Kudane

So in June of last year John Smedley announced to the entire summit that he promised new player models by the end of the year. Later it was said that was a bit optimistic. BUT they would be addressed before the next expansion was announced/released.

Well here we are January of 2005 and SOE has released news of their next expansion.

Does it included new player models??? no*

Does it included information about when we will see new models?? no*

I have email both Alan "Brenlo" Crosby and John Smedley over the last 8-12 weeks asking for any information. Neither have bothered to return my emails. While I understand that Mr. Smedley is trying to run a company, a big part of Mr. Crosby's job is to interact with fan sites such as this one.

So, while I may not be the only one truely disappointed by SOE's recent blatent behavior, I will say that recent game releases are raising the bar on expectations. With two more games coming this year alone, (Saga of Heros, and Middle-Earth Online). Very soon the competition will be as thick as pea soup.

I have been a huge fan of SOE for more than 5 years now. I have forgiven mistakes, bad customer service, and all manners of server crashes, character wipes, and item loss.

I am truely trying to be optomistic, but breaking promises, ignoring emails, and blindly moving down a road without seeing if your fanbase is still there, in my humble opinion is not only arrogant but just bad buisness.

In the 2 years almost 3 that Dolby and I have run this site I have never really posted anything negative about SOE. Today changes that.

I for one, want to offer my sympothies to the rest of the players. I feel we are being herded like sheep and I for one am not a fan of wool.

Please post your feeling on this, good or bad.. but keep it polite please, this is not an excuse to start flaming people or making personal attacks.

/bow


*Edit- I should clarify, it was never said there WOULD be a player model update in the next expansion, just that they have skipped addressing the issue before announce this expansion.

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highlanderhcs

I would have to agree to Kudane. With making my first human druid almost 4 years ago and seeing how customer service was back then. The changes they had around the Summit time was extraordinary. I actually thought that wow, a corporation, or even a game division actually listened to their customers and actually seemed to want to help out. Now with Kudanes replies, and what I've been seeing on the SOE boards alone. It almost seems that its going back to 2001-2002 behavior. Which does dishearten me, but I guess we are just the sheep that pay for services, not improvements.

kasca

Why dose it not suprise me. Wish they remmber we pay to play. I myself and tired of the cookie cutter crappie looks of all the classes. I miss the nice differances we had in the beging. Everyone sat differant and had there own tic <ya i miss the butt scraching>. Sigh what should we expect from soe. They just blow off fixing much of anything. Think they sit on there brains to much.

My 2 cents
Kasca

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ArcherPhate

Yea, i liked the few months of actually having them hear what we wanted. Now i just think they are tring to get the last few million dollars out of a horse thats almsot dry. With the new MMOG coming out and the primitive graphics eveerquest uses, compared to todays graphics., EQ isnt going to last much longer. I won't be suprised if it closes its doors soon after the 10th expansion. With the Mass exodus due to WoW/EQ2 SOE took a had hit and i think they realiized that soon it wont be worth it ficaly to keep eq running.

Its a sad day in EQ.

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smort

Well i would love to see some new character models with race defining qualities... but they gave mention to a project they were no where near completeing. I think it was something they were excited about and they may have let loose the idea before they knew the consequences to their actions. To say that EQ1 will be "closing its doors" becouse of all the competition from other MMORPG's is just a silly idea IMO. Look for instance at Ultima Online their graphics dont even rival Super Nintendo lol but they keep afloat due to loyal fan base. Yes the new games are far superior, but think of all the people who dont have the monney to get the comp to play the new games. And then there are people who try the new games and than go back to what they know and have come to love. I guess all im trying to say is

A: I would like to see new Race and or class specific models implemented.
B: EQ wont be closing its doors anytime soon..but again thats just opinion.

Smort 57cle
Soulsmack 65pally
heiss 51war
Gikk 65shamy

~Maelin Starpyre~

Inokis

I'm a bit out of the loop on this one honestly. I was happy when they implemented the DX9 optimizations that made the game look so much better. I can't completely relate to how all of you feel regarding this matter as I haven't played long enough to truly know how much the new models are desired. Although I have no opinion on the matter, I understand the disappointment.

If it were me, I'd be more pissed at being ignored my information requests than the company missing a promised deadline.

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Brenlo

Howdy folks,

Outside of Mr. Smedley's statement the only mention we have made of new character models is that we are seeing if it is feasible for us to do. I am not sure where it is has been stated that we would have models before a new expansion, the only thing close that I know of being said is that new models, if and when they are done, would not part of an expansion. New character models for EverQuest is a huge undertaking. Each PC model has roughly a hundred animations that would all have to be redone, all armor sets and clothing would have to be redone, tons of weapons would have to be redone. It's not as simple as making a new model and plugging it into the game.
If we do begin the process of redoing character models it would outside of expansion work, meaning expansions would still be created and released while model work was going on.

Thanks folks and happy hunting.

Kudane

I believe Smedley replied to someone at the summit when asked why SOE doesn't cancel OoW and do the models first. Something to the fact that OoW was to far along to cancel, but they would be addressing it before the next expansion in some form.. this was after promising to have them by years end.

So forgive me if we read to much into the statement. Because now it seems that you are saying you are not even sure they will *ever* be new player models. When the rest of the community was told there would be.

I appreciate you stopping by. It's good to know that your still got your finger on the pulse.

danny91643

I have to agree with Kudane. SOE has held the carrot in front of the horse for a very long time, and I admit I have followed like the horse would. I liked what I saw in most of the expansions, I put HARD earned money into, Yet each one seemed to imply more would be included. Each one left something to be desired. The advent of EQ 2 has placed a better player base in EQ. I guess that is because the players here now have a dedication to the game. I don't know if others feel the same, but there is a decided difference. With that said you would think SOE would conceder this and show some RESPECT to LOYAL customers. All one has to do is check out the customer support forums to see how many issues have not been address. It is VERY dissapointing to see this happen on a regular basis.
SOE could take a lesson from Arenanet. I have been playing the Beta Weekend Events for Guild Wars and each one has shown how well they use player input. From what I have seen this is where I will go when it finaly is released. At least they have gone in the proper direction. This won't be a game where it is based on what the Dev's think a player wants, it will be a game based player input prior to release. Wow what a novel idea, give the customer what they want based on what they ask for. It's hard to think that after all this time bringing three characters to the Mid 50 levels and doing it more or less soloing, making a lot of good friends, and in general enjoying the experience, plus paying all the way doesn't deserve a little more Respect.

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Talyns

I didn't want to post before as I thought this really didn't effect me, I quit playing Everquest 1.. However in an indirect way it does..

It was reported on many community sites (by people, who attended the guild summit) that the Devs and Smedley wanted to update(even outsourced) the models..

Here it's reported by Woody at GUComics..
http://forums.gucomics.com/viewtopi...64b6da73a#52434
"Did you know that Smedley wants new character models by the end of the calendar year? I'm not sure how doable it is... but Smedley is a very motivated man."

And here Loral at MobHunter:
http://mobhunter.com/000017.html
"Later I asked Smedley to confirm the rumor that we would have new PC models before the end of 2004 and he confirmed it. SOE is outsourcing the project to another company, an act that vexes SOE artists. It's their baby and they want to do the models but there simply isn't the time, a statement we heard often. The developers who spoke at the initial meeting stated that they want and expect Everquest to stand up graphically to other current massive online games including EQ2. The graphic update we battled through recently helps us get there."

I can probably dig up more if I looked..
But those are probably two of the bigger sites linked on every other fansite, guild forum, class site, interface site, etc...
Could have emailed just those people in June, or even July, and told them it wasn't gonna happen.. They in turn, most likey, would have reported they made a mistake.. It would have then gone around the Community..

Brenlo in this thread:
"If we do begin the process of redoing character models it would outside of expansion work, meaning expansions would still be created and released while model work was going on."

A lot of people have been thinking you guys outsourced the models.. Were waiting for a new years gift.. Now you state that you haven't even begun the process.. Expect them to be pretty mad..

So how does this effect me:
I play Everquest 2.. I'm just hoping this type of mis-information isn't allowed to spread around that community.. It upsets people.. And Upset people upset other people.. Not forever, they all recover, but after getting upset over and over they get jaded.. Playing with a bunch of jaded people is in no way fun

Well that's my two copper on the subject..

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kabbus

If we go by Brenlo's post, it looks like it will never happen then. If what he/she says is true, it sounds like they didn't even start it.

This is typical Verant/Sony.

The new expansion sounds awful for my play style. Usually Verant/Sony adds something to it, such as spells or a game interface improvement(extra spell slots etc) trying to force people to buy it because they know they can't sell it by its content alone. In this case, its most likely the "Barter system".

shinja

Im Sorry Brenlo but it looks like you are the one out of the loop on this one, OR Smedley is. Multiple fan sights posted the same information gathered from the guild summit.

The character models introduced in Luclin look 'ok' but their animations are struggling to be even third rate.

How long must 2hb wielders poke things one handed at waist level? Who even approved this as acceptable?

While you folks endure constant criticism, you should know by now we are only wanting the game and the features that have been promised.

The community is holding EQ Live together right now, more than anything else, and if you lose the community I seriously doubt the fly by night gamers will continue to subscribe to empty servers!

For YEARS we have been asking 'just be honest, dont dangle carrots'. SO many times we hear 'its being worked on' on SO many issues only to never hear anything about that issue again. If you want some examples of any of my blanket statements here, you have but to point your web browser at ANY class board and lurk in the rants section.


WE, the EQ LIVE COMMUNITY, LOVE THIS GAME and we appreciate your efforts more than you would believe...and we want you to love us back.

Darkmatil

Although new character models would be really cool, I don't think it ranks as that important right now. The luclin models are still pretty decent. It's just the fact that Smedley said new models would be finished by year's end and they haven't is what is making people angry, and you can't blame them. I do really wish they would slow down the expansion rate though, once a year is a lot more reasonable. It's so hard for people to keep up with stuff nowadays especially if they aren't a hardcore player. Releasing expansions so frequently also diverts resources away from fixing issues/bugs/balancing that already exist. I mean look, the final boss in Tacvi hasn't even been killed yet by anyone because of a bug or something. And that is now almost two expansions old. Most people don't even have half of their OOW or their GoD spells yet and already a new expansion will be out with new spells, raiding content, etc. It just doesn't make sense.

Nanan

Typical SoE bait and switch or more like bait and fail to deliver. They boast about new features at the guild summet and give a vague date for inception on these new things. Now that the time has come for these things to happen they pretend like they never knew about it.

EQ isnt dying because of the game content or graphics, EQ is dying because of SoE's inability to hold their word or acknoledge the fact that they messed up. EQ could be doing much better and could of still had a huge player bace but when you fail your followers time and time again they strike out for a new game.

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Nanan