EQ 'Next'

[Lantyssa]

Right, how's Free Realms doing these days?

Free Realm's problems were neglect, not its pay model.  That was still one of the best ones out there as you had the option for a buy-it-forever for $35 (Well, 30 at the time.  Given triple Station Cash days, $10).  I was never blocked from anything once I did.

[Falconeer]

Landmark Livestream wednesday, 4pm PST.

On Wednesday, December 11, join Colette “Dexella” Murphy (Community Manager), Terry Michaels (Senior Producer), and Emily “Domino” Taylor (Producer) as they show off more in-game building, as well as discuss other features of Landmark, including information about harvesting/mining and character naming!

It would be great if they showed a bit more of what is there to do other than building houses, but judging from that line it doesn't seem like it.

[Tannhauser]

Not since the legendary MMO Dawn has a game promised so many revolutionary features.

[Senses]

Not since the legendary MMO Dawn has a game promised so many revolutionary features.

Except for maybe Star Citizen.

[Hoax]

I would actually really enjoy if we had a power rankings of biggest MMO promises. I feel like Horizons would be on there for sure.

[Teleku]

Horizons should frankly top the damned list.  God I remember all of the 'ideas' and 'plans' they had....

[Falconeer]

Horizons, Vanguard, and Dark and Light for sure.

[Ingmar]

Vanguard promised old features, not new ones. 

[Paelos]

Horizons was by far the most egregious. They promised a zone-free, constantly evolving, PvE experience in coop.

[HaemishM]

Most egregious? I'm still waiting for my fucking fetusapults.

[Teleku]

Horizons promised that you could start the game playing as a dragon.  Yes, start as a little dragon and grow to a big huge one as you level, that can fly around the game and breath fire or what ever on players from above.  And maybe even be able to grab livestock with your claws and drop it on people (not even kidding).  Not quite a fetuspult, but still.  

They also promised dynamic environments, as in you could cut down any tree in the game for resources, and god damned dig tunnels ANYWHERE like you can now in minecraft.  That natural trails would form in the grass depending on how many people walked over any given patch of grass.  They promised a whole underground realm for the sub earth races as large as the above ground game world.  That again, you could also dig out new tunnels in to pop out anywhere in the corresponding above ground world.

There was A LOT more.

[Hawkbit]

Procedurally generated blight was interesting, though.  That mobs could spawn in the affected area that were not in that area's table was really intriguing.  That part worked and I can't think of a game that has done something similar so far.  Rifts were somewhat in that vein.

It had multiclassing, too!

It worked, it simply wasn't fun.  Horizons was my first major MMO regret.  I fell into the hype and was severely disappointed. 

[Falconeer]

Horizons promised that you could start the game playing as a dragon.  Yes, start as a little dragon and grow to a big huge one as you level, that can fly around the game and breath fire or what ever on players from above.  

Well, that was true though. It wasn't cool, but it was true.

[Teleku]

Heh, I never even bothered glancing at what the 'final' product looked like, after all those long years of development (I followed it for the first year or two of development before I realized fully what a dumpster fire it was).  I know it can't have been anything like what they were describing.  

Did they ever include being able to play as an Demon or an Angle (both of which could also fly, and had their own hell/heaven demensions to start in and explore)?  


Edit:  Oh god, googling shows this thing still actually exists as something human beings can play, with content patches still being released for it.  

[Falconeer]

Edit:  Oh god, googling shows this thing still actually exists as something human beings can play, with content patches still being released for it.  

Interestingly enough, it seems to be aimed at military abroad and things like that. They have lots of discount packages for member of the military, and the game clearly runs on any PC that has been built at least close to year 2000.

[koro]

The only people I knew who played Horizons were old WoW guildies who played almost entirely for the catpeople and dragons.

Shockingly, they were also enormous furries.

[Teleku]

So, the player base is members of the military and furries.  I bet their chat channels are amazing to behold!   

Also, omg omg omg, Atriarch still has a website!!!!

http://www.atriarch.com/

Its still in 'development'!!!!  This thread reminded me of it.  This thing was announced and has been in development for at least as long as Horizons (late 90's, so almost 15 years now).  It also promised a large list of revolutionary impossible gameplay stuff.

I like this activity, its fun!   

[Falconeer]

This is not new (5 days old) but you might have missed it.

What is Landmark.

[Nebu]

This is not new (5 days old) but you might have missed it.

What is Landmark.

While the idea is interesting, I just don't see how they avoid the level of grief that players will create for each other. 

[Sky]

I just don't see how they avoid the level of grief that players will create for each other. 

Why is there so much of this happening this year? It's almost cute when companies like Nerd Kingdom do it, they're painfully new and naive. But a lot of old hags are seeming to forget the cesspool effect of the Internet. I can only imagine it's some kind of front-loaded compansation package that allows them to tout obviously bad ideas because there will be no back end repercussions for them.

[Paelos]

It's worth it to try. The only thing that MMOs can offer now is to adapt the Minecraft building form into the game in the hopes that will bring innovation.

[Goreschach]

Most egregious? I'm still waiting for my fucking fetusapults.

[Draegan]

The less diku/quest treadmill games the better.

I think games should trend towards a world that isn't 99% about combat which is why I'm interested in the direction of Trove, EQNL etc. Take a world that is moldable by people, create an economy and all the things that go with it. Then take your inspiration from MOBAs where you have player classes to collect like champs/heroes. Simple classes with 4 abilities that have different ways to interact with the world. Crafting classes, building classes, fighting classes etc. This way you can constantly make classes over time and you only have to build out 4 abilities and balance and iterate them.

The less you can move away from "needing to grind levels/points/tokens" for arbitrary points that only show up on a character sheet or gear that is +gooder, you should be grinding for bricks to build something. Whether that's a house, a ship, a plane or a sword.

That's the new(old) immersion.

[Threash]

I'm not sure replacing one kind of grinding for another is much of an improvement.

[Signe]

You can get one week's worth of closed beta if you buy a copy of PC Gamer magazine.  It says so right on the cover.  I did not buy a copy of PC Gamer magazine so that's all I know.

[Falconeer]

I think that video is just amazing but you are all more than welcome to go full f13 on it.

[palmer_eldritch]

People who want a more traditional, controlled environment will be able to play EQ Next itself. I'll be one of those, although I'm sure I'll mess around with Landmark a bit.

[Sky]

Take a world that is moldable by people,

While I agree about moving from combat to something more creative, it still comes back to Internet. Cesspool. MMO's Achilles' Heel.

[Threash]

Take a world that is moldable by people,

While I agree about moving from combat to something more creative, it still comes back to Internet. Cesspool. MMO's Achilles' Heel.

One does not simply walk into Cockdor.

[HaemishM]

You guys are making me want to design a temple whose entrance is flanked by mile high cocks and a vag arch. 

[Malakili]

Looks neat on paper, but then so do a lot of things.  Probably worth checking out for a weekend at some point, but I don't see myself wanting to log into Landmark every day.

[Paelos]

I think that video is just amazing but you are all more than welcome to go full f13 on it.

It does look a lot more promising than anything I've seen in an MMO of late.

[Sky]

You can get one week's worth of closed beta if you buy a copy of PC Gamer magazine.  It says so right on the cover.  I did not buy a copy of PC Gamer magazine so that's all I know.

Library copy ftw.

[Nebu]

You guys are making me want to design a temple whose entrance is flanked by mile high cocks and a vag arch. 

[Merusk]

The less diku/quest treadmill games the better.

I think games should trend towards a world that isn't 99% about combat which is why I'm interested in the direction of Trove, EQNL etc. Take a world that is moldable by people, create an economy and all the things that go with it. Then take your inspiration from MOBAs where you have player classes to collect like champs/heroes. Simple classes with 4 abilities that have different ways to interact with the world. Crafting classes, building classes, fighting classes etc. This way you can constantly make classes over time and you only have to build out 4 abilities and balance and iterate them.

The less you can move away from "needing to grind levels/points/tokens" for arbitrary points that only show up on a character sheet or gear that is +gooder, you should be grinding for bricks to build something. Whether that's a house, a ship, a plane or a sword.

That's the new(old) immersion.

Here's why I think this never took off.  I play games to waste a bit of time and do shit I can't RL. I expect the same is true of most people.

I can grind for bricks and stone and shit IRL, with the bonus of actually having a product and not a bunch of bits afterward.  If I really wanted to go through the laborious process of building something, I would do it where it would have meaning.

On the other hand, I can't kill gnomes and people IRL.  Giving me a platform for bloodless, risk and consequence-free slaughter? Awesome.