Friday, April 08, 2005
EQ2 - Latest Update
Lots of changes, as has been the case with every "big patch" that comes out about once a month nowadays.
Some good stuff that caught my attention:
- Quest Paths: there are some new quests that are set up in a progression. You finish the first quest in a series, and then you're able to get a second, related quest (possibly from a different NPC). This is a suggestion I made [EQ2 forums access required] a few weeks ago. Was it my suggestion that prompted this addition? Not likely, but it's nice having things you want put into the game regardless.
- More Accessible Instanced Zones: Artificial restrictions are always a bad thing; designers should work around them as much as possible, using other methods to ensure game balance. From what I am reading, there are a bunch of places that now only require one group member to be "flagged" for the whole group to get in. This change definitely makes it easier to get people together for one of these excursions; previously, you had to run through the quest all over again for your groupmates who hadn't done it yet (or just go somewhere else, which is what happened 99% of the time).
- The Plague event: I don't know much about this, but it looks like a serverwide quest. Apparently, a plague is affecting everyone (including NPCs), and there is some way of eradicating it. I remember Horizons had something similar, where you would catch it from anyone you got near that had it, and only Dragon PCs could cure it. It was annoying, but maybe EQ2's handled it better (by not draining your stats horribly, for instance).
There are also some additions to the trade skill system, but at this point, any effort put into the existing system is pretty much a waste. The sooner it's scrapped and redone, the better.
Some good stuff that caught my attention:
- Quest Paths: there are some new quests that are set up in a progression. You finish the first quest in a series, and then you're able to get a second, related quest (possibly from a different NPC). This is a suggestion I made [EQ2 forums access required] a few weeks ago. Was it my suggestion that prompted this addition? Not likely, but it's nice having things you want put into the game regardless.
- More Accessible Instanced Zones: Artificial restrictions are always a bad thing; designers should work around them as much as possible, using other methods to ensure game balance. From what I am reading, there are a bunch of places that now only require one group member to be "flagged" for the whole group to get in. This change definitely makes it easier to get people together for one of these excursions; previously, you had to run through the quest all over again for your groupmates who hadn't done it yet (or just go somewhere else, which is what happened 99% of the time).
- The Plague event: I don't know much about this, but it looks like a serverwide quest. Apparently, a plague is affecting everyone (including NPCs), and there is some way of eradicating it. I remember Horizons had something similar, where you would catch it from anyone you got near that had it, and only Dragon PCs could cure it. It was annoying, but maybe EQ2's handled it better (by not draining your stats horribly, for instance).
There are also some additions to the trade skill system, but at this point, any effort put into the existing system is pretty much a waste. The sooner it's scrapped and redone, the better.
