If EverQuest was remade, what would you change/leave the same?

[Snagglepuss]

Change
*Archery as a viable dps for rangers.
*FD for rogues. Think as a deception.
*Horses or mounts in classic (As graphically possible...)
*Druids evocation being impacted by weather
*Resists modifiers for players by zone climate / location ie Oasis lowers heat, Everfrost lowers cold. Barbarians don't do well in hotter climates whereas Iksars would need high cold resists in snowy cold zones.
*Mobs being chained to areas (They regen when they run back). Why would a guard leave their post if they chased you away?

Same

*Travel and sandboxy feel.
*Boats!
*Non-instanced content, but maybe faster spawns in certain areas.
*Racial and class penalties. Hybrids have both magic and melee skills so they take longer to master their craft.


I took a break from p99 and played Vanguard for a bit this fall when it went F2P. I really liked the game. It felt like the ideal mix between what made EQ great and some WoWesque features that makes the game marketable to a newer MMORPG generation. They addressed a lot of the issues that are brought up here.

[eqravenprince]

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

They already made this game. It's called World of Warcraft.

A bit of a stretch don't you think. Very different games even with these minor changes.

[stormlord]

Here is Part 2 of my change-list:

- Skills and Classes: Group and Solo play

..... One thing I've recently thought about in relation to classic EQ is its group vs solo gap. One of the problems it has is that it divides the two and legitimizes the idea of either/or. I would change this so that all classes have two modes: specialized and balanced. In specialized-mode, a player is granted access to their primary class abilities, while losing an equivalent amount of generic abilities. In balanced-mode, players gain generic abilities with some secondary class abilities, while losing their primary class abilities. There should be a cool-down timer with condition(s) so that a player cannot switch between balanced and specialized during combat and/or other activities. This ensures that players still have to strategically plan their group ahead of time so that they strike the right balance. But no choice they make will be permanent. The benefit of all this is that it doesn't matter what class you select in character creation with relation to its ability to solo or group. All classes have the ability to solo in balanced-mode and to group in specialized-mode. While class-specific secondary abilities will have to be balanced to ensure that classes have equal opportunity as soloers, the effect of incorrect balancing is less since in balanced-mode it's the generic abilities that will gain priority over the others.
..... An additional concern in all this is how it's done. For example, one of the reasons I like the necromancer or the druid or the ranger is because the gameplay is mixed and demands concentration. If a MMORPG that implements balanced-mode and specialized-mode feels that the balanced-mode needs to be simplistic and undemanding then it would fail to meet my needs as a player, since I don't like necromancers or druids or rangers only for their soloing ability. One method to resolve this would be to create a couple classes with more demanding setups. These classes should not be any more powerful than other classes. Their main difference is that they will require more concentration and/or knowledge and/or reflexes. Their primary abilities should not be so needed in groups that people who do not like this kind of gameplay feel they -must- play these classes in order to meet a certain need. One way to resolve this is to ensure that problems in the game can be solved in more than one way and thus other classes can fill for classes that're absent (or popularly unliked).

- Maps: Individual Knowledge and The Game

..... One of the special things about classic EQ is the lack of in-game maps. I've always enjoyed it because I like the feeling of immersing in the world and knowing how to traverse it quickly. However, I know that many others do not share my appreciation for this. And I also know that new players and/or people new to certain areas can be lost and angry if they're needed quickly and/or feel they must travel in new areas. This is why I think that in-game maps should be implemented. Where I differ is that I believe there should be no GPS. GPS tells you where your group members are. It's like radar. Many games have an in-game "radar" that shows you the position of nearby creatures. This I would not include in my vision of the remade classic EQ.
..... One thing that the in-game map system on EQ-live failed to do was to allow players to trade in-game maps in-game. This I always saw as a severe shortsight. Over the years I had the chance to overhear many frustrated players that failed to download the maps and install them correctly. This even happened with me a few times. It was a chore and this is not a responsibility that players should have to bare. So I'd allow maps to be traded and download in the game itself so that no outside technical knowledge is required.
..... Since players cannot see where they're on the map, this would complicate how to draw the map in proper proportions. However, I feel that this is an added feature because it demands more skill from the map maker.
..... There's also the issue of whether the in-game map viewer/editor should be 3d. It was commonly experience on EQ-live that 3d dungeons were difficult to read in the map window because if the map window shows everything then what happens is that layers of the world both below and above stack onto each other and obscure what's there so it cannot be seen. The method to solve this was crude and involved changing the height values so that it was restricted. The viewer itself was 2d and caused this issue.
..... On the whole, I probably would avoid a 3d map editor/viewer. I would probably keep things as simple as I can and just allow players to manually draw the map. I also think that it's more in-tune with the fantasy. Too many tools and gadgets just removes the player from the world and makes the fantasy fake.
..... I would create default maps with minimal details.
..... I know some people will disagree with me, some greatly, but this is what I'd probably do. I know that it would limit my playing audience and would cause many to flame and insult and spread hate towards me. But I can't please everyone. In fact, I couldn't, if this is what I chose to do. I don't want to, either.
..... PS: Keep in mind that by supplying a summoning ability to more classes I could avoid the issue where players -must- travel through new areas to return to their group. So don't think linearly. And for new playes, as well, I could design it so they're not required to travel long(er) distances until later on.

I'll end it there, until next time.

[Toehammer]

I always thought these would be really cool:

New High Level Classic Zone: Goblin/Orc Caves

I remember thinking back when I discovered High(pass) Keep and Runnyeye Citadel that there should be some underground caves (think Lord of the Rings abandoned dwarf tunnels... Mines of Moria I think?) that CONNECTS the two zones. I think classic was really missing one more cool dungeon to get exp/loot other than Kedge, Sol B, and Lower Guk. Sol B sort of functioned like this... but I was thinking a mountain dungeon setting as opposed to fire dungeon. I actually thought that it HAD to exist and explored Runnyeye and Highkeep to try to find it. Also, Kedge not being that utilized really killed a potentially awesome high level dungeon... for most people it is either Sol B or LGuk. Goblin caves would have been the place for mithril-type armor/weapons to drop.

First Item to Drop from a Monster/Quest is an "Artifact"

I think that it would have been cool to give the first item to drop/quested on each server to be unique... like 10% better. For example, Hooded Black Cloak (AC10 STR5 HP45) would go to (AC11 STR6 HP50). It would make the game seem a little cooler and more "realistic" to me... in EQ there is neither enough penalty for death nor gain from risk taking. Finding something new should be REALLY cool, and not fully repeatable. Did Ivandyr really make 1000s of hoops? No... most likely just one! Are all Crown of the Froglok Kings really The King's crown... hell no. Should be something special...

this goes along with...

More Artifacts and GM events

Would give the world a more "realistic" fantasy feeling. I only played DnD a couple times, but each adventure felt unique and involved. EQ can be somewhat formulaic. More unique things would break this grind.

More Development/Depth of Classes

I played a warrior main tank for a guild, and always thought it stupid how limited a warrior was. I thought they should get refreshable abilities (think Mend timers) like a hit that snares an opponent (attacking the leg), slows their attack a little (blow to the arm), or decreases their stats (blow to the head/concussion). Actually, EQ2 got this right, and I LOVED playing my berserker, even more than my warrior in EQ1... was so surprised that EQ2 devs read my mind! Each class could get things like this. Rangers could get a focus shot ability or something. I mean it never made sense to me that monks got like 5 (dunno the #) unique attack abilities and warriors (the masters of general combat skills) get... bash? Nope paladins/sks get it too. AA abilities sort of tried this... but to me it was too late.

I played a spell class (shaman) on p1999 specifically because how repetitive a less versatile class like warrior was back in '99.

Town Maps and Less Killing a Moss Snake 50x

I was hesitant to roll a troll shaman on P1999 cause I had never actually been to Grobb. Back in 2010 P1999 had town/newbie zone maps. It made things so much smoother. I love a super-hard EQ as much as anyone else, but I remember wanting to try Dark Elf back in 1999 and having to find a guild master deep in neriak Z or wtf ever it was and was like screw that! My Dwarf Warrior had enough trouble trying to find the bank lol. Don't even get me started on Kelethin. I mean I don't want maps or even a mapping skill for the outside world, but inside towns, even make a map buyable for like 2gp from a vendor closest to the newbie yard trash mobs. The initial hurdle/wall in EQ can be paper thin, but looks opaque and very thick. Lots of players quit because the world can seem too open.

Also, killing a moss snake 50 times sucks... at least have different snakes in the same zone. Make level 2 snakes 10% bigger than level 1 snakes... something for variety. Change the color a little? These are simple changes!

More Quests that Give Exp

EverQuest was more EverGrind. I remember exploring a lot and thinking, man a quest here would have been perfect. Going back to my first suggestion (high level goblin/orc dungeon) imagine if after handing in 100 left goblin ears, that Captain Bosec told you, now worthy of a harder task, that there is an ancient passage to some abandoned tunnels that had been used as a trade route to bypass the undead infestation in Kithicor Forest? Recently there had been sounds emanating from the old barred-up entrance in Highkeep. That would have been AWESOME, maybe a treasure map quest to find the location. Do something simple like a key found from Princess Lenya/another NPC in the secret place upstairs.

SO MANY cooler quests could have been done. Give more exp for adventuresome people too!

Variety of Zones/Climates

I actually think they got this one just about perfect. They could have added in more climates/diverse landscapes. I know mountains were difficult to code back in 1999 with 3D graphics cards. But I am thinking a Frontier Mountains sort of size scale... like Plains of Karana size, but mountainous. Maybe a couple more islands too.

a big one:
Better Implementation of Religion/Race

Factions TRIED to do this, but sorta failed. I admittedly have no good solution to this. Maybe just make deity choice more restrictive as to what you are able to do? I dunno. Perhaps tying character progression into the way your character fits into his religion or starting city? For example a Troll Shaman must sacrifice a creature (bring a level 20 creature corpse) to his hometown before he can ding 20... I dunno. Druids/Rangers get faction/deity points for protecting/healing animals. Race/religion becomes not too too important in EQ... fine. But for character development/uniqueness I think it should be central. I mean come on, how different are trolls and gnomes... but both are similar if shadowknights (besides stats lol).

Those are most of my ideas that I can remember... I had a list going back in 2001 or so of things I would like to see. EQ2 got a lot right, like getting exp/crappy armor for TONS of fun newbie quests, various combat skills for more classes than just monk, the ability to customize your character (the skill trees were cool). However the game wasn't as hard as EQ1... so not as fun!

[Csihar]

Less blacks.

[stormlord]

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

I think the only way everquest would ever be good is to have it absolutely classic, working like a charm, and a gm service 24/7 and more publication. Can't fix what isn't broken, that's what "classic everquest" is.

I wouldn't say WoW was a terrible game, it did capture a lot of players and before there were any expansions it was really fun. The thing that ruined WoW imo, was the frequent urge of the devs to make every class do pretty much anything. I did not like it when paladins ended up becoming literal gods of healing, while completely making a priest worthless.

This doesn't get said enough.

If you look at most MMORPGs, they're about as defined as a shape in a cloud. They're always changing and shifting gears and meeting the latest trends. What's worse about all this is that these games mudflate like crazy. They're driven by bigtime financiers who're afraid to take risks and obsess about $$$.

Thing about p1999 is it stays in one place. It's not driven by desires for profit; it's essentially non-profit. Mudflation is capped at velious and expansion release dates are sparse. The thing about all this that's nice is you can come back to the game you love and it won't be something else.

I routinely play old games because I like them. Too bad MMORPGs aren't like that. The sad thing about it is that in the future these MMORPGs won't be remembered as they're today unless they have emulators. The companies themselves that make the games are too busy changing them to retain their history. The only evidence that they ever existed will be random bits of leftover code, lots and lots of screenshots and chat logs and media. Bottom line is that if a game isn't stored and retained as it was then its memory fades. They might be good memories, but you won't be able to play it. You'll be lost in a ocean of untouchable memories.

I am extremely grateful that p1999 exists. It allowed me to come back and reexperience this game as closely as is practical to its original state. I re-familiarized to things I once loved. I came away with a new appreciation for what made it work back then for me. It has shaped me into somebody that has a deeper understanding of games and online worlds just simply because some random people worked extremely hard to dig up and polish an old game out of love and an understanding for the finer things in this life.

If p1999 is a real life person then bigtime commercial mmorpg giants are mannequins. They're mannequins because mannequins can be anything. They're too afraid to lose $$$ to stick to one thing. We're talking about the difference between an old man and his old house by a small lake and some lovely pine trees that glimmer in the sun and give shade to his old eyes and a bulldozer that just got ordered to flatten the old mans house because it has been foreclosed. Quite naturally, it's business as usual and everything is rosy.

Don't get too caught up in it all. Just remember, it's only $$$. After it's all said and done, it's the love in our hearts and the devotion and dreams we have that adds meaning to this life, not the $$$.

[Tecmos Deception]

More raid bosses, such that instancing is hardly needed in the first place.

Empower the downtrodden classes in theme-appropriate ways (rangers get archery awesomeness sooner, druids are made more impressive in groups by perhaps creating short-duration and super-nice damage shields and regen spells, etc.)

Some kind of revamp of proc system. Perhaps a system where procs aren't random, but where you have a "regeneration" rate on procs based on dex (100 dex = regen 1 ppm, 200 = 2 ppm, etc.) and you "store up" procs to a maximum of your ppm regen rate + 1 for your mainhand and equal to your ppm regen rate for your offhand. And then you can choose to use those procs when you want. This would be such an incredibly huge change in the game though... so getting it right without having to rebalance weapon procs and classes themselves would be tricky. Would also be very interesting to see how this would work out tactically for casters, too. Of course we know how warriors and rogues would benefit from control of their procs (depending on how weapon switching affects this system), but it would be fun to see what kind of off-the-wall combos different casters manage with proccing weapons.

Sensible xp penalties and bonuses. Races with hide, stun immunity, or regen? Penalty. Most races? No penalty. Maybe humans? Bonus. Classes that are especially reliant on groups? Bonus. Enchanters and shamans? Huge penalty. Stuff like that.

Given the way things work out on p99, with so many people having so much knowledge and skill compared to what we had in original EQ, I think that while more zones would not be in order for fear of changing the game too much, I would at least want to add on content to the depths of current dungeons. Content that is truly for groups. Not content that is for the average group but that tends to be dominated by a sk/monk/war+sham/cle duo, or a solo ench or sham, etc. But content that you truly do need a full and reasonably-balanced group to handle.

[sulious]

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

After death, respawn with your equipment, in the same zone, and same spells memmed.

Add player boats so I don't have to wait on boat to go between continents.

Remove item/money weight

Remove need to eat and drink

Everyone gets SoW speed naturally

Remove hybrid/racial penalty

Get skills/spells automatically when you hit appropriate level

Hate! I just want my compass back!

[godlovesninjas]

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

TI've been wondering actually if they're using the same game engine.

Smedley said back in 2011 that the engine developed for Planetside 2 would be the platform for all SOE MMOs going forward.

[bionicbadger]

Make it the original continent only.

Every week have the loot tables and spawn tables randomized so that people couldn't just go use a walkthrough and camp stuff.