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Windows Everquest Next/Landmark
- Thread starter Huntn
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The Alpha started on the 29th. I got around to downloading the Landmark client last night and today actually got on for 5 minutes before the servers went down again. Well this is an Alpha but it looks like there are only 2 servers in use. 
BTW the NDA was lifted which is unusual, so it's ok to blab about the game in a forum like this.
BTW the NDA was lifted which is unusual, so it's ok to blab about the game in a forum like this.
Spent a couple of hours running around in the game. Each island is descried as about 4 square miles. Although that does not sound very big, it always looks big in a MMO. All the claim locations were staked out. A claim allows you to build upon it.
This island was all mountainous varying from green to arid and desert, with some treed areas, but not what I would describe as forest. This island might have been called "Leyland" or "Leyline" that is the name I saw at the hub.
I did some gathering with the intent of upgrading my tools and after I had satisfied myself that no plots remained to be claimed, returned to the "hub" a central location with a crafting table and a teleporter. When I tried to teleport to another island, the game crashed on me.
This is "Alpha" after all.
This island was all mountainous varying from green to arid and desert, with some treed areas, but not what I would describe as forest. This island might have been called "Leyland" or "Leyline" that is the name I saw at the hub.
I did some gathering with the intent of upgrading my tools and after I had satisfied myself that no plots remained to be claimed, returned to the "hub" a central location with a crafting table and a teleporter. When I tried to teleport to another island, the game crashed on me.
This is "Alpha" after all.
One Week Into Alpha
Fortunately the NDA was lifted by the developers so you are getting to hear about the game in an early, not quite finished state, where features are in flux.
First there was the mad Land Rush were not enough claims and to many players, left many of us with "wandering nomad" status. Three days into beta a new server was opened and the situation was remedied I think for most of the Alpha participants. However, the new server opened around 3am and by 6:30am when I logged in all the best spots, close to the Hub (central transport location) were scooped up. I settled on a tall mountain out near the edge of the zone in an arid desert area. Now that I've been here a few days, the area is appealing to me. I don't see many people running about although it is about a 7-10 minute jaunt to the hub.
Land rushes may just be an aspect of this game for the foreseeable future. On retail it will depend on how many servers compared to how many players, and maybe if you are willing to claim your land at 3 in the morning.
Each server has a long list of zones. Transportation from zone to zone is by teleporting from the Hub. There are no fast travel options within a zone, other than crafting and equipping some "fast running" items. This is a very pretty building game. There are no quests, no pvp, no critters to harass you (some may come later), just building. Allow me to correct that, the quest is to build, build tools, and build grand structures.
Lots (pieces of land) are claimed, each lot is big enough to build a respectable small castle, and with each lot is quite a large buffer, I assume so more lots could be added to your homestead. Although in Alpha for now, each player is restricted to one parcel. In this lot you can build your dream castle. Did I mention grind? Yes, grind. Materials must be collected from across the country side for building all items.
Compared to Mincraft, there are pros and cons. It's like Minecraft with 1000x better graphics. The advantage that Minecraft has right now is freedom, control of an entire map (if playing solo). Minecraft also has critters, monsters, and pvp, but my impression is that as the game progresses, Landmark will acquire some of these things too.
As an MMO, Landmark's huge advantage is compelling landscapes, and advanced building tools. It puts Minecraft's block by block building to shame.
Something I noticed upon claiming land was a message about "claim maintenance". As far as I know the game has been described as subscription free, and fees have not been announced, but apparently claims can expire. Also the rumor that more claims means more fees. For a MMO, it makes sense that claims should be active and not left abandoned. Those things are still yet to be fleshed out. It is also unknown if any claim maintenance will be able to be earned in-game or will have to be paid for with Sony Station cash. We'll just have to wait and see how this develops.
Another interesting aspect of Landmark will be what will players do after they have built their dream castle. Will they stay? Will they make new claims an build more? Right now that is a bit too far out to make projections as the game is in a state of flux with future features to be added.
So far, so good!
Fortunately the NDA was lifted by the developers so you are getting to hear about the game in an early, not quite finished state, where features are in flux.
First there was the mad Land Rush were not enough claims and to many players, left many of us with "wandering nomad" status. Three days into beta a new server was opened and the situation was remedied I think for most of the Alpha participants. However, the new server opened around 3am and by 6:30am when I logged in all the best spots, close to the Hub (central transport location) were scooped up. I settled on a tall mountain out near the edge of the zone in an arid desert area. Now that I've been here a few days, the area is appealing to me. I don't see many people running about although it is about a 7-10 minute jaunt to the hub.
Land rushes may just be an aspect of this game for the foreseeable future. On retail it will depend on how many servers compared to how many players, and maybe if you are willing to claim your land at 3 in the morning.
Each server has a long list of zones. Transportation from zone to zone is by teleporting from the Hub. There are no fast travel options within a zone, other than crafting and equipping some "fast running" items. This is a very pretty building game. There are no quests, no pvp, no critters to harass you (some may come later), just building. Allow me to correct that, the quest is to build, build tools, and build grand structures.
Lots (pieces of land) are claimed, each lot is big enough to build a respectable small castle, and with each lot is quite a large buffer, I assume so more lots could be added to your homestead. Although in Alpha for now, each player is restricted to one parcel. In this lot you can build your dream castle. Did I mention grind? Yes, grind. Materials must be collected from across the country side for building all items.
Compared to Mincraft, there are pros and cons. It's like Minecraft with 1000x better graphics. The advantage that Minecraft has right now is freedom, control of an entire map (if playing solo). Minecraft also has critters, monsters, and pvp, but my impression is that as the game progresses, Landmark will acquire some of these things too.
As an MMO, Landmark's huge advantage is compelling landscapes, and advanced building tools. It puts Minecraft's block by block building to shame.
Something I noticed upon claiming land was a message about "claim maintenance". As far as I know the game has been described as subscription free, and fees have not been announced, but apparently claims can expire. Also the rumor that more claims means more fees. For a MMO, it makes sense that claims should be active and not left abandoned. Those things are still yet to be fleshed out. It is also unknown if any claim maintenance will be able to be earned in-game or will have to be paid for with Sony Station cash. We'll just have to wait and see how this develops.
Another interesting aspect of Landmark will be what will players do after they have built their dream castle. Will they stay? Will they make new claims an build more? Right now that is a bit too far out to make projections as the game is in a state of flux with future features to be added.
So far, so good!
The other night I was playing and was falling asleep while chopping trees. While I can't say that crafting gathering is any more onerous than other MMOs I've played (example WoW Armorsmith) I may be suffering fatigue with mining and chopping as my primary activity. Building is fun, but it worries me that a substantial investment in time only lasts as long as I stay active in the game in combo with the yet announced claim maintenance fees. I say this with the understanding that with those who become inactive, all items will be archived and can be retrieved later. However, a substantial difference is that a character can be restored seamlessly, but this is not necessarily so for a grand structure. I also understand when your plot goes inactive, it is most likely gone forever. Exploring is not my kind of exploring, miles and miles of homogenous features, just looking over the next hill for the next colored patch of ground I can harvest. I know more things will be added to the game. Just experiencing a few doubts at this point.
Compared to Minecraft, you can't leave it for months at a time, that some kind of continuous investment will be required, and that you have control over a very limited amount of space for building as compared to Minecraft. I'm staring to think a solo stand alone version of Landmark would be ideal for me.
Compared to Minecraft, you can't leave it for months at a time, that some kind of continuous investment will be required, and that you have control over a very limited amount of space for building as compared to Minecraft. I'm staring to think a solo stand alone version of Landmark would be ideal for me.
Closed Beta started today along with a requirement of not a monthly, or a weekly, but a daily maintenance fee to keep your claim. My understanding is that the fee is 300 copper per day which is not that hard to get and right now it can be prepaid for 5 days in advance. Unfortunately I find this to be a commitment I don't want to keep and until it is modified into something more reasonable like 30 days, I will no longer be participating in the pre-release stage. If and when they modify their policy I'll rethink jumping back in.
After all, I've found that after building a house, there's not much else to do there. However, in their defense, this is beta and new features are being added such as death, mobs, caves, and such, but I've not heard of any quests.
After all, I've found that after building a house, there's not much else to do there. However, in their defense, this is beta and new features are being added such as death, mobs, caves, and such, but I've not heard of any quests.
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I had fun with original EQ then pvp in DAOC then eventually checking out WoW and GW2.
I thought Guild Wars 2 would be the best. The dynamic world events that are always happening keep it interesting. its like time triggered quests that start on their own. The classes however ruined it for me. No class is good at any particular thing. Everyone can heal but no one is good enough to be a designated healer. stuff like that. The classes have no role in a group and grouping up in the game is next to pointless.
I think this new EQ is biting off more then they can chew. It doesnt have me excited at all. The mad MMO rush is a dime a dozen. so many mmos. None better then the other.
I thought Guild Wars 2 would be the best. The dynamic world events that are always happening keep it interesting. its like time triggered quests that start on their own. The classes however ruined it for me. No class is good at any particular thing. Everyone can heal but no one is good enough to be a designated healer. stuff like that. The classes have no role in a group and grouping up in the game is next to pointless.
I think this new EQ is biting off more then they can chew. It doesnt have me excited at all. The mad MMO rush is a dime a dozen. so many mmos. None better then the other.
Just to clarify I'm talking about Landmark vs Everquest Next. I'm not sure when they are looking at retail for EN.
After I've had some time to take a break from Landmark, I'm really hoping someone comes up with a solo or multiplayer game similar to Minecraft but with Landmark building tools, solo or with private servers. Landmark is a voxel building game, but it has much more refined building tools with the ability to change voxels into shapes other than big blocky blocks.
What I did not like about Landmark is that it's on a server that requires my participation. In Minecraft, it can lay there for months and will be there when I return. Not only that I control the entire landscape if I want, not relatively small building lots.
I'm kind of surprised Minecraft is not working on this.
What I did not like about Landmark is that it's on a server that requires my participation. In Minecraft, it can lay there for months and will be there when I return. Not only that I control the entire landscape if I want, not relatively small building lots.
I'm kind of surprised Minecraft is not working on this.