New Expansion - Odus in February

Sosumya@Unrest wrote:

THANK YOU finally someone who thinks like me >.>
You amde my day much better

Galithdor wrote:

I work in the game industry, and I can guarantee you, that if they need 15 months total to get a new expansion out on a framework they have been working on for almost 6 years, they have a serious problem of either competence or team size, but in fact it is probably both.
Stop acting all fanboy and think that they are doing it because they want "more time to test stuff", they are only doing it because they won't be able to do it earlier.
In case you didn't notice the EQ2 Team has been extremely agitated recently with numerous people switching position or leaving the team altogether (hell even the producer did it), don't you think it impacts their schedule?
The whole EQ2 project must be a mess right now, especially with a new producer, they like to come up with "awesome new ideas" which are most of time stupid, just to show that they are "better" than the guy before.

Aye the "time to test stuff" argument has worn a little thin lets be fair TSO was a glorified adventure pack,nothing more nothing less so if and its a big if they've added more content in this year than any then year (and thats debateable) its only becuase they should have done in the first place.

In my 4 years of playing this game i've never known an expansion annoucement like this one,they usually blow horns about it,yet here we are a few days on and we know very little about it,this game looks like its been put on the back burner now by SOE they have 4 million accounts playing free realms and the agency is around the corner (nice to know EQ2's players where beta testers for the cash shop for FR),that move last december told me how much focus had switched away from this game.

You people thinking there will be more time to test stuff...are damm crazy.
Beta is gonna be in december you are gonna have the same test time as any other beta nothing is changing.
The amount of testing has never ever been the problem.What has been the propblem is things are still pushed to live broken ...but hell most seem to accept that because well its low priority and can just be fixed on the live servers which imo is just a bonifide test server

This:

[sarcasm class='venting']
If a delay in release is a 'good thing' because that automatically means they are going to put higher quality and more content out, then HECK! Why release in February!?! Push it off until December of '11 at the earliest so we can get the biggest and most kick butt expansion ever to be released in any MMORPG anywhere.
[/sarcasm]

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

In seriousness, more time doesn't automatically mean something is better or that more stuff is being put in. There may had been staff cuts or changes or any of a variety of things that could cause delays. The reasoning may be very sound, but I don't trust SOE to come out and really explain the truthful reasons why. I expect them to come out and give some marketting spin on it, and they have.
Regardless of the reasons, it means three more months of people stuck on the same expansion that, in all honesty, isn't very well loved by the majority of the customers when compared to other expansions. Even worse, it continues a storyline (the shadow stuff) that many people are already tired of... at least that is the impression I'm getting from most people I talk to. Also, if SOE waits too long, other competitors may jump on the opportunity and try to pull the 'bored' section of the customer base away. This is not good in the long run, and any GU is not going to cut it.
SOE just foobarred, and I can only hope they do something to fix the problem rather than put whatever resources they have towards something that is not going to wow their audience (no pun intended at all... I can't stand WoW). But, I doubt they will change their short-term scheduled based on public reaction. Instead, I'm guessing they will just attempt to put a more positive spin on things, hoping their audience is too dumb to realize they are being played.
And of course, it won't work. But it won't matter, since I'm sure we're all going to buy the expansion anyway.


By the way, SOE, since everything from here on out will likely be all-in-one releases, for whatever expansion is after TSF, can I get the option on the to install that expansion but have selected previous expansions uninstalled?

The dev team is growing, not shrinking -- Frizznik is back as of today, for instance, and no one left first. With a Feb expansion date there's a lot less competition from other games, so probably a bit of a business decision there. For me, I'm just as happy not to have an expansion hit between Thanksgiving and New Years, as there is just too much going on already! February on the other hand is a dead month.

Odus was a surprise, but I think it should be an interesting expansion. The Hole will be a 3-wing contested dungeon, Stonebrunt was huge and will probably be even larger now. And there will be pandas. Kung fu kicking pandas. Really, isn't that enough?

Well, I totally enjoyed being in beta the last expansion and hope to make the team to this one. I loved exploring and helping to find the glitches etc.... One also has to remember, that EQ II is EQ live after the great cataclysm and because of this nothing will be the same as it was in EQ live. I've been playing since 1999 and loving it. Ignoring the negativity of others about the game and finding out for myself as I explore all I can.

Loredena wrote:

That's awesome news. If he's with Domino on crafting that half of the game is now worth my sub.

Bhagpuss wrote:

As a non-raider, high-playtime casual player -- I specifically asked. I pointed out that Kunark was essentially solo, and TSO went the opposite direction to full group, and were they keeping mind those of us who do small groups (2-4) this time. They didn't really go into specifics (though small group content was hinted at repeatedly) but they did respond that they realized what they had done in those 2 expansions, and intended to not repeat those mistakes in Odus. So, well, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt here! We'll know more in a few months anyway. For the tradeskillers by the way, Domino indicated that factioning this time would be decidedly more quest based rather than faction grind.

Dragowulf@Nagafen wrote:

I cannot believe the melodrama. Maybe people should be "done" if they are getting this dramatic over a game or the time. I have not even been to many of the areas already in the game and someone in another post said the waiting was "soul destroying" and I'm thinking are you kidding me? When you are at the point where no expansion in a video game is "soul destroying" maybe it's time to push back the desk chair and get a life. And I completely disagree about TSO, I think it's a cool looking area. Odus would not have been my first choice. I didn't spend a lot of time there, but maybe this time I will. I just think if people are done with everything there is to offer on every character they have, then maybe they need to be adding some other activities to their day. Or maybe they should be "done". They will never be happy anyway.

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=436776

Since i called it ages ago, do i win a prize or get a statue or something??? jk hehehehe
I do hope the rokkelik are introduced as the new race. A good version of the Ratonga that start in Halas of all places.

I just had an epiphany.

The reason the expac is being delayed until February is.....


























Diablo 3 is being released ni November and they do NOT want to compete directly with it.

This epiphany has been brought to you by the letters P and Q and the number g

Jovie@Guk wrote:

I thought Diablo 3 was a 2010 release?
Either way, they've never let anything else stand in their way of releasing, why start now? Feb is too far away, and with the new 3-month GU's, it makes it seem even further. As previous posters from the industry have said, this isn't an effort to "make content better" or "test it more". There have been people leaving the dev team. Some went to The Agency, most went to Free Realms. Some stayed gone, others didn't. I don't fault them if they don't have the resources or the man power to get it out in the normal time frame, just don't placate us with the "make it the best i can be" line. Granted, I'm not sure when work started on the expansion, but the framework is already there.
Am I bummed about it? Yes, severely, as this is the time of year I start getting blah about the game and look forward to the upcoming expansion. Will I let it keep me from playing a game that I enjoy and have loved for almost 5 years? No, not at all. Do I care what the content is? Of course, but I'm not bummed about Odus(even though I NEVER went there in EQLive. Ever.). But, the good news is we are fast approaching the end of EQLive content that CAN be available in EQ2. I believe that Velious is the last pre existing continent left untouched. Unless they somehow find a way to bring bits of Luclin back(and no, I don't mean the whole moon), and maybe some final bits of Antonica(Highpass and such). And when that's all said and done, that means we'll get brand new places. And I, for one, am stoked about that.

For all the people hopping velious was comeing back, and comeing back as you rember it in eq1, shame on you.
I am not going to play if you don't bring back velious and add beast men. Tired of hearing that. You want all that? You have such fond memerories? Go play eq1. Now i know odus was lame in eq1 and in eqoa it was fantastic with 40 zones or something like that. I dont't expect odus to be like either eq1 or eqoa. I hope there is the regular content included with new and challengeing things added. I hope it is something every level from level 1 to level 90 can enjoy. I want to see raiders happy and non raiders happy. I believe the expansion will have all that, but there are always people that are never happy. Could rain plat and these people would hate what ever came out in the expansion. It always seems to be these people that complain the most about what the game is instead of enjoying what they recieve.
This is the oldest running game line there is, that tells me something is right. With the exception of kunark all the expansions have added unique quests or game play and I don't think SOE will mess it up now. As far as the people who think TSO is bad, go raid and enjoy the content of the game with out shard armor no one is stopping you. There is enough game content that no one would ever have to do any TSO to play the game even to level 80. I guess i don't know what you people complain about, or is it you complain before you have all the information or tried the product?
I say go check out odus in eqoa and see if you think it is a good thing, then try to imagine something simular but not anything like eqoa and you will probably be close to the expansion. After all it is eq2 not eq1, enjoy eq2 and don't play it like it was eq1 because it is not.

well worth a read if you havent read this summary yet

Fan Faire 2009 EQ2 News Rollup
http://fanfaire08.feldoncentral.com...q2-news-rollup/

among other things mentioned, Thundering Steppes is getting a revamp

Nadia_EQ2 wrote:

I am looking very forward to the TS revamp! About time. As this zone really really needs it.
And I so hope that with the update after that they finally give Antonica the revamp it deserves. I can really use one as well!
Jer

It does not sound like a new race is forthcoming based on reading the EQ2 Wire. Obviously, they could choose to add something later, but it seems like that would be a big selling point for the altaholics, so I don't think it bodes well for either a new race nor a new character slot.

Lightstrider wrote:

It's certainly true that SOE has said nothing, one way or the other, about a new race. It seems odd, however, that they would include a new starting city without a new race, particularly when there are more evil races than good ones. I also think that news of a new race is something they might want to hold back on until they're certain it will be well received, so the lack of official news on that point doesn't bother me much.

Flaye@Mistmoore wrote:

I think it's more a case of being a GU city. And not just a delayed part of the expansion content [ala Neriak + Arasai].
I do question as to if Halas is going to be literally a 'good' city, if it's their goal to be the new trial. Might just be 'good' in the city itself, and All in the starting area.