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The Tattered Notebook: I'm in ur community, stalking ur threads

Seraphina Brennan
Updated ·5 min read

Last week's small little interview was fun, but this week it's time to get back to business. I haven't stalked threads in the forum for a while now, and I'm afraid that I'm losing my touch.

So this week I've dived back into the official EverQuest II forums to bring up the most recent discussion topics -- many of them centered on the changes made during Halas Reborn. Freeport and Qeynos still dominate the hot topic list, suggestions for things Dave Georgeson should fix in the game are being collected, and one thread muses on the past and future of the game.

In short, don't miss out on this week's entry in my Tattered Notebook. Do not disgrace the power of the Tier'dal, as the Community Manager Dark Elf has done! Otherwise I will have to invent stern punishments, like withholding lolcats from the internet. Do not force my hand!


The big 'ol list of ideas for Dave Georgeson

What's the first thing you do when you get a new producer for a game? Do you welcome him warmly to the game? Do you send him a basket of cookies with a "wishing you the best of luck" note attached in the mail? Of course not! You drop a huge list of things you want in the game on his lap!

We all have something we want to see in our favorite game, and EverQuest II is no different. With a new producer comes a new vision, and possibly a new direction for the game's development. So, while the vision is still being created and things are being sorted out, be sure to drop your thoughts on the game into this gigantic request thread. Who knows, SOE may use some of those ideas or take your advice. You won't find out if you don't leave your feedback!

Qeynos and Freeport have been disabled as starter cities... and the world is going to end

If you didn't hear that Qeynos and Freeport were removed from the roster of starting cities, then you probably either had your head under a rock or don't play EverQuest II. This was a huge controversial move that has simultaneously shocked and saddened the fanbase. They've since left their opinions in a giant 71 page thread, and the sentiment is mostly the same -- they want their cities back.

As an op-ed part of this column: I tend to agree with everyone. While Freeport and Qeynos may not be as polished as the newer areas, they are a central part of EverQuestian lore. Sure, players can still visit the cities via the game's new fast-travel system, but it's not the same. You lose all the benefits of instant citizenship, and you lose a bit of a focus on those two cities.

Furthermore, I'm not exactly sure why we couldn't leave the starter zones in while replacement zones were coded. Or, why not leave the starter zones in and slowly evolve them over time, a la the destruction of Freeport? Cutting content, even if it's going to be replaced with something 10x more awesome later, is still cutting content for a period of time. Sure, those zones were outdated, but they've been outdated for a while now. Leaving them in for a few more months until something better was made wouldn't be so bad. Plus, being someone who just ran through the Freeport starter zone, I really didn't mind it that much.

The past and future of EverQuest II

Finally, this thread created by Volimor is a bit of a downer, but an interesting read nonetheless. In it he harps on the original difficulty of EverQuest II and the rarity of the drops so long ago. It's a retrospective of a player with a purpose -- where will EverQuest II go in the future if the game is currently being simplified and constantly reduced in difficulty?

This has triggered many players to both remember the good old days and offer suggestions on how the end game can be improved for veteran players. Yet, at the same time, a sentiment has been expressed that people are obviously still enjoying the game, so it can't all be doom and gloom. We all have things we don't like about the games we play, yet we still find fun hiding somewhere in them.

Kiara betrays Neriak for new housing, disgraces Tier'dal reporter

And, finally, a public service announcement from yours truly. The Tier'dal have turned their backs on one Community Managing Dark Elf, as she's betrayed the city of Neriak for the frozen wastelands of Halas. Initial reports say she did it for "the shinies," however this has not been confirmed.

If you see this community manager, please withhold all candy, kittens, and other nice things. Now she shall know the true wrath of the Tier'dal! It will be a whole new spectrum of pain... like a rainbow! (NSFW)

That's all for this week's Tattered Notebook. Come back next week when we're still shunning the non-believer.

Massively's dark elf reporter around town, Seccia Ravenloft, is a committed follower of the Overlord. When not adventuring, Seccia prefers a large ale and the company of kittens. She can be reached in Norrath via the Norrathian Express Mail (Server: Lucan D'Lere), or via her human friend, Seraphina Brennan, at seraphina AT massively DOT com.