http://eq2.ogaming.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=13015


EverQuest II - 325,000 Players Strong, No Waiting

EverQuest II continues to grow at an amazing rate, not just in the number of players that have fallen in love with the game's rich, entertaining content, but also in the physical size of the world. We've got over 325,000 people logging in to our servers every week, with no delays or wait times and the game they are playing is only getting better.

Below are a few reasons why we believe that if you aren’t currently playing EverQuest II, you should be. We are committed to our player base and are very passionate about making EverQuest II the best MMO game.

Open Communication
Sony Online has an amazing community relations team that listens to players’ feedback, and let them know what is going on with EverQuest II. Our development team and even our president, John Smedley, often respond personally to players, so players can rest assured that SOE is listening (and reading) and we do care what our subscribers think. Many of the changes that have already been made to EverQuest II (i.e. more solo content, new interfaces, and even quest content) have been a direct result of community feedback.

325,000 Players, No Waiting -- SOE Subscribers Can Play the Game They’re Paying to Play, When They Want To
We believe strongly in ensuring that the players can get into EverQuest II whenever they want. Understandably, all MMO games have downtime for maintenance and patching, but we don’t believe in making our players wait in line to play our games. They’re paying a monthly subscription to play a game and our job is to work hard to let you play it as much as, and when, they choose.

Tons of Content Added Since Launch
Since launch, an enormous amount of free content has been added to EverQuest II. In addition to changes that made the game more fun for soloists and group players alike, more than 1100 quests have been added to the game since launch on November 8th. We've added more than 1200 new items to the game, including more craftable items for tradeskillers, and more loot around the world. Almost 400 new spells have been added and we've worked diligently to make sure our spell effects are as eye-catching as they are powerful. Recently, we added 8 new areas to the world, so there are now well over 100 zones in the world of EverQuest II to explore.

That's not all. We have a very long list of new features, additions, and gameplay enhancements that make EverQuest II even more fun to play, including:

- Greatly increased solo and small group experience rewards
- Mentoring allows higher-level players to “group down” with lower-level players
- Lots of new armor looks
- Two new dungeons available for level 25 to 30 groups
- A dozen new level 50 epic raid zones have been added, including the Draconic quests
- Eight new instanced dungeons for both soloers and groups
- More encounters added for soloers and small groups, including advanced solo encounters
- Tons of new quests, many for solo players
- Sabotage quests that allow you to strike at your rival city
- Training spells added as yet another way to personalize your character
- New examine information added to explain the benefits of spells, arts, food, drink, poisons, and potions
- Brawlers get built-in shields
- Guild followers can now spend the status they earn at city merchants
- Easier to equip rings, wrist items, and weapons
- Maps now show your current heading
- Lots of UI tweaks and enhancements
- Revamped Heroic Opportunities, making them more fun and visually dynamic
- Vitality indicator added to your XP bar
- Tabbed chat windows have been added to organize your conversations
- See what your target is attacking with the new Implied Target window
- More precise, informative AC values
- New heritage quests, including Golden Efreeti Boots and the Crown of King Tranix
- A new con system that allows you to see important information on enemies before you attack
- Longer durations for short-term group buffs and single-target buffs
- Less fizzles on spells meaning more damage more often
- Shorter timers and fewer restrictions on instanced zones
- House pet naming
- All tradeskill classes can now refine their own materials and components
- Wizards and Warlocks go nuke happy with more damage
- Tanks now tank better with increased mitigation
- Easier search abilities so you can find potions, poisons, activated items, and food
- Even more voiceover available for optional download

All of this new content has given players a reason to come back to our world again and again, and we're continuing to make gameplay improvements every month.

Today, Sony Online Entertainment would like to invite players from any game that may be experiencing lines to log in to their servers, a lack of customer service attention, or a lack of new, free game content, to play the EverQuest II Trial of the Isle demo -- We think you'll agree that EverQuest II is a fun, engaging experience that you have to see to believe.

We hope to see you in the world of EverQuest II soon.



THEY'RE CALLING YOU OUT, BLIZZARD!

Hehe, be nice if it actually had an effect, but probably won't.

"a lack of customer service attention" - Would be less hilarious if it wasnt coming from SOE.

"or a lack of new, free game content" - Isnt EQ2 the one that's pioneering charging $5 or so for a new dungeon? Heh...

Not that any of that excuses Blizzards poor handling of their launch and the subsequent 3 months of problems... but the amount of hypocrisy coming from SOE in that ad is just ridiculous and cant be taken seriously by anyone who has ever played one of their games.

Actually thats what makes the situation even more humorous. Now that SOE is actually "losing" in the mmog market they are trying really hard and are doing things a lot differently when it comes to EQ2... Meanwhile, Blizzard has taken the role that SOE used to inhabit as the guy on top who doesn't really have to worry about what the peons think. ;)

a lack of customer service attention

lol yea, that made me laugh.

Alas so many cool looking games out there now and I don't have time to play them all!

Okay, so I have a soft spot for SoE, always will. I had way too much fun in EQ and I have way too many great memories to not remember EQ fondly. Personally, I never had any trouble with customer service, they always did right by me, and I had some whoppers for them to fix. =) EQII (imo) is a decent game. There are things I prefer about WoW which is why I am there.

I would like to see EQII do well. If I were the type to bounce from game to game and character to character, I would probably add EQII to the list.

Because it's SOE, I can't help but wonder....

How many of those 325,000 are multi-pass subscribers, compared to EQ2-only subscribers?

I think it'd be funny if Blizzard just simply replied with, "People will stand in line to play our game."

I think it'd be funny if Blizzard just simply replied with, "People will stand in line to play our game."


omg that is awesome...lol

I think it'd be funny if Blizzard just simply replied with, "People will stand in line to play our game."


Bwahahahaa...

Blizzard Press Release - 3 Mar 05:

In light of recent advertising attacks by its main competitor, SOE and EQII, Blizzard released a formal statement.

"People will stand in line to play our game...Neenerrr, Neenerrr."

When we attempted to reach a SOE rep. for a formal reply they were unavailable for comment.

Smarkaleck Press




Heheee.

:rolling:

It times of Desperation, Desperate People will make Desperate Moves.

WOW :duel2: EQ2


Chubbs
Chubbexul lvl 56 Preist on mal'Ganis
Chubbexul Lvl 67 Retired Druid of Rodcet Nife
Chubbexul LVL 27 Never to be played again Druid of EQ2

This reeks of desperation. After years of milking a playerbase with few viable alternatives, Sony actually have a real competitor and they're folding like a house of cards.

How many of those 325,000 are multi-pass subscribers, compared to EQ2-only subscribers?
Thats something to remember about ANY number that SOE spits out. They absolutely are fiddling with the numbers to make them sound better... that's practically the whole point of the multi-pass. Unfortunately, there's pretty much no way we'll ever know the facts about Sony's or any other company's real subscription rates. (Although I think SirBruce from mmogchart.com said that Mythic posts the DAoC numbers publicly and regularly.)

Good for SoE.

The queues & the stability problems are unacceptable. The "blizzard just wasn't expecting to be so popular" wears off after a quarter of a year. Time for them to get their act together. And if they can't, I'd sure like Sony or some other competitor to release a solid game as an alternative. (Unfortuantely, with the unhappy time-sinks in EQ2, I don't think that's the answer)

Heh, I played EQ for 5 years. It was a great game. However it's sorta slid since Brad left. Luclin sucked, PoP somehow managed to be phenomenal (naturally they fired the people responsible), Gates sucked, Omens sucked (but not as much as Gates). My SK is 70/Anguish flagged, and I pretty much quit the day WoW was released.

I tried EQ 2 prior to WoW, was fun for a few weeks, but the dumbed down encounter/pulling system didn't appeal to me. Strategy was pretty much irrelevant, if you fought things that conned appropriate to your level, even a brain dead monkey could win. If you tried anything harder, you got your ass handed to you.

In my opinion WoW *is* EQ2, it's got more of what made EQ fun for me than what EQ currently has. I consider the EQ2 as I would Highlander 2, an aberration that should never have been. *shrug* I'm sticking with WoW despite the problems and looking forward to whatever Sigil produces.

Good for SoE.

The queues & the stability problems are unacceptable. The "blizzard just wasn't expecting to be so popular" wears off after a quarter of a year. Time for them to get their act together. And if they can't, I'd sure like Sony or some other competitor to release a solid game as an alternative. (Unfortuantely, with the unhappy time-sinks in EQ2, I don't think that's the answer)


Absolutely.

Ah, good ol' Woody:

http://www.gucomics.com/archives/view.php?cdate=20050304

:)

Hehe... that was a funny one...