Lineage 2 currently launching three classic serversFollow

i like the idea of a "hybrid" classic server. mix in some new with the old for the best of both worlds.

they could lower the level cap to 75 and make the classic server pre-abyssea, but still keep things like trusts, fields of valor, level sync, etc to keep leveling somewhat fluid and enjoyable. keep the rate of exp gained from mobs the same as it is now, so you don't have to spend ages grinding like you used to. keep mobs at their current difficulty, so you can still solo EM-T mobs for exp if you want.

this way, you could choose to solo or group up. neither method would be inferior to the other, and you wouldn't be forced to wait hours for an invite. they could also keep all of the current ui enhancements, and keep the level caps removed from mission-based objectives. stuff like that.

that doesn't seem like a bad idea at all. i'd play on it, and i wasn't even particularly fond of the older FFXI.

yeah id play on a classic server, basically the game how it was just before abyssea and the level cap rise, so level 75, but all expansion content up to wotg, and the 3 mini expansions. i'd keep current rate of exp gain so leveling is quicker than before but no trusts, so people would have to group once again! no force popping, bring back king camps! If you dont like camping, there's still sky/limbus einherjar etc! Also i'd reverse the mpk patch so when you zone a mob will move slowly back to its spawn location and agro everything in its path like the old days! Also none of this zone jumping, make people use whm teleport, airships and chocobos again!

Classic, to me at least, would be FFXI as it was when I first played it back in 2004; FFXI + RoTZ with nothing else. I don't particularly yearn for those days, though... As I aged, I was able to see past my rose-tinted spectacles and realise those days weren't as good as I remember them.

I'm sure a 'classic' server would be a nice nostalgia trip for a while, but I really doubt anyone would be happy going back to it for too long. Depending on the era you're from, you have an enormous collection of problems to choose from that I'm personally glad to see dead.

Here's a short list of what I remember:

- The introduction of Colibri, and the death of the Black Mage in groups.
- Camping Kings/HNM for 8+ hour windows, claims being 'stolen', bots! drama! subterfuge!
- Fishing. Oh, god... the fishing.
- 3-4k exp/hr (Lower exp/monster, lower chain exp cap, etc).
- MPK.
- Higher exp needed to ding in the upper levels.
- Mobs taking forever to respawn.
- Competition for exp camps which crippled exp for all parties involved.
- Using less optimal camps because of said competition and getting even less exp.
- Healer/Tank/(Job) leaves, can't find rep, party you spent an hour forming breaks after one exp chain.

Now, don't think I'm hating on 'classic' FFXI. I have many fond memories of it! Those parties that took an hour to form sometimes lasted long into the night. You and five other people slew crabs, lizards, crawlers, and flies for hours on end. You chatted, you laughed, you formed friendships, gained Linkshell pearls, and all that good stuff. I do miss those days. When I occasionally go back to FFXI I feel isolated from everyone else, and it just makes me click the cancel button on my subscription that little bit faster each time. I'd play a 'classic' server for a while just for the opportunity to chat to random people in a party once again. PUGs of 18 people are so impersonal... there's very little social aspect to FFXI any more, imo.

If SE can think of a way for people to converse and relate to one another in game again, then sign me up and take my money.