Future Content: A Letter from Director of Development Dave Georgeson

Discussion in 'News and Announcements' started by RadarX, Jan 31, 2014.

  1. Zookeeper Active Member



    Not sure that there are a lot of places that no one ever goes.
    There are a lot of places I go that appear to be empty of other players, starting with some of the starter zones and
    other lower level adjoining zones. When I am level 12, I don't run to Paineel.
    I rarely see anyone in Moors of Ykesha or Jarsath Wastes, but the people who play may be on the other side of the
    map, or on at a different time of day.
    I play odd hours. Generally, it seems to be just me and the mobs, and that is OK.
    I don't really want them deleted. I do quests and get collections and explore. For me, the content is fine...even
    challenging at times.
    I'm not terribly impressed with some of the quest rewards, but it is still experience.
    There is a lot of hyperbole used when trying to make a point..."NO ONE EVER plays there, so make new areas
    with a lot of content we all like," or "NO ONE likes the rewards for Name that Quest."
    Some do..out of nostalgia because their old alts struggled through and did the job, or because it is something new
    and different, and hasn't been touched by the hand of "make it easier and faster to complete this for credit."

    I agree however, that Low and Middle levels should not be forgotten.
    I prefer something new added rather than changing old quests. Instance a new rock to portal into a tunnel and put
    an easy dungeon there for that level in the newbie zones. No level 35 boss mob for solo level 10's to fight...you are
    not going to find many hard-core raid groups forming in newbie zones, as some of the newbies are trying to figure out
    how to play the game. They don't all have high level alts making them uber gear.

    It appears that the raider and extreme peril seekers who work hard to get the gear that allows them to do hard core
    content and the casual players who may not have time (due to work or family situation) to spend enough time
    gearing up and dedicating time to raids are often at odds.
    "I worked Hard to get here, to get this gear, and if you don't have good gear, you just aren't applying yourself."
    and...
    "I spent two hours in game...45 minutues more than I usually get..before my wife called me to fix the toilet and
    help Eustis with his homework while she feeds and bathes the baby."
    or...
    " I use a "Sip and Puff" joystick and I'm not always as fast as I need to be for raiding, so I play casually and with
    small groups of friends."

    There is a lot of variation in who is playing, how, and why.
    Being less critical (of newbies, short-time players, hard core players, crafters who don't care about leveling
    anything other than their craft (they get levels harvesting from zone exploration), and working together would
    make the game more enjoyable than creating factions to criticize others who do not have the same game goals
    or time to play that others may have.

    Side Bar: I understand that for some people, harassing or taking advantage of others is a way of releasing tension.
    Go kill something..,preferably something Big that fights back and will give you the satisfaction of having not only
    survived the encounter, but of defeating something you can pour your hatred onto.
    If you get a crafting or class book, don't sell a level 30 book for 345 platinum. Be fair...and aware that not every
    level 35 has 8 level 95's with 18 billion plat between them. It's not "chump change" for everyone.
    While you may not ever use crafted items such as ammo..or salesman's crates, that doesn't mean that no one
    else does, either.
    Options that have content that fit player preferences across the board help make this game one of the best.

    Fortunately, so far, the game offers content that can match the available play time and the abilities and the
    preferences of most players.
    I really wouldn't want it to diverge into catering to content for only hard core gamers or only casual players, or
    only crafters.
    That includes not deleting content that someone doesn't personally play, and they feel that no one else does.
    I haven't seen a horde of players in Bathezid Watch or over with the Sathirians working to get the faction for the
    pattern books to make the Statue of a Bathezid Warrior, or Statue of a Sathrian Warrior. You see statues every
    now and then in guild halls. I prefer to have them in my home if I have managed to get a crafting station in my
    home. They are a player-made clicky item that gives you the Favor of the Artisan crafting buff.
    Online it says it lasts for 9 minutes, but in reality, mine lasts a lot longer, maybe 45 minutes or more.
    I would not want those zones deleted or changed because "no one ever goes there." I do go there and quest
    for faction and the recipes.

    Until posts are limited to 100 words or less, I guess I will be sometimes be "over the top" on verbiage.
    I'm a writer and, on occasion, a troubleshooter for organizations.
    Writers tend to write...to express ideas, thoughts, suppositions, and facts to ensure clarity.
    Thank you for your patience.
  2. Ridolain Active Member

    I can name a few for one. The starting areas around Qeynos and Freeport ... or even places like Blackburrow.

    What I was speaking of is that there are zones with a comfortable amout of people in all the time, and some where no matter when you play, there is no one. Truly. If you don't see that, that is great. But I play pretty much all day on AB (from about 10am - 5pm EST) and the zones I listed have no one in them.

    For a game that was created, advertised, and made to be about grouping, that doesn't feel ok. If it was a single player game then yes. But EverQuest/EQ2 are not. But due to certain changes (either to go up against WoW or to get players back) grouping has been thrown under the proverbial bus, and you can do so much content to level 70 molo (solo with a merc). This is not an exaggeration.

    That is true. But if the area/rewards/mobs in a place are not interesting, or too far behind things, people will not go there. I like doing everything I can. I love watching my quest count go up and seeing achievements. But I feel I am a very small minority, while most want to just play and get the best one can.

    That entails hitting all the shiny new places, and forgoing all the old zones that haven't been touched in any way. What would be the point? You can get better armor and rewards from the new starter areas of Kelethin and New Halas, so why ever go into The Caves or the Sprawl?

    I have never said to make new areas. I would like for them to look at what they have already and touch them up a bit.

    They took time to update Darklight Wood. It looks great. Why can they not do that to the Qeynos and Freeport starting areas? Oh that's right ... because they made them completely obsolete.

    Putting a new dungeon in an old zone is one idea, but that would be the only reason people would go there. Make there be more reasons to travel through, say, Nek Forest, while heading to a dungeon. Update the gear from the quests there. Something that would make a new or old player go "Hm ... this looks interesting."

    And I am not speaking of raiding of any kind. I do not raid 'hard core', so I will skip over that in your reply, as it is hard ot comment on something I know little about.

    This was what the game was like at inception really. Everyone had to help each other with what they needed/wanted. But now, why do it? You can be self sufficient!

    But they are already catering to people .. those who are level 100. There is more content coming out for them than those who are in their 50s. Which makes me feel like I need to rush to get up there to see all the new stuff. I dont' think that should be a feeling I want.

    Of course I could take my time and level. But the game mechanics and the layout of the game doesn't really allow that to some degree. You end of leveling very fast (if you do Hero's Journey or the Golden Path) as that is what new players of either game will be shown and told to follow.

    Why I feel there needs to be things put in to point new players towards those dungeons, like Blackburrow, and not just make them some side dump trip to power level your 14th alt.

    Thanks for your reply though! Gave me things to think on.
  3. Avahlynn Well-Known Member

    I didn't do the golden path, or any prescribed route. I did what I'd do if suddenly in a new world with the need to provide for myself. I explored. I took on quests that paid six coppers and went out and killed gnolls and chopped at weathered elm. I did lowbie areas because I had no high alt to help. I took my time because I certainly didn't wanna miss out on a six copper quest that would finance some better food or a better earring.

    It was great.

    I leveled at the speed of story and wonderment. Those areas "no one goes to" were my hearth and home. To streamline that journey would be a real shame, I think.
    Charlice and Belenos like this.
  4. Zookeeper Active Member

    ==================================================================

    I have done quests this year under Freeport in the sewers, and in the outer areas with Orcs attacking the troops,
    although I didn't pick up the Graveyard quests.
    I have also been to a sludge fen or bog...one of the Qeynos side areas, and The Caves (which I presume reach under
    Qeynos), and the outlying areas including the beach with troll raiders and some skeletons in the water, and in Antonica,
    a temple or some other stone structure with a single golem in it, a wandering boss skellie, and skellies and zombies on
    the islands, areas with ghosts, and gnoll enclaves. I also did the starter quests in The Haven, I think that was the name.
    It's the Neriak start area.
    I didn't see another player in any of the hamlets of Q or the Freeport sewers or battle zones, or Antonica, or in the Gnoll lands west of Qeynos, but I was there and did some quests. There were new players in the Nektulos starting zone, however. Quite a few, actually, and in New Halas, as well.
    That still translates to "player usage," even if I was the only one in an area during the entire year.
    Some of us check on old zones, just to make sure they are still there, and that their content is still intact.
    I didn't find the quest I was looking for in Baubleshire, but I forgot who gave it, so I most likely will have to check again and
    search for the proper NPC. They gave an item reward that I want.

    I don't see why the starter zones need to have anything added that would attract higher level players there to compete for
    resources. They have their own zones to play in, and they are allowed to visit zones on other continents.
    It's kinda nice to have your own stuff.
    High level players can still come in and farm shinies. I've done that. If you don't have them, and that is the only place
    that drops those particular drops, you farm them where they drop, since shinies are area-specific.

    As for revamping the dungeons, WoW did..successfully.
    They added a Dungeon Finder to the hot bar, and you can choose a dungeon and queue up for it. Since dungeons are all
    instanced anyway, they can apparently take players from many servers to fill the dungeon party.
    The only thing that I might suggest in regard to that kind of setup is that before a player is invited, their gear is visible by
    clicking their name to call up their profile. You don't want a poorly-geared person running a dungeon trying to claim every
    loot drop because they need it more than anyone else does. If they need that kind of run, their guild or a group of friends should take them through appropriate level dungeons to help them get geared up so that they can contribute to a dungeon
    brawl rather than sitting back and raking in the loot.

    This game has a lot of flexibility.
    Those who think that the game is a waste of time because they sped through their chosen type of content while ignoring the
    rest, and are now bored but won't go back to do the stuff they weren't interested in to start with...can always try out a new
    game.
    I'll bet that after 6 months, if not before, they would be back.
    With all of the flaws, this game still has the most diversity, opportunities, and events than any other game I've ever played,
    and I have a very long list of games that I have played.

    I have not been told to follow Hero's Journey of The Golden Path on any of my characters...including the one started today.
    I am not following those paths to my knowledge. I get no notices with those names in reference, not even on the new character.
    Game mechanics and layout don't seem to hinder me from leveling up from Start.
    I don't really understand those references.
    I may make crafters and level them up to make the items I want..upgrades from quest items or drops for a class/level, but I don't consider making a crafter to meet those needs as a hindrance to progression. I consider it a bonus.
    ramblinrod likes this.
  5. dariusthegreat New Member

    yo i think everything is going well soe its a me dar finally found out how to get here ehehehe but yo yall need to revamp sum older raid zones and make em actually 6 manable yo not always enough on our server to actually raid sumtimes and if thier is they are acting too exclusive yo lol other thn folks acting high and mighty and starting drama evrything is perfect since tov keep it up yo :)
  6. Wingrider01 Well-Known Member

    where did you see that this weeks update was going to be what was mentioned in the first post? Can't find anything that gives a starting timeline for the plans, also do not see where they state that the new home is even part of the plan. The post by Radarx describes the house and nothing else
  7. Feldon Well-Known Member

    Holly's Twitter.
  8. Malleria Well-Known Member

    That ^. Also if you look at the update notes here on the forums the betrayal token (and the new equipment added at the same time, but who really buys that junk?) is under the header WEEKLY FEATURE, which I take pretty strongly to refer to this thread.

    Just can't help seeing the irony where they say they'll be adding short adventures in the weekly updates, and the very first one actually removes a short adventure :rolleyes:
  9. Wingrider01 Well-Known Member

    Ahh again with no notice on the official forums
  10. Avahlynn Well-Known Member

    Yeah I don't like this twitter as a means of making announcements. I gotta busy life and chasing twitter feeds isn't happening. If it can be typed on twitter it can be typed here.

    You know.

    On the official boards.
    Xillean likes this.
  11. Feldon Well-Known Member

    Yeah, this kind of thing should be a forum post. If they'd update to the newer XenForo, there's a mobile style so people can post from their phones.
  12. Jrel Well-Known Member

    Well, I predicted the bugged stuff would start slacking behind and here we go:

    Weekly Content: 4/4 weeks
    Broken content (that I know of) since Jan 28 patch that was reported (4-5 weeks ago) and fixed: 1/3
  13. Luperza Community Manager

    We do our best to get rid of bugs, but there is a priority to things. Can you provide more details on what bug you are speaking about in particular.
    ramblinrod likes this.
  14. Jrel Well-Known Member

  15. Luperza Community Manager

    ramblinrod likes this.
  16. Jrel Well-Known Member

    Thanks very much!
    ramblinrod and Luperza like this.
  17. Luperza Community Manager

    No problem! I haven't heard back from them, but I'll let you know when I do. :)
    ramblinrod likes this.
  18. Xariama_AB Member

    So, I have an idea for a new HQ, based on one of my favorite EQ1 quests: the Spear of Fate. I pitched this idea some six years ago, and now I'm putting it forth again.
  19. Xariama_AB Member

    Actually, another idea: How about more mercenary customization? As in, race/gender options? Vittia Direshadow and the rest have got to be overworked to a level I've never seen. :)
  20. Malleria Well-Known Member



    Every week, heh :rolleyes:
    Uwkete-of-Crushbone and Cyliena like this.