EQ Ragefire PRE Launch Class Survey Results

I haven’t started my adventures on the EQ progression server but wholly expect to this weekend. It is probably a good thing as well due to the slate of problems – the funniest of which, is a full server. For a 1999 game that still requires a subscription. Goes to show the strength of nostalgia.

I am still struggling with class choice – do I do something fully new and have a new adventure? Pick a class I am comfortable with so I don’t have to relearn everything? I enjoy playing most class styles and types but due to limited play times I do not get the benefit of working on several characters. This is why I fully appreciate MMOs that let you have one character and try different roles. Unfortunately, EQ is the furthest thing from that. Also, due to the extra, super slow leveling experience (yes, the extra extra emphasis is necessary) if I am going to have any fun and make any friends in game I am going to have to pick one and just go with it.

While pondering what to play I came across this survey conducted by a community member (totalimmortal) that statistically is +/-5% accurate (~400 respondents) which provides all sort of interesting information categorized in interesting ways. Including class, race, age, playtime, timezones, if they have a significant other and if that significant other supports their EQ progression server participation (I kid you not). Cool graphs and what not follow, taken directly from the link.

I am surprised cleric is so high and same with enchanter – I never recalled the latter being a top class. I wonder how much of these responses are “what I think the server will need/want” versus “what I want”.

Humans playing humans online. How boring! Gamers and their comfort zones. Put a tail on the Half Elf and I bet that shoots near the top. The only surprise for me here is that Erudite is so low, as they are the best magic casting human class and with Enchanter so high as a class choice I expected that to also be reflected. I do suppose that the Monk also impacts the human statistic since monks are human only.

There are a ton of other neat stats there so I encourage you to go visit. Here is my favorite insight though:

With this news, that almost half of the entire interested population is going to leave sometime after TSS, which makes me wonder if they should ever get there. Still, that is 12 (I think?) expansions in. That will take some time to get to. As mentioned prior I love learning about class/race combos and stats and do believe all MMO companies should be forthright with that information. This isn’t post launch information but is still helpful for me to frame my own mind about who will be out in the EverQuest world.

After much thought I know that I will end up soloing a lot, so I need to lean towards a class that can do that well. That makes me lean magician, druid, or enchanter. Bards used to be decent soloists but here is the other problem – I don’t even really remember and updated 1999 information isn’t really a thing. I’ll have to Google Fu. Enchanters are always wanted in groups and I can be a Gnome which I am leaning towards heavily. Of course, I could just roll a Ranger because Wilhelm feels so strongly about them.

In the meantime, bring on the data. Hopefully by the time I figure out a class this weekend the servers will be both online and accessible.