Today while I was waiting to be rezed back into Hate I encountered some
shouting in Neriak Forest. It made me wonder to myself as I debated with
the person that was being shouted at, is there really such a thing as Role
playing on a non-PvP server? Is there any role playing left in EQ at all?
My basic arguments to him was that there is a time and place for everything. That here, on a non-PvP server, people did not expect the attitude he had.
Long ago, back when the servers were young there were quite a few Role players. There were people who were 'evil' who wouldn't help 'goods' when they were dying, or 'goods' who would wade into battle, no matter what the odds or risk to self. I recall one evening fighting gnolls in Highpass spending 20 minutes convincing a wood elf that he was far more evil by conventional interpretation than I.
Where has that all gone?
Today if someone, of any race, watches someone else die, they will be sworn at, asked 'wtf was that', accused of being an asshole, etc.
Back in my 1st life when I wandered out of Quenos to an empty land that was West Karana and saw a whole 5 people in the zone, with nothing as far as they eye could see, a vast span of land to be explored, unknown dangers lurking all around me. Someone passed me and we would stop and chat, a break from our adventure. That was role playing. I defy anyone on any server to find a zone with only 5 people in it today. It doesn't happen.
Summary / Solution / Truth
Verant may claim every server is an RPG server, however the simple fact is this is not true.
On a non-PvP server everyone is expected to be kind and peaceful to each other. To get along, be happy, and share and share alike.
On a PvP server, your expected to be insulted, watch those of opposite alignment die at your feet, and often, be the cause of that death.
Now Verant has added the 'play nice policy' which basically means share everything.
Overcrowding, and the plain and simple fact that all this game is about is 'kill, rest, repeat', has beaten any and all aspects of role playing out of the game. If EQ were a sign with the words role playing painted on the side, it's been beaten so much, that the paint has become so chipped and scraped off that the words can't be read anymore. EQ is not role playing, plain and simple. EQ has about as much role playing left in it today as Diablo does. With Overcrowding, and everyone competing to get item x faster than everyone else there is no role playing.
Expand the world, spread out the people, give them time to appreciate the beauty around them, and something to do other than camp item x, the role playing may come back.