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Page 2 of 5
(2001-06-22)
Q: Along those lines, how would you plug some of the characters from your novels into the race/class structure of Everquest? (I know this can only be done loosely). For example, Drizzt Do’Urden is most likely a level 60 Dark Elf Ranger, but I can’t figure out if his arch nemesis Artemis Entreri is a level 60 Human Rogue or Warrior. Can you give us some other examples?
A: Hard one for me to do. In the past, TSR and now Wizards of the Coast have asked me to do game stats for my characters, and I'm never comfortable doing that. It's all relative after all. Should Drizzt be a 60th level superman? Or should he be more of a mid-level adventurer, really just starting out? Depends on the game and the particular situation. I get a lot of letters from angry DM's, mad that Drizzt is so super-powerful (in the game supplements, I guess), and I have to constantly remind them that it's THEIR game, so they can adjust things to suit THEIR needs.
Along the lines of EQ, I wouldn't even begin to guess.
Q: Do you remember your first thoughts and actions when you entered the world of Norrath?
A: I need a better video card. After that was resolved, I couldn't believe the 1st-person feeling of the game. It wasn't overly cluttered like some of the shooter games (that give this old man a headache!). The layout of the zones and the general design is simply fabulous, and really puts you in there. I knew at once that this was the next level of gaming, and knew, too, that we're getting closer to the point where virtual reality really is. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, or a bad thing.
Q: What is your playing style? Are you generally a power gamer? Role-player? Explorer? And do you prefer to play solo or do you usually find a group?
A: I have absolutely no interest in power gaming. I've done it a couple of times, briefly, and couldn't even stand sitting at the computer. I like the process of the game, and get no sense of accomplishment if there's a super-high-level druid throwing a thorn shield and a regen on me. Plus, when you play that way, I think you miss the enjoyment that every level has to offer. My favorite times playing EQ were in Oasis, at orc-highway, in the late teens with my monk. Wild fights and flights! I made some friends there - who I saw several levels later in South Karana.
I love the element of danger! It's hard to really role-play in an on-line setting; if you're sitting their coming up with great things to say while your friends are getting clobbered, it won't really be appreciated. I am an explorer, and don't mind solo'ing at all, and unfortunately, I think this is where EQ is at its weakest. Sure, my 45th level monk can go in alone and take a look at the new Runnyeye, but if I took in a character of the right level for the zone (my 27th Warrior), I couldn't begin to get downstairs.
Q: Give us your impressions of Everquest. How does Everquest compare to the other games you have played? What is it about Everquest that you like the most? The least? Is there anything you would change about the game if you had the power to do so?
A: Like I said earlier, EQ is the next level. I think Ultima would be right there, as well, if it had the first-person perspective that I really need. Haven't tried the others, so I can't really comment. What I like the most is the sense of adventure.
The least? Well, I'm not going to sit here and practice hindsight on the developers at Verant, and in truth, a lot of the changes I'd make would probably go against what many other players now like about the game! The one thing I will speak out against is farming. It's okay to have a high-level in a lower level zone, taking items when there are no lower level people actually adventuring in there, but it bugs me to be in a dungeon, trying to make a good and honest kill to get something I can use, when a super character casts a spell, takes out the critter and flies off to GFay to sell the item. That is frustrating!
What I have learned is that EQ is really several different games, depending on how you WANT to play it. Want the super items? Get some plat and go sit in your server’s market zone. Buy low and sell high, and within a few hours, you'll have some great stuff. In truth, I don't think you need to go that route. With the exception of the weapons, which really slant the game, I've found that items and stats aren't really that important. One of the things that Verant did very right was offer so many possibilities as to make min/maxing nearly impossible, and really not worth the effort.
What I would love to see, and i think it's coming, from the rumors my friends have told me, is more detail on screen concerning characters and items. I'd like that white wolf cloak to show up. If the designers ever get the opportunity and the tools to do that, it will be amazing.
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