Fenier
12-24-2005, 11:53 AM
I see this as a huge topic for some people in reguards to things taken away from us. Below is a history as best as I can manage - where exactly in this was it taken?
Orignally, a Druid had to level to 19, and travel either with another druid, or more proable, by foot to the Druid Ring in West Commonlands and obtain thier first 4 Portal Spells. (Which would take you to Faywder, Odus, and East and West Antionica)
As a Druid gained power, additonal locations opened up, and Regional Succor spells became avaialble. Becoming accessable at the appoximate level of the area which you would in theory be hunting. IE, Succor East was added in the 20s when you where apt to be expericing in High Hold Keep, or Split Paw. This trend continued until 49, when Succor Lavastorm was added, allowing groups who fought in Nagafen's Lair quick safety.
As time went on, and the game expanded, Kunark was rediscovered (it had been known previously to the Combine Empire), our spells where expanded to include the Combine Ring in the Dreadlands. Since most people would at the time, not survive the Dreadlands, porting there wasnot somethign typically advised.
Futhermore, our Kunark Only Spells - for those that remember, Teleported us to Skyfire (a death trap for lower levels), and The Emerlad Jungle (which would be useful as Sebilis was discovered and grouped wanted a Evac Caster for deeper exp camps).
Post 50, the Druid and Wizard classes gained the power to Abscond and Egress as well as their respective group versions - allowing The Caster, or the Group, safety from combat situations without the run back to the location the lower Succor spells lacked.
What alot of people do not remember, or in most cases, do not remember today, is the Timorus Deep was bindable orginally. Within this Ocean was a chamber of fire pots which would allow free range of movement to most of the Cities of Norrath. That chamber is still there, and last I checked - Still works. Keep in mind, that using Boats, and thus travel through the Timorous Deep was far more common in this time frame, and people who wanted to chance it could travel all over.
When Velious was located by Gnome Pirates, only the inital Portal to Iceclad was made available. This was *not* a safe port for many of the level 34 Druids who tested it, much in the same way as Druid's who attempted to run the Dreadlands in Wolf Form, often met face to face with Gorenaire herself.
Travel to deeper areas of Velious required a Fang from the Dragon Statue located with-in - for EACH person. The Great Divide Fang was the most accessable and often druids where limited to there intinally. Our Teleportion spells where dropped (at least at first) and only existed in group versions (again, at least at first).
To obtain the Wakening Lands Fang, one had to either sneak
past the Giants of Kael or fight their way into the city and beyond. Once in Tunare's Blessed Forest, we had to either befriend, or sneak by the Guardian of that Portal, a Dragon known as Woushi (which is why alot of Teleporters with bad dragon factions flat out refused to use this location).
Travel to Cobalt Scar required the above, but instead of Facing a single dragon, either slaying Dragon-kin in Skyshrine for the Key to access Cobalt Scar, or doing thier missions to earn their trust and be awarded the key.
Once the key was obtained, a single click and a walk across a snow covered cliff was all that was required to obtain the Scar Fang.
Clearly, upto this point, Teleportion required a great deal of work, and was in several cases, still fairly dangerous even to the Teleporter if the local they where going to was outside of the Old World.
When Luclin came out, if you where not a wizard, there was only ONE way to the Shadow Maiden's Moon - you accessed a Greater Spire that Grieg had built for the Combine Empire before Seru's attack.
Everyone had to travel by spire unless you could gate to the moon. Once on the moon, you had to walk - on foot to where-ever you where going. This lasted for Several months, and lead to alot of people being bound on the Moon to cut travel time.
Directly Prior to the Planes of Power Release, Both Druids and Wizards where granted Access to 4 of Luclin's Regions. But this change was differant for it was the first time ever Druids and Wizards had a direct Teleport to a Non Spire / Ring location (excluding the Wind of North / South Spells). A Trend, which is seems is going to last - even tho I personally miss the Rings of Old.
With Planes of Power release, Druids gained the ability to Teleport there, as well as Books becoming available for general use. Druids and Wizards still retained free range of movement, but other classes could - with time, cross the same great spans of space we moved through an in instant.
The limitations where similar to the Nexus Spires, but not as harsh. Primarly the person had to travel to near an existing City, Cross into the Plane of Knowledge, then exit near another City. However. at the time of release, I would venture most players hunted in Luclin or regions of Velious as well as possiably the distant region of Sebilis. This made Knowledge however, the defacto centeral hub of EQ.
Basically, PoK is a two way firepot system which was released 3 years prior during Kunark. The Primarly differance between the two systems - aside from being two way, is that PoK is more accesable.
Yeska comes out and shortly after we are given a Portal to Stonebrunt Mountians, expanding our access to Odus and well as the newly found Gulf of Gunthak.
Events continue to unfold in Norrath's History, and The Lost Dungeons are located. The Wayfayer's bring their Farstone Magic to Norrath, which can send people between camps, and in certain cases, increase rate of movement, esp if a Camp was near a book - as it is in Everfrost.
Druids and Wizards could each teleport to two of these zones directly anyway, and landing in either one would speed the Druid/Wizard up nearly as much as anyone else seeking a way to any of the other 3 Camps.
As an interesting Side Effect, the Magus's allowed easy acess to Permafrost Keep, around 2 years after it was common to see Lady Vox raids going on.
The Gates of Discord Release saw Direct Teleportion to the Broken Shores, Although it was 3, and still remains 2, Magus Jumps currently for any non teleporting player.
The Bardinu Portals where added later, and the location would later go on to be added to the Guild Hall's Teleporter System, but Natambi still reamins the Port of choice for most guilds who are advancing in the Gates of Discord, due to the closeness of the stone that sends you to Kod'Taz, or the Nilhi who helps you visit the Prayer Grounds of Calling.
When Omens was released, a Priests of Discord could open a rift and send you to the world of Kuaa. Quests for futher portals existed, and upon completing them you could travel across the planer barrier and Arrive either at the Bloodfields, or the Walls of Slaughter.
These portals elimited the need for crossing of Dranik's Scar and the Nobles' Causeway, and provided fairly close access to both upper end areas of the Expansion - Ruined City, and MPG/RS/Anguish. I believe, for this reason more then anything, the Guild Teleporter can send you to Walls of Salughter - but not Bloodfields.
It is important to note however, that unlike previous systems or travel methods the Portals to Discord again place the Porter and Group they carry in a region which is hostile to them once they leave the portal area.
Dragons of Norrath was released, and the existing Portals of Lavastorm and Nek forest however, once again became more active with the Lavastorm region seeing heavy traffic to The Broodlands.
The Guild Hall Teleporter system was also added, with it would seem, a eye toward sending people to the more popular areas - at a cost. The Slaughter stone for instance, requires a regeant of 200~ Platium to adjust the porter to that local.
The porter seems to focus mostly on raid areas, or areas which have group trial content for players. It does leave out several portals, leaving them totally in the hands of Wizards and Druids (Wakening Lands, Bloodfields, Natimbi come to mind off hand).
This system has several downsides, including being totally centeralized - as every public access system before it, as well as being a one way trip. You are also required to be guilded to access the system - the first system to require guildstatus.
When Depths hit the stores, a single new portal was added - that of Undershore, which while lacking in Lore reasoning, is fairly centeralized in terms of the expansion. Typically, Undershore is with in any 2 zones of the expansion.
--- My View follows
Quite Personally, The Game has grown to immense scale, and Teleportion is considered a fairly required part of life now. The extra systems took nothing away from the Druid's power to teleport to their full range of locals, as we as do so when they deem best.
The Druid, or the Wizard, is not subject to having to use one of Grieg's Spires, rely on the Wayfayer's Farstone Magic, depend on the Guild Teleporter or even be forced to place their hand upon one of Knowledge's Books. They can go anywhere - from anywhere, when they want without exception.
The down sides are few.
One could say the loss of revinue for druids and wizards has hurt, but considering all the people I see offering to pay for portals to locations deemed to expensive or time consuming otherwise, I would consider this arguement subject to being weak.
One could also say, that people are missing most of the game, bypassing zones without ever seeing them. On this, I agree. I would have rather have left the fang requirement of old in Velious intact. However, I believe the Developers are also doing a decent job of teleporting in reguards to landing in a place where you are probly best off in the company of a Druid or Wizard (for Invis, Lev, etc).
I also think having a more centerlized area for players - such as Knowledge, was a good move as it allows players to interact with each other more now that the game has expended from a mere 3 Regions to 5, a Moonscape, and several alternate planes. The game is huge, and I totally believe you require a centeralized system to preserve player community.
Having played Games like Guild Wars - where every player can "teleport" to a City or Outpost they have been to, it makes the world feel very small. While one could argue this was done to EQ, the world here is far more expansive - and dangerous, then Guild Wars has ever been.
Stepping through the Rift as a Druid for the first timeis wonderful, and as our powers grow so does our range of movement. This has only ever been added to our class, and not stripped.
People argue we lost this advantage over the other classes. I do not see this as true. We, as I have stated - Can move to Anywhere, from anywhere - at anytime. While the use of teleportion spells has lost its mystisim to a great degree, it has not yet been replicated in any way shape or form to what we are able to do.
So while other classes may not rely on us as much for travel, saying we have lost the ability to be special while traveling is a false statement, and until those other systems grant you levitate, fixed duration invisability, and speed increases to add in travel, we remain as always - One of the masters of rapid movement across Norrath.
-Fenier
Orignally, a Druid had to level to 19, and travel either with another druid, or more proable, by foot to the Druid Ring in West Commonlands and obtain thier first 4 Portal Spells. (Which would take you to Faywder, Odus, and East and West Antionica)
As a Druid gained power, additonal locations opened up, and Regional Succor spells became avaialble. Becoming accessable at the appoximate level of the area which you would in theory be hunting. IE, Succor East was added in the 20s when you where apt to be expericing in High Hold Keep, or Split Paw. This trend continued until 49, when Succor Lavastorm was added, allowing groups who fought in Nagafen's Lair quick safety.
As time went on, and the game expanded, Kunark was rediscovered (it had been known previously to the Combine Empire), our spells where expanded to include the Combine Ring in the Dreadlands. Since most people would at the time, not survive the Dreadlands, porting there wasnot somethign typically advised.
Futhermore, our Kunark Only Spells - for those that remember, Teleported us to Skyfire (a death trap for lower levels), and The Emerlad Jungle (which would be useful as Sebilis was discovered and grouped wanted a Evac Caster for deeper exp camps).
Post 50, the Druid and Wizard classes gained the power to Abscond and Egress as well as their respective group versions - allowing The Caster, or the Group, safety from combat situations without the run back to the location the lower Succor spells lacked.
What alot of people do not remember, or in most cases, do not remember today, is the Timorus Deep was bindable orginally. Within this Ocean was a chamber of fire pots which would allow free range of movement to most of the Cities of Norrath. That chamber is still there, and last I checked - Still works. Keep in mind, that using Boats, and thus travel through the Timorous Deep was far more common in this time frame, and people who wanted to chance it could travel all over.
When Velious was located by Gnome Pirates, only the inital Portal to Iceclad was made available. This was *not* a safe port for many of the level 34 Druids who tested it, much in the same way as Druid's who attempted to run the Dreadlands in Wolf Form, often met face to face with Gorenaire herself.
Travel to deeper areas of Velious required a Fang from the Dragon Statue located with-in - for EACH person. The Great Divide Fang was the most accessable and often druids where limited to there intinally. Our Teleportion spells where dropped (at least at first) and only existed in group versions (again, at least at first).
To obtain the Wakening Lands Fang, one had to either sneak
past the Giants of Kael or fight their way into the city and beyond. Once in Tunare's Blessed Forest, we had to either befriend, or sneak by the Guardian of that Portal, a Dragon known as Woushi (which is why alot of Teleporters with bad dragon factions flat out refused to use this location).
Travel to Cobalt Scar required the above, but instead of Facing a single dragon, either slaying Dragon-kin in Skyshrine for the Key to access Cobalt Scar, or doing thier missions to earn their trust and be awarded the key.
Once the key was obtained, a single click and a walk across a snow covered cliff was all that was required to obtain the Scar Fang.
Clearly, upto this point, Teleportion required a great deal of work, and was in several cases, still fairly dangerous even to the Teleporter if the local they where going to was outside of the Old World.
When Luclin came out, if you where not a wizard, there was only ONE way to the Shadow Maiden's Moon - you accessed a Greater Spire that Grieg had built for the Combine Empire before Seru's attack.
Everyone had to travel by spire unless you could gate to the moon. Once on the moon, you had to walk - on foot to where-ever you where going. This lasted for Several months, and lead to alot of people being bound on the Moon to cut travel time.
Directly Prior to the Planes of Power Release, Both Druids and Wizards where granted Access to 4 of Luclin's Regions. But this change was differant for it was the first time ever Druids and Wizards had a direct Teleport to a Non Spire / Ring location (excluding the Wind of North / South Spells). A Trend, which is seems is going to last - even tho I personally miss the Rings of Old.
With Planes of Power release, Druids gained the ability to Teleport there, as well as Books becoming available for general use. Druids and Wizards still retained free range of movement, but other classes could - with time, cross the same great spans of space we moved through an in instant.
The limitations where similar to the Nexus Spires, but not as harsh. Primarly the person had to travel to near an existing City, Cross into the Plane of Knowledge, then exit near another City. However. at the time of release, I would venture most players hunted in Luclin or regions of Velious as well as possiably the distant region of Sebilis. This made Knowledge however, the defacto centeral hub of EQ.
Basically, PoK is a two way firepot system which was released 3 years prior during Kunark. The Primarly differance between the two systems - aside from being two way, is that PoK is more accesable.
Yeska comes out and shortly after we are given a Portal to Stonebrunt Mountians, expanding our access to Odus and well as the newly found Gulf of Gunthak.
Events continue to unfold in Norrath's History, and The Lost Dungeons are located. The Wayfayer's bring their Farstone Magic to Norrath, which can send people between camps, and in certain cases, increase rate of movement, esp if a Camp was near a book - as it is in Everfrost.
Druids and Wizards could each teleport to two of these zones directly anyway, and landing in either one would speed the Druid/Wizard up nearly as much as anyone else seeking a way to any of the other 3 Camps.
As an interesting Side Effect, the Magus's allowed easy acess to Permafrost Keep, around 2 years after it was common to see Lady Vox raids going on.
The Gates of Discord Release saw Direct Teleportion to the Broken Shores, Although it was 3, and still remains 2, Magus Jumps currently for any non teleporting player.
The Bardinu Portals where added later, and the location would later go on to be added to the Guild Hall's Teleporter System, but Natambi still reamins the Port of choice for most guilds who are advancing in the Gates of Discord, due to the closeness of the stone that sends you to Kod'Taz, or the Nilhi who helps you visit the Prayer Grounds of Calling.
When Omens was released, a Priests of Discord could open a rift and send you to the world of Kuaa. Quests for futher portals existed, and upon completing them you could travel across the planer barrier and Arrive either at the Bloodfields, or the Walls of Slaughter.
These portals elimited the need for crossing of Dranik's Scar and the Nobles' Causeway, and provided fairly close access to both upper end areas of the Expansion - Ruined City, and MPG/RS/Anguish. I believe, for this reason more then anything, the Guild Teleporter can send you to Walls of Salughter - but not Bloodfields.
It is important to note however, that unlike previous systems or travel methods the Portals to Discord again place the Porter and Group they carry in a region which is hostile to them once they leave the portal area.
Dragons of Norrath was released, and the existing Portals of Lavastorm and Nek forest however, once again became more active with the Lavastorm region seeing heavy traffic to The Broodlands.
The Guild Hall Teleporter system was also added, with it would seem, a eye toward sending people to the more popular areas - at a cost. The Slaughter stone for instance, requires a regeant of 200~ Platium to adjust the porter to that local.
The porter seems to focus mostly on raid areas, or areas which have group trial content for players. It does leave out several portals, leaving them totally in the hands of Wizards and Druids (Wakening Lands, Bloodfields, Natimbi come to mind off hand).
This system has several downsides, including being totally centeralized - as every public access system before it, as well as being a one way trip. You are also required to be guilded to access the system - the first system to require guildstatus.
When Depths hit the stores, a single new portal was added - that of Undershore, which while lacking in Lore reasoning, is fairly centeralized in terms of the expansion. Typically, Undershore is with in any 2 zones of the expansion.
--- My View follows
Quite Personally, The Game has grown to immense scale, and Teleportion is considered a fairly required part of life now. The extra systems took nothing away from the Druid's power to teleport to their full range of locals, as we as do so when they deem best.
The Druid, or the Wizard, is not subject to having to use one of Grieg's Spires, rely on the Wayfayer's Farstone Magic, depend on the Guild Teleporter or even be forced to place their hand upon one of Knowledge's Books. They can go anywhere - from anywhere, when they want without exception.
The down sides are few.
One could say the loss of revinue for druids and wizards has hurt, but considering all the people I see offering to pay for portals to locations deemed to expensive or time consuming otherwise, I would consider this arguement subject to being weak.
One could also say, that people are missing most of the game, bypassing zones without ever seeing them. On this, I agree. I would have rather have left the fang requirement of old in Velious intact. However, I believe the Developers are also doing a decent job of teleporting in reguards to landing in a place where you are probly best off in the company of a Druid or Wizard (for Invis, Lev, etc).
I also think having a more centerlized area for players - such as Knowledge, was a good move as it allows players to interact with each other more now that the game has expended from a mere 3 Regions to 5, a Moonscape, and several alternate planes. The game is huge, and I totally believe you require a centeralized system to preserve player community.
Having played Games like Guild Wars - where every player can "teleport" to a City or Outpost they have been to, it makes the world feel very small. While one could argue this was done to EQ, the world here is far more expansive - and dangerous, then Guild Wars has ever been.
Stepping through the Rift as a Druid for the first timeis wonderful, and as our powers grow so does our range of movement. This has only ever been added to our class, and not stripped.
People argue we lost this advantage over the other classes. I do not see this as true. We, as I have stated - Can move to Anywhere, from anywhere - at anytime. While the use of teleportion spells has lost its mystisim to a great degree, it has not yet been replicated in any way shape or form to what we are able to do.
So while other classes may not rely on us as much for travel, saying we have lost the ability to be special while traveling is a false statement, and until those other systems grant you levitate, fixed duration invisability, and speed increases to add in travel, we remain as always - One of the masters of rapid movement across Norrath.
-Fenier