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Today's EverQuest Next roundtable video covers SOE Live's EQN plans
During this week's EverQuest Next roundtable video, Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani is joined by Senior Producer Terry Michaels to discuss SOE Live, set to take place in Las Vegas this coming August 14th to 17th. The pair explain that players have voted resoundingly that SOE focus on previewing panels, specifically EverQuest Next panels, in the lead up to the convention. And yes, SOE is planning on illuminating EverQuest Next, not just Landmark and the studio's current stable of games, in Vegas. "Remember that Landmark is really the basis for how we're going to make EverQuest Next," Michaels reminds viewers. "So it may be a topic that is primarily Landmark-related, but there's going to be information in there for people who want to know how things are going to work in EverQuest Next." Enjoy the brief video below!
One Shots: Chubby chocobos on parade
Whenever your game gets a goofy mount or pet, it's an inevitability that populated areas will be swarmed by them. So it came to pass in Final Fantasy XIV, as the fat chocobo mounts became the hot new thing that all the hip young kids wanted to ride. Reader Connor brings us this parade of chubby chocobos from his recent adventures: "This was when the new mount got released a few weeks ago. Everyone stood around AFKing in the high level hub, but eventually we formed a miltia and sallied forth." Chubby chocobo, you look beautiful and amazing just the way you are. Also, delicious. Like a giant Peep. OK, we need to hit the jump to see the rest of this week's screenshot submissions before I start trying to eat my monitor.
SOE announces game-specific player events for SOE Live
Are you headed to SOE Live this summer? We are, even if the game list is a tad shorter than in previous years. And that's why we're excited to see SOE's latest official post about the convention, set to run in Las Vegas, Nevada, this coming August 14th to 17th. The studio has announced special events for several of the games it plans to feature at the event: Plane raids await EverQuest fans. Deck-building games and PvP tournaments lie in store for DC Universe Online players. EverQuest II players will participate in speed instances and a murder mystery quest. Landmark devotees will be treated to a mega-build event and a harvesting-themed dice event. Finally, the studio has planned a squad showdown event for PlanetSide 2 players. Early bird registration for SOE Live ends on Monday.
Norrathian Notebook: Jump in, the water's fine in Landmark!
The drought has finally ended: Water has come to the parched shores of Landmark. After a day of torturing fans with some not-so-subtle teasing on Twitter involving beach songs, links to life vests, and musings on slow garden hoses, SOE Director of Development Dave Georgeson finally outright admitted that the first phase of water was indeed headed into the game. And as of yesterday's update, the long-anticipated liquid is a permanent part of the landscape. No more shall players stare off over the edge of their islands, eyes skipping over the sand whilst seeking just a hint of moisture. No longer must the faithful beta testers dream of the day the sun's rays would reflect off the rolling waves. Oceans are here! And while there's no need to grab a towel on your way to the beach (you can't actually get in the water), players are still rejoicing. Why? Because it finally feels like beta, baby!
EverQuest Next's designers discuss rebooting a classic franchise via lore
In the studio's most recent dev diary, SOE's Omeed Dariani helms a video panel of EverQuest Next designers to discuss not game mechanics or advancement but the story and lore in EQN and Landmark. Lead Content Designer Steve Danuser, Creative Director Jeff Butler, and Senior Game Designer Bill Trost debate how to reboot a classic franchise, how to select the best material to incorporate into the new games, and how to insert the lore in an organic way rather than infodump on the players. If lore is your thing, you'll enjoy the video embedded after the break.
SOE compensates players for All Access issues
Acknowledging that the recent switchover to the new All Access program has been "frustrating," SOE announced today that it will be compensating its playerbase for these issues. The studio will be handing out 50 replay badges to DCUO players, adding an additional week to seven-day Landmark closed beta keys, and triggering double XP weekends for Dragon's Prophet, EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2. "The implementation of this new membership plan across SOE's game portfolio has been one of the most complicated updates to our billing system to date," SOE apologized in a post. "As fellow gamers, we know that this has been frustrating and we sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused."
SOE updates Landmark, pushes back international Player Studio rollout
It was the best of times for SOE and it was the worst of times. It was the season of glorious patches and of disappointing delays. It was also May 1st, in case you haven't checked your calendar. SOE delivered an update to Landmark's beta today, including claim feedback, chat improvements, new props, and the ability to teleport to other claims from the gallery view. The studio also launched its first competition, this one to create visually stunning landmarks for the game's environment. The competition will conclude on May 7th. Unfortunately, international players of SOE's library looking to partake in Player Studio goodness will have to wait a while longer: "Initially, we hoped to expand Player Studio to Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on or before May 1st, but given the intricacy of the program and our recent launch of the new All Access Membership plan, we have decided to roll out international support for Player Studio at the end of May."
Norrathian Notebook: Upgrading your tools in Landmark
True confessions time! I have been looking forward to showing off my newly minted super pick and sharing with you all how you, too, could get a shiny new upgraded tool in Landmark. Unfortunately, due to the empty chest bug that came with the update, all my resources were lost; ergo, I wasn't able to craft -- let alone upgrade -- any high-level tools. Thankfully, since the new tool upgrade system is not relegated to only the highest of tiers and I can use iron, I can still show you how you can get the spiffy new pick or shiny new ax of your harvesting dreams! As a bonus, on top of guiding you through the upgrading process, I'll delve into why this is such a important step on the way toward the more robust Landmark game that folks are eager awaiting.
Norrathian Notebook: Landmark update highlights the power of players
As a long-time gamer, I have to admit: I never expected I'd really see the day. What day is that? The one where a studio says one thing... and does it! True to SOE's word, the development process for Landmark has been quite open. Between social media, livestreams, and posts, the devs have been very forthcoming about where they are and where they are going, giving players a pretty clear picture of what's going on. But that's only the half of it. What impresses me most about this whole situation is that player input is actually recognized as a valuable commodity, not a nuisance to be brushed aside and ignored. I'm not just referring to the opinions offered during the various Round Table polls either, even though those are a welcome component to the the mix. I'm talking about the fact that players are a driving force behind the direction of Landmark's development. And yesterday's update really brought that fact home.
Today's Landmark update introduces glass, removes air
Life just got easier for Landmark developers: Today's update introduces new crafted glass props to enhance building as well as makes construction itself more precise by eliminating air when copy and pasting. Although not a building material (yet), the glass props will enable players to put windows into their homes or construct any number of transparent creations. A more widely applicable change, however, is the ability to remove the air when putting down templates or pasting something. Previously, empty space in a template counted as a voxel itself, meaning that the space would be placed or pasted along with the filled voxels. While helpful in some cases, this same principle caused undesirable effects when trying to combine templates. As promised previously, the light orbs that were made available for purchase in the Showcase last week can now be crafted in game. Additional tweaks and fixes, including a UI compass, are detailed in the update notes.
The new player experience in EverQuest Next and Landmark
In this week's EverQuest Next roundtable video, Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani and Lead Designer Darrin McPherson tackle the new user experience in Landmark and EQN. The pair say they recognize that developers don't always see the game the same way players do and that players need to be caught early by the game, especially a free-to-play game, or they'll leave. "In both games, we won't have a lock-step approach to a tutorial... we definitely want to have something more free," McPherson explained. Learning the game will be a set of achievements. For example, when you equip an axe, the game will tell you you can chop wood with it, and when you chop wood, the game will tell you how to craft, granting achievements along the way without forcing players to complete any one element of gameplay to proceed. Enjoy the full dev video after the break.
SOE Live 2014 begins registration, offers early bird deals
The registration for this summer's SOE Live is now open for business! The convention, which will take place from August 14th through 17th in Las Vegas, will feature panels, parties, contests, and more. If you register before May 12th, you'll be eligible for the early bird deal of $129 for the premium pass. Evening passes are $99, day passes are $49, and kids under 12 may attend the convention for free. There are also options to pay more for a Sunday brunch with the developers and reserve an entire table for a group. SOE will mail badges to folks who register by May 12th and has made a deal with Planet Hollywood Hotel to offer discounted room rates. Call Send SMS Add to Skype You'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype
Ask Massively: What happened to open-world MMOs?
A reader named Gabe emailed Massively last year with two questions (I'm getting through all the emails -- I am!). I'll address the second one eventually, but let's do the first one today because it's something I love to talk about: open-world MMOs. What happened to "open world" MMOs? I grew up with giant world MMOs where you would almost never see a load screen. I remember spending countless hours running from end to end of continents exploring and trying to see what I could find. You would run into a city instead of loading a city. I don't feel I am a part of a "world" anymore. After World of Warcraft, I played The Secret World, Star Trek Online, Neverwinter, and a few other closed-world MMOs, and it just pisses me off because I feel as if I am playing a single-player game with multiplayer options instead of a world I am a part of. I think we've got two separate issues here: One's about the literal meaning of open world, and the other's about the feel.
SOE's Georgeson: 'F2P is the way gamers should want their MMOs to be'
IGN has published yet another article stemming from its recent interview with SOE's Dave Georgeson. The EverQuest franchise development director says that the free-to-play business model is a no-brainer from a gamer's perspective. "I think that free-to-play is the way that gamers should want their MMOs to be," Georgeson explains, "and the reason I think that is that if we don't do a really good job and we don't entertain the player, we don't make a dime." Georgeson's vehement defense of F2P is interesting in terms of its timing, as this week sees the launch of one of the year's big-budget subscription-only titles, with another to follow in June. Georgeson maintains that game developers are effectively street performers. "We go out there and sing and dance and if we do a good job, people throw coins into the hat," he says. "And I think that's the way games should be, because paying $60 up front to take a gamble on whether the game is good or not? You don't get that money back."
Norrathian Notebook: Grading Landmark's first beta week
Closed beta is now in session! After a couple of days of downtime to prepare for the transition, EQN Landmark moved out of the alpha phase. And now, the first week of this long-awaited beta has concluded. Like most initial weeks, it's been an eventful one; from opening itself to a slew of new players to ditching part of its name to announcing the launch of Player Studio, the voxel-based sandbox has changed and evolved from its previous state. But how exactly is this beta different from alpha? What is new, what has improved, and what still needs improvement? How did Landmark fare during its first week? Norrathian Notebook is here to bring you the game's one-week report card!
SOE's Georgeson on City of Heroes and the future of EQ
IGN has released another snippet of its recent interview with EverQuest franchise lead Dave Georgeson. Earlier today Georgeson talked up his enthusiasm for virtual reality, while this latest cut focuses on EverQuest, EverQuest II, and City of Heroes. Yeah, you read that right, as apparently the late great superhero title was one of Georgeson's personal faves. "Everybody who plays any MMO never wants it to die," he says. "You invest a little bit of your soul in an MMO, you spend a lot of time in it and so on and so forth, so of course you never want one of them to die." As for EQ and EQII, Georgeson says that SOE has "no intention of ever shutting those games down."
Player Studio goes international in Landmark and more this spring
You've already seen a number of the amazing player-designed creations in Landmark; come Spring, you will be able to own some as well! SOE has announced that Player Studio will be live in the sandbox game on or before May 1st, 2014. But the even bigger news is that Player Studio will expand internationally for all the studio's games that support it! Designers in select regions outside the United States will be able to submit items for consideration to be sold to their peers in EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2 as well as Landmark. Approved items will then be added to the marketplace and the creators will make a real-life profit from each sale. In Landmark, Player Studio is a vehicle by which players will submit templates for various building contests, and winners could see their creations end up in EverQuest Next. [Source: SOE press release]
Landmark's Georgeson 'hugely interested' in VR, Project Morpheus
EverQuest franchise director Dave Georgeson is "hugely interested" in Sony's Project Morpheus VR headset, according to IGN. While Georgeson said that the PC pedigree of EverQuest Next and Landmark prevent the company from currently embracing the PS4-only Project Morpheus, he also said that he sees VR as "the future of gaming." "We need to build the game, and then we can talk about virtual reality and stuff beyond that," Georgeson explained.
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best 'ding'?
Unless you're into sandboxy skill-based MMORPGs, the actual process of leveling up is probably an important part of whatever themepark you're playing. WildStar has been jeered at for its over-the-top level-up animation. EverQuest's ding is infamous; the jarring "chonnggggg" of it still haunts me, and some clever modder even made a plugin to add it to Skyrim. On the other end of the spectrum is Guild Wars 2, in which I frequently overlook the fact that I've leveled up at all because the cues are relatively unobtrusive. What do you guys think is the best MMORPG "ding" of all time? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Norrathian Notebook Extra: Get the scoop on the opening of EQ Next Landmark's closed beta
EverQuest Next Landmark's alpha is not only over, it's gone. As in gone gone. As in the world has been officially destroyed and nothing remains (except for your templates, Founders Pack goodies, and purchased items, of course!). But that was all a necessary step in the direction of closed beta, which is opening today! Now, even more fans -- from those who bought Settler Packs to those who acquire a beta key from Trailblazers -- can get in on the new experience that is EQN Landmark. And a new experience it is, even from alpha. Alpha players may have a one-up on folks as far as manipulating the building tools, but this closed beta adds more to the game, so there is plenty of new to go around. Even the very progression has altered. So to give yourself a boost in your new journeys and take a look here at what you can expect when you log in. And don't forget, if you don't have a key yourself, you can watch our livestreams on Massively TV tonight when the servers come up and tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. EDT for a chance to grab one! [Update: SOE just announced that every attendee of SOE Live 2013 will be sent a Settler Founders Pack via email. Because these packs are not tied to accounts, if players already have another pack, these can be given away.]
