Sorry if it's old news, I couldn't find much through a search.

Just received this email

Progression Server Announcement

June 28, 2006

Now is your chance to start the Quest all over again! For the first time ever, Sony Online Entertainment is offering EverQuest players (both novice and seasoned veteran alike) a chance to experience the largest persistent world as it has evolved from the very beginning by launching “The Combine” and “The Sleeper” Progression servers. The Combine and The Sleeper servers will consist of the EverQuest zones in Antonica, Faydwer and Odus that were available at the official launch of EverQuest in 1999. Players will work together to level and conquer key content that will, in turn, progressively unlock every expansion released for EverQuest from 1999 through Prophecy of Ro. Players must have the EverQuest base game to begin the progression and must have purchased the software for each expansion pack (sold separately) that they are attempting to unlock.

“The Combine” and “The Sleeper” Progression servers will feature the following:

Two non-PvP, no transfer servers titled “The Combine” and “The Sleeper”
Each expansion will be unlocked by the progression of content completed by the players on The Combine and The Sleeper.
An opportunity for past players to return to and re-experience a world where talented and skilled players reign supreme.
New players will be able to experience EverQuest's original content and start on a level playing field with veteran players.
Coming Back Is Easy!

Re-live the evolution of one of the most successful MMORPGs in history! In connection with this unique opportunity to start over again with EverQuest, for a limited time we are re-activating EverQuest accounts that were closed prior to March 27, 2006 and were in good standing so that those former EverQuest subscribers can access their EverQuest account along with gaining limited access to the Station Players™ service for FREE for up to 30 days.

This 30-day period of FREE access to EverQuest and certain features of Station Players begins when you log in, but you must take advantage of this offer before 11:59 P.M. (PDT) July 28, 2006. If you would like to continue playing EverQuest after the 30-day free service period, simply re-activate your billing by updating your payment information (by clicking the “My Account” link on The Station.com or re-installing EQ from your install discs).

You can also re-install EQ by installing EverQuest Trilogy and then log in with your former account information. Please note that Station Players requires an additional subscription fee separate from the EverQuest subscription fee and this offer is only available for EverQuest accounts that are currently inactive. For more information on the Station Players service please visit the Station Players website. If you do not re-activate billing on your account at the end of the 30-day promotional period, your account will return to inactive status at the end of the 30-day period and you will no longer have access to EverQuest or the Station Players service unless you independently initiate re-activation of your account.


Ack!!!! My life is about to go down the drain! And not long after I'd finally got a girlfriend too :D The good news is she's probably coming with me.

Can't wait to experience everything from the beginning again. I hope they got boats working. This..is..going.. to.. be... ace!

Oh, and hi again, been a while :)

'Welcome to two months ago' is the nicest way to phrase it =P

Pfft

Nice of Sony to keep everyone informed! So it opened 2 months ago?

It opens in a couple days.

It has been the big thing coming down the pipe from Sony since the release of their last expansion back in Feb. About the last 2 months or so have been filled with debates on many different forums about it, who is interested, what will be changed back to the way it was, etc.

It is an interesting prospect, but I have the same feeling about is as I do for most alts and other games, that I have put so much time and effort over the years into my main, I cannot see giving him up to start all over.

Though I miss some of the things from the "good ole days" I would seriously miss some of the new features we have gotten over the years.

I'll be straight on there. Though I think it'll be time to start FAQ-digging. I hope they make you sit on boats and cross Antonica to start off with, things like that.

I remember they did a poll once asking if people were interested in such a server (after it'd been discussed to death for several years) but didn't think anything would come of it. Nice to see that the competition is strong enough to make them listen to the players :)

Yea Cloudien, ive heard that Maddoc has "fixed" boats and they will be active in the server once it goes live.

Ew ew ew. Just started patching and saw the new patcher skin. When did Firiona become a man?!

I suppose she's probably getting old by now in terms of the Norrathian storyline, but... ew. :P

Sooo...who's calling in sick for the next two days? =) :devil:

I had to do some digging around to find some Druid Creation info. I was wondering how I wanted to set up my stats.

Ahh...did not call in today, makes me so sad. But I guess I won't miss much but "You have been disconnected!" anyways lol.

Besides...there is always tomorrow I could call in then...muahaha.:behindcom

Ahh...did not call in today, makes me so sad. But I guess I won't miss much but "You have been disconnected!" anyways lol.

Besides...there is always tomorrow I could call in then...muahaha.:behindcom

Heh, I suppose people call in for lesser things. When EQII came out a few people in my guild took vacation, that's die hard. :)

so yeah, 350+ people in the newbie zone...

1 spawn per 3 players?!

Yeah, it's freakin hilarious... I got to lvl 3 before logged.

By the time i logged off (Midnight GMT) there were 500+ ppl in Gfay, no mobs and people selling stuff for 3pp :/

Gonna leave it a week and come back to see what its like then.

Long time no posting on here (other than the OT boards :))

I've considered giving this a shot as well. Can someone answer some questions for me?

1 - If I buy the Titanium pack, can I apply the CD key to an account with 2-3 expansions already enabled, or do I have to start a new account?

2 - Do trolls start in Grobb, or Neriak?

3 - Are old zones like Blackburrow, Splitpaw, and the woods next to Rivervale (name escapes me) back at their original state? Or at the revamped state?

1 - If I buy the Titanium pack, can I apply the CD key to an account with 2-3 expansions already enabled, or do I have to start a new account?
I think you can.

2 - Do trolls start in Grobb, or Neriak?
Grobb.

3 - Are old zones like Blackburrow, Splitpaw, and the woods next to Rivervale (name escapes me(misty thicket?)) back at their original state? Or at the revamped state?
I'm not sure.. But all 3 are there.

No, I'm thinking of the woods that used to have bears and stuff in them at release, but when Plane of Hate came out it changed to level 50ish undead at night.

Kithicor Forest.

Not sure if it still goes undead at night on prog server.

I thought this might be neat to try out, but after the frustrations of 500 people in Gfay, KS'ing everywhere, and some server lag, it's probably best to leave the past alone. Somehow, for someone who played in the beginning and still plays, I just dont feel there's anything to gain by even trying it.

I was happy to see there must have been a ton of newbies there tho, everywhere from very simple questions being asked in ooc or /say to corpses litering the ground everywhere under kelethin.

Definently was a lot of people around, but I never found the lag too bad and I was on right after it launched for a few hours. Things are calming down more, zones are still pretty packed, but it's not too horrible to try and kill things as long as you accept that you may have to roam around and kill rather than hitting up your favorite camp. Now I just have to remember where the good spots to go are, been so long since I only had the old world to level up in.

Well, if anyone wants to say hi, I'm playing Akassri, a dark elf enchanter on the Sleeper server :)

I love the changes to Nektulos Forest - it looks more "foresty" now.

So far this experience has been awesome!

:texla:

I too am really enjoying this server too. My g/f showed an interest in the game and this has given me the chance to show her what the game was like from the start....with other low lvls about to grp with.

Plenty of tradeskillers out there (I even bought something off Buz), and the stat loot is starting to make it down, still need my SBS :)

My only disapointments are Sense Heading @200, Maps fully working, New UI and same ole questions all day long. Its like people dont even read about the server and its objectives before starting up a character.

One more person asks how he can log into PoK.................

I notice some zones have been revamped graphically. Nektulos, Lavastorm. But others haven't (Neriak). Those are the only 3 I've been to so far. Does anyone have a list of which ones are updated and which ones aren't? I'd like to visit them and see the new digs :)

East/West Freeport (North was combined)
North/South Ro (Oasis was removed, well, combined into them rather)

All I can think of to add at the moment.

Splitpaw was changed. I believe it still is in the new condition.

Mistmoore was changed and then changed back but I am not sure as I heard a rumor that Mistmoore is back to the more difficult version.

Yeah, I went to Freeport and looked around a bit. I must say, the changed zones I've seen so far, while they look nice and all... they just aren't the zones I remember :)

Freeport, for example. It used to be a small, tight city, that seemed to be thriving. Now, you have the same NPCs, but scattered out over a much wider area. It just seems strange.

It's refreshing, though the server lag can be a killer at times. I'm actually enjoying the mage I made on Sleeper. This is the first time i've had fun with that class, though that may have been because the other two were gnomes.

I started all over again on The Sleeper. Playing a Necromancer this time, and surprisingly am having the most fun I've had in a long time.

I hope the concept doesn't flop.

Playing on Combine the past few days. It's pretty trippy going back, though you can't really go back. But banded is selling for 1-2 pp per AC, just like then. And a decaying skellie can't pop without dying instantly, just like then.

Some stuff they didn't revert, and I like it - like extra bank space other interface changes. I heard that Kith is still the new Kith (deadly undead by night), though I refused to get into an arguement over whether that was the actual original Kith or not :)

But lots of discussion of old EQ in the general channel, and people thinking about what it was like. It's a nice trip down memory lane, though with Fires of Heaven having returned to Combine to beat the Progressions (and already with multiple members over 40), I suppose that sense of sweet nostalgia won't last.

At least they fixed the MIA Druid in Steamfont, that was causing a bit of a problem:

http://eqforums.station.sony.com/eq/board/message?board.id=Progression&message.id=29031

I'm just sad so many people are already turning this into a competition to unlock their server first. It's not a race to make it like every other server....it's to have fun with the old ways. The whole "I used to have to walk 10 miles through the snow uphill both ways to school with no shoes" thing you hear about.

A group of my guildies on my normal server all started a tune on the progression server to do the ole Qeynos to Freeport runs. I guess that story is the version of the uphill both ways in the snow thru the desert with 100 mobs chasing me.

Suva, it's not a classic server. It's a progression server. Progression is exactly what it's about. It's really not very much like the old days, except that the server is packed and you're lucky to find more than a couple of things to kill in any given dungeon. It may give people who were never there and only got to experience post Luclin or PoP EQ a taste of what it was like, but that's about it.

I tried it for all of...30 minutes.

I guess the saying holds true, you can never go back heh.

I like most of the changes to MMO's that have occurred since '99. I never thought CRs were good, I think graphics are important, I think mindless grinding for xp for hours at a time sucked in '99 and still sucks now.

I know it's not a classic server. I'm just hoping it takes awhile to unlock everything. I enjoy the challenges the old expansions had.

I tried it for all of...30 minutes.

I guess the saying holds true, you can never go back heh.

I like most of the changes to MMO's that have occurred since '99. I never thought CRs were good, I think graphics are important, I think mindless grinding for xp for hours at a time sucked in '99 and still sucks now.

You can go back, you just can't always recapture the same sense of wonder you experienced for the first time.

I'm just hoping it takes awhile to unlock everything. I enjoy the challenges the old expansions had.

From what I hear, Nagafen and Phinigel have both been killed. Naggy on Combine and Phinny on Sleeper. First expansion may be opening up sooner than expected :)

Naggy, Vox, and Phinny were all killed on Combine. Naggy and Vox were killed by FoH, and Phinny by RoI. There is however a minimum time that must pass before expansions can be unlocked, so it's possible they're running into that issue, or that someone has to take a look at it on Monday and unlock it manually. Right now we're kind of in sit and wait mode. We'll possibly know more Monday, or more than likely they'll just keep quiet about it and it will randomly open up one morning.

And Suva, what challenges are you speaking of specifically?

[SYSTEMWIDE_MESSAGE] Innoruuk has been defeated by a group of hardy adventures! Please join us in congratulating Mithandriel along with all their friends and guildmates who participated in this achievement!

So RoI downed Inny, just CT left for Kunark on Combine.

CT down to RoI on Combine, and Phinny again, no Kunark yet.

Let there be no Kunark for while. I'd like to see the server population stablize before the new zones unlock. Right now we are all crammed into the same areas, but atleast we are meeting people and grouping. I'd really like to know who is in it for the long haul before we get to spread out and start to hide from eachother.

Actually, I wouldn't mind Kunark opening up fairly quickly - just for the ability to spread people out a bit - other expansions can wait though :)

Other expansions will take time just because of keying up timesinks that are enforced by hardcoded respawn timers of 3+ days. Kunark needs to open up, the requirements have been met. And the overcrowding is really annoying. Plus being able to hit up the hotspots would be nice.

perhaps, methinks, that overcrowding might actually serve to stabilize the servers... as it did in the way back when we all started playing.

...and who is to say the requirements have been met... except those who pull the levers. wouldn't be the first time you were told 'do this, to achieve this', and have the rules changed on you.

/cackle

Where is Kunark?

The Combine has completed all of the necessary steps to open the Ruins of Kunark expansion but, as you know, the continent is still not open. The fact of the matter is that you have hit our minimum timer. We are going to let the timer run out as initially planned which means that the Kunark expansion will open just about on July 28th. Congratulations to a job well done! This goes to Realm of Insanity and Fires of Heaven on The Combine as well as Insidious Vision on The Sleeper. Whether or not you agree with all of the tactics it is truly an amazing achievement.



Source (http://eqforums.station.sony.com/eq/board/message?board.id=Progression&message.id=32676#M32676).

It is pretty humorous that the day they picked because it was a "failsafe" to catch "cheaters" was beaten by two weeks on both servers without any allegations of cheating.

More humorous still is the date exactly coinciding with the end of the free months they gave out when the progression servers were released.

They should at least make an effort not to be quite so transparent. So much for progression servers. SoE will never cease to amaze me with their ability to just not get it.

All the Kunark triggers were killed several days ago. SOE had put a minimum time of one month on opening up Kunark and decided to keep it. So, Kunark offically opens July 28th.

All the Kunark triggers were killed several days ago. SOE had put a minimum time of one month on opening up Kunark and decided to keep it. So, Kunark offically opens July 28th.That's fine by me. I hope the firepot room in Timorous Deep is working. :texla:

Source (http://eqforums.station.sony.com/eq/board/message?board.id=Progression&message.id=32676#M32676).
Well it looks like Kunark is open now. So who's porting for cash and who's porting for free. :texla:

I went back to a regular server already. Way to crowded, to much kill stealing going on rampant. I feel like I am beta testing Everquest again.

Yeah i went back too. Not as fun as it used to be.

And RoI have already done VS.......

Well I'm having fun with the server still! =)

Yeah, I'm mostly back on Povar again. Too crowded, too annoying, and it wouldn't surprise me if they made people wait on Velious as well (though Kunark made a little sense, it still should not have happened). There are too many things and places from later expansions that are far too fun that I don't feel like waiting a few years to mess with them again.

Well I'm having fun with the server still! =)Me too. I think the majority of people are playing on Kunark, now that it's open. And with the Experience Hot Zones being in Kunark, that leaves plenty of Old World spots wide open without a lot of competition for camping mobs.

Reposting this here, since the News post is so long:

- New Hot Zones! With this patch the old hot zones have been reverted to their previous values and a new set of hot zones has been selected! The following zones are now the "Hot Zones"!

Level 20: Swamp of No Hope
Level 25: Overthere
Level 30: Timorous Deep
Level 35: Emerald Jungle
Level 40: Dreadlands
Level 45: City of Mist
Level 50: Skyfire
Level 55: Karnor's Castle
Level 60: Veksar

So who all is still playing? I still enjoy these server's greatly and I am looking forward to raiding VP and opening up Velious.

What's ya'lls opinons?:nerd:

So who all is still playing? I still enjoy these server's greatly and I am looking forward to raiding VP and opening up Velious.

What's ya'lls opinons?:nerd:Yep, I'm still playing. Although I did start a second toon (enchanter) so I haven't done much to level up my druid past level 14.

they had hotzones active on progression? lol

I came back to EQ for this, and so far I'm still enjoying The Combine. Its quite something for SoW to be so desired again - people are always pressing platinum into my hands and bowing like I just made their day. And we are actually wanted for ports! Without PoK, the world is big again, and getting around is non-trivial, even without the boats. I really wish they had taken longer to open Kunark, though. It was incredibly fun to get groups in places like Upper Guk and Sol A again. Everybody is in the Kunark "hot zones" now, places I disliked intensely the first time around, and they are still the same monotonous grind I remember. Sebilis will be fun to see again, though, full of life like it was before PoP. Its not perfect, but I'm glad they did this.

Aelwen
35 Druid
The Combine