OK, another EQ2 design decision I don't understand

[Arlos]

I do have a EQ2 developer contact at SOE. I don't ask him about decisions like this. Mainly because he couldn't tell me anything other than the public answer, not unless he wants to risk his job. I wouldn't want to put him in that kind of position. Same thing as to why I won't ask him if he likes the Nov 8th release date. He's a friend, I'm not going to ask anything along those lines that might cause any problems, certainly not when we're just chatting online. If I lived in SD, and we were hanging out having a beer, maybe, but probably not even then.

You're a big EQ2 supporter, surely YOU must have a reason why they'd do this, beyond "it won't effect me", yes?

-Arlos

[Naginataka]

So far no one has come up with a single good reason for this design decision. A few have said it won't effect them at all, which is a perfectly viable personal opinion to have, but it still doesn't explain why they did this. Can anyone do that? Shouldn't matter what I think of SOE for you to come up with a reason, should it?

-Arlos

None of us made the decision. We could list 100000 reasons.

And why bother? All you are doingis rating about a game you hav never played know little about and hate with a passion.

Go send Smedly an e-mail and demand an answer.

[Naginataka]

Oh and the database SWG thing I mentioned is probably it, but then again, it is only a guess. Anytime you have a game this complex and detailed you can run into problems. The more basic and simple the game, the less you ahve to worry about it. EQ,very basic. COH extremely basic. Etc.

[Lyion]

I do have a EQ2 developer contact at SOE. I don't ask him about decisions like this. Mainly because he couldn't tell me anything other than the public answer, not unless he wants to risk his job. I wouldn't want to put him in that kind of position. Same thing as to why I won't ask him if he likes the Nov 8th release date. He's a friend, I'm not going to ask anything along those lines that might cause any problems, certainly not when we're just chatting online. If I lived in SD, and we were hanging out having a beer, maybe, but probably not even then.

You're a big EQ2 supporter, surely YOU must have a reason why they'd do this, beyond "it won't effect me", yes?

I've played the game and said I enjoyed it. When does that make me some large EQ supporter?

I have no SOE contacts. How would I know their reasoning, unless they posted a PR, and you obviously know more about the game development than I.

[Harrison]

4 slots, 4 archetypes.

I dont see anything wrong with this OTHER than the limit serverwide.

[Lyion]

Actually Arlos, I haven't been subscribed to EQ for the last three years. Technically you are much more of an SOE supporter than I.

I've been playing other MMOs.

[Harrison]

SWG YOU FANBOI!

[brinstar]

guys you should relax, it doesn't seem like arlos is ranting or flaming

although it seems as though you are tempting him to do so

it is a valid question, regardless. why did they settle on 4 slots overall and not 4 per server? has anyone on the beta board posed this question and received a response?

[10sun]

Maybe the serverwide limit is because they won't charge you to move servers and maybe you can log your characters onto whichever server suits your whim that day?

That would be cool.

-Adam

[Lyion]

Honestly, I didn't know about it before Arlos posted,

I 'debate' Arlos so often on CA, its somewhat second nature.

That would be cool, Adam, but it'd surprise me. Moreso its the database size due to the individuality and higher polygon per char in EQ2. Earlier games, characters were static and not individual.

[Arlos]

The only thing I have to say about that though is that COH characters are pretty detailed, if not quite as many polys, but there are certainly a ton of options to customize your characters, and they allow 8 per server. Also, I really don't think they'd need to store any sort of graphical information in the player files. There's a finite number of faces and a finite number of options per face. They could just store it as an array of numbers, ie, face #5, lips #2, nose #4, hair #12, hair color #9, skin tone #48, ears #23. Stored even in comma delimited format that'd be 5,2,4,12,9,48,23. Now, I'm sure there's more appearance options, but you could still store the selections numerically in an array, without taking up a whole lot of room.

So, I don't buy it being a database size issue. Otherwise you'd see it in SWG too, right?

-Arlos

[Atalya]

the whole thing is who ever came up with 8 characers per server? Or with 10 chars per server? or 1 Char per server (DAOC)? or 1 Char per account (FFXI)? Why is it that no one questions another companies movement until it's SoE. I mean if WoW all of a sudden said they are only letting you get 10 Chars on all servers i highly doubt this would be a huge issue. OR if EQ1 had only let you have 4 chars on all servers this wouldn't be an issue. All it is , is a reason to nitpick when really there is no cause for it. That's all fine and dandy that LoS has a hand in WoW, myself i thought it was pretty gay seeing Leick and other's names in the game because it takes away from any sense of originality. Although Merchant Beardo is $$$.

The point is moot . They chose 4. Who's to say it stays that way? Who's to say that in the end it doesn't make sense. Point is there is no reason to start bitching about it now when you haven't seen if it impacts the game or not. Thx i'll be here all week

[Lyion]

So, I don't buy it being a database size issue. Otherwise you'd see it in SWG too, right?

SWG only allows a single character per server. They've admitted they limited it based on database size, Arlos. They allow a maximum 9 chars serverwide in SWG. Yes, the limits are there, and its the only other game with a high polygon individualized character creation, and not static lemming models.

EQ2 characters are a lot more customized than COH, which uses pat designs and not high poly models. There is no comparison in the customization.

[Naginataka]

Its not just the look of the toon in SWG. Its the fact that every stupid thing in the game has a unique tag. Everything your character ever makes creates a brand new entry that has to be accessed every stupid time anyone gets near it. Thats why SWG still has the retarded lag where you can walk in a house and wait a few seconds to a few minutes till the merchants appear.

They probably wanted to avoid these problems altogether. The EQ2 system is nowhere near as intensive as the SWG one, but much more intense compared to the other games so they are probably safe with 4.

COH had tons of customization, but it really was only a few hundred options. If every single enhancement that dropped had aunigue tag, every combined enhancement had a unique tag and the tags that amde it, etc etc etc, then you would get a problem.

SWG was even stupid enough that every credit had a unique tag. Thats how they could track duped credits leading to the banning of what? 45k players 6 months ago.

[Naginataka]

In other words it is not just database size, it is amount of times the database will need accessed per player per second per item per credit, etc.

[brinstar]

that makes sense

[runamonk]

So far no one has come up with a single good reason for this design decision. A few have said it won't effect them at all, which is a perfectly viable personal opinion to have, but it still doesn't explain why they did this. Can anyone do that? Shouldn't matter what I think of SOE for you to come up with a reason, should it?

-Arlos

I can't think of any ONE good reason to do this. There are probably multiple reasons for this, probably some of the reasons that were previously stated in this thread. We won't really know though.


np Atayla, if the game were that good we would all still be playing it now wouldn't we?

[Witty]

I thought that it was obvious it was to sell it in an expansion, why is there still questioning to it?

I think it's cool simply because I would feel less sketchy about hooking up newbs.

[Adivina]

Apparently you didn't read my post Arlos because I thought I came up with a pretty decent reason.

4 slots = one for each archetype

Teezy, I'm not sure why you are having the problems you are having. Its very odd, I haven't heard of others having them. I'll see if I can find any other people that have had or do have similar issues.

[10sun]

Apparently you didn't read my post Arlos because I thought I came up with a pretty decent reason.

4 slots = one for each archetype

Teezy, I'm not sure why you are having the problems you are having. Its very odd, I haven't heard of others having them. I'll see if I can find any other people that have had or do have similar issues.

That doesn't explain the serverwide limit though.

-Adam

[runamonk]

Apparently you didn't read my post Arlos because I thought I came up with a pretty decent reason.

4 slots = one for each archetype

Teezy, I'm not sure why you are having the problems you are having. Its very odd, I haven't heard of others having them. I'll see if I can find any other people that have had or do have similar issues.

That doesn't explain the serverwide limit though.

-Adam

Yeah that's a little odd, I might want to play with friends on different servers, that'll be hard if I don't have the slots left. Most likely I would have to buy another license and use that instead. :/

[Lueyen]

Wasn't it Final Fantasy that had only 1 character and if you wanted more you had to pay?

Yes, 1 character, but you could switch "jobs" (classes).

[Naginataka]

Wasn't it Final Fantasy that had only 1 character and if you wanted more you had to pay?

Yes, 1 character, but you could switch "jobs" (classes).

Yeah, but they were all equally painful to play so why would you?

[runamonk]

Yeah, but they were all equally painful to play so why would you?

That was the only way to get any variety out of that game. It lets you have an alt without having to change your name. You can play as a healer for a while then change back to a tank. I personally like the idea and wish more games would allow you to do multiple jobs at one time.

You want to play a different class, you just swap out gear and switch to that job. Piece of cake and you never miss a tell or a message. So if something is happening you can always hit the bank/house and switch back.

[Harrison]

I loved that personally...