Of the potential occasions when it might be good for Dawn and the EverQuest franchise to have some constructive information or an enormous announcement, now would rank extremely on the checklist. Final week would have been higher, as would the week earlier than, or July, or Could, or January, or any variety of previous dates. However the previous is out of attain. You may’t do something to vary it. It exists solely in reminiscence.
Dawn may have at all times stated nothing concerning the subsequent step for the franchise up to now this 12 months.
And what has pushed me to write down a sentence of such doubtful tense and logic?
Sure, I’m again to the entire The Heroes Journey factor.
Right here is actuality: You may consider that THJ is within the mistaken for his or her actions, as I do, and ALSO consider that Dawn may very well be doing extra to serve their put in base, one thing which I’m additionally most definitely on board with.
I’m not less than as usually a critic of Dawn (and SOE earlier than it) as I’m a supporter. Most likely extra usually a critic. The written report of this weblog will assist that. I’m that almost all annoying type of fan, any person with a historical past and fond reminiscences of the early sport who can’t actually stand the present scenario on dwell.
So whereas I consider Dawn is in the proper of their authorized motion… the regulation and precedent is clearly on Dawn’s aspect and THJ crew shouldn’t be some harmless victims being unjustly pursued… that doesn’t imply I can’t additionally see how tepid the EverQuest annual particular server choices have develop into.
EverQuest – The Senior Dawn Title
This complete factor is rife with emotion. A former MMO blogger even referred to as me out on a previous put up on the subject. However they (don’t wish to assume pronouns) have spent the final decade understanding their feelings on their weblog, and it’s some messy, uncooked, unbalanced, and sometimes self-contradictory stuff… as feelings usually are. They appear to be on a mission to make info care about their emotions, in the event that they trouble to acknowledge info in any respect, so I’ll spare you the hyperlink to that unreadable mush.
It’s enough to say that one can’t depend upon logic alone to sway followers. The sentiments of followers, logical or not, are a part of the equation.
All of which may very well be seen as an indication, a name to motion, or perhaps a cry for assist.
Topping the checklist of my very own “feels” is that Dawn must do one thing.
Even Blizzard, ever the “mommy is aware of greatest” company overlord in relation to ignoring fan suggestions, knew once they shut down a significant WoW Basic emu (bear in mind the Nostalrius drama?) that they’d hit a harmful level for the franchise. That ultimately introduced us WoW Basic, which was an excellent success, one thing that actually carried the sport via the grim Shadowlands period, a scenario that proved they couldn’t (or shouldn’t) put all their eggs within the retail basket.
As a part of that complete course of, they received on the market fairly rapidly and stated they had been speaking with folks and reviewing the likelihood, which gave us some hope. They didn’t even put that a lot effort into it in hindsight. However they knew they’d an issue they usually needed to give followers one thing.
Dawn is now in the same, if not equivalent, scenario. They most likely have to do one thing… which I simply wrote two paragraphs again, and can seemingly write once more earlier than I’m completed as a result of I do consider it.
First off, once they win their lawsuit… and they’ll, so let’s simply recover from that bridge earlier than we burn it down… Dawn ought to get out an announcement how this complete factor has opened their eyes, given them new perspective, and can invite inside dialogue or some such.
AND… they’ve to really imply it and observe up on it. Dawn, like SOE earlier than them, has an extended custom of claiming one thing, presenting a plan, or in any other case doing one thing to interact their followers, after which letting it sit with out additional remark, hoping followers will overlook or transfer on or be distracted by one thing else.
That by no means occurs. Actual followers always remember. You need some complaints about that type of factor, you may have come to the proper place. I’ll carry up the time that SOE tried to promote its European gamers to some German media firm for a fast buck, how they screwed up their money store, and, as at all times, the litany of concepts and guarantees that fell flat from neglect. I maintain the receipts. (I even wrote an “EverQuest launches to Dawn will get acquired” timeline that features a few of their best hits… and misses.)
Even that reference to EverQuest 3 up within the title shouldn’t be some stage of want casting, however based mostly on stuff Appearing CEO Ji Ham stated.
First celebration sport plans from 2024
Dawn has as soon as once more set some expectation after which quietly walked away from them. (Additionally, we must always completely be listening to concerning the “new” H1Z1 by now. As an alternative they purchased Palia as a result of they haven’t constructed a brand new sport in-house since they turned Dawn greater than a decade again.)
In need of saying EverQuest 3, which I don’t anticipate, what ought to they do?
Clearly there may be some stage of starvation for one thing totally different on the particular server entrance. I even wrote a put up about potential choices, one among which was a “Tour de Norrath” concept the place you might solo your approach via ALL of the content material and expertise the breadth and depth of the sport while not having to group up and positively with none 40+ individual raid dimension necessities.
Dawn has truly added tech to the sport to assist issues like a number of variations of a zone operating in parallel to cowl for overcrowding. And overcrowding can be an issue with out it.
The large hurdle is that this type of factor would require the crew to let go of a few of their cherished illusions concerning the sport, like being arduous or “hardcore” is the purpose and the attraction. They’ve a historical past of getting caught behind a psychological block of what the sport must be.
There’s, greater than 25 years down the highway now, a reasonably large participant demographic that has fond reminiscences of the sport, and want to have some expertise with it, however can not (or will not) decide to the entire group, guild, and raid factor that has powered the core energetic fan base for therefore lengthy.
So I feel they must do the next:
- Acknowledge the scenario, even in some generic or summary approach
- When prepared, state the teachings they consider they’ve realized in a transparent approach
- Permit for suggestions on these classes, don’t simply pronounce then ignore
- Promise extra data or a plan at some future date
- Really observe up and observe via on the plan
None of that has to say THJ or the EQemu neighborhood. There’s seemingly nothing to be gained with that, particularly if it looks like the corporate taking a victory lap. There’s additionally little potential upside in pondering you may regain anyone within the “by no means giving Dawn cash once more!” pronouncement crowd. They’re gone, transfer on. It may be one thing of “listening to the neighborhood” replace in a producer’s letter when the case is over and completed with.
The teachings realized, by comparability, must be fairly particular. There must be an inventory of concepts that the corporate is contemplating exploring for future particular servers.
I do NOT suppose Dawn ought to:
- Copy THJ immediately
- Rent anyone from the crew that made THJ
- Do something to disturb the present dwell server growth/replace cycle
- Think about that some token effort will shut the hole created right here
- Ignore the entire thing and transfer on prefer it by no means occurred
The primary two are sort of pointed on the THJ followers and are a little bit of a actuality examine as a result of these two issues are being mentioned on the market locally.
That doesn’t imply Dawn can’t discuss with them. However the THJ crew has, via its actions, already proven its antipathy in the direction of the corporate. Additionally, I’ve expertise with out outsiders being introduce to the realities of operating dwell ops with a big, paying buyer base and how you can maintain a sustainable operation going inside a set of useful resource constraints. That collision with actuality is commonly irritating within the excessive and the outsider usually walks away offended earlier than understanding.
The third is the fact examine. There’s a core of gamers who purchase the expansions, play via them and the updates, who keep subscribed and maintain issues funded and transferring ahead. I don’t suppose Dawn will jeopardize that, however some followers would possibly begin demanding it.
Additionally, if Dawn does make a brilliant informal “solo all of the issues” particular guidelines server, they should be very cautious how it’s pitched, as a result of some share of these core gamers who truly pay the payments will scream bloody homicide if the notion is in any approach that the corporate goes to trivialize their achievements by letting scrubs like me go solo Girl Vox or no matter.
I estimate a 100% likelihood of that developing within the boards if a server with an off-the-cuff THJ-like expertise is proposed. The invocation of the sacred phrase, “A slap within the face!” will completely happen. Been via that earlier than.
The factor is, as I maintain saying, these are individuals who even have subscriptions, purchase the expansions, and maintain the sport going. Dawn can be silly within the excessive to throw over the great will of their most loyal gamers as a way to fulfill the whims of a largely disgruntled group of former gamers who’ve already sworn to by no means give the corporate one other pink cent.
Very loud voices within the THJ neighborhood have been fairly clear on that final level.
So if Dawn does do one thing, it seemingly isn’t going to be precisely what your coronary heart wishes.
It’s also fairly potential Dawn will fully misunderstand the scenario. This, once more, is supported by the historical past of the crew. For instance, final Wednesday morning when THJ shut down they despatched out this announcement:
It’s time for XP good points Fangbreaker! Starting now and operating till October 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM PT, we we now have double XP for funsies for these taking part in on our newest TLP! If in case you have not tried Fangbreaker but, now could be your likelihood to take a look at Useful resource Hunter, Legacy Characters, Encounter Locking, and MORE! 🥳
I imply, cool should you’re already taking part in on Fangbreaker. But when they suppose that might be price even a pair of fetid dingos kidneys to the THJ followers, they’re approach, approach off base. This may be the token effort to which I referred. If that is it… properly, not less than the gamers on Fangbreaker received one thing.
Lastly, they need to not merely transfer on like this by no means occurred. Nevertheless, for a crew operating a sport that lives on its historical past, they do are likely to fairly blithely ignore huge chunks of that historical past. So we will see.
The subsequent strikes within the wake of THJ are Dawn’s to make.
TL;DR – Dawn may do one thing with all of this to please some followers, however most likely gained’t.
Observe on: Then once more, typically I’ve to remind myself that individuals on the boards and on Reddit (and positively these on blogs) are outliers, a small share of vocal customers who keep knowledgeable about issues surrounding the sport. Most gamers simply play the sport and, in the event that they get uninterested in it, transfer on with out remark. Is that this a tempest in a teapot? Dawn says it’s a huge deal of their authorized filings, however they could consider one thing else in their very own coverage councils.
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