EverQuest announce launch of Secrets of Faydwer expansion
August 14, 2007 5:23 pm Gaming News, Insights
EverQuest have announced the launch of “Secrets of Faydwer“, the most recent expansion in the long running MMO. A fairly lackluster launch though - compared to WoW’s recent expansion announcement, EverQuest haven’t really given users all that much information….
- A level cap increase
- New zones, spells and AAs
- Heroic items (the only real new change)
I remember when WoW was launched - I played EQ at the time and it really crippled the game - servers had to merge - entire guilds were decimated as their players left to go and play the more entertaining Warcraft game.
I still do like EQ - the raids are fun (I used to lead open raids - “fun” isn’t maybe the right word - it’s more a case of taking joy between the “Leeroy Jenkins moments”! ;)), and some of the new content is great. But the insane level grind is still there and it has nothing for the new player - meaning that no new blood comes to the game and other than server merges and transfers, you don’t see any new people.
I remember the days when the newbie zones were packed (my first character was a High Elf) and Felwithe / Kelethin was absolutely teeming with life - dozens of low level players - most just starting out - all running around grouping and helping each other! Since WoW, newbie zones are ghost towns only populated by bored alts.
A shame really - those days of trains in Unrest or huge corpse runs were great!
WoW is no different. Less of a grind than EQ, yes, but the same problem is there - Blizzard have made a game that leads one way - to the high end. I was also in WoW when it launched in the EQ and the same beginners feeling was there - but 2 years later I came back after a break and that’s gone too. Arrogant twinks take the place of newbies.
The sad fact is that the RPG genre doesn’t lend itself well to the RPG format (or at least just hasn’t been implemented well). Everything follows a straight path to the end and then there’s a bottle neck. With each expansion there is a gold rush to hit the level cap, complete the new quests or kill the new bosses.
I know it isn’t easy creating a popular MMORPG, but I think that it is about time someone put some consideration into the longevity of these games. Gamers do put a lot of time into them and regardless of your opinion of that, it is sad for people to see something they have contributed to so long, die a slow death.
Eandaen