IRL - New potential EverQuest franchise title in the future?

[Sic]

Daybreak confirms work on EverQuest 3 is happening, though it might not be called EverQuest 3

It would be easy to presume that the future of EverQuest is largely about putting forth new expansions for the existing two titles instead of putting forth any work on a new game. However, that isn't entirely the case according to a video interview from YouTuber MinnMax, who sat down with lead...

massivelyop.com

With that in mind, Daybreak is effectively calling this next title a reboot of the original, with modern graphics, gameplay, and style, while still feeling familiar enough that fans immediately recognize the world. With that in mind, Chan is quick to point out that this new title isn’t even past the concept phase and that things can change as development moves into pre-production and prototyping.

not even past the concept phase? how about putting out content for their existing title.

As learned from EQ2 - EQ1 players really enjoy EQ1.

Unless they planned on closing down EQ1 servers, I imagine a 3rd title or 3rd iteration of the game would just dilute their existing base further.

If their current "new UI engine" is any indication of what they're doing, talking about "modern graphics" seems ???

"modern gameplay" --- sounds like microtransactions - eq1 players are not about that life.

 

[Cannonballdex]

Cool History

 

[L8erGator]

Daybreak confirms work on EverQuest 3 is happening, though it might not be called EverQuest 3

It would be easy to presume that the future of EverQuest is largely about putting forth new expansions for the existing two titles instead of putting forth any work on a new game. However, that isn't entirely the case according to a video interview from YouTuber MinnMax, who sat down with lead...

massivelyop.com

not even past the concept phase? how about putting out content for their existing title.

As learned from EQ2 - EQ1 players really enjoy EQ1.

Unless they planned on closing down EQ1 servers, I imagine a 3rd title or 3rd iteration of the game would just dilute their existing base further.

If their current "new UI engine" is any indication of what they're doing, talking about "modern graphics" seems ???

"modern gameplay" --- sounds like microtransactions - eq1 players are not about that life.

I'll be surprised if they even get this off the ground, given the limited budget they allocated for this. They said something like 25-30 Million for the entire game. I don't see how you pull together a quality MMO these days with that amount. They do pay peanuts, so maybe that helps. But I think EQ3 is just trying to build some PR hype for the brand; funny, they've gone from "EQ3 in concept phase" in 2023 to announcing in 2024, "EQ3 still in concept phase."

 

[Sic]

I'll be surprised if they even get this off the ground, given the limited budget they allocated for this. They said something like 25-30 Million for the entire game. I don't see how you pull together a quality MMO these days with that amount. They do pay peanuts, so maybe that helps. But I think EQ3 is just trying to build some PR hype for the brand; funny, they've gone from "EQ3 in concept phase" in 2023 to announcing in 2024, "EQ3 still in concept phase."

TOB feels like "concept phase" lol

 

[Kilas_Army]

"reboot of the original, with modern graphics, gameplay, and style"

So, just like Star Wars and Marvel on Disney? Star Trek on Paramount Plus?
Or Bioware, CDPR and every other game design studio in existence?

What could possibly go wrong?

There is a reason why I pay to play a 25 year old game.

 

[L8erGator]

TOB feels like "concept phase" lol

2025 Expansions "Everquest: The Ho " - don't even get the name finished next year

 

[phillsphan]

That was pretty cool

 

[Smartiez]

imagine they did a EQ3 with all the QoL stuff that we have here, that I could get behind!

 

[519helvis]

file this under the same category as pantheon

"wishful thinking aka dont bother waiting its not happening"

 

[daffie999]

EQ is the greatest game of all time. But I have realized that a key ingredient is being in college, first time on my own, little responsibility, staying up late, skipping class, going out drinking and coming back to play drunk EQ, playing till 8 am and getting breakfast then sleeping all day. None of that will exist again in my life unless I end up in a badass nursing home some day.

While I just started with the RG/MQ stuff, the automated boxing is the closest I've come to being able to relive all of it. With all that said, if they are smart they will integrate boxing into the game and/or add private servers and/or add AI players to any future EQ.

I'll be surprised if they even get this off the ground, given the limited budget they allocated for this. They said something like 25-30 Million for the entire game.

This is where the "remake" idea is pretty good. They could save a lot if they just made EQ with some modern improvements.

 

[Algar]

I saw this the other day and decided not to share it because I don't want to spread fake news. I'm with helvis 10000%.

 

[Rusang]

Exciting, but I just wanna play EQ with RG software. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Sic]

Exciting, but I just wanna play EQ with RG software. Is that too much to ask?

Frfr

 

[WeirdO]

Probably going to go as well as EQ Next. How about make a EQ1 style game with the ability to run MQ and not ban the crap out of them?

 

[WeirdO]

I guess Pantheon rise of the fallen is still under way though.

 

[an_image]

Exciting, but I just wanna play EQ with RG software. Is that too much to ask?

@Rusang wish granted, you can play EQ with RG but only as a troll paladin that can’t be healed or rezzed

I wish at @Rusang made wishes in the Paw post instead of other discussion threads

 

[raw]

I wish they would just upgrade the current game with a modern graphics engine like Unreal.
Imagine all the current content and gameplay but with ray tracing, high-quality textures, etc.
And no zoning

 

[Cybris]

That whole bit in the investor meetings of EG7 where they had a proposed budget of 30 mil for a new EQ game was sell job to try and entice investors. The problem is it doesn’t look like it worked because their stock is still in the toilet. They are also debt heavy. One reason they sold off the Planetside IP to get rid of some debt and generate capital. I just don’t see EG7 investing a lot into a major project as a new MMO for EQ.

I get it that discussions are underway and Jen revealed a little that her vision would be to keep the same world just with updated graphics and more intuitive controls and gameplay. Let’s not forget the disaster that was EQ Next and that was when they had a lot more available capital from Sony.

Oh and she said EQ has only 20 to 30 people working on it that is split between eq1 and eq2. There are art, sound, database, network server people. My geuss the actual people that write code is 5 to 6 and I just don’t see how it would be possible to create a modern MMO with so small a team in a decent time window.

 

[Sic]

I wish they would just upgrade the current game with a modern graphics engine like Unreal.
Imagine all the current content and gameplay but with ray tracing, high-quality textures, etc.
And no zoning

can't imagine the hardware required to run eq with all that.

performance sucks already (with old and new ui engine)

 

[Algar]

I wish they would just upgrade the current game with a modern graphics engine like Unreal.
Imagine all the current content and gameplay but with ray tracing, high-quality textures, etc.
And no zoning

when you hit the lottery and bankroll this, i'll be there to play

 

[arcreactorkc]

can't imagine the hardware required to run eq with all that.

performance sucks already (with old and new ui engine)

That was exactly my thought process to the whole thing.

A "modern" EQ will require modern hardware. If the gaming industry as a whole is seen as an example the minimum specs will be a 4080 and 32gb of DDR.
I never played EQ because it had awesome graphics. As a product of the 80's I remember thinking Duke Nukem was amazingly detailed...

Kids are playing minecraft and enjoying the game completely made from cubes. Super realistic graphics should be a footnote on an MMO

 

[jande]

I get it that discussions are underway and Jen revealed a little that her vision would be to keep the same world just with updated graphics and more intuitive controls and gameplay. Let’s not forget the disaster that was EQ Next and that was when they had a lot more available capital from Sony.

Jen and vision does not belong in the same sentence !

 

[Ionis]

I wish they would just upgrade the current game with a modern graphics engine like Unreal.
Imagine all the current content and gameplay but with ray tracing, high-quality textures, etc.
And no zoning

With how old EverQuest's codebase is, updating everything to a game engine like Unreal would be a monumental undertaking.

I definitely agree that upgrading the current game to a modernized engine would be really sweet, but it makes a lot more sense for them to go for an entirely new solution.

That way they can drip feed us all the same content that the current game has for $40+ year after year with less effort, but it's a little bit shinier!

 

[Abb7327]

I'm not putting any thought into this for a long while. Not worth the disappointment that will likely happen.

Kids are playing minecraft and enjoying the game completely made from cubes. Super realistic graphics should be a footnote on an MMO

Side note. I'm an adult playing Minecraft. The game is amazing especially Modded. Just saying lol. Also EverQuest on Minecraft was pretty cool!

 

[Peppe]

All hyped up, and BOOOOM! Turned based game, or another card game.

 

[RobRenfro]

MMO Hype Train: What could make EverQuest 3 a future triumph | Massively Overpowered

 

[Sic]

this is just more of this

 

[Free_Sid]

Ill be retiring in 5 years so Ill definitely have the time to pick up a new game.

 

[Drallin]

"modern gameplay" --- sounds like microtransactions - eq1 players are not about that life.

It could mean microtransactions, but doesn't have to. That said, EQ already has them, although they're mostly cosmetic/qol.

It could mean tighter game loop, faster gameplay, and so on. (e.g., Genshin Impact, while not strictly an MMO, has a 15-20 minute daily login time, which is too short for an MMO, but is indicative of something the market wants.)



If they have a lead designer whose head isn't glued to the past, they could sit down and distill what EQ is good at that other games don't spike on. The problem is a lot of those things aren't compatible with mass market, and if you're not doing mass market, why bother with this? As an exmaple, the old guild level PvPvE politics/logistical game prior to instanced raids was unique, but that doesn't scale, and isn't mass-market compatible. Insane farming/grinding was always EQ's thing, but if they want to go mass market, they probably have to drop that. Even outside mass market... let's be real, MQ2 wouldn't exist if the grinding wasn't nutty, which indicates it doesn't even work for a portion of the existing base. They'd need to basically eliminate MQ2's desire to exist, since MQ2 fixes/mitigates many of EQ's market-facing issues. Forced grouping - maybe ok. Blizzard's model with dungeon queues could work, if you don't consider spamming to find a group part of the core EQ experience.

So what's left? Personally, I think EQ's remaining market-feasible core attribute is relatively brutal dungeon clearing. Will we beat respawns? We're going to get a 10 pull if we don't do X, and we can handle at most 6-7. The relatively slow grindy gameplay in EQ can lead to sustained adrenaline sessions where if you're at the edge of where your group can be and you're racing something slow and impending that's creeping up on you. That doesn't really happen in Warcraft, as fights/encoutners are much shorter/defined (unless you're at the bleeding edge of mythic+).


IMO their success/failure here will be based on whether they recognize that the things much of EQ's remaining player base considers core EQ (ridiculously grindy stuff) is not market feasible, and they focus on one of their other core strenghts. (The word remaining is highlighted because it doesn't include lapsed players and people that weren't sticky after tyring it prefer.)


EQ's caretakers, IMO, have never had a good understanding of big picture market stuff, so we'll see what they mean if/when they get closer to having a product. I wouldn't bet on it personally. But it isn't impossible.

 

[Redfrog]

They'd need to basically eliminate MQ2's desire to exist

In essence, yes. By either incorporating the toolsets (macros and Lua, etc) directly, having new style servers where 6 boxing/12 boxing is the thing to do..new achievements and even missions that have adaptive techniques potentially could keep it different. Having TLP/Live/Boxing versions could be a new revenue stream..expansion multi deals. Having the core tenets built in of the RG stuff would be better overall (I think), but another way would be player created add-ons. This would be essentially all the stuff RG or MMOBugs has, but 'ok'd' for use on Boxing servers.

 

[Drallin]

In essence, yes. By either incorporating the toolsets (macros and lua, etc) directly, having new style servers where 6 boxing/12 boxing is the thing to do..new achievements and even missions that have adaptive techniques potentially could keep it different. Having TLP/Live/Boxing versions could be a new revenue stream..expansion multi deals. Having the core tenets built in of the RG stuff would be better overall (I think), but another way would be player created add-ons. This would be essentially all the stuff RG or MMOBugs has, but 'ok'd' for use on Boxing servers.

I think they should do all that for EQ live for sure. But a new game, and especially if their claim is "modern game systems," they should be dropping all the tedious stuff that resulted in people creating MQ in the first place. A lot of the QoL/UI stuff that MQ/RG etc., does is baseline in most modern games. As an example, you don't really need /travel if a game has waypoints everywhere. But MQ really came out of automation, and the automation portion exists mostly because of design choices that were fine in 1999, but don't fly in 2025.

If they feel like boxing macros are something useful to add to the new game, I'd say they've missed targeting a profitable market in 2025. Getting some existing players to buy 6 accounts is great (assuming you can pry them from eq1)... but increasing your addressable market by 20x is better.

 

[Redfrog]

If they feel like boxing macros are something useful

There is the thing...stuck in a this is how its been, 'You're in Our world Now' pattern of GM godhood. If I open an an EMU, I am being mini DBG by from that moment taking the game files and deciding what I want t do, how I want me or my playerbase to play..I have to decide, what to add or leave in the old code and what type players I want to attract. DBG has an incentive to make money though, happy players who have balanced stuff and not my 36 man train can take over a zone and wipe out everything and I finish EQ in 2 days..will pay, through the nose to have a fun time in Norrath. Krono sales/character sales, plat, etc, is all on top of what they make with expansion sales/Station store and whatever else they do... but it does show people want to play. Banning someone instead of giving them a proper sandbox is stupid. The original programmers of the early years had a vested interest in keeping the players reliant on each other, forcing groups and raids of players to accomplish things, early internet, computers not so powerful to run multiple instances, Brad still overseeing, MMORPG still rather 'new'. Current programmers are stuck by a rule or pigheadedness to make changes to the old way, as if they think they are wering a Mando helmt and smirking 'This is the way', instead of what cool crap can we do and make this FUN! This old game can run a 6 box easy on any cheap computer you buy today...so... lets make more many and get more online.. and not take away the ability to play LFG if thats your thing.
<----Look at this little sad froggy, he can't play because hes not the young adult or teen with no responsibilities and stay available to raid or group at a moments notice like 20+ years ago. Now he sits alone a lot..

<-----Look at this Froggy, Happy as a clam because he doesn't wait for 5 other people or a group of 50 to play, he sits down and plays and enjoys what he wants, as long as he wants and not reliant on other people needing to leave for bathroom or dinner. He plays, has fun, logs off, comes back and wants to pay for this game style. What? He has to pay for 6 accounts (but not have fear of banning) , No prob, this game is FUN and now allows group complexity in the play, like TONS of other fantasy games do.

Whether they make it for our current EQ or a future one, both are solid ideas and would increase their revenue, why are you so desperate to stay stagnant DBG.. you were once the leader.. SOAR again. I know you read this, let a froggy help you.

 

[Thehub]

Ill be retiring in 5 years so Ill definitely have the time to pick up a new game.

Hopefully you tell me what game and your charactor name whooot be lke old times hehe

 

[Free_Sid]

Hopefully you tell me what game and your charactor name whooot be lke old times hehe

Absolutely !