everquest
Latest
Landmark producer video teases upcoming updates
SOE has released another EverQuest Next Landmark video producer's letter. The two-and-a-half-minute clip features producer Terry Michaels, who says that alpha is just around the corner. He also plugs the recent claim-focused livestream -- which Massively's own MJ live-blogged for your perusing pleasure. Finally, there's some new fiction in the works along with some community questions and answers and a contest geared toward EverQuest vets. Oh, and Michaels also says to keep your eyes peeled for a new dev diary focused exclusively on Landmark's mysterious crafting system. We've embedded the producer letter video after the break.
SOE hiring language-specific Community Reps for EQN Landmark
If you've got a passion for EverQuest Next Landmark and you are a native speaker of French, German, or Castilian Spanish, then SOE has a job opportunity for you. The Community Management Department, headed by Linda "Brasse" Carlson, is seeking Community Representatives for each of these languages to work on the upcoming sandbox. The positions are part-time and you work from home (so no need to relocate to San Diego!). If interested, send cover letter and resume to lmcarlson@soe.sony.com. Good luck to all who apply!
EQ Next Landmark livestream liveblog: Learn about claims!
Plenty of questions have been asked about land ownership in EverQuest Next Landmark, and some of those answers are on their way right now! Senior Producer Terry Michaels, Lead Game Designer Darrin McPherson, Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani, and Community Manager Colette "Dexella" Murphy are discussing claims in the official livestream going on now. Also on the docket: More details about the Landmark Community Celebration event at the end of this month. If you can't tune in to the broadcast yourself over at Twitch, we've got you covered; watch the livestream below and follow along as Massively's MJ liveblogs all the juicy tidbits in the comments below.
.png.cf.jpg)
MMO Mechanics: Exploring death mechanics
They say death must come to us all, and that inevitability extends to our characters in MMOs. The death of our characters may be inconvenient when we want to plough through content, but penalising failure is an essential part of any MMO and further incentivises success by making you learn from your mistakes. As much as players crave gratification through rewards and progression, they also need to feel that such progress has been well-earned and greatly deserved. Rewards become that much sweeter when we must risk something to secure them, and failure without consequence would render the gains made in our favourite MMOs insignificant. Without a considerable death penalty, it becomes possible to mindlessly crush content through brute force. I don't know about you, but I don't find fun in bashing my skull repeatedly with a rock in an attempt to crack it! In this week's MMO Mechanics, I compare various death penalties and the effects they have on the MMOs that employ them. I'll explore just how tangible death penalties such as corpse running, gear durability loss, and XP drain make our character's demise feel.
Learn about claims in EQ Next Landmark's livestream tomorrow
There are still plenty of unknowns when it comes to EverQuest Next Landmark, which is all the more reason to catch tomorrow's official livestream! Starting at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday the 15th, devs will take to the airwaves to answer more questions about the upcoming sandbox -- specifically about claims. So if you want to get the scoop on snagging your own plot (including its square footage), be sure to tune in to EQN's official twitch channel. And for those who are contemplating heading to San Diego and getting some hands-on experience with the game, the team will also offer more details about the Landmark Community Celebration coming up on the 31st.
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,
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!
EverQuest Next Landmark shows off advanced building tools
The EverQuest Next Landmark team is quite proud of its robust building tools for the game, especially now that it has taken suggestions from fans to add new options. Due to all of the added tools, the devs are eager to demonstrate more things that you can do with the game in a new developer video. The video, which is available to select Massively Platinum readers after the break, includes Landmark's selection and line tools as well as its grid mode. Check it out!
Experience EQ Next Landmark at Community Celebration event
If you live in the San Diego area (or are willing to spring for airfare), you can get your own hands-on experience of EverQuest Next Landmark during the EQNL Community Celebration on Friday, January 31st. From 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. PST (1:00 to 9:00 p.m. EST), fans can congregate at the SOE San Diego campus and check out a demo of the sandbox on a local server, mingle and interact with devs, share EQ memories, and win prizes. The only catch is you can't tell us about your experiences: All participants at the event will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
.jpg.cf.jpg)
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."
SOE considering an one-subscription-covers-all plan for $14.99 a month
SOE President John Smedley took to Reddit today to address the "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" that's been swirling about regarding the subscription changes made to its games, most notably PlanetSide 2 and EverQuest II. While he lists several reasons why the studio is doing this, the main reason is a big change in the works: SOE is considering implementing a one-subscription-covers-all plan moving forward. "We are considering (and are likely going to move forward with) a plan that means if you subscribe to one of our games you are a subscriber to all our games (this applies to PC titles only, by the way) all for the current $14.99 a month," Smedley wrote. "That's a benefit most companies simply can't offer because they don't have our portfolio of games. The goal would be to let you pick an item in each game you play." He implied that this plan will also cover EverQuest Next Landmark and EverQuest Next. Other reasons for the subscription change include helping players buy larger items on the marketplace, internal issues regarding people stockpiling Station Cash, and disparity between computer and console promotions. For a more in-depth look at the subscription plan changes, read our recent Norrathian Notebook column.
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.
Some Assembly Required: Virtual world roundup for 2014 and beyond
Just over two years ago there was a great disturbance, as if millions (or so) of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Yes, something terrible had happened: a beloved virtual world was destroyed. And that left a number of sandbox refugees looking for a new place to call home. At that time, Some Assembly Required offered a roundup of the then available virtual worlds that could possibly offer accommodation, depending on what qualities players most desired in their games. But as things are wont to, they changed; a lot can happen in the MMOverse in 24 months, from additional features in existing games to new games to the loss of more worlds. So it's time to update this list of virtual worlds to reflect 2014 and beyond. Take a look and see what titles or titles-to-be have the sandbox features that best make a game a home for you.
Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014
Out with the old desk calendars that you didn't use past February 2013 and in with the new, I always say! It's a brand-new year, and while we don't know all of the twists and turns that we'll travel in MMO news in 2014, I dare say it promises to be a fascinating ride. Last January I gave my list of 10 new MMOs to watch for that year, and I'm a sucker for traditions. With 2014 a mostly blank slate right now, I want to lay out the up-and-coming class of games that at least have a shot at releasing by December. There are the big names, of course, but several other titles that could be sleeper hits if all goes right. Which will succeed, which will flop, and which won't even get out of the door? I don't claim to know all, but I know all, so here are my prognostications for 2014!
MMO Mechanics: Kill 10 rats can be fun!
Quests are increasingly an MMO enthusiast's bread and butter, often becoming the staple component of a game's typical serving of progressive content. Over the years, developers have tried to serve up this familiar progression mechanic in many different ways: The modern themepark MMO makes us fetch, carry, explore, and investigate our way to the endgame through countless quest types and story arcs. Among the varieties of quest on offer, kill quests seem to cause the most tears and tantrums amongst picky players. No matter what developers do, there just isn't much love for missions that send characters off with a shopping list of mundane creatures to crush. Kill quests have become so common that plenty of MMOs have cheekily referenced the "10 rats" trope by literally making us smash in some rodent skulls, but killing cute, twitchy-nosed creatures is not the real problem. It's the uninspired kill list mechanic that often incites complaints of developer laziness, an argument that I don't think is justified. Kill quests exist to hone your skills through repetition, but they don't have to feel like an arduous grinding task and are actually a very useful mechanic for game designers. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I stand up for the unloved stepchild of questing; I'll show you that killing a list of creatures can be both contextually engaging and mechanistically interesting, depending on how it's presented.
The Soapbox: My MMO resolutions
Today is the last day of 2013, a long year of extended betas, early access pre-purchases, and soft launch nonsense. The release slate for 2014, however, brings slightly more excitement. 2014 is the year we'll (hopefully) first set foot into Elder Scrolls Online, EverQuest Next Landmark, Destiny, Star Citizen, WildStar, and more. It's the year in which a record number of MMOs will go live on consoles. And most importantly, it's likely the year in which consumers will decide whether the traditional MMO is dead or just in need of a good kick in the pants. Ordinarily I'm not the type to make New Year's resolutions. It seems arbitrary to hang important life changes on a date on the calendar. But the end of the year does bring a nice opportunity to look back on my gaming habits over the last 12 months and provides me with an opportunity to draft a list of things I'd like to do better moving forward. 2014 will be an MMO year like no other, so perhaps it warrants a few adjustments in behavior. With that in mind, these are my 2014 MMO resolutions.
Norrathian Notebook: EQII's new Frostfell experience
There's no place like Frostfell. No matter how long you've been absent from EverQuest II, and no matter how many expansions come and go, you've known that there was always one thing you could be sure would stay the same year in and year out: Frostfell's Wonderland Village. Well, no more! Like Freeport and Qeynos before it, the staple of Frostfell celebration has undergone quite the transformation. So stepping through the Magic Closet now might be a bit of a shock in a going-back-home-and-finding-your-parents-converted-your-bedroom-into-an-office kind of way. But unlike the parental remodeling, this renovation is meant to make the place more inviting for your return. With a beautiful new setting to go with the year's new quests and achievements, EQII's Frostfell experience is better than ever.
MMO Mechanics: Three fair ways to distribute loot
I mentioned last week that players throw their precious characters into the MMO meat grinder in the pursuit of higher levels, new achievements, or shinier gear. We gladly jump on the seemingly endless PvE treadmill, cranking up the speed with each new patch in an attempt to catch the dangling carrot of character perfection. Of course, we don't just punish ourselves like this to say we overcame some previously impossible challenge; there's shiny new loot to be had! The best booty usually comes from completing group activities like dungeons and raids, but not everyone can agree on how to share the spoils of joint pursuits. Several different loot distribution methods have been devised over the years to solve the problem of fairly distributing the swag, with most methods starting life as player-made agreements that weren't officially supported by hard-coded game mechanics. Players have long since rolled for gear or took turns to claim items round-robin style, leading developers to implement the most popular methods as actual game mechanics to avoid ninja-looting and then the inevitable public pity parties associated with player-led arbitration. In this edition of MMO Mechanics, I'll break down three of the most equitable loot distribution systems used in MMOs today and look at why this age-old problem doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution.
The Daily Grind: Will you be playing EQN Landmark next month?
Access to EverQuest Next Landmark is about a month away, according to a recent tweet by SOE CEO John Smedley. I'm kinda wondering where the time has gone, since it seems like last month that the company announced its next-gen sandbox and it seems like last week that it started talking up features and design decisions. I guess I need to see about getting some alpha access, and I'm interested to know how many of you have done or are planning to do the same. So there you go, today's Daily Grind: did you pre-order Landmark, and will you be playing it next month? 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!
