Bland?

[Davood]

when the live servers inevitably take a nose dive and cost too much to justify for SOE - we will see a ridiculously huge influx of people here

maybe even enough to produce some quality servers or "well staffed" servers anyways.

right now the problem is the population. it is fairly static. everyone is a good ole boy and there aren't alot of fresh people coming to eqemu.

an increase in demand will force and increase in quality as the "other" servers will have to truly innovate to capture the audience that is 95% interested in p99 and PEQ. the non innovative servers will be lost as white noise amongst potentially 100s of servers that will popup

honestly - if you take EQ as a whole. it sucks! the mudflation destroyed the game after luclin.

now that we have all these zones and resources at our disposal, a genius designer should be able to eventually come up with a much better design for eq and lore etc so that it can remain fun and challenging.

one thing that has always bothered me is the blandness and uselessness of tradeskills. yes they are for some quests and there are some cool specific items that can be made with them once again as part of a quest - but the general items are complete trash

if i have time I will do this but -

every item in the game should be craftable. that way an item is either craftable or it is a component.

technically its not hard to do, it just isnt' ready yet on my long list of todos that i will not complete anytime soon

[Krran]

I wanted to say that I have been here for a while, but mostly lurking. I have tried to contribute before, but I feel that even still, my knowledge of the complexities of the project are still lacking (even though I do know some programming).

I have been bopping around in my private home server for at least 5 or 6 years, rarely poking my head into the public. I have adapted some of the emu code, quests, and DB stuff to suit my wishes, but it remains pretty vanilla.

Anyway, maybe there is a sizable hermit-like population? EQ folks can be twitchy and skittish, myself included.

-Edited for grammar

[rhyotte]

One thing that would be cool is to gather up the Year 1999 launch info on classes, into year 2000ish. Some classes like necro went through quite a few revisions...

Another thing would be a central repository of old zones...Cazic comes to mine... many others as well. I know cazic has been pretty well re-claimed, but maybe a place on the wiki for Old Zones?

Then of course, old items that were nerfed...

Reworking spells to get back some of the original seat of the pants excitement as well. I think this would require a team effort. In order to really revamp a class, you kinda need to have a real understanding of it. Non clerics would likely say something like " Just make a 1 second casting super heal over time that holds for at least a minute, and only costs like 100 mana hahahah"....but that would suck ass for excitement be nice as a set up super training wheels to make it booring though!f

As for the team effort on spells... even having good representation of the classes giving initial feedback on various spells to the person actually doing the edits would be good...

Just a few ideas.

[zeldik]

I think one factor with emulator servers is players know everything about EverQuest however there isn't a server that gives a new world like EQ was in 1999 so if it was the same game engine just new zone designs,mobs,quests,or things unknown players would slow down because they would have to start from scratch and couldn't just box or burn through content to the endgame in no time because nothing would be known.

There is the new age of gamers who enjoy more catered games but I think enough people enjoy EQ,etc still...

Another factor is you get what you pay for and if its FREE and you put in insane amounts of your time or some money as a Developer and dont receive anything in return it can be a hassle and a full time job without much appreciation to keep a server going.

[zerjz3]

Zeldik, the Sanctuary server does all of the things you described in your post above. Give it a try sometime!

[lupisnoctum]

I have to agree with some of the above posters, the only way to really breathe new life into EQ Emu is with fully custom content. That said, even running a semi-modified server is a huge commitment of time. Generating an entire custom world/classes/etc. even more so.

From what I've noticed on my journey through Emuland is that the real problem seems to stem from a lack of the right kind of people to do the actual work. The tools are out there. Akka and the rest of the high-end lads have done a ton of work providing wonderful stuff to get even a novice up and rolling. However, tools are nothing without someone to use them properly.

To succeed (or even be worth playing) a server needs three things: a quality staff, a quality plan, and a quality community. Three points do determine a plane, and are required for a server to support itself. Those with the Vision and creativity might lack the coding skills. Those with the coding skills may lack the Vision. Those with one or both may lack the business, social skills, and self-awareness to provide a stable playing environment and properly police and control their community.

Yes, I said business skills. Even if one isn't following the current trend of donation farming, a server should still follow a business-style paradigm. No matter how bold the Vision or how uber the developer, a server without players is a pointless waste of time. Players are the developer's customers, so to speak. If Joe_Dev0432 doesn't have the skills to properly analyze the needs and desires of his proposed client base and respond appropriately to them, he may as well not even boot the bloody server up in the first place.

At first glance, the classic "basement virgin/alpha geek" brand of coder might seem to be the perfect person to helm an emu server. Lacking distractions like friends, sex partners, and jobs they certainly have the time on their hands to devote to such a project. Problem is, their lack of social skills and self awareness tends to corrupt any project they initiate or have access to. How many names sprang to mind when you read that? Heh. Power corrupts, and those who aren't used to having even a modicum of power in the real world are corrupted even faster in the online world. No-lifers and Aspergery types may know their code, but they shouldn't be allowed up front in the showroom. "Basement rage" might be amusing in small doses when it comes from players, but it shouldn't be allowed to taint any aspect of an emu project. Lack of time and/or interest might be the number one server-killer, but fevered egos coupled with a false sense of infallibility run a very very close second.

There are indeed some very good programmers floating around who actually have jobs and make their living at it. These guys might even have friends, lovers, and a life outside the Internet. The problem there, obviously, is that having a real life tends to take away time from working on a server. Another problem is that while they may have the technical skills they may lack the non-coding creativity to bring something new content-wise to the table. No offense intended, but it's kind of a left brain/right brain issue. The guy who designed your car's engine probably isn't the guy who designed the car's body and interior. It's a matter of different skill sets.

Bottom line is that it does take more than one person to envision, create, and maintain a server worth playing. Since the qualities and skills needed are very rarely found in a single person, this obviously necessitates a team effort. The term "developer" has become so abused and misapplied in Emuland that we should simply dispense with it at this point in the discussion. My "off the top" outline of a good team makeup follows.

1) The Producer: Project lead, manager, whatever you prefer. Someone in charge, the capo de capo who's Vision guides the entire project. Someone who decides what is needed and finds someone to fill the various roles. Preferably creative enough to be in charge of overall design and provide the majority of the non-technical content. Must be stable and experienced enough to hire the right people and strong enough to fire them when they turn out to be the wrong people. This position has to be filled by someone who is the polar opposite of the typical MMO cellar dweller. Real-life experience, objectivity, and people skills are essential here.

2) The Coder(s): Fairly obvious who these guys are. Sorting through the usual suspects for coders who can do quality and reliable work is the Producer's most important job. This is where real-life experience comes in handy. We've all seen too many unsuspecting devs get suckered in by the fast lines of the roving band of self-styled "l33t hax0r" types who promise the world but usually come armed with only a monkey wrench to throw in the works. If you're not aware enough to sort these lads out fast, don't be a Producer.

3) The Tester(s): It's too easy to get too close to a project. This makes it essential to have at least one or more stable people who can be trusted to play and offer objective advice on class skills, balance, and content direction. Ideally, they'd be involved in no other aspect of the operation to preserve objectivity. One simply cannot tell how the mechanics of the server or classes are going to work from a spreadsheet or calculator. Product testing is essential at all phases of a project. Once a server is up and running, I would suggest picking "class advocates" either formally or informally to get further input on just how various mechanics are working out and to take some of the burden off of the core testers.

So there you have it. Three core positions that need to be filled by a minimum of three different people. Obviously, there can and ideally will be some overlap of the various positions. Having one person in absolute control of the project though is essential. Too may cooks do indeed spoil the broth. A server that is expected to last for a while needs a Gordon Ramsay at at the helm, not a committee or a "people pleaser." Keep the team lean & mean and don't be afraid to cut out the dead weight or the toxic personalities.

For those of you who think I've put too much thought in to this, well, actually I haven't. It's just good old-fashioned common sense. For those of you who squeal "OMG it'z just emu," well, if you're not going to do something right, why do it in the first place? If you're not in it for the long haul, seriously, don't bother.

For those of you who've read this far, concoct a bold new plan, assemble a team, and get to work! There's enough interest and love of the game out there to bring Emu out of the current slump provided the community at large can produce even two or three new servers with long-term viability. Objectively assess and determine your personal strengths and weaknesses and pick your role and team accordingly.

[Apologetic]

I always liken the idea of a game to a woman. EQ even more so. So when I try and out a video game its quite like a first date. Obviously I'm not gonna know the woman (or the game) totally and all the good and bad right off the bat but I can make some fair sighted judgments. I've been playing Everquest since I was 13 with my Father so yes I have lots of nostalgic purposes with it, but I can also see it for what it is. With emulated servers we are able to kind of play dress up and see what we can create, but you have to remember that its just the same woman under it all. That's not saying you can't be massively creative or unique.

So Everquest is obviously a woman who has aged with some charm. Lets be real no one is playing EQ purely on graphical purpose, and people seriously overblow this. Plenty of games have done great with subpar graphics in their category *cough* Minecraft *cough* and developed great followings. We don't need great graphics for a great game. Just as you don't need a 10/10 woman to be happy, and infact usually under all those pretty bells and whistles lie flaws.

So what drew me personally to Everquest? Well first lets start off, I started AFTER the Velious/Kunark era. So I'm not some old grumpy stiff neck that thinks everything after that era sucks . I enjoyed a lot of content, from DoDH and doing MM with my brother to grinding it out in Dragonscale Hills. It always has and always will be THE COMMUNITY. THE CHALLENGE. THE UNIQUE TAKES ON CLASSES. Just like with an older woman she may not be the prettiest, often she has the depth and substance to let you see past that, like a good video game. A game like EverQuest can still fit into today, if it plays on its strengths and works on its weaknesses. Yes I doubt Everquest will ever be a pleasing game to look at like FF14 or GW2, however as when you find out with an older woman versus a younger one, the young women (and games) may look pretty, but you just typically can't find the adoration and respect for it like a well developed older woman.

So yes there is only so much work we can do, but we can do a lot (I think any one of Akkadius's servers prove how custom you can really get). Just don't go for the older lady expecting the sweet looks of the younger lady. Instead, look for the deepness like the richness of game play, the connection within the community, the bonds you develop inside and outside the game. Seriously if we play on the community aspect alone EQ will still stand A MILLION miles ahead of a lot of MMOs and why I have a hard time leaving it. Add in the challenging gameplay and the deepness and I'm sold.