Instance lockouts / timers

[Robert_S]

<p>Beware, slightly long post.</p><p>Ok so, I was inside an instance before the servers went down earlier today. I had not seen the message that the servers were going down, so I was about halfway through the instance having fun when suddenly the screen went black. Ok I thought, I guess I'll get back to it after the servers comes back up, and went to do something else.</p><p>After the servers got back up I found myself outside the instance and that I couldn't enter again for 17 hours, this is where I use three exclamation marks in a row >_< Now, I know that this game, instancewise, has had the same system going since release, or at least I think it has, without any major changes.</p><p>I know that this isn't a good example, and goodness forbid if anyone compares anything with World of Warcraft, but in this case, sorry, yes I will... In WoW you get saved to the instance so that you are able to get back in if you so decide that you need to go out of the instance to get something done (and you can have maaany reasons to do just that.) Later you can just return and continue where you left off and clear it, but no bosses inside will respawn until the instance timer has run out.</p><p>While in EQ2, it seems, that if you under any circumstance at all leave the instance, you won't be able to enter again before the lockout timer has expired (that's only for the private / personal instances, I know.)</p><p>I guess people will throw at me many reasons for why the system as it is right now is great and should not get changed and so forth, but I don't find it anything other then annoying to be honest...</p><p>I'd appreciate it if no one felt the need to flame me after reading this and it would be great if a developer saw this post and could provide some informative feedback / thoughts on the matter.</p><p>I enjoy playing EQ2, but like all games, it has it's winning sides and losing sides, that's just how it is.</p><p>Thanks for reading and (hopefully) adding serious comments on the matter.</p>

[Obadiah]

<p>The instance system has changed quite a bit since launch really. Persistent instances were implemented during the EoF expansion and are now the norm. It's generally older instances that have just plain lockouts, which are annoying and always were for reasons similar to what you've described.</p><p>I can't think of any exceptions to the current rule,  honestly. For any RoK or TSO instance, once you enter there is a short timer (30 minutes) during which you are locked to that instance. If the situation below occurrs, you can zone back in and you will be in the same version of the instance you had created. After that 30 minutes you can make a new one. If you kill a named or harvest a shiny or in some cases just kill trash you are locked to that version of the instance for the minimum duration which in TSO is 18 hours. You can come and go as you please for the next 3 days. (1 day, 11 hours IIRC for RoK heroic instances, longer for places like EH and VP.)</p><p>Curious what zone it was.</p>

[Robert_S]

<p>The instance I was inside was Nektropos Castle if that was what you wanted to know. Thanks for the informative post Obadiah. It sucks that they haven't changed it for lower level places aswell then =(</p>

[Banditman]

<p>If you look at your timers page in game, you can see which zones are lockout zones and which are persistent / re-enterable.</p>

[Obadiah]

<p><cite>Robert_S wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>The instance I was inside was Nektropos Castle if that was what you wanted to know. Thanks for the informative post Obadiah. It sucks that they haven't changed it for lower level places aswell then =(</p></blockquote><p>Ah yes, that one hasn't been changed. All the original game zones are still restrictive like that.</p><p>It absoultely does suck. There's no reason those places shouldn't be persistent, particularly since it's so easy to crash and come back stuck outside pounding on the door. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e78feac27fa924c4d0ad6cf5819f3554.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Robert_S]

<p><cite>Kurgan@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Robert_S wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>The instance I was inside was Nektropos Castle if that was what you wanted to know. Thanks for the informative post Obadiah. It sucks that they haven't changed it for lower level places aswell then =(</p></blockquote><p>Ah yes, that one hasn't been changed. All the original game zones are still restrictive like that.</p><p>It absoultely does suck. There's no reason those places shouldn't be persistent, particularly since it's so easy to crash and come back stuck outside pounding on the door. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e78feac27fa924c4d0ad6cf5819f3554.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Yes, exactly... =/ Maybe a developer takes a look at this topic and gets to thinking, one never knows. Positive thoughts I say, positive thoughts... I can't understand that there would be that much work involved to fix something like this.</p>

[Robert_S]

<p>Oh, by the way. Could someone be so kind as to tell me what I need to type to see this lockout timer information? I have tried guessing commands in-game but haven't figured it out and I have also tried searching for it through google but no luck unfortunately, would be nice to know. For any that reply, thanks!</p>

[QuestingCrafter]

<p>I'm not on my normal machine, but I believe it's Alt-Z (for 'zones').</p>

[Lleren]

<p><cite>Robert_S wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Oh, by the way. Could someone be so kind as to tell me what I need to type to see this lockout timer information? I have tried guessing commands in-game but haven't figured it out and I have also tried searching for it through google but no luck unfortunately, would be nice to know. For any that reply, thanks!</p></blockquote><p>Alt and Z for zone reuse timers.  There are two tabs , one for lockout zones and the other for persistant zones.</p><p>The long way is to hit P for persona page, then click the details tab, and the open book map looking icon is for zone reuse timers.</p>