Epic Slant: Hopes for Velious
Our friend Farrel over at Epic Slant has done a great article on player expectations for the Destiny of Velious expansion.
Velious is not something you do lightly. It was the defining expansion of EverQuest and to put it on such a short product cycle is dangerous.
Velious was one of the largest content additions ever to hit EverQuest. The whole expansion was simply massive in scale. Three major cities were added, several open world zones, shared access dungeons and a raid zone that could support more than a single guild at a time. The EQ2 trend of “two over world zones” and some instances will not work here.
Tags: destiny of velious, epicslant, velious
Trackback from your site.
Comments (48)
Darin
| #
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Velious, for EQ2, is a make or break proposition in my eyes. If they don’t do it right I suspect there are many who won’t forgive them. It is a big risk in that regard. There are probably many people, who like myself, are solely waiting to see if EQ2 will be redeemed through Velious, or if it will be more pattern/formula, in which case it will be – for me – the last 50 dollars they get. I will be sad, but I won’t look back if they don’t do this right.
Reply
Eschia
| #
I honestly don’t think the EQ2 dev team has enough feel of what velious was, to do it right. Plus their style of implementation differs from classic velious.
Reply
Blockhead
| #
I haven’t playing for about a month now and my accounts are running out, only thing i’m doing lately is keeping up reading eq2wire. EQ2 seems to be crumbling apart more and more every year. Its not getting the support or the direction it deserves, SOE is putting to much attention and “our” money into all their other mmo’s and possibly the super watered down EQ3 as well.
When you feel like they have given up, you feel whats the point in caring/playing anymore. They certainly don’t care so why should i continue to fund the development of other mmo’s i have zero interest in and the one i do care about they are treating in a slumlord manner.
If they have been working on Velious for the last 2/3 years and is the real reason the last 2 xpacs were craptastic then it will have been worth it and a very pleasant surprise.
However if Velious was put into production after the last expansion as a last ditch effort to keep subs up while they wrap up their other mmos, which i’m afraid is the case, then about 7 months i don’t think will cut for a Velious expectation and we are looking at another failed xpac.
I tried to stay devoted to EQ but when its own company doesn’t give a rats arse, why should i? Bottom line for me; Velious is definitely going to make or break whether i ever play/pay again. (Waiting for player feedback too, no more of the pre-order shenanigans either.)
SOE’s problem is that they feel they started the entire MMO industry and they are the kings, EQ2 was supposed to be their crowning glory but they don’t seem to have really come to grips or recovered from the fact that EQ2 was completely crushed by a blizzard. In turn EQ2 is a massive failure in the heads of SOE and ever since then have been desperately trying to find a way to reclaim that glory.
Reply
Ferrel
| #
Thanks for the mention! I do enjoy it when my evil twin Farrel writes ^_~
Reply
Brian
| #
Block-
It’s clear you have beef with SOE for some reason…you don’t point to specific problems you just make broad, general accusations about ‘not caring’ or ‘not giving a rats arse’ that don’t say anything at all. It’s painfully obvious to anyone not with a grudge that SOE has been pouring a ton of effort into EQ2, or have you been missing the quarterly game updates that introduce a ton of content? Have you been noticing the streamlining of the game?
As far as velious goes, I have to think all the sweeping changes to the beginning parts of the game are leading up to a huge velious push. It would make sense that the level 1-20 revamp, the removal of the starter isles, the storylines tab, the ‘golden path’, all are coinciding with the buildup to Velious in the spring?
Reply
Zianlo
| #
@Brian-
Specific examples? Ok, lets go:
DoF, LU13. Huge class balance change, needed for some classes, not for all. Some feedback was listened to, not alot.
KoS, Freaking cool exspansion.
EoF,Set gear, group focused, goal, pretty good itemization.(This is when I really became a real raider, not a casual. Awesome boots and Avatar items that were useful throughout multiple future exspansions.
RoK = teh suck. Solo quest grinding was bullshit. Couldnt even grind mobs the xp was so bad. IMO, good progression of gear from solo to raids, with a few peices scattered throughout that were the best for each slot. Which for those slots, were totally op and f*cked up itemization a little bit. I liked the keyed entries needed for VP and Levi. I was still the 2nd necro on the server with mythical though =P Rehashed group instances turned into raid zones. WTF.
TSO, Ah the introduction of crit mit, shard collecting and hugely overpowered gear. I hated it when it was introduced with LDoN of EQ1 and I quit a month after its launch. I gave TSO and shards a chance and it was ok for the first 2 or 3 toons, but after that, it was like wtf is the point in this? I hate grinding shards because once I have all the shard gear with my main there is no where else to progress my main, so I move to alts. After a few times of this rinse and repeat process, it got old. The rehashed instances turned to raid zone thing again as well.
TSF…Um yeah, shitty maze like zones, retarded travel options, shitty f*cking itemization, broken mobs (more so than previous exspansions) and a completely redone shared open dungeon and bullshit faction grinding with minimal rewards for that faction (compared to say, DoF courts factions) 12 hours or less as a hardcore player, a week or less as a casual to 90 = a weak ass leveling process. Barely enough content to progress to 90 and 250 aa. However, I dont mind repeating the same instances, but the SF instances imo are NOT fun. Whoever did the Library needs to be shot. Go back to instances and shared dungeons like in KoS and EoF, minus the respawn rate of CMM.
So, Brian, was that enough basic info for you on each exspansion or did I miss something for you?
Reply
Melanore
| #
What I believe is that they are working on this xpac since a long time, and that S’F came out before because Velious was not ready.
Reply
Blockhead
| #
Brain i have to assume you haven’t been playing eq2 for very long. Sarcastically I’d ask “Did you started playing last week?” (but i wont do that)
I’ve been playing since Launch, and right up to EoF, the game kept getting more and more amazing, it had the love of the devs, it was an enthralling memorable time. I believe right up to this point they had the fire and support of SOE to show blizz who’s who, but wow was an out of control phenomenon and the subs unthinkably kept getting higher and higher by the millions.
Then RoK came along “OK, hey every expansion can’t be perfect”, and when TSO hit, i started to realize something was very different/wrong but you know what i sounded just like you Brian, upbeat/positive thought all the Nay Sayers had a beef with SOE.
TSO is really late, and after all that time, they turn out a turd. I was still sounding like you Brian, “OH man it’s late because they are really doing something special”, “OH man it’s late because they are polishing the F* out of it.” “You’ll all see, I’m not giving up on EQ2, no way.”
Thank you very much for the post Zianlo..
Now not even a year later they are springing Velious on us, i hope Melanore is right and they have been working on this for years in the background, and see Brian here i go again being optimistic only to be let down (every time). I guess one hits a point and see things for what they are. SOE has given up and only keeps stringing along the player base with hopeful empty promises.
Sadly i really hope you are right Brian, i really do. I’d gladly eat crow on this.
Reply
Blockhead
| #
Looks like you can’t edit.
Anyway if it matters I put TSO where i meant to put “TSF is really late.”
Reply
AlienShine
| #
I hope it is really big, SF bores me already though raiding is good.
Reply
Samous
| #
Personally Kunark was my favorite expansion of EQ1 and look what they did to it :(. Velious was better I just do not care for all the ice and snow.
Reply
Brian
| #
Block, been playing since launch, thank you very much. I never said SOE hasn’t been without fault, but to suggest that SOE *isn’t* listening to player feedback is as ignorant as can be. A company doesn’t get to be successful by ignoring customer complaints. Its comical for people to suggest that SOE isn’t listening to input to make changes. Its laughable for people to think that SOE isn’t taking suggestions and implementing them. Just because YOU don’t like it, doesn’t mean that others don’t.
Reply
Bubbahotep
| #
I dunno. For casual raiders (that’s me), the game is terrific. Ups and downs, sure. But I see what Brian sees: that SOE has been investing energy into the development, even recently.
I also agree with others that Velious can be a make or break expansion. A lot of people (old timers like me) have a lot invested in their expectations for what was one of the best expansions ever made (IMO) in the industry. Remaking it is a touchy proposition.
I can still recall my first crossing of the Graete Spagne (sp?) and my forays into the Tower of Frozen Shadow. No more rocks in the sky, please.
Reply
Bubbahotep
| #
Oh yeah. BTW SOE wants money. As silly as it sounds, they want your money. They’d like you to keep spending it on EQ2, so killing the game isn’t in their interestes. Mistakes aside (and there have been mistakes, yes), their goal is to keep you hooked. Not to chortle evilly as they crush our nerd dreams and cause us to sub to another game. Not by a long shot. I hope they get it right with Velious. I’d like to be happy giving them money to keep being entertained.
Reply
Blockhead
| #
Yes they listen, just enough to keep you believing, looks like they are doing a good job on you B. Look at hard facts like this: “Someone literally copied the 71 to 80 spell list and pasted it onto the 81 to 90 list.”
That right there (a small sample) screams manpower/talent SHORTAGE, no one is putting any real care into the game anymore. The shear mess the servers were in with lag, BG downtime, itemization, the list goes on and on.
They openly admit they have huge problems, and seemingly can’t solve them very well, isn’t it quite obvious the talent that was there before is missing??? It’s a 6 year old game and the first 3 to 4 years were absolutely trouble free compared to now, why? because they kept the talent and care/love there.
Wholly smucks i can see why people got so flaming upset with me when i was preaching the good word of EQ2, lucky for SOE, folks like yourself will keep lapping up whatever SOE says.
And of course they want our money, but given the condition of of EQ2 and the last few expansions i think is enough clear evidence it isn’t go back in to the game we are playing.
Make me a liar EQ2 and blow me a way with Velious. Please.
Reply
Zianlo
| #
I hope Velious blows away everything they’ve done so far, similar to EoF and KoS. But for right now, my 15 bucks a month is going to a f2p game call Dungeons and Dragons Online =P
Reply
zerigo
| #
SF was a piss poor expansion, every raid cloak is something that was designed from the guild cloak guy. Most all the gear shares apperances with older gear. To think velious has a shot at reviving this game is just being naive. The raid content was the only thing worth buying this expansion, even then its the same fight over and over. 3 aoes, joust the red, cure curses, win… Better keep catering to raiders or ill be on the next train off this game..
Reply
Zianlo
| #
I already am off. Im telling you, speak with your money and stop giving it to SoE to produce bullshit exspansions. Take a look at a pretty decent mmo:
http://ddowiki.com/
Reply
Brian
| #
blockhead-
If you’re going to sit there and post the first 3-4 years were trouble free, well, now I know you haven’t been playing the game long. But that point aside, the game’s ambitions have grown by leaps and bounds. BG, yes, had its hiccups but the logistics involved had to have had a difficulty rating that is off the charts, and from everything I have seen, after the initial problems seem to work fine now.
Your initial post was that you feel they aren’t putting any care or support into the game. You’ve been given multiple examples of how that isn’t true, so then you veer off into reminiscing about the ‘good ole days’. Here’s a hint guy: the good ole days were never that good. If you don’t think the first few years of the game had any problems, I’ll say it again – you weren’t playing. It’s fine if you aren’t happy with the game – it’s impossible to please all the players, all the time.
Funny that the high-end raiders who think they speak for everyone in the game. Just because your game experience isn’t what you want doesn’t mean its not for everyone. Just a thought!
Reply
Bubbahotep
| #
Zerigo, if they focus only on raid content, I’m out too.
So instead of the narrow focus, maybe we should expect they cater to the whole audience, y’know? EQ2Flames ain’t the whole world, just a vocal slice of it.
F*ck, if we’re gonna kick a dog, might as well be the PvPers 😛 /wink
Reply
Blockhead
| #
zerigo wrote:
“SF was a piss poor expansion…”
Couldn’t agree more.
Zianlo wrote:
“I already am off. Im telling you, speak with your money and stop giving it to SoE to produce bullshit exspansions. Take a look at a pretty decent mmo:
http://ddowiki.com/”
Geez been playing eq2 so long now forgot what quality, love and care for a game was like.
Thanks Zianlo!
Reply
Blockhead
| #
Brain yes i read your post, (don’t want you to feel left out) anyway it was a nice attempt to try and convince yourself EQ2 is awesome. The only thing you may want to think about is why you feel the need to convince yourself it’s so great?
Reply
Zianlo
| #
tbh, Id rather they focused on developing content for the 1% of the playerbase that is hardcore raiders. Why? Look Below:
1. Gear that is designed first for raiders instead of casuals means easier itemization, as starting at the top then going down, you basically know where the end game people will be, and everyone else will be geared less than that. Raid gear is suppose to be the best, everyone strives to get the best gear.
2. Content. Raiders chew through content so quickly now, if you design enough content for them, there will almost always be something for the casuals to conquer someday. Tiered raiding, where you progress from easy to hard difficulty encounters is how it should be. Only the best of the best should be able to finish off the final mob of an exspansion. F*ck this “we all pay the same so should have access to all the same stuff” No, it doesnt work like that. You have access to it if you put in the effort to get it.
3. Balance. Balance classes starting at the raid level where the end game is, then tweak it as needed for groups and soloing. Yes, it is balanced that one class is the best at soloing but sucks in raids or groups. Theres this thing, its called checks and balances. You excel at one thing to be weak at another. Cause and effect. Sorry, you cant be good at everything.
Theres more, but thats the basic 3 and I dont want to cause a huge comment =P
Reply
Zianlo
| #
And damn this no editing comments thing. Block, go on thelanis and add Axazia to your friends, Im only lvl 6 cuz I been spending time working and with my son alot more lately. Real life is awesome with a 4 yr old =P
Reply
Blockhead
| #
Yes Zianlo Real Life is awesome, this morning my 11 year old boy shot 172/200 with a 28 gage, some fine shooting for his age is you ask me. His little brother fired off his first few rounds today (finally) he’s been waiting a long time for this day, the shear joy of discovery with them rocks. My daughter zero interest, she came to the range once, that was enough, her only comment was “boys”. lol
Reply
Brian
| #
Block-
I don’t need to convince myself the game is ‘awesome’. One could also ask why you feel the need to try to convince everyone that the game sucks? Let people form their own opinions, ok?
Reply
Blockhead
| #
I can see Brian is the type of person who must always have the last word… go ahead Brian have the last word its all yours.
Reply
Zianlo
| #
Usually the game is called “I win” but I guess this time its called “Brian wins”…..But when thinking of brian, I always think of Brain from “Igor”….Get you wheel fixed, man!
Reply
Brian
| #
Comical to see someone bashing someone for trying to have the ‘last word’ without adding anything to the discussion. All I said is its ok for people to have differing opinions – that’s why they’re called opinions and not facts. I like the game, I like the direction the game is going, and think the focus on the lower levels of the game is a good thing to draw (and keep) new players. You feel the game sucks and that’s well within your right to do so. To sit there and paint me as some sort of naive fool simply because I am not jaded as you are is pure arrogance.
Reply
Rick
| #
I get the feeling if Blockhead and Zianlo were on opposite sides of this discussion, they wouldnt have had that carebear conversation about children – instead they’d have been bashing each other about it due to their ingame differences.
But instead, because Brian chose to differ with their opinion, they decided to gang up and bash him and his thoughts instead.
Way to go people, your kids will grow up winners if you teach them to hate and insult others when they think differently from them. Yay future!!
Reply
Brian
| #
Rick you couldn’t be more right. Instead of realizing people *gasp* might have an opinion different from theirs, and saying its ok, they got together and tried to bash the infidel who dares to say he’s happy with the game.
SOE isn’t stupid. They may make mistakes, but what company doesn’t? For people to sit here and judge because they haven’t been perfect is ridiculous. SOE knows how much is riding on Velious, and I have little doubt they will put their max effort into it. I have to think they are expecting a ton of new subscribers out of it, as evidenced by the massive reworking of the low levels of the game. The same reworking that the ‘uber’ raides (which Zianlo and Block surely feel they are) feel are a waste of time. I’m expecting a nice influx of new players and returning players, and this reworking will hopefully help to keep them hooked.
It’s comical that two players, who say they don’t even play the game anymore, are here trying to give their opinion and insight, when its obvious they don’t want to even play anymore. When you clowns who don’t pay for the game actually have a subscription, we’ll give a shit what you think.
Reply
zerigo
| #
Brian comes here looking for people to argue with, he had that bashing and many more inc.
Reply
Brian
| #
zerigo, I didn’t come here ‘looking for people to argue with’, I came here with the opinion that SOE has put care and effort into the game, that I do find the game enjoyable, and not everyone agrees with that. I have no problem with differing opinions, but apparently people feel if you don’t share their exact opinion you’re wrong (how an opinion can be wrong is another debate). Please don’t paint me as a troll when you’re only ‘insight’ has been to bash the game because you don’t think they cater enough to the high end raiding crowd (even though there is a ton of content directed solely at them).
Reply
Zianlo
| #
btw, re2 does not mean re2:the gathering….There should not be a “2” in RE.
Reply
Zianlo
| #
And after re-reading your post, Brian, I felt the need to add more. I played EQ2 until about a month and half ago. Im hated SF, I hated the entire concept of grinding shards for gear in TSO. Ive played since launch, Ive spent prolly 2500 dollars on JUST STATION CASH. Ive invested in this game heavily.
Ive also listened to the promises be made about improving the game. Ive heard the lines so many times. I allowed myself to hold out hope that SoE wouldnt trash yet another MMO like they did Vanguard and SW:G.
Sadly, “hope” doesnt make the game change in a positive way nore fulfill empty promises made by the devs over time. Eventually, there is always a straw that breaks the camels back. So go f*ck yourself when you say I havent invested and dont support the devs nor the developement of this game. Because I have, with love, anger, and joy over 6 f*cking years almost.
Reply
Brian
| #
Zianlo, I was going to post something in response to your hostile words, but then I saw you went and saw a twilight movie, liked it, and figured you were beyond help.
” Twilight:Eclipse
Cuz I just saw it and it was cool, however the climax fight the whole movie was building up was entirely too short imo. Your thoughts?”
http://www.eq2flames.com/everything-else-everything-else/66051-twilight-eclipse.html
No wonder you’re so angry. But you know something, its interesting you spend so much time on websites for a game you claim to hate so much. It’s the same mentality when I see people posting on TV shows or movies at IMDB they say they hate. When, in reality, they’re nothing more than attention whores. I think that title fits you perfectly, Zianlo.
Another interesting thing is you claim you quit just over a month ago, hated SF, but the only Zianlo in all of eq2 on eq2players sits at level 80. Interesting…
Reply
Zianlo
| #
Yeah, theres this thing, its called changing mains. I havent been a necro since I capped him out in RoK. TSO, I was a brigand and atm, a swash from that betrayed brigand.
And so what I liked twilight?? I also said it was basically bullshit that the entire 3rd movie was building up to this massive army of vampires against the wolves and cullens and the fight was less than 2 minutes. Yeah, bullshit.
Try harder scrub.
Reply
Zianlo
| #
Also, I go by zianlo, as thats what most people know me as, since Ive used this name since I started playing EverQuest back in 98 or 99. So yet again, try harder next time. But good attempt at deflecting the attention off your nubby-ness towards my nubby-ness.
Reply
Blockhead
| #
The problem is that Brian is still in that hopeful/gullible stage we all were at one time, either it be a month to a few years ago. Eventually Brain will see the light, hell up to a couple months ago i was still there.
I found it frustrating to have so many people on official forms trying to make me see the light and finally the light came on, specially with the news of Velious. Here we go again, you hope they will do it right, they change spells on the first 20 levels, “Oh man Hope…”, its such a thin veil i never saw it before. I can guarantee 110%, Velious will bomb, its just another Carrot in the long line of empty carrots SOE uses to string the player base along with to keep you subbed.
Just as Zianlo said “Sadly, “hope” doesnt make the game change in a positive way…”
Brian you wrote: “I have to think they are expecting a ton of new subscribers out of it, as evidenced by the massive reworking of the low levels of the game.”
If SOE had a subscriber for every-time I’ve read this in the last 4 to 5 years alone they would be bigger than WOW. It has to be the most repeated player base comment\”hopeful thought”, its the same every year, i know MMO are about repetition but the player base itself is repeating their hopes as well, “oh ya they are doing all this for the HUGE influx of players” I’ve even said this numerous times myself on the official forums over the last few years. “GUESS WHAT? IT AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN” “NEWS FLASH: it’s never going to happen” SOE is totally focusing their visions on the new mmo’s and EQ3.
Personally i really like the new producer, think he’s a cool guy. But you know what he’ll be gone in a year or two, they all come and go, and in a year or two everyone will be like oh ya, this new guy/gal is going to make it happen, oh man they changed some gear: “oh that’s because they are getting ready for a huge influx of new players with the xx’th expansion, don’t you know.”
I seriously never got upset like Brian does when people told me EQ2 is over, done, forgotten, so this leads me to believe Brina is either a “Beep” or really deep down knows we are right.
Why do you think we are upset, because we have invested allot of time and money into this game and its going to crap, we all have been scammed for the last few years, the first 3 to 4 years, there was love, direction, care; then the stringing along started with crappy/buggy expansion after expansion, the love was gone but we refused to admit it, just like Brian is doing atm.
My hope? Is that this thread is still here when Velious comes out, it’ll be a nice “told you so” for one side. Either Velious will absolutely rock, or will Bomb. Unfortunately, My money is on the latter.
Reply
Brian
| #
Yeah Zianlo I know who you are. You were in AD when I was there, and you were the same, arrogant, attention-seeking know-it-all then just like you’ve proven yourself to be here, and on eq2flames, and everywhere else you’ve ever posted.
Good luck with that attitude, prick. It seems you’re comfortable being a total and complete jackass 24 hours a day.
Reply
Zianlo
| #
I anjoyed Advoacatus Diabolii while I was there tbh. =P I even poked my nose in once in awhile to see how they were doing. Gaktar ftw.
Reply
Zianlo
| #
And why post rl name? post your in game name nub so I know who you are.
Reply
zerigo
| #
brian u still aint done trollin yet? “Arrogant, attention-seeking know-it-all” seems to fit ya just as well, no?
Reply
Zianlo
| #
Whats funny is he went and searched me on eq2players as well as on flames and of all the posts Ive made, he chooses my twilight one =P
Reply
Zianlo
| #
Sorry, figured Id add in the thread I made that brian SHOULD have posted to show the side of me he wanted (my nubsauce side)
http://www.eq2flames.com/your-guild-sucks/55025-inertia-seems-need-some-inertia.html
Reply
Zianlo
| #
yeah, I spam the wire a bit…that thread was pretty funny after re reading it.
Reply
Morgothuk
| #
Hang on a sec, the EQII “2 overrealm zone” expansion, its only the last 2 that have been that crap and targetted like that, EOF, ROK, KOS they all had 3+ over-realm zones!
Reply
Zianlo
| #
Been 4 days…Where you at, Brian? Dont wanna give your in game name? Yeah, didnt think so, scrub.
Reply