IRL - Brand new to Everquest and Test server!

[treadstone]

Hi there!

I'm brand new to EQ. My first MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI back in 2002, and they've been my favorite and most played game genre ever since. I've played the heck out of almost every MMO released after 2002, but I've never gone back to check out Everquest until now.

I'm one of those odd types that likes to be able to do as much as possible on my own without needing a group. I'm not against grouping at endgame, for raids and other group content, but it's just so convenient to be able to do things without needing to herd cats (in this example, cats are other human beings).

For this reason, and for the various other perks, I've decided to play on Test. I want to make my way through all the different expansions and explore the world of Norrath - even the really old parts of it.

Maybe this is a bit of strange place for a brand new player to post, but I've done a few days of casual research, and it seems like multiboxing is a lot more helpful in EQ than in other games. So I wanted to get my bearings here and read a little about all the different features of MQ and maybe someday use it myself. I already tinkered just a bit with a boxed bard following my main around in Gloomingdeep, tabbing back and forth between windows, and by the time I had killed my tenth rat I was pretty much done with that particular boxing method. So clunky!

My character will be named [REDACTED], but I'm still in the process of trying to settle on a class and race. I'd like to be able to molo my way to the level cap or very close to it, and I also vastly prefer melee over ranged/casting, so I'm mostly considering Beastlord or Shadowknight. Possibly, but probably not, Paladin as well. I like the neutrality of Beastlord, especially when paired with Vah Shir, which will let me run around in more racial/faction cities without getting attacked - but the Vah Shir run animation makes me die a little inside. Plus I like the idea of not having to tank if I ever do group content - I tanked for almost ten years in WoW and I've had my fill of 'tanxiety'. But Shadowknight is also tempting, even if I'll need to do a lot of faction work to not be KOS in many parts of the good cities (especially if I go Ogre, which just sounds right to me as an SK). I like the idea of being nigh-unkillable, but if I reach the level cap, I'm not sure if I'll enjoy tanking...if anyone will even group with me, since I hear SKs are a dime a dozen. But then, I guess boxing would solve that issue, huh?

In any case, I figured I'd lay down some roots here even if I still don't know up from down in EQ yet (is Qeynos north of Freeport, or south of it?).

So hello!

 

[Sic]

welcome to redguides and macroquest.

Please dont post your toon names - it isn't "safe", people with nothing better to do will report you and try and get you suspended/banned

Getting Started / Returning user

Welcome to RedGuides, fellow EQ multi-boxing enthusiast!

The best place to begin is our "New User Guide" video series, click this TV to watch:


This step-by-step series will teach absolute beginners how to control 6 characters at once while highlighting Nav, AutoLogin, and DanNet, which are fundamental plugins that will enhance every aspect of your game.

Returning users check out - MacroQuest Release Party: https://www.redguides.com/community/threads/macroquest-release-party.80628/ for information about changes from the legacy MQ2 to the new and awesome MQ


since test server is currently down, i'll hit you with the blurb on what to expect on patches


What to expect on patch days?
When eq patches MQ has to be rebuilt. (you also have to patch EQ --- this way you avoid "Version Mismatch" issues)

Once MQ is updated RG can build - we now have an automated system that rebuilds RG as soon as it is updated - which means our previous method of "let's give it a quick test" is no longer there, and sometimes there ends up being another smaller patch later to correct if something got missed - so re-check on patch days if you are having issues.

EQ could change literally anything and it would require the way MQ interacts with that portion of EQ to be completely reworked. It is normally just offsets, sometimes struct changes --- with the large changes eq has been making over the past few months (updates and backend improvements) there are more things than just offset changes that are happening, so it can certainly be a lot of work for the devs.

Curious when Very Vanilla will be updated?
You'll get a web notification (if we have permission), site notification, and email (optional)
Click to watch
MacroQuest for Live servers:
MacroQuest for Test server

EQ patches go like this: (in theory)
2nd* tue/wed = test "real" patch
3rd* wed = live patch
4th* tue/wed = test "true up"
the tue over the wed is a more recent thing (I suspect klanderso has more to do with that, and having time to ensure working stuff before the weekend and upset people - klanderso is pretty awesome)
* holidays subject to cause shifts in days or even week

Test is notorious for being like "oops we forgot the 'dont crash plz' file, gotta patch again", or "woops we added +1 to crashing, we meant -1", so "on paper" it is double the patches, but very frequently ends up being more than double the work (i imagine, I'm not doing the work - I'd love to learn enough at some point to help facilitate doing so, however).

Test also introduces new stuff before it goes to live - over the past couple of years EQ has been making a lot of substantial code changes - not just a "here's a monthly patch" where they adjusted an aoe value or something simple. On top of that, once you get into October/November you start seeing stuff from the expansion going onto the test server, even if that stuff isn't released yet. The good news is that gives the MQ dev(s) more time to implement it, the bad news is that it is more work. Thankless unnoticed (for the most part) work.

MQ itself is open source and by volunteer(s) - RG which builds and distributes that is obviously paid for. When MQ is updated, RG does the best it can to immediately build and make available an updated build
If you wanted to show your appreciation to the main MQ dev for their volunteer work:

brainiac:
https://www.redguides.com/tip/brainiac
Reply to this thread after donating for your

Serious - - Tip the MacroQuest Developer: brainiac

Redbot's edit: When your tip is confirmed, you'll get a "?" on your post from brainiac. If you enjoy using MacroQuest, please show the developer @brainiac some appreciation for their efforts in creating such fun software. QUICK CONTRIBUTE: https://www.redguides.com/tip/brainiac OR To...

www.redguides.com

 

[Huttont1]

Welcome to test and eq

 

[treadstone]

Thank you! Sorry about the character name thing! I was just trying to be friendly, but I get the reasoning behind not posting them here.

 

[Redmonkey]

I agree with the beastlord. Mine has subtly taken over as my main and is so much smoother.

I would not put much worry into faction or how kitty looks. There are so many illusions in the game, either potions or spells, that you can be whatever you want and still look different. While faction still plays a part in the game at lower levels it's not like it used to be. And at higher levels it seems the mobs who don't like you don't even bother to attack.

You didn't mention if you were using a merc but you do want to get one. If your on test you will have a J5 which is the top. But you do have to toggle the arrow to buy that one instead of the Apprentice. Journeyman merc will really help you a lot in lower levels, up to about 125. Just a note, if you do play on live servers then Free accounts only can have Apprentice mercs and those are worse than kissing your cousin.

Welcome to the game!

 

[RobRenfro]

A real life EQ virgin? What GameStop have you been hiding in? Welcome to the game often called Evercrack by it's own players. After your first good loot drop you'll understand why. It's going to be an addiction. Don't worry if you find yourself 3 days into a camp, with your eyes nearly bleeding, survival depending of caffeine and Pink Floyd... We've all been there. In fact we may be there right now.

 

[Beastmann]

Welcome!

 

[Zebadiah]

Number One Rule ---- If you need help ASK. Someone has been there and knows how to solve the problem. SO ASK!!!!!!!!!!!


Zeb

 

[Huttont1]

money aint issue there ask gen chat u can get pretty much anything there for most part

 

[treadstone]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I still haven't really gotten started yet, been tinkering with the boxing software Boxcar since MQ hasn't been patched for Test yet.

I still don't really know if I want to box at all. I spent a couple of hours with Boxcar and three characters in Gloomingdeep, and while it was cool to finally get them following my main around and assisting in combat, it felt pretty fiddly. The followers kept getting stuck in corners, and oftentimes I'd have to hit a spell casting hotkey multiple times before it finally went off. Then I started thinking about the future - having to manage three character inventories and gear up three characters at the same time. And then having to worry about faction, and attunements, and otherwise making sure that I don't run into an issue where my main is able to get into a zone but my alts aren't able to because they haven't unlocked access or something. It kind of seems like a big headache.

So I'm thinking of just moloing a necro, SK, or beastlord - get immersed in Norrath instead of flicking back and forth between multiple characters all the time. Though I wonder what I'll do when I can't molo any further - do people group up on Test? Do boxers let solo players tag along with their boxed characters?

It's a lot to think about. I think I've been reading and researching and fiddling with software for four days now, instead of actually playing the game! But hopefully I can get started soon.

 

[madimp]

You know, I just wrote up an overly detailed bit of kit to suggest other window-swap techniques that make things easier, but it became a wall of text and might be a bit much for a newcomer, so let me say, welcome to EverQuest! If you want to get the most out of your time, especially on Test, multiboxing is the go-to - but you can certainly molo your way up! The strongest moloers are the Necromancer, Beastlord, and Magician - the 'pet class' trifecta. Their pets, past a certain level, are incredibly strong, and can do tank duty, especially when backed up by a healer mercenary. The Necromancer is more or less queen of moloing and soloing, out of those three - they put out good damage, and while their pet is the weakest of the three in a stand-up fight, they don't need to be particularly strong, but the important part is the necromancer's toolkit. They don't just pump out lots of damage-over-time, but they can get themselves out of trouble with feign death, evac, and powerful lifetap spells.

Magician is the stand up and murder things out of the three - send the pet, let it eat the hits, and rain hell upon your foe. It has the strongest pets by far, and get an additional bonus out of the later pet foci in that when you summon them they come fully equipped with the magician's summoned armors and foci for free bonus HP and AC over the other two. However, they have the least useful toolkit for getting in and out of trouble, in that their kit is almost all damage, damage, damage with a tiny bit of utility.

Beastlord is somewhere in between the two, with the second-strongest pets and a lot of synergy between the Beastlord and the pet - though you won't see that synergy starting out. It took them a few expansions past where Beastlord was introduced to really give them a unique identity beyond "Melee hybrid with a pet" and they are the most complex of the three to play, really, once you start reaching levels 70+ and begin having to keep up Growl of the Beast line, swarm pets, juggling four class nukes, etc.

For someone just starting out I would highly recommend the Magician or Necromancer. The Magician is the straightforward one, the Necromancer can carry you further with a bit of creative thinking and use of their kit - Feign Death alone is deific for oh shit moments.

A Journeyman Tank Mercenary will carry you into the 70s. At low levels they can absolutely wreck entire swarms of mobs on their own, and at higher levels they take very little damage - until they drop off sharply at some point. This will let you get used to whichever class you pick, and take pressure off learning more advanced techniques until you're ready for them.

If you can stomach two-boxing, though, you could do a combination of any of those - and two characters means two mercenaries, so you can carry two tank mercs for a while, then swap one for a healer later once things start getting tougher. Three-boxing would let you have a full group of 3 characters + 3 mercs, but learning three classes simultaneously might be a bit much. But there's little you can't do with, say, two magicians, a tank merc, and a healer merc - or two healer mercs once your pets start entering 'I can tank well' status (about 75ish with a good pet focus).

Test, however, is something of a lonely server. There's very helpful people that will help you do things like complete your Epic 1.5 and 2.0, or send you tons of plat for spells, but you will be mostly on your own for most of your time there. This is both blessing and curse, if you enjoy both playing with yourself and playing with others.

Edit to add: Shadow Knight is also a very strong molo contender, and they also benefit early from a tank merc, just like everyone else, because Journeyman tank mercenaries are ungodly strong. They can take hits, they can lifetap, they can feign death, and they get access to abilities that let them heal from their melee damage swings (Leechcurse Discipline, their Epic 2.0, their Class Breastplates past a certain point, and the Mortal Coil AAs - though Mortal Coil has been severely nerfed from what it used to be. Ignore anyone talking about swarming with MC, it doesn't work that way anymore.).

 

[postleaf]

Mq boxing is unlike any other kind of boxing. Following (via mq2nav) solves the "autofollow" issue.

I believe many people around here tend to box as either 1) pick some single char as a "main" and leave the cast of support chars in the background with some automation or 2) automate everyone and play the role of team manager.

Inventory management has solutions
Looting has solutions
Zone unlocks and factions can be avoided or ignored for much of the game.

Best thing is probably to take it all slow. Start with a couple chars and grow as you get familiar. EQ is unique in many ways and automated boxing unlocks so much more of it

 

[arcreactorkc]

I sometimes see people say test is lonely but there are multiple active guilds on the server. One of them is a very specific "repository of money" that raids every week and has a lot of active members. Reach out to people in general and you can make friends pretty quick.

 

[an_image]

Hi there!

I'm brand new to EQ. My first MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI back in 2002, and they've been my favorite and most played game genre ever since. I've played the heck out of almost every MMO released after 2002, but I've never gone back to check out Everquest until now.

I'm one of those odd types that likes to be able to do as much as possible on my own without needing a group. I'm not against grouping at endgame, for raids and other group content, but it's just so convenient to be able to do things without needing to herd cats (in this example, cats are other human beings).

For this reason, and for the various other perks, I've decided to play on Test. I want to make my way through all the different expansions and explore the world of Norrath - even the really old parts of it.

Maybe this is a bit of strange place for a brand new player to post, but I've done a few days of casual research, and it seems like multiboxing is a lot more helpful in EQ than in other games. So I wanted to get my bearings here and read a little about all the different features of MQ and maybe someday use it myself. I already tinkered just a bit with a boxed bard following my main around in Gloomingdeep, tabbing back and forth between windows, and by the time I had killed my tenth rat I was pretty much done with that particular boxing method. So clunky!

My character will be named [REDACTED], but I'm still in the process of trying to settle on a class and race. I'd like to be able to molo my way to the level cap or very close to it, and I also vastly prefer melee over ranged/casting, so I'm mostly considering Beastlord or Shadowknight. Possibly, but probably not, Paladin as well. I like the neutrality of Beastlord, especially when paired with Vah Shir, which will let me run around in more racial/faction cities without getting attacked - but the Vah Shir run animation makes me die a little inside. Plus I like the idea of not having to tank if I ever do group content - I tanked for almost ten years in WoW and I've had my fill of 'tanxiety'. But Shadowknight is also tempting, even if I'll need to do a lot of faction work to not be KOS in many parts of the good cities (especially if I go Ogre, which just sounds right to me as an SK). I like the idea of being nigh-unkillable, but if I reach the level cap, I'm not sure if I'll enjoy tanking...if anyone will even group with me, since I hear SKs are a dime a dozen. But then, I guess boxing would solve that issue, huh?

In any case, I figured I'd lay down some roots here even if I still don't know up from down in EQ yet (is Qeynos north of Freeport, or south of it?).

So hello!