A new player survey pops up when you log into EverQuest these days, asking what sort of content players would like to see from the venerable MMORPG. Can an eleven year old game still innovate? These poll questions hint that SOE has not given up on the game that put them on the map:
Poll Question: What new feature would you be most interested in seeing in EverQuest?
- UI Revamp — Work with the community to come up with a new default skin for the EverQuest UI, with a possibility for other changes like re-sizable hot bars and backpacks (not increased slots, however).
- Increased inventory space — Revamp the inventory management system to allow backpacks larger than 10 slots.
- Player housing — Personal player houses with items that can be placed inside, a ranking system, access rights, etc.
- Improved guild system — Advanced guild rank management, guild halls that allow decoration and item placement (similar to player housing).
- Revamped bazaar/broker system — Offline trading, trading outside of The Bazaar zone, etc.
- New player character models — Optional new player character models (any new visible armor would only be visible on the new models).
- More mercenary types — New AI types like DPS, crowd control, etc.
- Player generated content system — Allow players to place NPCs and traps, set mission types, and turn loose their custom zone for other players to experience and gain points in a scaling reward system.
I’ve highlighted the ones I think are especially cool. Player-generated missions? YES, PLEASE!
I really think we need the Revamped bazaar/broker system the most. I get tired of leaving my trader running. I often forget to set it up when I get busy. Things like new models and new mercs just don’t seem as valuable to me as an offline trader mode or an auction house.
Ya know, what I want the most out of this is more inventory space. Personally, I don’t think player made content would be anything to write home about. It would be put in place more than lickly by some sort of cut and paste system. And once people figured out how to manipulate it for best risk vs reward, you would see formulated “player custom content” that was really nothing more than the same repeatable instances we have today.
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It’s just getting started, but I’ll warn you. I take a very conversational approach, and it’s a bit more mature in langauge. Going for a different tone. But like your site, and keep on blogging.
i’ve never seen that; the player generated quests.. thats pretty cool.. i wonder what kind of rewards you as the creator would get though besides personal satisfaction?
Regarding player created content, I once would have agreed. But if there is a little chance to turn something good into something awful, people will do it. This is what happened to the Mission Architect in City of Heroes: It was used to set up missions with high xp high loot but easy to kill mobs. There were of course more “serious” attempts, but the good ones were about as much in the minority as the pure farming mission stuff were the bulk of user created content.