Having lived and played through the original release of EverQuest back in 1999, real open world gameplay, real thriving community, real meaningful character development, real feel of being part of Norrath.
Our only hope for this again lies with @VisionaryRealms and @PantheonMMO!
"Even with the crap that was delivered as Vanguard, he still gets unlimited good will from me for EQ1. Got a solid decade out of that game. That and CounterStrike were the only games to hold my attention that long."
I enjoyed Vanguard very much. It was a BEAUTIFUL game to look at and travel around in. It just didn't get the time it needed in development because, honestly, it was too big upon release. They also didn't use the best beta testers either. There were some really apparent bugs and exploits including a trade quest one that almost ruined the game.
This time around I think they have it right. They are taking their time. Now they just need to let me in so I can find bugs for them like I did for the closed WoW Beta where i sneaked into unreleased content and undeveloped flat space and the trade exploit in Vanguard that almost got me banned. :P
2 very simple reasons.
1. I loved EQ1.
2. Because it's bringing back the MMO in the MMO, I've grown tired of playing MMO's by myself, whats the point? Pantheon looks like a real MMO, not a single player action adventure where I chat with other people that happen to be playing the same time I am, and occasionally grouping up because theres nothing better to do.
1. It's about time.
2. Gameplay that promotes socialization and cooperation throughout the entire game experience. This has been terribly lacking in most MMO releases this past decade.
3. Clearly defined class structures. I believe PRotF will be the premier example of interdependent group dynamics. Independent gameplay and classes that 'do it all', on the other hand, is a gaming concept that has saturated the MMO space.
4. Risk vs. Reward. Playing needs to be truly challenging and have real consequences for mistakes and failures.
5. VR's willingness to be different and unique.
6. That shared experiences are the pinacle of effort and skill.
7. Engagement with the whole world, no hand-holding, NPC dispositions, interacting with weather/environmental effects, the perception system, and that crafting will be meaningful, robust, and also a challenge.
8. All the eye candy.
Excellent question and one that I have been asking myself during all those years since kick starter .
Sorry to say it but I didn't find any rational reason . So what stays is an irrational one and it is what many mentionned - after so many disappointements in MMOs I was subconsciously on the quest for the emotions I experienced in EQ (99 - 2003) . Some call it nostalgia but it is a too fuzzy word - homesickness would be more appropriate . I really felt Norrath as being my virtual home and it was the largest part of my enjoyment of the game .
The races , their capital cities , the story remarkably consistent with the factions , the music , the vastness and the dangerosity of the world outside - it all conspired to "the inner consistency of reality" as Tolkien so relevantly wrote .
I somehow hoped that Pantheon could perhaps give me this feeling of home back what all the dozens of MMOs I tried failed to do . Frankly I believe more and more that this quest of mine is a chimera but if against all odds it can be done , Pantheon could perhaps do it and that's why the attempt was worth my money and time .
EQ Community is usually great compared to the others
MMO that creates challenge.
Death penalty having an impact other than just an annoyance.
Less QOL features that kill immersion (Less QOL features more areas players can fill the void)
Group focused game rather than solo(too many MMOs with solo)
New features I haven't experienced yet in other MMOs, like the enviroment system.
Epic raids
Overcoming all the stressful situations you get yourself in because of one dumb mistake after another.
You know the fun stuff that most MMOs killed in modern times.
Kilsin said:Why do you personally support Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen? #MMORPG #communitymatters
Becouse I'm looking for a RPG first, MMO as a plus. I notice the terminology has been reduce to MMO, even in this thread, and the RPG is left off. I feel this is also true with where the genre of MMORPG has gone. They embraced the MMO and left the RPG behind.
Brad says he "wants to build a world, not a game" that's what I'm trusting him to do.World first, game secound. The feeling I had in EQ was living in a fantasy world, at level 1 all the way to level 60. It was not a game it was a living world.
I'm not a role player at heart. But while I was logged into EQ I was a Wizard. I didn't play a game, I lived there. THAT'S why I chose to support Pantheon, if anybody is left that knows what a MMORPG is supposed to be I'm counting on that being Brad.
1. For the challenges the environment and dynamic will provide
2. The comradery of a small, close-knit guild
3. A new virtual world to explore
4. It's a sub, not pay to win
5. It's sandbox, had enough of themepark MMO's
6. Joppa's soothing voice (awaiting his guided meditation CD)
Kilsin said:Why do you personally support Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen? #MMORPG #communitymatters
1. The quadtrinity - Healer, Tank, Damage dealer, Crowd Control.
2. Stats that improve skills/spells allowing you to differentiate your character by gear.
3. Expansive, multi level range dungeons
4. Non linear dungeons. Your group fights its way to an area in the dungeon and then would "camp" that area for experience and specific loot.
5. A permanent non instanced world.
6. Reputations will matter again.
I agreed with the Kickstarter + Aradune‘s vision even though it failed, then hearing/seeing Joppa pick up the torch and run with his creativity while remaining in line with the vision makes it easy. And, I’ve harped about wanting challenging gameplay and virtual worlds for literally years now - it was put up or shut up time for me.
Why i support is several reasons.
1 Im tired of the same development by other mmos and i think Pantheon is the mmo industrys last hope.
2 Alot of us gamers 30 and older do not like the way the mmo market has gone the last 10 years from p2w to loot box gambling. So of course ill invest heavily into a mmo that does not have these issues.
3 I want to support a game with developers that loves the game they create and are passionate about.
4 Pantheon has something that other mmos do not vision and creativity the perception system alone shows that Visionary realms is willing to try new things and move the mmo industry forward.
Return to the original MMO feel that was present in the older generations of MMO's. Just the feel or the essense, not so much a need to return to the actual mechanics of the age. A desire to return to a bit more of a social atmosphere where grouping and guilding add significant value to the games content consumption. A place where the "guild" isn't some watered down concept (such as in ESO); a Singular institution that you are a member of, full of like minded individuals who can become just as important to you as RL family.
Simple.
EQ was challenging and rewarding. In all the many MMO's I've played since then I have always chased that feeling of accomplishment.
Sure the other MMO's were fun for awhile then just pointless busy work, or they had beautiful scenery to explore but still empty, but when
it came to feeling a sense of achievement/satisfaction ... nothing like EQ. EQ had a hand that givveethh and a hand that punched you. lol
My hope is that Pantheon, who isn't EQ3 of course, will be the holy grail to finally quench my thirst.
No pressure :)
ps PRO-TIP ---> : please .... don't remodel your starting cities (cough FP) a few years after launch.
Pretty much what dorotea said, plus a profound trust that the team members possess the talent and dedication to make us a great world and game.
My references are EQ2 and Vanguard, both of which I enjoyed very much. In particular Vanguard despite its technical flaws and dissappointing drift towards easier gameplay.
So, when I first heard about Pantheon back during the Kickstarter, I actually didn't believe in what the team was doing. I watched the videos that were available, read the information, but it seemed at the time like it was going to be an EQ clone, for all the people that still play that game. I evolved beyond EQ over a decade ago, and while I have fond memories, my definition of a perfect MMO has evolved with every game I've played.
But, as it turns out, my initial impression was wrong. A couple of friends were interested in the game and mentioned it to me a few times, so a couple years ago I took another look. By that time there was some early information about things the team wanted to do, and I could see actual innovation - ideas like atmospheres and climates, or NPC dispositions, or progeny. It was at that point that I said "ok, maybe this game *isn't* going to be just an EQ clone.
Since my initial pledge (at pretty much the minimum) two years ago, I have been consistently impressed by both this community and the team at VR. I have seen firsthand that Pantheon is truly trying to be a game that takes the best of the old world and grows from there. I have seen a team that is doing their best to innovate and evolve the genre, and that is also committed to trying to do things in a way that really provides a deep and challenging experience for players. I was so moved by this that not only did I upgrade to a very high pledge level to help support the team, but I've also become very involved in this community, even stepping in to help Cromulent run Pantheon Crafters when he was struggling with some real life troubles. I haven't been this invested in the development of a game since SWG in 2001 - truthfully.
Why do I support Pantheon? I guess it's because I believe in what the team's trying to do. I'm realistic and I know the game won't be perfect, but I think it will be good and it will help move the genre forward. If nothing else, at least when Pantheon launches I can play a new PvE MMO that isn't all about on-rails instances and gear treadmills. Right?