Everquest 2

Preview - Sony Online's sequel to the game that inspired a thousand followers comes under the spotlight.

Verant had one particular goal in mind when they launched Everquest way back in 1998- they wanted to take the atmosphere of the original text multi-user dungeons and attach a cutting edge 3D engine. This achieved, Everquest went on to become one of the most successful online RPG’s in the market place, with thousands upon thousands of subscribers. A sequel was inevitable. Due for release at the end of 2003, Everquest 2 hopes to recapture the hearts of EQ’s massive fan base, as well as make genre casual-friendly.

EQ was the second major MMORPG to reach consumers. These early MMORPG’s had one major problem – the designers had absolutely no idea how people would behave online, and thus had no idea how to balance the game. Massive problems were encountered upon launch, and it took many years of tweaking and balancing to make the game play well. But despite the hundreds of patches over the years, the EQ core game play ideals did not change greatly. EQ was blighted by several design decisions that make it very unappealing to casual gamers.

The game was intensely party-orientated – only a couple of the character classes could seriously make it on their own. This meant that upon logging in, players were forced to spend a long time finding a suitable party. EQ was also frustrating due to the large amount of “downtime” necessary after a big battle, as non-healer classes had no way of healing themselves other than rudimentary bandages. And of course, there was the “camping”, waiting your turn at a good spot to retrieve some necessary item. Only in an RPG would gamers be willing to queue their virtual selves. EQ had other problems too, but these were the ones that made the game most difficult to pick up and play.

Verant have had years to look at the competition, and they have realised certain things. Almost universally, new MMORPG’s make a point of limiting downtime to a minimum – it’s now expected, nay demanded, by gamers. Another axiom is that players should be able to dip into the game for a short period and still be able to do something worthwhile. This means eliminating the necessity of finding a party. The game may remain largely party based (as ultimately it’s the community that keep people coming back), but people must have alternatives when they are unable or can’t be bothered to find some dungeon fellows.

Everquest 2 intends to deal with all these issues, and more. Set in the Age of Destiny, a few thousand years after the Age of Turmoil of the original, EQ2 offers more than just a new graphics engine. It offers a rethink of the EQ core values, to retain the strengths of the EQ brand and finally make it accessible to casual gamers.