Return to Everquest

Sony's running a 15-day free thing for all ex-eq people. Since I couldnt get into SL for a bit, took advantage of playing for an hour.

Two things struck me, in this order:

- first, I opened my spellbook and thought, oh my god, we have a long way to go to make SL resemble eq. The fact that there's a spellbook for a start, and then the impressive number of spells

- next I thought, well, y'know the spellbook itself is not that important - we can do it with stuff in our inventory for example - and y'know whilst technically the number of spells is impressive, I have:
- 10 pet spells that do the same thing, only for a different stage in my character's life
- 10 illusion spells, well illusions in SL are easy-peasy, we do it all the time without even thinking about it
- and then a load of slow, dd and crowd control spells

Basically, whilst there are a lot of different individual spells, they're all based on just 5 or 6 basic types, modulated for amplitude as appropriate for different levels.

Nothing we can't do without too much trouble, I think.

Going to try to simulate the bedroom in lguk, that was one of the best places for tactical group-play.

If you want spells, script them.

They aren't a usual part of SL..... this isn't EQ. That having been said I'd love to see us have UI like everquest's...

Still have to wonder why....

There's no monsters to kill... (so no need for bolt/dd/pet/dot) We don't need food or drink, and can buy or build permanent weapons and/or armor, (so no need for conjuration,) death is fast if you're in an area where damage is set to on, and doesn't happen in areas where it isn't, (so healing/resurrection is out,) and we have no stats. (So there's no buffing.)

This is SL... not everquest. Now.... I haven't been to Darkwood. (Kinda been meaning to... just haven't gotten around to it.) I suppose there might be a call for some of those spells there.... check it out. But gamewide? No point.

I dont really understand this post because I have never played EQ. I never had a desire to play that game. I do know that I dont want to be forced to do mindless tasks in order to sustain or advance my position.

The thing I like about SL is that I have no game mandated tasks/goals to reach. I can do as much or as little as I like. I wont be penalized for inactivity. This is a really tough concept for many gamers to grasp. So, the real question is if SL is really a game at all.

If the reference to spellbooks is about managing our SL inventories, then I sort of get it. I would like a easier way to manage the inventory. No disrespect meant, please help me out.

Ok..... let me interject one point here since Loki mentioned it.

Say what you will about Everquest... (and as a former EQ player I usually do.... at some length...) the new interface is fantastic. THAT I'd love to see integrated into SL.

As far as making SL into EQ? Not interested.

Hmmm, I think people are reading the first half of my post and then replying.

If you read the whole post, I think it's basically positive.

At least, that was my intention.

> I dont really understand this post because I have never played EQ. I never had a desire to play that game. I do know that I dont want to be forced to do mindless tasks in order to sustain or advance my position.

Yeah, not at all like rate mining lol

I think it's a common misconception that Everquest is mindless, mostly propogated by people who aren't actually playing the thing for whatever reason.

Certainly, as an Enchanter, Everquest was really fun. You had a bit of everything: you had the social side but you also had stuff to do.

Enchanters do crowd control which is challenging, because you never have quite enough mana to make the job easy. And before level 35 you couldnt see anything most of the time either, so you had to rely on your team-mates telling you what was going on, and listening to who was attacking who and what.

If you ever screwed up, or someone attacked the mez'd mob, just when you had absolutely no mana except enough for Gate, and the mob was agro on you, which means you have a mean monster beating the c**p out of you, and you can't do anything about it, it can get quite intense. You have to rely on other members of the team, such as healers and tanks, a lot, and everyone works together.

Note that I played on Rallos, so whilst all this is going on, you always had the risk that someone would come along and kill you to steal your jewellery I think that was what made the game come alive for me: the risk that someone would do that, and the social engineering to try to avoid that.

You're maybe wondering why I'm not playing Everquest.

Well. I always wanted to be able to make my own zones in Everquest. Be a bit creative.

SL could be the runtime environment that will make that possible.

ZHugh

I didnt mean to insult EQ. I have never seen it played. My apologies.

But, like Corwin said, I am not interested in SL becoming EQ. If you want to create a game to play once you arrive in SL, similar to Dark Life Project, more power to you.

huh?

i see this kind of thing a lot and i'm not flaming at all when i say if that's what you're looking for why aren't you playing EQ? or whatever game SL is a long way from....

i think a lot of us play SL because it's not EQ or Quake or The Sims or Starcraft or.... SL can't be those things. SL is it's own thing and it's a pretty revolutionary thing too. diversity is good.

anyway we do need a much better interface though

Well once being hard core SL and not having participated much in any other online games, I can see why some would say that SL is not EQ and should stay that way.

I can see that, but....

Now having tried EQ and FFXI (which is REALLY great!), and liking them both, I can see why some would want to incorporate the good aspects of each game.

One thing I think SL could use is some sort of Linden or Government group or guild or what ever you want to call it, so that individual players, or players on an individual level, can have more to do in SL. Still have the creative freedom we have in SL, but having a path to walk it down is nice too.


fen-

I think that's the point a lot of us are making Kissmi....

A lot of us DO know what EQ is like, because we're former EQ players. We're here because this is NOT EQ. No mindless levelling drive, no torqued out economy, no 13 year old beggar players.... etc.

I do agree about the interface tho. XML is your friend.