Few forewords (to hopefully prevent 20+ "omg l0l n00b ur just jelouz"-tells
and replies):
Yes, I have a couple of boons and I occasionally get invited to (Eq-)parties.
Yes, I know you can succeed in this game without a single boon and yes, you
can compensate boons with eq and SS-levels, life isn't fair, and size doesn't
matter, but...

The biggest balance problem with boons are the boons, that raise some natural
stat(s) (str/dex/wis/int/con/supercha). Those boons create the biggest visible
gap between players. Everyone knows basically, what I am talking about. Just
picture an EQ-party, where we would have a boonless mage (do we even have
those?) and for example a mage with three full boons (wis/int/supercha).

The booned one gets +52 wis, +52 int, not to mention more hpmax (HAIPIES like
to tease 200hpmax mages!), spmax-bonuses from 301, 351 and 401(?) int and more
str/con/dex. To compensate the lack of wis/int, the boonless one takes SS
levels. I don't have SS-calculator here, but +40 to some stat takes ~7 levels,
another +40 7 more levels, let's take some +con and +str too, nice, that is
some more levels. The result is you have "wasted" 20 levels and get 2/3 of the
stats that the guy with a few boons gets. That "wasted" 20 levels equals +lots
of spr, +more spells and skills, +stats from guild levels etc.

I have nothing against the boon system; you donate money, Batmud keeps running
and you get rightly rewarded for your donation. I'm !just! suggesting the
removal of stat-boons or at downtuning them harshly. Maybe more like +10 from
a stat boon. That would still be equal to "maxstat" item. To compensate the
fact, that half of the players would be "donwtuned", maybe guild bonuses/stat
training points per level could be increased, SS-bonuses drastically increased
and the stat-bonus limits lowered. And even if the stat-boons would be
removed, there still would be a whole lot of different and usefull boons left
for any reinc.

I could go on and on about this subject, but I think most of you got the idea.
In the following reply-posts, I would like to see especially lists of positive
and negative outcomes, if the stat-boons were removed/downtuned notably. To
conclude the post, I'll throw around a few random thoughts about the subject:

* +40 stat from a boon equals 7 or 8 free levels and four to five megs of
experience or four equipment slots equipped with best gettable +stat-items. In
balance? I don't think so.

* Removal or downtuning of stat-boons might open doors for newer players to
get into eq-societies some day.

* Would downtuning of boons make you ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE no more? Nah,
there would still be a lot of rocking boons left for basically anyone and if
not enough, how about introducing some new ones...

BRING ON THE FLAMES!