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Originally posted by Foobarx Lets be literal to what you said here, you just want the exact same EQ with better graphics... that means all those quests you know by heart having done time and again are still the same. The bosses you down, die the same way, drop the same loot. The ONLY thing that is different is the graphics. Since you know which classes are OP, how to circumvent the game mechanics, et al, is it really going to be as enjoyable to play as you think it is.
Even something as ridiculous as you say would be better than the game we are getting now, to a lot of people.
But I am pretty sure he is asking for a new game.
To me it would be perfect with the same gameplay ideas, group focused, huge world, multiple starting area, race and faction (reputation) that matters, big dungeons, a real death penalty.
Even the corpse run and the huge time sink on travel add something to the game. Downtime is good for community and immersion.
EQ was more of a virtual world compared to new mmorpg being more like ''games''.
I don't miss the 1 week camp so to me some of those could be instanced as long as you keep a lot of public dungeons.
The original EQ was just such a classic Roleplaying Game. When you look at how MMO's are built now adays, most just dont have that classic Roleplaying feel to them. They try to throw everything at the player too fast, and force-feed this idea that the player is a hero from the very start of the game.
In Classic EQ, a rat could kill you at level 1, you would miss swings, your spells would fizzle, your mana would fluctuate randomly like your magic was reluctant to work properly; you were a mess in other words.
You didnt start off killing a badass monster, you started off as all real hero's do, with merely a will and no way in sight but what random path you walked down.
You would talk to NPC's, read and listen to what they said carefully, and then you would talk back to them. It wasnt much, but if you chose to, you could roleplay your character to the NPC's, they felt alive and they always had something inspiring or intriguing to point out to you.
There wasnt a clear cut level above each enemies head, you would simply "Consider" the enemy, and the game would give you an estimate of what would happen in the fight, almost like a second consciousness in the game saying things like "Well you could try to kill it, but its defiently a gamble". It wasnt a cut and dry system, it wasnt reduced to hard numbers, it was a choice, one that you made not always knowing the complications of your actions, this was a REAL choice.
Then you would finally get proficient at what you were doing, you would start to hit the target more, you magic would grow stronger and more controlled. You'd get a pet maybe, and try to attack a small gnoll camp on your own. You would take a couple of them, and feel a sense of accomplishment when you almost had the fight in your favor, and then it would happen...
A Skeleton would come out of nowhere, just randomly wadering the zone to happen upon you in the midst of the hardest fight of your in game life, and in one strike he would take you down, proving to you that you were not that powerful, not yet, you were going to need help.
In a flash of black you would die and be without all your spells, knowledge, and gear. You would run back to your corpse, gather up all your belongings, relearn your spells, and take some time to learn from your mistakes, or maybe not, but eventually with enough time you would.
You might get a friend to help you next time, or maybe just a stranger, maybe by luck a passerby would buff you with some helpful enchantments, you didnt know, but you knew when you saw another player they were going through or - had gone through - alot of the same experiances of loss and challenge, and that alone made it part of the experiance. Other players werent constantly competing with you, they had enough competition in the world to worry about, and you were just another player in this universe's immense struggle.
This is what EQ was about, and all I want is that same game but with better graphics. A game rich with exploration, conflict, choices, and a sense of danger and philosophy. A game that is more than a show of numbers and who has the better gear, but an authentically immersive experiance.
I preferred Asheron's Call. The questing was better, the loot system was vastly better, the world was larger, You didn't need to spend hours camping the same mobs, you didn't need to group to be successful. And it did all the other things you mentioned as well.
AC was just a much better game, sadly SOE had more money to advertise and it attracted more because of that.
With that said, I feel you. I want a new ASHERON'S CALL with updated graphics. I'd be happy
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
Originally posted by Keatlorien Why can't there be games for nerds anymore?!?! It seems like everything has become mainstream crap and there is nothing left for the true dungeons and dragons losers who started it all.
Why do nerds think they deserve special games? Why do nerds think they deserve special treatment? The only reason games like EQ and UO existed as they did at all was because nerds were the only ones with the computers and broadband connections to play them. That's not the case anymore, therefore nobody caters to the minuscule percentage of nerds out there.
Originally posted by Keatlorien Why can't there be games for nerds anymore?!?! It seems like everything has become mainstream crap and there is nothing left for the true dungeons and dragons losers who started it all.
Why do nerds think they deserve special games? Why do nerds think they deserve special treatment? The only reason games like EQ and UO existed as they did at all was because nerds were the only ones with the computers and broadband connections to play them. That's not the case anymore, therefore nobody caters to the minuscule percentage of nerds out there.
Welcome to reality.
I guess because without nerds there would be no games and nerds seem to be the only ones who really care about games IMO.
The big shots don't want the little guy to make a better product for a fraction of the cost. That's why Pantheon gets shunned and its why there hasn't been a true mmorpg made in years.
The advertising budget for ESO could have been used to make a great old school game, but instead we got a bunch of pretty commercials...
The original EQ was just such a classic Roleplaying Game. When you look at how MMO's are built now adays, most just dont have that classic Roleplaying feel to them. They try to throw everything at the player too fast, and force-feed this idea that the player is a hero from the very start of the game.
In Classic EQ, a rat could kill you at level 1, you would miss swings, your spells would fizzle, your mana would fluctuate randomly like your magic was reluctant to work properly; you were a mess in other words.
You didnt start off killing a badass monster, you started off as all real hero's do, with merely a will and no way in sight but what random path you walked down.
You would talk to NPC's, read and listen to what they said carefully, and then you would talk back to them. It wasnt much, but if you chose to, you could roleplay your character to the NPC's, they felt alive and they always had something inspiring or intriguing to point out to you.
There wasnt a clear cut level above each enemies head, you would simply "Consider" the enemy, and the game would give you an estimate of what would happen in the fight, almost like a second consciousness in the game saying things like "Well you could try to kill it, but its defiently a gamble". It wasnt a cut and dry system, it wasnt reduced to hard numbers, it was a choice, one that you made not always knowing the complications of your actions, this was a REAL choice.
Then you would finally get proficient at what you were doing, you would start to hit the target more, you magic would grow stronger and more controlled. You'd get a pet maybe, and try to attack a small gnoll camp on your own. You would take a couple of them, and feel a sense of accomplishment when you almost had the fight in your favor, and then it would happen...
A Skeleton would come out of nowhere, just randomly wadering the zone to happen upon you in the midst of the hardest fight of your in game life, and in one strike he would take you down, proving to you that you were not that powerful, not yet, you were going to need help.
In a flash of black you would die and be without all your spells, knowledge, and gear. You would run back to your corpse, gather up all your belongings, relearn your spells, and take some time to learn from your mistakes, or maybe not, but eventually with enough time you would.
You might get a friend to help you next time, or maybe just a stranger, maybe by luck a passerby would buff you with some helpful enchantments, you didnt know, but you knew when you saw another player they were going through or - had gone through - alot of the same experiances of loss and challenge, and that alone made it part of the experiance. Other players werent constantly competing with you, they had enough competition in the world to worry about, and you were just another player in this universe's immense struggle.
This is what EQ was about, and all I want is that same game but with better graphics. A game rich with exploration, conflict, choices, and a sense of danger and philosophy. A game that is more than a show of numbers and who has the better gear, but an authentically immersive experiance.
I preferred Asheron's Call. The questing was better, the loot system was vastly better, the world was larger, You didn't need to spend hours camping the same mobs, you didn't need to group to be successful. And it did all the other things you mentioned as well.
AC was just a much better game, sadly SOE had more money to advertise and it attracted more because of that.
With that said, I feel you. I want a new ASHERON'S CALL with updated graphics. I'd be happy
I believe I only played Asheron's Call 2. I can't really speak for AC1, but I didn't like AC2 much. I enjoyed EQ a lot because it had a forgotten realms type setting and was modeled heavily after DnD 2nd edition. There were a lot of other reasons, but I never had to group in EQ. I spent most of my time there solo other then helping people, asking for ports, asking for buffs, and trading with people.
So tired of this discussion. Makes me depressed every time.
For EQ1 to get that challenge and fun feeling back, it needs...
1. Return the corpse runs, unless, you know a high level necromancer.
2. Delete ALL mercenaries, they kill the need to grouping up.
3. Delete all teleportation stones, books, altars etc etc. Make Druids and Wizards and boats (oh my) useful again.
4. Sure, update the graphics to the standard of today.
5. Can't think of anything else atm. I am forgetting something though, I know it.
Anyways, we will not see a game with these features ever again... Why? The answer is easy. All the companies making games are catering to the ones that want easy mode, fast levelling to max level and no harsh penalties if you die. That's where the money is. All businesses want to make money and not barely scrape by, making games for people like myself who desire nothing more than a challenge in life and socializing with others in a game like it used to be, back in the day.
I'm sorry, this is just the way it is and the way the future will remain as. Tough, I know.
Actually been pondering just loading up EQ as it is and playing it. I just miss being in Highpass Keep with my half-elf rogue pick pocketing goblin ears. Then lying to the group.. "I don't even have Pick Pocket slotted on my action bar." Which I had 2 guildies in my house and they'd check.
Little did they know I had pick pocket macroed to activate literally every time I pressed forward or backward...
I still sub to EQ (SOE All Access now) and play nearly daily. If they were to take the game and update the graphics and animations to today's standards, I'd have no problem dropping a pretty penny on that. Unfortunately, I think the things in EQ1 that still make it an awesome game would get lost in translation.
This problem is part of a larger issue with the internet and the consolidation of media in general. The little guy gets squashed for having the temerity to even think about developing a product for a niche audience.
The latest ruling by the FCC is going to make things even worse of people don't successfully contest it. When only the biggest companies can afford to get onto the "fast lanes" of the internet, small development studies will never be able to run a niche game.
Really the magic of EQ was that it was just different.
It has quality where quality counted. Details where it counted. Group content at every level.
Then we had to solo. Then we had to be balanced. Then we had to turn tokens in for epic loot, not literally hunt for months helping friend gather wizzy epic components. ALL in the name of quality of life.
Those little things made it great. A game could look like anything and if it could bring us a challenge again in another form we'd all love MMOs again.
EQ would need more than a fresh coat of paint.
It'd need devs who wouldn't mind going.. "NEENNER NEENER NEEENER!" To whiny players every once and awhile.
I completely agree and i also agree with the deleveling and/or xp debt. I played from 2000+. I'd still be playing if i weren't so far behind now. Everything EQ had to offer was really what MMO's should be about still to this day. Which to me was sitting on the side of a hill while a bard or ranger pulled mobs to the tank waiting in front of the dps, while the cleric and crowd controller did what they do best. All the while talking in chat, medding your mana, focusing on what you were doing. Too many abilities in these games today and it's too fast paced to really actually "enjoy" anything anymore.
I totally agree with the OP. I couldn't have said it better. The thing is...most likely the ones of us who say this about EQ and the way MMO's should be are mostly older. MMO's these days cater to kids and being too easy and lenient.
I would have actually liked Elder Scrolls Online but I could never get over no nameplates (not knowing who someone was without hovering over them *gag*) It was not immersive at all to me, it was just plain undone and the combat was clunky and generic. Game world looked beautiful though but that's it's only ++ for me.
There aren't anywhere near enough players that would want this, of those that say they do most of those don't actually want the reality of what they are asking for.
This. What people want is that feeling and experience. I don't think that's going to happen until someone makes the next revolutionary step when it comes to online gaming. I figure we won't get it until we see full VR implemented.
Well vanilla FFXI was this same way only with more depth and that is what i want as well,the vanilla game with better graphics and of course EVERY game could use some tweaking.
There were things that SOE does that i don't like ,example over crowding dungeons is too unrealistic.Why on earth would there be tons of mobs all cramped together with no reason for even being there.They literally made dungeons so you HAD to fight every single mob in sight.FFXI instead would give you the whole BOSS experience right out in the real world and sometimes even just fighting normal mobs.
SOE designs games to be too predictable,you have set parameters that says no matter how skilled you are not going to beat that mob.FFXI was different,you could see a mob wipe an entire party then a skilled Red Mage could walk in and solo that same Boss.
Yes there are some aspects of both EQ and EQ2 that i like a lot but imo FFXI was the premier design that with some tweaks was the ultimate grouping game.
Right now,i don't care how anyone tries to butter up a game,they are played ONE WAY,chase around yellow markers,you don't even really need npc's because it is those yellow markers over their head that you are playing not the actual role playing game.
That is all i look for in a game now,if i see those yellow markers over NPC heads i am not interested.That is why i have dedicated my gaming to Hearthstone,it offers some skill/thinking that i enjoy.So i will wait and hope some developer can do mmorpg's some justice.Funny thing about me playing Hearthstone is i really don't like Blizzard at all but i like thinking in games and HS offers it.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
As a longtime and current EQ player (off and on)...
I think everquest has been through 3 major evolutions: Release through LDON: Open world, forced grouping, competition for raid mobs, long grindy faction blocks, long grindy key/quest blocks for content. This is probably what most people "remember"
LDON through SOD: Nearly all raids are instanced, and a lot of group content is instanced. This changed the guild/raid dynamic significantly.
SOD through current: SOD introduced mercenaries, and that radically changed the forced grouping mechanic. This changed the entire community aspect significantly.
Now there are other minor changes in between there, but those are the 3 major shifts I've seen in the 15 year evolution of EQ. It isn't the same game today as it was back then, and it's been slowly evolving it's entire life. To say you want Original EQ with better graphics, you have to be a bit more specific.
I do have to admit, I like the current EQ well enough, my favorite was the Velious->Gates era, but a lot of that was probably because the game was in it's prime, the community was probably the largest and most active of the game's lifespan, and it largely the game pre-WoW influence.
While the graphics engine has seen a lot of love over the years, it's far from modern. I would love to see EQ redone in something that doesn't studder and wheeze, and utterly choke when you zone into the lobby - but sometimes you have to take the girl you have not the girl you dream of.
Did not read anything in this topic but the title,... Just wanted to hop in and say "ME TOO!".
MMOs finally replaced social interaction, forced grouping and standing in a line while talking to eachother.
Now we have forced soloing, forced questing and everyone is the hero, without ever having to talk to anyone else. The evolution of multiplayer is here! We won,... right?
There should be a nostalgia sticky thread where all the old farts post about the good ol' days.
Count me in.
As for the OP, Great post.
I have many fond memories of EQ and the nostalgia seems to compel me every few years to relog, but its hard to get past the dated graphics after having played newer games.
Del Cabon A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO.
[I am really enjoying this conversation, alot of people have made some very good points I would like to hit on...]
[As the mod said, please be respectful to the MMORPG.com rules and not discuss emulators, we all know they exist, if you write about them on this post your just going to get it closed down and end a very fun discussion. I cant tell anyone want to do, but just dont be a dick and get the thread closed down]
Now back on topic, of course the original EQ had its problems, but I feel that alot of people are assuming too much when they say things like: "The market doesnt want this type of game." or "Theres not enough people to play a game like Classic EQ".
Frankly, if anything proves that these statements are wrong, its the past 10 years of MMO's since WoW came out. People can site "Market Trends" all day, but the fact is the Market Trends have said "Make a game like WoW" for the past ten years, and the only game to turn a serious profit was WoW.
And when WoW was released it was just a very well upgraded version of EQ, with more of a solo focus. There wasnt a market trend telling them to make a game like EQ but with more solo focus, they just made it.
The point im trying to make is, the market trends are bunk, people dont know what they want until they actually have it in their hands, or on their computers.
Also when I say I want Original EQ with better graphics, I do literally mean Original EQ, and not a spiritual successor. I know alot of people think this is rediculous, that I will never find it as enthralling because I already know all the content, and to that I say, "Have you ever played Morrowind?"
Because I played Morrowind for about 5 years of my youth, and Im so excited about playing the Skyrim-Morrowind conversion simply because of the better graphics. Because again, sometimes the core mechanics are enough to warrent a game being updated. Its just like re-mastering a CD or a movie. You can know whats going to happen at the end of Star Wars, but having an updated visual model can bring that vision further to life.
I just hope if they make an updated EQ they dont pull a Greedo shooting first and change any of the core elements!
Comments
Ok, apparently I need to drop this here:
Unofficial Servers
Even something as ridiculous as you say would be better than the game we are getting now, to a lot of people.
But I am pretty sure he is asking for a new game.
To me it would be perfect with the same gameplay ideas, group focused, huge world, multiple starting area, race and faction (reputation) that matters, big dungeons, a real death penalty.
Even the corpse run and the huge time sink on travel add something to the game. Downtime is good for community and immersion.
EQ was more of a virtual world compared to new mmorpg being more like ''games''.
I don't miss the 1 week camp so to me some of those could be instanced as long as you keep a lot of public dungeons.
I preferred Asheron's Call. The questing was better, the loot system was vastly better, the world was larger, You didn't need to spend hours camping the same mobs, you didn't need to group to be successful. And it did all the other things you mentioned as well.
AC was just a much better game, sadly SOE had more money to advertise and it attracted more because of that.
With that said, I feel you. I want a new ASHERON'S CALL with updated graphics. I'd be happy
Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!
Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!
Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!
Why do nerds think they deserve special games? Why do nerds think they deserve special treatment? The only reason games like EQ and UO existed as they did at all was because nerds were the only ones with the computers and broadband connections to play them. That's not the case anymore, therefore nobody caters to the minuscule percentage of nerds out there.
Welcome to reality.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
I guess because without nerds there would be no games and nerds seem to be the only ones who really care about games IMO.
The big shots don't want the little guy to make a better product for a fraction of the cost. That's why Pantheon gets shunned and its why there hasn't been a true mmorpg made in years.
The advertising budget for ESO could have been used to make a great old school game, but instead we got a bunch of pretty commercials...
I believe I only played Asheron's Call 2. I can't really speak for AC1, but I didn't like AC2 much. I enjoyed EQ a lot because it had a forgotten realms type setting and was modeled heavily after DnD 2nd edition. There were a lot of other reasons, but I never had to group in EQ. I spent most of my time there solo other then helping people, asking for ports, asking for buffs, and trading with people.
So tired of this discussion. Makes me depressed every time.
For EQ1 to get that challenge and fun feeling back, it needs...
1. Return the corpse runs, unless, you know a high level necromancer.
2. Delete ALL mercenaries, they kill the need to grouping up.
3. Delete all teleportation stones, books, altars etc etc. Make Druids and Wizards and boats (oh my) useful again.
4. Sure, update the graphics to the standard of today.
5. Can't think of anything else atm. I am forgetting something though, I know it.
Anyways, we will not see a game with these features ever again... Why? The answer is easy. All the companies making games are catering to the ones that want easy mode, fast levelling to max level and no harsh penalties if you die. That's where the money is. All businesses want to make money and not barely scrape by, making games for people like myself who desire nothing more than a challenge in life and socializing with others in a game like it used to be, back in the day.
I'm sorry, this is just the way it is and the way the future will remain as. Tough, I know.
Yup.
Actually been pondering just loading up EQ as it is and playing it. I just miss being in Highpass Keep with my half-elf rogue pick pocketing goblin ears. Then lying to the group.. "I don't even have Pick Pocket slotted on my action bar." Which I had 2 guildies in my house and they'd check.
Little did they know I had pick pocket macroed to activate literally every time I pressed forward or backward...
Still. Good days gone by man, good days gone by.
a yo ho ho
SWTOR Referral Link
Free Goodies for new or returning players.
See what it gets you Here
This problem is part of a larger issue with the internet and the consolidation of media in general. The little guy gets squashed for having the temerity to even think about developing a product for a niche audience.
The latest ruling by the FCC is going to make things even worse of people don't successfully contest it. When only the biggest companies can afford to get onto the "fast lanes" of the internet, small development studies will never be able to run a niche game.
Really the magic of EQ was that it was just different.
It has quality where quality counted. Details where it counted. Group content at every level.
Then we had to solo. Then we had to be balanced. Then we had to turn tokens in for epic loot, not literally hunt for months helping friend gather wizzy epic components. ALL in the name of quality of life.
Those little things made it great. A game could look like anything and if it could bring us a challenge again in another form we'd all love MMOs again.
EQ would need more than a fresh coat of paint.
It'd need devs who wouldn't mind going.. "NEENNER NEENER NEEENER!" To whiny players every once and awhile.
a yo ho ho
I completely agree and i also agree with the deleveling and/or xp debt. I played from 2000+. I'd still be playing if i weren't so far behind now. Everything EQ had to offer was really what MMO's should be about still to this day. Which to me was sitting on the side of a hill while a bard or ranger pulled mobs to the tank waiting in front of the dps, while the cleric and crowd controller did what they do best. All the while talking in chat, medding your mana, focusing on what you were doing. Too many abilities in these games today and it's too fast paced to really actually "enjoy" anything anymore.
I totally agree with the OP. I couldn't have said it better. The thing is...most likely the ones of us who say this about EQ and the way MMO's should be are mostly older. MMO's these days cater to kids and being too easy and lenient.
This. What people want is that feeling and experience. I don't think that's going to happen until someone makes the next revolutionary step when it comes to online gaming. I figure we won't get it until we see full VR implemented.
There should be a nostalgia sticky thread where all the old farts post about the good ol' days.
Well vanilla FFXI was this same way only with more depth and that is what i want as well,the vanilla game with better graphics and of course EVERY game could use some tweaking.
There were things that SOE does that i don't like ,example over crowding dungeons is too unrealistic.Why on earth would there be tons of mobs all cramped together with no reason for even being there.They literally made dungeons so you HAD to fight every single mob in sight.FFXI instead would give you the whole BOSS experience right out in the real world and sometimes even just fighting normal mobs.
SOE designs games to be too predictable,you have set parameters that says no matter how skilled you are not going to beat that mob.FFXI was different,you could see a mob wipe an entire party then a skilled Red Mage could walk in and solo that same Boss.
Yes there are some aspects of both EQ and EQ2 that i like a lot but imo FFXI was the premier design that with some tweaks was the ultimate grouping game.
Right now,i don't care how anyone tries to butter up a game,they are played ONE WAY,chase around yellow markers,you don't even really need npc's because it is those yellow markers over their head that you are playing not the actual role playing game.
That is all i look for in a game now,if i see those yellow markers over NPC heads i am not interested.That is why i have dedicated my gaming to Hearthstone,it offers some skill/thinking that i enjoy.So i will wait and hope some developer can do mmorpg's some justice.Funny thing about me playing Hearthstone is i really don't like Blizzard at all but i like thinking in games and HS offers it.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
EQ1 with updated graphics and controls (WoW-level would be enough) would be a money-maker.
Anarchy Online with updated graphics and controls would be amazing.
Agree with the other posters: It'll never happen.
As a longtime and current EQ player (off and on)...
I think everquest has been through 3 major evolutions:
Release through LDON: Open world, forced grouping, competition for raid mobs, long grindy faction blocks, long grindy key/quest blocks for content. This is probably what most people "remember"
LDON through SOD: Nearly all raids are instanced, and a lot of group content is instanced. This changed the guild/raid dynamic significantly.
SOD through current: SOD introduced mercenaries, and that radically changed the forced grouping mechanic. This changed the entire community aspect significantly.
Now there are other minor changes in between there, but those are the 3 major shifts I've seen in the 15 year evolution of EQ. It isn't the same game today as it was back then, and it's been slowly evolving it's entire life. To say you want Original EQ with better graphics, you have to be a bit more specific.
I do have to admit, I like the current EQ well enough, my favorite was the Velious->Gates era, but a lot of that was probably because the game was in it's prime, the community was probably the largest and most active of the game's lifespan, and it largely the game pre-WoW influence.
While the graphics engine has seen a lot of love over the years, it's far from modern. I would love to see EQ redone in something that doesn't studder and wheeze, and utterly choke when you zone into the lobby - but sometimes you have to take the girl you have not the girl you dream of.
MMOs finally replaced social interaction, forced grouping and standing in a line while talking to eachother.
Now we have forced soloing, forced questing and everyone is the hero, without ever having to talk to anyone else. The evolution of multiplayer is here! We won,... right?
Count me in.
As for the OP, Great post.
I have many fond memories of EQ and the nostalgia seems to compel me every few years to relog, but its hard to get past the dated graphics after having played newer games.
Del Cabon
A US Army ('Just Cause') Vet and MMORPG Native formerly of Trinsic, Norath and Dereth. Currently playing LOTRO.
[I am really enjoying this conversation, alot of people have made some very good points I would like to hit on...]
[As the mod said, please be respectful to the MMORPG.com rules and not discuss emulators, we all know they exist, if you write about them on this post your just going to get it closed down and end a very fun discussion. I cant tell anyone want to do, but just dont be a dick and get the thread closed down]
Now back on topic, of course the original EQ had its problems, but I feel that alot of people are assuming too much when they say things like: "The market doesnt want this type of game." or "Theres not enough people to play a game like Classic EQ".
Frankly, if anything proves that these statements are wrong, its the past 10 years of MMO's since WoW came out. People can site "Market Trends" all day, but the fact is the Market Trends have said "Make a game like WoW" for the past ten years, and the only game to turn a serious profit was WoW.
And when WoW was released it was just a very well upgraded version of EQ, with more of a solo focus. There wasnt a market trend telling them to make a game like EQ but with more solo focus, they just made it.
The point im trying to make is, the market trends are bunk, people dont know what they want until they actually have it in their hands, or on their computers.
Also when I say I want Original EQ with better graphics, I do literally mean Original EQ, and not a spiritual successor. I know alot of people think this is rediculous, that I will never find it as enthralling because I already know all the content, and to that I say, "Have you ever played Morrowind?"
Because I played Morrowind for about 5 years of my youth, and Im so excited about playing the Skyrim-Morrowind conversion simply because of the better graphics. Because again, sometimes the core mechanics are enough to warrent a game being updated. Its just like re-mastering a CD or a movie. You can know whats going to happen at the end of Star Wars, but having an updated visual model can bring that vision further to life.
I just hope if they make an updated EQ they dont pull a Greedo shooting first and change any of the core elements!