News for today's 2018

Everquest Next: Reaction to the Debut

6:44 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div align="justify"> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:c38425d0-7d91-4bff-a1d6-130d02829c1c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object height="480" width="853"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/Dh_0neHhR0k?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/Dh_0neHhR0k?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div></div></div> When I first started playing <a href="everquest2.com" target="_blank">Everquest II</a> over three years ago, it was with a large tinge of regret that I hadn’t been there from the beginning.  Everquest II is my perfect game almost, until you get to the reasons why it isn’t (I’m glaring at you insurmountable, AA grind that I’m unwilling to devote my free time to and to ignore other things in my life for).  As a game, Everquest II has amazing stories and collections, a never ending set of quests, tired of leveling in one zone?  Then it is possible to hop on over to another zone and level. Then last year at <a href="https://www.soe.com/" target="_blank">SOE</a> they announced that the next Everquest game would be ready for unveiling and that <a href="www.soelive.com" target="_blank">SOE Live</a> attendees would get to see the game first.  Well, they broke that promise when they showed the game to select media outlets at <a href="http://www.e3expo.com/" target="_blank">E3</a> in Los Angeles in June of this year.  Then those same journalists all turned around and awarded Everquest Next the game of the year at E3.  Mind you, they couldn’t explain why but hey we were supposed to blindly take them at their word.  My “trust” for these “news” outlets and blogs, and in these “journalists” evaporated instantly.  I firmly believe that Sony bought and paid for those awards for game of the year. Yesterday was the long awaited reveal of <a href="https://www.everquestnext.com/" target="_blank">Everquest Next</a>.  I watched, heck so did my husband who took an extended lunch break to do so, and we were bitterly disappointed over all.  Upfront I will tell you I wanted to fall in love with what was revealed yesterday, I wanted to be there at the beginning of the next game in the spectacular franchise that is <a href="https://www.everquest.com" target="_blank">Everquest</a>, and most of all I wanted to see what amazing things had so impressed those so-called game journalists at E3 a month and a half ago. Instead, what was revealed were some incredibly cool features with a lot of CRAP thrown in the blender and then poured into the Everquest universe.  And the cherry on top of that blender of crap?  There was no announcement of a target date for release or even beta.  In essence, what we got was a “here’s what we’ve been working on the last six years please tell us how amazing we are” presentation.  First the good things I think Sony nailed correctly: <ul> <li>Norrath isn’t just a surface world, but rather is a world of many layers all of which have a story to tell <li>The weather and time effects were beautiful <li>the few lands they showed were beautiful, especially Feerrot <li>Facial expressions were nice <li>World that changes based on actions taken in the game, especially important over time but may have long term consequence for new players entering the game</li></ul> And now where I think Sony just looked around the industry and said “Oh that works, let’s do that!”: <ul> <li>REINVENTING THE LORE: wait what?  No just HELL NO <li>limited skills: <a href="www.guildwars.com" target="_blank">Guild Wars 1</a> (and in case you didn’t make the leap this means they will be able to bring the game to the PS4) <li>change your weapon, change you skills: <a href="www.guildwars2.com" target="_blank">Guild Wars 2</a> <li>play the way you want to play concept: <a href="www.thesecretworld.com" target="_blank">The Secret World</a> <li>Telegraphing moves (i.e. where the NPC weapon strike is going to hit): Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World <li>cell shading art direction: every other damn high fantasy mmo on the market almost <li>no quest hubs; dynamic, public, organic, or whatever the word of the day is for these type of events: Guild Wars 2 <li>Kerran art style: really?  Thanks for giving us a Charr rip-off almost identical to the Charr in Guild Wars 2 <li>Dumbing down drastically what it means to play and understand an MMO</li></ul> Those are just the first thing that pop into my head and onto the screen as I type this.  Then came the announcement of <a href="https://www.everquestnext.com/about-landmark" target="_blank">Everquest Next: Landmark</a> which is basically you the player being given the development kit to aid Sony in creating Everquest Next.  Landmark will release in Winter 2013.  Sounds cool doesn’t it?  And then you realize that you are being given a game to basically be Sony’s unpaid intern staff.  Thanks, but no thanks.  Want my talent to design, or the top most talented fifty designers out there waiting for a chance to show off what they can do while making a salary and receiving benefits?  Then hire the staff needed to complete the damn game!  Why not just say hey, we are too lazy to make it ourselves but you the players design whatever you want for lore, quests, building, etc. and we here at Sony will provide the tools, servers, and technical support to back it up?  Oh wait, that’s basically what they said. I don’t want an Everquest world where only the most popular choices make it into the final game.  A Norrath where it is possible that Ratonga are not present?  Oh did I forget to mention, that only the popular choices made by players in polls and such will make it into the final product of Everquest Next. Overall, I’m so extremely disappointed in what was presented yesterday.  I shouldn’t have been, Sony has already disappointed me twice already this year with Wizardry Online and Dragon’s Prophet.    The only positive from the reveal was the announcement that there would be offline stories and that the first book was available for download, <a href="https://www.everquestnext.com/media?category=ebook" target="_blank">The Last Stand of the Teir’Dal</a> by Michael Alexander Drake.  I wish that Everquest and Everquest II were provided the same courtesy of e-books and/or real books to flesh out their stories, settings, characters, and lore. I’m sure the whole team has worked very hard on the game, and will continue to do so, but there was nothing truly new, innovative, or ground breaking revealed yesterday.  If I want to go play another cartoonish, high fantasy MMO then I’ll go back to <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/" target="_blank">World of Warcraft</a>.  At least <a href="http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Blizzard</a> retains control of their game’s direction and doesn’t expect the players to build the world for them.   <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:84d25c0b-e255-4eb3-bdf4-a9de8d5bb5a3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sony+Online+Entertainment.+SOE" rel="tag">Sony Online Entertainment. SOE</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SOE+Live" rel="tag">SOE Live</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest" rel="tag">Everquest</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest+II" rel="tag">Everquest II</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest+Next" rel="tag">Everquest Next</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQ" rel="tag">EQ</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQ2" rel="tag">EQ2</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQ+II" rel="tag">EQ II</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQ+2" rel="tag">EQ 2</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQN" rel="tag">EQN</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Guild+Wars+2" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/The+Secret+World" rel="tag">The Secret World</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Blizzard" rel="tag">Blizzard</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/World+of+Warcraft" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/WOW" rel="tag">WOW</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Charr" rel="tag">Charr</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kerran" rel="tag">Kerran</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest+Next%3a+Landmark" rel="tag">Everquest Next: Landmark</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PS4" rel="tag">PS4</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/free+to+play" rel="tag">free to play</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/F2P" rel="tag">F2P</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cash+shop" rel="tag">cash shop</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/beta" rel="tag">beta</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Norrath" rel="tag">Norrath</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ratonga" rel="tag">Ratonga</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Michael+Alexander+Drake" rel="tag">Michael Alexander Drake</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ebook" rel="tag">ebook</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Wizardry+Online" rel="tag">Wizardry Online</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Dragon's+Prophet" rel="tag">Dragon's Prophet</a></div>

When I first started playing Everquest II over three years ago, it was with a large tinge of regret that I hadn’t been there from the beg...

Reminder: SOE Live Starts Tomorrow

9:52 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tl1J4LuYBR8/UflAvPhzKEI/AAAAAAAADBw/dOkcNoTTEOU/s1600-h/firiona%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="firiona" border="0" height="476" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ta05-wl0QLM/UflAwLsnqRI/AAAAAAAADB4/KE8JWvxHTqU/firiona_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="firiona" width="844"></a> <a href="https://www.soe.com/soelive/" target="_blank">SOE Live</a> begins tomorrow night! The schedule of events can be found <a href="https://www.soe.com/soelive/lineup.vm" target="_blank">here</a>.  The keynote address begins at 7PM PDT and will be available via streaming on <a href="http://twitch.tv/" target="_blank">twitch.tv</a>.  The list of streamed events and reveals can be found <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/soe/profile" target="_blank">here</a>.  Of particular interest to Everquest fans will be the revel, FINALLY, of <a href="http://everquestnext.com" target="_blank">Everquest Next</a> to the world.  That will be streamed at 12PM Friday.  Personally, I’m very much looking forward to the reveal and am silently praying that it lives up to my expectations.  I will have full update notes for the keynote address tomorrow night and the reveal of Everquest Next on Friday; other panels are possible depending on if there is anything of interest to report.  <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:d042cd4d-8439-4683-bbb5-b4e18525ec5d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SOE" rel="tag">SOE</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sony+Online+Entertainment" rel="tag">Sony Online Entertainment</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SOE+Live" rel="tag">SOE Live</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest" rel="tag">Everquest</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest+Next" rel="tag">Everquest Next</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/twitch.tv" rel="tag">twitch.tv</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/streaming" rel="tag">streaming</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/MMO" rel="tag">MMO</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/video+games" rel="tag">video games</a></div>

DC Universe Online DCUO Dragon's Prophet Everquest Everquest 2 Everquest Next F2P fps free to play MMO PC Planetside2 SOE Sony Sony Online Entertainment Vanguard video games Reminder: SOE Live Starts Tomorrow

SOE Live begins tomorrow night! The schedule of events can be found here . The keynote address begins at 7PM PDT and will be available v...

What keeps me long term interested in playing & coming back to ANY game?

8:50 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNgxXcSOlQJLtVsx0gtMFOM_GLQnKHEYW88ecBy8DKINDUSEMOpDtTLRcY1HmiiGhmKIwRL9kBhvBd7DM1E0j_qn72K6X52a8G-uJxVvivmN-jKFnc4YHViWBBZr38o6r5RhyeLfFPxlC/s1600-h/ScreenShot00015%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="ScreenShot00015" border="0" height="476" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6271Xe66qNw/UbnqQ6PtIHI/AAAAAAAAC90/ok5x-J7xVt4/ScreenShot00015_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="ScreenShot00015" width="844"></a> I’ve thought about this a lot recently and we will completely discount story for this posting because if any game doesn’t have a great story then there is no chance of keeping me interested for any length of time. Games must have housing and wardrobe appearance slots.  These two items alone make all the difference in my long term interest in any game. I played <a href="http://www.elderscrolls.com/oblivion/" target="_blank">Oblivion</a> eons and ages ago on the XBox 360, heck it was my introduction to the Elder Scrolls IP.  It may not have had the detailed customization options that <a href="http://www.elderscrolls.com/morrowind/" target="_blank">Morrowind</a> had, which my husband still laments to this day, but I knew I could log-in and my character had a house where she could catch a nap, brew some potions, or just spend the rest of eternity safely.  <a href="www.everquest2.com" target="_blank">Everquest II</a> has done housing and housing customization the flat out best I’ve ever seen in any game.  The options for housing are seemingly endless and the developers, and now the community, continually add to the housing diversity.  All of my EQ2 characters share one house, which I must admit I love.  They’ve all got their alters to their particular gods and their trophies from questing.  I love the pillows strewn about the floor and the critters that roam the home.  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J1NyNxM-DdVoeiK8pwyiYXVd_AlrhxebUmFiK6I13lJNdnzQ79RLcLdV5yIrhcFYXSzH0-WmUrzfTAZ9JtoQ4MNacvbLlTlf0y2xKyBxggwOMb-m9FmAVaC2uWnqC_rnJwaC-T99sd_d/s1600-h/EQ2_000013%25255B3%25255D.png"><img alt="EQ2_000013" border="0" height="476" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Uauz2zSn-cc/UbnqRlQWLFI/AAAAAAAAC-E/WmNSUCY2Wsg/EQ2_000013_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="EQ2_000013" width="844"></a> <a href="www.lotro.com" target="_blank">Lord of the Rings Online</a> has a good wardrobe system as does Everquest II (appearance clothing).  However, neither game does it perfectly.  Both have stunningly beautiful armor and clothing models that my characters drool over but they both suffer from the same flaw.  No game offers enough wardrobe space to make it expansive enough to switch outfits as often as I’d like.  <a href="www.thesecretworld.com" target="_blank">The Secret World</a> has a pretty good wardrobe system which is perfect for a game set in the modern world with modern clothing, but a lot of their clothing is geared to a much younger player and none of my characters particularly want to walk around in what I consider slutty clothing.  <a href="http://www.riftgame.com/en/" target="_blank">Rift</a> now offers a decent amount of wardrobe slots for in-game currency or real life cash.  Problem is none of my characters are that rich in-game and I’m not spending real life money on wardrobe slots. <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-m_fjHBrtWi4/UbnqSKhK_LI/AAAAAAAAC-I/4UY8EhsvmOI/s1600-h/EQ2_000124%25255B4%25255D.png"><img alt="EQ2_000124" border="0" height="364" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4y7YWZhAWlA/UbnqSozGe8I/AAAAAAAAC-U/LAX_BCb0Nnc/EQ2_000124_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="EQ2_000124" width="644"></a> I love the look of this NPC in Everquest II. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5FCAPbDtrxll1vamAdiBCBMNWlCp_X27WN7zVpWOLVdRzj3p1z8xQedPrgd-_xNAGdlAcuBYFdP1aGmKJ9Zg8XUow0f-m_QbacJpn8AnAWL5em931DFrt2YsxVYXaNxgwMRPz5Mwpprh/s1600-h/ScreenShot00022%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="ScreenShot00022" border="0" height="364" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1JZWt6-fgHs/UbnqTedsaII/AAAAAAAAC-k/plmjso8brig/ScreenShot00022_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="ScreenShot00022" width="644"></a> My Guardian Hobbit in LOTRO never wears shoes but she does love a jaunty hat and on this fine day in Rivendell she was sporting her favorite hauberk. The one thing <a href="www.guildwars.com" target="_blank">Guild Wars</a> and <a href="www.guildwars2.com" target="_blank">Guild Wars 2</a> do better than any of their competitors, and the only thing in my opinion, is the dye system.  Collecting dyes and not having them be consumed on use is brilliant and perfect system.  Other games need to adopt this model.  Yes they might lose out on some revenue but they would undoubtedly make up that revenue from players like me that won’t purchase a single use dye. No game, to date, gets housing or wardrobe perfect.  Rift has a goodly number of wardrobe slots but dyes are consumed on use and they don’t have pink dyes.  Rift does have housing but it has yet to make an emotional connection with me.  The Secret World has a decent wardrobe closet but the clothes are too revealing and cannot be dyed.  Guild Wars 2 only has the dye system in it’s favor.  Everquest II has phenomenal and extensive housing but no dyes and limited wardrobe to one outfit.  My characters NEED many, many more wardrobe slots in <a href="https://www.everquestnext.com/" target="_blank">Everquest Next</a>!  The clothing and armor in the Everquest franchise is so well done and so varied texturally that limiting appearance clothing to one slot is simply criminal.  Lord of the Rings Online has beautiful clothing but dyes are consumed on use and wardrobe storage and slots are too limited.  LOTRO housing is also lacking in comparison with Everquest franchise.   <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:3353e5ee-7e96-4e8f-bb47-a725ef2d36e4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest+II" rel="tag">Everquest II</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Everquest+Next" rel="tag">Everquest Next</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Lord+of+the+Rings+Online" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/LOTRO" rel="tag">LOTRO</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQ2" rel="tag">EQ2</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EQN" rel="tag">EQN</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/The+Secret+World" rel="tag">The Secret World</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/TSW" rel="tag">TSW</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Rift" rel="tag">Rift</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Guild+Wars+2" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Guild+Wars" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/housing" rel="tag">housing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/clothing" rel="tag">clothing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/wardrobe" rel="tag">wardrobe</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/dye" rel="tag">dye</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Oblivion" rel="tag">Oblivion</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Morrowind" rel="tag">Morrowind</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Elder+Scrolls" rel="tag">Elder Scrolls</a></div>