Progression Server - Is it technically possible?

First of all I want to state something very clearly: this is not a debate about the state of the game or how it compares to what the game used to be. This is just a discussion about the possibility of a progression server and why it might be a good thing to implement.

As I stated, the game is not better or worse than it was when it first came out, but it certainly has changed a lot. A person who hasn't played in a few years can really get lost in all the changes. Some people may like all the new stuff, some people may find themselves disappointed that the game isn't the same as they remember. With all these changes, it isn't hard to believe that there are some people out there who want to play a game the way it used to be rather than the way it is now. I think there is a demand for this type of thing (albeit niched), and it has the potential to bring back players who prefer the game the way it was.

With that said, how difficult is it to implement a server with patch 1.0 or 1.xxx whatever along the way? Using Everquest as an example, it appears that it can be done and that there is a demand (niched of course) for this type of thing. It makes me wonder if such a server could be implemented with FFXI, and if there would be a similar group of players who would be willing to play on such a server.

I know that square enix hasn't really shown any overt interest in such a server, but I think it is something worth considering. I kind of enjoy the game as it is, and I can see how people who have continued to play it would rather it stay the way it is. However, having played on Uthgard (a popular Dark Age of Camelot classic server) it makes me think that there is a renewed demand for "old school" MMOs that require grouping for almost every aspect of the game.

So do you think it could be done? What are some of the reasons that they might opt against making a progression server? Would you play on the server or would you prefer to stay where you are?

I like the idea, would never happen but I like it. I would join it as a casual player with a second character just for a way to every now and then go back to my days of exp'ing etc, but I think that's all it will be used for and would be very underpopulated. Would cause a problem because it took hours lfp'ing in the past with a full server let alone with a half filled server, but the idea is nice. It would require a much larger player base, more like WoW's numbers to be viable though unfortunately.

You're right that if there aren't enough people it doesn't work very well. As a comparison though, Uthgard DAoC has about 900 people on at prime time and 300 on off hours and there are exp groups all the time. The leveling systems are very similar (you want exp, guess you probably should group), and therefore groups are fairly plentiful. That is not to say that you won't spend a lot of time LFP (as was the norm), but it can still work with those kinds of numbers. I don't think you could attract that number to multiple servers, but perhaps there is enough demand for one server at least.

Edit: Also note that in DAoC there are 3 factions that cannot group with one another. So take that number and divide it by three. Even with peaks of 300 people per realm, there are plenty of people willing to group on an MMO.

How far back would this server go? Would it be just the original release? Zilart only? Zilart and CoP? I can see some people wanting to play this, but I wonder if more would use it to try and get certain drops with minimal competition, like say if it went back far enough that Lord of Onozo drops K. club instead of octave.

A progression server implies that a server starts at some predetermined patch and go from there, so it doesn't necessarily have to be the beginning, but I think that makes the most sense. The time between patches is up for debate, but it would be either "real time" (it took about a year from the original to zilart so it would take a year for the next patch in the series to go on the server), "accelerated time" (faster than normal, but at a decided rate), or "player voted" (players decide when they are ready for the next patch). This server would not be something you could transfer to or from because it has a different ruleset more or less, so getting gear doesn't matter in terms of bringing it to live servers.

There aren't a lot of things set in stone and it really depends on what the community is looking for. I personally would like it if the game started at the original launch patch and went at an accelerated pace or player voted. I know I wouldn't want to spend forever in the game before zilart, but it would be cool to experience at least for a short time.

I fully support this motion.

might work if said sever was free to play