Community Letter: A Note from Jennifer Chan

Congratulations Jen!

Looking forward to the future content! Cant wait to see whats in store for us. (EQ1)

Same question every time there is down time. Same answer every time too.

Perhaps you can start by advising your people to sell the game rights to a company that can actually handle their job. The amount of server downtime is absurd.

I agree with the above statement!! Not off to a very good start! The past month you cant keep servers up at all! They are down more than we get to play! For such an old game you would think they should have it together by now! Not like they are trying to create VR or 4k gaming its everquest! The worst part of enjoying this game the little time we actually get to play is always having to deal with this nonsense and still have to pay! Honestly IMO the only reason this game is still going with all the bull and unprofessional people, that by what i have witnessed need further education on how to do their job, is people like myself that truly enjoy the game for what it use to be in hopes that one day they will get a crew that knows how to keep this game up and running properly. Its truly sad to see that all of these issues are what will end this game and business entirely! Not a stab to be rude or hateful but honestly i have played this game since the very beginning and i have stopped playing many different times and almost every single time was because of this nonsense. I dont want to see something ive enjoyed for so many years shut down entirely instead of expanding to become better because of this nonsense. No other game i have played goes threw anything like this. But when people get fed up and stop spending money there will no longer be a game. So please get it together so we can continue to enjoy this game instead of like vanguard did one day logged on to find out everything was gone and deleted completely shut down.

Congrats on also failing to deliver like everyone before you.

The fact that it is such an old game is precisely what makes it difficult to get right. The systems and code they're working with are over 20 years old, and they're still managing to update content and make things work together. On top of that, they're now re-configuring the ENTIRE game to allow for us to have our nostalgia playground, on top of a fully functional modernized game. Of course, that still isn't good enough for us, so they're also having to continually innovate and adjust for hackers, botters, boxers, abusers, and unhappy fans who pay the bills.

This is absolutely ridiculous! I work for a large company, I understand mistakes happen from time to time. Why are server launches a failure nearly every time? Is it old, outdated hardware? Is it due to incompetent employees? Both of these servers, along with several others bring in our money from our store purchases, etc, etc. Where does that money go? It obviously isn't to upgrade the systems

This is a prime example of why you need to slow down with the expansions and focus on platform stability.

The game is enjoyable when able to play. The down time has been a bit excessive in last few updates, I agree, but it is a game that has spanned many years and is still around.
I don't get as upset at the downtime as some, but it is annoying, I get it.
I am in hopes that the new owners can find ways to keep this game rolling and not lose so many players that it decides it is not profitable enough to keep.
Lets try to work together and get it right. Patience and understanding on the players part, and incentives to keep playing from the EQ owners, shows the players that they are working to keep them happy.
It does not take a genius to figure out that the Devs have a great deal to contend with if you consider the amount of work it currently takes to deal with such a massive game.
That being said, I have been playing this game on 3 paid accounts for many years. (ALMOST 19). My kids played, and I continue to play their toons as well as mine. I enjoy it when I play, lets keep working to get it perfected so we can all relax a bit, players and Devs.
Arborist of Luclin
115 Ranger
Black Dragon Legion

I ran a private server for years. I can spin up my old dell R710 right now and host 300 people instantly. This is Daybreak on par with what they always do. I made 20 bucks though!!! We all had downtime claims and I will hit the 4 hour mark! ALWAYS bet that Daybreak stands by there name (it will be broke for a day)

As someone who has maintained multiple accounts over 20 years I just want to say most of us appreciate that Everquest is still alive and kicking even when the servers are down. All it really comes down to is making sure the platform is stable before releasing new content/servers. We all like that they are still spitting out new content for us to enjoy but when you do it as fast as DB there is bound to be issues. Maybe instead up a multitude of expansions why not a big one that takes us players a while to get through. ToVs content is challenging at times but lets face that fact that is it a rather small expansion. I really hope DB will start using quality over quantity. I for one would like to see a large expansion that takes a good deal of time to get through

Wonder if this Chan person actually exists and ever contemplates herself to address the masses, and the Hindenburg like legacy that her regime has had so far. Few words might go a long way, but what do I know.

The amount of vitriol and personal attacks that get thrown about on the forums never ceases to amaze and horrify me...

@Dreamweaver: I served as an impromptu community relations guy 20-someodd years ago when I was a game dev at Sierra. It's a thankless job that can drain the life right out of you. Hang in there. Illegitimi non carborundum.

I'm sure JChan is a great developer.. but what experience does she have running a business or managing a P&L ?

Agreed Medimus, its amazing how lethal of a combination boredom and an unfulfilled life can be. People don't think about what it would be like if we stood outside their place of employment and hurled insults at them when things went wrong. You can get a pretty clear picture of these people when you imagine an angry man cussing out a waitress for the cook getting their order wrong.

who cares about the insults its a company that needs a face, and shes the lucky one who gets to deal with these losers who cant crawl out the basement because they might burn from sunlight.

and to be honest the whole team and just the way the games heading is coming to end so you people clean your tears and do something rather then rage over a game that cant hold the amount of people trying to play on the New TLP it happens every year. you cry and for a new tlp and then when it comes it dont work and you cry and some more.... Get over it the games a dying legend.

Kinda harsh John.

WHAT? These guys had months to prepare for this. During Desert Storm If out satcom went down we knew it was our fault PERIOD. This is a sh#tshow plain and simple. I was a Server tech for match dot com and yahoo (HP Contractor via Northrop Grumman) after the military. If we rolled out new servers they worked! or we got fired!!!!!!

I think its a bigger issue from a management stand point. EQ as a business model, its been in a death loop ever since from day one. Not like the in game classes, all leveling up through the years if keep playing. the EQ population has been leveling down. We as fan of EQ, been lucky still to have chance playing this good but broken game. I predicted the situation EQ has today years ago. And I want to say it again, unless EQ changes her top management and renew her business plan, someday, EQ wont be able to even support her families ( ppl that have been working hard to maintain the game system). Don't blame anyone here pls, ppl. Not their fault, you never can cook , without food and ingredients , as an old Chinese old sayings.

This is pretty commonplace in a lot of sectors of employment in America... and it's a fact of life in our country. If you've managed to be sheltered from it, good for you, but if not go spend a week as a server - if you don't feel the need to "HELP" or "FIX" the system... You're doing it wrong bud.