Was Qeynos really one of the first cities designed?

[magnetaress]

Qeynos is way more chill than FP.

That said Oasis can be p chill when there aren't bards trying to powerlvl in the zone.

Bards are basically everquests #1 problem.

[magnetaress]

Give a player an inch and they take a mile.

[BigPlays]

I wonder if the game was intended for bards to AoE kite entire zones. Would be nice to sit down the the original devs and get their thoughts on what people are doing.

Like kiting seemed to be something that was unintended in general because they nerfed the DoT damage to 66% while moving. Also I kind of wonder what their intentions were around camping items etc. Did they really think that sitting in one place for 12 hours or so was fun?

[Ekco]

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I wonder if the game was intended for bards to AoE kite entire zones. Would be nice to sit down the the original devs and get their thoughts on what people are doing.

Like kiting seemed to be something that was unintended in general because they nerfed the DoT damage to 66% while moving. Also I kind of wonder what their intentions were around camping items etc. Did they really think that sitting in one place for 12 hours or so was fun?

it wasn't. there are interviews on youtube, they didn't think people would camp for items the way people did. i forget which dev interview it is but it's hilarious and depressing how he describes it. kiting, monk fd were all accidental features.

it's in this playlist somewhere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTWd...l=aLovingRobot

[Rygar]

Originally Posted by Ekco [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

it wasn't. there are interviews on youtube, they didn't think people would camp for items the way people did. i forget which dev interview it is but it's hilarious and depressing how he describes it. kiting, monk fd were all accidental features.

it's in this playlist somewhere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTWd...l=aLovingRobot

Correct, believe it was Brad saying that camping for anything (exp or rare items) really surprised folks. They didn't even think pulling would be a thing.

They thought people would crawl a dungeon together and move fluidly throughout it.

People got crazy, like full group of 6 sitting at an avian tower in Lake Rathe waiting for a 3-spawn to pop

[Ooloo]

I wonder if there are any original dev interviews where they go into what was designed when. I always felt like some of the zones in velious were put together from leftovers that weren't used in the original release. Velk's and siren's grotto both have the same kind of really basic blocky architecture and mismatched platform heights that don't quite line up and somewhat shoddy texture work. None of the super-sculpted pathways like you see in kunark zones, even though they didn't come out until after kunark.

Then again, velious was released really fast after kunark considering how much content kunark had, maybe it was rushed as well.

[BigPlays]

Originally Posted by Ooloo [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I wonder if there are any original dev interviews where they go into what was designed when. I always felt like some of the zones in velious were put together from leftovers that weren't used in the original release. Velk's and siren's grotto both have the same kind of really basic blocky architecture and mismatched platform heights that don't quite line up and somewhat shoddy texture work. None of the super-sculpted pathways like you see in kunark zones, even though they didn't come out until after kunark.

Then again, velious was released really fast after kunark considering how much content kunark had, maybe it was rushed as well.

My theory was back in those days, devs were pushed to get games out the door. That is why you had so many games that were just unfinished and why Blizzard was more polished because of their "When it is done" mantra.

Nowadays, with early access and crowd funding, devs can keep games in alpha/early access indefinitely because they still have $$ rolling in (see star citizen) and are under no pressure to release a game.

[Jimjam]

*start qeynos not kunark… i wish!

Remember the classic bug where calabis displayed as a starting zone for barbarians?!

[Ennewi]

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Qeynos in of itself was well designed. Lots of detail, the different factions and quests. For example the guard by the clock, one is good one is bad (there is some quest involved there too).

The problem starts when you leave.

Admittedly, the Karanas are generally thought of as Antonica's fly over states. But for those who prefer to experience zones at a slower pace, soloing or duoing, that side of the world is pretty relaxed.

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

QH for example had that broken warrior sword quest, does not have much in it aside from BB, and Surefall which seems like it was supposed to be a starting city but was never finished.

Quite a few names with named PHs and valuables that retained their value until the end of Kunark. Millers for soloing necromancers. Diseased bears/wolves mixed in with regular ones, plus the wandering druidic protectors that gank unsuspecting newbies. The illusion cards and guard Cheslin. NPCs that regularly path from WK to the North Qeynos zoneline. The undead ruins could've been built out more, maybe leading into a necromancer hideout (Pyzjn/Tovax), but the zone already has Blackburrow. Surefall could've had diseased bears in a separate area or adjacent zone accessed through the caves. It definitely seemed like they intended to do more with the the area back there.

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Then you have WK which is just a barren waste with a spattering of mobs and a couple of guard outposts. Just a huge waste of space.

While it appears to be unnecessarily large, it's entirely possible this was done on purpose and meant for additional content at a later date. The landscape being spare seems 100% intentional, similar to Everfrost, as that's how plains are naturally. This ties in with night making it difficult for human races to see a few paces ahead of them; by day the horizon is even on all sides and they can see any dangers from a mile away, but by night that benefit is gone. And even so, there's a lot in the zone despite it being so spread out.

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Same with NK...huge zone, nothing going on really, and again, huge waste of space.

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

SK is one of the only zones you can actually level in up to around 40ish? And Paw at the time was a lv 15 zone (I am going with launch zones etc here, not the revamps).

Honestly, it has to be the smallest of the Karanas. Certainly feels that way at least. Two different ports. Lots of willowisps and the associated lightstone quest at the gypsy camp which serves as a bind location. More hill giants. Series of nameds. Another bard for soloing necros. Guards that are also camped. Mats for fleeting quiver. Massive bridges and guard outposts that double as a camp. And swarm mother.

South Karana does feel like the one that the devs perfected. All of the different camps and mob types spread out just enough, with a chance for each of them to randomly encounter some wandering troll or pegasus...or enraged elephant. With either version of Splitpaw, the whole area still has a reason for players of different level ranges to be there.

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

My point being is if you look at FP, you can get to Lavastorm in like under 5 min and level from say 15-50 without ever leaving.

As great and convenient as this is, the world would feel samey if nearby/adjacent zones offered as much from coast to coast, continent to continent, and vice versa. How the zones all interconnect, it doesn't have a predictable theme park layout even with newbie yards in place. You can get lost more easily in those larger zones which is one of the first step towards being immersed.

Originally Posted by BigPlays [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Plus add in the fact that your closest port is NK while in FP, you have WC/Nro/Nek and Lava.

Again, I think it was to establish a sense of remoteness. That part of the world feels more ranger, druid, shaman, and bard friendly, a setting made to emphasize the benefits of sow/selos and track. If zones were all equally small, max skill in tracking wouldn't have as much value and neither would runspeed.

[Ooloo]

Whether it was intentional or not, the first run from qeynos to freeport as a 15 year old was so damn epic. Sometimes I wonder if it was as cool for people who started in FP and ran it reverse to Qeynos.

That's another cool aspect of early EQ- we're all playing the same game, but depending on where you started it was a totally different world for each person. I don't think I even made the trip accross the ocean to faydwer until I was like lvl 30, but for other people that was their first experience of the game.