Tamat - Hello Curt, thank you for taking some time out of your day to talk with us.
Curt – Thanks for having me
Tamat - You’ve been playing EverQuest for quite a long time now, when did you decide to make the switch to EverQuest II? How would you compare the two?
Curt - I made the switch to EQ2 during the last year and a half. Once I got to see some pre beta stuff, and hear the direction it was headed, I knew I wanted to try it.
You know, I wouldn't. Honestly the games bear the same name, and they have at their center mostly the same races, classes, but I can't compare them simply because they both have such an enormously different feel to me. I think the main reason that is, and I almost regret it now, was the haste in which I got to 50 in EQ2 as compared to my EQ1 toons. I made a serious effort to see and experience as much of the game as I could, but there was so much added after I had leveled past it, and so many zones that I never really got to see in depth during the leveling crunch I played under, that I missed alot. That being said, I am apart of a very good guild so my EQ2 experience is fun, and I am enjoying the game. My main concern at the moment is the extreme lack of direction and content in the high end game.
Tamat - Do you know of any other baseball players who play EverQuest II?
Curt - I know of 2 for sure, Todd Pratt and Doug Glanville I know play.
Tamat - What so far has been your most memorable moment in EverQuest II?
Curt - My most memorable EQ and EQ2 moments usually center around laughter. So many late night sessions, things that made me bust out laughing out loud at 3am are things I remember. Drow's original Gunny, one night he was foraging, talking trash on guildies and in chat and splat, falls off a cliff and dies, laughed for 30 minutes at that one. Another one was when one of our original Coercers, Obms, was killed to the point of nakedness during an early Maidens Gulch Raid. It was like 2am, we just wipe for the 6-7th time, I turn around and there's a naked ratonga, emoting left and right about covering himself and yelling in ooc not to look. Spur of the moment stuff like that I remember. I also remember Amaryllia and Locke basically table dancing in front of a DROW recruit in EFP, then I get a tell from that person with something like "Dude where can I sign up and does that come with membership"?
Tamat - Haha! Good times.
Tamat - In a fairly recent thread on the Official EverQuest II forums many people were wondering what class you play. Would you mind telling us a bit about your character and why you decided on your class?
Curt - In EQ1 I played a monk, in MAC EQ I played a shaman, and am now a Defiler. I like the ability to impact a group, raid, in more ways than one, from dotting and debuffing to warding and healing. I also chose Ogre, been at it now for a few years and I think the race is spot on as far as what I would be in game.
Tamat - As a hardcore player, I enjoy raiding content. One of the big issues I have right now is with the loot tables that epic mobs have. Most don’t have any kind of a set loot table. Knowing that you are also into the raiding content, how do you feel about how this is working currently?
Curt - I think the audience as a whole needs an adjustment. Way too many players are whiners, so few players actually do much about it. Players feel that they are entitled, I don't. Let me take one sec here to say thanks to all those players on the test server, you people are true hardcore gamers and your efforts are appreciated. The hard part for me is watching people bitch and moan on a nightly basis when something fabled for their class doesn't drop. Oh I am like the next guy in that getting a fabled item is cool, and I hope I get more, but for alot of players it's their driving force for playing the game. Am sick and tired of watching a master chest open and seeing raid people who didn't get a class appropriate drop say "oh that sucks, that's crap, that loot stinks". Here's a novel concept, be fired up that SOMEONE other than you had something nice happen to them. Kinda scary thought ain't it? I love the fact that masters are silly rare, they should be, but I also am a firm believer that masters MUST be powered up, alot, or changed to proc rare effects, after all you mastered it didn't you? I also like the fact that master chests are rare, and fabled loot is rarer, very cool imo. I don't want a server full of twinks in fabled gear, I love that TSers have and are, and will make an impact on the high end game.
Tamat - What are you most looking forward too in the first expansion? What would you like to see implemented in the game in the near future?
Curt - First off more levels, the 10 they are implementing I am praying they are deep. That you get more per level ability and spell wise.I'd love to see races begin to get more race driven resist ability now. I'd also like to see level 51+ spells and abilities become VERY class specific, and see the classes begin to branch FAR apart in their abilities. I think SOE has done a fantastic job to this point but I want more specialization.
Tamat - Rumor has it you will be attending fanfaire. Can you confirm this for us?
Curt - Yes I will, on Thursday.
Tamat - Certainly you have had a lot more time to play since you have been out with an injury. Do you know yet if your going to be able to come back next season?
Curt - I hope so. At the moment I am spending 10 days in Phoenix working 3 times a day to try and accelerate the progression of my recovery. It's been an enormously frustrating season to this point but the team has done an incredible job in the midst of the injuries we have endured.
Tamat - Well you have been in my prayers and I hope that you are able to play again. Thank you again Curt for talking with me. It has been a true honor and a pleasure.
Curt – Likewise Tamat, and to you and other EQ2 site developers thanks for doing what you do. No one knows the time and effort put forth by you guys and I am glad to call you a guild mate. BTW DROW is now accepting applications and we are looking for Templars, Conjurers, Warlocks and Monks, please check out http://www.drow.org BUT don't apply if you aren't a hardcore player looking to be a part of a TEAM!
