EverQuest Producer's Letter July 2022

Discussion in 'News and Announcements' started by Angeliana, Jul 21, 2022.

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  1. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    It would be nice to get more infographics, reports, and internal stats from time to time.


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  2. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    Your point is a game company released a very buggy game after a very large pre release press conference and suffered because of it? What does a company doing a poor job at developing a game have to do with most games that don't have this issue?
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  3. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    Are you even familiar with Cyperpunk 2077 other than forcing a rhetorical counterpoint? The game was marketed as a cutting edge MMO (i.e. high powered AI, dynamic environments, adaptable storyline).

    What are the paradigm-shifting AAA games released in the last decade other than Fortnite? (Daybreak's Battle Royale H1Z1 was eclipsed by Fortnite). I think of Cyberpunk 2077, Star Citizen, and Pantheon as the supposed game-changing MMO titles of the next generation. So far, all 3 have failed to come to fruition (though Cyberpunk 2077 has made strides for stability but at a far lower bar).

    When people refer to an EQ remake or overhaul, they aren't referring to a middle-of-the-pack console or mobile game.
  4. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    People are not asking for new "game-changing" titles, they just want EQ1 with better graphics and fewer bugs. So that it doesn't scare newbies away. At least that is my impression. I mean, when RuneScape can do it, why not EQ1?
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  5. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    When you mean "better graphics", do you mean graphics made with existing engine and tools? The best we will probably get are current models (TBL to ToL).

    EverQuest will be a 24 year old game next year. The devs can't just plug and play Unreal Engine 5.

    Even if a "gut and replace" is feasible, I'm not sure the costs and risks are justified for the current game. It may be better to create a new title. The problem is existing and new customers don't want a disjointed middle-of-the-pack game (e.g. a franchise game: Halo, God of War, Horizon). Would people re-roll on something like 'Champions of Norrath' (EQ PS2 spin-off) on Unreal Engine 5 with no paradigm-shifting features? Doubt it.
  6. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    Personally, I would be happy with that, yes.
    Especially if they could update the engine so that the performance would be smoother. Just imagine if we had better client-side prediction, and the ability to turn around without the mouse getting all confused.

    I have nothing against the current art-style, I just want it to be consistent. Maybe new models too. So that player models looks just as cool as the current mobs.

    You know, things that makes the game look polished! :)
  7. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    That doesn't sound much of a departure from the status quo. No offense.

    Unfortunately, I don't think EQ is positioned well (technical and financial) for an engine update. At least not with the cutting edge engines (Unreal Engine 5) to remain viable and competitive in the market.

    Could EG7 resurrect Champions of Norrath with Unreal Engine 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S? It's very possible. Would current EQ players find it worth re-rolling without mind-blowing MMO features? Probably not.
  8. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    Nope, but EQ had a new gfx engine almost every year prior to 2005, of course this is back when the game was kept fairly close to the cutting edge it was upon release, and they had knowledge of doing that whole "fit the game into a new engine / build a new engine around the game".

    I'm sure a bespoke new engine is completely feasible & while there are certainly off-the shelf engines like UE5 it's not even like EQ devs have no experience in building their own engines, Forgelight, the EQN engine being primary examples of recent ones. Forgelight was even used as the original EQN engine, even just using that for EQ would see the graphics of the game massively improved & they have developers who use & create in that engine still in the wider company.

    I am entirely sure that a *new EQ* is in fact a far riskier proposition than revamping EQ with an entrenched user-base, even if it is small it serves as a strong support to build upwards from, doing exactly this kind of modernisation of existing titles was a foundation of EG7 getting into the MMO business to begin with.
  9. Benito EQ player since 2001.


    ForgeLight was created in 2009. Planetside 2 was launched in 2012. H1Z1 in 2018. ForgeLight was updated to support DirectX 11 for Planetside 2.

    How easy is it to port a 23 year old game into a brand new engine (beyond the backfill of 10 expansions/adventure packs in 2005)?

    I really doubt it is within the realm of technical and financial viability.

    Edit: I am starting to sound repetitive and it verges on a derail. We can agree to disagree.
  10. Jumbur Improved Familiar


    Photo-realism is overrated anyway, but right now EQ1 isn't running really well. I want a solid high framerate a (relatively) bugfree experience and good user-controls, and no lag. Stuff that I think most people expect from a subscriber driven game with active dev-maintenance.

    I don't want EQ1 turned into EQNext, I just want a better EQ1. :)
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  11. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    I agree with you. I'm not sure if your 'wants' depart from the status quo.

    Daybreak has done a great job of stabilizing servers and general latency in the last 2 years.

    The problem is it is human nature to ask for more. It also evident we have WoW, FF14, and Pantheon refugees expecting Darkpaw to fill that paradigm-shifting MMO void. (It is always better to spend someone else's money and time).
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  12. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    I am well aware that it wont make the game look instantly modern, even if they upgraded the engine. But I think such an upgrade would make the game run much better and give a better playing-experience. A "polished" version of EQ1, with most of the bugs and engine-shortcommings weeded out, would probably be worthy of some marketing.

    Newbies potentially interested in EQ1, know what to expect. So DBG have to make EQ1 live up to that expectation, nothing more! Don't show them a game that still has 20 year old bugs...

    Most failures in the gaming market right now, is because of overambitious developers that prioritize fancy next-generation-features over stability and debugging imo.
  13. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    And what does that have to do with them putting out such a bad quality game that they where forced to do refunds for it? There will always be developers who over promise and can't deliver but that doesn't mean that all new projects should be judged that way. This type of failure is a rarity in the gaming industry.
  14. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    I also cited the failures of Star Citizen and Pantheon MMO. I am hopeful for Ashes of Creation but it is long way away.

    Overpromising seems to be norm and not the exception for "blockbuster MMOs" (not a franchise game). It is not a "rarity in the gaming industry" at least not in the last decade.
  15. Benito EQ player since 2001.


    I think there are 3 current models to game development:

    1. The Blockbuster (Unicorn) Game - Paradigm-shifting features. Blockbuster budget. Returns on the scale of Fortnite.

    2. The Franchise Game - Familiar titles with moderate improvements. Final Fantasy, Halo, GTA, CoD, Horizon, God of War, Gran Turismo, Madden. Modest returns.

    3. The Cash Game - Usually a F2P or mobile game with features or mechanics that require shop purchases. Pump and dump.

    I don't see EQ fitting into any of those categories. Though, EQ is a sort of self-cycling franchise (expansions and TLPs). Efficient but conservative (which I support).
  16. Metanis Bad Company

    I wonder when the last time they actually sat down with a group of first-time EQ installers and watched what happened?

    Based on Player Support cases there are plenty of first-time users who can't even get the game to run.

    Even if they get it to run, they are thrown into a Tutorial that hasn't been updated in years with a UI that could be a Design School study in worst cases.

    I suspect very few younger people have the attention span to navigate EQ1 long enough to get interested.
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  17. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    One bug filled game and two publicly funded games are all the evidence you are going to to use? There are many other block buster games that do not have these sort of problems.
  18. Benito EQ player since 2001.

    Name recent, successful blockbuster games in the MMO genre.
  19. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    Not sure why you are so laser focused in on a game that had a really buggy launch, another that appears to just be asking people for more and more money and finally one that is asking for more and more money but appears to be vapor wear. There are more blockbuster games that get launched then these three.
  20. Benito EQ player since 2001.


    I've asked you to name recent blockbuster MMOs.

    The first part of your argument supports my point. You've failed to provide concrete examples for the second part (the distinguishing thrust).

    I suppose you will continue in your obstinacy (and not respond to my query). It would be best for me stop now to avoid a derail.
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