EverQuest Producer’s Letter April 2023

If this is the mechanic that they wanted to push to live but we don't know that it isn't something else.

Considering the last test notes included updating /yell. (Which is a core part of how FTE works on EQ2.) It's coming to live.

How does that mean it is coming to live when it would be needed for the system to run on Oakwynd? Any changes that they need to make for the server will get patched to both the test and live servers even if the FTE system is never enabled on live servers.

Because it is best to assume they are planning to push all these features to live, but since the other two are pretty much neutral not much needs to be said on them; but yes if people have complaints about those two systems they should express them also here (whether they are playing TLP or Live).

And an assumption could be right or wrong especially if you are basing it on a single patch note that will be needed even if the feature isn't enabled on all servers.

Now we need action, not just "listening"

The rule set doesn't matter - FTE does. Please address the FTE controversy.

See here's the thing with all that, and the continuous fail point you "THERE AREN'T ANY CAMPS IN EQ!!!" people apparently keep failing to grasp.

What happens there is basically the same thing that was still happening anyway. In game where a majority of the player base you come across *does* indeed recognize and respect camps in EQ there is always going to be that minority base out there like you that don't, and there is always going to be so called toxic play coming out of it. The greedy "griefer" in your example above wasn't suddenly turning in to some saint or respectful of others around him player without FTE. Griefers gonna grief. It's in the DNA to how they play. The chosen method of whatever-it-takes toxic play is the only thing changing there, and there is never any shortage of that on any TLP to date.

As the poster you quoted so fittingly put it, behind the concern curtain I read a lot of these so called cherry picked scenarios out for what believe they really are - the typical "LOL THAT'S EQ BABYYY CRY MORE" guy not liking this sudden change up to the dominate-with-numbers gameplay formula one bit. Who in the bigger picture reality can now expect to invest more total effort into what ultimately ends up losing them more total something-to-gain scenarios under FTE then they used to.

Lots of people, who would happily trade that sniped Lord for countless other examples where they've routinely felt screwed over by your "dps is king" mantra, just aren't shedding any tears for that playstyle loss there. Lesser evils baby.

literally speak only for yourself, thanks

yea its crazy... imagine wanting to make money.. Why dont they just have a poll.. Whatever would make them the most money should be "1 of the servers".

Please show me when brad said this after leaving. Brad left the company because he was dumb and sold his equity to SOE

Why do you want to transpose the 'dog eats dog' ideology of tlp onto the live servers? While it may not be DP policy to enforce camps, it has been a social contract since around launch of EQ. There are consequences for being jerk socially on live. So no its not even remotely the same.

'FTE' encounter locking... uh-oh.

Everyone pray for our friends in Customer Service - the flood of tickets requiring GM intervention is going to be insane.

"Might Makes Right" may be an imperfect rule in many ways, but at least it allows most conflicts among players to reach a conclusion among players.

What happens when every pick's Ancient Jarsath is being mezed or kited indefinitely? Hasten Bootstrutter? Every_Epic_Quest_Mob?

Unless part of the plan is to drastically expand staffing, I can't imagine Customer Service will be able to keep up. It's going to bog down the game and players will no longer have the tools to resolve conflicts among themselves.

If FTE-style encounter locking is indeed coming to Oakwynd, what will the policy about selling 'Encounter Rights' ('ER') be? Will it be treated differently than LR (Loot Rights) are currently? If so, how?

Nothing you said makes any sense. and "MY" dps mantra isn't MINE. its literally the companies lol. We are just going by DP's rules. They don't recognize camps so they don't have to mediate 24/7. But I do respect camps. But when me and my group are being "hassled" by someone trying to snag your named my first thought is "we need to be ready to dps before he snags it." With FTE it won't matter how rdy we are. Cheaters are gonna cheat. cheaters are always first. Robots are faster than humans. Personally I don't like FTE idea because it makes EQ seem even less dangerous. For me one of the main attractions of EQ is the random crap storm that can happen at anytime including "trains". With FTE it will be a bore fest. With nothing to challenge you randomly.

FTE + random train schedule in all zones = balance?

I cannot believe after this many pages/posts that people still think this will level the playing field at all. It's easy to see who has managed to avoid the famously contested spawns in their eq careers.

Ditch the encounter locking nonsense - need to nip this in the bud before they get the idea of bringing it to the Live servers =/

The only people I've seen claiming FTE will be some magic fix or completely "level the playing field" are the people projecting it on to others in jest within their posts vehemently against the FTE concept.

For the people out there that generally respect those contested camps, were never out there "out-dps'ing" others on already engaged mobs simply because they could, and/or have no real invested interest in the now absolute worst case scenario logistics that will have to go into batphone raiding..........FTE is simply not adding up to be the complete day in and day out gameplay approach changer for them that it's going to be for a lot of the other people crying rivers about it. At least outside the ability to PL.

It's really that simple for a lot of people on the other side of this pros and cons debate man.

There is a difference between supporting something and pushing an agenda. FTE isn't going to prevent power leveling, kill stealing, and/or trains. It's clearly exploitable and will be abused and loaded with bugs. It's simply not worth the headache after 2.5 decades, especially with no real reason why it's being implemented.

No it is not clearly exploitable and the glaringly obvious intent was to get rid of training once and for all.

I'm sure that people who routinely train in order to enforce camps or punish people who aren't having fun the right way don't see that trains are a problem but I think it's apparent that Darkpaw does given the harsh punishment that being caught training will earn them.