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[General Article] EverQuest Next: EQNext's Time to Shine

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Comments

  • AdokasAdokas Member CommonPosts: 217

    Was there a lot of clashing back then, between SOE and Blizzard? I hardly seem to remember any commercials for EQ...

    But then I wasn't following that strongly. I was deeply immersed in a small game called the Myth of Soma!

  • AyulinAyulin Member Posts: 334
    Originally posted by Ayulin
    Originally posted by observer
    It's too bad we won't see round 2 of Blizz vs. SOE.  Anyone remember the showdown between EQ2 and WoW? 
     

    Not much of a showdown as I recall.

    EQ2 launched with a very old-school approach to MMO design.

    WoW launched about a month later, and proceeded to swiftly sweep the floor with EQ2.

    Smed and co immediately began changing EQ2 to be more like WoW, and has been playing a "me-too" game of "catch up" with Blizzard ever since

  • fiontarfiontar Member UncommonPosts: 3,682

    We know next to nothing about EQNext. We have a little hype from a man and a company that rarely come close to meeting the hype, yet there are some already deciding that EQ Next will be the biggest game since WoW? Really?

    I personally have developed such a low opinion of SOE over the years of continual disappointment that I'm not even ready to accept that  EQ Next will meet even the barest minimums required for a modestly successful MMO.

    In spite of all my bad experiences with SOE and their products, I'm hoping it works out to be a good game. I honestly could care less who the developer or publisher is, I just see so much untapped potential with MMOs and am always hoping for each new release to bring the genre closer to achieving that potential. Forgive me, though, if I'm sceptical that SOE has it in them to produce such a game, let along the new "king of MMOs".

    Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
    image

  • GrymGrym Member UncommonPosts: 301
    This is where I piss a lot of people off.  I played EQ for over 6 years (99-06) and loved it.  However, the soloability of the game sucked at mid to high levels.  When EQ2 came out, I was thrilled, the game was gorgeous, but once again, did not allow for soloability beyond a certain level.  WoW, came out and I played it for 6 months.  I hit max level almost entirely solo.  Unfortunately, I hated the graphics (too cartoonish).  So, with all that being said, if EQnext doesn't allow for increased soloability, they will miss the boat again.  I know tons of folks hate the "dumbing down" of games to cater to solo players, but I honestly believe that is why WoW is so successful.  You don't HAVE to have a group to play.  Will be interesting to see how they approach this aspect.

    (My son speaking to his Japanese Grandmother) " Sorry Obaba, I don't speak Japanese, I only speak human."

  • VidirVidir Member UncommonPosts: 963

    Well this game might be what we all have been waiting for...wait,they will try to make a game everyone loves!

    How is that going to work since many people dont want to be forced to raid several houres every day.

    Will they let you gear up your character solo or in small group? That would kill the game for those 24/7 raider's?

    How will they take care of pvp,most people dont want pvp but those who love pvp seem to get their pvp setup in games all the time.

    We will find out very soon:-)))

  • TelondarielTelondariel Member Posts: 1,001
    Originally posted by Grym
    This is where I piss a lot of people off.  I played EQ for over 6 years (99-06) and loved it.  However, the soloability of the game sucked at mid to high levels.  When EQ2 came out, I was thrilled, the game was gorgeous, but once again, did not allow for soloability beyond a certain level.  WoW, came out and I played it for 6 months.  I hit max level almost entirely solo.  Unfortunately, I hated the graphics (too cartoonish).  So, with all that being said, if EQnext doesn't allow for increased soloability, they will miss the boat again.  I know tons of folks hate the "dumbing down" of games to cater to solo players, but I honestly believe that is why WoW is so successful.  You don't HAVE to have a group to play.  Will be interesting to see how they approach this aspect.

    In EQ I grouped exclusively with my Wizard because that was how the game worked.  You formed a group, found a spot to camp, and stayed there grinding mobs for hours and hours.  When I hit level 50, I discovered that Wizards were only desirable for raiding, as their med time slowed a regular group down. So..I learned to solo, and I discovered that I loved it!  I could AFK for as long and as often as I wanted to, and wander the world at my whim.  I was free.

     

    Now, don't get me wrong, I loved grouping and will occasionally pair up or team up.  Sharing an adventure can be a ton of fun.  I, like you, prefer to explore and quest alone now, and I appreciate the games that allow for all playstyles to be successful.  EQ2 really caters to the casual and solo crowd now, while still maintaining a heavy raid and dungeon scene for the people that enjoy that. 

     

    Considering how much SOE has taken into consideration that not everyone can devote solid blocks of time to grouping for dungeons and raiding, by heavily developing solo-friendly activities and even designing end-game dungeons to be accessible, I have no doubt EQN will follow this trend as well.  There was actually some concern that EQN would be a Dolly-Dress-Up dumbed down crafting and housing extraveganza, but someone made a statement not too long ago saying it would be far from dumbed down.

     

    Really though, its all wait and see.  Two more months, and then the Big Reveal.  As much as I'd love to push Dave into a pool and stomp on his fingers when he reaches the edge, I am keeping my eyes on this game.  I've been involved with Norrath for far too long not to have an interest in how this pans out.

    image
  • bingbongbrosbingbongbros Member UncommonPosts: 689
    Biggest sandbox evar?! How in thee hell will soe pull that off?! Nobody could evar make a better sandbox mmo addict then darkfall and mortal online!!! Lulz

    Playing: Smite, Marvel Heroes
    Played: Nexus:Kingdom of the Winds, Everquest, DAoC, Everquest 2, WoW, Matrix Online, Vangaurd, SWG, DDO, EVE, Fallen Earth, LoTRo, CoX, Champions Online, WAR, Darkfall, Mortal Online, Guild Wars, Rift, Tera, Aion, AoC, Gods and Heroes, DCUO, FF14, TSW, SWTOR, GW2, Wildstar, ESO, ArcheAge
    Waiting On: Nothing. Mmorpg's are dead.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Originally posted by Adokas

    Was there a lot of clashing back then, between SOE and Blizzard? I hardly seem to remember any commercials for EQ...

    But then I wasn't following that strongly. I was deeply immersed in a small game called the Myth of Soma!

    I do remember plenty of them in magazines ands comic books, all of them had had pictures of a certain elvish queen in minimal clothes.

    But then I think those were earlier than Wow. As I remember it EQ was fading already before Wows release, it was after all 5 1/2 years at the time and my gaming buddies had already moved over to other games like SWG and DaoC.

    There were a lot of hope for EQ2 at the time though but it released in so bad shape that Blizzard ate it alive. Maybe not so strange considering the fact that Blizzard had over 5 times the budget for Wow compared to EQ2.

    If SOE makes EQ:N good enough and don't get too greedy with their F2P shop it might actually do better than Titan in the long run but the best game will win and we honestly have close to zero information about either games right now.

  • superconductingsuperconducting Member UncommonPosts: 871
    Originally posted by Theocritus
    I imagine alot of us EQ vets are going to be disappointed with EQ next......I'd be willing to bet its going to be yet another quest driven game with voice acting and cutscenes and crap gameplay....Theres no way this game can live up to the hype.

    Part of the reason they've been so quiet about it is they did not want to artificially create hype long before release.

    I have a strong feeling that the unveiling at SOE live in August will blow people away. They are bottling up the goodness only to unleash it to the masses in one big dose. We already know it will have strong AI component (storybricks) and be the largest sandbox-style MMO. Those are two huge innovations right there.

    Yes it's true that recent MMO letdowns have forced us to be skeptical lately, but I wouldn't be so pessimistic just yet...

    image
  • ITPalgITPalg Member UncommonPosts: 314
    Originally posted by Eberis
    My first comment to MMOrpg(org).com ., * . My profile rank is 40 or so at time of comment . . , . . [+] . EQnext . Alot . of . flaq . about EQ as DemoGraph . rl not violate etc . irl ., uhm . :profileEQau2 give manna thots to human acodt in terms of ideal games not bother with foreign theorys on problem natural planet Earth 02 we live at {irl} ., Norrath ./. Ok the Pantheon of Norrath . , . The * D and D Next equivalent of new producers SOE and Blizzard Entertainment ([ Unreal Engine ]) ., etcetera . What happened to the lackluster pre DemoGraph {(rl)} low grid scrolling forever[T]au * edition.s of Ever,.([for]) casting DM client prob lem Dragon's Housing home office playing and~ s.moking the {mana} on basis of "foreign" effect to . . . scrolling forever ., . or~ finding Everes [!!] .and winning the game ., getting the Next demo .,*. etcetera . First Post on MMOrpg. Maybe the newer design theory on webpage access will load it . Maybe or~ mebi na., qua . etc. THX!! Enjoy playing the Blizzard entertaining forever ({starchild)} loot and ethic . . . unethical ./. so's dishonest gaming . Bye .

    What

    the

    hell?

    twitch.tv/itpaladin
    @ITPalg
    YouTube: ITPalGame

  • XthosXthos Member UncommonPosts: 2,740
    Originally posted by itpaladin
    Originally posted by Eberis
    My first comment to MMOrpg(org).com ., * . My profile rank is 40 or so at time of comment . . , . . [+] . EQnext . Alot . of . flaq . about EQ as DemoGraph . rl not violate etc . irl ., uhm . :profileEQau2 give manna thots to human acodt in terms of ideal games not bother with foreign theorys on problem natural planet Earth 02 we live at {irl} ., Norrath ./. Ok the Pantheon of Norrath . , . The * D and D Next equivalent of new producers SOE and Blizzard Entertainment ([ Unreal Engine ]) ., etcetera . What happened to the lackluster pre DemoGraph {(rl)} low grid scrolling forever[T]au * edition.s of Ever,.([for]) casting DM client prob lem Dragon's Housing home office playing and~ s.moking the {mana} on basis of "foreign" effect to . . . scrolling forever ., . or~ finding Everes [!!] .and winning the game ., getting the Next demo .,*. etcetera . First Post on MMOrpg. Maybe the newer design theory on webpage access will load it . Maybe or~ mebi na., qua . etc. THX!! Enjoy playing the Blizzard entertaining forever ({starchild)} loot and ethic . . . unethical ./. so's dishonest gaming . Bye .

    What

    the

    hell?

    Random post generator gone wild?

  • CothorCothor Member UncommonPosts: 174

    Thank Fucking God.

    Over the last two weeks I've downloaded every major mmorpg title that I didn't already have. I can't take this themepark bullshit anymore. EQ Next and ArcheAge can not come fast enough. Ultima Online sucks and is no longer recognizeable, DarkFall... hehe, its Darkfall.

  • KothosesKothoses Member UncommonPosts: 931
    Originally posted by Fendel84M
    Originally posted by Torvaldr

    I dunno Bill.  On one hand SoE appears to be trying to do things right.  On the other, after my horrible beta experience with Dragon's Prophet, I still see the same old SoE casual disregard for their customers when it comes to squeezing a few extra dollars out of their wallets.  For example look at the recent $50 1 day pony fiasco that the EQ2 team put out or the fact that right before the Dragon's Prophet open beta they dropped the pre-order pack prices by 25% to get more sales thereby basically pooing all over their early supporters.

    I'm watching EQ:N but through a very skeptical lens.  SoE has done some monumentally stupid things and I don't think they've entirely learned their lesson.  Proceed with caution.

    I bought a TV at Wal-Mart the first day they carried it. Then two months later those bastards had a sale and sold it 25% cheaper!

    How dare they crap all over us "early adopters" by offering sales!

    Bad analogy, the game had not even launched when they dropped their price point.  Many online stores have a policy that if the price between pre-order and shipping changes you get charged the lowest of the two (not naming any because I dont want to be classed as a shill).  

     

    What SOE did was in essence to take the money and then before shipping the product drop the price but still take the full price. 

     

    To use your TV analogy, you pre-ordered a TV then two weeks later before your order was even in the store dropped the price.

  • IllyssiaIllyssia Member UncommonPosts: 1,507
    Originally posted by sanshi44
    Originally posted by nerovipus32
    Blizzard will probably just copy what SOE do with everquest next.

    Safe enough bet this will happen more than happy to put all my money on it :P

     

    I think Blizz had Titan project MMO more or less up and running in-house and then scrapped the effort after seeing how the MMO has developed over the past couple of years and the betas that are on the way. That, though, has nothing to do with EQ Next as we haven't seen the game yet.  From Blizz I would expect SCII, DiabloIII and WoW expansions over the next couple of years.

  • Dreamo84Dreamo84 Member UncommonPosts: 3,713
    Originally posted by Kothoses
    Originally posted by Fendel84M
    Originally posted by Torvaldr

    I dunno Bill.  On one hand SoE appears to be trying to do things right.  On the other, after my horrible beta experience with Dragon's Prophet, I still see the same old SoE casual disregard for their customers when it comes to squeezing a few extra dollars out of their wallets.  For example look at the recent $50 1 day pony fiasco that the EQ2 team put out or the fact that right before the Dragon's Prophet open beta they dropped the pre-order pack prices by 25% to get more sales thereby basically pooing all over their early supporters.

    I'm watching EQ:N but through a very skeptical lens.  SoE has done some monumentally stupid things and I don't think they've entirely learned their lesson.  Proceed with caution.

    I bought a TV at Wal-Mart the first day they carried it. Then two months later those bastards had a sale and sold it 25% cheaper!

    How dare they crap all over us "early adopters" by offering sales!

    Bad analogy, the game had not even launched when they dropped their price point.  Many online stores have a policy that if the price between pre-order and shipping changes you get charged the lowest of the two (not naming any because I dont want to be classed as a shill).  

     

    What SOE did was in essence to take the money and then before shipping the product drop the price but still take the full price. 

     

    To use your TV analogy, you pre-ordered a TV then two weeks later before your order was even in the store dropped the price.

    Only if I got to take home a beta version of the TV and use it that whole time too.

    image
  • GroovyFlowerGroovyFlower Member Posts: 1,245

    We all know and experience what have happen in last 10 years so overly excited is bit dumb i say.

    You should temper your excitement and wait indeed untill you have seen it and played it not before.

    Its after aall SOE who have not a spotless record for bringing superb mmo's or games for that matter.

    Future offcorse will tell if its a truely unique sandbox or a a sandbox ala archage in disguise thats more like a sandpark.

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    Originally posted by GroovyFlower

    We all know and experience what have happen in last 10 years so overly excited is bit dumb i say.

    You should temper your excitement and wait indeed untill you have seen it and played it not before.

    Its after aall SOE who have not a spotless record for bringing superb mmo's or games for that matter.

    Future offcorse will tell if its a truely unique sandbox or a a sandbox ala archage in disguise thats more like a sandpark.

    if i had to find a word to describe SOE's releases, i would probably have to use the word, 'unfinished'

    but its hard to get excited anyway, over a game that at the moment is little more than 'vaporware' and while its encouraging to get a few statements about the game, the problem is that its Smedley making them, and thats not what i really consider a reliable source, or at least a consistent one image

    EQNext, believe it when i see it, anything else is little more than smoke and mirrors. image

  • KazaraKazara Member UncommonPosts: 1,086
    Originally posted by Burntvet
    Originally posted by Leiros
    Originally posted by Torvaldr

    I dunno Bill.  On one hand SoE appears to be trying to do things right.  On the other, after my horrible beta experience with Dragon's Prophet, I still see the same old SoE casual disregard for their customers when it comes to squeezing a few extra dollars out of their wallets.  For example look at the recent $50 1 day pony fiasco that the EQ2 team put out or the fact that right before the Dragon's Prophet open beta they dropped the pre-order pack prices by 25% to get more sales thereby basically pooing all over their early supporters.

    I'm watching EQ:N but through a very skeptical lens.  SoE has done some monumentally stupid things and I don't think they've entirely learned their lesson.  Proceed with caution.

    QFT

    *cough* SWG NGE *cough*

     

    How is it that anyone expects anything different from SOE, when it is all the same people still driving the bus? Smed was in charge when customers were tossed over before, at all the various times (and when did SOE alienate YOU as a customer?) and he and his cronies are still in charge. SOE just gaffed a bunch of people on pre-order prices? Not a surprise. I seem to recall Einstein saying the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

    $OE has proven it can develop some amazing sandbox systems. EQNext has a lot of potential,  BUT $OE has also has proven time and time again that its customers are nothing more than mindless wallets to be plucked.  I am reasonably sure the greed of $OE/Smedley will be painfully seen when the monetization model for EQNext is unveiled. Heavy RMT is a disincentive to quality sandbox development, so it is a "wait & see" how EQNext  pans out. "Hope for the best but expect the worst" is my official  stand on this game.

    image

  • ArclanArclan Member UncommonPosts: 1,550


    Originally posted by Kazara
    $OE has proven it can develop some amazing sandbox systems. EQNext has a lot of potential, BUT $OE has also has proven time and time again that its customers are nothing more than mindless wallets to be plucked. I am reasonably sure the greed of $OE/Smedley will be painfully seen when the monetization model for EQNext is unveiled. Heavy RMT is a disincentive to quality sandbox development, so it is a "wait & see" how EQNext pans out. "Hope for the best but expect the worst" is my official stand on this game.


    This amusing dose of reality is probably what we all need at this point. Temper that enthusiasm, people. If the game shines, no one will be celebrating more than I.

    Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
    In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit

  • FoomerangFoomerang Member UncommonPosts: 5,628

    You guys trust this guy with a sandbox? Selective memory I guess.

  • eric_w66eric_w66 Member UncommonPosts: 1,006

    EQ Next coming to PS4 and it's supposedly sandbox?

     

    Yeaaaahhhhhh......

     

    Console players (for the most part) have the attention span of a gnat. I wouldn't be surprised if EQ Next was built like StarFox or SWTOR's space combat. On rails, all the time.

  • RandomCasualtyRandomCasualty Member UncommonPosts: 331
    Originally posted by Tamanous

    Until proven otherwise, games like EQNext is why I think Blizzard rebooted Titan. All Blizzard does is take proven, marketable concepts and make their version of it. Titan was likely based on a mmo model proven to be outdated or unsuccessful in today's market and is now rebooting to copy the latest trend.

     

    If the sandbox direction pays out for other developers then expect Blizzards clone of the genre to be polished and ready to go once all the ground work is already completed by other companies.

    My gut tells me you are right, but also add in the F2P Models that are starting to become popular (not that I'm on board). NWN mmo is probably pulling in wad loads of cash right now, which I'm guessing got Blizzard Exec's attention

    I think next gen consoles may be involved as well, which should be interesting as Blizzard would more than likely need to move to Microsoft with the news of EQN coming to PS4

  • svannsvann Member RarePosts: 2,230
    Originally posted by monarc333
    Bill, when will we see an EQNext forum go up? Or is there one already and I'm just blind (it's happened before)!!

    http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/forum/1448/General-Discussion.html

  • svannsvann Member RarePosts: 2,230
    Originally posted by Taranx
    Originally posted by Tamanous

    Until proven otherwise, games like EQNext is why I think Blizzard rebooted Titan. All Blizzard does is take proven, marketable concepts and make their version of it. Titan was likely based on a mmo model proven to be outdated or unsuccessful in today's market and is now rebooting to copy the latest trend.

     

    If the sandbox direction pays out for other developers then expect Blizzards clone of the genre to be polished and ready to go once all the ground work is already completed by other companies.

    My gut tells me you are right, but also add in the F2P Models that are starting to become popular (not that I'm on board). NWN mmo is probably pulling in wad loads of cash right now, which I'm guessing got Blizzard Exec's attention

     

    NWN has PROBLEMS.  Ill be very surprised if it lasts long enough to be used as an example of how to do it right.

  • rapid1rapid1 Member Posts: 18

    Amazing absolutely amazing I played EQ beta was a guild leader did GM 3 times beta tested ever version from original to Dragons and was the second leader of Rangers of Tunare on Prexus which I took over from Google with Ridien/Ainwen Darkoak (Druid) Talun Darkoak (My Ranger) then flipped to Drunkenn Mastaa and did a Monk to max level back then. It has been a long time since I played EQ although I have logged back in from time to time when they sent me the free week or month memberships. I also did EQ2 but was not as much into that at al, then did the alpha and beta for Vanguard and played that one for years but after about year 2/3 (of live release) it just seemed to stall really. I have tried other stuff but nothing really did it for me fully anyway. Guild wars and Swtor were fun I did beta and play on both of them for quite a while and even have GW2 etc but have never been able to lay roots like I did with EQ which I obviously played for years. I look forward to this and am waiting for more info to come out :)

     

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