Allakhazam talks with the EQOA Developers

Last weekend a group of us traveled to San Diego to meet with the developers of Everquest Online Adventures and get answers to questions ranging from their goals for creating the game to their vision of the game’s future. Below is what I learned. Creation When Sony decided to bring Everquest to the Playstation 2, they realized that they were dealing with a different sort of gamer than the average Everquest player. As I pointed out in my earlier review of the game, this game is a console game from design and is meant to appeal to console gamers rather than PC gamers. In general, console gaming is more fast paced than PC gaming, and console gamers expect to have shorter, more intense periods of game play. PC games are played sitting up at the computer while console games are played lying down on the couch. This creates a different atmosphere and encourages a different style of play. They knew that the slower, more strategy oriented pace of Everquest would likely not be popular on the PS2, so they set out to eliminate many of the elements of EQ that slowed the game down, but at the same time, they wanted to retain the grouping and exploration elements that help make it so much fun. One way they did this was by streamlining the classes. While in Everquest each of the classes is unique and is pretty easy to distinguish, they decided to break the classes into four main categories in EQOA, and give them variations within each category that would not take away from the basic nature of that category’s function in a group battle. The groups were tank, whose job is to absorb damage, melee, whose job is to dish out damage close in, caster, whose job is to dish out damage from far away, and priest, whose job is to heal and cure. The goal was to make it so that a group with one of each of the four categories, no matter which class, would be strong enough to handle anything within a few levels of the group. When I asked about whether they were concerned that certain classes would be better at their category function than others, and thus would find themselves more popular for grouping, they stated that they had attempted to balance the classes so that they would all be the same for that main function, but would have differences in the secondary skills they can bring to the table. Thus, all tanks should be able to absorb the same amount of punishment, but the other things they can do for the group will vary from class to class. Because of this, the hope was that groups looking for new members would be happy with any of the classes in the category they were missing. If this is missing in the execution, they still have the ability to tweak certain classes to improve the balance between them. Part of the reason for this four category concept as well was the hope that groups would be easy to create and change on the fly. While they wanted to make it possible for all the classes to solo all the way up to level 50, they also wanted to encourage group play, since it is the grouping aspect that distinguishes a MMORPG from a single player game. To do this, they made the experience level change as you grouped up so that you would get the same amount of experience per kill in a group as you would if you killed the mob solo. The idea was that since you could kill much higher level mobs in a group, you would end up leveling faster and getting better loot, thus encouraging the players to join a group as soon as they could to get the most experience out of their play session. This, they hoped, would combine with the four category concept to make it very easy for players to create groups on the fly and to quickly replace group players who log out with new players. Basically on one hand groups would always welcome another member as it only made them stronger and didn’t hurt them for experience, and would not be overly picky as to the classes of their members as the classes didn’t vary so significantly as in EQ, and on the other hand players would be glad to join any group since they were bound to gain experience faster in a group rather than on their own. They also made changes in how the loot was done in EQOA as opposed to EQ. The most obvious change is the level limits on equipment. This prevents twinking. The other change was to randomly distribute the loot over a specific region rather than placing it on specific mobs, with an exception for boss mobs who would get their own loot table. There are thus five categories of loot drops in the game. Knowing how these drops work will make it easier to figure out where and how to get things. The first type of loot is the specific drop on a boss mob. Certain rare named mobs have their own specific loot table with specific common and rare drops. While it seems similar, this does differ from how EQ handles this type of loot. In Everquest, you could often kill a named mob over and over and not get anything. However, in EQOA, they wanted to make sure that the named mob would always drop something of interest, so you will almost always get at least the common drop from him. It will take more time and probably multiple kills if you want to get his rare drop. The second through fifth categories of loot are all regional-specific and level-specific, with some being available anywhere in the game. These were described as ultra rare, rare, uncommon and common. Basically, once you are in a region where a certain type of loot can drop, it will likely drop off of anything that spawns in that area in accordance with its level and rarity. I say likely because there are apparently some exceptions to this rule, with some items dropping off only a specific mob type. Moreover, some of the more basic loot will drop pretty much anywhere in the game. This means that snakes and rats are just as likely to drop magic items appropriate to their level as are orcs and gnolls. It was hoped that this would cut down on the fight for specific camp sites. As with Everquest, the best loot in the game tends to drop in dungeons rather than outdoors. Stats are also treated differently in EQOA. For one thing, they really matter. Your stats make a significant difference in all aspects of your game play. Because you get to add to your stats as you go up in level and because the stats will definitely affect your attack and defense capabilities, players are expected to develop a strategy around character’s growth and not just throw the stats into a single easy to define area. Expansion So where is the game going? I was surprised to learn that they do not feel limited in what they can add to the game by the lack of a hard drive. The biggest limitation the PS2 gives them is that it eliminates any real artistic and graphical additions. Thus, new zones are out of the question without a full blown expansion, although they did hint that there was more locked away on the current disk than was currently accessible to the players. Other than new art, pretty much anything else can be patched into the game. This is because very little other than the graphics is handled by the client (which also should make it difficult if not impossible for players to cheat in the game). Quite a few changes are in the works. First off, they will continue to add new quests and items to the game. When I complained that there did not seem to be any quests located in the outlying villages, they responded that they were aware of that and planned on developing more quests for those areas in the future. They then told us about the level 25 side quests that they implemented just a day later than our meeting. Expect a larger variety of quests as the game develops. They also plan on playing with the way quests are done and are considering quests that involve solving puzzles and quests that have alternative methods and endings. They are also keenly aware of the lack of trade skills in the game and are currently working on implementing them. I was told that trade skills would be done in a similar manner to how they are currently done in Everquest (basically collect the ingredients, put them in the container and hit combine), but that they would try to encourage more experimentation. In general, player made items should be better than the ones you can obtain on your own at that level to encourage the use of the skills and player to player trades. The first new skill to be added, although I guess not technically a trade skill, will be fishing. Unlike EQ, this will involve more than just sitting in one place and hitting the fish button over and over. Instead, there will be a mini fishing game within the game involving casting and reeling in the fish, and the fish you catch will adjust seasonally. Yes, you will still catch that occasional old cruddy sandal. The advantage of fishing is that you will be able to catch your own food and drink, saving you from buying it from the vendors. The world will also start to evolve. They plan on the game being somewhat dynamic over time. Some of this will involve GM run events. Others will be introduced into the game more permanently. I was told to expect specific changes for the Erudites as they plan their voyage to Odus, where by the time of EQ they had moved and built a brand new city. Changes could include population changes and even new classes. It sounds like EQOA will present more of an evolving story line than EQ has shown. Other changes are more responsive to how they see the game developing and what is in most demand by the players. They play the game themselves and also read the forums and understand what they players are most concerned about. The changes announced for the next patch are an example of this. After realizing that groups were constantly losing each other, they worked out a way to more easily find your group members when you get lost, and added an auto follow so that you would get lost less often. They also are adding an auto attack feature so that you can chat with your group and still continue to attack the mob. Other changes they are planning are a revamp of the targeting system so that you can more easily and quickly target the exact mob you wish to attack. It’s still in the works, but the gist of it seemed to be a way to move the target meter directly to a mob and click on it to zero in on that mob. An auto loot system of some sort that lets the group leader decide and enforce loot order is also in the works. Some sort of bazaar system is being considered, though I was told it was still in the early planning stages. Voice capability may be added at some point, but they were still debating as to whether it would help the game or pierce the illusion, so they were approaching that cautiously. A pvp version of the game was considered something that, if it did happen, would not happen until far down the road. Conclusion If you are an EQPC gamer reading this article, you will likely be struck by both the similarities and differences between the two games. Frankly, I don’t see how you can realistically compare the two games. EQOA was designed from the ground up to be a console MMORPG game rather than a clone of EQ. Many EQ players will enjoy the differences, while others will hate them. It’s really a matter of play style. I still maintain that Sony has done a marvelous job of merging the concepts of a MMORPG like Everquest with the pace and feel of a console RPG. Time will tell whether it is as lasting as Everquest has been. For those who are currently playing the game, there is a lot to look forward to. Normally when a game is finished and shipped, the development team for that game disbands and starts on new projects. Yet there we were last weekend sitting in a room full of EQOA developers who were anxious to continue with what they had started. The feeling I got from them is that they feel the game has really just scratched the surface of its potential. Basically, if you like what you see so far, you should hopefully love what you get in the future. For some other perspectives on what we learned on this trip, check out these stories:
  • Baelish's EQOA Examined Story
  • Mobhunter On The Road Part 1
  • Stratics Look at EQOA
  • EQOA Realms' Trip to Sony Headquarters
  • EQOA Offered Free with Network Adapter

    If you have been thinking of trying out Everquest Online Adventures for the PS2, EBgames has a pretty good deal for you. They are offering a copy of the game free with the purchase of a Network Adapter, which is basically a $39.99 savings. Plus, if you are an Allakhazam premium member, you can use your 10% discount coupon to save another $4.00, meaning you can get the network adapter and the game for just $35.99. Use this link to buy it.

    MOG Magazine Returns

    We received the following press release and figured you may be interested. You can read more about the magazine at their website at this link. When "Massive Online Gaming" ("MOG") debuted in October 2002, it received rave reviews as the first and only print magazine devoted exclusively to the unique culture of massively multiplayer online gaming. Fans of the first issue were disappointed, however, when the second issue failed to appear as scheduled. Unfortunately, MOG's original publisher had gone out of business, putting the magazine on hold as we searched for a new publisher. Now we are pleased to announce that we will be publishing MOG ourselves, with issue #2 scheduled to appear at the end of March 2003. (Who are we? See "About Incan Monkey God Studios," below.) We're also making several exciting changes to the magazine: * MOG is now MONTHLY. * Each issue will continue to be full color, with about 144 pages per issue. * Each issue will sell for $5.99 via internet sales (less than 40% of the price for issue #1). Canadian subscriptions are $7.99 USD per issue; all other international sales are $9.99 USD per issue. The purchase price DOES include postage and handling worldwide, but not sales tax for Texas addresses. * MOG will not be distributed to retail outlets (at least for awhile). It can only be purchased online, by anyone in the world. * There are many things that are staying the same. We are keeping all of the premium features, news, updates, "Ping" thumbnails, columns, interviews, screenshots and other content that made MOG #1 so popular. (Want to see PDFs of MOG #1 or the contents of our next issue? visit www.mogonline.com * MOG may be accepting a limited number of paid ads (less than 10% of the pages). You told us you wanted to see a few ads, but only ads that directly relate to massive online games. That's what we'll be giving you. Issue #2 contains articles on A Tale in the Desert, Adellion, Anarchy Online, Asheron's Call, Asheron's Call 2, Ballerium, Dark Age of Camelot, DarkSpace, Dransik, Earth & Beyond, EverQuest, Furcadia, Horizons, Meridian 59, Neocron, Star Wars Galaxies, The Sims Online, Ultima Online, Warhammer Online, and World War II Online, plus thumbnails on over 150 MOGs. ****** ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS ****** MOG will be sold and marketed under an exciting new concept that takes full advantage of the ease and convenience of e-commerce, as well as the universal internet connectivity of our readers. The primary way to buy MOG will be through internet subscriptions. By "subscription" we mean something basically identical to your monthly game subscriptions. When you sign up for MOG, your credit card will be charged when the issue ships. You will be charged again each month (when each issue ships) until you cancel your subscription. The subscription price DOES include all postage and shipping and everything else (except sales tax for Texas subscribers ‹ sorry!). (Those who really, really want to subscribe to a specific number of issues, or who just don't do e-commerce, may pay by check ‹ as many issues as you want at the regular subscription price per issue. Subscription forms will be available in downloadable format on the MOG website, and in the magazine.) Online subscriptions are now being accepted at mogonline.com. Gift subscriptions are also available there. For those who like to see what you're buying before you pay for it, PDFs from MOG #1 are posted at mogonline.com so you can see exactly the depth and quality you can expect from future issues. (MOG will not be offered immediately through traditional retail magazine distribution. However, retailers or distributors who wish to purchase copies in bulk for resale may contact wholesale@mogonline.com for terms.) ****** ABOUT INCANMONKEY GOD STUDIOS (AUSTIN, TEXAS) ****** For six years IMGS has made its name as the most respected production house for computer game strategy guides, particularly in massively multiplayer online games. IMGS has created successful and respected official guides for Ultima Online, EverQuest, Asheron's Call, Asheron's Call 2, Anarchy Online, Dark Age of Camelot and Earth & Beyond. Now IMGS is leaving behind the strategy guide business, to concentrate exclusively on making "Massive Online Gaming" magazine *your* source for complete coverage of massively multiplayer online games.

    Review of Everquest Online Adventures

    Sony Online Entertainment recently released a new version of its immensely popular MMORPG Everquest for the PS2. This is not a rehash of Everquest carried over to a new platform, but instead is an entire new game based in the same world 500 years earlier and using many of the concepts that made Everquest so popular. I have to admit that I was skeptical about whether Everquest’s interactive and compelling game play could be successfully brought over to a console, given the obvious limitations a console game suffers in comparison to a game for the PC. Thus I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how much fun this game is and how well it captures what has kept me playing Everquest for the past four years. Much of this review assumes that you have some familiarity with Everquest, but I have also written it to help describe the game to those who have never played Everquest or even any other MMORPG but are interested in learning about whether EQOA is for you. Is it? In a quick nutshell, for the console gamer who likes role playing games, the answer is yes, get this game. Nothing else for the PS2 comes even close to it. For the PC MMORPG gamer, the answer is more complex. Whether you like this game will depend upon your playing style and how much you like console games in general, because you have to keep in mind that this is a console game and not a PC game and needs to be judged accordingly. Hopefully the descriptions below will help you decide. The World of Norrath The graphics of EQOA are very well done, though admittedly relatively simple compared to Everquest. They have a nice variety and give you a nice feeling of space and location. Best of all, there is virtually no lag at all in this game, even when playing with a 56K connection and in an area with a large group of other players. There is a nice variety of creatures to fight, from the standard rats, bats and snakes at lower levels right up to the high level dragons. The game does suffer from the syndrome of many of these games of retexturing and renaming old mobs and bringing them in later on as a newly named higher level creature, but there is enough variety that this does not cause the boredom that some other games that do this suffer from. There is definitely no lack to things to see and do. The world they have created is simply immense. I created an Erudite and decided to make the trip north from the Erudite city of Highbourne to the Human city of Qeynos, a relatively short trip according to the map that comes with the game. That short trip took me almost a half hour of real time. Moreover, it took me through several different terrains and past several small towns. I can’t imagine how long it would take to make the cross continent trip from Qeynos to Freeport, but I am itching to find out. It is conceivable that a player could play for hundreds of hours and still not see everything the game has to offer. This gives the game incredible replay value. Even after you have spent the enormous amount of time it takes to level up that Elf Druid to level 50, you will not have exhausted the game. You can roll up a Troll Warrior and you will basically start over with an entirely new playing style due to the class change and an entirely new playing field due to the Troll city being hours of real time distance away from the Elf town. Even after four years, I haven’t seen everything you can see in Everquest, and EQOA seems to have much the same depth to it. The Multiplayer Experience I know there are many reading this review who have never played a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). If you have never played a MMORPG, then you are in for a real treat. Once you experience interactive game play with thousands of other players in one world, the single player stuff just seems kind of lame. This is a world that never sleeps. Unlike other games, when you log out, things do not just freeze and wait for you to log back in. Instead, the world keeps on going and the people you met may have moved on to other areas while you were gone or fought and gained several more levels. Social interaction is as important as the traditional game play, and you gain status within the game as much by how well you play with the other players as by how you play against the actual game environment. It is a concept that new players have a hard time grasping at first, but one that eventually can hook you into the game far more than the basics of the game play. If Joenewbie comes in and starts stealing your kills or starts a train that gets you killed, you are going to remember his name. Moreover, you are going to tell all of your friends and guild mates about him. Do this enough times and Joenewbie will suddenly find that very few people will group or trade with him, and without that interaction it is very difficult to play the game. This interaction extends to all areas of the game. If you are stuck on a quest, you have an instant source of help. Just ask the other players. It’s likely someone has already done it and will gladly give you advice on what to do. MMORPG’s also have thriving economies. Players actively buy and sell items and goods from each other. In EQOA, as in most games, the best items are not available from the NPC vendors, but instead from the other players. Friendships also develop during the game. Players that you group with on a regular basis can become close friends and companions, even though you have never actually meet them in person. Join in guilds and you become part of a small community within the larger one. The more you play the game, the more you get to know the other players and they get to know you. While EQOA does not completely capture the multiplayer experience that has made Everquest the most popular game on the internet, mainly due to some of the communication problems I will detail later, it is still far better than anything else available on the PS2 in this area. If you can’t experience this through your PC, then by all means get it through the Playstation. It’s worth it. Quests The best part about EQOA are the quests. The developers obviously put a lot of time and thought into the quest system and it shows. Unlike Everquest, every quest is worth doing for the experience alone. In fact, they may have gone a little too far with this, since most of the major quests seem to give you an entire level’s worth of experience for completing them. Moreover, many quests also result in items better than anything you will get at that level via a drop, and the class quests give you crucial spells and abilities that you cannot get any other way. Every race/class combination gets a series of quests that kick in every so many levels. These are well designed to teach you how to play the game and to force a player further and further out into the world. Thus at level 1, you learn how to buy things, at level 2 you learn how to bind and how to sign in with the Coachmen for traveling. Level 3 teaches you how to fight and level 4 how to group. Then each quest after that sends you further away from your home city and gives you more and more difficult tasks to complete. At least in the beginning, a player can level up solely by doing the quests and fighting the mobs you find on your way to and from where they send you. I like how they give you a sense of purpose. You really feel like you are moving up in importance within your guild and are getting assigned ever more necessary tasks. I think this adds a great deal of fun and depth to the game. If there is any disappointment with the quests it is that there seem to be only a limited number of side quests in the game. I would like to be able to travel around to all of the small towns in the world and solve their problems for them, but nobody seems to have a problem to solve. Sony has promised that they will patch more quests into the game, so hopefully this is something in the works, but right now it is an area that is lacking. Combat and Gameplay I was a little leery of how EQOA would play with a PS2 controller. Everquest is a complex game and I could not figure out how you could get all of that into a single controller. They have actually succeeded pretty well. You target from mob to mob using the upper right controller button. This soon becomes a habit since the targeting button tells you the relative level of the mob to you and, more importantly, whether it will attack you if you go near it. A lot more mobs attack on sight in EQOA then in EQ, making it dangerous to just run through many areas. All of the controls you need for combat are easy to reach on the controller and have a nice, logical flow to them. Obviously, it takes getting used to in order to react quickly during battle, but the more you play the game the more instinctive the controls become. I did find that some of the lesser used functions were not as easy to figure out without consulting the manual, but fortunately, they were not the ones you needed in the heat of battle. Once you target a mob, you can attack it or cast a spell on it. Combat is more along the lines of traditional console and arcade games than the PC Everquest, and gives you a good feeling of the battle. You move up to the target and keep hitting the attack button to attack. There is no auto attack button. Casters do not get interrupted when hit and can cast while moving, though they do slow down when they cast. Plus, skills such as kick and taunt are now treated like spells and are cast using power much like you would cast a lightning bolt as a wizard. This adds an extra dimension to the fighting classes, and also an extra degree of caution since you can actually run out of power from kicking the mob. There are only five spots to store spells and skills, which really makes choosing what to keep memorized tough. I rather wish they had stuck with the 8 available in Everquest, as that seems to give you more options than you can get in EQOA. The spells and skills that you get are the basic sort anyone who plays RPG’s would be familiar with, and vary widely by class. You have direct damage, damage over time, and damage to groups of mobs. Plus, you have buffs for party members that increase their stats and skills and debuffs for mobs to make them easier to fight. Then there are utility spells, charm spells, root spells, pets you can summon to fight with you, teleports and probably some others I am missing. Fighters get ranged attacks and other special attacks to do extra damage to the mobs. Basically, everything that exists in Everquest in the way of spells exists in some form in EQOA, although the fighting classes actually get some additional abilities to use. The biggest difficulty I had with the combat setup was the hotkeys. Commands that you would normally hotkey in EQ have been consolidated into a set of option commands worked by the buttons on the left side of the controller. This works fairly well, but is no substitute for a quick hotkey button. For example, to get your pet to attack you need to pop up the options menu with the lower left button and then hit the left joystick four times to the left. Assisting the puller means hitting it several times in different directions, wasting valuable seconds and missing completely if you mess up the combination. This is an understandable compromise given the fact that there are a limited number of buttons on a PS2 controller compared to a keyboard, but it is still awkward and hard to master. Players who hate sitting around between battles in Everquest will love EQOA. Combat is very fast paced and there is very little down time between fights. This is due to the addition of food and drink that you can use to regenerate power and hit points in between fights. The biggest downtime comes from being poisoned or diseased, as the food and drink won’t work as well while you are experiencing those conditions. A group with a healer and caster should pretty much never have to stop fighting. On the whole, players are more powerful for their level than in Everquest. Most players can easily solo anything that is blue or white to them (i.e. at or below their level) and have a pretty good shot at winning against yellow conning mobs (i.e. those a little higher in level than them). Good groups can chain pull yellows and reds with very little difficulty. This makes combat much easier than EQ, or for that matter than many combat oriented console games, and may be a turn off for some, but it also makes combat more exciting overall. The ease of the combat is somewhat offset by the fact that there are no zone lines in EQOA, so there is no place to run. If you make a bad pull and get in over your head, you have no real way to escape and will definitely be killed. I have yet to be able to outrun an angry mob. Also, the mobs in EQOA are far more aggressive than in EQ and adds are pretty frequent, so you need to remain on constant alert as to where you are and what is happening around you. Group Combat Grouping together with other players to take on the hoards of creatures is what makes MMO’s so much fun, and EQOA is no exception. In fact, there is almost no reason not to group in this game. Unlike other MMO’s like Everquest, you do not lose experience for group combat. The same level mob will get you around the same amount of experience whether you are soloing it or fighting it with three other players. Yes, that is three. Whereas Everquest has gone the way of expanding group sizes through the raid functions, EQOA has reduced the size, limiting groups to four players rather than the six player groups found in Everquest. I personally wish they had stayed with six, since I think the four player group is going to make certain classes much harder to play. Every group needs a tank, healer and crowd control. This basically leaves one spot open for another class. They have fixed that somewhat by giving the utility classes more ability to fit into those traditional roles. For example, Druids and Shamans can heal almost as well as a Cleric, and Paladins and Rangers can tank almost as well as a Warrior. Still, I have to admit I am baffled as to why they decided to reduce the group sizes like they did. It will remain to be seen if certain classes are able to hold their own against the traditional classes or will instead find themselves searching for groups that will take them. Nonetheless, there is little reason to not form a group in EQOA. All of the excuses for solo play have been eliminated. You gain the same amount of experience per kill in a group as you would soloing. And you can kill things that are a much higher level at a much faster rate, meaning you will gain better and faster loot. Thus, players that consistently play in groups will level much faster than players that mostly play solo and will find better loot faster than solo players. Also, group battles are just more fun than solo battles. A smoothly run group can pretty much fight non-stop until they get tired to fighting. It is only when you form a group that your particular class’s skills and abilities really start to stand out. The game is designed so that the classes compliment each other and no single class can do everything needed to succeed in the game. Cooperation is in the long run not only more fun but actually necessary to really experience all the game has to offer. For those who have played Everquest, you will find that group combat is very similar to how it works in Everquest. In a good group, the cleric stands back and heals and buffs, the tank pulls the mob and fights up front, taking the damage, the casters stand back and cast their damage spells as needed and the other classes fit in with their own various abilities. It is this interaction of the various classes that has made Everquest so interesting to play, and EQOA transfers that interaction very well to the console. Death and Travel The death penalty in EQOA is completely different than in EQ. The developers chose to make dieing much less of a burden. Instead of having to run back to your corpse and retrieve your equipment, you are resurrected whole wherever you last bound yourself. You can never lose a level either. Instead, you incur an experience point deficit that you need to make up. About 50% of the experience you get from future battles is then taken out until you make up for the experience deficit, meaning you still level to some extent, but just at a slower pace for a while. Thus, you still do not want to die, but if you do, it is not quite a devastating a consequence as it can be in Everquest. Travel in EQOA is actually more difficult than in Everquest. As a new player, you are pretty much homebound. Travel between cities must initially be done on foot through dangerous terrain full of aggressive monsters. Moreover, the path from place to place is not always well marked, and it is easy to stray from the roads. I personally think this adds a nice element of suspense to the game. Once you reach a new city, you need to register with the local coachman. After you are on the coachman’s books, you can use the coach to instantly travel to any city that coachman is linked to where you have also registered for the books. Thus, after traveling from Highbourne to Qeynos on foot, I was thereafter able to make the journey instantly via the coachman. Not all coaches are interlinked. For example, there is no coach that goes directly across the continent from Qeynos to Freeport Thus, to make the long journey from Qeynos to Freeport, you will need to be registered at several towns in between, which means you initially will have to walk all that way. This means that exploration of the world is necessary if you want to eventually be able to travel it at your leisure. Communication The biggest problem with EQOA, and its most serious debility when compared to Everquest and the other PC MMORPG’s, lies in the communication features. It is designed so that you can play it without a keyboard, but as a practical matter a keyboard is a necessity. Even with a keyboard, communication is very difficult. This is because you use the controller for movement and combat and when you want to talk, you have to put down the controller and type. I have found that it is just not worth trying to talk to anyone while fighting. If you are typing, you can’t also be hitting the attack or spell buttons. Since combat is pretty much non-stop in a good group, this means you can go quite a while without any communications at all. The game, as a result, can often be pretty quiet, and the fun banter you can get in a friendly group in Everquest is non-existent in EQOA. Furthermore, when I play console games, I like to lie back on my couch, relax, and play the game in a relatively prone position. I doubt that I am the only one who does this. But in order to type on the keyboard, you need to be positioned in a sitting position more like you assume while playing PC games. EQOA forces you to compromise this and either play while sitting back and not do much typing or to sit up by the keyboard and give up the more relaxing position. The forms of communication available are standard to all MMO games, and the commands are the same as in EQ, making it easy for an EQ player to pick up on it. In fact, most of the commands in the game as well as the chat terms players are using use EQ terminology, giving an old EQ player a distinct advantage in knowing how to play. You can /tell an individual player anywhere in the game. You can /shout to the players in the zone you are in. You can /group talk to just your group or /guild talk to just your guild. There is no OOC in EQOA – just shout. As long as you are sitting still, communication is as simple as typing in your keyboard. If you are fighting or traveling somewhere, it is much more difficult to hold a conversation. When you go to type something, a giant keyboard pops up on your screen, basically blocking the view of everything else. This is there for people to use who don’t have a ubb keyboard, but it is just a distraction for those who do. The combination of the screen being blocked and the fact you need to put down the controller to type means that very few conversations are made on the run. I find this to be the biggest drawback in what is otherwise an excellent game. There are shortcut keys and game keys on the keyboard that are designed to let you play without the controller. I confess that I have not really tried to use them since I feel one of the nice things about playing the PS2 is using the controller. Perhaps the use of these commands would solve the communications problems. The Community Right now finding that good group I was talking about is pretty difficult. EQOA has enticed a whole new set of players to try out an MMORPG. This is great on one hand and extremely aggravating on the other hand. Right now, the game is pretty much a free for all. Players attack everything in site, break into other people’s camps, steal other people’s kills and generally do whatever they want. In a group, many, if not most, players still have little idea of how to integrate with the other classes. In effect, the EQOA community is still very much in its infancy and is experiencing some serious growing pains. As a long time MMO player, it can drive me crazy to group with clerics who consistently attack rather than heal, casters who don’t even realize they have a pet much less know how to use it, warriors who don’t know how to taunt, and so on. Nonetheless, this is to be expected in a new game like this. The game is young and over time the players will learn how to play it and when they do it the game play and player interaction has the potential to become as complex and detailed as it now is in Everquest. This will be helped by the fact that there are a decent number of experienced players in the game who are slowly teaching the rest of the players the basics of how to play in this type of game. For now though, expect more chaos than cohesion. Then again, while on one hand it can definitely be annoying for an experienced player, it is also kind of exhilarating to be watching a brand new community develop from scratch. Players who are new to Everquest come into a world where the rules have long since been hashed out and developed by the players. They have no real say in how things are done. EQOA players, on the other hand, are entering a blank slate and will play a role in deciding where the game goes from here. I personally find that kind of exciting and am enjoying seeing the game community develop in front of my eyes. Conclusion I believe Sony has done an amazing job of translating to the Playstation 2 the experience that made Everquest so popular on the PC. They have created an incredibly large and complex interactive world that is likely to entice many players into its fold for hundreds of hours of enjoyment in much the same way Everquest has done. However, you need to keep in mind that EQOA is a console game and not a PC game. It is geared more towards a console game player than the traditional PC role player. Some people may consider that to be an advantage, and others may never really enjoy the changes. I personally find it to be a nice change of pace from Everquest rather than a complete substitute for it and plan on playing both games. So is this game for worth buying and worth the $10 per month fee to keep playing it? If you are a console game player who loves role playing games, then the answer I will give you is a definite “yes”. You are very likely going to love this game. There is really nothing quite like it for the Playstation 2. Massive Multiplayer gaming is something that once you experience it makes all other forms of gaming seem simple and Everquest Online Adventures is an excellent MMORPG. The group combat and character interaction you experience in this game is far beyond what any single player game can give you in terms of depth and reality. Plus, the replay value of the game makes the price well worth it. I am not exaggerating when I say that most Everquest players have played the game for thousands of hours and are still entertained by it. EQOA has that potential as well. How many other games are going to give you this much pure entertainment in one purchase? If you are a PC MMORPG gamer and are wondering if this is worth sacrificing time you could spend playing Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot or other MMO games on the PC, you need to think about what types of games you like and what you enjoy about the games you are playing. EQOA is faster paced than EQ, experiences less down time and a lower death penalty, and has a generally different feel about it then EQ. Casual players may actually get more out of EQOA than Everquest because you can play for shorter stints and get more out of your game play. Yet EQOA is also less complex than EQ and does not have the depth of game play or community that EQ has developed over the years. It is more of an arcade game and less of a strategy game, so you really have to decide if you will enjoy a more arcade style MMORPG. From my personal perspective, I really like this game and plan on continuing to play it, but I don’t plan on canceling my EQ account or stopping playing EQ. I envision logging into EQOA when I know I only have an hour or two, but logging into EQ when I find myself with a nice block of time to play. That may be the perfect compromise between the two – well until Star Wars Galaxies comes along that is. For more information about the game, visit our Everquest Online Adventures site at eqoa.allakhazam.com.

    The latest issue of "The Daedalus Project"

    Those of you familiar with “The Daedalus Project” know the name Nick Yee. The first issue of this project consisted of the results of many surveys and studies that he had conducted about the genereal MMORPG populous on subjects such as "How Much Would You Sell Your Account For?" and "Most Important Aspect Of Game". I recieved an email in my inbox this morning giving me a heads up that Nick has released Issue 1-2 of "The Daedalus Project" Very cool stuff here. He has the results of more studies that he has conducted, along with a new survey that "tries to explore connections between a player's personality and how it influences their in-game behaviors and preferences." Suggested survey time is 10-15 minutes, but if you're with it and moving along it should take you closer to the lesser time. Some interesting articles I felt were "Players Who Have Quit" which gives good info on basically who has played and left the online games we all know and love(or hate ;)). Nick had access to many players who had originally participated in his studies in the beginning, but have now quit the game(s). With the numbers he's working with, it seems he has a lot of emails in his address book! To follow up this article, there's a section with 'testimonails' (as I like to call them) of players who have commented on specifically why they quit the game they were playing called "Narratives: Why We Quit""Narratives: Why We Quit". If you've ever wondered why anyone would leave the sweet, sweet heaven that is EQ(little bit of sarcasm there), then check out the article and you'll see where people are comming from. Very nice to get a candid sampling of why people quit playing these games, especially for any beginning game developers out there! These, by all means, aren't the only reasons to check out this issue, but I'm just trying to hook ya in to read! Its a good issue, and I'd like to thank Nick Yee for the heads up, as well as his hard work! -Kenti

    Til Linkdeath Do Us Part

    This was sent to me today from over at Warcry...
    Ahh, love. No emotion has created such a stir in all of history as that four-letter word. People live for it, and people die for it. It propels epics like no other force, from Ulysses and Penelope to the fateful triangle of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. We have dedicated a holiday to this most confusing feeling, despite all its fickle qualities and occasional slings and arrows. As a species, we’ve all fallen head over heels for love. This may explain why our own personal epics often include romance and marriage. Even those of us who have already married in our real lives feel a little rush of excitement, a blush of feeling as our characters court and coo. How can we escape the heady feelings of a first crush, or the trembling excitement as we are presented with a ring? And let’s be truthful…how many of us put at least as much effort into planning our in-game weddings as we did our out-of-game ones? I recently watched my own character garner a crush, fall in love, and on Sunday, get married in a lovely ceremony that frankly, I would have been proud to have had as my ceremony in real life. I watched her as she nervously introduced herself, wanting to get to know him better. I gnawed nervously at my lower lip as, in Lyonesse, she gave him her lady’s favor. My breath caught in my chest as she confessed, in the Dales of Devwy, that she loved him. And as he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck, mustering the courage to ask for her hand in marriage, my hands trembled as I typed her response. Why do we so connect our characters to others? For some, it seems that out-of-game marriages translate into in-game ones. Those who are lucky enough to have mates that understand their gaming fetish often bring that relationship into the game, making their characters as tightly bound as the players are. The couple that games together stays together. Others engage in in-game relationships because it gives them someone to roleplay with and talk to. Our virtual mates give us company and companionship, as well as interaction on a level that we cannot find anywhere else. We can always trust our mate to come running when we need them, even if we are only roleplaying the trouble we are in. My own gaming experience is always all the better for an in-game relationship. I’m always happier to have someone to play off of. We keep each other company while crafting, we spice up our hunting trips with good roleplay. And I cannot help but think that in him, I’ve made a good friend, even outside the game. Unfortunately, in-game relationships are not all hearts and roses. Some people use them to prey on others, or to wheedle money and goods for free before disappearing. Others, having no love life of their own outside the game, use it to meet and fixate on people. How many real hearts have been broken over such things? We have to be careful with our virtual loves. I cannot count how many of my in-character relationships in various games ended for out-of-character reasons. People whose characters meshed perfectly turned out to be intolerable behind the scenes, or their play style simply did not mesh with mine. This is the real difficulty of such things: how do you explain an out-of-character break in-character? You end up with an often lame storyline and a bitter aftertaste. We have to choose our in-game mates carefully. I, sadly enough, have a little list that I follow. Sometimes, the turkeys sneak in despite it, but I do cut down on the flotsam this way. Play times. Does your play time match that of your potential mate? Or were they just off work for that weekend where your characters went head over heels? It’s important that the two of you will see each other regularly, even if only to chat in sends while you hunt in different areas. Roleplay styles. Do you like your roleplay light and fun? Or deep and meaningful? You need to make certain that your mate feels the same way you do. If you enjoy only the lightest of stories, you may find yourself frustrated with your mate’s tendency to come up with epic plots, or vice versa. Raid brigade. Do you hate hunting? Hate raiding? Or are you right there every time someone says the words “Caer Sidi”? If there’s a single Hibernian on your Frontier, are you right there in case there are more? Make sure that you and your mate agree on these kinds of things, or resign yourself to talking in sends while you sit in Caer Diogel crafting and she’s out defending the Frontier. Pot of gold. Are you all for the concept of community property? Or do you hoard your gold, even from your mates? Know your limits for the Bank of Wife. Your mate may have plans for her cash that don’t include giving it to you. On the other hand, she might happily pay for that masterpiece arcanite saber…so long as you are willing to do the same for her, someday. Velcro syndrome. Do you expect to be with your mate every moment you two are online together? You need to make sure he feels the same way before you get involved with him. He may expect (and has the right to) some degree of autonomy. Make sure the two of you are on the same page on expectations of time spent together. Syntax error. All right. This one’s petty and lame, but I can’t help it. I refuse to attach my character to anyone who hasn’t at least partially mastered the English language. I don’t mind it if your spelling is imperfect, or your grammar has a flaw or three, but I have to be able to understand you. And if you think the word “you” does not require the first two letters, or that the word “please” is spelled “plz”, don’t even try it. Real life. Are you married? Have real life obligations? Your mate should at least have a basic idea about these. A doctor on call may need to disappear at any time, and it would be unfair not to explain this to someone you roleplay with constantly. At the same time, we are all aware that some people use games like Dark Age of Camelot as dating services. Broken hearts are easily avoided. Make sure that you both know what your real life limits are. Pillow talk. Mmm, how to gloss this one over tastefully? Some people enjoy erotic activity online. Others think it’s disgusting. Know how your roleplaying partner feels before you embarrass yourself and him to boot. And for pity’s sake, remember kids play this game, too. Be sure of your partner’s real age. On Sunday, on a hill overlooking Ludlow, a tiny Briton Cleric and a massive Highlander Paladin exchanged vows. Ironically, my own real-life husband gave my character away in the wedding. The sun shone down on a perfect Albion day, and for a moment, I did not sit in my ratty computer chair at my cluttered desk. I stood on the green English countryside, staring up into the face of a Highland man as the presiding Cleric spoke the vows. Together, the pair had already had many adventures, and I knew that the wedding only signaled more fun to come. I grinned like an idiot. I couldn’t help it. The greatest of these, after all, is love.
    Hee hee -Kenti

    New EQ2 Preview at Computer and Video Games

    Man, oh man. Sony isn't wasting any time... expansion, expansion, expansion... but this time the we take a jump into the future, where your current EQ characters are legends. Their adventures are captured in song and tale, shared at dinner or over a pint of ale. Yes, friends I am talking about Everquest 2. There is a great preview of this incredible game over at Computer and Video Games boxed with 17 new screen shots of this graphical beauty. I'll post the text here, but definitely check out the site for the screens... its completely worth it.
    Sword in hand, Scott Steinberg bravely explores a world filled with wizards, warriors and hairy blokes posing as buxom barmaids 9 Feb 03 Ominous rumbles echo throughout the Commonlands. Keyboard clasped firmly, you resolutely reach for the hotkey that conveys puzzlement. But before you or the rest of the party can react, a frothing clump of spherical objects bedecked in moss comes tumbling over the horizon. Could it be the errant result of a frost giant's bowel movement? Nay, there's an angry Earth elemental charging your way, and the only help at hand are two slovenly schoolmates currently posing as barbarian swordsmen. Crap in a hat... the blokes back at the guild never said adventuring would be this stressful. Then again, they weren't fully acquainted with EverQuest II. Sequel to the online role-playing obsession that swallowed so many souls it might as well be a minor deity, this is a title poised on the brink of superstardom. With more than 400,000 subscribers to its predecessor's name, legions of Fan Faire conventions, and many a ruined marriage to the franchise's credit, it's a series that by all accounts has redefined gaming as we know it. And, in the US at least, the new game is set to launch. Which, as they say in the business, lads, is big freakin' news. Mercifully, the 45-strong development team knows a good thing when they see it. Therefore they aren't so much reworking the title as polishing the existing gameplay to a keen shine. So sweeping changes aren't high on Sony Online's list. With the impending PR nightmare sure to come from thousands of shut-ins who'll soon renounce religion (and bathing) for love of a computer game, who can blame the beggars? TRADING SPACES What they have done an excellent job of, however, is reworking existing material to accompany the newly reset calendar. Although set once again in the world of Norrath, this latest escapade takes place several generations removed from the initial offering - specifically, during the Age of Destiny. As senior game designer Bill Trost explains: "The scale of the world is much larger than before... So much so that now, even familiar geographical features take on new life." Both previously seen locales and play mechanics have received a comprehensive makeover. From blows that can now be targeted at specific portions of the anatomy to entire cities such as Freeport or Erudin reconstructed using a more logical layout, all that is old is once again new. And, as opposed to previous questing, everything is designed to be devoured in reasonable two-hour chunks. "We want people in and playing as soon as possible," suggests Trost. But that doesn't mean once you've chosen one of 14 races (including newcomers such as the Thundercat-like Kerrans) it's off adventuring you go. Thanks to new trade skills, you can easily make a name for yourself taking part in a player-driven economy. Whether you're busy promoting parties, planning real-time weddings, or just strutting on the gladiatorial circuit, even those who never venture beyond the confines of 'save haven' will inevitably find a lifetime's worth of entertainment in store. THE GREAT BEYOND Intrepid souls won't be disappointed, either. Should wanderlust beckon, you'll find a world of wonder lying out there. Having picked up a quest via a new system that allows for assignments to be gained anywhere, anytime, even through chance meetings with random strangers, stirring up excitement and/or trouble won't be a problem. Dozens of freshly introduced areas including the decrepit Fallen Gate, hideously malformed Castle Nektropos and staggeringly panoramic Grand Plateau await. "As soon as the player enters the game, we hit them with tons of things to see and do," says Trost. "The first EverQuest was built piecemeal... we're taking the time to flesh out an entire world this go round." Needless to say, you will be surprised - and not just because low-level dungeons have become high-level challenges and vice-versa. Wandering through Bixie beehives, dark temple Cazic-Thule and Qeynos' familiar facade, a host of new challenges present themselves. And that's before you even take into account the baddies like zombies, void beasts and dragonfly faeries who still can't play nice with humanoid species. Predictably, boss encounters serve as the coup de gráce. Trigger a scripted battle and you may find yourself face to face with Darathar the Deceiver, a titanic dragon who belches flames like a Parisian tourist does crepes. Like general encounters, each is carefully placed by the design team to ensure players experience the game through a steady system of progression. Not that anyone's railroading you into any decisions at any time, since this is live role-playing at its most sophisticated and potentially liberating. 'ELLO, SEXY Graphics-wise, it's a corker too. We can scarcely believe the game is actually powered by a new graphical engine that's unfettered by resolution capping, whereby picture quality can steadily be upped as basic end-user PC specs improve over time. Such tidbits become all the more impressive when you spot shadows shifting as the sun passes overhead or characters wearing clothes and armor that move independently of the body beneath.

    Big thanks go out to Computer and Video Games, as well as Scott Steinberg for getting this awesome exclusive! -Kenti

    MLB.com Interviews the Phillies' Todd Pratt

    More and more these days we're hearing about celebrities and sports stars that play computer games like we do, and now there's one more to add to the list. The Phillies' Catcher Todd Pratt recently interviewed with MLB.com and told them of his passion for gaming when he was younger, as well as today...
    The Phillies' Todd Pratt is recognizable even through the catcher's mask and chest protector he wears when he's behind the plate. He's taller than starting catcher Mike Lieberthal and has a certain gait around the bases that resembles a chugging, early 1900s steam locomotive. When he's not blocking pitches in the dirt, Pratt frequently establishes a different persona -- that of Ian Stormbringer, a sword-wielding knight whose life's mission is to thwart evil. This includes storming castles, slaying hobgoblins and restoring peace to faraway lands. MLB.com caught up with Stormbringer/Pratt, during a break from one such adventure, and discussed the hobby and the web site that was created out of it. MLB.com: Who is Ian Stormbringer? Todd Pratt: Ian Stormbringer is my role-playing name that I created many years ago. I have been interested in role-playing since the '70s. I created the name as my first character in a game called Ultima Online. He's the same age as myself (35), same height (6-foot-3). He's human, but can change within the worlds he visits and is a cross-breed if needed. He is a Knight of the Church. Some may call him a Paladin (ultra-good fighter). MLB.com: I thought the character resembled you? What's with that long flowing blond hair? Pratt: I could ask you the same. Remember, it is fantasy. MLB.com: What has been Ian's most dangerous situation? Pratt: Well, due to the way he lives, he has been fighting off evil daily. MLB.com: How does Mrs. Stormbringer feel after a particularly long adventure? Pratt: Well, Mrs. Stormbringer does not like me adventuring at all. She is always glad to see me when I get back to my keep, though. There was actually a day when I played 20 hours straight. It was bad. The wife and kids were out of town, it was the weekend, and I got so deeply involved that I woke up and started drinking coffee. A couple of meals during the time period, and I finished up a 20-hour session. Thank goodness the family came home. The game never turns off. The world in Ultima Online and EverQuest and in Dark Ages Camelot keeps going. It's a great hobby and I've met a lot of interesting people online. MLB.com: Do you hope that (sons) Quade or Jake will one day be Ian Stormbringer Jr.? And have you drawn any teammates into your Ian Stormbringer lair? Pratt: (Quade and Jake) will live their own lives, but if they choose my path I will show them how they can make names for themselves. As for the players, I try not to push the games on anyone. If they're interested, I'll explain what I do. I try to stay out of the baseball web when I play. MLB.com: How many years have you been gaming and how many games have you played? Pratt: Since the late '70s when I got into Dungeons and Dragons. I used to play the pencil-and-paper role-playing games back then. I still have much of the literature saved. As far as computer gaming, I started out playing the Gold Box series with my PC, then I heard of this game being designed (Ultima Online). I started playing what I thought was D and D online, but it turned out to be different and it was thousands of online players. It was great. Ultima Online was probably the first huge online game for multiple players. I have played them all; this is one thing I spend my money on. Computer games are my hobby. MLB.com: How does online gaming actually work? Pratt: The worlds never sleep. There isn't one goal to finish in these games. You create a character and play within a built world that will allow you freedom of choice. You decide what you want to do. In some cases you can own a home or a business. We organize guilds and then roam around the world with each other. I play many games and there are many campaigns, so to single one out would not be a easy task. Basically I try to play like it is a campaign of life: to teach the ways of good and to defeat the evil that surrounds us. MLB.com: And what of the public side of Ian Stormbringer? How long has the great Paladin been seen at Florida Renaissance Festivals? Pratt: About five years. I love them. I love the people who work in them, the culture, the flair, the song, the dance. Everything about the fair is great. I have gotten more involved over the years. I have an outfit I wear now. I even have (my wife) Tracy in a nice-looking dress. We walk around and people think we're part of the show, as a prince and princess. It's a great experience every time I go to the fair. People make it easy to be comfortable joining in. MLB.com: Beyond the gaming and the Renaissance festivals, Ian Stormbringer has evolved into Ianstorm.com, a gaming destination for fans. How did that happen? Pratt: I just decided to start a regular fan site for Ultima Online to provide information about my character and our guild. Some people decided to make it a company. Some of the people involved are players I met through the game or online chats at different sites. I recruited a lot of volunteers who wanted to help. When I decided to get a web-hosting company, I called this guy out of Virginia, David Hernly, and it turned out he was one of the original guys playing Ultima and was excited to help me. We met in 1997, but didn't get serious until 2000. We incorporated and started the web site -- it's a gaming portal that provides information on not just computer games, but on console games. Any avid gamer can check out the site to find news. We update it every day and link to headlines from about 50 other web sites. There are separate worlds for each individual interest. There are about 25 people in the company, and all are volunteers. Some of them are college students who show the site they helped design to their professors. We have people as far away as Australia working for us. The site doesn't cost that much to maintain. It's not bringing in any income now, but the potential is there. Doing this is something I'd like to get into after baseball. I'd also like to get into coaching and managing, but this is something I can also do. Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com and can be reached at philliesfans2002@yahoo.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
    I know each and every one of us also have had those 20 hour sessions... We feel ya Todd!! Big thanks to MLB.com and Todd Pratt for being such an awesome sport! -Kenti

    A Tale in the Desert Beta Report

    eGenesis' MMORPG A Tale in the Desert is closing in on the live date of Feb. 15th, and we have one more Beta 3 report on RPGDot by Val Sucher... Here's a snipit from the article:
    There are seven Disciplines in the game. The Discipline of Thought, Body, Worship, Leadership, Art and Music, Conflict and Architecture. Each Discipline has unique tests that one must pass to be initiated and advance further. The Discipline of Leadership requires a citizen to take a petition around and get 20 people to sign it to be initiated into the Discipline. In theory, those 20 people who sign the petition believe that the petitioner would make a good leader and thus show their support for the petitioner by signing. Once initiated into the Discipline of Leadership, one has new goals opened to them and receives certain benefits from passing the test. For instance, you can bring a petition to be voted on by the populus of Egypt with fewer signatures on the petition. The next test is the Test of Mentorship which I discussed earlier. The initiate must have 7 shrines built in their honor to pass the test to become a Student of Leadership. One can also continue mentoring and gaining shrines which give more bonuses to the Leadership Student. For instance, with 28 shrines built in their honor, all skills at Schools are half priced. So it truly pays to mentor new players.

    The entire article has lot more and some great screenshots. Check it out HERE. -Kenti

    Exciting new updates on Planetside!

    There's some exciting new updates to the Planetside Webpage. Check out the latest letter from producer Dave Georgeson. The upcoming game by Verant, PlanetSide promises to be the first MMO First Person Shooter.