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Massive Everquest Server Merger
EvilBastard writes "Sony Online Entertainment has announced the next round of server consolidation, where 36 Everquest Servers will be merged over the next 6 weeks, with 18 servers vanishing for good. Servers to vanish include Veeshan, Karana and Mithaniel Marr. Where two servers merge, the server with the highest population keeps it's name, however some characters will have the option to add their server as their in game title. This is the third server merge that Sony has performed, after the earlier combination of the 4 PVP servers and an earlier proof-of-concept merger."
This is obviously because of dwindling player numbers as players move on to newer games (such as EQ2). Eventually, of course, they'll have one sparsely-populated server, but what happens after that? Will they eventually drop the game entirely, ala Phantasy Star Online, will there eventually be a future where the single EQ server is free to play on (as the maintenance overhead all but disappears), or will something else happen?
What we're seeing here is what will probably be the natural death cycle of all currently popular MMORPGs (as opposed to the artificial death of DC PSO due to the death of the DC). This is going to be worth watching whether you play EQ or not.
I'm sure EQ will continue on, but it certainly wasn't like it used to be.
I played it up until the "Planes of Power" being my last expansion I bought...but I really miss the "good old days" back before Luclin.
Yes, I liked it when it was a pain in the ass to get a port out of West Commonlands after auctioning in East Commonlands tunnel. I liked that the world seemed so much bigger. That if you Started in Qeynos or Halas it felt like a million miles aways since you had to run all the way to the Karanas to get a port (or head to Toxxulia). I liked that you had to take a boat and everything else.
You see, it seemed to be a PLACE. When you were in Kelethin you actually felt you were somewhere because pockets of people were there and in other cities because it wasn't so easy to get around. The cities were busy because people were coming and going to the bank etc etc. Now, Qeynos is all but dead...Freeport is a ghost-town...Neriak which used to be such a beautiful city, is empty.
Everyone just binds up at the Plane of Knowledge now and gets a port to whatever zone they need to go and and grind grind grind. The thrill is certainly gone.
Well, that's just me. I haven't played in a long time.
"Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
It's also been interesting to watch as a marketing exercise from SoE. As WoW, EQ2, etc. all spawned there wasn't much of a hiccup in the game, things just moved on - despite the game having radically changed from its roots. Take note builders of level oriented MMORPGS; As your characters get older, they will get bored, you can keep throwing new levels, larger Monsters, etc. but in the end if your model is "level up and pay the monthly fee" - its a short ride. Enjoy my cash SoE. Bring on GuildWars!
i would love it if they released a singleplayer version of the game for the rest of us to enjoy :) with perhaps limited lan capabilites for those that want it. i would love to explore all of EQ by myself :)
sigs suck
Off topic but your going to have to explain how you found WoW more tedious than EQ.
"I am a kernel in the linux army"
3 words...
I hate questing.
and it's not that i found it more tedious then EQ... just better the tedious you are always used to and have good friends in ya know?
"why don't you just slip into something more comfortable...like a coma!"