Anyone curious what the first content patch will be post AOM launch? I'm also wondering when we'll hear some details and date. We are going on 3 months since launch..
Hmmm. Heres the quote. Is SOE locked into this schedule? Do we mean EVERY week and EVERY month? Answer: Yes, we mean it. We’re going to work hard to make it happen regularly and dependably. We like this new strategy as a whole. The EQ and EQII team Producers (Thom and Holly) have created detailed schedules of how the rhythm of this stuff will play out across the coming months. And my reaction, as a player of these games, is that it all sounds pretty fantastic. Oh well. It sounded good.
It sounded terrible IMO. The constant distraction of trying to come up with "something" to release 52 times a year didn't help. In my podcast interview with EQ2 lead designer Kander, he talked about how the updates in 2015 would be bigger. They're working on Public Quests, Deity Revamp, Fabled Echoes of Faydwer, a new level 100 dungeon/raid, and more.
I miss the live streams and the contests. But would like to know what is coming down the pike. The livestreams were good for keeping us in the loop.
I'm sure they are, but I think this community (well lost of gaming communities) don't really understand the difference between developers and designers. Alot of the work of adding new content to this game doesn't require very much 'development', it does take time for a designer to plop things in and what not. EQ2 has a number of designers, it doesn't take an army of designers to add new content. EQ2 has a very limited number of developers, developers are needed to add new features to game and fix bugs in current features. So yes, most of SoE's developers are working on these other projects. A fair amount of their design efforts are of course there as well, but that by no means keeps designers out of other products. They've got a fairly solid model of sizing these product teams around the revenue streams in each product (with a fair amount of revenue going to R&D of future streams). And while it can be fun to poke fun at this particular game being 'dead' or abandoned, this isn't yet the case.
I agree, EQ2 is not yet abandoned. Vanguard showed up what an abandoned game looks like development wise. That said, EQ2 has far fewer developers & designers than is used too, and the quantity of content released is showing it. The revenue stream generated by EQ2 is not being reinvested into EQ2, but into games targeting alternate players bases. (Don't want to create another game that will steal players from EQ & EQ2 while generating no additional revenue.)
While it is difficult for me to prove, I'm pretty sure the revenue from EQ2 today is at best 50% of what it was 2-3 years ago. My basis on this is just how few people are actively playing today as then, and how 'playable' the game is for free for someone that has a very low level of engagement with the game. So, it does not surprise me that the team is much smaller and the amount of content in expansions is shrinking. However, I have to give the current team props for how much they deliver with the limited resources they have to deliver with. I think that is both a sign of having very talented people, but also very passionate people involved.
I agree, and the current team does an amazing job with resources are allocated. My complaints are mostly directed towards decisions made by those higher up the food chain. I just wish more resources were invested back into the existing game instead of being funneled into games I have little interest in playing. EQN, for example, looks to have amazing graphics, but appears to be heading more in the direction of GW2 in terms of gameplay. I have a GW2 account and if I enjoyed that style of game, I would be playing it. Now, if they were to unexpectedly reverse course and make EQN an updated version of EQ or EQ2, with class mechanics from either existing game, I would buy a Founders Pack tomorrow. It will never happen, SOE would just be splitting their existing player base, again.
I wish SOE would remember that the company has been built pon EverQuest and EverQuest II (and SWG) and all these years goofing off trying to get EQNext launched, trying to make an Agency game, etc. are LUXURIES afforded by the hard work of the EQ and EQ2 teams.
I realized SoE and I ware not aligned when they stated the looked at the market and said we all like playing different variations of D&D, so for their next big thing, they're going to make something that is nothing like D&D. There is a reason I play variations of D&D, its the games I prefer. It is clear SoE and I are not in agreement with what makes an entertaining fantasy MMORPG.
Our Level Agnostic Dungeon improvement is intended to go live next week, along with some other tuning changes. We have not yet released the date for the content update that will follow. But, we'll have more info on that when the time gets closer!
I have to admit that I felt very slighted when the H1Z1 or whatever the name is, created havoc for the rest of us. It scares the heck out of me when problems keep arising that "we're investigating the cause of" on a regular basis. I played EQ1 almost since launch, played EQ2 from beta until Vanguard came along which I enjoyed quite a bit and watched that game sunset. I returned here knowing (hoping...) that the main franchise would never die (EQ1/EQ2). Yeah, I get it, they need to try and make new games, but it seems a bit harsh to take the money we use to support a game we love and use it for a game many of us admit does not appeal to us. Am I supporting the game I enjoy, or helping to support what they feel could be the next replacement in the stable? People for years always taut how online gaming is inexpensive. Well, to an extent, I will agree, however it requires a great investment of time. For players to invest that time that generates income for the company, they have to feel confident that the game they are playing is stable and has longevity. Us old timers are clearly here to stay for the long haul, but it's getting harder and harder to convince friends to join us as they lack confidence in some cases as to the direction the game is taking. Just my humble opinion, I could very well be wrong.
This sounded good at the time too. Originally Posted by Smed I've been a regular lurker on this site for a while but I wanted to step in here and dispel something that's just plain not true - I don't have my name highlighted here, but anyone that doubts it's me can email me at jsmedley@soe.sony.com and I'll happily reply. We aren't going to be allowing RMT in any way, shape or form on the non-exchange enabled EQ II servers. Period. End of statement. In any event, I wanted to stop in and at least set the record straight - you aren't going to be seeing RMT allowed on the non-exchange enabled servers. John Smedley President, Sony Online Entertainment Do you all remember that? I know I do. Tbh I don't care what the PROMISE is. If they say they're going to post in forums once a week and recite Shakespeare, cool. BUT DO IT. It's got to the stage I don't believe a word that's said. I don't know about other people, but it makes ME lose faith. And while the sub might not be bank breaking, they would also lose all possibility of ME using the Marketplace. I can see on the server I'm on players have left. How many more can they afford to lose? I don't like being treated like an idiot, especially when I'm paying for the privilege. If someone would like to point me in the direction of where they said 'sorry the weekly update idea was just unrealistic, we'll get back to you, with a more realistic goal" I'm sorry. Is the weekly feature now monthly? Is it yearly? Has it just been brushed under the carpet? And is it also possible that they themselves could start testing the updates they do rush to get in game? Ya know, so that they work? I understand that SoE is a business and they have to keep growing to survive, but to seemingly kill their flagship game, while working on others that may or may not 'kick off', seems plain stupid to me. And that is how it feels.
