Project ZEM

What is Project ZEM

Project ZEM is an effort to organize the Project 1999 community into killing a variety of fixed-level mobs, in various zones, repeatedly (50 times?), using a character exactly two levels higher ... and recording exactly how much XP they gained from those (50?) kills.

By collecting that data (and doing a little math), we can then add accurate "ZEMs" (Zone Experience Modifiers) to the wiki.

The Problem

The Zem page shows the modifiers for every zone in Project 1999 ... but unfortunately those values are inaccurate.

I don't know where the values on the wiki come from, and we do not reference those. We do not publish the specific values, as it's part of the mystery and should be discovered by the players how each zone stacks up.

Rogean - 3/25/20

Project 1999 Isn't (Exactly) Classic

In short, while the wiki's values are based on the original EverQuest values, Project 1999's values aren't, and this was done on purpose to make the server feel more classic.

How do we Know the Original EverQuest Values?

Originally (on live) the EverQuest server sent information about a zone's modifier to the client. Programmers were able to watch the internet traffic on a computer playing EverQuest (with a program called ShowEQ), which let them see the "secret" modifier. At least one player saved all of the modifiers for every zone, and those numbers form the basis of every stock EQ Emulator server.

As mentioned, Project 1999 does not use those numbers. Also, Project 1999 does not send the ZEMs to the client (and they also detect and ban anyone using ShowEQ), which means that Project 1999's ZEMs can't be determined the same way Live's was.

The Solution

Since we can't cheat, the only way for the P99 commnunity to determine the game's ZEMs is to repeatedly (at least 50 times?) kill a mob of level ___ in zone A, and then repeatedly kill a mob of the same level in a different zone, and compare how much experience each zone gave. Only at that point you can definitively say "Zone A gives X% (more/less) XP than Zone B".

However, while knowing that Sebilis has a higher (or lower) ZEM than Sol B is useful, what you really want is an objective number (eg. Zone A has a ZEM of 120% that of an average zone). Calculating that will require killing a lot of mobs, of the exact same level, in two different zones, by characters of the exact same level (2 higher than the mob is probably the most convenient). But it will also require coordinating all that killing, so that it overlaps with a single base zone or "Zone Zero" (so that we can express the ZEM in terms of that common zone).

Zone Zero

Right now it looks like (more research is still needed) South Qeynos might be the best Zone Zero. That zone has the following fixed-level mobs (apologies for the messy and unsorted list):

1: (7) ['A Koalindl', 'A Large Rat', 'A Mangy Rat', 'A bat', 'A gnoll pup', 'A snake', 'Tomer Instogle']
2: (4) ['A Fire Beetle', 'A Klicnik Drone', 'Prince Klicnik', 'Princess Klicnik']
4: ['Djerr Darkpaw']
5: (7) ['A beggar (North Qeynos)', 'Guard Aerryn', 'Guard Erabb', 'Guard Liben', 'Guard Simkin', 'Hurrieta Ironforge', 'Lashun Novashine']
6: ['Nixx Darkpaw']
7: (2) ['Kraxz Darkpaw', 'Ziska Ironforge']
8: (2) ['Guard Furithane', 'Guard Obyn']
10: (8) ['Guard Buce', 'Guard Deregan', 'Guard Ginton', 'Guard Hewet', 'Guard Rashik', 'Guard Shorm', 'Guard Vaskif', 'Sabnie Blagard']
11: (3) ['Dren Ironforge', 'Terago Omath', 'Ulia Yovar']
12: (2) ['Jracol Brestiage', 'Rolon Banari']
13: (3) ['Aenia Ghenson', 'Guard Weleth', 'Moodoro Finharn']
14: (2) ['Leanon Ruksey', 'Tubal Weaver']
15: (4) ['Flynn Merrington', 'Guard Drath', 'Guard Sylus', 'Nerissa Clothspinner']
18: (2) ['Faldor Hendrys', 'Svena Ironforge']
20: ['Nax Ghruna']
21: ['Quinon Hulleaf']
23: ['Pelshia Thuxpire']
25: (2) ['Rendallen Ironforge', 'Whysia Flock']
27: ['Shenro Kazpur']
29: ['Brohan Ironforge']
30: (2) ['Enic Ruklin', 'Tyokan Mekase']
34: ['Henlom Visrek']
35: (4) ['Guard Elron', 'Guard Treitan', 'Guard Wefnin', 'Segran Rajhar']
37: ['Ghil Starn']
38: ['Berane Constarg']
42: (2) ['Dranom Ghenson', 'Seta Bakindo']
45: (10) ['Ania Klephia', 'Balhallia', 'Enpero Mesog', 'Gerault Takenmaul', 'Kragie Rolana', 'Ladia Qursii', 'Mellisa Purgor', 'Rodgar the Tall', 'Sneed Galliway', 'Tanlyn Galliway']
47: ['Crow']
50: (6) ['Corporal Lancot', 'Hanns Krieghor', 'Koalindl', 'Lieutenant Dagarok', 'Priest of Discord', 'Umvera Dekash']
60: (2) ['Kane Bayle (NPC)', 'Phin Esrinap']
61: (11) ['Astaed Wemor', 'Camlend Serbold', 'Jaylia the Faithful', 'Knargon Lanenda', 'Nomsoe Jusagta', 'Priestess Caulria', 'Priestess Jahnda', 'Runethar Hamest', 'Suuspa Clanim', 'Togahn Sorast', 'Tonmerk Plorsin']

This means that if South Qeynos is Zone Zero, we can calculate a ZEM relative to it for any a zone that has a mob with a fixed level of 1, 2, 4, 5, ... 42, 47, or 50.

However, since players are curious about the ZEM of high-level dungeons, South Qeynos (despite having a great variety of lower level mobs) might not be the best zone zero. This is why further research is needed.

= What About Zones That Don't Overlap Zone Zero?)

There probably isn't a perfect Zone Zero that overlaps every other zone in the game. However, if Zone A overlaps Zone Zero, and Zone B has a static mob that overlaps with a static mob in Zone A, we can still determine Zone B's ZEM, transitively.

For instance, if Zone A has a ZEM of 120% of Zone Zero, and Zone B has a ZEM that's 120% of Zone A, we would know (through math) that Zone B has a ZEM that's 144% of Zone Zero.

In theory, we can even calculate things across several zones using this approach ... but it requires more work/math (and thus has a great chance of a mistake), which is why picking the best Zone Zero is so important.

What Comes After Zone Zero

Once we find a Zone Zero, we can begin the hard work of collecting ZEM data. Here's how I'd imagine doing that.

Step #1: The Popular Zones

It'd be great to know the ZEM of Surefall Glade, but realistically not a lot of people earn XP there. However, lots of people kill in a zone like Karnor's Castle, so knowing it's ZEM is a lot more useful.

Since it makes sense to start by calculating the popular zones, Step #1 would only focus on the top (10? 20? 25?) zones.

We'd start by finding out how many of them "overlap" with Zone Zero, and then ask volunteers to kill mobs of that level in both zones.

For instance, Karnor's Castle has a level 50 Hangnail, while South Qeynos (if it were Zone Zero) has several level 50's (Corporal Lancot, Hanns Krieghor, Koalindl, etc.). We would ask two volunteers to take level 52 characters to Qeynos/Karnor's and kill Hangnail/Corporal Lancot 50 times, and report back how much experience each gave.

Once we do the math on those numbers we could definitively say what the ZEM of Karnor's Castle is! For the first time ever, the wiki would have an accurate "ZEM" for that zone.

We could then repeat the process for every popular zone that is "one degree of separation" away. For instance, a zone might not have a fixed level 50 mob (or any others that overlap with South Qeynos) ... but it might have a fixed level 44 ... and Karnor's (which we already calculated) does have a level 44 (Skeletal warlord). If we could find two volunteers to kill the 44's in those zones, we could calculate the second zone's ZEM, even though it doesn't overlap Zone Zero.

Step #2: The Less Popular Zones

At this point we should have 50+ kills worth of data from a whole lot of mobs in Zone Zero, and also a bunch of mobs in other popular zones. Now it's time to figure out the "less popular" zones ... but many of these will only require killing a single mob (in the new zone), because we'll already have data for a mob of that level in a zone whose ZEM we know.

This means that even though we'll have a lot more zones to do in step #2, it should actually be easier in many ways.

Step #3: Normalization

If we stopped at step #2 we'd be in great shape, because we'd have an objective number to measure every zone in the game by. However, that number won't be perfect: it will be "relative to South Qeynos" (or whatever Zone Zero is) ... but what players really want is a number relative to the average zone.

Once we have every zone (or even just most of them) it will be easy enough to average their ZEMs, to find the average P99 ZEM. We can then do some math to convert "Zone Zero-relative" ZEMs into true (average-based) ZEMs.

After all that killing (and recording of XP), we can finally pat ourselves on the back, and relish the fact that the wiki now has accurate ZEMs. That is, until ....

What if Rogean and Nilbog Change the ZEM's

There is a very real chance that if this project succeeds, Rogean and Nilbog may decide to shake things up by changing the ZEMs.

First off, this would not be a failure: it would be a victory! The player base is overwhelmingly (judging by Reddit and the Project 1999 forums) in favor of more frequent ZEM changes, which makes sense: it means we get to adventure in fun new places. However, P99's maintainers have been extremely hesitant to change ZEMs (having only done so once since Green's release).

If this project's only impact was to force them to rotate ZEM's, most of the P99 player base would be grateful. But also, even though a ZEM change would impact zones, it wouldn't completely undo all of the above effort.

Most likely, the staff would change the ZEMs of < 20 zones, and they likely will publish which zones changed. This means that (even if Zone Zero is a zone that changes), we won't have to throw everything out ... we'll just need some more volunteers to kill a few static level mobs in a few zones again.