Could do this.. DPG

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Jimmy2times, Feb 19, 2021.

  1. Jimmy2times Elder

    You know Diablo 2 remastered was announced at Blizzcon. Same core game, updated graphics with some QoL improvements. I know this isn't a Blizzard company and D2 is a lot different game and a lot smaller. The fans welcomed the news. I think D2 was released in 2000 and EQ released in 1999. It would be really cool if DPG & Everquest did something new with the game like that. Obviously there is still a loyal fanbase here just as in D2 and perhaps a lot of folks are turned off by the much easier mmorpg's released in the more recent years, but this would provide an opportunity to continue the game we all love and grab some of the newer and younger customers to grow the game. Everquest is a well know name and it wouldn't be easy, but the opportunity exists for something like this if you guys aren't gonna make, announce, or even tease EQ3 (Which I hope I am wrong, but I don't see this ever happening).
    Warpeace likes this.
  2. Riou EQResource

    An EQ remaster isn't going to sell like 10m copies
    Fenthen, Skuz and Cicelee like this.
  3. Visitor Augur

    I would not suggest a full remaster, rather a new engine. Then test it out in the TLP section with a server or two. First 3 months do original to POP, option to buff to 25, or 50 or 65, with equal defiant gear, so those who want to check it out can. Reward with 10 DB per hour (max 500) month, an account bonus for quests verified working ( at end of trial period). Second three months to level 80, ( buff to 80), third 3 months to level 100, (with buff to 100), and 4th 3 months to 110 with a 110 buff option.
    Some thing like that could draw in new players and returnees, no need to upgrade old graphics, just make sure that it all works. and then have the new engine go live. Player can keep one character- a 110 Buffed out, plus be a reward list for the quests done in the TLP during the year. Hopefully, there would be an increase in player count, and an improved game viability for another 20 years.
    Just an idea, but, it is aging, and it is probably getting a lot harder to add new expansions, so if we want to play for years more, some fresh ideas would be good, maybe.
  4. Gherig Addicted since Aug 1st, 1998

    I cant even imagine how much it would cost to Remaster EQ1. At least a few million I would say. It is not a good investment at all. There is also a huge difference in a company that has 40-60 employees and one that has 3000-4000 like Blizzard.
  5. Zinth Augur

    if they should do anything they should do a full recode... 1 expansion at a time... then launch that as the new "TLP" next year release Kunark etc. but it would take time to redo the engine first... and decide which features to keep, which to use (so we only have 1 raid/mission/quest system) and drop stuff like the LDON system and just make it an "alternate currency"... it wouldn't be cheap but marketed right it might drag in both old players (keep it TRUE to the classic game) and new players
    Vumad likes this.
  6. Waring_McMarrin Augur


    All servers currently run with the same code, trying to split it out for a few TLP's would be a lot of work and it would be better to make changes for everyone.
    Skuz likes this.
  7. Slasher Augur

    People thinking a few million are WAYYYYYYYYYYY off. You don't just import current assets into a new game engine and get better graphics. Imagine all the art they would have to recreate ? Or the number of zones you have to recreate ? It would cost 10s of millions or more for a game this size and we haven't even talked about them having to recreate all content.

    Could you do it ? Of course is it practical ? of course not. When its done what is the goal ? Can you attract the millions of new players you would need to justify the investment ? The answer is no.
    Andarriel and Jumbur like this.
  8. Visitor Augur

    My thinking was a new engine and a new login to say Everquest Rebirth. EQ players use their login to the new system, to sort of beta test it out, and there is no need for new graphics, just make sure the old works. I suggested rewards, as in additional Station Cash per hour game time per month. plus credits for each quest verified or bugged, and beta buffed toons to 25 or 50 or 65, for the initial testing. Each 3 month would raise the level to a higher section of Expansions, and possibly improved graphics.
    The idea is that players could gain rewards for testing the new engine, and game. Obviously, if the new owners already have a seriously better engine, that would be great. Hopefully, the Buzz from a rebirth of EQ could generate interest from old players and newcomers. As to the cost, if you gain 10,000 players at a gain of $100 year, that is a good step, and if can manage 100k players, that is 10 mil $ per year. (guesstimate)
    Not knowing the numbers these days, I assure I can not guess at the viability, Still, it would be nice to have an influx of people, and to enhance the games ability to run for another 20 years. So possibly the powers that be will, look at the idea, maybe already have and are giving consideration to an upgrade.
    As to live beta testing, we already have to log into EQ 2, if we want to play there, so loading a new version is just something to do, making sure that, when and if it is time to transfer everything from the old engine to the new, it would be relatively smooth.
    Last point, I know a number of players, that when and if EQ 1 dies, they will not be putting in the effort to learn and build a life in a new world. I tend to agree with that.
  9. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    Is a Remaster of EQ possible? Yes it is, with enough money & resources anything can be done.

    Is it likely to happen soon? No.

    Is it likely to happen ever? Maybe, but even then it won't be able to all happen at once, at most one zone at a time perhaps.

    Before we get to "new Engine" debates, there is already an impending need to change the game to a 64-bit program that can use a higher version of Direct X, that's not going to happen imminently but eventually it will have to be done for the long term survival of the game,

    When that engine re-write is done there will be some scope within that to make some long term upgrades, these won't be making the existing assets look better but they offer scope for future assets to be of a higher quality - that's pretty much what happened with the rewrites of the past, including the "most recent" that upgraded the game to a DX 9.0c engine in 2004.
    What then can take place are some revamps of older assets to better take advantage of the newly re-written engine, some zone revamping was done with the DX 9.0c but as we saw with the Freeport & North Ro/Oasis of Marr/South Ro revamp these don't always go as well or in the way that the players would like or expected.

    What I do not expect to happen is a big effort to recreate all of the EQ assets in something like Unity or Unreal Engine 4 and then EQ "Rebirth" being a bang up to date engine, as nice an idea as that might be.
    Jumbur likes this.
  10. Silver-Crow Augur

    Really what you're looking for is Everquest 3.
  11. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    It can probably be an automatic process to convert current assets to something that is compatible with a new engine. after all the assets are more or less just textured polygons, with some sorting and ligth-maps applied. It will not look much different, but it will be compatible with a more efficient engine and it will run much better.

    If they do that, then they will have less limitations when making future expansions. :)

    I know actual zone-revamps are a huge undertaking(they are made from scratch after all), no-one really expects them to revamp 500+ zones in the span of a few years.

    My guess is a single proper zone-revamp is 2 months of work, I could be way off of course.:eek:
  12. Elenderil Lorekeeper

    There must be some firm numbers on what it took to do the graphic revamps to Commonlands and Ro that would provide a firm basis for discussion. Personally I would love to see the entire game with graphics as good as the revamped Commonlands. I know even better graphics could be achieved but I'd be happy with a bringing the look of the game up to the standards we see in the newer zones.
  13. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    Tbh, I want this too, I just don't see it being realistic.
    Even if they only revamped the older zones(from before they introduced bumpmaps, Omens I think), it would still be unrealistic with the resources they have. :(

    The best we can hope for, is that a new GFX engine would fix graphics-bugs in older zones(consistent fog is a big one!) and return them to their "former glory".
  14. Quillman New Member

    I must profess that the 'new commonlands' is aesthetically garbage compared to the original. Same goes with freeport and just about any other old world zones they decided to revamp! I'd be 100% for an actual revamp to a modern engine however unlikely... Not talking about changing old world zones to the 'luclin' style of texturing here.
  15. Warpeace Augur

    A revamped EQ could have a lot of potential for the Dev team and players.
    Skuz likes this.
  16. Zinth Augur

    new engine DX12 or even better Vulcan and of course 64bit... 32bit is dying off FAST

    revamping ALL zones to the standard of Nektulos/Commonlands... NOT Freeport... which should have a new PROPER revamp to give the same layout as the original Freeport and not this horrible mess of a new one... Nektulos 2.0 was horrible too... it was more like a theater stage than a zone... thank god they did a proper revamp. Many of the classic zones ARE already redone... but those that would take a long time is the dungeons sola-b-c/u-l-guk/eye.... the OW zones are "somewhat" easier to quickly slap together...

    would gladly pay for a NEW EQ if they put down a promise of launching classic... (call it modern TLP) with the above... and then all the expansions, one every year... get rid of the "mistakes" they made in the various expansions, aka weed out the crud that was BAD... keep all the good stuff, revamp the quest system (the new system is fine but all raids should be on same system and not spread out over various systems) and they could fix up the quest rewards (because some of them are just so horribad and never really got fixed so you pay more/spend way more time to get like a rusty dagger kinda stuff) changing the loot around but keeping the lore, maybe even changing some of the camps around but still keeping the feel of the old zones... would freshen it up so noone knows "everything"... and ADVERTISE IT!!! to bring in new suckers to be stuck the next 2 decades ;-)
  17. Visitor Augur

    I am not a programmer, and was just thinking that a project for revitalizing EQ, could bring in the new and old players that would make it pay. 300 years ago, log cabins were in vogue, there is no need to make 20 year old zones look super, leave the old looking old, just make it work better. It is unlikely that many are going to spend the time in the old newbie zones just to gawk at new graphics, But, for people to see improved graphics as we get to new expansions would be great. The trick is to build a new game that allows for all (or most of the old stuff) and that once it is ready, we can port all our characters, to the new game engine, and play another 20 years. The need is to have the trials -Beta- done in a year or so once it is determined that it can be done, and be financially viable. So that Current players can have the advantage of playing in the new engine, and programmers can write for it.
  18. Vumad Cape Wearer


    Really what we're looking for is EverQuest remastered.

    Same game with a modern engine. I can message my friends on Xbox from my phone. I can push updates to my console with my Phone. Blizzard allows messaging across most of its games. A modern engine that allows multi-platform, especially now that consoles allow keyboards, is a possibility. And now we can stream gameplay to other devices simply, without desktop sharing work arounds.

    Etc etc and so forth.

    EQ3 would be a bigger mistake than EQ2 was.

    A modern engine TLP is the solution I have been behind for a long time and I think is a solid investment.

    We would all be on a new engine if it had been implemented when Phinny launched.
    Skuz likes this.
  19. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    Heck have an Engine Revamp for EQ & EQ 2 using the same new engine if it cuts down on costs :)

    Still a better idea than EQ 3 right now.

    Before anyone gives up on EQ Remastered go check out the success story of Runescape.
  20. Zinth Augur

    they made one mistake though... we began getting revamped zones... then we got some of the newer models in the older zones... then some classic hippies whined and now we have revamped zones with crappy looking wolves and such... the new wolves were much nicer. so we even have these new assets but we took a step backwards to use old crap...
    code-zero likes this.