitch but alot of knowledge, knowing what to do and when, doing something
wrong can kill an entire raid (hatchet for example).

Twitch is very "learnable". It's quick thinking mixed with hand-eye
coordination. Both are skills that can be developed. I don't really
see that knowledge is that related to difficulty. Is your Googling
ability part of your EQ "skill"?

Anyway. The issue isn't really whether EQ is more or less difficult
than WoW. The issue, for me, is just to not make boneheaded
statements like "People w/o brains don't play EQ."

[Lief]

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief

Post by Eric D. Braden
Honest question: What makes EQ more difficult than other games? Is
soloability equal to ease? Does a harsh death penalty make a game
difficult?

Not being hand fed the entire way, learning your class / others classes and
what they can do, learning what mobs do, learning how to raid, learning raid
roles, co-ordinating large raids which require more than just TANK / DPS /
HEAL etc...

Take out "large" and I don't see the difference. I will agree that 60
people are harder to coordinate than 25.

Good we are agreed that EQ raids are harder then.

Post by Eric D. Braden

Post by Lief
Heh, twitch is just reaction's, you can't learn that, EQ requires some
twitch but alot of knowledge, knowing what to do and when, doing something
wrong can kill an entire raid (hatchet for example).

Twitch is very "learnable". It's quick thinking mixed with hand-eye
coordination. Both are skills that can be developed. I don't really
see that knowledge is that related to difficulty. Is your Googling
ability part of your EQ "skill"?

Sorry you either have twitch or you dont.

You cannot google fights that people have never done, or are rarely done.
WoW raids require no googling (and little learning), because they are so
easy.

Post by Eric D. Braden
Anyway. The issue isn't really whether EQ is more or less difficult
than WoW. The issue, for me, is just to not make boneheaded
statements like "People w/o brains don't play EQ."

I said WoW requires less brains, basically, which is true.

[D.J.]

On Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:03:47 GMT, "Lief" <***@it.com> wrote:
]Yes, due to it's age it is not exactly noobie friendly, but there are still
]plenty of guilds out there who would be more than likely happy to group with
]you etc. Really, you do need a guild if you are a lowbie in EQ now, or you
]stand no chance.

Really ? I got a ranger to 40th, with no guild help. I didn't even
find out temperance was for low level toons until I had played
almost a year. Didn't have the buff potions from the pok merchant
either.

When I bought the Evolution package deal, there was a book in it
that explained the interface, the background storry, etc.

As for the game, it isn't lal that hard to learn how to play.
Tactics took me a while, but I found a number of guides online on
tactics.

JimP.

[D.J.]

On Thu, 09 Aug 2007 01:00:18 -0000, c
<***@gmail.com> wrote:
]Presently I can't even log in without going LD between character
]select and the actual game. Gonna start messing around with my
]firewall (running winXP pro, like a fewl). The 5 minutes of waiting
]between the LD and when i can resume playing = enough to make me quit
]another year or two.

If you have the free version of zonealarm you must reaccept
eqgame.exe for passthru every time EQ is patched.

Other firewalls can do the same.

Your problem has nothing to do with EQ, but your firewall.

JimP.

[Tony]

Post by c
Or is it too late for that? No one really plays eq, huh?

More people play EQ than any other Sony MMORPG.

Have you tried removing the contents of .../Sony/Everquest/userdata?

For now, just move it somewhere else, but give that a try.

As a side issue, although I found it hard to believe, replacing my ADSL
router a year or so back cleared up all my unexplained LD issues.