Producer’s Letter: New Fabled, Ethereal Items, Server Stuff and MORE!

Yeah, I've heard all that before. I'm not going to argue why I think your perspective on rewards is without merit. I don't really care. I'm just letting the team know that second rate progression outside of grouping doesn't inspire me to play, purchase updates/xpacs, or spend money on the game. If they don't want to provide an interesting solo/duo progression path that is fine. It's their game. I'm just providing my feedback.

You've peaked my interest on this. I had played EQ 1 up to Quarm and a bit after. Then WoW and EQ2 came out. I played both each for a couple weeks and chose WoW. Would this server be an exact remake of what the game launched as? Or is it similar to the current Ragefire and Lockjaw where things are revamped and classes are weak and/or strong (example: mage pets).

Definitely something I may be interested in!

Been playing EQ1's progression server, Ragefire has been very fun. Now I find that you are going to launch an EQ2 PvP progression server?! Wow! I'm in! Need details and dates please, thanks

I'm guessing the popularity of Ragefire caught Daybreak's eyes. I'm really glad players turned out for it en mass, since we asked for these servers. Major props to Holly and anybody else that had hand in launching these progression servers. I can't wait for EQ2's progression servers, my oh my.

Sounds really nice, keep it up!

If this is real, this needs to be really marketed. You mean to tell me the best open world PvP system, ever, is coming back???

If so, I really want more information. Wow!

Thank you, Tovaldr, for sharing your feedback/opinion to the devs. I'm totally with you. I've played mostly as solo player now for over 10 years. I am not a group-er, so, I had to settle for less than "Uber" gear. And I understand those who say that that is how it should be, since I chose not to group. Even though we both pay the same fees to play. I recall how happy I was when they introduced mercs, so I could have some help with my toons. I also know that whenever we express our opinion by way of feedback to the powers that be, some immediately accuse us of "whining". I've also come to accept that there are some posters who will jump on you if you even ask a question, or raise an issue not to their liking. When they bring an issue to the devs, it's not whining. LOL.

My step-son groups regularly. But even he has trouble feeling at home in a group of the Uber gear outfitted players. So, grouping is not the panacea some would have you believe. If they like it, more power to them.

We are all allowed to state our opinions. Thanks. I don't feel so alone now.

Exciting news! Quick question, for the tlp servers does this mean the return of corpse runs? I'm intrigued to see an under prepared group die at the hands of the gnolls outside of blackburrow for hours on end.

I truly hope it is marketed well, I imagine a LOT of PvP'rs would come back to game for this.
To me it feels like the return of Darathar. I'm so excited.

On the other hand, if it is on a server, I can just choose not to play on that one. I, for one, remember EQ2 as far back as 2006, and NO, I do NOT want to go back that far (though I would like the suburbs back; I still don't understand why they had to go away in order to eliminate the need for zoning between areas of the city. Technical difficulties: that's the only reason I can think of why such a popular aspect of the game would be destroyed). Many aspects of the game back then SUCKED, and I'm very glad they improved over the years!

I, for one, being only a casual player with lots of toons, adore the "overt marking of the maps"; it makes life so much easier and faster. You still have to go from Point A to Point B to get there, there's still a lot of potential risk depending on your toon's level, and it saves time checking out information on Zam or Wiki, where it might not even be available. If we have to eliminate such an immensely useful feature, though, yes, I completely agree that we need "as much info as possible" from the quest givers (which would entail far more work on the devs' parts than simply leaving the map spots be). One complaint I've heard about this game is that it's very unintuitive, and even "smart people" (sorry, Holly, but even that compliment sounded a bit irritating) aren't mind readers of the devs, and might not have the time in RL to go wandering around all over creation trying to get multiple steps accomplished. :-/

EDIT: how about this: for people who don't like the map spots, just have that be a feature they can turn off, and have some mystery and effort to go through as they please; for the rest of us who want to leave it on, may it be so! ;->

Uwk

Amen. ;->

Uwk
who doesn't feel so alone now, either

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There is a loud cry constantly going up from the Dungeon Runners and Raiders, and those who love PUGs.
Before the content is adjusted to please those players, please make sure that there is still adequate content for those who are not engaging in those group activities.
There are reasons why some people do not group, besides the fact that (based on in-game chat comments deriding those who do not engage in group efforts, or who do and don't have the experience to properly participate without mistakes, and those
reasons should be taken into consideration.

Some people don't know how to function in a group with their class...the responsibilities they have that are not the same as simple soloing and handling mobs yourself.
Some have physical limitations that preclude them from active group play, whereas solo play allows them to participate in the game and have fun. They are paying to play, too, and should not be forced into a specific type of play to fit some imagined
Proper Play Style for this type of game.

Some have many interruptions while playing...family, pets, phone calls, visitors who didn't call first...and being in a group and bailing to take care of real life would not be appreciated by the group, and would not sit well with the player who suddenly had
to drop game and take care of RL.

It is great that the options are open for those who want to group for dungeons or join a raid guild, or group just to wipe an area for all the drops to transmute or use, but...not everyone fits into that mold.

As long as EQII is aware that there are those who have limited play time, or interruptions, or physical problems that cause them to seek either solo play, or small groups with close friends, and content is available for them that is just as interesting as the content for the groups and raiders, the game will be on a more even keel...since the needs of the Many will be met, rather than catering to only one type of play style and ability set.
Every thing doesn't have to lead to Heroic content. Some players will never have heroic characters.
Before someone pans that type of player, some of them make the ammunition, or foods that you use, as well as other items...unless the game is going to begin supplying Heroic Ammunition, and Heroic Food that undermines woodworkers and provisioners, and Heroic Potions that undermine Alchemists, and Heroic Furniture Sets to undermine Carpenters...etc.
If that ever happens, the game may lose a larger portion of the player base than it foresaw.

Grouping isn't the only way to play the game, and reaching Heroic Content is not the goal of every player.
I am hoping that those players (whose cash supports the game the same way that a raider's cash does) are not shoved aside in the process of reworking various aspects of the game.

I do agree with Knine...fix the lag..and the other glitches, before a lot of new content is brought in. Don't add anything new until the present glitches are repaired. If they are not fixed, the new content will probably have snags and lags just like some of the present areas, and that will lead to Unrest...regardless of whatever server you currently habitate.
You don't stain and shellac the furniture until after you have made sure the joints are good and flush, the structure is sturdy, the nails and screws are hidden under the glue/wood-dust filler mix, and the surfaces are sanded silky smooth with no joints showing.
First, you repair and/or remove flaws. Then, you trot the item out as a showpiece ready for use.

This I completely agree with. And lets face it sometimes you are still hunting for things even with those marks on the map..case in point on the test server looking for a certain mob in butcherblock. I kept going up and down trying to find this mob and was right in the middle of the mark on the map....what it didn't show is there was a hidden area. So yes, if it must happen make it a feature that can be turned on or off.

Zookeeper and Moonpanther, I tip my hat to you; brilliant, both of you (and not just 'cause you agree with me, Moon!).

Uwk

What will the situation be for crafters on these fancy new "progression" servers? (More than one because you said pvp and pve right? Some people will not pvp)

edit: I'd be fine with a pvp server as long as it was opt out

Yes, the pvp server will be seperate which is good as I would never have the nerve to step on a server with the rule set they want. LOL I can see it now zone in die...rez die...rinse repeat LOL. But I am happy that they will be getting their own server.

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I hate Freeport. Now that all of the suburbs that were used to get from one place to another are blocked off, I get lost in there.
The point you need is Right THERE! and you head for it directly on the roads...and then find a suburb that is blocked, and you have to find a way around it, and it takes you more time than it should to get from one place to another.
I know people loved the Qeynos suburbs, and Freeport suburbs the way they were. I don't think that Neriak was messed with...it's still Neriak all the way, and you can run anywhere you want to without being blocked. That is blatant discrimination.
The directions to go to Baubelshire or Scale Yard and other suburbs are still in-game, but the doors are locked.
Need someone to find the keys or break down the doorways and put up a nice archway with flowers (in Q, anyway.) In FreeP, you could just plant some sickly looking plants on either side of the doorways. FreeP isn't all that keen on "appearance" and "decoration."

I don't see any useful reason to disturb the suburbs, and take away the private (sense of Community) housing. It wasn't to save them all from The Dreaded Dragon. Why should the dragon hit suburbs when the merchants and armories and crafting centers and political centers, and training arenas are in the main city? Dragons aren't stupid. Well...most aren't...unless they get their claws stuck on a plastic mat on the floor and can't shake it off. Maybe still not stupid...just embarrassed.

So...why move Every one to "the Danger Zone"?
Need new city officials...boot the old ones. They are greedy and don't care about the residents.
I, too, wish that the blocked suburbs in Q and Freep would be reopened, including housing choices. It was HOME for many of us. People don't like their homes taken away from them. When the Landlord kicks you out on some imaginary charge...you didn't put the right kind of houseplant in your window...so "OUT WITH YOU!"...you get ticked off big time.
Some of us are still ticked off.
Still here...but wishing someone would screw their courage to the sticking place and reinstate the old Neighbourhoods.
There is no good reason not to reinstate them.
The Crisis is over.

It could've been a tech thing in RL that the techs couldn't solve any other way if they wanted to eliminate the need to zone between, say, North Qeynos and South Qeynos. I have no idea why that should've affected the suburbs, though, and why they just weren't up front with us if that was the problem. We would've been annoyed, but then we would have understood. :-/

Uwk

You're speaking my heart!

I've been involved in MMOs for a long time--back when Sierra Online splashed out Shadows of Yserbius, which was before the big granddaddy, Ultima Online. Some of today's players weren't even born then. The only reason I bring this up is the ongoing discussion today about solo vs. group play and the rewards associated with that have been going on for years. Both sides have valid points: sometimes you feel like soloing and sometimes, you might feel like grouping. And yes, I get that if you're not grouping in content that requires better gear, that having access to that gear as a solo player might seem moot. After all, if you can get all the terrific loot in solo, wth is the point of grouping? Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, what drives the solo vs. group reality is POPULATION available to group. I'm not going to beat a dead horse here, but whatever DBG wants to fix, it has to resolve the population disparity so people CAN group. Yeah, we've all been in a pick-up group that sucked, but the problem I see today isn't groups sucking, it's even trying to GET a group. If you can't group, you can't get gear. And unfortunately, we're falling into a CATCH22. "Conjy (fill in any class) LFG." Conjy gets invited, then tossed because he/she doesn't have the right gear. The same gear that only drops in group dungeons. Granted, if you're wanting in a group get off your lazy posteriors and get your gear adorned with whites as a minimum. Make sure the vast majority of your spells aren't rated "Apprentice/Adept." At least don't look like you're clueless. And come prepared. And if you're going to play a class, LEARN what your spells, buffs, attacks, etc. do. Nothing makes other players /facepalm faster than when asked to cast this or is that specced, the player response is "uh...what's that?" And we're all playing for fun, but don't use the excuse that you play for fun as a reason to not fulfill your role in a group. If you're a dps toon, don't tell people you don't care about dps. You're in the group to dps. You are EXPECTED to perform that role. And to others, have some patience with people who truly want to learn. Give them a chance to perform and get gear. You can make a point without being an arrogant donkey. Apologies for long post, but I care about this game. If we're all willing to work together, we can make it happen. If we're only focused on ourselves, it won't.