Snagged this from our guild website a good read and lots is common knowledge. Still helps out folks new to the game methinks.
<quote>
EQ2 EtiquetteTips for keeping the new Norrath a fun place to play!
Ok, so no one likes being told what to do. However, there are "rules" we conform to everyday, paradigms for good behavior we hardly think about, to keep ourselves and others safe and happy. We stop at stop lights, we don't touch hot stoves, we don't give little children sharp objects.
Norrath is a society like any other. We're dependent on each other's goodwill and alertness at every turn, whether you're fighting orange mobs waiting on a heal, crafting a complex item for profit that requires reasonably-priced components from other artisans, or just trying to find HwalRucksiff to complete a backpack quest! And everyone has a significant amount of time invested. Why ruin the experience for someone else? The developers of EQ2 have worked very hard, and to my mind - with a great deal of success, to limit the zero-sum nature ("I win only because you lose") in EQ2 so prevalent in previous MMORPGs. For example, "kill-stealing" (maliciously attacking a mob a non-groupmate is attacking simply to steal the experience and loot) is a thing of the past thanks to locked "encounters" in which no un-allied player can engage your target.
However, there's only so much the devs can do to reinforce good behavior. Remember, you have a reputation which people do remember (especially at the early and later stages of the game). More than once, a potential groupmate of mine has been turned down by other group members because a negative experience in the past.
Thanks to Jimbob, Freup, Slidevec, Winstar, and Felklaw for their contributions to the TTH EQ2 Etiquette forum, which I've gratefully reprinted in this guide. Please visit the Etiquette forum and post your suggestions too!
Here's a few suggestions to beginning players on how to keep your rep strong, both for you and those you're fighting (and crafting) alongside:
Chatting while LFG, Solo, or About-Town:
Use /shout sparingly
Shout messages are eye-catching for a reason, they're meant to provide urgent information to everyone in the zone. One example where /shout is appropriate is if a high-level aggressive mob has spawned or been "pulled" into a well-trafficed area. If you use /shout to announce that you're looking for a group (LFG), you're more likely to get responses if you allow others a chance (a few minutes) to respond to you before you /shout LFG again. Others looking for a group may need to finish a fight before they can respond to you. Abuse /shout or /ooc and you're likely to get some pointed comments about spamming.
Try before you ask!
The most common questions in the lower level adventuring zones can usually be solved by reading the manual, flipping through EQ2 forums, hanging out at websites like eq2.tentonhammer.com or just plain old trial and error. If you come up with something, great! If not, anyone you ask (that might know) is more likely to share what they know if you seem capable and receptive (and show a fundamental respect for their time, it's likely that you're not the only person hanging from their coattails, so to speak).
Take it to tells (or guildchat)!
Most of the time, you'll get a great answer if you 1) take the time to find someone who might know and probably isn't overwhelmed at the moment (e.g. have a fighter hallmark question and you want to become a brawler? Type /who all brawler, then find someone in a non-adventure (city) zone) 2) be polite, /tell and ask if they have a moment to answer a question, 3) thank them even if they can't provide any information (sometimes they know someone else who might know, but they likely won't check unless you mind your manners). Guildchat is a faster option: presumably someone asked you into the guild which (in a good guild) means you have tacit permission to tap the guild (politely and without nagging) for information.
When harvesting, avoid node-stealing, and (in city-adventure zones) fish to replenish nodes you've harvested.
While opinions differ about the etiquette of harvesting from a node (a node is a special object that you can harvest materials from, like roots, gardens, ore, critter dens, etc.) while someone else is also harvesting from that same node (thereby reducing the number of chances to harvest from that node), at least know that other players can take serious umbrage if you attempt the action. Harvesting undoubtedly takes plenty of patience, but nodes are fairly common, so why not let a fellow harvester empty out the node he/she is working on? Also, in the smaller city-adventure zones, harvest from fishing nodes every now and then to replenish other node types. Each zone has a set amount of nodes that are available at one time, and there's no ratio of one type of node to another. So if everyone in The Forest Ruins is chasing down gathering, mining, and wood-gathering nodes, it’s easy to see how before long the pond will be teeming with shoals of fish (and no other nodes in sight).
Use CAPS (capital letters) sparingly
This is the text equivalent of yelling, and should be reserved for situations where politeness must yield to immediate action. And while there might be instances while grouping and raiding that this occurs, there's really no place for it solo.
Just /ignore, don't catfight
Disagreements will arise, and its better to walk away when a healthy argument resorts to name-calling or any other kind of nastiness. If the /tells keep coming, /ignore the player in question, and set out to redeem the time they've wasted.
Begging is THE fastest way to get onto an ignore list
That, and it's really lame. Everyone has an opportunity to go out, kill mobs, sell stuff, and make some money, so why would you think you deserve a little something of someone else's hard-earned stash. Be grateful when someone offers you something, offer stuff you don't need to others, and chances are you'll come out ahead! (Thanks Jimbob of Oggok!)
The Marketplace (Buying and Selling):
Use /auction for selling items, not /ooc or /shout
Use the auction channel so that people not interested in buying or selling (or who are broke like me and don't want to be tempted to sell the breastplate off their back) can simply block it.
Don't attempt price-gouging.
Until the server economy reaches an equilibrium, pricing will fluctuate drastically simply because there's not much of a player market for items yet. The rule used to be market-forbearance (or simply, charge what you can get), but due to many factors (exploits, the ability to buy EQ2 money using real-world money, etc.) the model really doesn't apply. Much better to charge what items are worth to a merchant, multiplied by a factor of 3 to 5 times based upon their relative availability and the time you spent getting it, and no more. Otherwise you're keeping the common adventurer and crafter out of the market.
Grouping:
Never /invite to a group without a /tell describing the group beforehand
To build a worthwhile group, you should make your objectives clear to a potential groupmate. Information like the level and class of players already in the group, where and what you'd like to fight, and whether or not the group is intended to fulfill quest steps that might not be available to everyone in the group (quite simply, is it for xp or quest); this information is entitled to a groupmate so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to group with you. Remember, they're not just a tool to fulfill your purposes, you're asking for their time, experience and abilities for the good of the whole group. Time is the one resource no one can get back, so they (and you) deserve to be rewarded for it, with experience, loot, or just warm fuzzies that come from helping out a friend. No one gets warm fuzzies from helping out someone entirely self-concerned who pulls a classic bait-and-switch tactic, though.
On a related point, only get into a group when a) you can spend a decent amount of time with the group, and b) you have the patience to complete other groupmate's objectives too. It's pretty ugly when someone joins the group just to get their level, or just to get their objective. They helped you get yours, so help them get theirs! (Thanks Jimbob of Oggok for this insight!)
Know your role!
Nothing is more frustrating than an off-tank that won't stop taunting, a mage that nukes mezzed mobs, or two groupmates pulling different mobs at once. Actively learn your function within the group and save any risky, aggressive tactics for when you only have your own debt to build!
Go AFK (away from keyboard) in a safe place, and only after someone else acknowledges.
If the healer just went on a bio-break, it’s a bad time to pull an orange con! If its at all possible, limit the AFK time, choosing periods during which the entire group is resting, and make sure at least one other person knows you're going.
Don't wander off!
It's really important to stick to your group like white on minute rice. In dangerous areas, nothing's more aggravating than lolling along then seeing the HO icon pop, a squishy's health go from green to dark red and purple, followed by a "HELP!" message much too late, only to find that this particular groupmate went wandering off taking a "quick look" around for a quest update mob. Next, twenty minutes is spent sans real progress fighting your way to the downed mate, rezzing and healing him, and fighting your way back. Stay together! (Thanks Freup and Slidevec, both of Oggok, for this hint!)
Avoid Named-Mob Kill-Stealing
If a group is obviously camping a spawn area for a very rare mob, come back later. In EQ2, there are mobs that are on timers in excess of 10 hours (and probably a LOT longer too), and whatever your feelings on camping... you wouldn't want some maverick tank to run through and grab your NM right before you can engage it. If you do gain NM mob aggro at a camp by accident, do the right thing: /yell and run to break the encounter! (Thanks Jimbob of Oggok!)
Pull smart, and remember to rest sometimes.
If you're doing the dirty work of pulling, keep the rest of your group in mind. The group should develop a tempo for pulling over time, and the key ingredient is patience. Difficult mobs cannot be efficiently slain if mages and priests are constantly low on power at the start of the fight. A good rule of thumb is to wait till the main healer has 4 blue bars of mana before going out to pull a difficult mob. Also, if you need to rest, be sure to ask. Use spells (slowing spells if available) and archery to minimize the damage you take away from the group, and avoid making the healer use large, mana-consumptive heals at the start of the battle. Make sure you have a clear path back to the group too; you don't want to bring along any strangers to the party.
A word of advice on pulling: you will build more experience over time if you pull mobs that can be killed and recovered from quickly than if you pull monster reds that occasionally result in death, and always ends in a close call. Better in the main to find mobs that provide a comfortable level of experience for everyone concerned, for its likely that aggro mobs, pops, etc. will be enough to keep life interesting. If for example a named mob wanders by, let the group decide together if the risk justifies the potential rewards.
Let the MT gain aggro before using high damage spells and abilities
The tank's job is to keep him- or herself the object of the mob's fury. The tank should have the highest AC value, meaning he's taking the least amount of damage per hit than anyone else in the group, and in this manner the healers can concentrate their most efficient heals on just one groupmate. It works out all the way around, unless some poor scout or mage tries to open up a can of smackdown too soon. In the early twenties, some mobs can dissect a lightly armored groupmate in two or three hits, so its important to let the tank gain the mobs' complete attention. A good rule of thumb: let the mobs' health bar turn yellow before digging into your bag of tricks.
RUN when someone says run, or when you're battle-rezz'd in a hopeless fight
If the tank or main healer says "RUN," it's not a time to argue about it. The experience drain of needless deaths is likely much greater than what you'd earn by killing the mob at hand. If you've been resurrected during battle with a token to rez the healer, and things are looking bad, take off! You'll be a hero if you come back later and rez the priest, saving the group a load of debt from reviving. (Thanks Winstar of Oggok!)
Death happens!
Things go wrong sometimes when you're soloing, so it’s no surprise that things can go very wrong when grouping with others. The best thing you can do if someone gets killed is to get them resurrected (or meet them in a safe place if they must revive), determine if there's anything that can be done to prevent history from repeating itself, and work together to pay off the experience debt. Please keep things positive, and admit to it if you've made a mistake. You'll feel better, for one thing, and the group is more likely to truly forgive you if you prove that you don't make the same mistakes twice. I've watched blame-fests and backbiting /tells to "allies" break down quite a few decent groups, even among guildmates. Such actions break down the teamwork you need to group effectively.
You'll be remembered by how you leave
Disbanding in frustration after a wipe (a wipe occurs when the entire group is killed) may feel good short term, but you won't build much trust or affection on the part of your groupmates, who are forced to work their way back without you. On the flip-side, finding a suitable replacement for yourself when you leave a long-duration group is the height of class. If the group makes a mutual break, wish everyone well. The groupmates you impress today might be your guildmates and long-term grouping companions starting tomorrow.
These are just a few suggestions on how to ensure a more pleasant experience in Everquest 2. Have something that you'd like to see in this guide? Please post it in our EQ2 Etiquette Guide forum
<unquote>
<quote>
EQ2 EtiquetteTips for keeping the new Norrath a fun place to play!
Ok, so no one likes being told what to do. However, there are "rules" we conform to everyday, paradigms for good behavior we hardly think about, to keep ourselves and others safe and happy. We stop at stop lights, we don't touch hot stoves, we don't give little children sharp objects.
Norrath is a society like any other. We're dependent on each other's goodwill and alertness at every turn, whether you're fighting orange mobs waiting on a heal, crafting a complex item for profit that requires reasonably-priced components from other artisans, or just trying to find HwalRucksiff to complete a backpack quest! And everyone has a significant amount of time invested. Why ruin the experience for someone else? The developers of EQ2 have worked very hard, and to my mind - with a great deal of success, to limit the zero-sum nature ("I win only because you lose") in EQ2 so prevalent in previous MMORPGs. For example, "kill-stealing" (maliciously attacking a mob a non-groupmate is attacking simply to steal the experience and loot) is a thing of the past thanks to locked "encounters" in which no un-allied player can engage your target.
However, there's only so much the devs can do to reinforce good behavior. Remember, you have a reputation which people do remember (especially at the early and later stages of the game). More than once, a potential groupmate of mine has been turned down by other group members because a negative experience in the past.
Thanks to Jimbob, Freup, Slidevec, Winstar, and Felklaw for their contributions to the TTH EQ2 Etiquette forum, which I've gratefully reprinted in this guide. Please visit the Etiquette forum and post your suggestions too!
Here's a few suggestions to beginning players on how to keep your rep strong, both for you and those you're fighting (and crafting) alongside:
Chatting while LFG, Solo, or About-Town:
Use /shout sparingly
Shout messages are eye-catching for a reason, they're meant to provide urgent information to everyone in the zone. One example where /shout is appropriate is if a high-level aggressive mob has spawned or been "pulled" into a well-trafficed area. If you use /shout to announce that you're looking for a group (LFG), you're more likely to get responses if you allow others a chance (a few minutes) to respond to you before you /shout LFG again. Others looking for a group may need to finish a fight before they can respond to you. Abuse /shout or /ooc and you're likely to get some pointed comments about spamming.
Try before you ask!
The most common questions in the lower level adventuring zones can usually be solved by reading the manual, flipping through EQ2 forums, hanging out at websites like eq2.tentonhammer.com or just plain old trial and error. If you come up with something, great! If not, anyone you ask (that might know) is more likely to share what they know if you seem capable and receptive (and show a fundamental respect for their time, it's likely that you're not the only person hanging from their coattails, so to speak).
Take it to tells (or guildchat)!
Most of the time, you'll get a great answer if you 1) take the time to find someone who might know and probably isn't overwhelmed at the moment (e.g. have a fighter hallmark question and you want to become a brawler? Type /who all brawler, then find someone in a non-adventure (city) zone) 2) be polite, /tell and ask if they have a moment to answer a question, 3) thank them even if they can't provide any information (sometimes they know someone else who might know, but they likely won't check unless you mind your manners). Guildchat is a faster option: presumably someone asked you into the guild which (in a good guild) means you have tacit permission to tap the guild (politely and without nagging) for information.
When harvesting, avoid node-stealing, and (in city-adventure zones) fish to replenish nodes you've harvested.
While opinions differ about the etiquette of harvesting from a node (a node is a special object that you can harvest materials from, like roots, gardens, ore, critter dens, etc.) while someone else is also harvesting from that same node (thereby reducing the number of chances to harvest from that node), at least know that other players can take serious umbrage if you attempt the action. Harvesting undoubtedly takes plenty of patience, but nodes are fairly common, so why not let a fellow harvester empty out the node he/she is working on? Also, in the smaller city-adventure zones, harvest from fishing nodes every now and then to replenish other node types. Each zone has a set amount of nodes that are available at one time, and there's no ratio of one type of node to another. So if everyone in The Forest Ruins is chasing down gathering, mining, and wood-gathering nodes, it’s easy to see how before long the pond will be teeming with shoals of fish (and no other nodes in sight).
Use CAPS (capital letters) sparingly
This is the text equivalent of yelling, and should be reserved for situations where politeness must yield to immediate action. And while there might be instances while grouping and raiding that this occurs, there's really no place for it solo.
Just /ignore, don't catfight
Disagreements will arise, and its better to walk away when a healthy argument resorts to name-calling or any other kind of nastiness. If the /tells keep coming, /ignore the player in question, and set out to redeem the time they've wasted.
Begging is THE fastest way to get onto an ignore list
That, and it's really lame. Everyone has an opportunity to go out, kill mobs, sell stuff, and make some money, so why would you think you deserve a little something of someone else's hard-earned stash. Be grateful when someone offers you something, offer stuff you don't need to others, and chances are you'll come out ahead! (Thanks Jimbob of Oggok!)
The Marketplace (Buying and Selling):
Use /auction for selling items, not /ooc or /shout
Use the auction channel so that people not interested in buying or selling (or who are broke like me and don't want to be tempted to sell the breastplate off their back) can simply block it.
Don't attempt price-gouging.
Until the server economy reaches an equilibrium, pricing will fluctuate drastically simply because there's not much of a player market for items yet. The rule used to be market-forbearance (or simply, charge what you can get), but due to many factors (exploits, the ability to buy EQ2 money using real-world money, etc.) the model really doesn't apply. Much better to charge what items are worth to a merchant, multiplied by a factor of 3 to 5 times based upon their relative availability and the time you spent getting it, and no more. Otherwise you're keeping the common adventurer and crafter out of the market.
Grouping:
Never /invite to a group without a /tell describing the group beforehand
To build a worthwhile group, you should make your objectives clear to a potential groupmate. Information like the level and class of players already in the group, where and what you'd like to fight, and whether or not the group is intended to fulfill quest steps that might not be available to everyone in the group (quite simply, is it for xp or quest); this information is entitled to a groupmate so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to group with you. Remember, they're not just a tool to fulfill your purposes, you're asking for their time, experience and abilities for the good of the whole group. Time is the one resource no one can get back, so they (and you) deserve to be rewarded for it, with experience, loot, or just warm fuzzies that come from helping out a friend. No one gets warm fuzzies from helping out someone entirely self-concerned who pulls a classic bait-and-switch tactic, though.
On a related point, only get into a group when a) you can spend a decent amount of time with the group, and b) you have the patience to complete other groupmate's objectives too. It's pretty ugly when someone joins the group just to get their level, or just to get their objective. They helped you get yours, so help them get theirs! (Thanks Jimbob of Oggok for this insight!)
Know your role!
Nothing is more frustrating than an off-tank that won't stop taunting, a mage that nukes mezzed mobs, or two groupmates pulling different mobs at once. Actively learn your function within the group and save any risky, aggressive tactics for when you only have your own debt to build!
Go AFK (away from keyboard) in a safe place, and only after someone else acknowledges.
If the healer just went on a bio-break, it’s a bad time to pull an orange con! If its at all possible, limit the AFK time, choosing periods during which the entire group is resting, and make sure at least one other person knows you're going.
Don't wander off!
It's really important to stick to your group like white on minute rice. In dangerous areas, nothing's more aggravating than lolling along then seeing the HO icon pop, a squishy's health go from green to dark red and purple, followed by a "HELP!" message much too late, only to find that this particular groupmate went wandering off taking a "quick look" around for a quest update mob. Next, twenty minutes is spent sans real progress fighting your way to the downed mate, rezzing and healing him, and fighting your way back. Stay together! (Thanks Freup and Slidevec, both of Oggok, for this hint!)
Avoid Named-Mob Kill-Stealing
If a group is obviously camping a spawn area for a very rare mob, come back later. In EQ2, there are mobs that are on timers in excess of 10 hours (and probably a LOT longer too), and whatever your feelings on camping... you wouldn't want some maverick tank to run through and grab your NM right before you can engage it. If you do gain NM mob aggro at a camp by accident, do the right thing: /yell and run to break the encounter! (Thanks Jimbob of Oggok!)
Pull smart, and remember to rest sometimes.
If you're doing the dirty work of pulling, keep the rest of your group in mind. The group should develop a tempo for pulling over time, and the key ingredient is patience. Difficult mobs cannot be efficiently slain if mages and priests are constantly low on power at the start of the fight. A good rule of thumb is to wait till the main healer has 4 blue bars of mana before going out to pull a difficult mob. Also, if you need to rest, be sure to ask. Use spells (slowing spells if available) and archery to minimize the damage you take away from the group, and avoid making the healer use large, mana-consumptive heals at the start of the battle. Make sure you have a clear path back to the group too; you don't want to bring along any strangers to the party.
A word of advice on pulling: you will build more experience over time if you pull mobs that can be killed and recovered from quickly than if you pull monster reds that occasionally result in death, and always ends in a close call. Better in the main to find mobs that provide a comfortable level of experience for everyone concerned, for its likely that aggro mobs, pops, etc. will be enough to keep life interesting. If for example a named mob wanders by, let the group decide together if the risk justifies the potential rewards.
Let the MT gain aggro before using high damage spells and abilities
The tank's job is to keep him- or herself the object of the mob's fury. The tank should have the highest AC value, meaning he's taking the least amount of damage per hit than anyone else in the group, and in this manner the healers can concentrate their most efficient heals on just one groupmate. It works out all the way around, unless some poor scout or mage tries to open up a can of smackdown too soon. In the early twenties, some mobs can dissect a lightly armored groupmate in two or three hits, so its important to let the tank gain the mobs' complete attention. A good rule of thumb: let the mobs' health bar turn yellow before digging into your bag of tricks.
RUN when someone says run, or when you're battle-rezz'd in a hopeless fight
If the tank or main healer says "RUN," it's not a time to argue about it. The experience drain of needless deaths is likely much greater than what you'd earn by killing the mob at hand. If you've been resurrected during battle with a token to rez the healer, and things are looking bad, take off! You'll be a hero if you come back later and rez the priest, saving the group a load of debt from reviving. (Thanks Winstar of Oggok!)
Death happens!
Things go wrong sometimes when you're soloing, so it’s no surprise that things can go very wrong when grouping with others. The best thing you can do if someone gets killed is to get them resurrected (or meet them in a safe place if they must revive), determine if there's anything that can be done to prevent history from repeating itself, and work together to pay off the experience debt. Please keep things positive, and admit to it if you've made a mistake. You'll feel better, for one thing, and the group is more likely to truly forgive you if you prove that you don't make the same mistakes twice. I've watched blame-fests and backbiting /tells to "allies" break down quite a few decent groups, even among guildmates. Such actions break down the teamwork you need to group effectively.
You'll be remembered by how you leave
Disbanding in frustration after a wipe (a wipe occurs when the entire group is killed) may feel good short term, but you won't build much trust or affection on the part of your groupmates, who are forced to work their way back without you. On the flip-side, finding a suitable replacement for yourself when you leave a long-duration group is the height of class. If the group makes a mutual break, wish everyone well. The groupmates you impress today might be your guildmates and long-term grouping companions starting tomorrow.
These are just a few suggestions on how to ensure a more pleasant experience in Everquest 2. Have something that you'd like to see in this guide? Please post it in our EQ2 Etiquette Guide forum
<unquote>
