I would still like to see, as originally suggested, that ALL keys -- once looted/obtained and used -- go to the key ring

While the EQ PLAYERS web site will show you a list of your flags and keys, you do have to go out of game and on to the web to see them (it is in the "Biography" section of a players profile).

So -- how about a /flag command so we can see what character flags we have, in game.

As they are, it is very hard to get anyone interested in doing LDoN missions in order to max out one's Adventurer's Stone.

While Sony has done a couple of things to keep LDoN of interest, they failed in both attempts. Example, the epic events in LDoN zones do NOT count as LDoN wins (or losses). And the Type 3 Augs in the new SoF items, are LDoN type augs.... but they are Augs of little or no desire.

So -- to make LDoN missions interesting again, here are the ideas:

• Award Bonus Points for doing "extra" things, so to speak.  Example, in a slaughter or collect adventure, the more you collect/slaughter over the required amount to win... it should earn you some bonus AP's.... say (1) more AP for every additional item collected or MOB killed.  If you manage to clear an entire Dungeon of MOB's on any adventure, there should be, say, an additional 50 AP as a bonus (on top of the overkill bonus, if applicable). The speed at which you win an adventure (re: Rescue or Assassinate) should also award you a bonus. Perhaps there can even be a "lesser group" bonus, when you win with less than 6 players.

• Modify the ranking to include "ties." LDoN allows you to settle for less points if you don't complete the adventure in the time allotted, but finish it in the 30 minutes afterwards. Despite the fact you accomplish the task, it shows as a loss on your record. This should really show up as a Tie... or at least not count as a loss or a win.

• Expand/upgrade the missions to allow for Level 66 to Level 80 groups/raids.

• Upgrade Adventure Points to be tradable objects... just like the crystals in DoN and the coin-types of TBS. After all, you can't buy items in the LDoN camps until you earn your own AP up to certain amounts (thus, it sort of works like the TSS faction, anyway).

• Add higher grade/higher cost items to the LDoN Merchants. Since Type 3 Augs are back in the game, put some high level, high costs Augs on those LDoN merchants!

• I think there is a perfect set-up all ready to add to LDoN, with the Wayfarer Camp in Natimbi.

The idea was to continue the epic progression for each expansion, as opposed to an entirely new one.

None-the-less, "new" Epics are now here.

Further, the "new" Epics did not advance with subsequent expansions (re: Epic 2.75 with PoR, 3.0 with TSS, 3.25 with TBS, 3.5 with SoF, etc.).

These improvements don't have to be all that significant. Example, the DoDH upgrade is essentially what I am talking about (it puts an "invisible" aug on the 2.0 Epic that increases it stats).

Each expansion can provide slight modifications to stats, increase damage, reduce delay, add effects or modifiers, add aug slots, reduce it's weight and in some case modify it's type (example, make the two-hander into a one-hander!).

Rather than worry about "re-naming" epics, just add "Rank 2," "Rank 3" and so forth, to their name.

Druid AA Skill to port a raid (much like mass translocation of a Wizard)

Why doesn't piercing? There are one-hand and two-hand piercing weapons.

Allow Piercing to be the two separate skills of One-Handed Piercing and Two-Handed Piercing.

Now those two classes can port/translocate to all most all of the same zones! Even worse, they then added the "Spires" to each continent, translocators at the docks, PoK books, Wayfarer Magus' and other NPC's that will port you to certain Planes/Zones.

It is clear that Sony did not think this one out at all. The Problem?

First off, they put Wizard and Druid ports in the same zones. They then put the Nexus Spires in zones where Druid/Wizard ports were all ready located, rather than move them to a zone where the Spire would be the only artificial travel in/out. They also put the PoK books in zones where there were all ready Druid, Wizard or Spire transports, as opposed to putting them in zones where there were none.

The portal stones/monuments in PoK are actually mis-labeled, Most of them do not take you to the City Zone noted, but to a zone outside of that city/location (in the adjoining zone). Even worse, there are at least two zones with two books from PoK (Toxxulia and GFay)!

Wayfarer Camps also made it worse, by being placed in zones where druid, wizard or portal books are already in place.

EQ is time consuming and involved to play and play well. It is beneficial to reduce the "travel time" in order to increase the "play time." While they have introduced Guild Banners and Camp Fires, these both have severe restrictions that make them only semi-useful (re: you can't use a Guild Banner in certain zones at all and you need 12 Guild Members there to plant it to start with) (re: You can only join a Friendship in PoK, you can only be in a single Friendship, there can only have nine members and there has to be three friends at a location before you can plant the camp fire!).

Solution?

The Nexus and The Plane of Knowledge are the two key "connector" or "portal" zones. Nexus is the Spire connection. PoK is the Book/Monument connection.

Leave them that way. Both are (or were) centers for Wizards/Druids to sell ports/translocation services.

The Wayfarer Camps are troublesome but are, after all, "camps" (re: temporary set-ups).

So, the answer is simple... spread the wealth, so to speak... by way of a storyline that leads to the changes with a future expansion and/or patch.

The PoK stones/monuments show the names of "city" zones. These are just stone pedestals.

Create a story line involving Gnomes/Dwarves/High Elves (magic, skill, engineering and hard labor specialists) and move the books INTO the actual cities!

I am sure the portals were probably not put into the actual cities because of concerns over players being "Kill on Sight" once they port in (only to die once they arrive). If so, this was ill-considered. Players, from my experience, will not normally have a desire to go (un-invis) to a city that where they are KoS. If they do -- lesson learned!

So... the answer is to place the books near a zone line inside the city itself.

Examples:

• The Neriak book will be by the water in a corner, just inside Neriak.

• The Erudin book will take you in the lower floor near the Toxx zone line.

• The Paineel book will take you to the newbie garden in Paineel.

• The Great Divide stone will be renamed (Thurgadin) and will take you to just before the Ice Bridge inside Thurgadin.

• The Grobb stone will take you just inside Grobb, near the Innothule zone line.

• The Ak'Anon stone will take you into Ak'Anon, by the water/lake.

• The Cabilis stone will take you into West Cabilis, in the little open area near the Warsliks Woods zone line.

• The Felwithe stone will take you just inside Felwithe, just outside the main gate.

• The Oggok stone will take you to just inside Oggok from Feerrott.

• The Shar Vahl portal will take you to inside Shar Vahl, in the center, but outside the main city wall.

• The Rivervale portal will take you to Rivervale, near the center building.

• The Kaladim portal will take you just inside Kaladim, from Butcherblock, by the water.

• The Halas portal will take you just inside Halas, by the water (docks).

• The other portals are generally fine where they are.

The Spires are just structures. The NPC's at each Spire actually "control" them.

Again, create a Gnome/Dwarf/Half Elf storyline and move the Spire/NPC to a zone without a Wizard/Druid port in, without a PoK book and without a Wayfarer camp.

Examples:

• The North Karana (Antonica) Spire NPC (just the NPC, not the Spire) can move to South Karana at the Spires near Splitpaw (make those active and inactivate the others).

• The GFay (Faydwer) Spire & NPC can move to Dagnor's Cauldron (near the stone structures near the zone tunnel by the water is perfect), making that zone (and Kedge and Unrest) more accessible and significant.

• The Toxxulia (Odus) Spire & NPC really have no better place to move them to, now that Kerra Island is no more.

• The Dreadlands Spire (Kunark) NPC (NPC only) can be moved to the Spire in Timorous Deep, making that zone and the portal "pots" there, more significant and useful, while deactivating the DL Spire.

• The Great Divide Spire (Velious) & NPC can be moved to the Western Wastes, making that area far more accessible, significant and popular.

• New spires can be built at locations mentioned and the old ones can be "made into ruins," left as it (but inactive) or moved (leaving their mark behind in the form of a barren square patches on the ground).

The Wayfarer Camps are ill-placed, with consideration to existing free-portals and Wizard/Druid travel.

For these:

• Leave the North Ro, Natimbi, Nedaria and Everfrost camps where they are.

• There doesn't seem to be much you can do with the South Ro camp, now that Oasis of Marr has been eliminated as a zone;

• The same goes for the Commonlands camp, now that East and West Commons are a single zone;

• Move the Butcherblock Camp to Lesser Faydark, in the NE corner between the Stonebrunt and Greater Faydark zone lines.

• These minor changes will not cause any significant change to the time needed to get to the Dungeons.

• The Magus' do not offer ports to all other Magus'... which doesn't make sense to me. The whole Wayfarer Guild is about mutual support in their causes, so why wouldn't all Magus's offer ports to all the other Magus's? Why be forced to go to Nedaria's Landing and then Abysmal Sea? Why not go directly to Abysmal Sea? Why can't you go back to the Guild Lobby?

The Guild Hall portal also presents some conflict as well. However -- this is a "special" situation where it is an "advantage" for being in a Guild... so, perhaps we should leave those conflicts alone... but give consideration to any future portals added here and where they go to (as compared to druid/wizard ports and existing Wayfarer Camps/Spires/Books). Then again, recent additions have now come in conflict with Wizard ports (Hate/Sky).

These changes will significantly reduce the conflicts of the "free access portals" with the Druids/Wizards transports, giving Druids/Wizards back some of the business they lost to ill-considered game modifications.

Even better, the portal/transportation access for all players will now be far more spread out and useful, as opposed to being redundant. It will significantly open up access to some zones (Western Wastes and Kedge Keep come to mind) and provide players with more options as to what zones they can get to and how they get there (in a reasonable time)... serving the intent of the added travel methods, to start with.

In the end, speeding up game play by reducing travel and zoning time... while giving back some benefit to Wizards and Druids.

While Symbol/Shield buffs will stack with each other, the Virtue line will not stack with either the Symbol or Shield buffs... and will overwrite both of them as well (thus, it is clearly intended as a better buff over the other two combined).

Protection of the Nine (and like buffs) will stack with the symbol line, but not with the Virtue line.

In fact, the combination of PoT9/Symbol are better than Virtue... but PoT9 will not stack with the Paladin self-buff "Aura" spells, while the Virtue line will. The Aura/Virtue combination is better than the Nine/Symbol combination, making it the best way to go, for a Paladin.

Thus, fact is, there is no need for the shield/symbol spells of a Paladin (or even for a Cleric), who have both lines of these buffs.

This, in effect, renders the Shield/Symbol line useless, as well as rendering a Paladin's desire for PoT9 to zero.

Let me illustrate with the Paladin usable spells, while ignoring all other buffs that a Paladin can't cast.

At Level 65 Paladin's have the following spells in these area's (we can ignore "Aura," as it will stack both ways):

• Guidance (Level 65 Virtue-like spell)

• Bulwark of Faith (Level 65 shield spell)

• Symbol of Marzin (Level 63 symbol spell).

Note that the Shield buff (Bulwark) is gained at the same level as the Virtue-like buff (Guidance).

So, if a Level 65 Paladin buffs him/herself with Bulwark of Faith and Symbol of Marzin, they burn 700 Mana for 81 Minutes of 37 AC and 63 minutes of 700 HP.

Or, they can simply cast Guidance, and burn 750 mana for 54 AC (17 better) and 1,100 HP (400 better) for 60 minutes (loose 3 minutes on HP and 21 minutes on AC).

A very clear example of how a Paladin is given spells that are flat out useless and undesirable for his/her current level. You can even go down (or up) levels and find the same situation with different versions of the same spells.

What's the answer? I think the answer is simple and there are one of two simple choices:

• Simply let them stack (Virtue lines with the symbol/shield lines);

• Or, revamp the levels on the spells so that the virtue line is better than the lower Symbol/Shield combo, but not better than a higher level Symbol/Shield combo!

UPDATE: Sony did make some corrections (or more likely, an oversight) as suggested  above, with the OoW spells (Direction will stack with symbol and shield buffs).

There should be multiple epics for each class, depending upon abilities.

Example, perhaps pursue an Epic for each fighting skill (One Hand Slash, Two Hand Slash, One Hand Blunt, Two Hand Blunt, Piercing, Bash, Hand to Hand...).

There could even be epic spells and epic armor.

In short, create multiple epics for each class, for various fighting skills.

To allow for future expansions/Levels, these can be "upgraded" like spells, with Rank 2 and so on.

Perhaps Linguist can be added to the game and will "sell" lessons for each point of ability (becoming more and more costly with each level)... like the Class Guild Trainers do. Or just add them to the Class Trainers (if folks are out of Training Points, they will have to learn it from other players).

It only makes sense that if any EQ race has a language, that other races would eventually learn that language. Other languages clearly exist outside the 26 Player-known languages. Legitimatize these other languages and allow players to learn them as well.

Players can now deactivate tribute without having to go back to a Tribute NPC... but that is not what was suggested here.

Once you activate Tribute, it keeps going until you deactivate it.

Further, if you deactivate it, you loose any time remaining in the current countdown.

The idea here is simple, reasonable and logical....

Simply allow players to deactivate tribute AND allow the remaining time to countdown to zero. The player "pre-paid" for the tribute... they should get benefit of the full 10-minutes.

Also, allow players to choose if they want Tribute to run for just one (1) cycle and stop... or to keep cycling until deactivated (by use of a check box or menu in the tribute window).

Otherwise, the item can't be sold to a merchant, it isn't needed by the player (taking up bag space) and there is no other option but to destroy it or maybe give to a pet for jollies.

Rather than force players to destroy nice items, allow such items to be tributed! Even it is limited it to Guild tribute! This will provide an avenue for Guilds to keep tribute up, by allowing it's members a no-brainer option.... destroy it or guild tribute it for some benefit!

Possible formula for Tribute Value? One (1) per stat/rating (to include AC, damage, resists, stats, effects levels...)!

UPDATE: This has been allowed, somewhat, with the OoW expansion. Attunable items and some of the No Trade items are tributable. However, this is for OoW items only and even then, not all of them will tribute. Even those that will, will only Guild Tribute. At the 2006 Fan Fair, it was made clear by the Dev's that this is a bug, as they did not intend for any No Trade items to tribute. This is one bug I hope they don't fix, or see it the players way and allow it.

UPDATE: With the SoF expansion, Cultural gear (attunable or No Trade, is now tributable, but not for significant amounts).

It also appears that a number other items (re: spells, charms...) had their no-drop (no trade) status removed, as well. So, this did address the suggestion made here, originally... in a small way.

There are a great many items in the game that are No Trade... and such status is non-sensical in present day EQ.

Supposedly, this has to do with the game economy. However, we have often seen Sony make changes because of situations affecting the game economy. Yet at the same time, we see them make changes that clearly contradict that same logic (re: DoN Crystals, LDoN Points, four-types of TBS Coin...). High end players will tell you that Platinum is no longer that important to them, because "No Trade is where it is at!" -- making Platinum nearly useless.

It isn't clear what standards are used to merit an item being No Trade, but there should be a more clear sensible system as to what items truly merit a No Trade status. One clear qualifier, to me, is if the item exists only as a quest/task/mission item. If so, clearly it should be No Trade.

This is not to say that if an item happens to be used in a quest that it must be No Trade, by any means. This only applies if it's sole purpose is task/quest related.

No Trade should include high end drops (weapons, armor, etc.), off of high-end MOB's in high-end zones ("true" raid MOB's... this qualification would no longer include pre-PoP, non-fabled "raid" MOB's). To remove the No Trade status otherwise, would cause significant issues in raid situations (re: loot rolls/awarding).

Unique LDoN/DoN/TBS Merchant items HAVE to be No Drop, simply because of the purchase system. If they were not, these systems would not work.

Beyond that, I have a hard time seeing anything being No Trade with any semblance of common sense.

So, the base suggestion here is to have the No Trade status removed (or at least, make them Attunable) on all items unless...:

• ... it is solely a quest/task/mission-only item;

• ... it is a post-PoP or a Fabled raid-drop item;

• ... it is found only via an LDoN/DoN/TBS/SoF Specialty (Faction) Merchants.

Yet, at the same time, they are not given a line of spells to match. Even worse, they aren't given undead spells that are even as good as Cleric undead spells, who are presented primarily as healers.

As a random example, take the spell Dismiss Undead. Clerics get this spell at Level 24. A Paladin does not get this same spell until a  full 25 (TWENTY FIVE!!) levels later, at Level 49!

What is up with that?

If anything, it should be the other way around. This is like a Paladin getting Aegolism 20 levels before a Cleric does. Think about it!

If Paladin's are holy warriors with an specialty in killing the undead -- then allow them that specialty! It is simply a no-brainer that Paladin undead spells should be BETTER at ALL LEVELS than that of a Cleric!

UPDATE (example): DoD introduced a new Paladin Undead Spell called Last Rites. It is the first ever Paladin spell with a snare component and is very fast casting, however, it still only does 1.2K Damage and only has a "chance" to snare. Clerics, on the other hand, got a 1.6K DD undead spell with the same expansion! ... /sigh

When it comes to Area of Effect spells/discs... only the Paladin does not get any form of an AoE!

Paladin's should have an effective and useful AoE DD to undead.

Example, Cleric's get The Unspoken Word, an 805 HP AoE DD to undead at Level 59.

Secondly, stuns are the current Paladin aggro specialty. If so, then give them that specialty, for real! Even better, make it effective and useful! How? Give Paladin's AoE stuns! Clerics get an AoE stun, after all!

Lastly, Paladin's are part Cleric, but they can't heal anywhere near as good as Clerics, Shamans, Druids and maybe one or two other classes of equal or lesser levels!

As a melee type class, they can't sit back, meditate and watch health, or send a pet in and watch health. Thus, the "wave" heals are nice stop-gap means that are most useful to give a Cleric (or other healer) that extra little bit of time for saving players with real (read that effective) heals. Thus, it would be just as useful if Paladins got an AoE wave type heal (especially useful in raids). They can stay on target and heal the masses as well, serving in both their hybrid areas... as melee and healer.

In closing, Paladin's have no AoE despite their role as a hybrid healer, a specialist in killing undead and the requirement to maintain aggro with stuns (as opposed to their nerfed taunt). Therefore, they should have AoE spells, at doing AoE DD to undead, stunning the masses. and/or an AoE wave heal.

Add this to the fact that a Paladin is a melee (no pet), their roots seem to break in three seconds or less (a majority of the time with any root), they can't slow (stuns rarely actually stun at higher levels), they can't snare, they can't DoT (no DoT spells), they can't nuke (no nukes)... the end result is that Paladin's do not have the ability to solo like most other classes.

Thus, Paladin's should be given some modicum of slowing MOB's. This can be done with an actual spell, an AA ability... or stuns that actually stun (and stun for the full amount of time they are supposed to)... and/or items/augs that have the clicky or processed (proc) effect of slowing MOB's.

Yes, I know about items like the Anklebreaker, but really... using that for melee? The bandolier makes it easier, but you have to hope it processes relatively fast (and takes hold) or you are losing major DPS (Paladin DPS isn't that good to start with) and character stats.

UPDATE: The Serpent Spine and Faydwer expansions gave Paladin's stuns that actually stun again, but the change is really moot. We still can't stun anything over the max Player Level (80). We were also given an Undead Spell (Last Rites) in DoDH that has a "chance" of snaring an undead MOB, but it is only a rare chance and only to undead.

Languages should be made far, far more important and useful.

What I mean by this is that they should be REQUIRED!

This can accomplished by different means, to include incorporating language into quests and to work in conjunction with faction. I have seen this actually implemented in at least one task/quest, but it isn't required for all of them.

Faction aside, language usage will be a matter of respect (pomp and circumstance), despite your faction.

While faction will still be required, unless you show the proper respect of using the NPC's native language (if there is one players can learn), they will not respond to you in the manner the quest dictates.

With faction, speaking an NPC's native language -- perfectly (100, Master) -- shows a modicum of required respect.

Failing to do this should lower their cooperation by one level of faction, per 20 Levels of ability (re: Warmly becomes kindly at 74 to 99 skill -- so if warmly is required for the task, they will treat you as if you are kindly and the task cannot proceed).

If you speak any language other than the NPC's native language (or "Common," if there is no player-language for the NPC's race) -- faction should drop by two levels.

If you speak a language that is generally aligned opposite of the NPC (re: Speak High Elf to a Dark Elf) -- your faction should drop by 3 levels, potentially making you KoS to that NPC... causing them to suspect you a spy or an enemy in disguise.

Language should become far more significant. Especially with quests (players should HAVE to speak to NPC's in their native languages). Failure to do so and to do so fluently, can and should affect the NPC's cooperation and the ability to obtain and/or progress and/or complete tasks/quests.

Here are some ideas for improvements.

• It should be have a large capacity, at least double that of a player. Players have a potential capacity of 360 items/slots, counting the bank, shared bank and character slots. Thus -- the Guild Bank should have at least 720 slots (it currently has only about 240 slots)!

• We can directly deposit Crystals (DoN) and Doubloons, etc. (TBS) as items, perhaps allow Platinum to be deposited in the same manner? After all, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Copper are the only "No Drop" items that players can actually exchange between one another.

• A means for Guild Members to deposit items into the Guild bank and designate them for another player, immediately. There is all ready a "Deposit" button, so it may be as simple as a "Deposit for Player" button. This will save the Guild Bankers time and trouble and prevent confusion about who items are/were meant for.

• Mobile Casting: Allow you the chance cast successfully, while moving.

• Anchor: Allows you chance to resist knock back or push.

• Self Shrink: Allows you to shrink yourself.

• Self Grow: Allows you to grow yourself.

• Secondary Bind: Allows you to bind at a 2nd (Alternate) Location (this can be a potion instead).

In EQ-like lore, it is common for beings to wear multiple rings on each hand.

It is time to allow two more ring slots!

With so many augmentations in the game now, it is only sensible that this would be an objective pursued by NPC's. Thus, allow players to either tradeskill/craft an additional augmentation to items, or do so via an NPC/Quest.

Obviously this would involve high end tradeskills using rare drops that determine the slot type. Obviously tradeskillers would have a marketable skill with this, but they could not, of course, add the slots to No Trade items (individual players would have to do that themselves).

I would prefer to see that this is allowed via tradeskills, rather than NPC's/Quests.

Players with high Skills could sell their services and players without high skills and No Trade items, would simply have to work on their tradeskills in order to upgrade their such gear.

The "new" items created would carry an addendum to the name like, Redemption (Modification 1).... meaning the Redemption sword with a Slot 1 Modification and so on.

It is time to add more AA's in these areas. Some ideas are:

• Shared Raid/Group Leadership AA: UPDATE: This is not what was suggested, but Serpent Spine added "Mentoring." The idea was to allow another to have the Leadership XP while you are still leader.. it wasn't to sacrifice your own XP and give it to them. Even so, Raid Leadership still can't be mentored.

• Shared Tracking. Allow Raid/Group Members to "share" the tracking ability of a group member. It would essentially allow them to see the tracking window when a group/raid member uses tracking. This would require them to target the player with tracking ability and then use a hot key to view the tracking window.

• Shared Vision. This would allow group/raid members to see through the eyes of any other group/raid member, by use of a Hot Key and targeting the person desired.

• Corpse Recovery. This would allow group/raid members to essentially drag (summon) the corpse of any group/raid member to their current location, despite distance. This will be very useful for "lost" corpses (re: hidden in terrain/walls...). If not, perhaps at least a "Find Corpse" ability, to locate that lost corpse.

• More Levels: Add more levels to the existing categories, that make sense to add levels to. Obviously, why add a level to "Find PC?" But adding levels to the mana and HP LAA on the other hand....

This seriously cramps all ready limited bank space! With the bank not being expanded, how about increasing the number of unclaimed task rewards from five to at least 15?

After all, it is very, very difficult to focus on pursuing specific matters until they are done, as they do require other players helping you or player helping each other. With all the varied pursuits, one simply can not do this!

UPDATE: An NPC was added to the Guild Lobby to "hold on" to such task reward items, until you are ready for them. While it does save big on bank space and reduces the need for more unclaimed task reward space, it only applies to SoD tasks.

Example, how can Sky and Arcstone both be above Freeport? And if they are both floating up there (they are both floating islands), why don't they connect to each other or why can't they be seen from one another?

Why doesn't the Guild Hall connect to Bazaar (where the Barter hall used to connect)?

Is it just me, or are the zone connections in Freeport backwards?

Let the Guild Hall Merchant sell them, please!

And sell them in SOF somewhere, too, please!

Put them on the 10th Vet AA Merchant, please!

However, being that these zones are in the distant past, it does make sense that you would not have access to present-day banked items, in the past. So... how do we add bankers?

Answer... add a "Temporal Banker" to The Void C (and all versions thereafter)!

UPDATE: EQ Player (all access) subscribers are allowed two more characters now, but it still isn't what is being suggested here. 

However, with each expansion, opening zones by merit of level and raid-like gear dropping off groupable/soloable MOB's... the desire to raid is ever dwindling, causing major issues for most guilds. After all, why raid targets for flags that no longer apply? Or for gear that is no longer desirable?

Why allow all such advantages to the "lesser" players while offering no advantage to the more loyal, accomplished, long-time players?

I think the answer is a new quest NPC who awards players with an increasingly better item for each properly completed progression (no alternate access, no merit of level... PROPER access).

The problem with the reward items that are all ready associated with such progression, they are very, very obsolete (undesirable) and/or very quickly become obsolete. They should be permanently retainable.

My idea, originally was an involved NPC/Task/Quest process for an ever progressing new item ina  new slot (like a Military Honors Ribbon bar). However, I have since refined the idea.

DoN progression is AA related and that now seems the better way to go.

So, the idea is this... create an NPC. A very big deity-like NPC who will sit on the throne in the Guild Lobby. He will be the focal point for awarding AA's for proper progression and progression related items.

For each progression or progression related item properly completed, the Deity will reward an AA (Special AA Category). These AA's will be awarded based on proper flags, fully completed items handed in, properly obtained keys handed in and similar.

The Deity will give a task for each "progression" related matter, where the steps are to "accomplish" or "obtain" and similar (meaning you don't have to have th task first, as handing in times or having flags gains you the updates). The final step will be to speak with the NPC and gain your AA reward.

The AA's will award, generally speaking... universal access to related zones (expansion) (re: keys... even keys that didn't show on your key ring originally), the stats from fully completed and handed in items (totem, wayfarer aug, monocle....) and so forth.

With DoN, the progression is all ready AA awarded... so it would not be included.

The end result is:

• Long time, loyal, accomplished players are rewarded and the lesser part-time short-time players can opt to play the game at a higher level, or stay at the lower level (access by merit of level, will-ins, alternate access...) and never benefit by the AA's awarded from this NPC. This is essential! This should only ever be for proper progression!
• Raiding becomes far more desirable!
• Older content is "new" again, as it is required to gain these AA's!
• People who have always wanted to do the content, will again find the chance to do it!

To gain these AA's requires a host of raids, so to suggest this is overpowered is ridiculous! It is multi-multi-raid earned!

UPDATE: I hear via the grapevine, that this type of idea was given some consideration by the Devs. However, I also hear that all but one of them was adamantly against it!

The Serpent Spine expansion first allowed this, and then some!

Suggestion was that Paladins should at least get a modicum of this ability (25).

The Serpent Spine expansion first allowed this, and then some!

Druid AA Skill to port a single target (banish), much like Translocate.

UPDATE: As of the TSS expansion, some Druid Ports allow just this.

OoW allowed you to "improve" Augs, so to speak (cutting them, like the "radiant" augs).

The DoN expansion further took this step with the Cultural Armor quests. However, the Augs (Symbols) you can make are very limited in scope (Slot 11 only).

The DoDH expansion then allowed Slot 12 Augs to be crafted by players, but again, this is actually just "improving"an Aug that you loot (Last Blood, etc.).

The SoF expansion revamped Jewelry Making and allowed you to cut "uncut" gems into a type of aug (again, just "improving," not making).

So, how about allowing players to actually craft augmentations, via a new Tradeskill (Gemcrafting)... which would include transferring many or most of the current Aug combines to this new skill, from Tailoring, Smithing, Tinkering, Jewelry Making and such. After all, it is non-sensical that these items are being made with such a wide-span of skills that one would not normally associate with Aug-making.

UPDATE: A patch added new Aug Merchants called, oddly enough... Gemcrafters (they sell Augs), but they did not add a new skill.

• Fizzle Proof: Reduce chances you will fizzle. UPDATE: Success! "Mastery of the Past" AA was added with the July 2007 Patch and upgraded with the SOF expansion!

• Environmental Indifference: No more sinking, bobbing, swimming -- you run/walk/fight as normal as if you were on the ground, even while underwater or levitating (this should be a significant lag reducer). UPDATE: this change was made without AA, with a patch in 2008. They simply removed the bobbing effect from all forms of levitation.

One has to travel to PoK, Ak'Anon, their Home Town or the Guild Lobby to access a bank!

Put a banker or two in SoF!

UPDATE: Success! A Banker was added in Dragonscale!

There are tasks for tasks! Tasks for faction! Tasks for rewards! Tasks for progression! Tasks for coin! Tasks for experience! Special tasks for special events (like Halloween)!

How about doubling the number of tasks a player can have at the same time?

After all, it is very, very difficult to focus on pursuing specific matters until they are done, as they do require other players helping you or player helping each other. With all the varied pursuits, one simply can not do this!

It is a true disservice to have to drop partially completed tasks in order to pursue other tasks, when you get a chance to do them!

UPDATE: Active task limits were upgraded from 19 to 29 with a patch in 2008.

Casters may have items to cast mana free buffs or summon items with.

Melee certainly have several fighting skills (bash, ranged, slash, blunt, peirce, hand to hand...) and/or special weapons (bow, throwing...).

Allow at least 10 (ten) Bandolier slots (even if by way of AA) so players can set-up and access more weapon/item combinations.

UPDATE: Serpent Spine gave us an AA Ability to open up a 5th slot, but we still need more than that.

UPDATE: SoF gave us an AA Ability to open up a 6th slot, but we still need more than that.

UPDATE: While this isn't what was suggested, Tutorial Spells are now sold by Merchants in Crescent Reach.

The suggestion was to bring back Kerafym!

While not exactly what was suggested, the Faydwer expansion did just this! Success!

Why would you want to wear a gimp item just to have the extra potion slot?

Allow a quest or give us an AA that allows us to access all of the bag slots.

UPDATE: Serpent Spine gave us an AA Ability to open up the 3rd slot, but the 4th one still isn't there.

UPDATE: The SoF expansion allowed an AA to open up yet another (4th) potion bag slot, but there are now five slots!

Such items are of no (zero) player demand (they will not sell on player market).

Further, many such items will not tribute and will not sell to merchants, either (re: Cultural).

Other items will merchant sell or tribute, but often sell at ridiculously low prices.

This really makes tradeskilling very, very costly and unnecessarily so.

Making one work for skill-ups is one thing, but to make them highly cost prohibitive is another.

UPDATE: It appears some crafted items that were once non-tributable, are now tributable (like Othmir Fur items)

UPDATE: The SoF expansion made cultural gear tributable, but not for significant amounts!

Sony has implemented these higher levels in multiple expansions.

However, they did not implement them as suggested.

They simply allowed the levels.

My suggestion was to allow the levels only via Alternate Advancement progression.

However, with the revamp of the Alternate Advancement categories, this suggestion has been rendered inapplicable (it was based on completion of certain tiers).

However, that is not what this original suggestion was about.

Even worse, they seem to have "blanket" awarded titles (that had previously been limited to certain classes and certain AA expenditures) to everyone... or so it appears.

However, with the revision of Alternate Advancement Abilities, this suggestion has been pretty much rendered inapplicable.

The problem was that titles were awarded inconsistently and for reasons unknown and unclear.

How about shiny and new!

Perhaps a high-end tradeskiller GM reward bag.

UPDATE: GM's have commented that they have considered this, but they say game mechanics will simply not allow it. 

At the very least, why don't any of them port back to the Magus in the Guild Lobby?

Then Serpent Spine introduced the progressive Rank II and Rank III spells.

More recently, Secrets of Faydwer introduced "Ability" scrolls that when scribe/memorized, give an AA ability to cast a certain spell, via a Hot Key.

However, none of these are what I intended.

I meant an actual spell that requires you are a certain Level with a certain number (or type and/or tier) of AA expended in order to memorize and cast it (via spell book and spell gem... not a hot key).

Paladins have only a 90% Rez ability. Clerics have a 96% ability and Necro's have 93%.

To be clear, the "Level" requirements for the spell (like the 96% rez) would say, "Level 80, Combat Medic 5."

Thus, there would be a merchant that sells "rare spells" (perhaps stick with the "ancient" spell tradition) and a Paladin (and others) could then buy, mem and use that spell once he/she met all requirements (example... Level 75, 500 AA, Combat Medic 5 to use a spell called ANCIENT RESURRECTION).

These spells (or disciplines), however, would be limited in nature as to what classes can use them. They should be of a type that are related to their current spells/discs all ready. Example, a rez is all ready a Paladin spell.