EverQuest II: Beyond Echoes of Faydwer

Stradden · January 2007

At this year's CES, Carolyn Koh sits down at EverQuest II Senior Producer Scott Hartsman about their new "Estate of Unrest" zone.

The Sony contingent was once again CES in Las Vegas - I think it has to be because it's in Las Vegas - and I caught up with Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer of EverQuestII who was there to do the show and tell on Echoes of Faydwer.

Now, Scott... I think our readers here at MMORPG are pretty familiar with the Echoes of Faydwer expansion by now... what's new? What's hot? What's to come? After a little joking around with Scott doing some flexing and me doing a little poking, we settled down for the goods.
Fools must seldom differ as he and I segued from catching up with each other, right into the Estate of Unrest zone that did not make it into the Echoes of Faydwer launch. "Wasn't me! Someone must have gotten hold of an old zone list!" Happily enough, the Estate of Unrest will be a zone provided free in the next update scheduled for February, so we settled right into what's there from the old EverQuest.

You can read the whole article here.

You can view new EQII screenshots in our gallery here.

MW2K · January 2007

The aggroing through the floors was one of those things that made the original Unrest such an interesting zone.

Red_Rider · January 2007

Now all we need are more character slots to enable us to try out a better proportion of the 24 classes....

shadout00 · January 2007

Recant you obviously are a WoW supporter. You don't know what the classes can do, do you? There aren't 4 classes and the rest feel generic. Try playing and raiding and noticing a difference between a Troubador bard, and a dirge...or a Guardian, or Zerker? You don't know, do you? Please don't comment on what you don't know. WoW only has what, 8 classes?

I would like to see more true tank classes and offensive tanks...as well as 2 more cloth casters.

ZonMezz · January 2007

Originally posted by shadout00

"I would like to see more true tank classes and offensive tanks...as well as 2 more cloth casters."

Shatout, you kinda shot yourself in the foot with this last comment.
But anyways, if you're gonna play EQII make sure you do some research on the type of class you want to play. For instance, just because a class does say AOE damage over single target damage doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to like playing the AOE character as single target damage is more needed for end game at the moment.

If you're going to pvp, keep in mind that a stealth character with maximum damage is probably going to be your best bet for pvp satisfaction. Some of the support classes are just there so that stealth characters can have fun killing you.

Classes in EQ do share a lot skills, (damage by any other name is still damage) but the longevity of your character (and whether you just spent a year of your life leveling a character that is ultimately useless to you) depends on the details. I will say that character classes are CERTAINLY generic within a given type, but that the differences between them can/may cause a lot of your time to be wasted. Some of the classes will make you feel like they were added in as just an afterthought.

And finally, always remember that it's SOE. Anything you worked on up to this point could be nerfed into the ground... wait.... Blizzard does the same thing now. (see warriors).

Hrrmmmm...

God I need a new mmorpg.

<edited cause I accidentally wrote the whole thing in Bold>

martinj63 · January 2007

Every time some Dimwit bandies about the 8 mil WOW subscribers I point out that’s also the average Jerry Springer show demographic, both are about as equally educated and usually live in the same Trailer park.

SOE has done many things right with EoF, and it has paid off in increased subscribers, but its beyond that SOE is giving EQ II something WoW lacks and that’s depth and a soul. Numbers mean jack in my book. EQII gets better almost daily, can't say that about raidordiecraft.

kascrz · January 2007

I'm a EQ2 fan myself, but I don't understand the WOW hate. comparing 8mil WOW players to jerry is pretty dumb in my IMHO. Most of the poeple I work with play WOW and as a Radar Tech most of the poeple I work with are pretty smart. WOW is just quick MMO arcade fun plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that, just people like me enjoy EQ2's style more. I'd play both if i had the time honestly. Just becouse i like EQ2 more doesn't make me better than any other MMO player and thats a FACT not an opinion.

xminator · January 2007

Its not WoW hate, its WoW fanboi hate. About as loved as telemarketing.

Ironman2000 · January 2007

Originally posted by martinj63

Every time some Dimwit bandies about the 8 mil WOW subscribers I point out that’s also the average Jerry Springer show demographic, both are about as equally educated and usually live in the same Trailer park.

SOE has done many things right with EoF, and it has paid off in increased subscribers, but its beyond that SOE is giving EQ II something WoW lacks and that’s depth and a soul. Numbers mean jack in my book. EQII gets better almost daily, can't say that about raidordiecraft.

And everytime someone makes a comment like this you can pretty much guarantee they have never played WoW EVER. I play both games and I really hate to say, so many things in EoF were taken from WoW (which i'm not even going to start listing here). EQ II is at the point where they are starting to lose creative people in the name of budget constraints and creative differences (Blackguard and Morguard as examples despite what they were paid to say by SoE). Some of the things the community really want, ie: More character slots and a way to make your armor look different then everyone elses armor (ie tints) keeps getting pushed under the rug. I think if they implemented those two things, they would gain many more players from WoW, but instead, they just don't get it and keep chugging on their own course like ole' G.W. Bush and his War on Iraq (and yes i'm drawing a parallel between the thinking between him and the powers that be at SoE, because they both are stuck in the "STAY THE COURSE" mentality no matter how different they try to paint it"

Tithrielle · January 2007

Originally posted by Ironman2000

Originally posted by martinj63

Every time some Dimwit bandies about the 8 mil WOW subscribers I point out that’s also the average Jerry Springer show demographic, both are about as equally educated and usually live in the same Trailer park.

SOE has done many things right with EoF, and it has paid off in increased subscribers, but its beyond that SOE is giving EQ II something WoW lacks and that’s depth and a soul. Numbers mean jack in my book. EQII gets better almost daily, can't say that about raidordiecraft.

And everytime someone makes a comment like this you can pretty much guarantee they have never played WoW EVER.

Oh come on, who hasn't played WoW at this stage?

Nihilx · January 2007

I haven't played WoW. Nor do I want to. EQII is a solid game. Certainly not perfect or superb, but the only game that indeed keeps getting better.

Aison2 · January 2007

the more you screwed up before the more you can improve...

smartkidz · January 2007

Originally posted by Nihilx

EQII is a solid game. Certainly not perfect or superb, but the only game that indeed keeps getting better.

I agree with you on that except for the part where you say it's the only game that keeps getting better. There's alot of those out there.

Tiderman · January 2007

i bought WoW and started 2 play, i got sick and tired of the game after 13 hours... can't really understand why ppl like it so much .

Moirae · January 2007

Originally posted by Ironman2000

Originally posted by martinj63

Every time some Dimwit bandies about the 8 mil WOW subscribers I point out that’s also the average Jerry Springer show demographic, both are about as equally educated and usually live in the same Trailer park.

SOE has done many things right with EoF, and it has paid off in increased subscribers, but its beyond that SOE is giving EQ II something WoW lacks and that’s depth and a soul. Numbers mean jack in my book. EQII gets better almost daily, can't say that about raidordiecraft.

And everytime someone makes a comment like this you can pretty much guarantee they have never played WoW EVER.

And every time someone says this you can tell they don't know anything about the person in question.

I've played WoW and I've played EQ2 (as well as about a dozen other MMORPG's) and EQ2 is much better. WoW has no depth, no feeling, and the storyline is lackluster at best. Not so with EQ2. EQ2 is the best game out there right now.

Tiller · January 2007

I've played many games including WoW. Even though I'm not a fan of SOE or Smed (Grumble) EQ2 is just a better game, hands down.

- edit I'm pretty sure I'm one of the SOE haters he was talking about in that article. I guess they do read my posts.

Lateris · January 2007

It is amazing how this game uses the same engine as SWG and has far surpassed that game in terms of expansions, monthly content, player apartments, and innovation . This game has come a long way since release and keeps getting better. It has a pretty cool community as well.

I have played E&B, Eve, SWG, LII, Neocron 2, EQ II, and WoW- Every game gets my kudos of sorts/ But EQ II has done some really cool things that have been handled well by their teams

Nevarion · January 2007

Originally posted by Lateris

It is amazing how this game uses the same engine as SWG...

Since then? I remember what they said about the ground up newly developed engine and the particle system. Well not that they could've tricked me (and everyone else)... I give you that

DarthHoob · January 2007

Anyhooo, back on topic (I REFUSE to get dragged into the endless EQ2 vs WoW debate)...

Well I'm excited about The Estate of Unrest. I'm not an EQ vet, but I've heard EoU mentioned loads of times ingame, and people always say it was one of the best zones in EQ. If it's as good as Scott says it is, I can understand why they held it back from the EoF release. Here's hoping anyway

Mollix · January 2007

I am just not feeling the growth in the game right now. Subscriptions are up? Really? All I feel is more alts by people I have already been playing with for two years.

I wish SOE would publish the numbers. They know exactly how many subscribers they have, so why not just say that its 125,000 or whatever. It will not ever be the 8 million + that WoW has, but I don't think it needs to, it just needs to be fun.

Oh and I have played both. they are different experiences, so no reason to bad on one over the other.

Xhieron · January 2007

I have to echo the apples to oranges distinction on the WOW/EQ2 comparison. Someone criticizes WOW for its raid content--a valid criticism--but the same can be said for EQ2. If I judged every game on whether or not raiding was a requirement at a certain point, I wouldn't have anything left to play. Sad, but a matter of fact currently.

As for the expansion itself and some of the more relevant criticisms, though: Even though all the subscribers would love things like armor tinting, more characters, and more developed class identities, those aren't going to get new subscribers. Let's be a little cynical here--that doesn't mean the game isn't doing well in some areas, but we just have to accept that the driving forces are going to be the ones that have the potential to increase new subscriptions--not just encourage current ones. As long as no one's quitting over those issues, they'll go on the bottom of the priority list.

The Fae got numbers up, coupled with the return of GFay. I have to admit, even for myself, those were big selling points, coupled with the combat changes and, frankly, the absence of Moorgard and friends. The best thing the franchise can do for itself right now is distance itself from the name SOE has made for it. That can be accomplished in large part by tending to those elements which would have preferred a different game in the first place. That is--bringing back EQdead.

Next expansion, my prediction is Odus. I'd say we'll see Paineel, the Hole, and Erudin. If it's not the next expansion, then it'll be one soon after that. Kunark should be making its way back soon as well. In any case, the other thing I can count on is a new race or two. About the time the new is wearing off the Fae, there'll be a new race, probably an evil one, to take up the novelty and hope to emulate EOF's success.

Statistically, expansions don't cause subscriptions to rise. --not really; marginally sure, but no game on a downslope has ever been able to turn itself around by an expansion. I'd like to hope that EOF marks the beginning of an end to this trend though. I know SOE isn't talking, but if they could get me to play again, they could probably get anyone. To that end, this game might end up being competitive yet. Whether or not it can stand up to the likes of Warhammer, however, has yet to be seen.

Celestian · January 2007

Originally posted by Ironman2000
Originally posted by martinj63
Every time some Dimwit bandies about the 8 mil WOW subscribers I point out thats also the average Jerry Springer show demographic, both are about as equally educated and usually live in the same Trailer park.

SOE has done many things right with EoF, and it has paid off in increased subscribers, but its beyond that SOE is giving EQ II something WoW lacks and thats depth and a soul. Numbers mean jack in my book. EQII gets better almost daily, can't say that about raidordiecraft.

And everytime someone makes a comment like this you can pretty much guarantee they have never played WoW EVER. I play both games and I really hate to say, so many things in EoF were taken from WoW (which i'm not even going to start listing here).

While I don't entirely agree with your statement about him not playing wow I will agree with EQ2 taking some WoW ideas. It's not a bad thing if they are good ideas. The opposite can't be said about WoW.

I play both games and enjoy them a lot... my really frustrating irritation with WoW is their complete retarded take on a LFG system. At first they didnt even have one, then added a chat channel. Now they got a almost useless LFG system and no chat channels anymore. If they'd just steal EQ1 or EQ2's LFG system it'd be great but they insist on this retarded feature of "you can only LFG for here, here and here" crap. You can't just LFG for anything nor can people just list everyone LFG and list them by class and level.

This is probably entirely off topic but oh well.

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EverQuest II: Beyond Echoes of Faydwer

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