Everquest AMA with Holly Windstalker

Why was the following added to EQ?
-no drop
-bind on equip
-bind on pickup
-later the lvling gear...
(These should've been cursed items only!) not twink/farm deterrents. Thats what Lore was for.

Why wasnt items like Necro skullcap, warrior pike ever given more quests for lvls?

Why wasnt there more sentient equipment like the shield, pants, etc added later or allowing more lvls?
These were items that talked to others as you lvled them. Shield had a clockwork look from what I remember.

Why couldnt enchanters be allowed to summon pets like floating armor from Emerald Jungle vs just shadowmen or better yet show the armor given to them. Same with other pets.

Why didnt languages ever have anything done with it really? This was something added then forgotten... Was whole groups that lvling this at times just for nothing.

Tinkering...update?

What is the list limit of NPC that sell items?
There is a limit that is visible to PCs but there is a longer list what they hold. I would often buy out stacks of other low priced items to get the next items in view. Made a killing in BDs/pages/spells back in the day buying out vendors items to get to the core items that where hidden. Curious what this limit was if any, shame this clears the npc on server reboot.

Why hasnt the game been graphically updated like another posted?

When is the kraken going to be added to OOT!


Eq2
Whose dim-witted idea was it to link mobs in group making it impossible to split?


beyond eq..
Something, more in line with eq. eq2 wasnt great... please no wow or korean clone.

Any plans for some EQ 20th merch, like t-shirts?

Have you ever considered making a moba or battle royale based on Everquest and all its iterations?

Why were beastlord warders changed so they no longer said "ding" when they were level buffed.

Foler said:

Did u know that despite erudites Makin up only 13% of the population of norrath they account for 50% of all crime? I wanna know what Holly gone do bout dat

Click to expand...

Why haven't you guys just made EQ3 a EQ1 start over with a new graphics engine and "HD" quality textures with instancing.

Hi Holly,

Thank you for all your work on the EQ franchise. I truly appreciate it, and so do many others. I’m sure you’re limited in responses. I do however, have a few questions/concerns I would love to voice.

1. Do you have data that indicates the largest obstacles for returning players? The UI is my #1 concern and this holds true for everyone I’ve known personally to play the game.

I could literally list dozens of UI issues – but I’m sure you’re all too aware. Are big UI changes even realistic at this point?

2. I understand the code base is old and the current focus is on bringing back former players. Do you think EQlive might ever see an engine revamp, additional animations, or massive consolidations/cleanup?

I’m no dev, and I may not even have the best ideas - but I have heard/seen some older games perform large overhauls to modernize, such as Runescape and Anarchy Online. This gives me hope. I think it will eventually be necessary, unless the plan is to sunset.

3. Plans for the franchise going forward, or at least the general feeling you have of its ‘health’?

While the UI is my primary concern, it would be nice to know what high-level feelings are towards EQ’s future as a whole. Cautiously optimistic? Extremely optimistic? Neither?

Having seen maybe a total of 3 legit questions in 5 pages I have to ask,

Why the fuck would you agree to this?

1. Being the 20th Anniversary, what is the future of the EQ Franchise? Be specific please. Is there another game in developed or at least in the talks of being developed or are we to expect that EQ will just receive expansions and new servers each year?
2. Probably my most important question.. has there ever been discussions of reimagining EQ much like Runescape and others have rebuild their game? If not, why not? Recreating EQ in a new engine while preserving quests, encounters, etc. I think would be very well received. A new engine would also give the team the ability to expand on areas that were never used but may have been intended while also being able to integrate parts of the game more effectively such as the Bazaar, housing, etc. bringing a greater focus to places like Freeport and Qeynos instead of creating areas that are instanced or away from areas that are very dear to players.
3. Why has the ability bloat in EQ2 never been addressed? It's obviously the achilles heel of the game and now more than a decade it has still never been addressed. It may be too late but the TLP's launched this year would have received a much better response if this would have been addressed prior to the 20th anniversary announcements.

Muligan's #2 is a great question. Personally my ideal game is essentially EQ1 but with a new engine/graphics. You could maybe add on a new raid and dungeon to go along with each previous expansion and release it with unlocks similar to a slow progression server, this would require minimal input in comparison with trying to build out and balance a completely new game, while still providing some new content in addition to all the nostalgia that draws everyone back for all these progression servers.

The key here is providing the nostalgic experience in shiny new packaging with a few new things to discover along the way, and not turning it into a game where you have to click 50 buttons non stop like in most modern MMO's.

If this game dropped I'd have a hard time staying employed so maybe it's best if you don't.

Can you give us any details at all on EQ Mobile? Is it going to be some form of card-game like Hearthstone? Is it going to tie into actual game servers so that we can progress or play our current characters from our phones somehow? Is it some form of strategy game, maybe we're managing a guild of npc's and assigning tasks/planning raid strategies/assigning loot to power up our guild? So many possibilities and pretty much wherever you land (other than a card game) you'll be taking some of my money I'm sure.

Regarding Selo Server unlocks.

Are you going to have an entire month of LoY followed by a month of LDoN ? Or will they be combined with each other, or split into the PoP / GoD unlock periods?

Evernothing said:

Regarding Selo Server unlocks.

Are you going to have an entire month of LoY followed by a month of LDoN ? Or will they be combined with each other, or split into the PoP / GoD unlock periods?

Click to expand...

Was answered long ago. Loy will unlock with pop.

Ok, revised question then.

Regarding Selo Server unlocks.

Will LDoN get it's own unlock? Or unlock with GoD?

Evernothing said:

Ok, revised question then.

Regarding Selo Server unlocks.

Will LDoN get it's own unlock? Or unlock with GoD?

Click to expand...

That's already addressed as well. LoY unlocks with PoP, LDoN has it's own unlock.

Ms. Longdale, you run a fantastic company here. My wife and I play your game every day. I like the announcements you tweet, and the missus thinks your forum posts are quite humorous!

I have a question for you however this is not just a praise post. My son is about your age, he will turn 19 in February. Do you have a boy-friend, if not he is very handsome and a charming young man. You are a very comely young lass, and I would love for you to meet him. if not I understand, but I would be happy to have a drink with you if you should stop down in Florida some time this year. I won"t tell my wife if you don"t! Ho ho.

yerm said:

Ms. Longdale, you run a fantastic company here. My wife and I play your game every day. I like the announcements you tweet, and the missus thinks your forum posts are quite humorous!

I have a question for you however this is not just a praise post. My son is about your age, he will turn 19 in February. Do you have a boy-friend, if not he is very handsome and a charming young man. You are a very comely young lass, and I would love for you to meet him. if not I understand, but I would be happy to have a drink with you if you should stop down in Florida some time this year. I won"t tell my wife if you don"t! Ho ho.

Click to expand...

/signed Yerm's mom