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Norrathian Notebook: What EQN Landmark's business plan says about you
As surely expected by all involved, EverQuest Next Landmark's proposed business plan ruffled a few feathers. After all, it's a given that you can't please everyone. And also just as expected, some folks are crying foul; you can't have SOE say boo without someone screaming doom and gloom. But has the studio laid a big goose egg with this monetization plan? I say nope. It may appear a little scrambled in an aspect or two, but the majority of it seems to sit pretty well with players. In a nutshell, the strategy as currently outlined focuses on selling cosmetic items like outfits and pets, shortcuts (like potions, paying upkeep, and renting market space at the hubs), additional claim flags, claim music/sound packs, and raw materials. We know what the actual plan itself says because it was posted front and center on EQN Landmark's alpha forums, which are viewable by the public. But instead of dissecting what the plan is, today I'll focus is on what it says. It's more than just the sum of its words; the plan says something about SOE. And did you know the plan also says something about you?
Norrathian Notebook: EverQuest Next Round Table roundup, fourth edition
Thanks to the early launch of EverQuest Next Landmark's alpha, players have been deep in the world of voxel-mining, crafting, and building to their hearts' content. Armed with with that hands-on knowledge, players are able to offer insights and suggestions about the development of that game. But that doesn't mean that those who aren't physically in the alpha (and have access to post in those forums) don't have valuable opinions about the direction of both Landmark and EverQuest Next, and the devs want to hear from everyone! That's where the EQN Round Tables come in. And the Norrathian Notebook Round Table roundups are here to help you keep track of them all. The three previous round ups corralled 23 questions, dev opinions, and video responses. This fourth edition (not to be dismissed like certain other fourth editions) contains eight more. Do you care about specialty servers, in-game weather, or crafting? Are you burning with a desire to tell the devs exactly how you feel about other players affecting your gameplay? Then there are polls and discussions that you'll want to take part in if you haven't already. One round table even focuses on improving the new player experience. And we've got them all rounded up right here for you.
Norrathian Notebook: EQN Landmark sets new standard for player creativity
Yes, it's alpha. And yes, there are bugs. Heck, there are still many systems that aren't even in-game yet. But despite all that, EverQuest Next Landmark has already raised the bar when it comes to player creativity. In fact, the creativity is flowing freely during this alpha even before water does! You may recall that I mused last December how EQNL might just redefine player-generated content, comments based my own short personal experience and perusing developer concoctions. However, now that alpha is going strong, I can say with surety what I only postulated before: Landmark has set a new standard for supporting and showcasing creativity. And players have really stepped up to the challenge. Just exactly how much creativity are we talking about? Have you seen some of the stuff folks are coming up with? It's not just about houses (though I've certainly seen some amazing abodes); players are taking the tools and raw materials and sculpting impressive statues, designing mazes, and more. During my own wanderings and my two Massively TV tours, I've come across creations that leave me wavering between speechless and gush-central. And that's barely scratching the surface of what's out there! Add in the posted pics on Twitter and the official forums and that still doesn't cover it all. My mind boggles to think what will happen when everyone can lay hands on these tools at launch.
Norrathian Notebook: Musings on my EQII Tears of Veeshan experience
EverQuest II's most recent expansion, Tears of Veeshan, landed a couple of months ago. That's given me a good amount of time to sink my teeth in and really experience what it has to offer. I've run a few different characters through much of the storyline, explored various nooks and crannies, and poked into a number of the dungeons. If you've been watching EverQuest Two-sday, you've seen some of those adventures as they were playing out. If not, however, you may wonder what this expansion holds. Is there anything special that sets EQII's 10th expansion apart and makes it worth getting? That's what I am going to share with you in today's Norrathian Notebook. For starters, ToV is chock-full of one thing I really love: dragons. Dead dragons, maybe, but still dragons! From the moment this expansion was introduced at SOE Live, I've been looking forward to cavorting through the realm of the dead, hobnobbing with the dragon residents. Then, after hearing more about the dungeons, the story, and the new class, I really couldn't wait. And now that I've seen it for myself, I haven't been disappointed.
Massively's Valentine's Day roundup
When a mob hits your eye with a big sharpened spike... that's not really amore! In fact, it's downright painful. But it's February -- a time when love is in the air, hearts are aflutter everywhere, and pink and red festoon your favorite MMOs. So in the spirit of the season, go ahead and give that mob an extra-hard love tap, right from... er, to the heart! And don't forget to collect whatever treasures it had for you because we all know Valentine's Day isn't all about the love; no, it's about the loot! Want to know where to get your hands on something special for this holiday? There are plenty of celebrations throughout the MMOverse offering a plethora of events and goodies. Check out some of the various Valentine's events and specials going on now.
Lichborne: More death knight depictions in pop culture
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. In the comments of last week's article, commentors came up with other pop culture sources of death knight inspiration. A lot of them are great suggestions, some of which I didn't write about mainly because I haven't played them lately, others because they weren't technically games. Still a lot of the suggestions were fun enough that it feels like a good idea to take another week and look at another set of death knights and death knight precursors in games, books, and other pop culture sources. Thanks to all of last weeks commentors for their suggestions and thoughts.
Norrathian Notebook: EQN Landmark alpha 101
You know you've got it bad when you don't want to leave a game long enough to write about it! But that's exactly how this last week has been for me and EverQuest Next Landmark. Don't get me wrong; it's an awesome change to be so eager to play that you willingly stare at a login queue (getting to listen to Jeremy Soule's music while you do is definitely a bonus!) and even spend hours gathering materials, knowing that it will all be wiped. It's just been a long while since that has happened to me. Luckily, the alpha has had downtimes, allowing me some sleep and a chance to whip this first impressions piece and quick-start guide up for you. Even with many of the core features from the game still missing, this alpha shows you straight off that EQN Landmark truly is a whole different game. The term innovative is not just a catchphrase here; it's a summary. As such, jumping in can leave eager players a bit overwhelmed or frustrated. So this here's a quick introduction course with hints and tips to get you started.
World of Warcraftless: What would the world look like without World of Warcraft?
This year is a big one for World of Warcraft. It's the 10-year anniversary of the game's launch, meaning players have been able to enjoy themselves in Azeroth for quite a while. The franchise itself is turning 20, meaning it's almost old enough to legally drink. And whether you like the game or not, you can't deny that it's had a huge impact on games in general -- not just on MMORPGs but on the very landscape of what games are and how we think about them. So it's kind of natural that we'd start asking if we'd all be better off without it. You live with the same title dominating the industry for a decade, so it's only natural to think about what it'd be like if it weren't there. Personally, I think that's a kind of loaded question that also overlooks a far niftier option. Asking whether we'd be better off first requires one to figure out what the world would look like without World of Warcraft, and for my money that's much more interesting. So let's look at just that. What sort of scenarios might have unfolded if World of Warcraft had never come to pass at all?
SOE outlines upcoming content plan for EverQuest II
Dave Georgeson, who must be the busiest man on Earth right now, has penned a director's letter for fans of EverQuest II explaining how Sony Online Entertainment plans to change the way in which it delivers new content to the nine-year-old game. According to Georgeson, the fan response to SOE's current method of content delivery (three big updates, one expansion, and a bunch of smaller stuff in between) was a resounding "meh," so the studio is looking to shake things up. Future content for EverQuest II will now work like this: Feature refinements, short adventures, holiday events, and other small content will launch every week. Every month, a bigger addition will be made, such as an overhaul an existing dungeon, the addition of a series of quests, or the creation of a new world event. All other resources will be invested into developing full expansions for the game, which are still slotted for annual releases. Georgeson promises that SOE is locked into the new schedule, saying, "Yes, we mean it. We're going to work hard to make it happen regularly and dependably."
Norrathian Notebook: Look out Landmark, here I come!
Hello, fellow EverQuest Next Landmark fans! This is likely the last time you will get to see me say boo about Landmark's alpha now that it has been announced and is starting up. Once I get my email, I will be officially and totally gagged. Many of you know that I was gifted a Trailblazer Founder's Pack for Christmas by someone who knows and loves me (or conversely, just wants to get me out of the way... which says what exactly if I gifted a pack right back?), so this period of time before I receive and open my invite is my last opportunity to speak about the game before the NDA descends upon me. As such, I am taking full advantage of these hours to speculate to my heart's content, squeal in excitement about the upcoming adventures, and ruminate on all I know about and all I hope for in this sandbox! And then by the time you read my thought, I will be [redacted] and possibly [redacted], with a little [redacted] thrown in.
Norrathian Notebook: Saying goodbye to EQ 2.5 aka Vanguard
No, your eyes are not deceiving you: The title and picture do both say Vanguard. Although I had other thoughts poised on the end of my pen for today, they've all been scattered to the winds by the unexpected announcement of the closing of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. In fact, I really can't seem to think of anything else right now, so I am giving up trying and giving in to my Telon thoughts. Besides, ruminating on this topic in Norrathian Notebook is not as far-fetched as you might think. Vanguard's world may be Telon instead of Norrath, but there is a special connection between the realms; there are those who have called Vanguard the true successor to the original EverQuest game. And it is from that vantage that I take this time to look back on what was, enjoy what is (while I can), and mourn for what could have been.
EQ, EQII, and EQN devs dish on new game content for The Year of EverQuest
With EverQuest Next Landmark on the horizon, EverQuest Next in the wings, and EverQuest and EverQuest II going strong, this truly is the year of EverQuest. There's simply no denying that 2014 will be pretty significant for the franchise; one game turns 15, another turns 10, and the newest turns 0. To help kick of this monumental year, I got to talk shop with producers Thom Terrazas (EQ), Holly Longdale (EQII), Terry Michaels (EQN/EQNL), and Franchise Director Dave Georgeson and hear about upcoming content slated for each of these different projects. As Georgeson put it, "It's going to be a fun month!" As a bonus, we've also added a video that shows off some of that very content.
Norrathian Notebook: Preparing yourself for EQN Landmark
Whether you are a Founder who will access alpha or not, EverQuest Next Landmark is coming up on us like a bullet train; it will be here before you know it. As opposed to most games that stretch your anticipation out for years, this one is going from announcement to playable in less than six months -- if alpha does indeed make it out in January. Those who are opting for closed and open betas or even launch shouldn't have much longer to wait, either. I expect that those stages will maintain the same speed we've already seen, putting players into the game proper well before the next SOE Live. So with the ultimate build-it-yourself sandbox on the horizon, the question is this: Are you ready? Have you got all your ducks in a row in order to best experience Landmark? Can you say you are all set to take advantage of those first minutes logged in? If not, I've got a few strategies, tips, and tricks to help you prepare for when the game goes live.
Yes, EQII does have PvP and yes, SOE is working on it
Did you know that EverQuest II has PvP? It does! SOE is even working on improvements for it as we speak! This startling revelation comes to us from the EQII forums -- via EQ2Wire -- where someone posted a private email correspondence between franchise director Dave Georgeson and a player named Pawder. Georgeson starts off by laying a little bit of his PvP cred on the table. He helped develop the original PlanetSide, see, as well as Tribes 2 and some of the MechWarrior games. He goes on to say that EQII PvP procs are being removed, and he also says that the game's PvP battleground matchmaker will see improvements "later this year." Finally, Georgeson mentions that the Nagafen PvP server has suffered a population drain since the advent of battlegrounds -- basically, players want their PvP immediately rather than having to hunt through zones to find it. "The fact of the matter is EQII still has a very strong PvP userbase," Georgeson explains. "They're just not always on Nagafen anymore. They tended to drift to other servers and they play BGs most of the time now when they desire PvP. But more quality PvP improvements are coming in the near future, some as early as next week."
Smedley expounds on benefits blunder and SOE's philosophy
When SOE first announced the membership changes coming to some of its titles, the company stirred up a storm that was completely unexpected, according to CEO John Smedley. After listening to the community, the studio reversed parts of the proposal and unveiled an extra benefit: a $14.99 All-Access pass. But even after a few extra posts explaining the changes and the reasoning behind them, there were still some unanswered questions and remnants of confusion from the quick succession of announcements. Why were some titles in SOE's arsenal listed part of the pass but others aren't? Which membership gift is actually the one going forward? When will these changes take place? And what about the European players? I sat down with Smedley to answer these questions and get some added clarity on these changes,
One Shots: Crystal death
Reader Vexia is going to kick off our meeting of the Dungeoneers Anonymous Club here at Massively (motto: "Aw, just wipe it") by meeting a recent screenshot challenge to send in a picture from a dungeon. "Here is the Crystal Tower in Final Fantasy XIV, which cuts a fine figure over Silvertear Lake," she wrote in. "It's stunning to behold both within and without, and it contains bosses reminiscent of those in Final Fantasy III, the first Final Fantasy game to feature the Crystal Tower dungeon. The Keeper of the Lake can be seen in the right corner of this shot, a monument that contains the bones of the Guardian of Silvertear Falls (the Midgardsormr) and the wreckage of the massive Garlean Empire airship (Agrius). The Midgardsormr sacrificed itself to bring down the airship in a valiant act of altruism that no doubt saved the lives of many innocent Eorzeans! It's one of my favorite bits of the game's lore." Did you get all of that? I feel as though there's going to be a test. I might need to cheat off of your sheets. Insert one quarter to continue this column, by the way.
Norrathian Notebook: The top 10 Tattered moments of 2013
At the end of every year and the beginning of a new one, many people kick back and review what went well and what went wrong. We certainly got a taste of something that went wrong last week, so let's switch gears and focus on the positive! For my one-year anniversary as a writer of this column (I took over this piece exactly one year ago this week), I felt it was particularly appropriate to reflect back on the previous year, highlighting the best moments of The Tattered Notebook. Actually deciding on only 10 articles to fill out my favorites turned out to be more difficult than I thought. There we were plenty of useful guides, videos, holiday celebrations, and even a peek at a certain upcoming game. But when forced to choose, these particular moments all stand out. See if my picks coincide with yours!
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MMO Mechanics: Lowering the barriers to entry
In the increasingly competitive MMO genre, games have to do all they can to keep you as a customer. MMOs have traditionally been quite difficult games to really get into since they typically require a considerable time and money investment and we tend to play them for stretches of several months to years at a time. The gameplay in MMOs is inherently social by nature, forcing you to relate to others, and there are some even more fundamental barriers that get in the way of new players signing up. I'm sure we've all enthused and rambled to our friends in the hope that they might check out our most recent gaming crush, only to see a repulsed look on their faces when they realise it's an MMO. The classic subscription model is a substantial paywall for the average gamer, and this is what has traditionally kept MMOs niche. The early game can be daunting to those who aren't familiar with the genre, and developers pour a lot of effort into easing newcomers into that gameplay. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I'm going to look at how some MMOs manage to break down these barriers through the use of clever mechanics in order to open up MMO gaming to more people than ever before.
Smedley is on a 'personal mission' to explain SOE's business decisions
John Smedley's been in the headlines a lot this week thanks to SOE's all-access plans and its subscription-benefits switcheroo. Now, the SOE CEO has taken to Reddit to explain the company's philosophy when it comes to monetization and game-making in general. Smedley says that in the wake of this week's PR firestorm, he's "going to make it one of [his] personal missions to explain the thought process behind [SOE's] business decisions." He wrote, "I want to be able to have an honest enough dialog that I can actually tell you 'yeah this is important to our bottom line... that's why we did it'... and have you at least not question whether that's the real reason. [...] You may disagree with it, but at least you'll be able to make a reasonably informed judgment as to whether or not we're the greedy company some of you seem to think that we are, but at least you'll hear the why." He says that while SOE is clearly a for-profit business, the firm's ultimate goal is to make good games first. He cites EverQuest Next Landmark as an example, saying that SOE rebooted the title three times, which led to a "massive delay [that] hurt [the studio] financially," even though it "was the right thing to do for [SOE] and for the industry."
Norrathian Notebook: Are membership changes a benefit to EQII players?
While I had another, happier topic all ready to ring in the new year, SOE surprised us with a questionable decision this week that I felt necessitated an immediate response. So today we'll focus on this hot topic instead: All change is not good. And SOE's announced change in membership benefits for EverQuest II is really not good. Previously, with the removal of the remaining free-to-play restrictions, EQII subscribers saw their benefits whittle down to essentially a buff to mount speed and coin, AA, and XP accumulation (basically what was offered during the Gold Rush event) and the monthly 500 Station Cash allotment. While that seems as if players lost most of their advantages for subbing, there wasn't too much murmuring because at least we were happy that our comrades had the freedom to choose the classes and races they wanted and enjoy the game better. And besides, we still had the 500 SC, so we still had some worthwhile benefit. Well, now that's changing. SOE has decided that this last benefit must be retooled from 500 SC that accumulates until you use it to the ability to buy one single item for up to 2000 SC per month. While it may sound like a better deal on the surface, it's not -- not for SOE or for its customers.
