Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
"Join the EverQuest Developers on Friday, January 19th from 4pm-5pm PST in the Pirate's CSG Online "Deserted Isle" main lobby for an EverQuest Developer Chat. To attend the chat you will need to download Pirate's CSG Online which is free to all users. We look forward to seeing you there!"
The 75% Solution: Raider versus Non-Raider Gear[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News The gap in statistics on gear for raiders and non-raiders has always been a point of contention for those players who want to play but not raid. The non-raiding players ask that they be allowed to have a chance at some good armor and weapon upgrades; the raiders counter with the argument that because they work harder at defeating encounters, the rewards should reflect their greater commitment and their need for better gear.
Developer Merloc stated in a thread on EQLive that he felt that non-raid gear drops should be at 75% of the average raid gear. Rashere agreed:
"Merloc and I have chatted about where we'd like the gap between raider and non-raider gear to fall and the 75% figure for stats is what we're shooting for (focus effects are a different metric). He has the support of the design team to make that happen."
The problem arises in what is "average" raid gear is. That isn't clear, since some raid content drops amazing gear, and other raid content gear is very comparable to current groupable content drops.
Some folks feel that groupable gear already is almost at 75% of raid gear, and this isn't nearly the problem that people are making it out to be.
Other non-raiders argue it's not the gear that needs the upgrades, it's the weapons they have access to.
Deciding the direction of the game, and making equitable decisions for players who want to choose their own path, are some of the most difficult decisions the development team has to make. In other words, keeping everyone happy and interested is a pretty tough job. The 75% change hasn't happened yet, but with the lead developer in agreement with the itemization guy, it's probably something that will happen eventually.
Guild Progression Website[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News Ever wonder what the raiding guilds on your server are doing? This Guild Progression site lists all the expansions and shows where the top raiding guilds on each server are in defeating the content. The encounter progressions also note the amount of time it took to finish each one, and relative rankings.
Currently, many guilds are working on the Serpent's Spine Ashengate and Frostcrypt encounters. Here is the most current progression data from the site:
Ashengate:
2007-01-08 Guild Fama Volat defeated Lethar (The Rathe)
2007-01-08 Guild Silent Resurgence defeated Lethar (The Nameless)
2007-01-08 Guild Silent Redemption defeated Sothgar (Cazic Thule)
2007-01-07 Guild Elysee defeated Vergalid (The Rathe)
2006-12-30 Guild Fire and Fury defeated Lethar (Firiona Vie)
2006-12-29 Guild Silent Redemption defeated Stitch (Cazic Thule)
2006-12-20 Guild Final Door defeated Vergalid (Stromm)
2006-12-19 Guild Fama Volat defeated Dyn'Leth (The Rathe)
2006-12-17 Guild Darkwind defeated Dyn'Leth (Antonius Bayle)
2006-12-17 Guild Shadows of Doom defeated Sothgar (Antonius Bayle)
Frostcrypt:
2007-01-09 Guild Tide defeated Beltran the Shade King (Antonius Bayle)
2007-01-07 Guild Tide defeated Harfange the Black (Antonious Bayle)
2007-01-04 Guild Raging Fury defeated Harfange the Black (Antonius Bayle)
2007-01-03 Guild Crimson Tempest defeated King Odeen (Maelyn Starpyre)
2007-01-03 Guild Cestus Dei defeated Beltran the Shade King (Luclin)
2007-01-02 Guild Echoes In Eternity / Dol Amroth defeated King Odeen (Quellious)
2006-12-21 Guild Raging Fury defeated Lorekeeper Grenwald (Antonius Bayle)
2006-12-20 Guild Club Fu defeated King Odeen (Bristlebane)
2006-12-20 Guild Tide defeated Lorekeeper Grenwald (Antonius Bayle)
2006-12-17 Guild Dark Horizon defeated King Odeen (Xegony)
EQ Raid Movie[ 1 Comment ] Print News | Mail News A very nicely done movie of various EQ raids from guild In Via Damnum from the Druzzil Ro Server. Made me quite nostalgic for all those Time raids! I found myself saying, "yep, died there a lot, stood over there for this one, there's the AOE part ..." Much fun. But there's lots more on the movie that highlights this guild's accomplishents over the past year. This movie features good music and well-done cinematography.
Originally posted on EQPlayers.
"As we roll into a new year, its always a time to look back at all that has been accomplished. Other guilds have posted their movies, so I figured I would post the one I made of what our guild has been up to.
Nameless Guild Recruiting[ 2 Comments ] Print News | Mail News "Immortalis Kruoris is looking for more people to join our ranks! We are a family guild on The Nameless (RIP Inny) that raids 3x per week, but encourage our members to put RL before EQ. We are �family� in the sense that our guildies look out for each other and enjoy grouping together. We do require a RL age of 18+ because our guild chat tends to be adult oriented.
Currently we�re farming Theater of Blood, Circle of Drakes and Rikkukin among others. Epic 1.5�s and DoN Tier 4 are also being worked with Kessdona and MPG Trial Raids in the very near future.
We are looking for people that enjoy a challenge. Our typical raid force is in the mid 20�s with approximately 40 active members. While we are more interested in the person behind the keyboard than the toon itself, there does have to be a certain level of competency in playing your class and general EQ knowledge.
Applicants must be unguilded and not actively applying to other guilds during their app process with us. Our typical application period is between 2 to 6 weeks depending on how well you get to know our members, who each get to vote on new applicants. The guild is
mostly East coast based, but we do have some members on Pacific time and in between.
Our raids start at 7:30PM Eastern Tuesday and Thursday and at 4PM Eastern on Saturday. The �only- requirement we have for raid attendance is if you are online when we are raiding, you must attend.
Universal Requirements:
- RL Age of 18+
- Level 70
- 100 AA's
- The ability to find a way to any zone from the PoK
(without a port & without causing drama)
- A sense of humor and the ability to be teased
- A stable internet connection
- The ability to play for a decent amount of time
without bailing on raids or going on extended AFK
If you�re interested in being more than just a blip on the raid tool, check us out at:
LFG Website[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News A new website has launched with the sole purpose of helping players find a group. The new site is called mmopug.com and helps players find groups in their time zone and at an appropriate level for each server. The site is not only for EQ, but helps players find groups in EQ2 and WoW as well.
PUG stands for "pick up group" and as most players know, there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to find one when you want to play. This new idea puts people together in the right place at the right time.
Video Games Aren't All Bad: Study[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News News you already know: video games give you a positive social life. Results of a study released from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign concludes what gamers have known all along, that it's fun to hang out with other people in MMOs:
Virtual Interaction
Video games may actually boost sociability.
In the past, the typical hangout spots for kids were playgrounds and street corners. But today, they�re just as likely to be hanging out at castles or on battlegrounds.
In this case, the castles and battlegrounds are virtual environments in what are known as �massively multiplayer� online video games, or MMOs. But contrary to the common perception that video games isolate people and stunt sociability, some of these MMOs �promote sociability and new worldviews,� say Dmitri Williams, a speech communication professor in LAS, and University of Wisconsin researcher Constance Steinkuehler.
MMOs draw in millions of players worldwide to interact with each other online in 3-D computer fantasy worlds. Williams and Steinkuehler claim that by providing places for social interaction and relationships beyond the workplace and home, MMOs function not like solitary dungeon cells, but more like virtual coffee shops or pubs where �social bridging� takes places.
They even liken playing such games to dropping in at the famous Cheers bar �where everybody knows your name.�
�Spending time in these social games helps people meet others not like them, even if it doesn�t always lead to strong friendship,� says Williams, who combined survey research with interviews and even played the games.
However, he and Steinkuehler caution that heavy game-play might not be positive in the short-term for people who need strong connections, since it could take the place of healthy offline relationships.
�It�s really a question of what kind of balance the person has in their life,� Williams says. �For that reason, online spaces are not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon that can simply be labeled as �good� or �bad.��
.....
It's good to see that someone is saying something besides "video games are bad!" Of course, your friends in EQ are much like the strange people that hung out in the Cheers bar .... my friend Ignatious the monk comes to mind here .... However, I do wonder what "healthy offline relationships" are, and even more interesting, what are "unhealthy offline relationships?" Is it better to play EQ than go hang out with your crazy cousin who asks you for money all the time? Just thinkin'.
Our Culture:
Vallis Aspectus is a family friendly guild whose members have chosen to dedicate themselves to the progression through EQ content. We have a diverse population of members from many nations around the world. Although we are focused on advancing into end game content we are not as fast paced as some other guilds. Real-life interests remain priorities as we pursue our in game goals. Members of Vallis Aspectus frown on immature or inappropriate in-game behavior, and take great pride in maintaining the traditions and values of the guild. Many of our members enjoy tradeskilling and developing new characters. In short, we have a guild of diverse members who have many in game and out of game interests who support each other in meeting individual and guild goals.
Our Current Goals:
Vallis Aspectus is currently farming the Citadel of Anguish, and exploring new DoDH and TSS content.
Raids are scheduled to occur five to six nights a week. Raid attendance is not compulsory. Most raids have scheduled start times of either 8pm or 9pm EST. Vallis Aspectus uses a DKP system to manage the distribution of raid loot. Raid attendance and loot obtained by each member is tracked in the DKP database. Probationary members are not eligible for loot except under special circumstances.
Who We Are Looking For
Vallis Aspectus is interested in recruiting mature and knowledgeable players of all classes. Please visit our recruitment forum at www.vallisaspectus.org for information relevant to each class. After posting an application to the guild in the required format, you will be contacted by one of our guild recruiters for an interview. A decision whether or not to accept your application will be made by the Vallis Aspectus officer for your class. If accepted, you will be given our guild tag and enter a 30 day probationary period. Following your probationary period, the members of VA will vote whether to retain you as a full member or pass on your membership. While raid attendance is not compulsory, as described above, many members use a recruit's raid participation percentage as a gauge of their interest in becoming a full fledged member of VA.
May your year be wonderful and your gaming the best ever.
The next year gives us lots to look forward to. The newest expansion for EQ is under way, Fan Faire is coming, and I am sure more surprises are in store.
I am sure many of you have New Year's resolutions, and I hope you can keep them. My first New Year's resolution will be not to write January, 2006 on my checks.
Network for Virtual Reality Games[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News The formation of a new kind of network designed for the transmission of gaming data, among other applications, has been announced by The International Association of Virtual Reality Technologies, called "The Neuronet."
"VANCOUVER, Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ - The International Association of Virtual Reality Technologies (IAVRT) today announced the formation of a first generation network created specifically for the transmission of real-time, virtual reality (VR) and gaming data. The network, called the Neuronet, will evolve into the world's first public network capable of meeting the data transmission requirements of emerging cinematic and immersive VR technologies. The Neuronet will be used for everything from gaming to entertainment to 'v-business', or virtual business.
...The first generation Neuronet network is slated to go live in 2007 through the interconnection of regional VR and gaming R&D; consortiums being formed under the IAVRT umbrella in metro markets worldwide. Consumer-accessible applications will follow as early as 2009.
...Neuronet domains are not compatible with the Internet, nor will Internet domains be compatible with the Neuronet. The Internet was not designed to support the data transmission requirements of real-time VR data so the Neuronet is being created as a separate and distinct network."
New to EverQuest?[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News Since EverQuest makes such a good gift, I am thinking that some people may be starting the game or perhaps coming back after a long absence. Welcome, or welcome back!
The EverQuest community is a great group of gamers. For those who would like more information about various things, the ongoing and very helpful returning players FAQ thread on the EQPlayers boards is great.
For those who might still be considering buying the game, the Titanium package, which includes all the expansions before Echoes of Faydwer is available in the SOE store for just 19.95, and comes with one month free playtime and free items for one character for new accounts. It's not expensive at all to get started these days.
For returning players, your characters are all still there on your account, probably no matter how long the account has been inactive.
As those who play know, EQ has the most complex and fun MMO gameplay out there, and many annoying "features" from the past have been changed to make the user interface much easier and the gameplay smoother. People ask, "is it worth coming back?" and the answer is always "yes, it is." There is a reason EQ has such a loyal and long-lived player base: it's a great MMO that has stood the test of time. See you in Norrath!
High End Raiding Phases[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News A post by Kneesmasher on the phases of high end raiding is making the rounds of the EQ community, and for good reason: it's an excellent commentary on what it takes to defeat new content in the game.
His nickname is "Mr. Sunshine," and he describes himself as an optimist. His impression of how EverQuest is perceived by the playerbase is that it's a "hard" game to play and has a very specific target audience, but in general he thinks that MMOs in the future will become less specialized and appeal to a broader audience.
I take that to mean that he would like EQ to appeal to a broader base of players.
He also seems to be focused on overall game issues, and not single-player problems that come up. For the producer, that's probably a good thing.
"In the future, I�m sure we�ll be making more instanced content."
...
"The idea of redoing PoK comes up a lot and I�m sure we�ll do it at some point. Right now, though, we�re focusing on graphical revamps of the original EverQuest zones."
...
Nolrog: "just confirmed that the code change we needed to implement the Forage AA for those players that don't have a Forage skill is done. I don't have a timetable for when you'll see a Forage AA but it will be Soon(tm)."
....
Brannoc: "We don�t have any plans to remove flags from older flagged zones. As the game progresses, getting those flags becomes easier but we like people to be able to experience the game flow in the way it was originally built."
...
Merloc: "I've gotten several dozens of pages of feedback on weapons in TSS, and I'll be looking them over for possible upgrades over Christmas."
There's lots more information of interest in the chat logs, so be sure to check them out. Thanks devs for taking the time to talk with people and take questions.
Kwill's Quill December 22[ Comment ] Print News | Mail News A recent exchange between John Smedley from SOE and Michael Zenke from MMO Nation got me thinking, What Makes a Good MMO Universe? Not every fantasy land in a story will make a good playable game ... and some fantasy lands in games don't make for good stories. I share my opinion about why that might be in this latest Kwill's Quill.
Gather rare fish, help recover fireworks, find a special doll for "Ebenizer" and save a sick child (where are all these children in Norrath, exactly?), and participate in the quest with "Santugs" Frostfell Goblins to help save the holiday!
