Interviews
Producer Robert Pftister opens up the world of EverQuest: Dragons of Norrath
“The new style of play of the mission system is pretty unique and offers a whole new way of playing”
Firiona Vie and Lanys T’Vyl have returned, but more than this portend of catastrophic events, the call has gone out for something more – for heroes to answer the call in the unending battle between good and evil.
Six months ago, or so, the world of the original EverQuest received yet another expansion – its eighth – in Omens of War. The new year is starting out with a bang with the ninth expansion for the venerated title due out in February. EverQuest: Dragons of Norrath returns players to the lands between Halas and Lavastorm, in search of the ancestral birthplace of all dragons. But more than the recognized faces of good and evil is at work here – there is another dark influence exerting its will into the lands, and causing new tensions.
Dragons of Norrath is much like other EQ expansions in that it brings new adventures and new storylines into the fabric of the long-standing massively multiplayer title. But this title also brings a host of new and exciting features into the guild portion of the game.
Producer Robert Pftister took time to chat with GameZone.com about the latest EQ expansion.
Question: It seems that every time gamers turn around, there is something new and exciting happening in the world of Norrath, as it pertains to the original EverQuest. From where do you draw the inspirations for the content? Are these part of some grand master scheme, or derived from fans' input on the forums?
Robert: The designers (in fact much of the team) spend a good portion of their time (both at work and after work) thinking of ideas that would be good additions to the world of EverQuest. It’s a natural occurrence when you’re working in a field that excites you, you get a good idea, talk about it, refine it, implement it, balance it and test it and that begets new ideas, and so on. Expand that over the design team, and the greater EverQuest team, each year, and you have a huge amount of “good ideas” from which to draw.
Q: The new levels being introduced into the game are geared for players at what levels? How will they get to these areas - as in, are they accessible by travel, or by quest? Are their instanced zones there or are the areas (like the Nest) that are basically open to anyone who makes it there?
Robert: EverQuest: Dragons of Norrath brings with it an all-new Lavastorm (which is accessible to all players). That is the jumping off point of the expansion. From there, players 45-70 can adventure into the The Broodlands to start their exploration of the expansion. The expansion consists of a combination of travel zones and a new mission system.
Missions take the best parts from LDoN-style adventures and give them the hand-crafted feel of traditional quests. They challenge players to choose a side in the conflict and venture back to the expansion dungeons where they will undertake a set of tasks to further the goals of their chosen faction. In return, players earn the ability to purchase wares that the factions make available to their champions.
The missions play out in instanced versions of the dungeons allowing players to complete their goals in a familiar setting without interruption and allowing us to throw out twists and turns that aren’t feasible in standard dungeon settings. As players progress through the Dragons of Norrath missions, they will uncover the history of The Nest and the terrible secrets behind its reopening.
Q: Approximately how many new quests are being added and what does the new treasure hold (as in, are there more powerful weapons to be found, or amulets and rings and the like)?
Robert: As with all EQ expansions, there’s a ton to do, a ton to explore and a ton to find!
Q: There seems to be a lot of new guild attributes being added to the game. What prompted more focus on guild elements?
Robert: With the leadership experience in Gates and guild tribute in Omens, expanding on features specifically for guilds seemed like a natural progression. We hope that as EverQuest evolves and play styles evolve that these features prove really useful to guilds letting them concentrate on playing and not so much on prepping or recovery.
Q: You are putting a mass corpse summoning altar in the guild areas. Do you anticipate the new areas making an altar like that a necessity? Does this pull in dead waiting for a rez, or will it pull in shards as well? How is that used and how does it focus on a group of guild members?
Robert: The corpse summoning alter will allow a player to summon their corpses back to the guildhall for a price. We're adjusting the price of the summoning based on what necromancers can already summon corpses for. The corpse alter will be more expensive then a necromancer, but not so much that you're average player isn't going to able to afford it if something tragic happens.
Q: How will guilds acquire items like the portal, altar and tradeskill stations?
Robert: They will come with the instances of the guild halls. Players with the expansion will zone into the Guild Hall Lobby off of POK. From the lobby, anyone in a guild will zone into their own guild’s instance of a guild hall. Some of the guild features are available inside the guild lobby, such as the corpse alter, while others such as the tradeskill stations and the portal is inside of the instanced guildhall area.
Q: The player barter system sounds like something familiar to gamers in EQ II. Is it similar? Is there much rollover of ideas between the two games or are they complete separate on all levels? Does the barter system work as an adjunct to the existing player selling system in the Planes?
Robert: You can think of the Barter System as sort of a ‘reverse bazaar’. Players can go to the bazaar and “sell” items to other player characters. In the Barter Zone, players can request items (“I’m looking for bone chips.”) and will either offer coin or other items or both in exchange for them.
Q: What do you consider to be some of the more compelling elements of this expansion?
Robert: I think the mission system and the dragons are pretty close. It’s been a long time since EQ has had new dragon models, these dragons are stunning. The new style of play of the mission system is pretty unique and offers a whole new way of playing.
Q: Will this expansion come bundled with the original game, or will it require the original title?
Robert: Like the last several expansions, it will require the original title, but will not ship with it.
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