EQStratics interview with the devs at E3

[NightGod]

I was lucky enough to grab an appointment and interview with the EQ devs yesterday morning and was able to find out some really neat stuff for the future of EQ.

A few of the highlights include but are not limited to:

- A new dungeon system that will reduce camping, and allow for a single group to have a zone to themselves. With another group who wants the same zone able to do the same simultaneously. Basically, a system where multiple copies of the same zone can be running at any given time to allow the players to have their own experience and camp the mobs that they want without having to wait in line or fight over camps.

- A level 55 cap for the Tier 2 planes after the flagging system is removed, with a level 62 cap for the tier 3 planes.

- An increase of EQ Development Staff to allow for improved live coverage while new expansions are in production.

- There is no "cap of 18" which would cut people off from enjoying the Plane of Time content, as people learn more about what the story line is we will learn more. But we were assured that it is not intended to limit the amount of people who can play in the zone.

- Using the raid system to create a "group" of 7 or more significantly cuts into experience more than typically adding a 7th person would if it were allowed. And thus, the possibility of an increase in group size may be in the future but no guarantees or time frames were given, or even that it would ever happen for sure.

- We also learned about the new SOE Payment plan which for $21.99 a month will give users access to EverQuest, EverQuest 2, EverQuest: Online Adventures, and Planetside.

- Expect the next EverQuest expansion sometime this fall, with the focus on dungeons. We were also told that this expansion will include more zones than ever before. We can expect at least two more supported expansions for EverQuest.



I dunno....sounds like things might actually be turning around...fear does wonderful things, sometimes

[Liz]

There are two expressions that, as of late, seem to tread about in my mind depending on my mood (particularly in relation to eq).

One being... "It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them."

and the second... "To fucking little, to fucking late."

Care to guess which one this sparked?

[Qalar-Drinal]

You can't save a sinking ship with just an empty bucket.

[Fris_Leafshadow]

- A level 55 cap for the Tier 2 planes after the flagging system is removed, with a level 62 cap for the tier 3 planes.

I doubt this, didn't they mention something about opening lower level mobs to the higher level players again?

[grumpinzel]

Actually, the following changes are currently on Test:
Tier 2 require lvl 55, tier 3 require lvl 62, and Tactics does not have the flag removed.

Also, seems pretty easy for them to do the "bubble" dungeon crawling setup considering they've done it with the hedgemaze encounter --- albeit buggily. The last two times we went back to reflag recruits, we ended up having a group in someone else's raid and vice versa.

I'm surprised they didn't think about revamping shit sooner like this, but they probably had their priority on trying to finish PoT or come out with great expansions like LoY. /sarcasm

[Evan Nash]

I don't like the idea of have multiple copies of the same zone. That's just catering to pussies.

Unless there's some magical storyline idea behind it then maybe that's fine, but if not then fuck off with that idea.

[Esmo]

Originally posted by Evan Nash
I don't like the idea of have multiple copies of the same zone. That's just catering to pussies.

Unless there's some magical storyline idea behind it then maybe that's fine, but if not then fuck off with that idea.

Then you'd better remove that WoW image from your tag because that is one of their selling points.

Hypocrite.

[I R Insane]

They're taking a WoW feature(which may or may not work in that game), which was asked directly to Verant years ago and implementing it "Someday"??

Forward thinking went right out their ass when Brad and crew left. This is just an attempt to head off a competitor's features ahead of time in hopes of salvaging a broad subscriber base. Grats to all you that will be sticking around...


I R

[iumanya]

LOL @ Esmo.

[Yayanono]

as people learn more about what the story line is we will learn more

Its *always* the players fault.

[Esmo]

Originally posted by I R Insane
They're taking a WoW feature(which may or may not work in that game), which was asked directly to Verant years ago and implementing it "Someday"??

Much like they've borrowed features from other games and implemented them over the last two years.

SOE is finally realizing that the market is about to become *very* competitive. Up to this point the MMOG's developed and released have been niche games (DAoC is the exception - it was supposed to be wide audience but just did not turn out that way). They have been sitting pretty all this time knowing they had enough to continue to draw people in and keep them in - the latter italicized phrase being the key. The plurality of EQ players dabbled in other MMOG's while playing EQ but few stayed away for long. EQ is designed to cap out now so people will "move on" to EQ2/SWG and PS. What the other development companies are doing is taking advantage of this "endpoint" in EQ to draw those people into their games and away from SOE's new piles of dung.

Why will they succeed this time where others have failed? EQ's draw over the last couple of years has been based on invested time in the game. People just did not want to "start over" on a new game when EQ still had so much content to conquer. Now they have capped the content and people will *have* to start over somewhere - and the other development companies are taking advantage.

btw - with all the talk of WoW don't count out Sigil. They may not be releasing as soon as WoW but B McQ and co. are as talented a group as you will see anywhere. I just wish they hadn't signed on with Micro$oft.

[Tilien]

Originally posted by NightGod
- There is no "cap of 18" which would cut people off from enjoying the Plane of Time content, as people learn more about what the story line is we will learn more. But we were assured that it is not intended to limit the amount of people who can play in the zone.

A customer enters a pet shop.
Customer: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint. (The owner does not respond.)
C: 'Ello, Miss?
Owner: What do you mean "miss"?
C: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!
O: We're closin' for lunch.
C: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.
O: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh... What's wrong with it?
C: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!
O: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.
C: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.
O: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
C: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.
O: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!
C: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you show...(owner hits the cage)
O: There, he moved!
C: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!
O: I never!!
C: Yes, you did!
O: I never, never did anything...
C: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call! (Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)
C: Now that's what I call a dead parrot.
O: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!
C: STUNNED?!?
O: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.
C: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.
O: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.
C: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?
O: The Norwegian Blue prefers kippin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit, squire? Lovely plumage!
C: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.
(pause)
O: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!
C: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!
O: No no! 'E's pining!
C: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!
(pause)
O: Well, I'd better replace it, then.
(he takes a quick peek behind the counter)
O: Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of parrots.
C: I see. I see, I get the picture.
O: I got a slug.

[doharg]

Originally posted by Evan Nash
I don't like the idea of have multiple copies of the same zone. That's just catering to pussies.

Unless there's some magical storyline idea behind it then maybe that's fine, but if not then fuck off with that idea.

Why? Multiple servers mean that there are already multiple copies of the same zone running all the time. While I admit, the ideal would be to have so much content that their would be no need to have multiple copies of a zone running, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day.

[Ainian_HnE]

How the fuck can you "learn more about the storyline" when Plane of TimeA is FULL of non targettable NPC's? Not even ONE NPC is targettable.
It's quite obvious these NPC are supposed to feed you some lore, or information on the plane. Except, well, Timea isn't finished, and they do jack shit, except hang around a particular theme (like the gnomes around the snow, which I guess is supposed to hint at the gnomes discovering Velious?)

Yea, whatever...

[ArkturusMaximus]

The one and only thing that people have to bitch about Time, sofar, is the fact that the first set of trials is buggy and way unbalanced.

But WTF are you all bitching about PoTime A? No one's even gotten past the first set of 5 trials, let alone the second set of 3, let alone the arena looking thing after that, let alone the minor evil deities room, let alone the major evil dieties room, let alone killed the 4 headed dragon yet.

That there is some mystery over the purpose of PoTime A is a good thing, not a bad thing.