I really hate to say it but EQ2 is getting depressing. (mild rant with suggestions)

[LUE Peor]

I've had Everquest 2 since day two of release (game stop got their shipment late) and I was completely blown away by the sheer amount of fun I had in the game. After a month or so of test server coming up I joined that and loved the small community. I also wanted to just play as usual and report bugs and graphical errors as I saw them. I've used feedback once and that was because of a very unfun time in Blackburrow. I think SoE has lost sight of test server is. We were set up to find bugs and report them. Even this was fun. (seeing leggings icon as the shoulders icon anyone?) Now SoE drops complete gameplay changes on us and then ignore our endless complaints and er...venemous feedback. What if before dropping a new patch, give us a day or half a day to give our views BEFORE the patch goes up. We might think of things that SoE never thought of and might even prevent some really bad "upgrades" going up. Now I'm not saying that I disapprove of every update SoE makes but these recent changes are bugging me.People joined test to help fix the current game, not help you create and entirely new one. Crafters were happy with their system for the most part and adventurers felt the same. The "economy" thing is total bull. This is a game, not an exercise in economics. I do not understand why SoE gets the urge to change a winning formula that has caused droves of players to leave. Even I'm reluctant to play as often as I did. It's just gotten depressing. I miss the game I bought. SoE, please bring back the original Everquest 2 and not this hybrid. Let us work together to make that one as perfect as possible. I think if you have a flawless game you'll attract more people. Vitality was a great idea. Sabotage quests were great. You added content to the game we had without taking anything away. As far as I could tell the graphical errors were being tackled and it really reached it's climax about 2 and a half weeks ago. Before you took stuff away. You took away the crafters ability to sell their products to merchants for a profit. Now the crafting scene looks like a sick child. You seem to have utterly destroyed the interdependency between crafter classes. The adventuring front seems to have been mostly forgotten. The major things I've seen here have been nerfs. If enough people complained that paladins and shadowknights got heavy armour, you'd probably nerf their ability to wear it and leave the best to guardians. Instead of being proactive and giving players something to even the playing field, you take away from whatever class people are complaining about and in turn, make those players feel jiped. Their work seems to be shortchanged and you've jsut created another disgruntled player. Maybe not one that will leave but perhaps you're next nerf to their class could push them over the edge.I know all SoE is trying to do is to attract more customers but in turn you're losing your already loyal fanbase. We're the people that played EQ1 and remained devoted for years, and also reserved our copies of EQ2 months in advance. Now I'm starting to regret that decision. Well, now I've laid out my 2cp, flame away.

[doughfie]

<DIV>SOE hates its customers.  Frequent updates and nerfs.  Go play something else.  </DIV>

[Azaik]

<DIV>To the OP: I've read your post, but I'm at a loss to see why a) it's in the Test forum anb b) what exactly is it you're so upset about? You talk vaguely of crafting and nerfs... but what, precisely, is your point?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you have criticisms, then state your case, and suggest alternatives.</DIV>

[Jan It]

I don´t see a problem with nerfs. But that´s probably because I want a challange in the game and not an easy walkthrough hack and slay. You know how boring it is to walk through Runnyeye, killing one mob after another without a real threat? It´s the occasional adds or pops from nowhere that are the salt in the soup. So, if things get too easy, nerf something, and you´ll improve my ingame experience.How to create a cheerfull playerbase? Don´t nerf player abilities, but improve mob strenght and hitpoints. But wouldn´t that be very deceiving? And much harder, or merely impossible to get balancing right I guess.The only thing that is REALLY beyond me is why the nerfed the food and drink. There was a market for player made food. Provisioners could earn good coin with their goods, and there never was enough drink available for a good prize on my server anyways. Now, there´s still not enough drink available, and even higher prizes. People will start many provisioners as alts now, not because they want to, but because they feel forced to do it. So people will either get unhappy with the longer downtime(especially crafters) or with being forced to start yet another alt.<p>Message Edited by Jan Itor on <span class=date_text>02-20-2005</span> <span class=time_text>12:13 AM</span>

[BlackHa]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Azaik wrote:<BR> <DIV>To the OP: I've read your post, but I'm at a loss to see why a) it's in the Test forum anb b) what exactly is it you're so upset about? You talk vaguely of crafting and nerfs... but what, precisely, is your point?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you have criticisms, then state your case, and suggest alternatives.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <P> The post is very applicable to this forum. Try reading it again. He has a toon on test. He feels that changes on test were not there long enough for people like him to give feedback. He wants to serve a purpose in making the game better . He also wants the game to return to how it was pre-patch.</P> <P> As for suggesting alternatives, he mentioned providing feedback on test.</P> <P>Sheesh...you didn't get that?  Seems fairly clear and very appropriate to me.</P>

[Rock]

<DIV> Excellent post. Not sure what the problems are by some of the people responding, reading comprehension perhaps? Yes it would be great if SOE would actually listen to testers before applying some of these "fixes". Though many of the things they have done i think are good, others i totally dont understand. </DIV>

[Suraklin]

<DIV>Since the patch I've had a hard time selling any food/drinks I crafted. This patch has ruined my ability to make game money to buy things I need for my wizard and alts. I think everyone is pretty much crafting their own food/drink now. Thanks for the patch SOE. SOE= (Screwing Over Everyone).</DIV>

[0ctavi]

I hate to say it, but I an starting to agree with some of this sentiment. I started playing EQ2 after playing Beta and experiencing how much fun EQ2 is over EQ1. I was tired of the endless treadmill that I felt in EQ1, and wanted something that I could really sink my teeth into. EQ2 had that feeling like everything you did was an accomplishment, and you were actually doing something with your time in the game.Fast Forward several months later, and the game is slowly making that nose dive into the same treadmill system that is EQ1. I still love a lot about EQ2. I am a Guild Leader, and pride myself in each and every accomplishment of my members. I enjoy my time adventuring, OR crafting. But even I cannot deny the growing sentiment that I see every day. Almost half my guild has quit playing. I am not talking about people leaving to join other guilds or servers, I mean complete and total exodus from the game in general. Many have even come back briefly to tell me they have joined the "WOW" community and have urged me to join them (yet I feel obligated to stick around at least a little longer in the hopes that things will get better.)Why am I saying this? Becuase I love this game. I want to see it grow into the long lasting world that I joined when the game came out of Beta. But I have to be honest in that I am starting to feel like it is less MY world, and more the EQ1 world I quit playing...<p>Message Edited by 0ctavius on <span class=date_text>02-22-2005</span> <span class=time_text>06:10 AM</span>

[TheWays]

<DIV>Something you gotta understand is that a character on Test does not make you a developer.  The devs spend a great deal of their time planning various changes and making sure they are programmed well enough to not cause any hiccups for the 100s of thousands of paying customers world wide.  That is your job, to make sure that when the content does get pushed to Live servers, they won't crash.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Your feedback does get read and your points and reasons are listened to, but the patches aren't just something the devs figured would be fun to try out one day - its a long and drawn out development process.  They want to put the changes in the game for a reason, whether you agree with that reason or not isn't really up for debate.  I've actually been very impressed with the smoothness that the patches have been implemented (well, compared to EQ1) and feel that they are very well put together and as close to perfect as they can manage.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You have a voice, but so does everyone else and they are all heard, but when it comes down to it its up to the developers and programmers to implement the best solution they can.  We all appreciate your work on the test server and so does the team at SoE.</DIV>

[CherobylJ]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> TheWays wrote:<BR> <DIV> That is your job, to make sure that when the content does get pushed to Live servers, they won't crash.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>...(sic)...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Your feedback does get read and your points and reasons are listened to, but the patches aren't just something the devs figured would be fun to try out one day - its a long and drawn out development process.  They want to put the changes in the game for a reason, whether you agree with that reason or not isn't really up for debate.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Its a volunteer effort, not a job.  No, in my opinion his primary vocation is to HAVE FUN, the same as every other paying customer.  Now we wont all get things our way (thank god) but we are all entitled to our opinion and view points.  The orginal poster made their point very politely and with a mild amount of complaining and within the context of recent changes that he and other testers have been asked to review. </P> <P>The "long and drawn out development process" is an item I'd raise to question, such tremenous game mechanic changes appear to be the result of poorly thought out core functional processes (not a unique flaw and definately not meant in any personal context).  The desired economic state could have been anticipated if a working knowlefge of micro econiomics had been applied, after all if you are going to model a RL complex system process you should probably employ RL sciences.</P> <P>In my opinion, the alteration of core game scope kinda takes the test server out of a "line item review and comment on whether functionality operates correctly" normally role.  It instead leads to that community having to take a more of holistic commentary on scope/direction of product (as those are the changes they are asked to review).  I agree that at this point this shouldnt be debated (imperfect data regarding core game scope is one of the mysteries that adds a dimension of entertainment to this game) BUT SOE by touching these underpinnings has opened itself to that debate.  </P> <P>These would be hard days to be on the test server, I'd cut folks who comment here a measure of slack.</P> <P> </P> <P><BR> </P>