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EQN Dev Team Q&A
Allein
Member RarePosts: 2,139
If you have any interest in EQN and or Landmark, lots of info in this 45 min Q&A. I'm sure I missed a few, but tried to pull out points of interest that I've seen many speculating about. Still plenty of unknowns, but despite all the changes, life and gaming will continue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-G2-6SqdOQ&feature=share
EQN/Landmark: Not cancelled, team still exists and is still working on both games as before.
Storybricks: No longer have working relationship with SB team. They are still utilizing everything they worked on with them, but bringing the AI work in-house.
Not completely clear, but sounds like they will continue to use the tech, minus the SB devs themselves. Which I believe was Storybircks plan as a company all along. They want the tech to be easy to use and for many companies to adapt it for their games. Doesn't sound like they are ditching any plans for the AI or what they previously wanted to do with it.
Voxel Farm: Still utilizing it and will continue to improve and add features, unlikely voxels will be smaller due to bandwidth.
Console Future: PC focused, but they would like to see it happen.
Soundtrack: Jeremy Soule still doing his thing.
EQN Alpha, Closed/Open Beta: Will have, but doesn't mean fans will be able to access all (Alpha could be internal only).
Combat: Current Landmark version is base system. Depth, risk/reward, tactics coming. Improvement to resource management, choice (right/wrong), movement, targeting, UI, animations, adding active defense, etc.
Payment Model: F2P planned, but they are looking at all options and haven't ruled anything out.
Landmark Open Beta: When it's ready.
Release Features: All features talked about are still planned, however they could change for a "better" game experience.
EQN - Landmark Connection aka are they making EQN currently: While they didn't give specifics, basically said the same thing as they always have. If you want to see the systems/mechanics of EQN, look to LM for an early version. If you want a list of 500 skills, 40 classes, in-game models for every race, mob, item, keep on waiting.
User Generated Content (Landmark --> EQN): Like what they are seeing players create in Landmark and some of it is EQN ready. Really want UGC to be important.
Art Style: No questions asked, but better get used to it.
Instances: Yes for EQN, most likely in Landmark once systems are ready. As they said instances would exist in some form from the beginning, not news, still planning on a "seamless" world from the sound of it.
EQN Bluebrint: Will come when it makes sense to have one.
Large Humans ("Barbarians"): Coming to Landmark.
Landmark Stuff: Lots of questions answered, directly relate to EQN, but nothing earth shattering (helmets will exist, ocean biome coming, bigger "better" islands, etc)
Daybreak Drama: Not going to talk about it. Thanks for all the feedback.
Comments
Thanks for posting a bullet point version so I don't have to.
The biggest question mark for me involves the whole AI thing. Always found storybricks a bit too good to be true and with them not working on the game anymore I just don't know what to expect.
While I like a lot of what EQN has promised, AI is #1 for me.
Storybricks is both a company and tech from what I understand. From what I've read, their plans have been to make the tech streamlined enough for any company to pick it up and adapt it for a game. They aren't meant to work side by side with each company forever.
As EQN was their first title and real game outside of whatever in-house "game" they had, I'm assuming this is why they were more heavily involved, also guessing the tech is ever evolving and lots of things come up when it is really being utilized.
Also guessing SOE was paying their salaries in some form up until now. Probably just going to pay the licensing fees from here on or whatever deal they worked out.
If the tech is as easy to use that players will get to fiddle with it in Landmark, pretty sure a bunch of game devs will be able to harness the magical "next-gen" AI and give us something worth playing in EQN.
Wish they would have gone in to it a bit more, but as it is such a huge feature that could potentially set EQN apart and ahead of other games, guess we'll just have to wait and see. Regardless, didn't sound like they are going to scrap any of the plans and just have meat sack punching bag AI in EQN.
Without knowing what the actual deal was between storybricks and Daybreak behind closed doors it's really hard to say if this is good or bad at this time or ever for that matter.But like others the AI was one of the features that I along with others was hoping was gonna be a gamechanger in the mmorpg genre.
luckily for me i have written off daybreak some time ago,due to their track record with cash shops and other reasons.I do hope tho for the people invested that the new EQ lives up to the original vision and potential and even excedes it and proves me wrong.
Maybe it was just me,, but WOW!!.. Talk about a group of people that were in a room of uncomfortable seats trying to put out the flames.. I understand the need for damage control, but I didn't see or hear anything that reverses my opinion that EQN is on the verge of being radically changed.. They all sounded like politicians dancing around making sure to not say things they shouldn't..
As far as the Storybrick issue.. Because of legal reasons, whatever AI Daybreak comes with, it can't have ANY of the features or code that SB has.. Unless they wish to pay for it, or be sued.. The whole convo on AI was vague and without details.. Sure, they are bringing it "in house".. They never did answer how the AI will work, or their goals.. This also means that whatever "code" AI EQN decides to run with, it's being made from scratch (holly shit), or they are just going to tweak a current code they already have, so it smells like something SB looks like..
Then we run into the lame game release topic.. When it's ready? Zzzzz Really? They know damn well how far along they are with a game, and have a general idea when it can be available.. Trust me.. You think the people at EQN told "Columbus Nova" when it's ready when they were asked.. Of course no one expects a written in stone date such as June 1, 2016.. However, what people want to know, within reason, is are we talking about 1st half or 2nd half of 2016, or 17, or sooner, or later etc etc..
Now as for the F2P topic.. Hmmm Did they just open the door to B2P?.. It is clear they are targeting cash shops, and cash shops don't work in subscription games (generally speaking).. I think the era of sub based games is over.. Now if they entertain the idea of going B2P like GW2 did.. I would be PISSED off as a current "paid" alpha client and have to pay again when it goes live.. But then, they could grandfather current beta $customers$..
Technical issues with darkness and water.. OMFG.. What lame engine are they running.. I want PITCH BLACK run into the walls darkness.. "get a torch".. and I want to swim and have underwater combat.. If they are unable to do this because of the engine they are using or voxels.. lame lame lame..
Combat AI = work in progress, and right now you get a "base" whack a mole, and someday we might create something fun and useful.. The one thing they brought up at the 36 min. mark was reason why certain questions were not discussed and one reason was "team is regrouping" and and team is figuring out WHERE TO GO.. Talk about a freudian slip there..Obviously they are making changes of where to go, and that direction is a new one away from what was done in the past under the Jeff and Georgie era..
In summary, it was clear they are trying to resell and rehype the game.. As I said, damage control.. IMO there are significant changes happening now, and the team definitely wants to cheery pick which ones they want to talk about, and which ones to ignore.. I assume in fear of MORE bad drama that could arise like Storybricks.. I think the dream of an emergent living world is dead, atleast as it was promoted with SB.. It is no doubt in my mind that the development cycle of EQN has taken many steps backwards and in some areas stalled..
MAGA
I agree with you that SOE were probably paying their salaries as that would explain why they are no longer involved.
As to Storybricks plans: yes they will have had a plan and yes they won't have planned to work alongside companies forever but ..... at this moment in time a list of their current customers makes frugal reading; without EQN none. I think their future as a company looks bleak.
Where did you read its out?
Sometimes people see what they want to see..
TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development
They sky could open and God could bless DGC and Angels could praise EQN as a God send MMO to save the world and bring world peace and you still would not reverse your opinion of EQN. We get it, your a hater of DGC and EQN. Do you have anything new to add? Nope
They explicitly said they DO NOT want that in this game.
I Don't know why you keep expecting them to do a 180 on everything.
TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development
The whole video was basically a glorified Damage Control video.
They can talk all they want... but can they guarantee stability in the game's creation with these new overlords who have already shown their true colors? The answer is a resounding no to me.
My issue is that its not "officially" been cut like your trying to imply.
For all we know they just axed the consultants and are just working on it in house, probably with a revised scope but it would still be in.
TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development
Expect that the plan for an Emergent AI haven't changed. All the work already done with Storybrick is still in the game. They just terminated the working relationship with what is basically a AI consultant firm (because of cost or because what they were promising was vaporware, pick you poison).
Transcript of that answer:
Are we still working with story bricks?
Terry: The answer is No. We are not working with StoryBricks anymore. We made the decision that it was in the best interest of the game to take that work in house. They did a lot of work for us and we’re going to be utilizing that, it’s not like any of that is lost, but we no longer have a working relationship with StoryBricks.
-----------------
People can find the entire transcript here as well.
The situation is horrible and far from ideal, but its still in for the moment.
And I really don't think they are going to put the coffee dude in charge...
TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development
"Bringing it in house" is a phrase that to me implies cutting both the company and the license to Storybricks. Why have them there as advisors if they had the knowledge and skill to implement the Storybricks AI themselves?
More importantly, why be so innocuous about what they're going to do about the AI? It was one of the big selling points of the game, by their own words and deeds, so why not be concise on the issue.
The DB team is still moving forward with the plans for emergent AI internally. Question is can they pull this off as well as Storybricks? Will have to see some demos and simulations like they did with SB to make me yell they got it. SB is a very awesome system. I hope DGC can pull this off.
All that changed is that Daybreak terminated a AI consultant/contractor. They (Storybrick it seems) terminated a AI-contractor last year that was working with Storybrick and them on EQNext since early 2013.
And digging a bit on the web I found this comment. It seems that since 2012 the actual product was shelved, lol.
Umm they are bringing AI work in house
They no longer have a working relationship with Storybricks team
Whatever AI ends up being in EQN will most likely be a pale shadow of what was talked about during days of SoE.
My issue is that its not "officially" been cut like your trying to imply.
For all we know they just axed the consultants and are just working on it in house, probably with a revised scope but it would still be in.
Storybricks is a technology not only the company.
Storybricks uses "storybricks servers" to do all the AI branching work - are you implying that they are still using storybricks technology?
Because they are not - they have no access to storybricks server code which is still property of storybricks company.
Terry just said they have the rights to use what ever tech they had previously exposed for eqn.
Nobody outside of the company knows what the actual agreement entails.
TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development
Storybricks was hired to build an AI engine for EQNext (and they even hired another sub-contractor for the project), what ever they have built these last 2 years (they started early 2013) is still in there and belong to SOE/Daybreak even if they can't resale what ever peace of tech belong to Storybricks...if there are any, see below.
Also, I'm starting to really doubt Storybrick really had any ready to go tech at their disposal. They apparently shelved their project in 2012 to concentrate on AI consultant work...
"If you want to see how a feature works in EQN, jump into Landmark and find out."
Sweet I wonder how combat will work in EQN, let me just fire up Landmark and find o...........ahhhhhhhhhh NO PLEASE NO
/stabsoutowneyes
Where worse-case scenarios come to flourish...
Even with SB it was on paper other than the interactive map that showed I/O responses, the work of which, according to Terry, was maintained. Although with the recent cuts available funds would seem the best guess the "why" is not known. If we're going to speculate the inflection Terry used when saying there was no longer a working relationship seemed one of animosity. Who knows. Could be for the time spent or production curve the money required wasn't worth it. So many assumptive scenarios.
The good news is, it is not the first time DGC has developed in house tools for its titles. In fact other than creating it's own engine they have over time developed quite a few features/tools to EQ2 alone. AI is different of course but it's not the first time the company has had to create something from scratch they wanted or needed. Of those let go recently only one of them was on the technical side.
Edit: On a positive note it piqued my interest that they are implementing defensive abilities to make choices in combat more risk/reward. I can't wait to see how that presents itself.