Changes to AA Experience

**Nodyin-Dev** · 03/27/2008 16:04:42

Changes to AA Experience

One of the most common topics of discussion on these boards has to do with AAs - gaining them, using them and how many you "need" to be viable in a group or raid setting. As time passes and expansions are released the total number of AAs that are available to each class grows, as does the number of AAs that are considered "core" by each class. Anyone who has played EverQuest for very long can realize how important a few hundred well-spent AA can be for any player of sufficient level. As great as the AA system is, however, it presents an ever growing barrier to new players or current players who might like to try a new class for a different experience or perspective. The hill, to put it simply, is simply too high to climb for many people.

To address this we're going to introduce the same type of experience scaling in the AA system that exists with levels. Just like level 1 is a lot easier to get than level 80 is we're going to change how AA experience works so that the first AAs you earn will come faster than the last AA you earn to reach the cap. This change should make it a lot easier for players climbing the levels to gain key AAs and advance to the point that they can interact with friends (new or old) that have more established characters.

What we've done is put together a very flexible, data-driven system that we can adjust as expansions are released or in response to changing circumstances. The way the system works is that we'll be able to create point ranges (with a minimum number of AAs earned and a maximum number) that will have a multiplier assigned to it. So you'll get the amount of experience you would have gotten prior to this change, but then that experience is increased by this multiplier.

So for AA #XYZ your multiplier might be 2.0. Before the change you would have gotten 500 experience. After the change it would be 500 x 2, or 1000 experience. Simple, right?

The higher you go in AA totals the lower the multiplier will be until eventually it will reach the 1.0 mark and AA experience will return to "normal". AA experience is already normalized by level to be equal to the same number of even-con kills no matter what your level is and this system will work with that. No matter where you are in terms of level you'll see the same bonus based on your AA count.

Based on the data we collected a few months ago and looking at where we're putting the 1.0 mark the vast majority of players will see a boost in the rate that they earn AAs with those at the low end of the AA count seeing the largest boost. As I mentioned above we're able to nimbly change the shape of the curve and as we release new expansions that push forward the total number of AAs that exist we will be changing the shape of the curve, including the point where AA experience returns to normal. So we'll be attempting to continue to support new players and returning veterans going forward with the AA system.

**--Krrak--**

Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!

After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...

Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

**Qumyeni**

will there be any change to starting level of obtaining AA's?

skaal

As someone whose (now discarded) main never broke 200 aas... I thank you. This is awesome.

**Lallafiz_CS**

tim e line for implementation? ... now... next patch... 6 months... next expansion?

**snakebane**

That's great!!! any Idea when this might go live?

**sprint32**

when will this go into effect?

**Jim**

Awesome!

I'll get dragged to XP for my friends less!

**Jim**

--Krrak-- wrote:

Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

Heck no, IMO.

**--Krrak--**

Jim wrote:

--Krrak-- wrote:
Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

Heck no, IMO.

May I ask why not Jim? I haven't asked for anything that the newer players won't be getting?? Why would you be against this?

**Jim**

Because we don't need it. The only point to the change is to boost the lower AA players into a more-playable state. If you are already there, then you don't need the help. AAs are content. Giving the boost to only the lower end, to help them reach the functionality that content is tuned for, balances the need for content vs the HUGE power curve in a 9 year old game.

Just so you know where I am coming from, I have characters near max AAs and characters with 100-700 AAs as well, and I have been playing since the start.

**RangerDave** · 02/12/2008 11:41:34

Sounds like an excellent change, Nodyin. I'm sure there will be some complaints of unfairness to the veterans, but I think that's a short-sighted view, since the biggest problem with the game is the lack of new players coming in to keep things going for another 9 years. Those who've been around for a while have had the pleasure of using their AAs all this time, and giving the newbies a chance to catch up can't take anything away from that.

*Edit: Will the modifiers be made public, or will that be for the parsers to figure out?

**roguerunner**

so do you know when this would be implemented Nodyin?

any kind of guess?

**MrJekylls**

I haven't created an alt for quite a while because of this simple fact. If you want to make a tank, first you have to level up, then you have to get x number of AAs before you're even considered for a group.

This is going to be a FANTASTIC change for the game. I just hope the AA level isn't set too low - it would be crushing to see the new 'break even' point be 50, 100, or even 400 AA. There are so many AA required, and given the 'highest level decides what type of AA xp you get' setup, it sometimes feels like an iron man marathon just to get to a point you don't suck as a class.

[QUOTE]we're able to nimbly change the shape of the curve and as we release new expansions that push forward the total number of AAs that exist we will be changing the shape of the curve, including the point where AA experience returns to normal. So we'll be attempting to continue to support new players and returning veterans going forward with the AA system.[/QUOTE]

Thinking ahead ... I love it. SMILEY

Croakd_Bertoxx

--Krrak-- wrote:

Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

I cannot believe that anyone would think that is remotely realistic. The change as Nod explains it is an AA xp modifer based on the your current number of AAs. What you hope for would require something that I don't think is even possible in EQ. I could be wrong, but I bet I'm not.

If they did end up doing it retro, you would just increase the % of chars that are max AA. This would also result in chars having literally dozens (if not hundreds) of unspent AAs. The point of this change is to "unsteepen" the AA hill that players have to climb to become established, not to make the highest chars even higher up the hill.

**Rawlden**

--Krrak-- wrote:

Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

So what you want is, that the day they make the change, you suddenly find yourself with 100's of new AA's to spend. Putting you that much MORE ahead of the players SOE is trying to help catch up.

Ain't gonna happen.

**FennyX** · 02/12/2008 11:50:41

A global multiplicative solution is the wrong way to go. A localized additive method can be much more targetable, adjustable, and more natural feeling and exciting to the player. Here is an example using already existing constructs:

In hot zones, assign an enormous amount of experience to the "Unmasked Changelings".

**Zazel**

Utilitarianism ftw.

**Entreri169**

I think this is an awesome idea. So many people i know have 400-1000 AAs which is really on the low end of AAs these days with 2600 or so needed to max. I hope you guys set the 1.0 mark around 1500-1800, so it will be helpful to the vast majority of players. I personally have just shy of 2300, so it won't help me, but it will hopefully help alot of my friends.

**Nodyin-Dev**

Jim wrote:

Because we don't need it. The only point to the change is to boost the lower AA players into a more-playable state. If you are already there, then you don't need the help. AAs are content. Giving the boost to only the lower end, to help them reach the functionality that content is tuned for, balances the need for content vs the HUGE power curve in a 9 year old game.

Just so you know where I am coming from, I have characters near max AAs and characters with 100-700 AAs as well, and I have been playing since the start.

This is basically correct. If you have a large number of AAs then although you paid (relatively) more for those AAs than someone new will pay for them you've had the advantage of having those AA for some time before this change will go into effect. I liken this to a year-end sale for cars. If you purchase the new 2009 when it first comes on the market you'll spend more than if you wait for the 2010 models to hit and then buy the 2009 (or even better buy it used and save even more....)

The time line that we're looking at right now would be to roll this out with our next patch which will be in the next few weeks. We're still finalizing the curve and looking into any last second issues but this change should be on Test in the next few days although the exact values may change over the next week or so as we tweak the values to make sure we're comfortable with where the values are.

**Zoycite**

What are the raw numbers so people know that like

Less than 200 AA = 5.0
201-300 AA = 4.5
301-400 AA = 4.0
etc...

Could the actual numbers be posted or at least enough points of this be made public? Will the number ever be less than 1.0? Will people with over 2000AA currently see reduced exp rates on mobs less than even con?

**Hecude_PoisonBlood**

Great change, hope it goes in soon.

**--Krrak--**

Rawlden wrote:

--Krrak-- wrote:
Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

So what you want is, that the day they make the change, you suddenly find yourself with 100's of new AA's to spend. Putting you that much MORE ahead of the players SOE is trying to help catch up.
Ain't gonna happen.

No - what I want is fairness, this is akin to buying an iPhone the first week it was out - then finding out a few weeks later the prices get chopped by a fair margin, and the people buying the same phone before the newness wears off paying quite a bit less. I have no problem with the low aa people ( can't say new people as there are so few new people in EQ - since EQ is NOT being advertised for new people ) getting a bonus to get up in aa's faster - however I do have a problem with inequality.

**Hecude_PoisonBlood**

Zoycite wrote:

What are the raw numbers so people know that like

Less than 200 AA = 5.0
201-300 AA = 4.5
301-400 AA = 4.0
etc...

Could the actual numbers be posted or at least enough points of this be made public? Will the number ever be less than 1.0? Will people with over 2000AA currently see reduced exp rates on mobs less than even con?

It changes per the number of total AA's you can get. So there is no real set number. But you could prolly expect something like what you listed to start it off.

**Nodyin-Dev**

Zoycite wrote:

What are the raw numbers so people know that like

Less than 200 AA = 5.0
201-300 AA = 4.5
301-400 AA = 4.0
etc...

Could the actual numbers be posted or at least enough points of this be made public? Will the number ever be less than 1.0? Will people with over 2000AA currently see reduced exp rates on mobs less than even con?

I don't know if we'll release the exact numbers but we'll never go below the 1.0 (current) rate of AA gain.

**Nightbringer**

--Krrak-- wrote:

Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

A very wordy way of saying "I have mine, everyone else can pound sand."

Changes like this are not for the people at the top of the game, they are to enable newer or less frequent players a chance to earn enough AA's to function in current single group content.

**Hecude_PoisonBlood**

--Krrak-- wrote:

Rawlden wrote:
--Krrak-- wrote:
Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

So what you want is, that the day they make the change, you suddenly find yourself with 100's of new AA's to spend. Putting you that much MORE ahead of the players SOE is trying to help catch up.
Ain't gonna happen.

No - what I want is fairness, this is akin to buying an iPhone the first week it was out - then finding out a few weeks later the prices get chopped by a fair margin, and the people buying the same phone before the newness wears off paying quite a bit less. I have no problem with the low aa people ( can't say new people as there are so few new people in EQ - since EQ is NOT being advertised for new people ) getting a bonus to get up in aa's faster - however I do have a problem with inequality.

Its not a change to get people to MAX AA's faster, its a change to get people caught up to be in a playable state, for example warriors and there defensive AA's. It takes like 200 just to get those i think, may be more. This is not to get you ubah and max but to make you a viable option for your lvl range and grouping set ups/roles.

**Philphan** · 02/12/2008 12:10:46

< grabs your butts

**Schnucki**

In a way, this is kind of depressing. It's kind of like what happened to the old school folks who worked so hard for so little only to watch others get it practically for free as time moved on.

It makes me regret all the time I worked on my AA's since I'm about to see them deflate into half the value I might have had if I had just left EQ for a while and started back at it.

This sure makes my lower level/AA alts a lot more interesting than my main.

**--Krrak--**

Nightbringer wrote:

--Krrak-- wrote:
Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...
A very wordy way of saying "I have mine, everyone else can pound sand."
Changes like this are not for the people at the top of the game, they are to enable newer or less frequent players a chance to earn enough AA's to function in current single group content.

Actually it's a polite way of saying " why are you devaluing the time spent to earn the aa's in the first place "

**Rawlden**

Zoycite wrote:

Will the number ever be less than 1.0? Will people with over 2000AA currently see reduced exp rates on mobs less than even con?

I believe if you read his first post again, you will see that the answer to that question is "No".

As more and more AA's are added to the game, the point at which the multiplier reachs 1.0 can simply be moved up.

This is a very elegant solution. My hats off to the Devs.

**--Krrak--**

Philphan wrote:

I think this is a terrible idea. I don't look forward to working harder for AA then i already do. i am currently around 800 aa. and it took me a year and a half to get that. No thank you to this proposed change.

It won't make it any harder than it is currently - in fact at 800 aa's you will still probably get a bonus. At WORST it's exactly the same as it is now. The bonus doesn't go below 1.0 from what was originally posted.

**Hecude_PoisonBlood**

Philphan wrote:

I think this is a terrible idea. I don't look forward to working harder for AA then i already do. i am currently around 800 aa. and it took me a year and a half to get that. No thank you to this proposed change.
FYI it's valentines.. not April fools day devs.

Did you read it? It DOES NOT get harder, it scales down to NORMAL, what its like now.

**Ghost-of-Maddoc** · 02/12/2008 12:05:47

--Krrak-- wrote:

Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

Realistically, applying this change retroactively to all characters who have ever earned an AA point isn't really feasible -- What could we do for all the people who are at or near the AA cap that would no (or only partial) benefit from the retroactive injection of AA points? We certainly can't give them all of those points in their bank, that'd instantly nullify the entirety of several expansions worth of AA's, and would honestly create just as much dissention in the veteran ranks.

Likewise, the solution as it is, will not be without it's benefits to you as well. You're going to have a multiplier on your experience, just as everyone else is (unless you're max AA, in which case it doesn't matter).

As is the case with many system changes and feature implementations, this change will greatly benefit the game and it's players going forward.

Jim wrote:

Because we don't need it. The only point to the change is to boost the lower AA players into a more-playable state. If you are already there, then you don't need the help. AAs are content. Giving the boost to only the lower end, to help them reach the functionality that content is tuned for, balances the need for content vs the HUGE power curve in a 9 year old game.

RangerDave wrote:

Sounds like an excellent change, Nodyin. I'm sure there will be some complaints of unfairness to the veterans, but I think that's a short-sighted view, since the biggest problem with the game is the lack of new players coming in to keep things going for another 9 years. Those who've been around for a while have had the pleasure of using their AAs all this time, and giving the newbies a chance to catch up can't take anything away from that.

You both hit on excellent points here, and they are a large part of the reason we investigated implementing this feature to begin with -- When new players enter the game, they face a very daunting task of playing catch-up with their friends, and this is something that we've taken strides to help address many times before.

We went back through the newbie experience quite some time ago and made it easier for a new player to survive by reducing the difficulty of the newbie monsters, by changing the death mechanic at lower levels, by adding new armor quests and drops in the game, and by increasing the rate of experience gained at lower levels. We've opened brand new servers such that a level playing field is created and it is thereby much easier for a new player to get into the game and not feel outclassed at every turn, however...

All of the above changes are simply small steps towards the goal of making the game a bit more friendly to the new player, and this is no different. We all like friends to play with. We all probably have a friend or two we want to play the game with us, but they have a hard time 'catching up', and this is just another step we're taking to help make that just a bit easier to do.

**Lorso-YH**

Do expendable aa's (glyphs) count against your bonus, permanently?

**Survey_**

Nodyin-Dev wrote:

So we'll be attempting to continue to support new players and returning veterans going forward with the AA system.

It's a great change to accelerate AA for new players and characters.

Returning veterans are going to face the issue of being penalized for getting 'fluff' AA when they were previously high playtime players. If it's feasible you could make it the AA count from the most recent 3 sets of AA so that returning veterans don't have a lower multipler just because 5 years ago they bought all/most available AA.

With 500 AA a Wizard could have all 'core' AA done through SoF, with 500 AA a Wizard could have only AA from Gates of Discord and earlier.

Once again, fantastic change for new players and characters to lower the barrier of entry to get up to speed, if those benefits can be more consistently extended to returning veterans that would be an added bonus.

**--Krrak--**

Survey_ wrote:

Nodyin-Dev wrote:
So we'll be attempting to continue to support new players and returning veterans going forward with the AA system.
It's a great change to accelerate AA for new players and characters.
Returning veterans are going to face the issue of being penalized for getting 'fluff' AA when they were previously high playtime players. If it's feasible you could make it the AA count from the most recent 3 sets of AA so that returning veterans don't have a lower multipler just because 5 years ago they bought all/most available AA.
With 500 AA a Wizard could have all 'core' AA done through SoF, with 500 AA a Wizard could have only AA from Gates of Discord and earlier.
Once again, fantastic change for new players and characters to lower the barrier of entry to get up to speed, if those benefits can be more consistently extended to returning veterans that would be an added bonus.

Now here's a great idea, and will give the fairness that would make this truly an awesome change. 2 thumbs up

**Pliko**

Any chance of the # of AA per level and details on the curve in order to find out "when" during the grind from 51-80 will be best to work AA?

Also finding out what the number at lvl 80, that will signify going back to 1.0 would be useful for current players.

Croakd_Bertoxx

Here's some numbers I crunched just to make it clear why this would be completely overpowering and defeat the entire point of this change if it were retro.

Let's say the max modifier is 2.0 and the baseline is set at 1000 AAs for 1.0 mod (normal xp) with a 25% degredation every 250 AAs.

AAs 1-250 = 2.0 mod

251-500 = 1.75 mod

501-750 = 1.5 mod

751-1000 = 1.25 mod

1001+ = 1.0 mod (normal AA xp)

Using these hypothetical numbers, any toon with over 1000 AAs would suddenly have 625 AAs added as soon as this went Live.

And that is never going to happen. Ever™.

**Philphan**

why don't you just start new players at level 80 with full offensive and defensive skills... leave the aa system alone.. it is easy enough.

**Wyvernwill**

--Krrak-- wrote:

Jim wrote:
--Krrak-- wrote:
Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...

Heck no, IMO.

May I ask why not Jim? I haven't asked for anything that the newer players won't be getting?? Why would you be against this?

From my standpoint sitting at almost 2400AA on my main, if they all of the sudden dropped 300AA on me because of this change stating "well, this is what you would have earned on top of your previous"... it's unnecessary. On top of that, your definition of fair would undoubtably throw me well over cap on AA again, which is something I have been trying to draw out.

Contrary to your statement, they are catering to the long term players as well, especially if you raid. Currently, my raid force consists of members with AA ranging from 100ish to 3000. Them gaining more AA fast, means they are able to hold their own. While it's not a direct "I'm earning more now" or "I get hundreds of free AA just cause", it is a huge benefit to me that others are able to get to a useful point (which the game is balanced around people having 500aa or so).

Besides, there is nothing in your statement that you won't be able to benefit from this somehow. Afterall, it's not new accounts, or AA across acounts. Technically, YOU would benefit from this as much as anyone else.

**Jim**

Apparently they haven't finalized the multipliers and the cutoff yet. When they put it on test, I'm sure we will get a few data points from players, but if they ever expose the numbers I don't think it will be before it goes live.

**Inoke**

Survey_ wrote:

With 500 AA a Wizard could have all 'core' AA done through SoF, with 500 AA a Wizard could have only AA from Gates of Discord and earlier.

A 500 AA Wizzy isn't nearly maxed on AA so they will get a decent modifier if I'm reading this correctly. The only people who will be at or close to the same AA gain as is currently in place are those who are close to or at the max AA for their class. So returning players who are resurecting old toons will still benefit from the change, and going forward as expansions come out with more AA's and caps go up the returning players will benefit even more depending on how long they've been gone.

**Schnucki**

Ghost-of-Maddoc wrote:

All of the above changes are simply small steps towards the goal of making the game a bit more friendly to the new player, and this is no different. We all like friends to play with. We all probably have a friend or two we want to play the game with us, but they have a hard time 'catching up', and this is just another step we're taking to help make that just a bit easier to do.

For me, it just makes me regret all the time I wasted on AAs under the previous rules.

I guess it's a good thing, since the sooner you hand us EQ immortality (raid gear for groups gear, double exp + double AAs, etc.), the sooner we can get back to our families and our lives.

**Nodyin-Dev**

Pliko wrote:

Any chance of the # of AA per level and details on the curve in order to find out "when" during the grind from 51-80 will be best to work AA?
Also finding out what the number at lvl 80, that will signify going back to 1.0 would be useful for current players.

It's not about your level, it's about your AA count. You could be level 60 with 500 AA spent or level 80 with 500 AA spent and get the same bonus to gaining AA. I, in fact, hope that this makes it more viable for players to pause at various levels and gain some vital AA points before moving on. This should skew the cost-benefit calculation more towards the AA gains and make it more reasonable to get AAs I hope.

Players who rush to level 80 but have few AAs still face a daunting task to get the AAs they need, no less because anything they can fight at level 80 will be tuned around players with at least 500 AA spent, on average.

Again we haven't finalized the data for the curve yet and since it will be somewhat fluid I'm not sure we'll be putting that data out there. You should definitely notice the change, however, especially at the lower end of the AA spectrum.

**cyrennfv**

This is a welcome change, the 'needed' aa's for classes has grown pretty extensive at this point. The aa climb is just overwhelming for many players. Another possible alternative would have been to simply phase out some aa's, giving them as innates rather than buyable as aa.

In any case, while I'll most likely not get any advantage from this, but it's still good to see.

**EDalpha**

"name changed" you also want bonus Xp from them having done away with hell levels too?.

how about bonus Xp because of hot zones, probably wernt any when leveld up the first time, so what it, they owe you probably 50 extra levels of XP and AAXP...

**Rawlden**

--Krrak-- wrote:

Nightbringer wrote:
--Krrak-- wrote:
Hopefully (although I doubt it) this will be a retroactive change - so that those of us who have put in the time and effort to accumulate several hundred (and in some cases a couple thousand) aa's will get the same benefit that those who are coming up will get!
After all that would be the ONLY FAIR thing to do...
Anything else and you are only catering to the new players who haven't supported this game as long as the long time players...
A very wordy way of saying "I have mine, everyone else can pound sand."
Changes like this are not for the people at the top of the game, they are to enable newer or less frequent players a chance to earn enough AA's to function in current single group content.

Actually it's a polite way of saying " why are you devaluing the time spent to earn the aa's in the first place "

It's simply a way of acknowleging what so many people are saying about EQ these days. That the vast majority of the players in EQ are at the "high end" for the game.

How many times have you heard someone say "The real EQ starts at 50"? or 60 or 70, etc...

If all new players still had to struggle thru the first 20, 30, 40 or 50 levels the same way they would have 9 years ago, there simply wouldn't be any new players and EQ would die.

Heck yeah, I remember when I was glad to get piece of cloth armor and 2cp in coin from killing a skellie in the Steamfont newbie yard. But I'm not bitter and don't feel cheated because now newbies can get stat armor and other drops worth several plats in the CR Newbie yard. A level 15 player today, without twinking or ever leaving the newbie yard, can have gear that ten years ago would have seemed Godly to a level 50. So what? It doesn't affect me at my current level and it increases the possibility that I might find someone to group with by bringing in new players.

Sure, I will probably beneift from this, but at the rate I play it won't be much. It's taken me over 4 years to get to this point.

**Jim**

Wyvernwill wrote:

......they are catering to the long term players as well...

No doubt! I am probably more excited about this than my lower AA friends will be. They will love it, of course, but for me it means less of repeating AA grinds every time someone starts a new character, or returns to the game. It means that the randoms I pick up will be more functional. It even means I might be more interested in alts, which will help the available pool of grouping players. On my mains, I just want to find gear and do progression. They don't need XP. I get tired of having to do it for others, knowing that it will take forever. I enjoy playing with my friends and people I meet... but outside of a very small group of characters, the stuff I want to do is seldom stuff they are capable of doing.

**Velocity**

How would it help new players if it were retroactive? Say for instance a guild requires you have 400aa spent currently to join. If they did a retroactive change everyone would get a lot more aa and make that number rise. If it is just new players more numbers will make it to group/raid ready for major zones at a more steady rate. I think the latter will be very healthy for EQ as a whole.