5 Things EverQuest Next Must Have

All of the info we, the public, have on EverQuest Next is fairly vague and all we have is our minds to decipher what we know and form assumptions about what we’ll see when EQ Next is released. That said, with early info I am gathering, I felt that it’s a good time for me to voice my opinions on what we need in MY NEXT MMO.

Keep in mind that I have taken off my robes and buried my staff somewhere in Azeroth and I am waiting for the boat to take me back to Norrath. I haven’t played any EverQuest games since the 1st progression server a couple of years ago. I might not be fully aware of some things that SoE has implemented since I’ve been gone. I have created an entirely new Station Account and I am in the process of downloading EQII and already loaded up EQ. I am going to relearn those games.

Here are 5 things I think need to be in EverQuest Next!

1. Progression — This is something I missed from the early days of EverQuest. Having to spend a couple of weeks farming keys, gearing up, and more just to be able to enter a zone is the way to go. Giving people the content with little to no work makes players lazy. We don’t want lazy people next to us in a raid do we? Since there is supposedly no “End Game”, does this matter? Who knows.

Now I am not claiming to be hardcore or even a great raider, but I do know that the days of doing trials to get into Anquish was fun and somewhat challenging. You couldn’t do this on your own, you needed a guild. Even though it was a nightmare and hard as hell, the progression to get into Tacvi through Uqua and Qvic was well worth it in the end. This raid progression was my 1st true progression in EverQuest since I got into raiding late and it was the most memorable. Defeating Tunat was the most memorable accomplishment in EverQuest. There were many more memorable moments, but this being my 1st true, COMPLETE, progression made it more special.

This aspect is needed in EverQuest Next in my opinion. The problem is that, based on what we are hearing, linear progression isn’t going to be possible in EverQuest Next. I still hope there is a way. You have to reward people for hard, consistent work. Don’t make it as easy as clicking button to join a queue. It should be something you have to work for.

2. Rewards — Rewards, rewards, rewards. Isn’t this the reason why many play games? With a console game, the reward is completing the game or collecting all the extras hidden away throughout the game. With an EverLasting MMO like EverQuest, rewards can take many forms. My reward in an MMO varies. Sometimes my reward is being rich in-game, sometimes it’s winning in a PvP Battleground, or even completing a raid for the 1st time.

When I say rewards, I am not talking about getting the uber gear. That’s part of it, but I am thinking more along the lines of acknowledgement. Something like the Achievement system that World of Warcraft has. I wasn’t an Achievement chaser in WoW but in my years in the game, I racked up almost 12k achievement points. That’s nothing to some WoW players, but it gives something to show for all that I did in the game. I can always check out my server 1st and other fun accomplishments for years to come.

As I said, I am not an achievement chaser, but I know some friends in WoW that prior to this system had gotten bored with the game. When Blizzard implemented this system, they were re energized. Something similar in EverQuest Next could keep people motivated if other aspects leave them unmotivated. I really liked some of the EverQuest II rewards and acknowledgements.

3. Controlled PvP — Most of my time playing World of Warcraft was spent PvPing. Yes, I did a little raiding too, but 85% of all my time in the game was preparing for or actually PvPing. The funny thing about that is I never took up home on a “PvP” server. I did spend some time on them, but most of my time was on “PVE” servers. Why? I don’t like world PvP.

Yes, I said it. I don’t enjoy world PvP. I only like controlled PvP, like arena and battlegrounds. The reason I left Aion after a couple of months was world PvP. I believe I was level 32 and for two nights in a row, I spent the majority of my time getting ganked by max level characters. I prefer to be able to level in peace and then decide to PvP when I am ready. This sounds quite whiny, but that is just me. I love controlled PvP.

Unfortunately it sounds like EverQuest Next might disappoint me on this subject. Hopefully there will be options.

4. Professions that matter — This is a big thing for me. I love to craft. I was the 1st Alchemist to max level on my server in EQII and I was the 1st Tailor on the 1st EQ time locked progression server. I was rewarded in both instances with riches beyond my expectations, but more important to me was the fact that I was outfitting the Monks of the world with their 1st set of Wu’s. When I was the 1st to craft a Fleeting Quiver, knowing I was 1st was my reward.

More than being 1st or getting rich, professions MUST MATTER in EverQuest Next. You have to give incentive to level a profession. One of the best ways is to make all the professions dependent on each other. Make the tailor need to use the alchemist to move forward. Make the alchemist need the tailor for bags or something. This makes it where crafters will have to work together to progress.

Another thing is having the crafters make items that matter. Instead of having an armorer being able to make gear that is only viable for noobs, have them be able to, with hard work, craft stellar gear that rival dropped gear.

Have bosses drop items needed to create this gear. This is done fairly well in World of Warcraft, but the crafting process shouldn’t be as easy as it is in Wow. Remember in Depths of Darkhollow (I think) where there were some bosses that dropped an item to make some augments that, at the time, were kick ass? That’s the type stuff I am talking about.

Bottom Line: Don’t let crafters become useless… ever.

5. Customization to the UI — I haven’t finished downloading EverQuest II yet and it’s been so long since I have played it that I can’t comment on it’s UI right now. I do know that EverQuest’s UI is atrocious. I know it can be skinned and that is awesome, but the movement and just about ever aspect is clunky. I don’t know how I ever played it.

I don’t think EverQuest Next will need to allow major UI skinning or addons, but I really hope the UI allows us to customize to our liking. I am talking about keybinds, movement, etc. Instead of binding skills to 1–9 and so on, I want to be able to move skills to E, F, V, etc. I want to be able to straffe with A and D instead of turning around.

I might be worried for nothing, but I had to add this in because it’s important to me. When I loaded EQ up the other day, I was in hell trying to move. OMG.

There are more things that I hope for in EverQuest Next, but I will save them for another day!