12 years? I feel so old :)

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Aradune, Mar 6, 2013.

  1. silku Augur

    Maybe it was a bit hard core as you said above, but you know what I miss? The thrill of knowing a name was up somewhere and trying to beat one of the other capable guilds to it. I don't know that I want to go back to that, but it was exciting trying to get people together, organized, buffed and to a distant zone in order to get a piece of loot; knowing at anytime that one of the others might see it on track at any second.
  2. Axxius Augur

    Unfortunately, that sort of thing doesn't happen anymore in EQ. Every secret gets spoiled before new content is released. Because there is no real QA anymore and the devs need players to come and beta test everything. It was an awesome feeling of mystery and discovery when a new expansion would come out and we knew absolutely nothing about it. I really miss that feeling. But then again, QA was always pretty bad, and these days you can't get away with releasing untested and buggy content. I totally don't miss being stuck in Iceclad for days. Or the million crashed and daily patches of Luclin. Or the nuclear disaster that was GoD. Etc etc etc. Player testing has improved the quality of the releases big time, and I don't know if it's even possible to do proper testing with only internal resources. But I do miss exploring new content without 100% spoilers.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  3. Niteangel Journeyman

    OMG this is amazing, you were the best (and surely still are)! Welcome back! (I am also coming back, as a player of course, after many years). Pleaseeeee don't let them make easier than it already is, I loved the tough EQ, including the terrible corpse runs (which are the reason it was scary to die), and all the other difficulties (except the boat lag). Every other game I've played were way too easy, in every way. Long live Everquest, and thank you for your participation in the creation of this legendary game, the one that started it all.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  4. Talif Augur

    I wouldn't mind seeing an EQ2 type system, where the vast majority of raid targets are locked in instances, but there are a few open world fights (that drop some of the best gear in the game).
  5. Zegeroth New Member

    So Brad, when are you going to start working on EQN? They must have just been getting you warmed back up to SOE with Vangaurd and EQ1. The next gen MMO needs Brad McQuaid...
  6. Edrick Augur

    Late to the party, but...

    What do you do at SOE, Mr. McQuaid? Does anyone else know?

    Also I'd like to thank you for over a decade of friends, memories, a virtual world to love, and a fun game to play. My life would be completely different if it wasn't for EQ.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  7. Edrick Augur

    That is awesome, Elidroth, thank you. When the zones are released (it kinda slipped what the new hardcore heritage zones are,) and the expansion, I and am sure many others would love to know who did what.

    Thanks again!
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  8. Risiko Augur

    I'm going to take a wild guess that Aradune will be involved in designing The 4th Gate of Neriak.

    Just a guess.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  9. Zeebu Journeyman

    So let me get this right. I call out Brad Mcquaid in one of my dizzying posts about game design as a cite for the argument of innovation vs "market research" or what ever it was someone was jousting me about and less then a week later you just show up.

    I wonder if I can make Elvis come back if I mention his name on the forums :)

    All joking aside I am an amateur video game designer with my primary focus being on technical design concepts (how much damage/special ability should weapon x do/have and what type and why) and also suspension of disbelief (as highlighted By Sid Meier's 2010 GDC keynote address and Randy Pitchford's keynote address at DICE "Video Games are Magic"

    I am fascinated by this new debate of themepark vs sandbox and I would like to gather some additional insight on the matter. Rather then waste your much needed and valuable time could you personally recommend a link or 2 I could use to gather research on the subject?

    Also. Now that you're back. I might just have to make myself reappear in game again. You are one of the forefathers of this industry. You are a powerful Force much like Sid although younger. Great things will come from your return. It's good to see you back.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  10. Quasimojo Elder

    Been playing EQ more on than off since 2001. Brad, I just want to thank you for helping to provide a game world that has held my interest for so long. There is something about "The Vision" (TM) that everyone can find with with to take issue, but for me it adhered to the core philosophy that just keeps me coming back.

    Twelve years in this game, and the closest I think I every got to max level was within 15 levels. I had to play nearly every class and experience the game from each perspective. I have enjoyed them all immensely.

    Thank you again, and as another poster mentioned, your status of folk hero in this community is very well deserved.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  11. Rainbowdash Augur


    Will the models be Classic too? ;D Nostalgia!
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  12. Ishtass Augur

    I want to thank Brad for Vanguard, that was a hilarious launch
  13. Edrick Augur

    The game itself was great, especially the crafting. The launch and post-launch support are, well, a different story.
  14. Ishtass Augur

    Created character, spawned in an ocean, swam to land and suddenly fell to death. Great ideas just terrible bugs and was released way too early.
  15. Aradune Lorekeeper


    Having a lot of fun with that content too :)

    Thanks all for your kind words!

    Also it was great meeting a bunch of new people at SOE LIve as well as players I've known for a long time.

    -Aradune
  16. Illusionist_Innania Augur

    I liked harassing Aradune during the HoF beta period and trying to get him to drag me to the new zone, but he wouldn't :(
  17. Edrick Augur

    Signing up for beta just so I can see the man himself in.. uh, virtual person, I guess.
  18. Janakin Augur

    Aradune!

    I personally want to thank you for giving Everquest to the world to enjoy. I picked up the game on release in early 1999 and have been playing it since. Yes, I have played every other MMO out there since but none of them compare to EQ. My subscription to EQ has never lapsed and aside from vacations I do not think more than 2 weeks has gone by without me playing!

    The game lore, the expansive world and never-ending repeatable quests are what sells it for me but.... while playing a warrior has gone from more than just attack, taunt and hoping my healer did not fall asleep, I do hope you can bring more fun to my class and other classes than is currently available. Right now I have more fun playing my ranger, bezerker and rogue with their headshot, decapitate and assassination abilities. I want something that allows me to use duel-wield and mow through low level dungeons muhahaha! I want to be able to be on a raid and, while not tanking, pop out a 2H weapon for dps. Having a sword and board as the primary option for all situations has become very boring.

    Still, I am excited to hear you are back Brad and look forward to playing in your world until I die or EQ stops running.

    Janakin Venatumbra
    100 Warrior
    www.srguild.com
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  19. matsqq New Member

    Great to see you back, Brad !

    The best moments I ever had in any game was when I started EQ. The first months were amazing ,,,

    Thinking back and analyzing why I have come to the conclusion that the main reasons for this was the following:

    I did not no the mechanics of the game and so it seemed like pure magic (not knowing what characters was data driven and what characters were actual people).

    As soon as you know the mechanics of a game it turns mechanical and boring ...

    Of course it's much more difficult to surprise people today when MMORPG:s have been around for a decade , but I think that is the key element ...

    Strive to take away the mechanical and try to make it "magic".

    Artificial intelligence is still not good enough to be even close to the responsiveness and creativeness of human beings so I think the key to making a game a success is to have the exact right mix of data driven stuff and people interaction.

    The social interaction like pure chat functions is one aspect of EQ but I think the greatest challenge lies in creating a game where you have the best of both worlds.

    Human creativeness but still a theme and surrounding that is data driven.

    Maybe let ordinary players partly take over NPC action and dialogue ? It would be fun to talk to an NPC and not know an exact mechanical response and instead use other players intelligence to make the game come alive ... Of course there are challenges to this, but imaging what it would be like to have a world where not one single character behaved like a machine ...

    Just an idea (in the middle of the night here in Sweden so perhaps a bad idea :) ) , but I think you understand what I'm aiming at ...

    Not mechanics - MAGIC !!!

    Regards
    Mats
  20. Zahrym Augur

    If you F*** up EQnext I'm never going to forgive you after Vanguard Brad.
    Shanaie likes this.