group-vs-solo
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Leaderboard: Yay or nay on NPC mercenaries
I recently returned to EverQuest II, and while I'm fortunate to have an active guild already in place, true newbs may find that grouping prior to the level cap is quite challenging. The game's population is pretty top heavy, and though veteran players do roll a lot of alts (there are 25 classes to choose from!), they typically use power-leveling strategies or NPC mercenaries to solo themselves to max level. For today's Leaderboard, I'd like to focus on these NPC bots, not just in EverQuest II but as an MMO design concept in general. On the one hand, they're clearly a boon to solo players. On the other, they do discourage grouping and could possibly be seen as a detriment to newer players checking out an older game. What do you think? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
