EverQuest 2007

Savanja's Wish List for the New Year!

By: Savanja and Coyote

 

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2006 was a big year for EverQuest II. In the 2nd year of release, we saw 2 expansion packs, an adventure pack, and some combat revamps. When you look back to what EQ2 was at release, to what it is now, you can see such growth and change that players that had dropped the game at the beginning have said, it barely resembles the same game.

For those of us that are dedicated followers of EQ2, we are looking forward to what may come in 2007. If you had read producer Scott Hartsman's Producer's Letter, you would have read this:

As for the farther future, it’s way too early to talk about our next expansion, but there are some themes that we tried out in Echoes that will most definitely be continued.  You have spoken, and you like a lot of what’s there. 

 

• A whole lot less zoning.
• Big, interesting areas to adventure in.
• Finding out what’s happened to the places you care about the most in the last 500 years.
• New and interesting races.
• Nostalgia. Finding out what specific, interesting personalities have been up to.
• Sense of familiarity without knowing what’s exactly where, everywhere.
• Strongly themed dungeons with quests.

 

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I Vote Sarnak!

So what do myself, and a good portion of the players look forward to in 2007? I've been asking everyone that I talk to and here are some of the favorites!

 

More Evil. Bwhahaha!!

Being bad is just FUN, and with the recent addition of a good aligned city and new race, we can look forward to seeing the same for the evil aligned side for the next expansion. So what will it be?

We've heard rumors that Kunark might be making a come back. Having played EverQuest I, this tickles me to no end. I love seeing the old zones, revamped and made new again. Kunark embodied quite a bit of unlimited evil, and would be an excellent choice. Plus, I have some much needed payback to lay out on those darned drachnids, pay back's heck!

And my choice for playable race if we were to get Kunark? Sarnaks!! Oh yeah baby. They are ugly, dragonish, mean little things and it's about time they get their due. Plus, I'm about tired of these dainty races. I'm the sort of girl that digs the big meaty races, hence why I play the barbarian, and we need a few more of those after being beaten over the head by the *guh* Fae.

I'm not holding my breath for another level cap raise with the next expansion. I think that SOE struck gold with Echoes of Faydwer, so I'd expect them to follow the same expansion format for the next. But is that so bad? EoF is a pretty diverse expansion that caters to nearly every player type, so as long as they continue to remember to give us capped players something to do, I certainly don't mind that they toss the lower level characters a bone as well.

 

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Payback is Heck

Developer's To-Do List

Something that would make my heart happy beyond words would be to see that long list of bugs finally and completely addressed. I'm almost willing to say that I'd rather have that over another adventure pack, but I *know* that this would never happen.

But seriously, there are a few things I'd like to see get the undivided red name attention, exploiting for one. I believe that when exploits pop up they should be handled immediately, and punishments and all that are super, but if you don't actually FIX the exploit, it'll just go on to become another vile, yet accepted part of gameplay.

And at the top of the To-Do List? That God forsaken petition system! It must die, repeatedly, then be burned and buried. I'd get down on my knees and ...beg..(what else did you think I would say?) to see a system implemented that actually works properly and lets users feel like they are getting somewhere. When something like the current petition system is so complicated that the average person can't just look at it and know exactly where to go and what to do, then it is too complicated. And while your at it? How about GMs that work? I'm sure some do, but when myself, and countless others run by that set of botters in Everfrost spider caves on Kithicor for the thousandth time, we tend to wander what exactly they do all day, ya know?

 

Also at the very top of my dev To-Do List, Estate of Unrest. Yes, I know it's coming soon. Yes, I know you all are working on it. But could you just hurry up a little? Estate of Unrest was one of my favorite zones in EQ1, I cried everytime I outgrew it, and I just cannot wait until we can see the changes this zone has undergone in the last 500 years!

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Open, Open, Open!

I have a long list of things that should be taken care of in my opinion, I'll just forward that to Gallenite. *wink*

 

Looking Towards 2007

I'm sure that more info will trickle in, bit by bit, on what we can expect for EverQuest II this coming year. I'm forever the optimistic, so I think that we will see good things this year with plenty of lessons learned on SOE's part. I truly cannot wait for the newest expansions and what they might come up with for another adventure pack. And even with the anticipation of Vanguard, thought to be looking at release in the first quarter of 2007, I'm still very dedicated to following EQ2 through this next year and beyond! I hope to see you all there.

 

And now for the real entertainment. My dear friend Coyote has a few (I use the term "few" lightly) words to share with you all about what he'd like to see in 2007. As always, he's brilliantly hilarious!

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When I was asked to write up an end of the year "contribution" my first response was; "No, go away you jackals! I have NOTHING LEFT! NOTHING! DO YOU HEAR ME NOTHING!", and then I started sobbing uncontrollably.

THEN they told me that I'd be working with Savanja and my integrity, journalistic mindset and my undying love for all things female kicked in, and I said "Only if she drops the restraining order."

We met somewhere in the middle, and I agreed to give my list of Ten Things that I'm looking forward to in the coming year. So, without further ado; just that.