Please share the original EverQuest design docs with us

Hi developers,

I would love love love to read the original EverQuest design docs. I'm aware of the one there's many pictures of online titled "EverQuest design document revision 9/5/96":



And there's apparently at least one earlier one that's referred to in this 2011 interview with McQuaid, Smedly, and Zatkin on GDC Online. McQuaid said it was titled "Online RPG".

Notably, in that interview it was suggested that all these design docs would be released to the public to be read, but as far as I can tell, they never were:

Could whatever design documents you still have access to please be scanned and shared with us? Especially in this major anniversary year, it would be a wonderful piece of history to enjoy.

Thanks,
Mirthe of Quellious

Good shout. I'd buy it if they released it in book format.

I read a similar book about Warcraft written as a diary by one of their developers. Very interested on the history of the development of Warcraft. It's called the World of Warcraft Diary: A Journal of Computer Game Development.

For me, reading this stuff is like a magician revealing his tricks, or a mechanic explaining to me how the combustion engine works.

I would love to read that. I'd love to know what the early design of the game I've spent the most time on looks like.

I would LOVE to be able to read that! Please DBG post it for us to read through!

I would gladly pay for a copy of the EverQuest design document. I'm dead serious. I'll give $100 to Extra Life charity for a paper copy or a PDF copy.

In the Fippy Fest livestream, one of the questions someone asked was about if we could see these original design docs. However, the developers didn't seem aware of this original document, and weren't sure what to share. Since I posted a photo in this thread of that doc, I thought it might be helpful if I reply here so they can see it. They seemed open to sharing it, but didn't know what doc was being referenced.

Thanks!

(Deleted accidental dupe post.)

They mentioned something called the Encyclopedia Norrathica (I believe), and that there were a couple of different versions of it floating around as well. As an archivist, I would love to dig around through all of that, compile it, then release a "final form" of it. I bet there are tons of paper and digital documents to go through. If I lived in the San Diego area, I'd do this for free, lol.

I think this should be released to the public. The EverQuest design document is important enough part of American cultural history that it should be copied, made available to all, and the originals sent to the Smithsonian or the National Video Game Museum.

Are we sure these documents are in English? I prefer think that Almighty Brell would have caused these sacred things to have been created in the one true language of the dwarves.

Didn't someone also say this would be a question for legal? As in are they able to?

I don't remember any comment about legalities, but they were discussing electronic copies. In any case, (and my memory may well be faulty) I would be even more curious as to what secrets are buried in this now fabled document.

And to further things along (Warning, Derail Coming) I would wonder if the hidden EQ prequel is described therein. I heard in my head that a prequel was actually intended before EQ2 and was squashed and the devs. working on it were exiled to Texas and never heard from again. Something about deep, dark secrets and elvish voodoo.

EverQuest Online Adventures was a "prequel" game/MMO

Just uploaded 43 concept graphics/documents to my gallery, including some from the pre-alpha and alpha phase handbooks.

Side note: Venril Sathir's concept name was Vanril Sathir.

A key thing mentioned in the stream was just because it's in documents doesn't mean it's canon. It may become canon some day, but it's not an iron clad lore bible or anything like that.

Great point and it would be fun to see what didn't make the cut to go live.

• Plane of Love
• Plane of Peace
• Plane of Oceans
• Plane of Fog
• Plane of Steam
• Plane of Underworld
• Plane of Mud
• Plane of Lava

I am the one who asked the question. I hope the Devs/Legal are seriously considering this. I wanna know the things that they had planned. I know that Meldraths Mansion was an in those OG design books. It took them years to finally get to that zone but crazy how it was always planned.

I just watched most of the video for Fippyfest and saw the section of the video where they talked about the Encyclopedia. They had said someone started on the project and about halfway through it, it had duplicate postings and things were out of order like they just kinda gave up on the project.

Why?

A lot of people say RPG is dead in EQ. (I like RPG, I encourage more)

So why you wanna read it, is it more of a I just want access to it, rather than you want to actually read?

I'm surprised no one talking about the CURRENT EQ notes. When they were showing the slides, you can see the current writeups.

Theres no, how about be move away from allakhazam and use those notes you have on your computer instead put that in a git repo or something and we can read from your notes.

I think one of the issues with EQ that hinders it, is that community.
If EQ does it own maps, Goods and Brewall feel left out.
If EQ does its own guide, allakhazam, fanra, almars, adetia, and whoever else will feel left out
I'd say a boxing software but I don't think an EQ player created a boxing software for other EQ players so, thats not something will be left out.


Thats why we need an EQ3.
Starts fresh, they'll use their notes, developers guide on to play the game, like other games do. In game maps, like other games, in game stuff, more modern.

None of this, they might feel bad if we takeover.
Its not a bad thing either but, its kinda lose/lose.

Can't really put in a new map very fancy map, because someone feel bad and they been doing it for years.

Thats why EQ3.
Fresh. Start modern, community continues but on fresh on modern. Not stuck on old and might feel bad upgrading something because someone might feel left out.

Anyways, I made this post about the notes they have, current day. Those are good notes/docs.

I kinda prefer the original docs be like a library thing. I wouldn't mind having access to them, am I going to read it, probably not. Games changed so much, original vision far adrift.

Time we get ship to ship, might see the original vision in a jar floating up to our ships.
Might be overwhelming too, a disappoint too.

Because I remember all the talk, the videos, we can't wait to do season cycles, night and cycles rain cycles, weather, this fancy that fancy thing.

Current LS.
unkempt woods
no day/life cycle, no weather, plain and boring, no secrets. Not no skeletons coming out at night and what not. They can do better!

original vision is like we want a RPG vibe, weather day/night cycle

current vision, more raids more missions, who cares about RPG weather day/night, factions matter, NPCs acting things and what not running around doing stuff, yada yada

Me personally, I would love an intense thunderstorm in current day zone, weather patterns actually matter, a big map of norrath and you can see the rain is coming to kunark, the dopplar shows its going south.

The original docs probably have that, because they did a lot with weather, RPG vibe, and what not. Lets create this mob for an RPG factor, fippy, he bum rushes the city. Not only that, he makes noise.