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The Tattered Notebook: Experimentation in EverQuest II
It's time to talk experimentation in EverQuest II. No, I don't mean sniffing, snorting, smoking, or otherwise illicitly subjecting yourself to the various flora in Norrath; I'm referring to one of the three new crafting prestige lines introduced with Chains of Eternity. As I'm an armorer, gear augmentation definitely seemed the most relevant to my trade. (Besides, can you just see me cranking out 100 breastplates at a time?!) So as I leveled through the 90s, I started plopping those prestige points into that middle line and looked forward to the day I could beef up my armor. But let's face it -- I don't always choose things on the basis of logic; a Vulcan, I am not. What actually drew me to the experimentation prestige line, even before I had any clue what it would do, was a remark from the devs during the panel and my interview at SOE Live: that failure was an option! Experimentation became the choice because it would bring back some of the feel of EQII's original crafting. You vets out there will know what I am talking about -- when there was some real risk involved in crafting and your skill meant something. I may still not have the chance to die at the forge anymore (booo!), but failure with experimentation comes with much more of a bite. Sound intriguing? Take a walk on the wild side and let's explore experimentation.
