Here are our takeaways from attending the SOE Live 2013 EverQuest Next lore panel!
Each week, Chris "Syeric" Coke gives his unfiltered thoughts on the MMO industry. Taking on the news and hottest topics, Chris brings his extensive experience as a player and blogger to bear in Experience Points. This week he breaks down the upcoming features of EverQuest Next and asks if they're all they're chalked up to be.
Sony rocked the MMO world last Friday. With the announcement of the much anticipated EverQuest Next, David Georgeson and his design team laid their cards on the table: this is the future of MMOs, not “the same game” everyone else is making, and we hope it's the game for you. There are a lot of interesting ideas being offered and some of them could even be revolutionary. Others, well... let's just say that the hype machine is in full motion. We did our best to cover it here and bring you the news as it broke. Over the next two columns, I'd like to look at each of the big features, from destructibility to Landmark, and separate the amazing from the overblown. Join me and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Square Enix announced today the dates for the Open Beta as well as Early Access. Are you ready to brave the adventures of Eorzea?
Here are our takeaways from attending the SOE Live 2013 EverQuest Next class panel!
Used "iconic characters" such as the Juggernaut or the Hulk as inspirationThe EverQuest Next debut jumped off to what many thought was an odd start with a sand art performance titled "The Founding of Qeynos: An EverQuest Next SandStory" by Joe Castillo. Here's a couple of facts that many people, including a good portion of the live audience, were unaware of: the entire 14 minute presentation was performed live on stage, and the music playing during it was by legendary composer Jeremy Soule. Check out the video below!
As a long-time EQ devotee in both its current incarnations, there are certain words that very quickly stir my blood and they include "Kerafyrm" and "Veeshan".
In EverQuest II's 10th expansion, Tears of Veeshan, not only is SOE making me feel old that there are so many expansions, but the team is firmly pressing some very large lore buttons to make Norrathians quake with delight and fear.
It’s been an incredible week in EVE Online. Goonswarm Federation has conquered the Fountain region of New Eden, driving out TEST Alliance and gaining access to some incredibly rare moons. The Alliance Tournament XI ended in a gripping final between Hydra Reloaded and Pandemic Legion, with the contest going right to the wire before PL emerged victorious.
These are both incredible achievements, requiring months of work, hundreds or thousands of players, and vast resources to draw from. As I watched the ATXI, one of the commentators mentioned that over 700 billion ISK worth of ships had been destroyed during the tournament – that’s over $25,000. Winning, it seems, is an expensive business.
But now that winners have emerged, where will these great forces turn their attention? There’s a feeling in my small industrial corporation – part fear, part anticipation – that things are about to become a whole lot more unstable.
As you read this, EverQuest Next is being unveiled to the world at large. Surprisingly, it’s not the only EverQuest game that fans are being introduced to.
Not only will EverQuest Next be a huge departure for SOE but EverQuest Next Landmark will be part of a completely new phase of MMO development that will make community input more important than in any other MMO.
More on EverQuest Next Landmark later; first, let’s take a look at EQ Next.
Sony Online Entertainment announced today that it has sold out of advance passes and will have a record setting attendance for this year's annual convention, SOE Live (formerly Fan Faire), which will be held from August 1 - 4 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Those who were planning to obtain walk-in badges should get there early as "the extremely limited number of tickets that have been reserved for walkups are expected to sell out quickly."
"Between the addition of our PlanetSide 2 and DC Universe Online communities, and the crowds anticipating the debut of EverQuest Next, this will be an extraordinary SOE Live," said Laura Naviaux, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "Our players are our extended family, so every year we look for new ways to make SOE Live one of their best weekends ever. The official reveal of EverQuest Next is a long time coming, and we absolutely cannot wait for August 2. We're confident that it, along with the keynotes, pool party, panels, talent show and costume contest, will blow everyone away!"
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In EVE Online, the player is everything. Being a sandbox, there are no dungeons to grind, no raid bosses to master. While there are NPCs and missions, they don’t dominate the game. As senior producer Andie Nordgren once told me, as long as you’re undocked, you’re also content for other players to discover.
One strong example of this was the bitter end of the Fountain War, a drawn out battle over many months between two coalitions of alliances. The last hurrah had over 4000 players taking part, will redraw the political map of New Eden and even influence the player-driven economy.
And yet, for me it was something that almost felt like a different game. I’d enjoyed the propaganda wars played out on the different forums, but I couldn’t wrap my head around what it would be like to participate. Providing some explanation, GameSkinny described actually participating as “something in between a turn-based strategy and a play-by-mail game.”
