Do you want to see in-game holidays in EverQuest Next?

I always enjoyed the real-world holiday-themed events in EQ1.

Specifically, the Halloween events were always a blast.

That isn't to say that Norrath couldn't benefit from holidays that are entirely original, too.

I'd be happy as a button if EQN implemented appropriate lore-friendly "original" holidays that coincided with real-world holiday themes and times, and I could also appreciate entirely new holidays and events that are unique to EQN.

Cool idea: Each race could celebrate shared holidays in very different ways based on their culture. Taking that a step further, some races might have minor holidays not celebrated by others.

Example: Everyone might celebrate the New Year, but an established city of mountain-dwelling Dwarves might not have the same "Harvest Season" holiday that some Human/Halfling/Elf dominant settlements might have. (Or they might celebrate in a completely different way.)

Yes, but who cares?

This is not a major issue. Do not ruin the game by celebrating the holidays and we will be fine.

No, free handout upgrade gear garbage.

Lol

I guess we needed a break from talking about serious things

I was looking forward to a better question this week.. with that being said..

I personally would rather see EQN stick to the lore when celebrating holidays. Each race can have their own special days? This would be a good way for people that don't read the books to learn about the lore of Norrath. And to take it a step further, I would like to see the orcs and goblins maybe celebrating sometime?

And not only holidays.. I would like to see more GM type events.. How cool would it be to be hanging out in the city and all of a sudden a Dragon lands that is controlled by a GM? Or maybe an army of skeletons invade the city? Events are always a fun time, but when it becomes mundane, people stop doing them. Make them exciting! Bring the community together.. It's a win/win for everyone!

Events are a good way of getting some cool looking appearance items...

I would rather prefer to see Lore based holiday themes. I don't want Frostfell or Halloween type events that coincide with real world, let's see something new. Let's have themes such as when the combine gained its freedom or when a special battle took place and we celebrate that victory.

Be creative devs, we know you can do it.

I wouldn't want it to break the in game immersion.

Why not make your own holidays around the same time periods, with its own distinct but familiar lore.

Just don't put candy cane poles, elves, gnomes and santas everywhere for Xmas, make it more about the yule tide

I love holiday events, but I get so tired of some cheap carbon copy of real world events (ie American events, and yes I'm an American). Its time games either celebrate several different holidays around the world, or just be creative for a change and make holidays that have NOTHING to do with the real world and only celebrate the LORE of the game. For example, EQN starts up with us making our first landing back on the mainland after hundreds of years and founding Qeynos, so there should be a Founders Day or Landing Day to celebrate the return home. Or how about Day For the Fallen to celebrate those who stayed behind and fought the dragons to allow the combine to flee to Kunark. And for the love of all that is holy, please please please DO NOT make the lore holidays fall on real world holidays. I dont want WinterFest in December with "christmas trees" and snowmen.

This is again a perfect chance to shine and break the mold. Make your own calendar, make your own holidays, and celebrate them annually with no link or tie in to real world events or days. Nobody wants to see Norrathian Magic Powder Rockets on July 4th....

Now I will obviously concede a few things like holidays based on seasons. You cant really get around that unless you make the season different from Earth (which would be awesome). So tossing out a Harvest Day in the "fall" when you bring in your crops would be excusable, but please be more original than that.

I think this is one question that has already been decided.

I'd like Everquest Next to celebrate lore related events, real world ones have nothing to do with the lore.

Just interested.

In which way do you think it is decided?

I would really LOVE to see more holiday events that mirror non-European/American holidays. Y'all do know there's other holidays around the world, right?
And yes, I'm an American who loves her holidays IRL but some diversity PLEASE! I get enough Christmas garbage to choke a cow around here from Sept 30-Dec 26, at least give me something that is themed differently! India, Africa, Polynesia, Asia - they celebrate the Amer-Euro holidays some but they have others as well....

If we're keeping holidays from the previous games, then I would like to grow my own Frostfell tree. Let us have fully destructible pumpkins, so we can carve our own jack-o-lanterns for the Nights of the Dead.

I've always been a fan of holidays in games. Holidays help to give the world more character so long as they fit within the lore. They don't need to mirror real world holidays, but they don't need to not mirror them either.

Something I'd really like to see would be different races and/or places celebrating different holidays. Not something like the circus being in town, but more like the distinction between the 4th of July and Cinco de Mayo or Dios de la Muerte. These holidays are only really celebrated by people from their countries of origin.

Well, it would make sense that the Norrathians would celebrate solstices and equinoctial points. Having said that, if time passes the same way in EQN as it does in the rest of the IP, SOE would have to set them up based on real world. After all, time passes on Norrath about 10 times faster than for us, so that would work out to 40 celebrations a year for us.

I agree with Apocalypsebunny

I'd also like to emphasize that if in-game holidays are going to coincide with real-world holidays, it'd be a lot cooler to go deeper than the surface level of contemporary celebrations.

By all means, have a Winter Solstice event, but draw inspiration from something other than the American Corporate Christmas paradigm. You have a whole world and thousands of years of traditions and customs to draw inspiration from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winter_festivals

Serious or not this definitely could have an impact. I like that they're asking it because previously they've always done their little holidays, and I've thought they were ridiculous. They could be fun, yes. But I never felt they fit Norrath. I voted "I'd like to see in-game holidays that fit the new world and lore, not real world events." precisely for that reason. Give us new, unique events.

They don't even have to be around the time of the real world ones, but rather, more like they would be for holidays of that time frame. I would say something like The Wheel of the Year, and festivals based around the equinoxes and solstices, but I worry that would bring in real world politics to some degree. Although I'm sure they could make them sufficiently different from the actual Sabbats.

Now this would be interesting. Considering we're all a melting pot of cultures and we were enslaved for so long, I'm not sure we would have kept our traditions but then, slaves traditionally hold on to what culture they have all the more fiercely. Having unique racial takes on various holidays would be fascinating--especially if someone celebrated ones that others did not celebrate at all, or if they were considered odd or unusual by the other races.

I agree.

Maybe something along the lines of dropping the common major Corporate Decorations associated with holidays, and returning to something a little more old school?

I have no problem with the concept of an Old School Santa Claus, but he shouldn't be characterized as a flying fat guy with a big red suit and 8 reindeer.

I think you have to go with fake holidays based on lore of the world, that conveniently tie in with holidays you choose to celebrate from the real world.

I would however like to see a bit more diversity on the sort of holidays covered. I would actually like some themes around charities that go directly to real world organisations. Cancer research, Red cross, Homeless shelters, Orphans or Animal welfare etc. create these sorts of lore issues within the world and then donate a percentage of all funds spent during the "holiday" to the real world equivalent.