EverQuest Next: Landmark

[Grimfan]

Now that the NDA is lifted, anyone else get a founders pack and really get in and start enjoying it? I'm really liking it so far, there is a lot of potential in there.

[Uteunayr]

Tons of fun so far. Lost a bunch of stuff in the server when it rolled back, but hey, it's alpha.

All around enjoying it.

[Grimfan]

Yeah I'm really looking forward to watching them add things into the game as well. They develop at a really fast pace it seems and by March 31st (closed beta) could be looking at a real contender. Heck, almost looking at one now after they smooth out the progression.

[Bamz4l]

What does "Landmark" mean? Also from what I saw it is like 2D minecraft (Diablo but without combat)

[Thulack]

What does "Landmark" mean? Also from what I saw it is like 2D minecraft (Diablo but without combat)

That is EQ landmark. As Seperate game thats part of EQ next. Basically its a game to let you make building and such that you can use in the actual EQ Next.

[Uteunayr]

What does "Landmark" mean? Also from what I saw it is like 2D minecraft (Diablo but without combat)

EverQuest Next Landmark is basically Minecraft (not 2d, it is a "3d" game).

What it is is a world generated with resources based on the voxel system the EQN team has been messing with, that allows you to build stronger tools, and build awesome stuff using the EQN engine.

Once Landmark is complete, the development team is basically going to create a randomized world, and then play Landmark (Minecraft) for months upon months to shape a version of Norrath. This is similar to how some people have created Game of Thrones in Minecraft (http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/07/Minecraft-Game-of-Thrones-thumb-expanded.jpg), except now it will be Norrath in Landmark.

Additionally, while they build their master version of Norrath in Landmark, players have access to Landmark/Minecraft to build their own creations which they will then be able to use in EQ Next. Other than this, players will also be able to submit content through content contests like "Build a heavy jungle Temple of Cazic-Thule. Top voted goes in the main game", and they will take your template (if you win the community contest) and put it in the game world. This is why people rag on SoE saying they are getting other people to make their game. In truth, they are just keeping their community engaged by offering artistic people the chance to create something that gets seen by every player.

Landmark for the player version will include monsters by Closed Beta (within 2 months from now) just like Minecraft.

[Grimfan]

Also, somewhere down the road in the finished version there has been talk of letting the players mess around with the other tools used to create the game through Landmark as well, specifically the AI. Which means that potentially players will be able to design NPC's, pets, etc. They eventually want to let players create full worlds that can then be explored in EverQuest Next.

[Lune]

Sounds great. I hope combat is absolutely nothing like what was shown in the promo.

[phacemeltar]

Also, somewhere down the road in the finished version there has been talk of letting the players mess around with the other tools used to create the game through Landmark as well, specifically the AI. Which means that potentially players will be able to design NPC's, pets, etc. They eventually want to let players create full worlds that can then be explored in EverQuest Next.

they touched on this in EQ2, but it seemed more of an afterthought. im glad to see this is in the game-design, will be exciting when the world is ever-expanding.

[a_gnoll_pup]

Streaming it atm if you P99izens want to watch.

http://www.twitch.tv/secretseq

[Tiggles]

Streaming it atm if you P99izens want to watch.

http://www.twitch.tv/secretseq

fucking liar

[a_gnoll_pup]

Ok I had to end the stream early... not impressed:

This game... it's not EverQuest. I wish they would just take the "EverQuest" out of the game's name and just call it Landmark. There is nothing 'EverQuest' about this game. Even if you were to add NPCs to it, I don't think there would be any correlation between EverQuest Next and EQ1.

I was playing the game and I just feel utterly taken back by calling this game anything close to the experience I got when I started playing EQ1. Looking back on the livestream for EQNext landmark in 2012 August, I heard them say that it'd give the same feeling. That being said, it's an okay Minecraft-style game... but it isn't EverQuest. Not even close.

I was sitting there left clicking and watching my character do something. There is no HP bar, no damage numbers, just resources I watch pile up and I get to use something that should be a developer tool to create a structure inside a small area of land. All being said, it felt too easy to use and had very little depth. Then, when i've done this for 15-45 minutes, I go to the forge and realize I CANNOT BLOODY MAKE ANYTHING EXCEPT INGOTS.

How stupid is that? I understand wanting to make the game last but when the game itself isn't fun or challenging it feels like a big, pointless, grind.

In fact, I think it's the biggest insult to even put the branding on this game to long-time fans of EQ1. I just hope the EQNext game itself doesn't follow this trend of sandbox games with no depth. No metagame, no learning anything. Everything's handed to you on a silver platter. And no memories to be made. It's a solo sandbox that capitalizes on all the bad design decisions that SOE has made over the years.

I understand I didn't come into the game with high hopes. But... jeez. I expected better than this for 2+ years of work and incredible tech. And they say the game is 60% complete; that's a large portion of the game and it pales in comparison to the level of depth that EQ1 had. And EQ1 was made with a fraction of the tools/game engines we have today.

Didn't feel like reading that? Tl;dr impressive tech, but game is lacking.

[Uteunayr]

This game... it's not EverQuest. I wish they would just take the "EverQuest" out of the game's name and just call it Landmark. There is nothing 'EverQuest' about this game. Even if you were to add NPCs to it, I don't think there would be any correlation between EverQuest Next and EQ1.

You were expecting a game that is noisily and frequently referred to as Minecraft to be EverQuest 1? EverQuest 2 isn't even EverQuest 1 to EverQuest 1s standard. If you're looking for EQN Landmark, or even EverQuest Next, or even EverQuest 2 to be EverQuest 1, you're sadly mistaken.

I was playing the game and I just feel utterly taken back by calling this game anything close to the experience I got when I started playing EQ1. Looking back on the livestream for EQNext landmark in 2012 August, I heard them say that it'd give the same feeling. That being said, it's an okay Minecraft-style game... but it isn't EverQuest. Not even close.

That's not what this is at all, and it was *never* advertised as what you're describing. This is an alpha for Landmark, the world creation tool they are going to use to make EverQuest Next, which is trying to replicate the exploration feeling of EverQuest 1. EverQuest Next is different from Landmark. Landmark is the world creator, the SDK, the Campaign Editor, etc. This would be like toying around with the Source SDK and getting pissed that it is nothing like Half-Life 2 or Portal.

I was sitting there left clicking and watching my character do something. There is no HP bar, no damage numbers, just resources I watch pile up and I get to use something that should be a developer tool to create a structure inside a small area of land. All being said, it felt too easy to use and had very little depth. Then, when i've done this for 15-45 minutes, I go to the forge and realize I CANNOT BLOODY MAKE ANYTHING EXCEPT INGOTS.

They said very clearly many times that this is an Alpha and does not include combat. Similarly, there is no experience, no monsters, no money. This isn't a MMO, this is just Minecraft to get you used to the tools and world creation that will exist in EverQuest Next in Norrath.

If you can't make anything but Ingots, you didn't chop any wood. Don't be mad at the game because you failed to diversify your collection methods or look at what you need to build. This would be like getting pissed at Minecraft because you decided not to punch any trees at the start of the game.

Want to build cool stuff? Get blocks, and build on the ground. If you want to build stuff so you can mine better materials, go to the forge and craft them.

How stupid is that? I understand wanting to make the game last but when the game itself isn't fun or challenging it feels like a big, pointless, grind.

Minecraft, EQNLandmark are big, pointless grinds. Their purpose is to explore and build shit.

In fact, I think it's the biggest insult to even put the branding on this game to long-time fans of EQ1. I just hope the EQNext game itself doesn't follow this trend of sandbox games with no depth. No metagame, no learning anything. Everything's handed to you on a silver platter. And no memories to be made. It's a solo sandbox that capitalizes on all the bad design decisions that SOE has made over the years.

I understand I didn't come into the game with high hopes. But... jeez. I expected better than this for 2+ years of work and incredible tech. And they say the game is 60% complete; that's a large portion of the game and it pales in comparison to the level of depth that EQ1 had. And EQ1 was made with a fraction of the tools/game engines we have today.

I will summarize this then: You're uninformed and speaking from an uninformed position. EverQuest Next Landmark was never put forward as the MMO experience. It was never put out there as a game that would have a metagame, that would have talent trees, and the RPG aspects. If you got this in your head, it is your own ignorance, and nothing but. Yes, it is effectively a solo sandbox, because that's what it is made to be. It's an exploration of the tools being used to create EverQuest Next.

The tool set, EQN Landmark, is only 60% done. They are planning to add monsters and all that fun stuff so you, at home, can build things and play around will stuff to submit to the EQN team for your content to be a part of EverQuest Next in public contests. This way, if you build a bitchin Temple of Cazic-Thule, you can template it, and save it for EQN for your own personal claim, or you can put it out there, and get it supported and maybe the EQN team will use your Temple of Cazic-Thule in Norrath for EQN.

What, you were expecting EverQuest Next Landmark to have all the talent trees, all the depth and crap that goes into EverQuest Next? Just logically, a question: What would then make EverQuest Next distinct? In your post, you specifically point out that EQNext itself is different, and you realize that. So what was it that you believed separated EverQuest Next from EverQuest Next Landmark, if you were thinking Landmark was going to have the depth of a MMO, rather than being a creative tool like Minecraft?

Get your refund, and research what you purchase next time.

Tl;dr impressive tech, but game is lacking.

All the game is meant to be is tech. It isn't a MMORPG. It's a multiplayer Minecraft server in which you're testing the world creation tool they will be using to make EQNext. It would be free if you waited for it, but if you purchased it, you're basically getting an advantage like on KickStarter or Early Access.

[Ceion]

Ok I had to end the stream early... not impressed:

This game... it's not EverQuest. I wish they would just take the "EverQuest" out of the game's name and just call it Landmark. There is nothing 'EverQuest' about this game. Even if you were to add NPCs to it, I don't think there would be any correlation between EverQuest Next and EQ1.

I was playing the game and I just feel utterly taken back by calling this game anything close to the experience I got when I started playing EQ1. Looking back on the livestream for EQNext landmark in 2012 August, I heard them say that it'd give the same feeling. That being said, it's an okay Minecraft-style game... but it isn't EverQuest. Not even close.

I was sitting there left clicking and watching my character do something. There is no HP bar, no damage numbers, just resources I watch pile up and I get to use something that should be a developer tool to create a structure inside a small area of land. All being said, it felt too easy to use and had very little depth. Then, when i've done this for 15-45 minutes, I go to the forge and realize I CANNOT BLOODY MAKE ANYTHING EXCEPT INGOTS.

How stupid is that? I understand wanting to make the game last but when the game itself isn't fun or challenging it feels like a big, pointless, grind.

In fact, I think it's the biggest insult to even put the branding on this game to long-time fans of EQ1. I just hope the EQNext game itself doesn't follow this trend of sandbox games with no depth. No metagame, no learning anything. Everything's handed to you on a silver platter. And no memories to be made. It's a solo sandbox that capitalizes on all the bad design decisions that SOE has made over the years.

I understand I didn't come into the game with high hopes. But... jeez. I expected better than this for 2+ years of work and incredible tech. And they say the game is 60% complete; that's a large portion of the game and it pales in comparison to the level of depth that EQ1 had. And EQ1 was made with a fraction of the tools/game engines we have today.

Didn't feel like reading that? Tl;dr impressive tech, but game is lacking.

Hey dumbass, there's a reason why it's called a Alpha if you read any of the press releases they stated that a lot of the functions was disabled TEMPORARILY, such as HP bars, the underground terrain, etc... to focus on the login servers/stability.

A Alpha isn't a release of the game, nor is it even a beta build of the game. Claiming something is dumb, in a Alpha state is just retarded on your part.

Stop making ridiculous comments on things, before understanding the whole picture.

[Grimfan]

I think in the next week or so the stability will improve a lot. They already said in the FAQ they will be adding a death penalty, health bars, combat, a smoother progression etc etc. If you wanna read the rest just look at the pdf in your tutorial folder inside your EverQuest Landmark pdf. It gives you some excellent information on what they hope to accomplish before closed beta (which is before or by march 31st). If you think about all the stuff they want to get done I bet you'll be way more impressed that they want to get all that done in two months.

Just want to add, the dedication specifically of Dave Georgeson but also the rest of the staff is crazy. Pulling an all-nighter to try to keep the server from blowing itself up is pretty amazing to me considering they could just take it down all day today and tell people that they did purchase an Alpha and I think people would be understanding.

[a_gnoll_pup]

Hey dumbass, there's a reason why it's called a Alpha if you read any of the press releases they stated that a lot of the functions was disabled TEMPORARILY, such as HP bars, the underground terrain, etc... to focus on the login servers/stability.

A Alpha isn't a release of the game, nor is it even a beta build of the game. Claiming something is dumb, in a Alpha state is just retarded on your part.

Stop making ridiculous comments on things, before understanding the whole picture.

I well understand it's all disabled. The problem is, even when it's all finished, I am not sure it is a game I will ever enjoy.

Alpha or not, the game is 60% done and SOE even said that. I'm not impressed with this game so far. I hope the other 40% surprises me.

[Cyrano]

Ok I had to end the stream early... not impressed:

This game... it's not EverQuest. I wish they would just take the "EverQuest" out of the game's name and just call it Landmark. There is nothing 'EverQuest' about this game. Even if you were to add NPCs to it, I don't think there would be any correlation between EverQuest Next and EQ1.

I was playing the game and I just feel utterly taken back by calling this game anything close to the experience I got when I started playing EQ1. Looking back on the livestream for EQNext landmark in 2012 August, I heard them say that it'd give the same feeling. That being said, it's an okay Minecraft-style game... but it isn't EverQuest. Not even close.

I was sitting there left clicking and watching my character do something. There is no HP bar, no damage numbers, just resources I watch pile up and I get to use something that should be a developer tool to create a structure inside a small area of land. All being said, it felt too easy to use and had very little depth. Then, when i've done this for 15-45 minutes, I go to the forge and realize I CANNOT BLOODY MAKE ANYTHING EXCEPT INGOTS.

How stupid is that? I understand wanting to make the game last but when the game itself isn't fun or challenging it feels like a big, pointless, grind.

In fact, I think it's the biggest insult to even put the branding on this game to long-time fans of EQ1. I just hope the EQNext game itself doesn't follow this trend of sandbox games with no depth. No metagame, no learning anything. Everything's handed to you on a silver platter. And no memories to be made. It's a solo sandbox that capitalizes on all the bad design decisions that SOE has made over the years.

I understand I didn't come into the game with high hopes. But... jeez. I expected better than this for 2+ years of work and incredible tech. And they say the game is 60% complete; that's a large portion of the game and it pales in comparison to the level of depth that EQ1 had. And EQ1 was made with a fraction of the tools/game engines we have today.

Didn't feel like reading that? Tl;dr impressive tech, but game is lacking.

It's alpha...

[HeallunRumblebelly]

EverQuest Next Landmark is basically Minecraft (not 2d, it is a "3d" game).

What it is is a world generated with resources based on the voxel system the EQN team has been messing with, that allows you to build stronger tools, and build awesome stuff using the EQN engine.

Once Landmark is complete, the development team is basically going to create a randomized world, and then play Landmark (Minecraft) for months upon months to shape a version of Norrath. This is similar to how some people have created Game of Thrones in Minecraft (http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/07/Minecraft-Game-of-Thrones-thumb-expanded.jpg), except now it will be Norrath in Landmark.

Additionally, while they build their master version of Norrath in Landmark, players have access to Landmark/Minecraft to build their own creations which they will then be able to use in EQ Next. Other than this, players will also be able to submit content through content contests like "Build a heavy jungle Temple of Cazic-Thule. Top voted goes in the main game", and they will take your template (if you win the community contest) and put it in the game world. This is why people rag on SoE saying they are getting other people to make their game. In truth, they are just keeping their community engaged by offering artistic people the chance to create something that gets seen by every player.

Landmark for the player version will include monsters by Closed Beta (within 2 months from now) just like Minecraft.

Holy shit, 2 months til closed beta? That's ...really, really fast.

[JackFlash]

So 2 months to finish 40% of the game. Sounds like a lot of work....

[Grimfan]

So 2 months to finish 40% of the game. Sounds like a lot of work....

Their work ethic is absolute shit too, I think Dave was only at the office for 28~ish hours yesterday/today. That's pretty pathetic for Superbowl weekend if you ask me.

[Nuggie]

Maybe secrets was thinking it was eqn alpha? Instead of landmark alpha?

As ute put it. It's the map editor for starcraft. If you didn't enjoy designing detailed maps then landmark isn't for you. I loved starcraft, but hated the map editor. Don't be mad at them for your preference.

[JackFlash]

I'm interested in checking out the final game but the minecraft/creation part is definitely not for me!

I'm sure they will have a similar beta for EQN. Beta registration for EQN is already open.

[a_gnoll_pup]

Maybe secrets was thinking it was eqn alpha? Instead of landmark alpha?

As ute put it. It's the map editor for starcraft. If you didn't enjoy designing detailed maps then landmark isn't for you. I loved starcraft, but hated the map editor. Don't be mad at them for your preference.

No, I am well aware this is EQNext: Landmark. What it isn't, though, is EverQuest. I still think they should've just called it "Landmark" as this title doesn't really have anything to do with the EQ franchise.

The direction they are going is catered to the casual player who has nothing but time and wants a stress-free, no-strings-attached gaming experience. There's only reward and no risk. If this is the direction SOE wants to go with their games I am very skeptical of it having any sort of metagame (learning to play your class, strategies such as quad kiting, etc) like EQ1 inside of EQNext based on EQNext: Landmark.

To call this a map editor is far from the truth; If it was the SC2 map editor, you'd have all the tools available and wouldn't have to play a minigame to use them. This is just a way to capitalize on casual players from other markets. I do not see anything that impresses me now (besides the tech), or for that matter, anything that I have read that is planned.

There is nothing "EQ" about this game. I hope EQNext when it's out in Alpha surprises me and they actually listen to their customers and innovate - but more importantly, LISTEN.

Otherwise, there's always Pantheon.

[Uteunayr]

No, I am well aware this is EQNext: Landmark. What it isn't, though, is EverQuest. I still think they should've just called it "Landmark" as this title doesn't really have anything to do with the EQ franchise.

You're in an EverQuest themed Minecraft. It is a development tool for EverQuest Next. Hence, EverQuest Next Landmark. If it was just "Landmark", it'd like be calling the Source SDK just SDK, or StarCraft Campaign Editor just Campaign Editor. Which campaign? What game is it a SDK of?

The direction they are going is catered to the casual player who has nothing but time and wants a stress-free, no-strings-attached gaming experience. There's only reward and no risk. If this is the direction SOE wants to go with their games I am very skeptical of it having any sort of metagame (learning to play your class, strategies such as quad kiting, etc) like EQ1 inside of EQNext based on EQNext: Landmark.

Because Minecraft appeals to casuals. Yes. Games like Minecraft are all about risk vs reward. Here you go:

This will help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7YjMW5C-uI&t=9m0s

To call this a map editor is far from the truth; If it was the SC2 map editor, you'd have all the tools available and wouldn't have to play a minigame to use them. This is just a way to capitalize on casual players from other markets. I do not see anything that impresses me now (besides the tech), or for that matter, anything that I have read that is planned.

Yeah, but you also don't play SC2 Map Editor to have a game experience, you do it strictly to build a map. EQN's development team wants players to get a Minecraft-esque experience while being able to submit creations that would one normally make in the map editor. So give players tools to have fun while creating, and they themselves will sculpt the game using their development tools in the same program, as it is their job to do massive crafting quickly.

No shit it is here to capitalize on players from another market, but get your head out of your ass and stop thinking Minecraft players are casual. Look at some of the shit they have built, just google it. There's some hardcore Minecraft players.

And they aren't even doing it for money. You pay $60 to get into the alpha, or you pay $20 to get into beta in 2 months time, or you wait until after beta and you play it *free*. You don't have to support the development team in creating their world editor, but you're a fool if you're blaming them for that.

There is nothing "EQ" about this game. I hope EQNext when it's out in Alpha surprises me and they actually listen to their customers and innovate - but more importantly, LISTEN.

Otherwise, there's always Pantheon.

They did listen to their customers, and they looked at the market trends, and games like this in which you have creative freedom are big, and it can serve a dual purpose in developing EverQuest Next, and so we luckily got something like this. You're a fool if you are expecting Minecraft to be EverQuest or in any way a MMO experience (again, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7YjMW5C-uI&t=9m40s). You're further a fool if you're expecting EQ Next to be EQ1. It wont happen. It's trying to innovate the MMO market, not backtrack. P1999 is the only classic you're getting, be happy with it.

I haven't seen a AAA developer listen more than SoE's EQN dev team currently is at any point in the past decade. /r/EQNext.

[deezy]

Minecraft has plenty of hardcores. I once helped run a fairly large server a while back. That shit can get pretty stressful at times. If it ends up being anything close to minecraft you're going to start seeing people fight over resources and try to kill each other with whatever means they have available.

[whitebandit]

Minecraft has plenty of hardcores. I once helped run a fairly large server a while back. That shit can get pretty stressful at times. If it ends up being anything close to minecraft you're going to start seeing people fight over resources and try to kill each other with whatever means they have available.

i can NOT fucking wait for PVP in landmark :-p

[Swish]

i can NOT fucking wait for PVP in landmark :-p

That would be a huge draw to me, I'd kill them using Disney singalong songs :rolleyes:

http://cdn.destructoid.com//ul/259339-screen-capture.png

[triad]

No, I am well aware this is EQNext: Landmark. What it isn't, though, is EverQuest. I still think they should've just called it "Landmark" as this title doesn't really have anything to do with the EQ franchise.

The direction they are going is catered to the casual player who has nothing but time and wants a stress-free, no-strings-attached gaming experience. There's only reward and no risk. If this is the direction SOE wants to go with their games I am very skeptical of it having any sort of metagame (learning to play your class, strategies such as quad kiting, etc) like EQ1 inside of EQNext based on EQNext: Landmark.

To call this a map editor is far from the truth; If it was the SC2 map editor, you'd have all the tools available and wouldn't have to play a minigame to use them. This is just a way to capitalize on casual players from other markets. I do not see anything that impresses me now (besides the tech), or for that matter, anything that I have read that is planned.

There is nothing "EQ" about this game. I hope EQNext when it's out in Alpha surprises me and they actually listen to their customers and innovate - but more importantly, LISTEN.

Otherwise, there's always Pantheon.
why are you still talking?

[Lune]

You folks know this game is in alpha and it's already pay to win, right? Not even Planetside 2-level Pay2NotGrind, it's full blown 'pay US dollars for in game advantages'.

Don't get me wrong, a lot about this looks great, but I hope you enjoy having your discipline insulted by a coercive price model.

[triad]

i wish everyone would go back to monthly payments

[Uteunayr]

You folks know this game is in alpha and it's already pay to win, right? Not even Planetside 2-level Pay2NotGrind, it's full blown 'pay US dollars for in game advantages'.

Don't get me wrong, a lot about this looks great, but I hope you enjoy having your discipline insulted by a coercive price model.

How's this? What's going on now is testing for alpha, and none of the stuff we're doing right now is going to translate into the free game. You're paying to play early, not for ingame advantages. The closest thing to an honest advantage you get is the 10% boost to resource gathering, but that's Pay2NotGrind, as you describe it, as all it does is lower the grind requirement.

I am just curious how it is you justify this being called pay to win? In the first point, it's kind of funny that you assign such a model given games like this and Minecraft don't have a winning category (See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7YjMW5C-uI&t=9m40s). Secondly, the only thing you purchased is early access into a testing alpha, which is no different than the hundreds of other games like that, including Prison Architect, Planetary Annihilation, Rust, etc., the pay2notgrind ring, and a bunch of cosmetic items.

[Lune]

How's this? What's going on now is testing for alpha, and none of the stuff we're doing right now is going to translate into the free game. You're paying to play early, not for ingame advantages. The closest thing to an honest advantage you get is the 10% boost to resource gathering

Some of the rewards are tangible in-game items and persist after Alpha and Beta into the launch game, and you are absolutely paying for ingame advantages:

http://i.imgur.com/SfqeZFA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6VBENZ7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZWkod0h.jpg

Pay to Win is justified somewhat in this case because people who pay cash are going to have considerably greater abilities than those who do not. Trailblazers will be more efficient and effective crafters and gatherers, with less impetus to buy resources from other people in their little RMAH. No, it's not the most offensive Pay2Win ever, but it also can't be lumped into the same league has a more purely Pay2NotGrind game.

'Win' in the context of a sandbox game refers to advantages, luxuries, extra abilities. In a pay to not grind environment, all features are available to everyone; you're simply paying to access them more expediently. In this situation, a non-paying player can never gain the abilities of a Trailblazer, that is, superior efficiency.

Listen, I think this looks really cool, and I'm getting one of these Founder's Packs because I think I will really enjoy it and in spite of my own good sense, I can't wait for a beta invite. This is definitely a valid criticism, and it's one thing I don't like.

[Uteunayr]

Some of the rewards are tangible in-game items and persist after Alpha and Beta into the launch game, and you are absolutely paying for ingame advantages:

...

Pay to Win is justified somewhat in this case because people who pay cash are going to have considerably greater abilities than those who do not. Trailblazers will be more efficient and effective crafters and gatherers, with less impetus to buy resources from other people in their little RMAH. No, it's not the most offensive Pay2Win ever, but it also can't be lumped into the same league has a more purely Pay2NotGrind game.

All of which are craftable in game with very little work. I spent 5 hours playing today and I got to having the top end items in the game, with relative ease. If you think the fact that you get these out of the gate is "paying to win", you're an idiot. This is standard Free to Play marketing. I don't like it, I have bashed other games on this very forum for it, but it isn't pay to win. Paying to win is when certain items that are specifically overpowered are locked out of general use unless paying with real world cash, and produce effects that cannot, in any other way, be met. If the same effects can be met in other ways, it's simply a free to play model. It's not as if you pay $50 bucks and you get the Golden Pick of World Rending that can mine exclusive material that can make the top end items that no one else can do without purchasing the Golden Pick of World Rending.

Win in the context of a sandbox game refers to advantages, luxuries, extra abilities.

win·ning ˈwiniNG/ adjective
adjective: winning; superlative adjective: winningest

1.gaining, resulting in, or relating to victory in a contest or competition.

This game isn't a competition, and it isn't a contest. You're attaching your own connotative subjective interpretation that is simply silly. You can't win if there is nothing to win at. The only way you can win is if you put in your head that there is some imaginary contest between who builds the biggest dildo house. But such a contest is yours, and yours alone, and has nothing to do with the design of the game.


In a pay to not grind environment, all features are available to everyone; you're simply paying to access them more expediently. In this situation, a non-paying player can never gain the abilities of a Trailblazer, that is, superior efficiency.

In what way? The void network can be accessed by any player that constructs a vault. The band that gives you a boost to critical craft success does not elevate the item beyond a stat that another player could not get by making numerous more crafts. Again, it's about saving time. Have the band? You need to craft the item fewer times to get the maximum stat allocation. Don't have it? You may need to make more to get the maximum stat allocation.

In no way does the band make it so you can create items of a power that another player cannot make themselves if they take the time to do it. That's the essence of F2P boosts, it's the same as experience boosts, it is the same as the XP pots being sold on this server for the Pantheon thing: It cuts down on the time it would take to achieve the same result other people take longer to do. That is not pay to win, and it is irresponsible to try to label it as such.

[Lune]

Right, you're going to keep picking at semantics and keep being a fanboy, and I'm going provide intellectually honest criticism of something I am also excited about. If you can't discern the differences between the coercion inherent in this system, and the one in, say, Planetside 2, that's your problem.

You're taking just as much of a connotative, subjective interpretation of these pricing models as I am. Bottom line, you're paying money for advantages over other players. That's not a statement about what kind of advantages, or how decisive those advantages are, it is what it is. It's not particularly heinous, and I never said it was.

Also note their EQNL cash shop is meant to include players selling resources to each other for station cash/real currency, so add that to your perspective when one player produces resources 10% faster than another.

[Uteunayr]

Right, you're going to keep picking at semantics and keep being a fanboy, and I'm going provide intellectually honest criticism of something I am also excited about.

You're slandering and trying to make a response to your supposed "intellectually honest criticism" seem less valid because you have no real response to being simply wrong. You said that this game was something that included winning. It does not. There is no way you can win. I do not say this out of being a fan of EverQuest, and pretty much everyone in this forum is, sorry to disappoint you. I say it because it is a fact, this genre of game does not have any form of "winning" in it, other than achieving goals you make for yourself.

If you can't discern the differences between the coercion inherent in this system, and the one in, say, Planetside 2, that's your problem.

If you are so badly studied on the history of MMOs and game development that you can't understand the different between F2P systems and Pay To Win systems, you have the issue.

Not everything that rewards a preorder is a pay-to-win, or rewards a kickstar, or an alpha access. So long as you dodge the facts that I presented, including but not limited to the fact that everything a Trailblazer can produce can be matched by a Founder or later, a free to play member, by spending more time. You do not get the Super Golden Pickaxe of World Rending that can break down exclusive material which can then be sold or used to craft any item in the game, and no one else who didn't purchase it cannot mine the same. Your progression through the game, the speed at which you mine and can build your top end pickaxe, is accelerated, just as an XP boost accelerates your progression through League, DOTA, EQ Live, etc.

But you know, why argue that? Why not just slander my argument and make it seem like it is irrelevant?

You're taking just as much of a connotative, subjective interpretation of these pricing models as I am. Bottom line, you're paying money for advantages over other players.

I purchased a game the day it comes out. I have an advantage over you who buys the game a week later. Is this an advantage? Of course. Is it an unfair advantage? No. Because if you play more than I do, and you make up for that lost week of potential, you can achieve the exact same I can. This is no different. Trailblazers will have an advantage, Founders will have an advantage, but Pay-To-Win is not synonymous with advantage. Sorry for thinking you would understand this basic difference in the word advantage between these two systems, but bringing that up in your semantic argument, clearly you did not.

You pay money in League, in DOTA, in EQ Live, in most SoE games, in plenty of others games, to cut down on the grind in terms of XP. But that's not what this game has, what this game has are resources, and items. So the free to play bonus, as seen in pretty much every other big multiplayer game that has some form of progression in it, is one of gathering more resources, and needing to expend less of them (more critical success) to achieve the best progression. If you lack this, and play the game enough, awesome, you can do just as well as a Trailblazer. That is a Free To Play model, not a Pay-To-Win one.

That's not a statement about what kind of advantages, or how decisive those advantages are, it is what it is. It's not particularly heinous, and I never said it was.

I never said you said it was. It doesn't matter about the advantages, so long as the output of the advantaged player can be matched by an player without that advantage for more work. Sure, the more brutal it is, the more nasty it is, but that doesn't suddenly bump it into pay to win, that's degrees of free to play. These are categorically different systems.

Also note their EQNL cash shop is meant to include players selling resources to each other for station cash/real currency, so add that to your perspective when one player produces resources 10% faster than another.

First I will ask where this was confirmed. Everything I have seen pass /r/EQNext, and the EQNext Landmark website has said what you sell on the EQN marketplace is your custom designed structures that can then be integrated into other player's structures, which can then be sold off and you get a kickback from those sales.

Secondly, I will again emphasize the central point here, that even if you can mine 10% faster, you pay to grind less. You pay to have to do less to get the same reward. But that isn't paying to win. This is you appealing to the idea that being able to harvest huge amounts of resources is the equivalent of winning, and if that is how you see it, fine, but that's your perspective and your objective that is being won. What this means is that you have an advantage, and for other players to achieve the same as you in the market place, they need to spend more time to achieve the same result. The same as spending more time to reach level 60, the same result, without an experience potion.

That is not now, nor will it ever be, pay to win. That is very clearly a free to play model.

Edit: I am going to get back to work. You may have the last word if you wish, I couldn't care any less. The point has been made, and anything from here on out is going to be the same bullshit repeated. People passing through can decide whether accelerating one's progress counts as a pay to win or free to play model. The game is good, and I am not in any way gimped from building a bigger dick castle than Trailblazers, or getting the best gear than a Trailblazer. I'm getting back to my research, STATA awaits.

[a_gnoll_pup]

why are you still talking?

Because I am entitled to my opinion.

[Grimfan]

I figured I could post this from their Coming Soon portion of their Alpha FAQ. I will bold the material that is relevant to discussion:

Coming Soon
Our intention is to get all of this stuff working before we go into Closed Beta. (Closed Beta is the next stage of our testing where we hand-invite people to join you Alpha folks. Open Beta beyond that is where we just open the game to anyone that wants to play.)

Combat (vs. Hazard NPCs) – Yup! Monsters. Danger. Risk. Beware!
Health & Endurance – Right now, you can’t die. Don’t get used to it!
Damage, Death and the Death Penalty – See? Not kidding. Weesa gonna die!
Underground Biomes – Underground is pretty much undeveloped right now. The caverns aren’t in and we haven’t separated the resources out into tiers of depth. That’s all coming soon and is in-progress.
Guilds – Self-explanatory.
Groups – Self-explanatory.
Friends/Contact window
Marketplace Offerings- We’re doing our Free-to-Play strategy a lot different this time around. We intend to very much be the good guys in our industry. Nearly everything that we sell for Station Cash will also be earnable within the game. And we’re putting a lot of faith into Player Studio also. We’ll define our strategy to you in a lot more detail as Alpha progresses.
Tool progression – A bunch of this is in the game already, but we’re going to be changing it pretty constantly as we test and get feedback from you. Don’t expect this to be complete. It’s not. It will change often, but we’ll work hard to keep you informed of how and why.
Map – The map is the backbone of Landmark and it’s going to be getting a ton of features. It’s how you find friends, locations that interest you, communities that want to build what you want to build and more. We’re going to put MAJOR effort into it soon.
Buff UI – We don’t yet have any way to show you a unified vision of the various stat bonuses and abilities that you gain through progression and gear. Coming soon.
In-game Mail
Notification display and tray (mail, time, fps)
Item linking (add to chat)
Collaborations – This is a structure we’re creating to allow easy and simple co-op building between players. Right now, you can set permissions for other players to join you and work on your claim together, but it’s not what we’d call streamlined or intuitive. We’ll be working on that soon.
Player merchants – This is how you turn resources (which can be awkward to barter) into coin that’s easily traded. NOTE: Merchants do not SELL anything. If you want to buy something, then buy it from a player in the Stalls at the Hub. (NOTE: Market Stalls are coming soon in Alpha.)
VOIP support – Right now, you’re constrained to text chat. VOIP will be coming soon.
SOEmote – The code support is done, but not the interface for using it. That’ll be added soon also.
Social Networking Connections (Youtubes, Facebooks)
Configurable Keybindings – Sorry that you can’t edit your keys right now. Soon!

[Gwence]

game environment looked pretty decent, game itself from what I saw looked pretty boring, but it's alpha so whatever..

my major problem with this is the business model sony is taking here to have consumers fund there development

I mean I can somewhat understand this from an independent game studio that wants to make big plays (even though it still bothers me) but from one of the biggest corporations in the world - SONY - needing there consumer base to assist in financing the game.

there was thousands of players clogging up the alpha servers over the weekend, each having paid at least $60, most probably $100. Do the math.

it's actually pretty disgusting to me

[Grimfan]

game environment looked pretty decent, game itself from what I saw looked pretty boring, but it's alpha so whatever..

my major problem with this is the business model sony is taking here to have consumers fund there development

I mean I can somewhat understand this from an independent game studio that wants to make big plays (even though it still bothers me) but from one of the biggest corporations in the world - SONY - needing there consumer base to assist in financing the game.

there was thousands of players clogging up the alpha servers over the weekend, each having paid at least $60, most probably $100. Do the math.

it's actually pretty disgusting to me

I can do the math if you'd like. Lets assume that 80% of the people accessing this Alpha were trailblazers because the jump from 60-100 isn't too bad and we will be generous. Lets also take David Georgeson for his word and approximate about 20k founders packs were sold.

80% of 20000 is 16000, the remaining 20% we will say is the Explorer pack, so that gives us 4000 more people. Once again, I'm being really generous to Sony on this.

16000x100$ each is = 1.6 million dollars
4000x60$ each is = 240 thousand dollars.

Over all, off those two packs you're making 1.84 million dollars. If you look at what it costs to make a modern MMO in today's professional market (ie: Do not look at Pantheon, or any other kickstarter MMO) you are looking at somewhere between 80-200 million dollars. Sony is not, and cannot fund their MMO off of the founders packs that they have sold.

So what is the purpose of the founders pack? Why would you create something that cannot fund your game? You're getting only the most committed fan base to play your game and test it for you. You're getting people that want to be a part of making the game and are willing to pay to do so. Why offer a refund if you need this money to make your game? Simply put, you do not offer a refund if this is how you fund your game.

[Tiggles]

I respect Secrets opinion but this Lune guy is fucking retarded.

[Lune]

impressive considering secrets' opinion was the only one in this thread more retarded and ill informed than mine

after that boy pussy?

[Gwence]

I said assist in financing, not fund.

doesn't change the fact that its dumb

"the most committed fans" lol please

[Grimfan]

I said assist in financing, not fund.

doesn't change the fact that its dumb

"the most committed fans" lol please

Because you do not feel like elaborating on why the two things you just said are different, and you would like to write three sentences that have no meaning, I'll just say I now know I wasted my time doing math for someone that doesn't realize 1-2 million dollars is literally nothing to make an MMO these days and they very obviously to me did not put out the founders pack as a money grubbing scheme. But you can believe what you like.

[Swish]

Happy to wait for final release on this, not inspired by talk of a cash shop in whats effectively an alpha of only the world setting/minecraft part of the game.

[phacemeltar]

EQ:N is gona be filled with chicks. fat, nerdy, needy chicks. its like the sims but you get to play as a lion.

[Grimfan]

Happy to wait for final release on this, not inspired by talk of a cash shop in whats effectively an alpha of only the world setting/minecraft part of the game.

Yeah, you won't have to wait that long either. Two months until closed beta, I imagine that will only last a few months as well, open beta is basically release for this game. They only plan two wipes, one for alpha and one for closed beta. As far as a cash shop goes, I doubt they will be doing much with it in alpha/closed beta, but Hearthstone did let you buy cards while it was in closed beta, so who knows.

[Tiggles]

EQ:N is gona be filled with chicks. fat, nerdy, needy chicks. its like the sims but you get to play as a lion.

so that's a plus or a...... minus?

[Tiggles]

Yeah, you won't have to wait that long either. Two months until closed beta, I imagine that will only last a few months as well, open beta is basically release for this game. They only plan two wipes, one for alpha and one for closed beta. As far as a cash shop goes, I doubt they will be doing much with it in alpha/closed beta, but Hearthstone did let you buy cards while it was in closed beta, so who knows.

I'm feeling the SC is going to be for extra claims or islands and cosmetic items.

Since the game is just like a building sim as long as they don't paywall tools and shit I don't see a problem with housewives dropping $300 on neon signs for there house.

[Agno]

I watched a few streams today and I have to say... I am thoroughly impressed. The scenery is beautiful, running around jumping around and using the grappling hook looks plain fun. The controls for building seemed easy to master, and resources didn't take years to harvest (seemingly).

For an Alpha build, the game looks great. There are memory leaks and some odd graphic issues, but again it's Alpha. Most games have more issues going into launch!

The one thing I'm worried about is that they don't have their AI pathing code even built yet. I'm hoping it's not that complicated, and something they can get right without pushing it off to "after release we'll fix it". They also don't have their subterranean "tiers" implemented yet, but I don't think that's really as big a deal until EQNext itself gets released, which it seems to me they have quite a while to get put in place anyways. It would be cool to have access to them now, but with all of the different biome's, I don't think it is that big of a deal.

Also, to jump into an Alpha product and say you don't "feel like it will make me feel like EQ1 did" is just stupid. It doesn't have any sense of danger or environment aside from the scenery, so of course not. Also, it's LANDMARK. The building version of the game. It's not even the one that will be the one with a real story and world to it! Either you're a moron, or you just want to hate something to hate it. I guess that's probably why people hate WoW as well.

[Aeolwind]

Happy to wait for final release on this, not inspired by talk of a cash shop in whats effectively an alpha of only the world setting/minecraft part of the game.

The cash shop is a bit different, it is more of an auction house with real money. Sony takes a cut, but you get paid $$ as well.

[Nuggie]

A big problem I've noticed thus far is the areas are so crowded that new players don't have a place to claim. Meaning they can't make crafting tools. Like the table saw. So the can't advance harvesting tools unless they find another players table saw. with most claims sitting empty it's not easy to find.

Also, if you dig a deep hole and fill in around yourself and try to move you start falling through the world. They have a catch that transports you to the surface. Hell of a transportation exploit if you want to travel for the bottom of the subterranean areas to the surface real fast.

[Uteunayr]

A big problem I've noticed thus far is the areas are so crowded that new players don't have a place to claim. Meaning they can't make crafting tools. Like the table saw. So the can't advance harvesting tools unless they find another players table saw. with most claims sitting empty it's not easy to find.

Also, if you dig a deep hole and fill in around yourself and try to move you start falling through the world. They have a catch that transports you to the surface. Hell of a transportation exploit if you want to travel for the bottom of the subterranean areas to the surface real fast.

Yeah, it is an issue. They are installing a new server now, and you can see it partially up on the Nexus spires.

And the dropping thing is in case you fall through the voxels into oblivion. But yeah, it's an issue. I believe it's on the list of things they are working on.

[Lune]

You should see the number of people waiting to bumrush Serenity, it's going to look like Courage and Lib 30 mins after it drops

[Nuggie]

You should see the number of people waiting to bumrush Serenity, it's going to look like Courage and Lib 30 mins after it drops

no doubts there.

[Visual]

the mmorpg platform is taking a strange turn

[Grimfan]

A big problem I've noticed thus far is the areas are so crowded that new players don't have a place to claim. Meaning they can't make crafting tools. Like the table saw. So the can't advance harvesting tools unless they find another players table saw. with most claims sitting empty it's not easy to find.

Also, if you dig a deep hole and fill in around yourself and try to move you start falling through the world. They have a catch that transports you to the surface. Hell of a transportation exploit if you want to travel for the bottom of the subterranean areas to the surface real fast.

I'd like to extend you and anyone on here to come to Courage-Inlet (Tier 2) (whenever courge is up) if you go south west of the portal there is a valley that looks like a little backwards C and inside of it is a hole, inside the hole is almost every forge and crafting table. Right now we're working on Tier 4, but you should be able to get started if you'd like. I know it isn't a permanent fix, and it's too bad we cannot give you coordinates instead of stupid directions, but I promise it is close to the portal (just over a mountain) and we wouldn't mind people using our little crafting hole :)

the mmorpg platform is taking a strange turn

Honestly, the passion and the commitment of the team, the new style of gameplay with a Minecraft esque world, the really high chance of role play and team building to come from crafting things, the supposedly deep specialization program that they haven't quite revealed yet and the fact that a lot of it will be crowdsourced... EverQuest Next the actual MMO is going to be batshit crazy, and Blizzard was right to put Titan off a while until they can copy and do better what Sony is trying to do.

[Uteunayr]

Courage-Inlet also has the dude's workshop on the side of the mountain near the spires with every crafting machine around. Seems Courage-Inlet is the place to be.

[Rec]

minecraft with disney characters

[Nuggie]

I'd like to extend you and anyone on here to come to Courage-Inlet (Tier 2) (whenever courge is up) if you go south west of the portal there is a valley that looks like a little backwards C and inside of it is a hole, inside the hole is almost every forge and crafting table. Right now we're working on Tier 4, but you should be able to get started if you'd like. I know it isn't a permanent fix, and it's too bad we cannot give you coordinates instead of stupid directions, but I promise it is close to the portal (just over a mountain) and we wouldn't mind people using our little crafting hole :)




I appreciate that offer. I'll take you up on it at some point in the near future. I'm jumping around a lot trying to find ways to crash the game and other bugs atm. Not working on advancing too much since we're going to get wiped. Going to focus on the low end. If I get that all wrapped up i'll go higher. :)

[Grimfan]

Also, if you're having some trouble with the progression points like burled wood and such, there's an exploit you can do by equipping your harvest ring (10% more resources) placing the wood with the add tool and mining it out. It might not be in the game for very long, but it's a quick way to progress if you're tired of chopping trees. I personally put on a couple discovery rings and chopped wood for a few hours for mine, but the exploit does help it go faster if you need it.

There are a lot of neat things to do in this alpha but try not to get too hung up on bug finding. Try to enjoy yourself, bug finding really comes later. Oh also that exploit is an easy way to farm elemental ores as well as you can get elemental ore from ore you place on the ground. Hopefully they will fix it soon-ish.

[a_gnoll_pup]

I gave Landmark a second try now that i'm getting over the whole initial shock of it not being EverQuest.

I have to say what *is* there is slowly starting to impress me. The crafting progression and randomly generated items from crafting is kind of cool. Each item has a color, and those colors have stat ranges. So, you can craft a legendary pickaxe that has randomized stats. Not every pick is created equally. You have a min/max range on these crafted items. And then you have the minecraft minigame on top of pick progression.

I don't think I gave this game a fair enough shot. I think i'll keep playing into it to see where it goes. I never doubted it had potential, it's just kind of slow to impress me like a new Nine Inch Nails album. At first, you're like, 'wtf is reznor doing?' then you're like 'oh this is kind of cool' and then you listen to it on repeat for the rest of the day.

Kind of like that.

[Grimfan]

I gave Landmark a second try now that i'm getting over the whole initial shock of it not being EverQuest.

I have to say what *is* there is slowly starting to impress me. The crafting progression and randomly generated items from crafting is kind of cool. Each item has a color, and those colors have stat ranges. So, you can craft a legendary pickaxe that has randomized stats. Not every pick is created equally. You have a min/max range on these crafted items. And then you have the minecraft minigame on top of pick progression.

I don't think I gave this game a fair enough shot. I think i'll keep playing into it to see where it goes. I never doubted it had potential, it's just kind of slow to impress me like a new Nine Inch Nails album. At first, you're like, 'wtf is reznor doing?' then you're like 'oh this is kind of cool' and then you listen to it on repeat for the rest of the day.

Kind of like that.

Yeah this game is definitely the shell for something a lot bigger too. I am pretty excited to see where Next takes us.

[HeallunRumblebelly]

I gave Landmark a second try now that i'm getting over the whole initial shock of it not being EverQuest.

I have to say what *is* there is slowly starting to impress me. The crafting progression and randomly generated items from crafting is kind of cool. Each item has a color, and those colors have stat ranges. So, you can craft a legendary pickaxe that has randomized stats. Not every pick is created equally. You have a min/max range on these crafted items. And then you have the minecraft minigame on top of pick progression.

I don't think I gave this game a fair enough shot. I think i'll keep playing into it to see where it goes. I never doubted it had potential, it's just kind of slow to impress me like a new Nine Inch Nails album. At first, you're like, 'wtf is reznor doing?' then you're like 'oh this is kind of cool' and then you listen to it on repeat for the rest of the day.

Kind of like that.

What's Reznor doing? Oh, just being a pretentious dick as usual. Some NIN is alright, but sonofabitch he is insufferable.

[HappyTr33z]

Some motherfuckers up in here needa learn what an Alpha is, and that EQNL =/= EQN.


EQNL is a game that is basically a "make-your-own MMO", Dave Georgeson has said himself that we will pretty much have the same tools in Landmark as the dev team for EQN will be using. Since EQNL is more based on the "creating stuff" aspect than EQN, you can build in sci fi/fantasy/steampunk/whatever style you can think up, your building tools are pretty powerful and you can create stuff very quickly, fly around, kinda like Minecraft on the free create mode. Eventually we'll even be using somethin called Storybricks to make scripts for the yet to be added NPCs, they haven't gone into much detail with that yet however. Think of it as a much more advanced Minecraft, with some EQ races thrown in.

EQN is a roleplaying game, buit entirely with EQNL's tools by the devs, where we'll have an experience "similar to EQ"(supposedly), there will be no sci fi styles and whatnot, just high fantasy style, and building supposedly won't be quite as easy or quick as Landmark, you'll have to work more for it. There will be events often where players will work together to do things like building/destroying a city, fighting off orcs, yeah, you've all probably seen the videos. :P

Anyway, don't go judgin EQNL in it's alpha state, and definitely don't go into it looking for an MMORPG, if that's what you're after then wait on EQN to release sometime next year

[Uteunayr]

where we'll have an experience "similar to EQ"(supposedly), there will be no sci fi styles and whatnot,

Well, I wanted to add two things.

First is to the similar to EQ. You're not wrong, that is something they have said, but I want to clarify this for anyone who comes through: they do not mean similar to EQ in terms of game play. You will not be getting into the type of rigid class structure, leveling through creature grind style of play. What they mean when they say they want to give an experience similar to EverQuest, is to try and grab at the first feeling of wonder every one of us had with EverQuest when we first started. When you drop into Freeport, and then head out and see the East Commonlands. When you see the spectres in the Desert of Ro. That is a powerful experience, and it is one that is inherent in exploration.

So their goal is to create a game that replicates that feeling and makes it a central point of the game. So you have a destructible world that can be built upon so that no two times you go the same path will everything be the same. You have NPCs that adjust and readjust to the changing environment so no one place has the same challenges from one time to another. You may notice the top of a mountain is blown down. What the hell? How did that happen? Lets go explore. Look at that, someone build a giant golden cock and balls. Fascinating. The gameplay revolves around trying to encourage you to explore, because exploration is the central means through which you progress.

In other words, don't get your hopes high, or expect "similar to EverQuest" as many of us understand it who have been playing this game for 15 years. They want to get at the feeling of wonder that EverQuest brought to people when they first played it. That's the goal.

Whether they will achieve it or not is another thing. I just want to get ahead of anyone getting pissed that it doesn't play like EQ.

Second point I wanted to make was no sci-fi styles. I am not sure how true or untrue that is. Certainly, they won't have insane sci-fi like Star Wars Galaxies or some shit, but even EQ, which we play now, has Sci-Fi. Look at Rodcet Nife. The Qeynos guild for Clerics and Paladins? That dude's a fucking Roswell Alien. So there may still be the presence of that type of science fiction leaning content, but yes, primarily it will be fantasy EQ that we all know.

[Grimfan]

It makes me wonder if they will allow you the ability to stake a claim somewhere in the EverQuest Next world as well, or if that might be too far fetched. We'll see I guess.

[Uteunayr]

I believe they have said you get a claim, and it is in that that you can build your house. I am unsure if you will be able to build outside of your claim, like you can in EQNL. For certain, you'll be able to use blueprints for houses you make in Landmark to put on the main game world in EverQuest Next.

That's part of the cool stuff with the game. It's sort of like taming an untamed wild.

[Grimfan]

I believe they have said you get a claim, and it is in that that you can build your house. I am unsure if you will be able to build outside of your claim, like you can in EQNL. For certain, you'll be able to use blueprints for houses you make in Landmark to put on the main game world in EverQuest Next.

That's part of the cool stuff with the game. It's sort of like taming an untamed wild.

Yeah. There's a lot I am wondering about EQNext now that I've had a lot of time with Landmark. One of the most interesting features if Landmark is the grappling hook, and I wonder if they will keep that movement system in when Next comes around. Just a lot of questions like that. There are worries too, like I know I can run fast enough in Landmark where I am loading a new chunk every 20 seconds, not an exaggeration I decided to count it, and it is pretty disruptive to gameplay. Hopefully they can extend what we download in an area.

[Uteunayr]

Yeah. There's a lot I am wondering about EQNext now that I've had a lot of time with Landmark. One of the most interesting features if Landmark is the grappling hook, and I wonder if they will keep that movement system in when Next comes around. Just a lot of questions like that. There are worries too, like I know I can run fast enough in Landmark where I am loading a new chunk every 20 seconds, not an exaggeration I decided to count it, and it is pretty disruptive to gameplay. Hopefully they can extend what we download in an area.

Yeah, there's a lot of stuff for them to work out for a base game, and that's the type of stuff Landmark lets them solve now, before the game comes out.

I would be interested to see the grappling hook in form of some class abilities. I do not think it would be general use, but who knows?

I just think they have done a great job building the starting tools, and even with the bugs, I am excited for what SoE's team can do. Im interested to see just how far they can take their goals. Even if they fail, at least they are trying. I start to feel like most game studios that make MMOs say "Lets just do a quest themepark, do F2P, get a shit ton of cash out of the player base, and then leave a couple workers maintaining the project."

[Lune]

David and others were up so late last night trying to get Serenity and the new fixes out, that his tweets started getting a little unintelligible. Which reminds me, constant tweets, updates, engagement, etc, it's really pretty impressive. My first day playing I even managed to find one of the Dev's castles (or its ruins, anyway, apparently it was struck by voxel poofing)

Smedley and the other SoE higher-ups worry me a little though.

[Nuggie]

I got a claim with the new server and started building. Sent in 15 bug reports. mostly cosmetic/text/real minor stuff.

the mirror thing doesn't work for me, just brings up the map. Hasn't really been make or break. there are other ways to get stuff put in. claims are small enough that you shouldn't be making anything large enough to take a lot of time for it to matter.

the buffer around claims is ridiculously huge IMO. Atleast on the horizontal axis. The vertical axis has a much smaller buffer.

Before they did the claim clean-up today did anyone try making a second claim within the buffer of their first?

Also, anyone make templates yet? I am curious as to whether or not we can put them up for trade or not yet. I have some things in mind but dont want to give my idea's away before i can put them up for trade.

[Grimfan]

I'm not worried about Smed, the dude gets drunk when the NDA is in place and goes on to a stream and basically tells the dude fuck the NDA just stream. Next day the NDA is abolished, and I'd like to think that drunk Smed had something to do with it.

[a_gnoll_pup]

K now that I got over the initial shock of this game not being what I expected... it's actually kind of fun.

Streaming & will answer questions in chat.

http://www.twitch.tv/secretseq/

[Swish]

K now that I got over the initial shock of this game not being what I expected... it's actually kind of fun.

Streaming & will answer questions in chat.

http://www.twitch.tv/secretseq/

The typical Twitch channel, an hour later and its offline again...will try to catch it another time :p

[Nuggie]

If you guys seen my post on the alpha forums, they are letting us keep our templates from alpha into closed, and open beta. That makes things more interesting. Not only are we gettign early access to learn controls, but we keep what we did. EDIT - or atleast the patterns for it.