Producer's Letter 8/13/07

[Lance Berg]

News




EQ Producer Letter - 8/13/07


Hello everyone! Now a Producer's letter that has a bit more meat to it
compared to the one that rolled out prior to Fan Faire.

Fan Faire was an absolute blast and I want to thank all of the players
that were able to make it. There were quite a few questions at the
panels and I believe that most all of them were addressed. (I do have to
say that there were a few that we had to take note of and look into J).
We had some technical issues at the "next expansion" panel when the PC
didn't have EQ installed, but luckily one of the EQ designers brought
his laptop and we were up and running in no time.

The room was packed and everyone was able to see a few of the zones from
the Secrets of Faydwer. There was even a short explanation of the retail
vs digital business by Russ Shanks.

I feel sorry for the Gnomes out there, I mean you are very crafty and
make some of the best machines around, but in this expansion you may
have gone too far. The large catapult that fires players up to the
floating fortress is slightly overpowered and as I said in the
presentation... there are a few gnomes that have missed their target and
can be found littered across the zone. (When you tinker, you win some
and you lose some.)

We also announced the new TCG (trading card game) that will be
implemented into EQ and EQ2. Our SOE Denver office has been doing the
majority of the work and the EQ and EQ2 teams have been working on
getting everything up and running. We have been spending tons of time
playing and giving feedback to SOE Denver and we believe it will be a
blast to see everyone on the public servers jump in and play. The game
is a blast to play and the card art is really good. We worked on a few
special loot cards that you will be able to get through booster packs.

It was critical that we included booster packs in the game for everyone.
Sure you can buy booster packs whenever you want but you don't have to
buy them to get them from creatures in the game. Keep in mind that we
are not placing the boosters on specific NPC's in the game so for those
of you that are planning on camping for boosters, sorry... no soup for
you! One last thing, for the people that attended Fan Faire, your
accounts will be flagged and the client will download automatically. We
will be doing a closed beta on the TCG and we will be handing out
booster packs throughout the beta period. Once the beta is over we will
then open the game up to the remaining players and then the real
challenge begins! TCG battles will be a great way to pass the time while
playing if you are waiting for friends or that elusive NPC.

Once the game is open to everyone, booster packs will only be available
via NPC drops and through the station store. I would encourage everyone
to go visit http://www.station.sony.com/ and follow the Legends of
Norrath link to find out more information including links to the
exclusive loot cards found in both EQ and EQ2.

Now to a few ideas that I have been thinking of.

The progression servers were a great concept and they actually are a
huge success. Although we did a server merge on these servers to keep
the players tight and available for grouping and opening the new content
it has made me think... think about the idea of having a set of servers
that are setup with a special rule set. What do you all think of that? I
know that there have been discussions about different gameplay types or
different rule sets before but I figured it was a conversation worth
having again. The development team has a few ideas of their own but I
wanted to hear what the players had in mind. Join the Special Ruleset
Servers discussion.

Another sticky point seems to be about getting low level players into
the game. One of the things that I have noticed is that many of the more
experienced players don't have much of an incentive to go back down and
help lower level players. This is something that we have been discussing
during our late nights and team meetings. I think it is something that
you (the players) should have some feedback in. I mean we could put in
one of the ideas that we have but I would rather get some feedback both
on your ideas and on ours and make a decision that is best for the game.
I will get a post up that we can all throw some ideas around in. Join
the Incentive for Helping Lower Levels discussion.

And finally...

One of the panels that we had at Fan Faire was a quest workshop. It
turned out to be a hit and the people made it had a great time. I would
love to have events like that not just on Fan Faire! It is something
that we would need to provide a system for the players to enter
information in a useful way that we could use on our end when
implementing quests and other content. Please let me know if that is
something that you would be interested in. We have a ton of work with
each expansion and various other Live events but I think that events
where the players can actually participate would be a great addition to
the game.

One last thing- Many of the people at Fan Faire were able to get a set
of EQ dice that had unique logos on them from the upcoming expansion. We
still have a ton left and will be finding some creative ways to get them
out to you guys. I know that we will be handing out sets at Gencon so if
you happen to be at the show, stop by the booth and get a set!

Clint "Jourdian" Worley
EverQuest Producer
Sony Online Entertainment

[Eric D. Braden]

Post by Lance Berg
News
EQ Producer Letter - 8/13/07
Hello everyone! Now a Producer's letter that has a bit more meat to it
compared to the one that rolled out prior to Fan Faire.
We also announced the new TCG (trading card game) that will be
implemented into EQ and EQ2. Our SOE Denver office has been doing the

As ridiculous and gimmicky this is, I'm actually looking forward to
it.

Post by Lance Berg
Now to a few ideas that I have been thinking of.
The progression servers were a great concept and they actually are a
huge success. Although we did a server merge on these servers to keep
the players tight and available for grouping and opening the new content
it has made me think... think about the idea of having a set of servers
that are setup with a special rule set. What do you all think of that? I
know that there have been discussions about different gameplay types or
different rule sets before but I figured it was a conversation worth
having again. The development team has a few ideas of their own but I
wanted to hear what the players had in mind. Join the Special Ruleset
Servers discussion.

This is hilarious considering the wailing and gnashing and foaming and
screaming that goes on in the "classic server" thread at the EQ
boards. I'm still of the opinion that a Classic server wouldn't have
nearly the sustainability that people hope for, but a new and unique
special ruleset might be interesting.

Post by Lance Berg
Join the Incentive for Helping Lower Levels discussion.

Monster missions and shrouds? That's actually the most interesting
way I've seen to mix levels, it's a shame they couldn't get it done
just right.

[the wharf rat]

Post by Lance Berg
Another sticky point seems to be about getting low level players into
the game. One of the things that I have noticed is that many of the more
experienced players don't have much of an incentive to go back down and

Well, why not do it like a "real" Dungeons and Dragons
quest? Have a quest (that doesn't require a full group! but does
require at least three people) where a boss has a whole mess of
relatively low level underlings. The higher level player goes ahead and
fights her way into the boss's chambers while the low levels have to keep
the underlings from reaching those rooms (sort of liek the spiders
in the MB raid). The XP comes from finishing the quest not from killing
the mobs... The rewards are level appropriate gear etc. (And none of this
alternate currency crap, k?)

Or have a dungeon where the central boss is a *weak* character
but the way in is guarded by mobs with "reverse aggro". Instead of ignoring
high levels but aggroing on lower levels they do the opposite. (The story
line explains this as something like "Your group mates appear harmless to
the watchers".) So the HIGH level has to stay outside and keep the powerful
mobs busy and make sure there's a clear path for the low levels return when
they kill the weak boss only they can reach.

[Richard Carpenter]

Post by the wharf rat

Post by Lance Berg
Another sticky point seems to be about getting low level players into
the game. One of the things that I have noticed is that many of the
more experienced players don't have much of an incentive to go back
down and

Well, why not do it like a "real" Dungeons and Dragons
quest? Have a quest (that doesn't require a full group! but does
require at least three people) where a boss has a whole mess of
relatively low level underlings. The higher level player goes ahead
and fights her way into the boss's chambers while the low levels have
to keep the underlings from reaching those rooms (sort of liek the
spiders in the MB raid). The XP comes from finishing the quest not
from killing the mobs... The rewards are level appropriate gear etc.
(And none of this alternate currency crap, k?)
Or have a dungeon where the central boss is a *weak* character
but the way in is guarded by mobs with "reverse aggro". Instead of
ignoring high levels but aggroing on lower levels they do the
opposite. (The story line explains this as something like "Your group
mates appear harmless to the watchers".) So the HIGH level has to
stay outside and keep the powerful mobs busy and make sure there's a
clear path for the low levels return when they kill the weak boss only
they can reach.

Hey, I like that idea - only, in the case of uber outter mobs, allow a
small chance that those higher level mobs will aggro the lower level
players as they try to "scurry past" or adjust their see-invis abilities to
allow for that. Something that requires *some* kind of effort of capability
from the lower-level players to get by.

[the wharf rat]

Post by Richard Carpenter
Hey, I like that idea - only, in the case of uber outter mobs, allow a
small chance that those higher level mobs will aggro the lower level
players as they try to "scurry past" or adjust their see-invis abilities to
allow for that. Something that requires *some* kind of effort of capability
from the lower-level players to get by.

Actually, what I had in mind was making the entry to their
part of the adventure easy if you pay attention (I always hated
the "death due to invis dropping" crap because no matter how careful
you were there was no way to control it.) Maybe a tricky path like
some of the paths in the DoN instances, lots of hidden pits and the
like, but essentially I'd like it to be easy to get to the "fun"
part where you get to kill monsters :-)

One reason for my thinking is that I'm trying to make it
easy for real new players (as opposed to alts of skilled players)
to accomplish something. I want to avoid a situation like the GoD
release, where groups would wipe twice just trying to run to the
zone they needed.

[Richard Carpenter]

Post by the wharf rat

Post by Richard Carpenter
Hey, I like that idea - only, in the case of uber outter mobs, allow a
small chance that those higher level mobs will aggro the lower level
players as they try to "scurry past" or adjust their see-invis
abilities to allow for that. Something that requires *some* kind of
effort of capability from the lower-level players to get by.

Actually, what I had in mind was making the entry to their
part of the adventure easy if you pay attention (I always hated
the "death due to invis dropping" crap because no matter how careful
you were there was no way to control it.) Maybe a tricky path like
some of the paths in the DoN instances, lots of hidden pits and the
like, but essentially I'd like it to be easy to get to the "fun"
part where you get to kill monsters :-)
One reason for my thinking is that I'm trying to make it
easy for real new players (as opposed to alts of skilled players)
to accomplish something. I want to avoid a situation like the GoD
release, where groups would wipe twice just trying to run to the
zone they needed.

Perhaps, but there is plenty of room for compromise between wiping twice on
your way there and being able to run through without care. I don't think it
should be "easy" for *anyone*. If it is, it serves no purpose. I do,
however, agree that it shouldn't be ridiculously difficult.

[Lief]

"Richard Carpenter" <***@hotspamsuxmail.com> wrote in message news:***@216.196.97.142...
(I always hated

Post by the wharf rat
the "death due to invis dropping" crap because no matter how careful
you were there was no way to control it.)

There always been a way to avoid invis drop's....cloudy potions...

[the wharf rat]

Post by Lief
There always been a way to avoid invis drop's....cloudy potions...

For newbies that's a twink, at 10pp each. I'm hoping these
hypothetical new missions can be made fun yet challenging to real new
players as well as old by clever plotting rather than by cheap tricks like
see invis mobs or summoning yard trash.

For real new players scraping up the 100 plat for enough of those
dumb potions to be safe is a stretch. (And being able to manage clicking
them... When I first discovered them I'd have trouble navigating, watching
for the appearing message, and finding the potion to click although that's
easier now too...)

So I'd like to make the way through require...timing a pacing
guard and running by when he's not facing you...carefully picking the
way past hidden lava pits...knowing the correct combination of gems to
press on the secret door (and it could change for each mission as long as
the hint to solve it wasn't so difficult as to frustrate children)...stuff
like that. IMHO there's too much reliance in EQ on the afore-mentioned
cheap tricks, or just loading up the hitpoints, and so on, when there's
so much opportunity for creativity...

Oh, yeah, and it sucks that they don't put network status on
the network status page..

Lol :-)

[Lief]

Post by the wharf rat

Post by Lief
There always been a way to avoid invis drop's....cloudy potions...

For newbies that's a twink, at 10pp each. I'm hoping these
hypothetical new missions can be made fun yet challenging to real new
players as well as old by clever plotting rather than by cheap tricks like
see invis mobs or summoning yard trash.

Was referring more to the GoD zones...the real dangerous ones were not made
for newbies.

Post by the wharf rat
For real new players scraping up the 100 plat for enough of those
dumb potions to be safe is a stretch. (And being able to manage clicking
them... When I first discovered them I'd have trouble navigating, watching
for the appearing message, and finding the potion to click although that's
easier now too...)

Top slot + hotkey. Also its not likely you'll need ten per run(though it
could happen I spose). Potion belt just saves you a top slot.

Post by the wharf rat
So I'd like to make the way through require...timing a pacing
guard and running by when he's not facing you...carefully picking the
way past hidden lava pits...knowing the correct combination of gems to
press on the secret door (and it could change for each mission as long as
the hint to solve it wasn't so difficult as to frustrate children)...stuff
like that. IMHO there's too much reliance in EQ on the afore-mentioned
cheap tricks, or just loading up the hitpoints, and so on, when there's
so much opportunity for creativity...

Most of the creativity seems to go into the raids, more interesting group
missions, for high levels and newbies alike (and together), would be welcome
though.

Either way, dont care about invis, shared camo ftw! =p

[Don Woods]

Post by Lief

Post by the wharf rat
For real new players scraping up the 100 plat for enough of those
dumb potions to be safe is a stretch. (And being able to manage clicking
them... When I first discovered them I'd have trouble navigating, watching
for the appearing message, and finding the potion to click although that's
easier now too...)

Top slot + hotkey. Also its not likely you'll need ten per run(though it
could happen I spose). Potion belt just saves you a top slot.

Yup, and an audio trigger for the "starting to appear" message.

-- Don.

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[D.J.]

I have no interest in card games. Period.

But I do collect dice. Too bad there isn't a way to order the dice.

JimP.