EverQuest Next

[Kamakazie]

http://kotaku.com/two-astounding-new...-de-1002721647

This game sounds like Guild Wars 2 mixed with Minecraft. I am genuinely excited to see how this turns out.

[taggart6]

I was soooooooooooooooooooooooo bored by GW2.

[Kamakazie]

I was soooooooooooooooooooooooo bored by GW2.

Man, I love the fuuuuuuuuck out of some GW2.

[Timman_24]

I'm officially very excited. I liked EQ2, but the engine was old (came out the same year as WoW.) I'm definitely interested in the world destruction. Deformation has been on my top list of MMO wants for over a decade.

[Nabby]

How do you guys do it? As I've gotten older the interest in games in general has dropped off. Not sure what it is but it's happened.

The game looks cool regardless.

[Wurm]

Still playing EQ2. But since I live in Europe it looks like I'll have to go through Pro7 to play EQN. Which isn't going to happen.

[Timman_24]

Still playing EQ2. But since I live in Europe it looks like I'll have to go through Pro7 to play EQN. Which isn't going to happen.

What's Pro7?

[Wurm]

http://eq2wire.com/2012/01/11/john-s...opean-partner/

http://eq2wire.com/2012/02/21/breaki...r-sc-currency/

http://eq2wire.com/2012/02/22/20-thi...alaplaya-deal/

http://eq2wire.com/2012/02/23/soe-eq...eben-feedback/

http://eq2wire.com/2012/02/25/the-ta...up-the-family/

[Timman_24]

So SOE sold the European service to ProSeiben? Is the version of EQ2 you are playing not in that merger but EQN is? That's too bad.

[ImaNihilist]

There some interesting concepts there, but I really don't see a "game."

I just find it funny that everyone keeps trying to "reinvent" the MMORPG, when the blueprints for a great open world MMO are all there in Ultimate Online. When someone ships an MMO that is skill-based, has a massive crafting infrastructure, tame-able pets, housing, and open-world PVP I'll be interested.

[Timman_24]

There some interesting concepts there, but I really don't see a "game."

I just find it funny that everyone keeps trying to "reinvent" the MMORPG, when the blueprints for a great open world MMO are all there in Ultimate Online. When someone ships an MMO that is skill-based, has a massive crafting infrastructure, tame-able pets, housing, and open-world PVP I'll be interested.

From what I read Landmark is the sandbox editor while EQN is the proper game with the building features of Landmark.

[[PinPals]Apu]

MMOs need to be reinvented. The biggest change they've had in the past decade is the free to play model. There's such a glut of F2P fantasy MMOs with pay stores that it's getting old already. Problem is that some of them are pretty successful and have resurrected the game (LotRO, EQ2) that everyone wants to do it. It was different when we had UO, EQ, AC, DaoC, and WoW all within like 6 years and they all kept pulling out new ideas. GW2 is the closest to what I'd call a game changer but even it's essentially a F2P with a cash shop like the rest. I'll always be excited for a game that genuinely tries to push the envelope.

[Wurm]

So SOE sold the European service to ProSeiben? Is the version of EQ2 you are playing not in that merger but EQN is? That's too bad.

We fought tooth and nail against it so those of us with current SOE accounts didn't get moved. EQNext is Smedly's revenge.

[ImaNihilist]

MMOs need to be reinvented. The biggest change they've had in the past decade is the free to play model. There's such a glut of F2P fantasy MMOs with pay stores that it's getting old already. Problem is that some of them are pretty successful and have resurrected the game (LotRO, EQ2) that everyone wants to do it. It was different when we had UO, EQ, AC, DaoC, and WoW all within like 6 years and they all kept pulling out new ideas. GW2 is the closest to what I'd call a game changer but even it's essentially a F2P with a cash shop like the rest. I'll always be excited for a game that genuinely tries to push the envelope.

The fact is we've gone backwards. "Reinvention" happens be returning to the core gameplay mechanics and features.

Consider the first 3 major MMOs:
Utlima Online - skill based, crafting, open trading, pets, housing, PvP
Asheron's Call - skill/level hybrid, crafting, open trading, PvP, housing (adding later)
EverQuest - level based, crafting, semi-open trading, PvP (limited), bound items

DAoC came a little bit later and brought some new features, but the reality is that after EQ MMOs went into "carebear mode." The model was level based, limited crafting, non-tradeable items, very limited PvP, no housing, no removing NPCs from the environment as pets, etc..

MMORPGs will never be the same. There will never be a game with open PVP or a real death penalty again. Skill-based MMOs were eliminated due to it being "too difficult." Crafting will always be limited to items that are worse than drops. We will always have bound drops to keep people engaged with the PvE element. Every character now has the ability to "teleport" from the beginning.

Back in the UO/AC/EQ days there was so much experimentation. A patch would drop that would fundamentally change the game or economy. The games were hard, time consuming, and rewarding. They took a considerable about of skill at tactics. Today's MMOs, with the exception of EVE Online (which is in a whole different league), are all the same. Destructible environment? Meh.

[[PinPals]Apu]

While I don't think they're going skill based, Camelot Unchained is doing some pretty awesome stuff. Studio is headed by the guy that made DaoC.