I'm wondering too about the shader 3.0 update, my feeling is here that they will update this and then at best if it does make the September update we'll see continual tweeking of zones, characters etc as they've found they opened up a whole can of worms as they compensate for the different looks, probably until February.
Even on their example I don't believe the original graphics artist planned for so much red lighting at the castle (even if it does look great, my suspicion is its only so by accident).

Lots of good stuff there, every time I read something about EQ2 its making me itching to level up to see it, at the same time I don't want to miss anything on the journey (cancelled the WoW account for the first time in 3 years which says something, although 2/3rds of the top raiders had already rested the subs in the guild).

The GUI update sounds really like its needed, not just because I think the EQ2 interface could do with some polish (scaling icons etc), but mainly because it seems to have most of what you want there but its just lacking a great default (I think WAR did this one perfectly), it would be nice to see them clean up how you use addons and hopefully bring a few more as default in there that advanced people can just turn on off.

The only things that don't sound needed to me are XP rates, right now I've got no problem dinging, although I do play at a slow speed, and I do therefore keep rested state all the time. If they boost it too fast it can break the lower levels of the game in my opinion (WoW has done that I think since if you do group up you can run dungeons that drop rewards 7 or more levels higher then you are currently - really not great). Although I do see the need to keep the 1-max level journey the same effort.

I'm puzzled as you are by this talk of whole new systems? Wondering if its a class revamp, but if so its been kept quiet. I know they are changing things like adding in gear degradation over levels basically as a fix for the problems of % based gear etc, maybe this is what he is referring to?

I think you are completly correct. Whats odd is that so far, there really hasn't been anything special about this new expansion other than vauge talks about content. Compared to other expansions it really shouldn't be garnering that much more attention.

I think there are 2 reason that we are seeing another EQ2 upswing;

1.) There is a well known face at the helm. Brenlo is someone that I think most everyone knows of and he is very vocal both in the community and at large about the game. Everyone knows he plays and he is very accessable.

2.) I think over the past year we have seen a lot of MMOs come in and there is one critical thing that they lack compared to EQ2: Content.

There is just so much damn content to the game at this point. There is NO other MMO out there (yes, no including WOW) that has this much content at this time.

I think I've seen something about WoW having ~3-6k quests to EQ2's 16-18k(Think I've seen these on the back of the box numbers around)? The scale of it amazes me.

But Brenlo is unknown to me so only really effects the EQ community, for me the points would be

1) Graphics, you can play EQ2 on a modest computers specs, my Core2 1.5Ghz Radeon HD2600 runs it fine just above average, it only runs WAR on the lowest settings in comparison. A lot of people just pick a PC still on the CPU it has alone really is restricting the games they can play.

2) Its stable and polished with a long history and as you say plenty of content.

3) Maybe its me, but the up swing with EQ2 seemed to have come with their switch to the Sony games division? They do
seem to be putting resources into things that really improve the game right now not just trying to create more of what they already have. I just wish they'd advertise more, especially being creative like this Amiga CD32 advert stunt (that was not photoshopped either, I remember the computer press reporting it at the time, a lot of coverage probably for a £500 fee), not sure if the aggressive marketing style works though.

4) WoW, its in the duldrums between patches and so are rich pickings for their competition, at least that's how I feel about it. The strange thing is that they are not even 9 months in and there's zip to do. Maybe I was too hardcore for it, but I could sum up the WotLK expansion as all artwork and little content and an unoriginal storyline that barely moves along (kind of like the X-files one for me, that one took forever to get anywhere, well so long I stopped watching).

I've been wondering about it all myself, I'm wondering if its partly the big change in culture from going from the film division to being put under the games division. While the original game was executed very well its had a lot of things in it that could be improved but just were not for years on end, yet all of a sudden even before the producer changes things moved up a gear. Or maybe they are finally getting it right in how they communicate with the community? I'm impressed how much developer feedback there is, I've only seen that sort of thing in smaller game houses that need to produce good games to survive rather then big name games that will just sell anyway.

Either way they seem to have an understanding of what their current subscription base wants rather then trying to be a WoW clone, I do hope they continue on this path as I think they cannot compete with the dumbing down WoW is currently achieving.

One question that I have though, I've never rested my EQ2 account so don't know this one, but does SOE ask why you cancel your account?

I ask as this is something Blizzard do, I was sorely tempted to put in "because its too hard", but settled for "harrassment from gold sellers".

Interesting, I have been wondering what's been prompting EQ2 and WoW development to diverge so much the past year and where they allow themselves to be influenced.

One small thing of interest I just saw yesterday (almost related) that shows how Blizzard use their reports in a earnings call


That was the 5th Nov 2008 earnings call report, two things it does show is that despite AoC 20.5.08 release and WAR's 18.9.08 release they did return to WoW depressingly quickly based on the exit surveys, but they also did lose a fair chunk for at least the long term each time.