I think that SOE themselves have stated that they will never make EverQuest III.

But my proposal is that they remake the game world from the first EverQuest game with a modern graphics engine and steal the UI from World of Warcraft but with much better quests of course and no PvP.

PvP:ers can sod off to Darkfall as far as I'm concerned.

This new EverQuest game with the modern graphics engine will have to have an undertitle of course to distinguish itself from the original EverQuest game.

It's focus will be on true quests and exploring the game world in all it's splendor.

The game world will have to expand and become larger than it was in the original EverQuest game.

Take for example Qeynos and Freeport they will expand to four or five times their original size and all accross the game world will similar expansions of the vistas take place.

Well, this is just what I would do if I were John Smedley but I'm not so this will all just remain a silly dream of mine.

You are describing EQ2.................
Unfortunately the game has been watered down instead of being just polished off, therefore making it an inferior product to EQ.

They are not gonna make EQ3 because there is no point.
SoE doesn't want to make games for "core" players anymore, and if they make another EQ for casual gamers you will get same results as EQ2 = Fail
So unfortunately we will never see the real successor of EQ because SoE has no balls.

Originally posted by ste2000

You are describing EQ2.................
Unfortunately the game has been watered down instead of being just polished off, therefore making it an inferior product to EQ.

They are not gonna make EQ3 because there is no point.
SoE doesn't want to make games for "core" players anymore, and if they make another EQ for casual gamers you will get same results as EQ2 = Fail
So unfortunately we will never see the real successor of EQ because SoE has no balls.

Yes, EverQuest II is lacking in most aspects and it's graphics engine doesn't cut it anymore.

So why not remake the first EverQuest game with modern graphics?

But I guess that John Smedley stands in the way.

Originally posted by Jefferson81

Yes, EverQuest II is lacking in most aspects and it's graphics engine doesn't cut it anymore.

So why not remake the first EverQuest game with modern graphics?

But I guess that John Smedley stands in the way.

Yes exactly.
The thing is that he (and marketing) don't see making a game like EQ being too profitable.
I disagree strongly.
Many people who played WoW as first MMO are now getting tired and want a better challenge than that (not an easier one).
Unfortunately at the moment there is no game who offers that challenge.
And as I said SoE don't have the balls to create a modern version of EQ without trying to copy WoW.

After The Agency and DC Online will flop, they will finally get rid of him.
Bring it on!!

Originally posted by ste2000

Originally posted by Jefferson81

Yes, EverQuest II is lacking in most aspects and it's graphics engine doesn't cut it anymore.

So why not remake the first EverQuest game with modern graphics?

But I guess that John Smedley stands in the way.

 

Yes exactly.
The thing is that he (and marketing) don't see making a game like EQ being too profitable.
I disagree strongly.
Many people who played WoW as first MMO are now getting tired and want a better challenge than that (not an easier one).
Unfortunately at the moment there is no game who offers that challenge.
And as I said SoE don't have the balls to create a modern version of EQ without trying to copy WoW.

After The Agency and DC Online will flop, they will finally get rid of him.
Bring it on!!

That would be a day celebrated by many.

Smedley is unfairly singled out. World of Warcraft changed the genre. It will never be the same again, as the market grew far beyond anyone's expectations. Now there's some real money to be made, you bet Smed doesn't have a choice but try to cash in on it.

EQ2 became more and more like WoW as time progressed until Ruins of Kunark, where they're virtually indistinguishable. This might be Smed's choice, but you can bet your bottom dollar that even if Smed wanted to make a sandbox niche title, or EQ: Hardcore Once Again it still would never go anywhere.

Would be nice to see some of the older MMOs get bought out, rolled back, and improved (very carefully).  Hell, I'd jump into one of those before I'd even think of spending money on any of this new crap.

I think the same as the OP. I've gone back to EQ and played it and still found the gameplay to be extremely addictive. But the Graphics and the UI are a pain in the neck. So yes, WoW's graphics and UI I would perfer (I say graphics too so many people with low end systems can still play).

I feel EQ2 was different enough to not lump it together with this. Gameplay was so different. I disagree about changing the world size or changing the quests/NPCs or anything. Just some botox and physical therapy and ship it!!!

What truly gets me irritable when talking about EQ is the ridiculous number of people who want a true successor to EQ and only play WoW, LOTRO, DDO, EQ2, VG and others out of pure, unadulturated boredom. Others have proclaimed VG as the successor, which it could very well have become, in the hands of Sigil. With SoE at the reigns now, it will not happen, as their opinion of the game as a whole is that of a red headed step child (no offense to the red headed step children out there).

More and more, as I read forum after forum, I notice the vets coming out of their slumber to make their opinions known. Up to this point, I think we all sat in the shadows quietly, eagerly anticipating news of someone developing what we've craved for approximately four years now. Day after day, it never comes and I think we've all finally realized it never will until we all decide to make it clear. The only way to do that, however, is what we're seeing now. A resurgence of the players who breathed life into this genre.

Unfortunately, I have seen threads like this one go down in flames after being attacked relentlessly by the newcomers (those who have only entered this genre within the last four years) and it makes absolutely no sense to me. The very people who brought this genre to life and made it successful. Without the success of UO/EQ/DAOC/AC, WoW and its many clones would not exist. Without the now estranged players of these games, they would not have been successful. They're essentially biting the hand that fed them.

A game such as you are suggesting, would absolutely be successful/profitable and Norrath is the perfect world to begin anew. Where it all began for the PvE crowd. I played EQ from 1999 to 2004 straight, then very casually off and on last year. In all honesty, and I know I'll get some disagreements here, but I would personally love to see SoE take what they've learned from EQ/EQ2/VG, rebuild Norrath with today's technology (not to to the extreme of course, it must be accessible) and somehow get the current EQ/EQ2/VG crowds to convert so they can finally just pull the plug on them and utilize those resources on their new pride and joy, as well as ours.

Why should they remake or continue the story?  Online gaming has changed considerably from what it was at its peak when WoW and EQ2 came out that if they came out today they wouldnt survive for long.  Everything that has come out since 04 has been a cookie cutter with slight variations here and there and nothing new has come along worth playing for longer than a few weeks to a month at best.  Theres only so much Korean confectioners sugar that a person can take before he/she gets sick of it and add to that the gold farmers and site spammers the games become something akin to wading through all the scams on craigslist.

I think for many of us who vested so much time in this virtual world, there is a strong need for closure. At least for me, I feel as though the entire genre was swept out from under us and has been corrupted over the last four years. I have had so many conversations with friends who were all introduced to this genre through WoW. Most of them started playing after the first year or so it went live. Up to the point we all had this conversation about what existed before WoW they all thought it was the best game ever created.

As I passionately spoke of how things used to be in the golden age, I think it's safe to say not a single one looked at me in a way that would suggest their responses were disingenuous or lacked sincerity. I noticed expressions of awe on their faces as I explained my stance on the many issues facing the genre today and what has changed. Their great interest in experiencing what I have experienced over the years was undeniable. They simply didn't know any better than they have been experiencing with WoW and the like.

I honestly don't believe the old designs as a whole would fail in today's market. Lack of awareness has fooled so many into believing the WoW model is the foundation on which all MMORPGs should be built. If WoW is even remotely considered at the concept stages, greed has already set in before the coding stages and it is doomed. These games are no longer labors of love. Unrealistic profit is the foundation upon which these latest releases and those currently in development are being built.

It has been awhile since I've talked about this, so I may tend to go off on a tangent from time to time when responding. Please be patient with me. I just feel overwhelmed with frustration at times when discussing these topics. Gaming has been my only real hobby for almost 15 years now. There are times when I look at my children and wonder what kind of crap they'll be playing by the time they're old enough to venture into the MMORPG genre. I worry it'll end up being something we can't experience together.

Originally posted by Neox

Why should they remake or continue the story?  Online gaming has changed considerably from what it was at its peak when WoW and EQ2 came out that if they came out today they wouldnt survive for long.  Everything that has come out since 04 has been a cookie cutter with slight variations here and there and nothing new has come along worth playing for longer than a few weeks to a month at best.  Theres only so much Korean confectioners sugar that a person can take before he/she gets sick of it and add to that the gold farmers and site spammers the games become something akin to wading through all the scams on craigslist.

I think that more and more people have become fed up with World of Warcraft's theme park style of an MMO and wants to live in a true and amazing online world and not just hit the max level as soon as possible and start doing raids for uber gear.

It seems like thats the one thing that "sandbox" fans and EQ fans agree on:  a more worldly MMO.  Really, thats the one thing I'm waiting for more than anything else...