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What SONY needs to do
Billius8
Member Posts: 574
Just a suggestion, but if I were standing in the top guy's shoes and had the approval to make some fairly dramatic decisions, I'd to the following:
Stop any action to expand or improve EQ2, just let it run its course
Take EQ2's graphics engine as a base technology and redesign the original world of Norrath (minus expansions, except include Kunark) Can change the geography a little. Cities should be smaller and part of zone they lie in (to minimize zoning)
Thin out the class system (Paladins, Rogues, Rangers, usual classes are okay; we don't need Swashbucklers, Assassins, 2 types of Cleric, etc)
Thin out the duplicate combat skills (a rogue doesn't need three varieties of sneak attack)
Ditch Heroic Opportunities and slow down combat just a tad
Ditch the shared group death penalty
Keep locked encounters (this actually worked)
Ditch the annoying Hollywood talent and silence NPC's
Shorten the text of NPC's for quests (shouldn't have to click through boxes without reading, to get to point)
NO CITIZENSHIP QUESTS, NO NEWBIE ISLE
Eliminate flashy melee graphics for low level non-magical abilities (no flaming sword animations for low level characters)
Get rid of intanced housing; means nothing. Real housing should give characters a "rested" experience bonus, similar to WOW, with perhaps the nicer the accomodations, the better the bonus.
LIMIT INSTANCED STUFF OF ANY KIND
Reintroduce racial characteristics and racial starting cities
Reintroduce concept of faction, similar to EQLive
Reintroduce arena's and dueling
Simplify crafting system (WOW's is a good example)
Keep characteristics (this was well done)
Allow selling while off-line, have some sort of market, but could have the market specific to its own city (i.e., different cities might have different things for sale by their respective PC populations)
Allow character appearance customization (or re-customization) while logged off
Load the new world with tons and tons and tons of unique content
Launch the new package as EQ3. Anyone with an EQ2 account gets a free download of the game
Let EQ2 die without a rez
Fact is, while the design of EQ2 has failed, the technology and some of its ideas are quite good and salvageable.
Comments
sounds like you need to go back to eq1
Schutzbar - Human Warrior - Windrunner Alliance - World of Warcraft
Nihilanth - Kerra Paladin - Blackburrow - EverQuest II
XBL Gamertag - Eagle15GT
Well, I'm not. And I'm not playing EQ2 either. Hanging out in the ever-tolerable WOW until something like Vanguard or an EQ3 comes out.
Lol every once in a while I check Everquest 3 to see if there is such a site. Would be funny if they are already planning EQ3.
I think it's funny that everything he hates is what makes it my favorite game.
exactly...and see kids, thats why he is NOT in charge.
exactly...and see kids, thats why he is NOT in charge.
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"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
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"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
If you really want EQ2 to be changed this way, what you are saying is you want EQ2 to be WoW with photorealistic graphics. That would be dumb business for Sony. Keep EQ2 more or less the way it is an keep on improving it, and leave WoW for those who like an easier, simpler game. And if Sony wants to release a more mass market oriented action/adventure online game a la WoW next time, that just leaves more room for other game companies to make challending MMOs for the real MMO playerbase.
I'm not the one with the game which is tanking.
Not at all what I'm saying. Look, the old Norrath was a great thing and only needed a face lift (some new mechanics perhaps, streamline this, streamline that, make some changes here and there). What has been dumbed down is EQ2. Instead of many starting cities there are only two. Instead of several major zones, there are few. Instead of racial characteristics, there are none at the start. Instead of being able to choose a final class at level 1, Sony has to hold your hand through 20 levels. Instead simply jumping into the game world and finding out for yourself that "this part of the zone is safe, but avoid the giant in the woods over there", we get the newbie isle. Instead of freedom to wander where you will, it's Citizenship quests to unlock zones.
Gameplay in EQ2 feels like a part in a script; very pathed, very restricted.
My suggestions were not to bash the game; I love Norrath just as much as you might. All my suggestions are for is to present a list of ideas which I think would help bring back Norrath for the 100,000's of fans. I loved old EQ and had hoped that EQ2 would be a revamped version. I was willing to accept some changes (heck, it's supposed to be set 500 years later, game mechanics should be improved, etc), but what they did in EQ2 is just unplayable for me.
In any game there are things you like, things you don't like as much but can live with, and things you just cannot stand. EQ2 had stuff in the last category. While I don't love WOW, there is nothing in WOW that I cannot stand, therefore I can play it. Can't say the same for EQ2.
EQ: Loved, but time to put it to rest
WOW: tolerable game, some fun, never irritates
EQ2: pretty darned annoying game, aspects of the game that grate, needs extreme makeover
I think you need to realize that most of us don't agree with you at all. We like the game as it is, and, frankly, it has been improving fast. If they made your changes, we'd leave
As far as "tanking", I'm afraid that's simply not the case. EQ2 is doing quite well ... was over 300k already when I last saw figures a few weeks ago.
And if you preferred the EQ1 approach, they've been pouring content and changes into that too ... still 400k+ people playing it.
And if you prefer WOW, well .... there's WOW for you
Well, opinions are opinions and we can go round and round all day on this topic, no doubt. But answer me one question: Just how can you like this two-city set-up better than the multiple racial starting cities? (When I first heard they were doing that a couple of years ago, my heart sank, but I figured they would do so many other neat things with the game, that I'd just have to accept it and things would be okay in the gameplay department.)
i agree citys should be made a bit smaller
this is just way too big, im loading more then playing, and thats not something i really enjoy.
they shud make a better filter for recipe's aswell, instead of the only existing filters.
i would also like to see the coordinates your currently at on you map instead of /loc or the compass in top.
but i think SOE will do lot of things in the future to improve this game, it might not have had the best start you can think off, but better a slow start and a great ending then otherwise imo
While I much rathered the seperate cities, I understand the reasons behind the 2 city thing. The game was build around grouping and needing other people around you. While you may be all right if you're a wood elf, you'd be hard pressed to find a full group as a human.
Tradskills are also REALLY dependant on each other. It just makes sense to have the people in one area.
Overall I think you just want an easier game. EQ2 is too complex for you.Not at all looking for an easier game. EQLive was not an easier game than EQ2, yet arguably (in its day) better.
Looking for a game with a living breathing world which I can freely wander about in, with the only limitations being things like physics (cannot climb sheer cliffs, of course) or high-level monsters.
There are people who blindly defend EQ2. They should ask themselves, "Am I defending EQ2 or am I defending EQ2 against being improved?" All of my initial suggestions are about changing the game for the better (even if that means calling the new package EQ3).
I love(d) Norrath; best game world ever designed (better than Middle Earth, perhaps).
I am not defending blindly, your idea of improving the game is mine and most others idea of unimproving.If you want to actually try to improve the game why not make some good ideas? Like how to make it easier to find groups, more ways of transportation, more higher level areas, more armor and weapons, different armor looks on different races, PvP ideas, housing ideas. Those are the things that could actually improve EQ2. By taking away classes, abilities, and other things that you stated would only make the game worse.
We're enjoying ourselves ... you (and a hell of a lot of other people, lol) are just going to have to come to terms with the fact that others don't agree with you and that's no indication that they are blindly defending anything.
Like I said before, if they were to adopt most of your changes, I'd leave. In particular, if they copied WOW's tradeskilling, I'd leave tomorrow
It's just not your game. Accept it. But it is ours.
And I don't know why you're so eager to bury EQ1 either. Hundreds of thousands of people are still enjoying themselses there, so let them
But it seems you've found WOW is something you can enjoy, so by all means do so.
I think those are the two funniest parts of your reply to him. PvP? Keep dreaming. The way EQ2 is now doing any sort of real pvp short of duels would be like a comet hitting the earth. The part about EQ2 becoming too 'complex' for him is probably the funniest thing I've ever heard. EQ2 is dumbed down so far it's not even funny.
In War - Victory.
In Peace - Vigilance.
In Death - Sacrifice.
You dont believe they will implement PvP ever? Lets make a bet shall we?
i really don't get people like you. why does it seem so impossible that they would add PvP? seriously, i want to know. they added pvp in eq1 didnt they? the game is set up perfectly for pvp, its just waiting to be put in.
Schutzbar - Human Warrior - Windrunner Alliance - World of Warcraft
Nihilanth - Kerra Paladin - Blackburrow - EverQuest II
XBL Gamertag - Eagle15GT
so you want EQ 1 with better graphics? They already made that game, go play it. These posts are a dime a dozen, and honestly I can't see where you have that much game experience if this is all you got out of the game. You apparently are a person that has a problem with change. You actually want voice overs to go away? You plan on reading text on your screen all your life? Sorry, It was a very innovative and excellent addition to the game.
Crafting is just fine as it is, if you like WoW's, my suggestion would be to make a crafter in WoW and tradeskill.
Is your attention span that short that you can't handle a few bubbles of text for a quest? Heaven forbid some of us actually like to know WHY we are doing a quest, its real apparent that you don't want to bother with story or motivation, you just someone to point the direct that experience lies to you so you can go get it quickly and easily. Your primary concern is levels. I think that sums up most of your complaints, you don't want to have to be bothered with content.
And thank you for dismissing everyone who LIKES the game the way it is with your comments on "letting EQ 2 just die" so we can all play it how you like it as "EQ 3". The people that like that game are generally playing the game, the ones that don't aren't or shouldn't be so I don't see where you have much of a leg to stand on with EQ 2 dieing anytime soon.
And on a side note, I can't wait for those 2 expansions a year plus adventure packs to boot! I am getting so spoiled in my MMORPG'ing since EQ II came out, its like heaven.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
i really don't get people like you. why does it seem so impossible that they would add PvP? seriously, i want to know. they added pvp in eq1 didnt they? the game is set up perfectly for pvp, its just waiting to be put in.
It's not that I think it's impossible. It's just that if it isn't broke don't fix it. Even though I do not play EQ2 anymore. I think it is fine the way it is. When PvP is added after the fact it usually tosses class balance out the window (see EQ1) or causes already unbalanced class problems to be even more glaring. For PvP to be worth it has to be made for it from the ground up. While having a nice pvp background story is cool. It does nothing for actual gameplay balancing.
In War - Victory.
In Peace - Vigilance.
In Death - Sacrifice.
I have to completely agree with that. PvP in EQ 1 to me made no sense because the classes are group dependant to function fully, using them in a single player versus player enviroment opens up a window for all new issues. Some did it in EQ 1 but I would hardly say it was worthy PvP. I am sure at some point they may add dueling in as they did with EQ 1, but thats about it and thats about all that honestly should be in the game per its design. That would leave the game state as it is and give the people that just want a very mild aspect of PvP in the game satisfied. Adding anything more then that and your asking for a whole other game, and thats what you should be looking for, a whole other game. Not Everquest II.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World