Is the COE Design Template the Future of Everquest 2?

As an 8 year veteran who has seen many different facets of the game and changes along the way, my question to the Developers is whether or not your Chains of Eternity design is going to be the default style going forward? I would really like an idea or understanding of your future goals and plans in order to make a decision regarding my own personal future in Norrath. Here are some questions I would like answered.

Are ZERO tradeskill quests for new expansions going to be normal?

Are ZERO tradeskill writs for new levels going to be normal?

Are ZERO heroic quests for new expansions going to be normal?

Are ZERO epic quests for new expansions going to be normal?

Will forced SOLO questing be required to access HEROIC content/rewards on every character for weeks after launch be normal?

Will End Game level gear continue to have a chance at dropping in SOLO instances but none whatsoever in HEROIC instances?

Will there be no logical gear progression path with all HEROIC instances sharing the exact same loot tables with no Tiers going forward?

Will Normal Mode raid content actually be Simple Mode content that is fully clearable within 2 weeks of launch with no actual progression design or gear upgrade path planned?

Will various game features intended for players be implemented with flawed designs and take months to address?
Examples: 1. Rare Instance Mercenaries have half the Crit Chance, Half the STR/AGI/WIS, 1/3 the AB Mod of the Collector's Edition Mercs let alone what is actually needed to be relevant in current content. 2. The broker window regarding experimented/refined gear was broken for weeks along with viewing channel linked stats on both that type of gear and adornment drops in raid. 3. Raid fights have been completely broken on launch and needed weeks of tweaking and adjusting just to get the base mechanics functional. 4. Broken green adornments not leveling properly.

I'm sure there are a lot more I have missed and could be added. The point of my post and question is basically this. I am honestly not happy and haven't really been enjoying the CoE launch months. While I do appreciate the attention to the SOLO aspects of the game and enjoy them myself, the complete neglect of attention to Heroic/Raid content as well as the attention to detail/design/features is upsetting to say the least. I would really like some kind of input and explanation from the people directing this ship as to where we are headed.

Basically what this guy said.

Most guilds have not cleared the normal mode, or "simple mode" as you condescendingly called it. Believe it or not, most guilds do not spend 4+ nights a week throwing themselves at the same mobs over and over again for hours and then complaining when they kill it.

We spend 3 nights a week but we killed all of simple mode in 2 raid nights (that's 8 hours).

Apparently you aren't familiar with a site called Guild Progress. Besides the Drinal fight which has been heavily bugged from the start, over 50% of the guilds reporting have already cleared Normal Mode and most of those were within the first month.

Over half the guilds have cleared Normal mode within 2 months of the expansion. Realistically it will be another 4 months before the next GU which may or may not have new raid content.

Maybe you should do a little research into facts before making counter arguments.

I thought next GU was guestimated for Feb/March? Sadpanda

I'm not familiar with Guild Progress - but I remember loot tracker sites for spacers in SWG, another 'self-reporting' concept. Those numbers were all skewed because people didn't bother to take the time to report all the 'junk' loot they collected (making really rare stuff seem a lot more common than it actually was).

My question with a site like Guild Progress is similar - how many casual raiding guilds - or just plain casual guilds that raid on occasion bother reporting their results there? Like anything else - if you're doing well, self-reporting seems like a great idea and you'll probably do it - assuming you even know the site exists - but if you're not doing very well, or even failing, then ... not so much.

Regardless of how skewed it is or how many are/aren't reporting, the current content is incredibly easy. With a casual guild I'm currently in raiding 2 nights per week. I've been in Temple three times and last night on the third time we cleared the zone in 2.5 hours. This is with a casual group of people who don't min/max or anything really. At this rate we could easily clear all content within a few weeks of raiding 2 nights a week and have it farmed in one night, maybe two.

That's ignoring the fact there is no real access quests, no factions, no new writs, no new epic quests, no new crafting line, etc. That's also ignoring that the solo instance, heroic instance, and raid instance are all the EXACT same instance just rehashed. They couldn't have made this expansion more cost effective if they tried.

Its amazing that you would bring up Guildprogress.com and still claim that over half of the guilds have cleared normal mode. That is so far from the truth its incredible. Go server by server, not just the front page which has them all mashed up. There are more guilds that raid in this game then what is on the front page.

"Maybe you should do a little research into facts before making counter arguments"

Let's set the difficulty of EM raids aside as a contested point.

Every other point the OP made is spot on, and deserves to be emphasized over and over. And is directly related to motivation to go out and 'do things' being at an all time low.

Seconded that point of not overly discussing EM raids as one persons "easy" is another persons "hard".

I would like to submit "Minimal HM Heroic Content" to the list.

If HM Heroic content in previous expansions was your thing, you're kinda left with only one fight worth working towards in this expansion. A HM Heroic player from SS can faceroll most of the CoE EM Heroic instances, and fairly easily do the rest. (Only the Necromonger gives me fits at times).

There are three HM Heroic mobs, total. One trivial. One average. One yikes hard. That's it for the progression available to me, three fights. And the loot from the first two isn't that great.

The EM->HM heroic progression in SS (including ST) actually turned on pretty well done. CoE, complete fizzle...

Maybe I'm a niche player, but it's kinda gone completely Meh in my area of interest.

Dude, you are obviously too challenged to read layouts and understand how data fields work. Let me count it out for you since it's too difficult. This list is compiled minus Drinal due to the script issues with that fight. I am not going server to server because I'm not an idiot that only looks at the front page and I'm not going to waste my time breaking it down to that level.

EM Clear Temple 5/6 - EM Clear Sleepers 7/12 - EM Clear Harrows minus Drinal 6/12
215/240 = 89.5% - 131/240 = 54.5% - 165/240 = 68.8%

So Mr. That is so far from the truth it's incredible, how do you like them apples? Every raid instance has over 50% guild completion. I may have been raised in a barn, but I still know what greater than half means.

The only possible argument you could make is about me not counting Drinal in Harrow's, but that fight has been so craptastically bugged since launch that even now they are tweaking and adjusting and trying to figure out why the scripts are breaking. It wasn't even in a killable state for at least a month after launch and a lot of guilds haven't had a chance to work on it due to its bugged design and the holidays.

You still think that all the Normal mode raid content is being cleared by over 50% of guilds that raid. There is just no getting through to somebody like you. You even know where to find the statistics, and you still don't understand them. L O L.

Raid Times
Sunday: 6pm-Midnight PST
Monday through Thursday: 8pm-Midnight PST
Call list for Avatars

He provided statistics. The statics said it was greater than 50%. That would make me believe that indeed, more than 50% are clearing it. Lemme see, 89.5% for 1 zone, 54.5 for another and 68.8 for the last. Gee, it even averages out to be more than 50%. Imagine that.

I actually just made the same argument in another thread our dear spammer arch has decided to grace his crusade in. If Guildprogress is the ranking system for guilds then unless 240 guilds all raid 4+ hours a week 4 times a week with call lists... then there are some really bad guilds.

Back to topic I am tired of seeing these derailed. I hope CoE is NOT the template for further content and would extrapolate that if it is, we as players will see more and more quitting who enjoy Raid/Heroic content. It takes time and effort to group and play with 5-23 other people and sadly the rewards do not seem to match up with the player expectations and I blame DoV for that. Launch through SF gear was defined by;

- Higher Green Stats but maybe equal Blues.
- Same Green Stats but higher blue stats.
- Roughly equal on both Blue/Green but had a unique effect.

DoV on Gear is upgraded by.
- +10 on a Green Stat
- +1-3 on a Blue Stat.
- No matter what having some sort of effect (that hopefully doesn't stack)

Really player expectations are inflated as much as gear. Raider or not the incentive to group is becoming less and the difficulty EQ2 has been known for in the MMO market is being devalued. CoE is not a good example for anything except a basis for Solo content which the gear is still messed up on.

"This list is compiled minus Drinal"

Don't make up your own parameters when trying to gauge statistics.

Raid Times
Sunday: 6pm-Midnight PST
Monday through Thursday: 8pm-Midnight PST
Call list for Avatars

Please oh Great One, explain to me how I do not understand them? 1 + 1 = rock. I R stupid.
Yes. The list is compiled minus Drinal and it will continue to be as there is a thread specifically dealing with this fight that is receiving constant developer discussions on tweaks and repairs to this fight. I will not hold a fight that has been and is obviously still being adjusted as a progression check against people. Heck, if you were even aware of Guild Progress, you would know that for the first month of CoE they removed the fight entirely from their site due to the completely broken mechanics.

Right now Harrow's is 94/240 = or 39% have cleared 1 Soulwell and that number has been growing quickly as people figure out the scripts and more information makes it out concerning what each Soulwell does. Honestly, Drinal 1 as long as you don't go with Exhaustion/Patron is easier than Drels Ma'gor in Sleepers with the Assassin/Sorcerer adds. If people can clear Sleeper's EM, then they can clear Harrow's EM. They just haven't had the time due to the bugged mechanics.

But enough arguing with you about this topic, you obviously have your own agenda that you are trying to push and make people believe. You can continue to spout whatever fairy tales you want.

Must be nice to able to just "not count" encouters that you feel are too hard, in a thread about content being too easy.

Raid Times
Sunday: 6pm-Midnight PST
Monday through Thursday: 8pm-Midnight PST
Call list for Avatars

Almost as nice as assuming every raid guild raids 24hrs/week plus call list.