Rest in Peace, Aradune

Developer Brad McQuaid, a key figure in the creation of legendary MMORPG EverQuest, has died. The sad news was broken by Brad's comrades at Visionary Realms, who announced that McQuaid passed away at his home on Monday, aged 51.

McQuaid - known in the MMO community by his alias "Aradune" - entered the video game industry way back in 1989, when he teamed with friend Steve Clover to create shareware RPG WizardWar. A 1995 demo for a prospective sequel brought the duo to the attention of Sony Interactive America's John Smedley, who hired McQuaid and Clover to help with the development of a new MMORPG. McQuaid initially started work on EverQuest as programmer, but would eventually become?? both the project's producer and lead designer??.

Launching in 1999, EverQuest quickly became one of the first successful 3D MMORPGs, going on to win numerous awards, release several expansion packs, and provide an engaging and exciting online environment for thousands of players. Today, EverQuest is considered one of the most important and innovative releases in t??he MMORPG?? genre.

McQuaid and Visionary Realms were currently developing new MMO title Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. It is expected that the team will see this project through to fruition. Of his colleague, Pantheon's Benjamin Dean said "(Brad) changed the landscape of video games forever. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered in life and in Pantheon."

We ??at Destructoid offer our condolences to Brad's? friends and family.

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As did the false eyes of society!

Open your eyes, your soul, and maybe open those news holes while you're at it because today's episode f??eatures the following:

• The Harry Potter leaky loo!
• Red Dead Redemption 2 has a new gameplay trailer!
• The PlayStation Experience isn't a thing this year and more!

Illusions ain't magic, but forced labor to create the sweet and wonderful nectar that is online video content sure is! But, for once, I agree with the mad ramblings of a man I've kept awake now for weeks?? on caffeine and pop-punk m?usic -- society is a sham! Thankfully, I anticipate the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, simply b??ecause it'll teach me the ways to leave the shackles of society behind for good.

In just 23 more sleepless nights I can have Arthur Morgan become the bearded rat-hat-wearing swamp man I've always wanted to be. I'll learn to live off the land, defy the powers that be by threatening them with my musk, and show everyone the sham that is “society.” But, before all that, I'll need to beat Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and obviously complete m?y back??log of video games before fully committing to my new lifestyle.

Discharged question of the week:

What's the first thing you're gonna do in Red Dead Redemption 2?

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The neverending journey

Despite having a sequel with a plethora of expansions, the original EverQuest is set to receive its 25th expansion in December. Titled The Burning Lands, the latest expansion to one of the oldest running MMO's around is set to return players to the Planes of Power. Anyone familiar with the series will know that area was introduced in the fourth expansion to EverQuest, so it really has been a long time coming.

In a blog post on the official website, developer Daybreak Games states, "We've traveled far and wide across Kunark, but for now we'll be leaving Kunark behind as we go a bit more… elemental. It's been a littl?e while, but it's finally time to head back to the Planes! The expansion name might give you some clues, but let's just say that air and fire will play a big role in your upcoming adventures. I don't want to give away too much yet, but only the most daring will be able to successfully navigate the upcoming conflict!"

The post also shares details about a new snail enemy, but the rest of The Burning Lands is being kept under wraps. The only information we get is that this expansion will contai??n new zones, items, raids and "more". I'm pretty sure that? was a given, though.

If you're interested in returning to EverQuest to see what an MMO with 25 expansions looks like, the game has since shifted to a free-to-play model in the last ?few years. You can jump in without worry of paying monthly, which is great to tickle that nostalgic itch for simpler MMO day?s.

September 2?018 P?roducer’s Letter: Expansion News! [EverQuest]

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Z1 Quest

NantWorks LLC has made an investment in Daybreak Game Company to create a new joint venture company (NantG Mobile LLC) focused on mobile game development. The first two titles to come out of this will be mobile conversions of H1Z1 and EverQuest. Along with that, NantG Mobile will assume control of the current PC version if H1Z1 for future development, which is set to be renamed Z1 Battle Royale.

Jason Epstein, Chairman of the Board for DayBreak, told Business Wire, "Daybreak Games is pleased to have NantWorks as our investment partner to support and accelerate the growth of our company. Working with NantWorks, NantStudio and Dr. Soon-Shiong will allow us to maintain our cutting-edge development in the video game industry and to benefit from Nant’s technological expertise a?nd reach as a resourc??e."

NantWorks is also planning to build a new event hub near the LA Times Center. Situated in El Segundo, Los Angeles, this center will contain an event space, a production studio and multiple e-sports arenas to? host tournaments. As Business Wire states, it will be a "convening hub" for the com??munity and a place for NantG Mobile to launch multiple new e-sports leagues.

NantWorks Makes Strategic Investment in Daybreak Gam??e Company ??and Establishes Video Game Publishing Joint Venture, NantG Mobile [Business Wire]

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It had a longer run than I expected

After Daybreak finally ceased development on the MMORPG EverQuest Next last year, it seemed inevitable that Landmark, which was thought of as a precursor, would be the next to go. The online sandbox titl?e had longer legs than expected, but it is indeed coming to a close soon.

As of yesterday, Landmark is no longer availabl??e for purchase. The cost of all Daybreak Cash items has been slashed to 1 DBC, and the servers are scheduled to close on February 21, 2017 at 4:00pm Pac??ific.

Preemptively answering questions about archiving the game for posterity, the studio has said that it "will retain all of the code and data from Landmark. Daybreak Game Company will not license or authorize the operation of a Landmark emulator or a fan-operated Landmark server."

So, this is it. It's often fascinating to see how players choose to spend their final days as a world-ending deadline looms, and while I didn't play Landmark, I hope fans capture that sendoff next month.

Important News About Landmark [Landmark]

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It launched on Steam today

Daybreak Game Company couldn't make EverQuest Next work and formally canceled the MMORPG in March, but work has continued on Landmark. The online sandbox building game, at one time a precursor to Next, released today on Steam for $9.99. Disappointed EverQuest fans just aren't having it.

"Many of us bought this game because it was a promise of something greater to come," reads one Steam user review. "We funded this game because we wanted EQNext. They strung us along for 3 years with a carrot on a?? stick routine. Finally YEARS after promising this would be Free to play, they rerelease this mess for $9.99."

"This game had so much promise, but I am here to warn others not to buy it," says another. "Potential ?buyers need to know that it will be very difficult to find anywhere to build. (Out in the ocean, maybe?) For two years, they swore that anything purchased from the Marketplace would remains ours throughout numerous world wipes during [closed beta] - and then took everything away, replaced with worthless in-game currency that made replacing those items impossible."

These frustrations are a common theme among recent user reviews, but there are a rare few positive ones. "I get that they are angry that EQ Next won't happen, but Landmark in itself is a good game with very solid creation tools. If you are interested in building stuff definitely get this. Just keep in mind that what you build is static, rather than dynamic like in Space Engineers or Minecraft redstone."

I'm surprised Landmark lasted long enough to work its way ??through earl??y access and that it is, at least for the time being, not free-to-play. Here's how it looks now:

Landmark [Steam]

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'It wasn't fun'

The MMORPG EverQuest Next isn't happening.

"When we decided to create the next chapter in the EverQuest journey, we didn't aim low," said Daybreak Games president Russell Shanks in an announcement today. "We set ?out to make something revoluti??onary ... Unfortunately, as we put together the pieces, we found that it wasn't fun."

The game wasn't meeting expectations internally and was unlikely to please fans either, according to Shanks, who notes "EverQuest and EverQuest II are going strong. Rest assured that our passion to grow the world of EverQuest remains undiminished."

As for Landmark, the sort of lead-in game to EverQuest Next, that's surprisingly still moving forward. It's launching this spring for $9.99 (specifics here for folks who put money into this thing).

Writing on the Daybreak forums, executive producer Holly Longdale said "Our vision for Landmark is to provide a place where you can create ANYTHING, tell your own stories, and share your creativity with other players. We are wrapping up a HUGE game update for Landmark with LOTS of new additions and imp?rovements, some of which you&rsqu?o;ve already seen in sneak preview posts..."

I had to double check the last time we touched on EverQuest Next, and it looks like it was almost two years ago. Soun??ds about right. I completely forgot this existed! While it's disappointing to hear the developers couldn't find a way to make it work, it's good to have closure at last.

EQN News: A Letter from Daybreak's President [Daybreak Games]

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I refuse to use the word 'spoopy'

Halloween, one of the best days of the year, is almost upon us! W?i?th the sweets and pumpkins also comes a landslide of in-game events for almost every game released ever.

Here’s a quick run down of some of the thing?s you can find in your favourite games ??over the next couple of weeks.

Destiny is running its Festival of the Lost event until November 9 that includes new quests, consumables, gear, and a Thriller emote that is the best thing the game has ever done. Unfortunately some of the stuff you get during the event will?? ??expire once it’s over, with mainly only Legendary items surviving past that.

Warframe is doing things a little different, and is instead having a Day of the Dead celebration. Various themed skins for your Tenno’s capes, weapons and spaceship??s will be available, and I have to admit some of it is absolutely adorabl?e.

On ??to??p of that, a new type of glaive called the Cerata, and some special Halloween tactical alerts will be available. The event will last until November 4.

Guild Wars 2’s event has already begun. The Shadow of the Mad King includes areas such as The Mad King’s Realm and the Mad King’s Clock Tower jumping puzzle. There’s also Halloween celebrations inc?luding mini-games and attractions going down in Lion’s Arch.

As usual, there’s also some Halloween loot up for gr?abs??, such as a neat Pumpkin staff and wearable bat wings.

Team Fortress 2 has two Halloween events running at the moment. First is the Invasion update: while not strictly a Halloween event, it is a spooky-themed thing running at the end of October, which means it totally counts to me. New extraterrestrial-themed maps and enemies created by members of the TF2 community are running until November 5.

The other Team Fortress 2 event is the official seventh annual Scream Fortress, which this year has also been created by the community. There are four new maps, some Harry Potter inspired taunts, new items available in the new Gargoyle Case, and the return of every other of the game’s previous Halloween updates. Th??is one&rsq??uo;s pretty huge.

Wildstar’s not using its recent transition to free-to-play as an excuse to avoid Halloween, as it is currently running the Shade’s Eve event. There’s a new expedition known as Quiet Downs for players to embark on, new decorations for your house, and a lot of the main cities in the game have been given a spooky makeover. Shade’s Eve is running until N?ovember 2, so you haven’t got long to grab ??the loot you want from it.

Daybreak, developers of Planetside 2, DC Universe Online, H1Z1, EverQuest, and Landmark have gone all out this year. New weapons, quests, items and more are on offer for all of their games, and as there are just too many to list individually, Daybreak have been really kind and given us a quick breakdown of what's going on. You can find that here, or on any other of the games' sites.

Overkill somehow managed to find the time after making everybody angry to make an admittedly pretty awesome event for Payday 2. Running from October 29 to November 12, each day is introducing somet?hing new.

At the moment we have two new heists: Honey, I Shrunk the Heisters!, which sees your team shrunken down while fighting off teeny-tiny police and slightly bigger spiders, and The Safehouse Nightmare which includes the Necrocloaker and, terrifyingly, the Headless Titandozer. These? maps are currently only meant to stick around during the event, but if they prove po?pular Overkill have said they’re open to the idea of keeping them in the rotation.

Perfect World's Neverwinter is bringing back its annual Masquerade of Liars event. It'll begin October 29 and run until November 4 on both PC and Xbox One. Masquerade includes two new daily quests, a kind of?? adorable scarecrow companion, ne??w consumables and some costume pieces for you.

Most importantly, you can now have a Unicorn mask and bring frightening horse-th??emed terror to the lands of Neverwinter and beyond, impaling all of those who challenge thy mighty horn.

Finally, World of Warcraft and Heroes of the Storm are both running the Hallow’s End event.

In World of Warcraft, the event will have three new quests including the seasonal boss the Headless Horseman. The same Horseman will be terrorising the cities of Azeroth, providing locations such as Razor Hill, Goldshire and Silvermoon City with events to help fix the damage he’s caused. There will be plenty of rewards such as mounts and costumes, and the?re are 11 new achievements for the major completionists.

In Heroes of the Storm, there is a week-long 50??% bonus XP event lasting until November 3. You’ll also be able to earn a Jack-O’-Lantern portrait by winning 25 games before November 17. And of course, there’s a new Headless Horseman-themed mount, a n?ew skin for Falstad, and a load of bundles are on sale during the event.

This list doesn’t even include the various sales either upcoming or ongoing on various digital distribution sites like PSN, Green Man Gaming, and Steam if none of these games quite take your fancy.

The post What special i?n-gam??e events are happening this Halloween? appeared first on Destructoid.

Currently Daybreak

John Smedley co-founded EverQuest developer Verant Interactive, which morphed into Sony Online Entertainment following EverQuest's huge success. He even hung on after Sony sold SOE earlier this year, turning it into Daybreak Game Company and laying off some SOE employees.

Smedley, however, has now stepped down as president and chief executive officer of Daybre??ak.

"I can confirm that John Smedley will be taking some time off from the company for the near-term and transitioning to a different role to be determined," a spokesperson for Daybreak told GamesBeat. "Upon finalization of his plans, further communication will be prov??i??????????????????????????ded."

Chi??ef creative operating officer Russell Shanks will take over for Smedley.

Smedley recently threatened to sue one of the hackers who took down Xbox Live and PSN during Christmas. Julius "zeekill" Kivimaki, 17, was found guilty of 50,700 charges and got two years probation. The group Kivimaki was apart of is the one responsible for intentionally diverting and landing on?e of Smedley's flights?? by calling in a bomb threat.

"I've also been swatted (multiple times) ??and had over 50 false credit applications submitted in my name and had to deal with the ramifications of what happens to your credit when this kind of thing happens, Smedley said. "It's not good. And to top it all off they decided to submit false tax returns."

After Smedley, upset at the lenient sentencing, threatened to sue Kivimaki, remaining members of the group took Daybreak games (H1Z1, PlanetSide 2, etc.) offli?ne with a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack

Daybreak Game Company’s John?? Smedley steps down as chie??f executive officer [VentureBeat]

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It's 1999, but also confusingly not 1999

I guess the gang over at Everquest really liked the look of Runescape’s 2007-styled server, because they've just launched their own similar server called RageFire. Kind of. And it’s bringing back 1999-styled Everquest. Kind of.

RageFire is a brand new new “Progression Server” being added to the game. The idea is simple: you can’t transfer your outside characters in to RageFire, all account bonuses like refer-a-friend are disabled, and all of the expansions have been disabled. Steps have been taken to ensure the game is as close as possible to its 1999 release and so the game you’re playing is essentially EverQuest as it was originally released.

However, it’s also totally not like the 1999 version at all. Many of the quality-of-life updates made to the game are sticking around such as: the new AI, no weighted money, the enhanced loot system is still there, and the death rules are closer to modern EverQuest. Your corpse won’t l??ie around waiting to be plundered, so no more hours-long corpse raids. Bummer.

What is interesting is tha??t Ragefire will be updated depending on player votes. It’s a bit of a convoluted system, but whatever.

The server opened on May 7 with every player starting at level one, with none of the raids defeated. Once people have managed to defeat every raid in that cu??rrent version of the game, voting will open for those within 21 levels of the lev??el cap. This will then allow people to start voting to add later expansions and content in to the game, and once new expansions are in the cycle begins all over again until essentially the game is up to date with the normal version.

Yeah I struggled following that, too.

But here’s the thing: as with any MMO launch ever, this one has gone horribly, horribly wrong. Less than 24 hours after launching, the official EverQuest twitter account said the server was being taken ??offline, and that players who have somehow managed to hit level 50 in such a s??hort time are going to be wiped:

We're working on the Ragefire server now, and removing erroneous level 50s. No ETA, but this?? is our team's top priority.

— EverQuest (@everquest) May 20, 2015

We're?? taking Ragefire offline for the rest of tonight.We appreciate everyone's patience as we work to resolve the issues with this server.

— EverQuest (@everquest) May 21, 2015

MMORPGs are a stable, fun experience where nothing can ever possibly go wrong. When it's back up, all subscription-paying members of EverQuest will once again have access to RageFire.

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Columbus Nova wastes no time turning the asshole knob to 11

Last Monday, venerable MMO studio Sony Online Entertainment was sold to Columbus Nova investment firm as part of Sony's on going restructuring. Not even two weeks later, an unknown number of employees have reportedly been laid off, including EverQuest director David Georgeson and community manager Lind?a Carlson. 

This isn't odd behavi?or for Columbus Nova, which pulled the same stunt when it acquired Rhapsody in 2013. For investm?ent firms, reducing overhead while maintaining profits is usually the first order of business, and that typically means layoffs are the first course of action.

Daybreak released the following s??tatement concerning the layoffs: 

“As part of a strategic decision to rationalize the business, Daybreak Game Company announced today that it will eliminate positions in both its San Diego and Austin studios. This alignment of resources better positions the newly independent studio for future growth opportunities and developments, including delivering on its legacy of making top online games and establishing a solid foundation for future multi-platform success. These reductions will not affect the operation of current games and the company will continue on its mission to partner with its player community to drive the future and push the boundaries of online gaming??.”

While all games under development before the sale seem to still be in production, who knows where Columbus Nova will look to trim costs next. While the firm may be able to increase revenue in the short-term with these brutal job-slashing tactics, I have doubt about any company that gets rid of experienced and proven emp??loyees so it can make its numbers look a little prettier on paper. It speaks of a lack of long-term investment?? and, for me, casts doubt on quality and support for its future products.

H1Z1, EverQues?t publisher Daybreak cuts jobs as it transitions to new&nb??sp;owners [VentureBeat]

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Also, giant bunny mounts

EverQuest II is approaching its 10th anniversary. It originally released in 2004, the same year that Kanye West's genius debut College Dropout dropped.

Altar of Malice brings with it a new playable race, the Areakyn. They offer some extra aesthetic customization (custom horns, wings, scale pattern color) and their wings actually develop over time so when you hit level 85 and achieve flight, its on your ??own homegrown wings.

The expansion is one of the series' largest, with 14 heroic zones, 6 raids, 6 advanced solo zones, 2 contested zones, and 2 overlands (first built on new terrain tools). You've? al??so got weirdos in the Ossuary of Malevolence trying to get close to undead without dying, Pygmies worshiping the dinosaurs that eat them as gods, and a wild area that is upside down.

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Dinosaurs, player robes, level cap increase

EverQuest has been going strong since 1999. That's when the Slim Shady LP and "Thong Song" released. Or, much better, Black on Both Sides. It will be getting its 21st expansion, The Darkened Sea, on October 28 for All-Access Members (SOE's subscription program), November 11 for free-to-play players.

The Darkened Sea, which pays homage to the 2007 expansion The Buried Sea, features? eight zones, including??: Arx Mentis, Caverns of Endless Song, Combine Dredge, Thuliasaur Island, Tempest Temple and Degmar, The Lost Castle. The one that ends with "saur" is where you'll find the above dinos, naturally.

Aside from a new place to play, you can also expect a level cap raise (100 to 105) and a mount keyring to clear up inventory space. Upcoming updates before the DLC drops add the ability to make custom robe textures in Pl??ayerStudio and a loot system rework (including an automatic "never loot" and "always loot" for certain items).

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ANTI-VOXELS!

Sony Online Entertainment has shared a video highlighting some of the cool things users have made in Everquest Next Landmark. On top of cool looking structures, users have been be?nding the rules by creating micro-voxels and anti-voxels to create whatever ??their heart desires.

SOE also announced their Landmarks of Landmark competition, where the best creations will be prominently featured as permanent additions to Landmark.

The post See all the cool things users have made ?in Everquest Next Landmark appeared first on Destructoid.

Replaces existing individual game plans

Sony Online Entertainment is launching a new membership plan today that will give subscribers access to its games -- all of the major ones, essentially -- for $14.99 per m??onth.

That's EverQuest, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online PC, PlanetSide 2 PC, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes right now. And upcoming games, too: EverQuest Next, Landmark, and H1Z1. Current subscribers for any of these titles will have their pla?n upgraded to all-access automatically.

Pretty?? good way to make sure people don't cancel, I'd say. For super detailed information about the plan and how individual games are affected, click the link below.

The Revised SOE ALL ACCESS PROGRAM FAQ! [Sony Online Entertainment]

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From AOEs to Zul'Farrak

Read this ??list and let me know if it sounds like a ??good time.

Crunching numbers in the wee hours of the night to maximize damage output. Grinding out levels and letting auto-attack handle things for a few seco??nds while you play the air drums to Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight." Watching 10 different damage meters and battlelogs to see if everyone is running an efficient rotation.

?Do these things sound like hell to you? To me, it's by?? and large why MMOs bring me joy that many other genres can't.

Allow me to explain why.

My love affair with MMOs started in the '90s when Ultima Online was released. Regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, Ultima had it all -- player-ran economies, ganking, bounties for hunting down said gankers, books that could be written by actual players and sold for gold, dungeons, world events, politics, player housing -- you name it. Many of these mechanics wouldn't even be possible in current MMOs due to technical limitations, but Ultima sprouted countless stories that couldn't be experienced anywhere else.

I got into a lot of trouble in Ultima, mostly due to the acts of hanging out with my player-killing, house-swindling friend, who used to con people out of their wares and cash. The entire game was basically policed and governed by the players, which was an unreal feeling amidst the typical linear world of gaming. I actually felt bad when I killed my first and only innocent player deep into the forest and took all his loot?.

Here, the healthy feeling of escapism was alive and well, as you were able to live out your wildest digital dreams. Heck, if you really wanted to you could play the entire game as a merchant, providing others with tools, gaining a reputation, brokering information, and writing n??ovels -- it was insane. This was my gateway.

But it wasn't until World of Warcraft that I really started branching out into the "massive" side of things. I had just started college when WoW hit, and as a result of my new relat??ionship (with the lovely woman who eventually became my wife) and my desire to do well in my first year at school, I refrained from playing more than casually -- mostly leveling through beta and hopping on every so often on a low-level character when I had free time.

Once the Burning Crusade expansion dropped, things changed a bit. Most of my friends had quit the game due to poor grades, and my best friend (who hadn't played prior to this arrangement) made me an offer I couldn't refuse -- we would casually play WoW together, level a pair of characters, and see what we had been missing all this time. Minutes of play became hours; hours, ??days; da?ys, weeks.

We made our way up to level 70 so quickly that I had decided to completely ditch my first character (an Orc Shaman) and level an alternate? (a Draenai Priest) to help my chances of joining a guild -- a character that eventually became my new main. I had gone completely overboard -- our rule of "no raiding" turned into "once a week," then "twice a week," but "only 10-man dungeons."

That eventually turned into us joining the top guild on the server and joining the first string raid squad, that raided two to three times a week. Given the rigorous application process (that probably sounds ridiculous to all of you out there), we had to completely change our attitude. Now we had ??to learn our full rotations (order of spells/abilities), theorycraft (research and look up viable strategies) in our free time, and teach others how to more effectively use ?our class (which often involved writing guides).  It was basically a job that paid nothing -- but we had a blast doing it.

There's nothing quite like joining up with 24 other people for a raid, having fireside chats about what was going on in our life, and feeling a real sense of community. Wipes (full party deaths) were rare since we were so disciplined, but every so often we hit a snag -- only to overcome it within a week's time. To many, this sounds droll and?? unexciting. But if you find the right group of people, the feeling is indescribable when you best something for the first time wi??th a giant collective of friends that have the same goal as you.

I hit an absolute high when we were the server-first kill for Illidan -- a huge part of the Warcraft lore in general and the toughest boss in ??the game at the? time. It was then that I started to slowly ease off of MMOs to plan for my wedding, effectively ending my career as a "full-timer" for quite some time.

I would keep playing MMOs though for years to come, usually only getting max level and stopping before I got the itch to raid. Dark Age of Camelot, Conan (yuck), Warhammer Online, EVE, Rift, The Old Republic, TERA, Secret World, Aion, Lord of the Rings Online, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online -- you name it, I've probably played it. But one particular MMO really brought me back in recently -- Final Fantasy XIV -- the second time around, that is, when it relaunched.

Something clicked with me while playing A Realm Reborn. The art style is beautiful, the music is outstanding, and the battle system is a bit more action-oriented than most MMOs -- to the point where I'm heavily reminded of Phantasy Star Online. It doesn't help that it has a healthy serving of nostalgia either! Right now I'm in the process of joining up with a few of my old MMO buddies (including one that I played Ultima with wa?y back when) t??o start endgame content and really kick things off. Things will never be the same now that I'm not a college student anymore, but the call of the genre is unending -- in some ways, I'm a "lifer."

While I understand that MMOs don't appeal to eve?ryone, I've had far too many fond memories with them to give them up. I've made friends that have stood up at my wedding. I've learned multiple videogame mechanics and conc??epts that have served me well as a writer and as a gamer. As ridiculous as it sounds, these games also taught me some form of responsibility, showing up on time for raids and owning up to my actions.

It's for thes??e reasons and more that MMOs bring me j?oy.

The post The joy of MMOs appeared first on Destructoid.

Including games like PlanetSide 2 and EverQuest Next

Writing to PlanetSide 2 players about future plans for subscriptions, Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley teased the possibility of one sub that would span all of the company's games on PC. "We are considering (and are likely going to move forward with) a plan that means if you subscribe to one of our games you ?are a subscriber to all our games (this applies to PC titles only btw).. all for the current $14.99 a month," he wrote.

"The goal would be to let you pick an item in each game you play. Some of you might say 'well who cares..I only play PlanetSide 2. How is that a benefit to me?' My answer is simple -- we've got a great lineup of games, some of which aren't announced yet that cater to a lot of players. We have [EverQuest Next] and [EverQuest Next Landmark] coming along with other..... games... that PS2 players might just like."

For me, this all still falls under the same old problem of not having enough time to play one online game, much less multiple online games, without feeling as if I'm wasting money. There's a sense of urgency I can't keep up with -- at least not lo?ng term. That said, I think for a certain type of?? player this subscription offering would hold a lot of value. Just not me, sadly.

Regarding the changes to our subscription plans [reddit]

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Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

EverQuest co-designer Brad McQuaide ended his most recent stint with Sony Online Entertainment last August and is now working on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. Does?? anyone get anything out of all these similar sounding fantasy names? Why do ??they persist?

McQuaide confirmed this through Twitter, though early details are s??carce, aside from it being a "new, classic, challenging, group-focused MMO." We'll know more when the team launches its planned January Kickstarter for the game, which will take a "min??imum 3 years to release."

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Adjustments to how F2P subscribers get items

Right now, it's a pretty popular option to let subscribers of free-to-play games pay a monthly fee to get extra stuff on top of the F2P experience. Players of EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2 currently get 500 "Station Cash" monthly, but starting February you'll have the option to pick up an item worth 2000 -- you can miss this item, so you have to choose every month. DC Universe Online and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will have their own changes in tow for Legendary and Gold members respectively.

My problem with games with "sub" options on top of F2P is that they ultimately don't offer as much value as a full-on subscription based game. With all of the microtransactions on top of that "premium" sub, dedicated players just end up paying more than they would for a standard MMO and get less content for it. Still, it's a fine line, because some people only want to dabble in MMOs and don't want to commit to a monthly fee -- so they won't be playing games like Elder Scrolls Online.

Hopefully in the future there will be some sort of consistent compromise, but the developers that are working on WildStar seem to be dabbling in that.

SOE Making Changes to Subscriber Account Benefits [Ten Ton Hammer]

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Online sandbox game

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley has pinned the EverQuest Next Landmark ??alpha as happening next month. "It's looking like [the alpha] is going to start sometime in the last half of January," he tweeted. That's naturally subject to change, but, fingers crossed.

"He warned us. Sorta. Not a surprise to see this. :)" responded director of development for EverQuest David Georgeson.

Now that I know what Landmark entails, I'm so down for this. The creation tools appear quick enough -- a??nd the end results pretty enough -- that I actually want to build stuff for o?nce.

@j_smedley [Twitter via Massively]

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And it looks awesome

SOE just released a quick video that answers the question, "what is EverQuest Next Landmark?" Well, it's a game of exploration, monsters to fight, and building just about anything you want. The video shows?? off building a house and a tower, how archways and angles are easy to create, terrain alteration, and inside decoration and ?furnishing.

I can't wait to try this out for myself. The alpha for EverQuest Next Landmark is supposed to be starting so?on, and hopefully it's actually as fun as it looks in these videos.

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Here's what's next in EQ Next

The Christmas issue of PC Gamer UK dives into some details on the upcoming EverQuest Next. One of those details is ??a list of known classes, whi??ch includes Cleric, Necromancer, Beast Lord, and Tempest.

Here are the descriptions as provided by EQNexus:

Cleric - Wields either a two-hand??ed hammer or a hammer and shield. Buffing and protecting allies is the typical Clerical duty, but these magic men and women do it with the power of fire, which gives them some killing power, too.

Necromancer - Wielding a tome or a dagger and focus object, the Necromancer summons destructive chaotic energies and come?s with a companion: a Monstrosity that grows in power with its master.

Beast Lord - If you’re a fan of ‘trampling’ and ‘savaging,’ the Beast Lord’s furry friends make excellent companions. You can do your own savagin, too, with a flail and shield combination, or a ?spear for medium range attacks.

Tempest - With two blades or one two-handed blade, the Tempest ‘dances?? across the battlefield&rsquo??; and unleashes powerful winds and blasts of lightning. Ought to appeal to fans of action RPGs.

What's interesting about all of these classes is that they all use melee weapons, at least they will have the option to. Hopefully the??y figure out a good way to break up the normal tank, healer, and DPS triangle that most games have come to rely on.

PC Gamer UK December 2013 via EQNexus

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Evercraft

Watch live video from EverQuestNext on TwitchTV

Some of the developers from Sony Online Entertainment sat down and livestreamed about EverQuest Next for almost an hour. If you have any interest in this game, this is a great place to learn a lot. They dive into details, like how it will be PC only for now, how your character will transition from Landmark into Next, how ??building will work, and tons of other details on how the game will play. They also showed off some gameplay, and it's one of the first really good looks at the game that we have had.

One neat thing they mentioned was that players will have lots of options for what outfits they want to wear, and they won't be stuck with just fantasy clothing in Landmark. They showed off some nice looking sci-fi outfits, and hinted at wild-west and historical settings, which has me even more excited for?? the game.

Everything I have seen about EverQuest Next and Landmark looks amazing, and it?? seems like it could be the first MMO to break away from the current repetitive mold.

EQN Landmark Livestream: November 13, 2013 [Twitch]

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Early alpha/beta access and in-game items

The Founder's Packs for EverQuest Next Landmark are now available for purchase should you have money sitting around and a desire to send it Sony Online Entertainment's way. There are three tiers -- $19.99, $59.99, and $99.99 -- that most notably come with keys to the game's closed beta and alpha next year. For the ??latter two packs, alpha access arrives on February 28, 2014 whereas the cheapest pack guarantees only beta access on March 31, 2014.

There's also cosmetic items and gear -- the usual stuff we see in these founder's programs. As much as I like what EverQuest Next is doing, this is far too early for me to put down that kind of money. I tend to be wary of these init??iatives in general and that's especia??lly true of MMOs.

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It's going to be a lot like Minecraft

EverQuest Next posted a developer diary yesterday, showing off what the materials and tools will look like in Landmark. Players will start off with a copper pickaxe, and they will be able to start harvesting basic materials right away. Eventually they'll be able to do crazy things like carry lava around in a bucket, which is something that defies real-world logic and has to be inspired by Minecraft.

I can't even begin to scream loud enough to show how excited I am about this game. EverQuest Next and Landmark look like they are going?? to be amazing MMOs that will break away from the awful systems that plague most other MMOs out there. I want to run around in an online world with other people, and not have to worry about killing ten boars. I want to build a castle and toss rocks at everyone passing by.

Everquest Next will be coming out next year, but Landmark  is supposed to launch this winter. You can sign up for the beta right now if you want to, ?and hopefully we'll all be playing it very soon.

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The 20th expansion for EQ

EverQuest: Call of the Forsaken brings ?a new story, new zones, new items, and plenty of tweaks to gameplay today. It's available for $39.99?? in a no-frills package, or for $89.99 as a Collector's Edition, which includes bonus in-game items. You'll find the full details below.

For the new zones, Forsaken adds the Deadhills, West Karana, Bixie Warfront and Neriak 4th Gate. There are also Mercenary alternat??e advancements and gear to play with. Top that off with new rades? and tradeskill recipes, new spells, and more, and you have plenty to keep you busy. 

Standard and Collector's Edition items include:

STANDARD EDITION

• Journeyman's Pocketed Rucksack: 32 Slot Bag
• Gargoyle Statue: House and Yard Item
• Tirun House Pet / Familiar
• Painting: Naythox Thex
• Painting: Cristanos Thex
• Mark of Neriak: Neriak Neon Sign

COLLECTOR'S EDITION

• Journeyman's Pocketed Rucksack: 32 Slot Bag
• Gargoyle Statue: House and Yard Item
• Tirun House Pet / Familiar
• Painting: Naythox Thex
• Painting: Cristanos Thex
• Mark of Neriak: Neriak Neon Sign
• Honeycomb Satchel: 36 Slot Bag
• Hive of the Bixie: Bixie Honeycomb House
• Mount: Ethernere Wurm
• Contract of the Bixie: Bixie Mercenary

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Lol grinding

Well, this is happening. EverQuest II is letting players just straight up buy a level 85 Heroic character. No grinding, just throw down real cash and you'll get a high level character alon??g with 280 AA points. There's also a try before you buy option where you can play as a level 85 character up until you upgrade one level to 86. The free trial includes 100 AA points, a flying mount, armor, consumables, and some restrictions.

Additionally, SOE is ho?sting a "Hero's Call" promotion from October 1 to October 15 where you'll be able to create one permanent Heroic character for free.

This whole thing is being done as a means to give players a jump on the upcoming November launch of the Tears of Veeshan expansion. I've never played an EverQuest game ever, so you're going to have to tell me?? if this is gross concept. This is gross, right?

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The Destructoid Show sleeps through its alarm sometimes

Hey everyb??ody! I'm wearing a really stupid shirt, it must be Fri??day!

Suddenly, there are two new Everquest Next games on the horizon, and they look really cool. Quakecon is happening right now, and there's some Bethesda news out of that, including Wolfenstein: The New Order being delayed and The Elder Scrolls anthology. In spite of underwhelming sales, Square Enix is still gonna keep making AAA video games, and another Tomb Raider is in development for next gen. Batman: Arkham Origins has multiplayer, but it won't be coming to Wii U. Player reputation and behavior will factor into Xbox One's matchmaking system, and the GPU's being tweaked a bit, for whatever reason. Finally, Obsidian talks about the Star Wars: KOTOR III that could've been, and we've got a release window for Star Wars Battlefront. 

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Watch the livestream to see what it's all about

Sony Online Entertainment's SOE Live event has just begun in Las Vegas. The big reveal for this event is Everquest Next, and it's an MMO the world "has never seen before" according to SO?E President John Smed??ley. What exactly are we going to see? Watch the livestream and find out!

Other news on games we can expect from the show include DC Universe Online, Planetside 2, Dragon's Prophet, Everquest 2, and more. Here's the live schedule for the entire weekend of events that you can ??watch all below.

Watch live video fr??om sony??onlinetv on www.twitch.tv

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From the community

A few months ago, we compiled a list of some of the toughest games to run on PC in honor of the release of Crysis 3. While each of the games listed were certainly troublesome, plenty ??of additional titles were mentioned in the comments that were notably demanding. 

It's only right to give these games their proper due for being so da?mn difficult to run. I mean, if we don't preserve their legacy, people might eventually forget that these were all total pains in the ass.

Metro 2033 (2010)

By far the most popularly acknowledged omission from the original list was Metro 2033. It seemed like no one could get it running properly, no matter how impressive their hardware was. The exact reason for this is unknown, but most chalk it up to a poorly-optimized engine. Regardless, Metro 2033 ?wasn't a game that many experienced at full capaci?ty.

System Shock 2 (1999)

Before its GOG.com release, System Shock 2 was one of the greatest offenders of this topic. A top-of-the-line computer wasn't necessarily enough to play it; it required the user to manually change the ??num??ber of active processors within the game itself, which is a less-than-ideal way to be able to play a game.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002)

Morrowind was a technical achievement of the early 2000s, and the number of awards it won reflected that. The game's? world was praised for being expansive and detailed. However, it's this same level of detail that caused it to run at a low frame rate for many players?. It was somewhat ironic that what was supposed to be a source of immersion was just a source of frustration for a lot of users.

F.E.A.R. (2005)

Before Crysis existed, F.E.A.R. was the go-to example for famously hard to run games. It was the first game created on Monolith's LithTech Jupiter EX engine. The engine was very advanced for its time with regard to physics and texture-rendering. However, it came at a price. Jupiter EX wreaked havoc on most PCs as it was e?x?tremely resource intensive.

EverQuest II (2004)

As an MMORPG, it's not surprising that EverQuest II f?eatured a lot of player interaction. However, when the game came out, hardly any computer could handle it without a drop in performance when? there was a lot of action on-screen. Far from optimal for a title that puts such an emphasis on group battles.

Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason (2009)

You can pretty much throw your specs out the window on this one. Cryostasis isn't just difficult to run; it's actually considered to be one of the most poorly-optimized games ever. It's a shame too, as the psychological horror game seemed to put a truly interesting narrative on display, but most people couldn't enjoy it, as the tec?hnical issues we??re too much to overlook.

Half-Life 2 (2004)

Even Half-Life 2, a t??itle that's included in every "best game ever" conversation, was tough to run on PC. However, this one wasn't the developers' fault. If you had a rig that was capable, this game worked nicely. It was just that it r??equired some beefy specs at the time of release.

[Image courtesy of pixelwg]

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