>Back then we had a lot more players and veteran players
>that were used to what was expected and it was slightly easier
>to recover from a full loot back then too.
>
>Explain? IMHO, with the additional areas and solid gear
>available, it's a lot easier to recover from a full loot now
>than it was in the past.

This is in fact the very reason why regearing is harder than it used to be. There are more options. In the old world of cf, maledicting skills were less. You needed damroll or hp. People weren't worried of 'balanced sets'. Darkened eq made you a PK god of future legends. Back then, there weren't as many regear options available, and red dragon + nightwings was golden (still a solid starter). Now, you need to run around checking various limited spots for those few extra str and dex points. This is more time consuming.

Do not get me wrong however, I don't think we should go back. It's much like all this handy modern day equipment that is supposed to save time, when in fact it makes life more hectic. Still doesn't mean I would rather live without them.