J Allen Brack: EverQuest is "the big foundation" of World of Warcraft
by Mike Schramm 
Jun 9th 2008 at 2:30PM
Blizzard Producer J. Allan Brack also talked in the latest issue of PC Gamer about Wrath of the Lich King, and while he doesn't drop any major bombs, he does speak pretty candidly about what Blizzard is doing right and wrong with content, and what they hope to achieve from World PvP in the future.Perhaps most surprisingly, he gives away just how closely Blizzard is watching their competitors in the MMO world to see what's worked and what hasn't -- on the issue of updating the graphical engine and just general influences, Brack has no compunctions about citing EverQuest as a huge influence on World of Warcraft, even going so far as to call it "the big foundation" of the game Blizzard made. He also notes that Blizzard pays a lot of attention to their own game as well -- they track how fast players are going through content, and how players do it. He specifically says that Lake Wintergrasp PvP will work like the Spirit Towers in Auchindouin, in that the battle will go down at a certain time, so everyone knows when to get to work and fight there. Battlegrounds and arenas aren't being neglected, either -- there'll likely be "at least" one of each added to the game with the expansion.
Finally, he also agrees that "level separation" (the difference between the characters you've got and your friends who just joined up at level 1) is a problem that Blizzard is keeping an eye on, and while he doesn't mention any solutions yet, he says they'll change it if they feel they have to. Sounds like Brack and his team are well on their way to hammering out the expansion.
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items, Wrath of the Lich King, Battlegrounds, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
drjonesac2 Jun 9th 2008 2:42PM
I hope they implement this:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=6962987156&sid=1
Zamboni Jun 9th 2008 3:11PM
City of Heroes used a sidekick/exemplar system that allowed all members of a party to equalize their levels for instances. High-level characters could downgrade themselves to play in lower-leveled instances, gaining more influence and prestige points instead of experience points. (Granted, the lack of gear in CoH made this easier.)
They could add a CoT branch for a classic instance that drops everyone down to level 60 and limits them to the level 60 gear that existed at the time (insert CoT technojargon here). Put something at the end that level 70 characters need (badges, patterns, legendary item pieces, lvl 70+ drops). Besides pulling 70's back into the old material, it gives the 60's someone to play with and would spark a revival of level 60 crafting.
SpaceDog Jun 9th 2008 3:37PM
I have to say I get kind of bored of people wanting to go back to the "old stuff". It seems to come up every other day.
Nostalgia is nice, but progression and improvement are more important. I know for sure that I don't want to still be running Kara every week at level 80.
Anyway, eh, to be on-topic... it's good for people to recognise their influences. :)
drjonesac2 Jun 9th 2008 3:58PM
I really don't see how the idea in the linked post would take away from developing new end game content. In fact, the point was that it would be easy for the devs to do so they can get right back to making more level 80 content.
It seems that all the nay-sayers of this type of idea really can't come up with a valid reason why it shouldn't be done.
jbodar Jun 9th 2008 4:24PM
The idea would not FORCE you to run Kara every week, but rather give you an actual reward and a somewhat challenging experience if you chose to do so, other than to rush your friend through. You get to do the old content -- possibly for the first time -- and you wouldn't be uber-unstoppable. Plus, you'd get a reward to use for your character.
Cool idea.
jbodar Jun 9th 2008 4:25PM
Plus, this is way better than people whining about wanting a "classic" server, because Blood Elves touched their inner child or some such BS.
SpaceDog Jun 9th 2008 4:38PM
@drjones
Yeah, sorry, my post was meant to be a reply to the reply of the post with the link, really. It wasn't really addressing the actual article apart from my feeble attempt at shoe-horning something on-topic at the end. :D
I'm tired!
Juliah Jun 9th 2008 4:04PM
I have wanted a Sidekick/Exemplar option for World of Warcraft for a very long time. I can't keep making a new character every time a friend or co-worker decides to come play with me -- it's happened five times or so already. Please, Blizzard, implement this.
Rob Jun 9th 2008 4:32PM
Agreed, this is the achilles's heal of WoW. My RL best friend wanted to play, but wanted to start on another server. Reroll. My wife wanted to play, but she wanted to play on my old server. Reroll. My family is playing on yet another server. It would be nice if I didn't have to reroll (and quest for weeks/months) to play with friends for a night. I mean, really. Nowadays, when I want to play with my RL friend, he has to pick one of his 4 alts to play with me. Next time I want to play, he'll be many levels ahead of me.
Ceolwulf Jun 9th 2008 4:12PM
"the battle will go down at a certain time, so everyone knows when to get to work and fight there."
That sucks horribly.
So now, as in Auchindoun, we'll be able to have a few minutes of world pvp action every couple hours. Wonderful. And, once again, you'll have to schedule your play time around the game designers' decisions, if you want to partake.
Auchindoun is probably the worst pattern they could have used for this new zone.
Preston Jun 9th 2008 6:15PM
Everyone was expecting some huge free-for-all warzone with siege weapons and constant battle whenever you wanted it--Alterac Valley without the queues. Total, lovely chaos.
In reality, it's just a keep guarding a mine that is attacked/defended on a set schedule with NPCs. Blizzard will never "get" what it is people are wanting from world PvP. Warhammer, and to an extent Age of Conan, seem to be the only games that offer it.
Blizzard just can't let go...it wants to control PvP as much as possible. That means schedules, scripted events, instanced duels, etc.
Kadamon Jun 9th 2008 4:30PM
I think, if they do use the Auch-typoe PVP, they should set it down to once every either half an hour or an hour instead of every 6.
bendak Jun 9th 2008 6:02PM
"He specifically says that Lake Wintergrasp PvP will work like the Spirit Towers in Auchindouin, in that the battle will go down at a certain time, so everyone knows when to get to work and fight there. "
EPIC FAIL. :(
popeguilty Jun 10th 2008 7:32AM
He never says it's going to be every six hours. For all anyone knows it could be hourly, or half-hourly, and the fight could take a good chunk of that time. You all seem very eager to whine and not eager at all to actually base it on anything.