Tips and Guides

This area is for playing tips and guides. See also User Interface for many useful tips.

Improving your computer EQ experience
How to get your computer to run EQ better and get better frame rates.
 * Running EQ Better (computer)
 * EQ Graphic Display Settings 101 - What the various game graphics settings mean and how to help the game run faster.
 * Graphics and performance settings guide - This is a guide to the settings in EQ in order to improve performance of the game software. Understand what the choices mean, reduce the lagging and increase your framerate!

However, EQ's engine is mostly single threaded (so doesn't take advantage of multiple cores) and is very CPU bound in cases where there are lots of players on screen, so unfortunately your GPU is mostly sitting there idle.

There is really no benefit to running with these [Vertex and Pixel Shaders] off on any video card made in the last 3 or 4 years.

Food and drink consumption
Note that various factors adjust these rates. AAs may be purchased to lower consumption. Several races may consume more than the standard rate. If you are on a mount, your mount will also consume them, greatly increasing your consumption. The AAs which lower consumption seem to also lower your mount's consumption.

Foodstuffs
 * Snack = consumed 1 per 15 minutes
 * Meal = consumed 1 per 30 minutes
 * Hearty meal = consumed 1 per 1 hour
 * Banquet = consumed 1 per 2 hours

Drinks
 * Whistle Wetter = consumed 1 per 15 minutes
 * Drink = consumed 1 per 30 minutes
 * Flowing Drink = consumed 1 per 1 hour
 * Refreshing Drink = consumed 1 per 2 hours

Character statistics
Filatal said: "Charisma affects resists against Mez, Lull, Charm. Outside of a dev coming in and saying they have changed things, this is a fact and can not be assailed. Now, the cap is so low and so easily passed that in today's game it is relatively pointless to gear for Charisma. Lowering magic resists will still give you better bang for your buck on these spells."
 * Strength (STR): Determines how much you can carry, influences maximum and average damage, influences how quickly you learn many offensive skills
 * Stamina (STA): Affects how many hit points you have, how long you can hold your breath.
 * Agility (AGI): Affects how quickly you can learn some defensive skills, as well as how difficult it is to hit you.
 * Dexterity (DEX): How quickly you learn weapon skills, how often weapon will proc, how quickly you learn rogue skills, how hard you hit with bows.
 * Wisdom (WIS): Affects the amount of mana possessed by the priest classes, rangers, and paladins, also affects how quickly you can learn many skills if your wisdom is higher than your INT.
 * Intelligence (INT): Directly affects how quickly you can learn most skills, affects the amount of mana for bards and all pure casters, as well as shadow knights.
 * Charisma (CHA): Affects the amount you will be paid for goods by NPC merchants, and how much they will pay you, affects the saving throw on certain bard and enchanter spells (charms in particular).

This is an extremely accurate statement for the high level game. CHA currently affects:


 * how much merchants will charge you
 * bard fizzle chance
 * Chance of an NPC aggro'ing you when you cast pacify
 * Chance for SPA 63 to successfully blur your target
 * Chance for DI spells to heal for their full amount
 * Chance for SPA 22, 31, 34, 63 to be resisted, you hit this cap at 200 CHA
 * Note SPA 3, 20, 22, 99 have a minimum 5% chance of breaking every tick regardless of how much CHA you have. (only 22 gets a CHA bonus)

Edit: If you have 342 or greater CHA you have capped your bonus chance to all of the above.

The HP you get from 1 point of STA depends on your class and level. If you have over 255 STA you get 50% of the value (i.e. consider 256 STA to be 255.5 STA, or 300 STA to be 277.5 STA).

A level 1 WAR gets 8.3% of their STA as HP.

A level 1 MNK gets 7.1% of their STA as HP.

A level 1 WIZ gets 6.7% of their STA as HP.

A level 50 WAR gets 500% of their STA as HP.

A level 50 MNK gets 425% of their STA as HP.

A level 50 WIZ gets 400% of their STA as HP.

At max level these percentages basically double. Ranking between classes varies by level.

After that we add % HP buffs, + HP buffs.

Then we get a HSTA bonus (HSTA * 10).

Heroic statistics
Note: Numbers are based on various sources that may be incorrect.
 * Secrets of Faydwer Game Update Highlights! - Official introduction to Heroic statistics.
 * Heroic Strength: Increases endurance pool, endurance regen, and the maximum amount of endurance regen a character can have. Also increases damage done by melee attacks and improves the bonus granted to armor class while using a shield.
 * 10 Heroic STR increases melee damage by 1 point.
 * Heroic Stamina: Increases hit point pool, hit point regen, and the maximum amount of hit point regen a character can have. Also increases endurance pool, endurance regen, and the maximum amount of endurance regen a character can have.
 * Heroic Agility: Increases endurance pool, endurance regen, and the maximum amount of endurance regen a character can have. Also increases the chance to dodge an attack, grants a bonus to defense skill, and reduces falling damage.
 * Every 25 = +0.1% chance to dodge.
 * Heroic Dexterity: Increases endurance pool, endurance regen, and the maximum amount of endurance regen a character can have. Also increases damage done by ranged attacks, improves chance to successfully assassinate or headshot, and improves the chance to riposte, block, and parry incoming attacks.
 * Every 25 = +0.1% chance to riposte.
 * Heroic Wisdom: Increases mana pool, mana regen, and the maximum amount of mana regen a wis-based caster can have.
 * Every 4 points equals +82 mana. Every 25 heroic WIS equals +1 point of mana regeneration.
 * Heroic Intelligence: Increases mana pool, mana regen, and the maximum amount of mana regen an int-based caster can have.
 * Every 4 points equals +82 mana. Every 25 heroic INT equals +1 point of mana regeneration.
 * Heroic Charisma: Improves reaction rolls with some NPCs and increases the amount of faction you gain or lose when faction is adjusted. See Faction > Heroic Charisma.

Units of measurement
EQ uses units to measure things like spell range. While they are given as something like 150', they have no official name.

However, some information was given out in this thread: We say feet around here. Is that accurate? I dunno.

Humans are 6 EQ units tall, so it's pretty darn close to feet.

Resists
The following AAs give you the following chances to resist mob spells: Mystical shielding is 5%, Fervor of the Dark Reign / Sanctity of the Keepers is 2%.

Combat Agility / Combat Stability
From this post by EQ Dev Nodyin.

The figures are the ones entered into the formula for Real AC and Miss evasion.

Let's take ACLimitMod 50

This doesn't mean increasing your mitigation by 50%. It means your softcap multiplier is now 1.50 (mitigation defensives raise the max capacity of the softcap from gear AC).

Combat Agility Values
AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Rank 1 - Evasion 2
 * Rank 2 - Evasion 5
 * Rank 3 - Evasion 10
 * Rank 4 - Evasion 13
 * Rank 5 - Evasion 16
 * Rank 6 - Evasion 19
 * Rank 7 - Evasion 22
 * Rank 8 - Evasion 25
 * Rank 9 - Evasion 26
 * Rank 10 - Evasion 27
 * Rank 11 - Evasion 28
 * Rank 12 - Evasion 30
 * Rank 13 - Evasion 32
 * Rank 14 - Evasion 33
 * Rank 15 - Evasion 34
 * Rank 16 - Evasion 35
 * Rank 17 - Evasion 37
 * Rank 18 - Evasion 39
 * Rank 19 to Rank 33 - Increase by 1 each rank (Evasion 40 to Evasion 54)
 * Rank 34 to Rank 54 - Estimated to increase by 1 each rank (Evasion 55 to Evasion 75)

Combat Stability Values
AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Rank 1 - ACLimitMod 2
 * Rank 2 - ACLimitMod 5
 * Rank 3 - ACLimitMod 10
 * Rank 4 - ACLimitMod 13
 * Rank 5 - ACLimitMod 16
 * Rank 6 - ACLimitMod 19
 * Rank 7 - ACLimitMod 22
 * Rank 8 - ACLimitMod 25
 * Rank 9 - ACLimitMod 27
 * Rank 10 - ACLimitMod 29
 * Rank 11 - ACLimitMod 31
 * Rank 12 - ACLimitMod 33
 * Rank 13 - ACLimitMod 35
 * Rank 14 - ACLimitMod 37
 * Rank 15 - ACLimitMod 39
 * Rank 16 - ACLimitMod 41
 * Rank 17 - ACLimitMod 43
 * Rank 18 - ACLimitMod 45
 * Rank 19 to Rank 33 - Increase by 1 each rank (ACLimitMod 46 to ACLimitMod 60)
 * Rank 34 to Rank 53 - Estimated to increase by 1 each rank (ACLimitMod 60 to ACLimitMod 80)

Keyboard issues
If certain keys don't work in EQ but work fine elsewhere; tildes, apostrophes, quotations, etc., this thread offers suggestions on how to fix it.

Network issues
After a recent network upgrade many people were reporting problems going link dead while zoning and other difficulties. Opening a Windows Command Prompt, entering "ipconfig /flushdns" (without the quotes) and hitting enter, fixed the problem.

Custom map and UI issues

 * How to fix problems with Station Launcher and Vista / Windows 7

Armor of Wisdom
From this post by Nodyin, EQ Designer (12-11-2008): Ok hopefully this works. Here are the raw numbers. Each class *should* work out to 50 AC after running through the Softcap division, which varies by class, so the data varies by class:


 * Warrior
 * NAME AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Armor of Wisdom 1 AC 29
 * Armor of Wisdom 2 AC 58
 * Armor of Wisdom 3 AC 87
 * Armor of Wisdom 4 AC 116
 * Armor of Wisdom 5 AC 145


 * Cleric, Ranger, Monk, Bard
 * NAME AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Armor of Wisdom 1 AC 33
 * Armor of Wisdom 2 AC 66
 * Armor of Wisdom 3 AC 99
 * Armor of Wisdom 4 AC 132
 * Armor of Wisdom 5 AC 165


 * Paladin, Shadow Knight
 * NAME AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Armor of Wisdom 1 AC 31
 * Armor of Wisdom 2 AC 62
 * Armor of Wisdom 3 AC 93
 * Armor of Wisdom 4 AC 124
 * Armor of Wisdom 5 AC 155


 * Druid, Necromancer, Wizard, Enchanter, Mage
 * NAME AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Armor of Wisdom 1 AC 50
 * Armor of Wisdom 2 AC 100
 * Armor of Wisdom 3 AC 150
 * Armor of Wisdom 4 AC 200
 * Armor of Wisdom 5 AC 250


 * Rogue, Shaman, Beastlord, Berserker
 * NAME AFFECTNAME BASE_EFFECT_1
 * Armor of Wisdom 1 AC 40
 * Armor of Wisdom 2 AC 80
 * Armor of Wisdom 3 AC 120
 * Armor of Wisdom 4 AC 160
 * Armor of Wisdom 5 AC 200

Robe illusion trick
Like the look of wearing a robe but your current chest item doesn't have it? Try this trick (you need a chest item with a robe look):

1. Put your robe on.

2. Cast illusion (no armor graphic). (Amulet of Necropotence or similar)

3. Put non-robe chest item on.

4. Click off illusion.

Robe graphic should now remain on until you zone.

The following chest items are reported to have a robe look:


 * Nightmarish Leather Coat
 * Quentin's Outfit

The following robes may be worn by monks:
 * Robe of the Oracle, Crystal Covered Shroud, Robe of Living Fungus, Advisor Robe

All classes may wear robes sold by Master Hunter Jilare (Quests) in Shard's Landing.

Parcel delivery system
The parcel delivery system was added with the Veil of Alaris expansion. Items and money can be sent to other players (or yourself) from certain merchants.


 * When you have a new parcel, an icon will appear in your player window.
 * Players can have a maximum of 50 items in their mailbox. When you go over the limit, your mailbox icon turns red and you are given a warning message that you must reduce the number of items in your mailbox before you log off or else you will lose deliveries.
 * Items are delivered to their target player whether that player is online or offline.
 * Stacks of items may be sent and count as one item in the mailbox, but they may only be retrieved as one stack (you can't split stacks from the mailbox).

Parcel Merchants:

One (or more) can also be placed inside player housing zone (Neighborhood) Guild Halls.
 * Ak'Anon: Zenrel Ottonoggin
 * Bazaar: Sylisa Cogsworthy, Gaelsori Heriseron, Ward Federman, Ward Gebson, Ward Laeso, Ward Lillie, Ward Prister, Ward Pungill, Ward Taler, Ward Toft
 * Butcherblock: Karoline
 * Cabilis East: Klok Faziz
 * Commonlands: Nablea
 * Crescent Reach: Merchant Rehema, Sentry Sudi
 * Everfrost: Joff
 * Freeport East: Lindie Rains
 * Grobb: Grallvek
 * Guild Hall: Yenny Werlikanin (General Supplies)
 * Kaladim North: Guard Kanuf
 * Karana North: Leitia
 * Neriak - Commons: Lynsalai T`Nyal
 * Oggok: Klob Pulp, Garu Nokel
 * Paineel: Henly Nictropus
 * Plane of Knowledge: Caden Zharik, Frans Henkal
 * Rivervale: Deputy Fozon, Deputy Heepo
 * Ro North: Wollems
 * Ro South: Lei
 * Surefall Glade: Grathin Nilm
 * Player housing zones: Postmaster Aric Songfairer
 * Player housing locations: Hyredel Swiftstride - quested from Lyric Loresinger in Sunrise Hills; also requires a task from Postmaster Aric Songfairer. Can be placed in personal houses.

All Noble Exchange merchants can now be used to send or receive parcels. These merchants are available in every starting city, the Plane of Knowledge, the Bazaar, and other zones throughout Norrath.

Ammo slot
Stats aren't affected from the ammo slot, but skill modifiers work. This is how trophies have worked for a very long time (yes, they fit in other slots, but they work in the ammo slot also).

Levels in group experience and missions
For reference, the criteria for experience level range is as follows: Characters within 5 levels of the highest level character in the group will always gain experience. Otherwise, characters must be at least 2/3rd of the level of the highest level character in the group to gain experience. The maximum spread is 30. (So, for example, a level 67 would not gain experience with a level 100, even though she is 2/3rds of his level, because the maximum spread is enforced at 30.)

There was also an independent 15 level range cap on most group missions (10 levels on LDoNs). With the release of Hate Rising this was changed so that any group that can share experience should be able to enter the same task in most cases.

Experience modifiers
The following is not confirmed but is believed to be correct.

For a kill - say you get 100 XP:


 * If you're using Lesson of the Devoted then it's 100 XP + 100 (Lesson XP) = 200 XP
 * If it's a double XP weekend then it's 100 XP + 100 (Double XP) = 200 XP
 * If it's a double XP weekend + Lesson then it's 100 XP + 100 (Double XP) + 100 (Lesson XP) = 300 XP

There is, however, a cap of 12.5% max (8 kills per level) experience in level you can get per kill, or no more than 5 AAs. You also can not stack Lesson of the Devoted with an experience potion.

Level 101+ Pre-CotF XP nerf
Once you hit level 101, content released prior to Call of the Forsaken will grant less experience. This includes tasks, rewards, and farming NPCs.

Trivial Loot Code
The below code is no longer correct: Briefly, the Trivial Loot Code works like this: If a character kills an NPC and that NPC does not give them experience, then the Trivial Loot Code takes effect. If any member of a group does not get experience for a kill, the Trivial Loot Code will take effect. The Trivial Loot Code prevents magical, lore and no-drop items from appearing on the corpse. Normal items and coins will appear on the corpse in all cases as usual.

The above Knowledge Base entry is no longer correct. The Trivial Loot Code was changed to requiring the mob to be dark blue or higher.

Saving / Moving EQ

 * The file eqclient.ini stores your keybinds, character model and mount display options, etc. Settings which are account wide and set through the Station LaunchPad options or in-game Options Window.
 * The file UI_charactername_servername.ini stores your UI settings such as the location of windows, window transparencies and fade delay settings, chat channels, autojoin channels, logins and passwords.
 * The file charactername_servername.ini stores your actions window /doabilities, blocked buffs, blocked pet buffs, disciplines, hotbar settings, socials, and /memspellsets.
 * The file AT_default_charactername_servername.ini in the folder userdata stores your audio triggers.
 * The folder AudioTriggers / shared stores the actual .wav files for any audio triggers you may have as defined in AT_default_character_server.ini.
 * The folder uifiles / UI Name is any custom UIs you may have as defined in UI_charactername_servername.ini.
 * The folder userdata contains various files that you should save and copy.

Auto attack
Characters level 10 and under will turn attack off automatically upon targeting a red con mob unless the auto attack is turned back on after it was turned off.

Adding group members and experience
The simple version is that real players [added to the group] give 20% additional experience per mob up to the 5th player. The 6th player doesn't add to the split. Mercs don't add to the bonus and take a full split if they are the 6th player.

Double invisibility
It is possible to have both invisibility and invisibility to undead (IVU) on your character at the same time. To do so you need to have regular invisibility on you first and then have IVU cast on you.

Settings not being saved
If a setting does not stay changed after you leave EQ and come back, a usual suspect is that some files in your EverQuest folder got marked "Read-only" somehow.

Try going to your EverQuest folder while not running EQ and not running LaunchPad, right click on the folder, choose Properties. Then, in Properties, find Attributes: at the bottom of the window. Click the "Read-only (only applies to files in folder)" until the box is empty. Click the Apply button.

A window will open to Confirm Attribute Changes. Make sure "Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files" is chosen. Then click OK. It will apply the attributes. When done, that window will close. Then click OK on the EverQuest Properties box.

Now run EQ and make your changes. Quit EQ, come back, and see if your changes are now saved.

Dodge

 * Post by niente, EQ Developer

Here's how your chance to dodge is calculated:


 * Step1 = HeroicStrikethrough(NPC)
 * Step2 = HeroicAgility / 25
 * Step3 = MIN( Step1, Step2 )
 * Step4 = DodgeSkill + 100
 * Step5 = Step4 + ( DodgeSkill * DodgeSPA ) / 100
 * Step6 = Step5 / 45
 * DodgeChance = Step6 + ( Step2 - Step3 )

Roll a random number between 1 and 100, if it's <= than DodgeChance, we successfully dodge.

DodgeSPA is the sum of SPA 174 (dodge) for AA, items, and spells (buffs).

If you have the following:


 * AA: Item: Myrmidon's Skill XII (21)
 * Item Focus: Improved Dodge VII (70)
 * Spell: Illusion Benefit Neza (10)


 * DodgeSPA = 21 + 10 + 70 = 101

You get only the maximum value between all your AAs + the highest item focus + the highest dodge % buff (they don't stack).

If we assume these values (as an example):


 * HeroicAgility = 1009
 * DodgeSkill = 520
 * HeroicStrikethrough(NPC) = 0

My total dodge chance is:


 * Step1 = 0
 * Step2 = 1009 / 25 = 40
 * Step3 = MIN( 0, 40 ) = 0
 * Step4 = 520 + 100 = 620
 * Step5 = 620 + ( 520 * 101 ) / 100 = 1145
 * Step6 = 1145 / 45 = 25
 * DodgeChance = 25 + ( 40 - 0 ) = 65

What if you fought something with more heroic strikethrough?

HeroicStrikethrough(NPC) = 20


 * Step1 = 20
 * Step2 = 1009 / 25 = 40
 * Step3 = MIN( 20, 40 ) = 20
 * Step4 = 520 + 100 = 620
 * Step5 = 620 + ( 520 * 101 ) / 100 = 1145
 * Step6 = 1145 / 45 = 25
 * DodgeChance = 25 + ( 40 - 20 ) = 45

What if you fought something with even more heroic strikethrough?


 * Step1 = 50
 * Step2 = 1009 / 25 = 40
 * Step3 = MIN( 50, 40 ) = 40
 * Step4 = 520 + 100 = 620
 * Step5 = 620 + ( 520 * 101 ) / 100 = 1145
 * Step6 = 1145 / 45 = 25
 * DodgeChance = 25 + ( 40 - 40 ) = 25

If an NPC's Heroic Strikethrough is higher than your character's Heroic Agility bonus, you are disqualified from the "bonus" you would have gotten at the end.

Universal Chat Service connection fix
From this Daybreak forum thread:

On your Router or firewall change the UDP Connection Inactivity Timeout value to 60 seconds. (On outbound UDP connections)

Common issue with your using sonicwall or firebox.

Falling damage
...[to reduce falling damage] look down as you fall. It's an old issue with falling and lag from rendering objects causing you to take max fall damage and it can be bypassed by simply looking at the ground to reduce the number of objects you have to render as you're falling.

Hit/Miss and Accuracy
Accuracy debuffs are part of the hit/miss calculation, which is first.

hit/miss

riposte > heroic strikethrough (dex)

block > heroic strikethrough (dex)

parry > heroic strikethrough (dex)

dodge > heroic strikethrough (agi)

shield block

staff block

regular strikethrough