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The Firing Line: Epic SOE memories on PlanetSide's ninth anniversary

Jef Reahard — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, PlanetSide, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Opinion, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, The Firing Line, Anniversary

So PlanetSide is nine years old this week (nine!), and Sony Online Entertainment is journeying down memory lane to look back at its ground-breaking MMOFPS. The firm is of course hard at work on the sequel, but some of the devs have taken a time-out to share their favorite memories with us.

Though the word "epic" is overused in MMO discourse, it's a recurring theme here. Due to the size, scope, and sheer ambition on display in the original PlanetSide, it's actually appropriate too. While you're reminiscing with the devs, take a stroll through our side-by-side gallery that compares vehicles and equipment from the original PlanetSide with their counterparts in PlanetSide 2.

Gallery: PlanetSide vs. PlanetSide 2 comparisons

Continue reading The Firing Line: Epic SOE memories on PlanetSide's ninth anniversary

The Firing Line: Epic SOE memories on PlanetSide's ninth anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrazas talks EverQuest F2P launch and anniversary celebration

Karen Bryan — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Polls, Video, EverQuest, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play

March is definitely roaring in like a lion for EverQuest. It's launching its new free-to-play program, and it's also celebrating its 13th anniversary with a big bash in game. With all of the changes, players are sure to have more than a few questions about the free-to-play transition and the state of the game today. We recently sat down with SOE Producer Thom Terrazas at a roundtable to answer those questions, so read on for details on the new free-to-play plan as well as the Hero's Journey, revamped maps, birthday celebrations, and the announcement of a brand-new server!

Gallery: EverQuest Free-to-play and 13th anniversary

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Terrazas talks EverQuest F2P launch and anniversary celebration originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: A Tale in the Desert, Asheron's Call, Dark Age of Camelot, EverQuest, Lineage, Meridian 59, PlanetSide, Shadowbane, Everquest Online Adventures, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous

You know what I love about the end of each year? The lists. Man, but I'm a sucker for lists, especially when they come in "best of" varieties. In the lull between Christmas and New Year's, there typically isn't a lot happening in the world of entertainment, so it's a good time to look back before we head forward.

And so it is for The Game Archaeologist. 2011 marks the second year I've been doing this column, and it's been one of my personal favorite series to write. Every week I'm learning more and more about the history of the MMO genre, and I'm encouraged to see just how much passion and interest there are for the titles that started it all and got us to where we are today.

So before we head into 2012, let's take one last glimpse back at the road we've traveled. If you've missed out on any of these columns or want to revisit your favorite classic MMO, I've compiled a huge list of everything I talked about this year, from histories to interviews to player stories. There's also a special request for you (yes, you) at the end of this column, so do me a favor and hit that jump!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011

The Game Archaeologist seals up 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE welcomes players back, Mark Anderson named DCUO's new game director

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Expansions, Patches, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, Promotions

"It's good to be back!" Many Sony Online Entertainment customers have said this these past few days as the studio's titles came back online after a two-week absence. They're not the only ones, either; many of the leads to SOE's host of MMOs are saying the same thing today.

Eight developers representing a large portion of SOE's library posted "Welcome back!" messages on the Station Blog, expressing a mixture of relief, happiness, and hopeful visions for their games' futures. Several of these developers have also used the opportunity to show that they were working hard during the break.

"We're incredibly glad to have our worlds back online again," EverQuest II's David Georgeson said, "and we really appreciate you all being so patient with us while we strengthened the castle walls."

There's certainly a lot of information to digest in these eight posts. Lorin Jameson dropped the news that Mark Anderson's been moved up to become DC Universe Online's latest game director, while Georgeson hinted at a "major new feature set" for EQII that's in the works. Several of the devs mentioned that the downtime will result in a delay of future patches and expansions so that they can be properly tested.

You can read the full assortment of "Welcome back!" posts at the Station Blog.

SOE welcomes players back, Mark Anderson named DCUO's new game director originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest gearing up for more content despite SOE layoffs

Jef Reahard — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, MMO industry, News items

In the wake of last week's layoffs, fans are no doubt wondering which of their favorite Sony Online Entertainment MMOs will be feeling a possible staffing pinch. The company's venerable EverQuest title is apparently safe -- and none the worse for wear -- according to a letter by producer Thom Terrazas that was posted last night on the game's official forums.

Not only will EQ business continue as usual, but the original incarnation of Norrath will be receiving even more content than it has in the past. "We're going to bring you high-level and enjoyable content throughout the year, even more than we have in past years," Terrazas explained, before mentioning the dev team's plans for more frequent seasonal events and the desire to "beef up the gameplay experience" during the spring and summer months.

EverQuest gearing up for more content despite SOE layoffs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The voice of the people: New EverQuest progression server named

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Promotions

Many current and soon-to-be-returning EverQuest fans are diligently keeping tabs on the new progression server. This unique server will allow players to travel back in time (in a way) to experience EQ from its humble beginnings through all of its expansion packs as they are rolled out at a measured pace. Now these fans have a name to put with the server: Fippy Darkpaw.

This server name was the result of a one-week poll in which SOE offered six potential names for the new shard. According to EverQuest's website, "In the end, nothing could stop the raging juggernaut that was Fippy Darkpaw." Fippy is a well-known NPC with the suicidal tendency to attack Qeynos all by his lonesome.

This new progression server is scheduled to open its doors in March. In the meantime, why not check out our recent interview with EQ Producer Thom Terrazas for more Norrathian news.

The voice of the people: New EverQuest progression server named originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: A cozy chit-chat with Thom Terrazas

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Interviews, MMO industry, The Game Archaeologist

Welcome back to the Game Archaeologist's third week of our EverQuest expedition! So, OK, we lost a few valued members of our team crossing the wilds of Norrath, but who would ever think that 10 rats could be so vicious when out for vengeance? It comes with the territory, and really, it's well worth the loss of human life if we can educate just one soul on one of the most influential MMOs of all time. Their mothers will understand their sacrifice.

We've already taken a look at the highlights of EverQuest and the perspectives of several veterans of the game, which means this week we must be gearing up for an inside look into the machinations of grinding, hell levels, alternative advancement and DKP. For this, we struggled through the Swamp of Sony to find the ramshackle hut of Thom Terrazas -- and he was expecting us. A fight ensued, with many a chicken flung in anger, not to mention a few pokes in the eye, Three Stooges-style. But in the end, Terrazas capitulated and told us everything we wanted to know.

Thom Terrazas almost has all his SOE merit badges, having worked on Planetside, Vanguard and now EverQuest in various roles. I was curious -- what was it like to be handed the keys to not just a game, but a veritable institution? Hit the jump to see what Terrazas has to say about his favorite memories, the future of the game, and why EQ hit it out of the park in 1999.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: A cozy chit-chat with Thom Terrazas

The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: A cozy chit-chat with Thom Terrazas originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EQ's producer discusses new Legends of Norrath-gated instance after player concerns

William Dobson — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Business models, Culture, Forums, Legends of Norrath

Although the Legends of Norrath digital trading card game can be played completely separately from EverQuest, the two games have a lot of ties to each other beyond just lore. The former can be launched from within the latter game. There are also "loot cards" which not only function in LoN but can be redeemed in EverQuest for certain bonus items. Some people that play EQ but not LoN may have been upset in the past at missing out on a few of these loot card items, but it's doubtful that anything has caused as much of an outcry as is currently occurring over an upcoming loot card. The card in question is the Dragon Brood Crypt Key Card, and the resulting EQ reward will be the only way to access a brand new dungeon instance.

Continue reading EQ's producer discusses new Legends of Norrath-gated instance after player concerns

EQ's producer discusses new Legends of Norrath-gated instance after player concerns originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interview: Part 3 of Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer

William Dobson — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, PlanetSide, Interviews, MMO industry, Vanguard

Continue reading Massively interview: Part 3 of Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer

Massively interview: Part 3 of Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interview: Part 2 of Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer

William Dobson — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, PlanetSide, Interviews, MMO industry, Vanguard

Continue reading Massively interview: Part 2 of Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer

Massively interview: Part 2 of Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interview: Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer

William Dobson — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, PlanetSide, Interviews, MMO industry, Vanguard

Thom Terrazas just recently replaced Clint Worley as the producer for EverQuest, and we were lucky enough to get the chance to speak to him about the move. Among other things, we found out what's in store for the current playerbase in the future, why EverQuest newbies should try the game, and learned that although the 51/50 server type won the latest poll, we should hold out hope for other new types too -- maybe even a "Classic" server. We snuck in a few questions about Vanguard and PlanetSide as well. To get Thom's take on these things and more, click through and read the full interview.

Continue reading Massively interview: Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer

Massively interview: Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thom Terrazas takes over EverQuest producer role

William Dobson — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, MMO industry, News items, Vanguard

For the last few years Thom Terrazas has been the producer for Vanguard -- we interviewed him in that role only a couple of months ago. Now, with EverQuest's former producer Clint Worley moving on, Terrazas has stepped up and taken the reigns. Although some might already be familiar with him, he has introduced himself properly over at the EQ Dev Blog, where he explained that this won't be his first involvement with the venerable EverQuest. He was one of the first GMs on the Tunare server way back in the day, so he certainly has some old-school credibility.

Most people would agree that Terrazas has done a fantastic job at improving Vanguard, and he will probably continue to perform well in his new position. This does leave one big question though: who is taking over as producer of Vanguard? We haven't heard any news from the Vanguard team about their producer departing. Is it possible that Terrazas is doing some uber multi-tasking?

Thom Terrazas takes over EverQuest producer role originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard's past, present, and future with producer Thom Terrazas pt. 2

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Vanguard, Massively Interviews

You mentioned Pantheon of the Ancients, and that's another one of my questions. What will Pantheon of the Ancients be bringing to the game? What can the players expect from the new dungeon and raid?

"Pantheon will not look the same as the rest of the game. We have all new textures and brand new monsters, really cool ones that were created just for this zone."

Thom: Our first launch for Pantheon is going to be including new 6 man raid content. There will be a little more content past that, but you're looking at mostly a 6 man group.

Pantheon will not look the same as the rest of the game. We have all new textures and brand new monsters, really cool ones that were created just for this zone. It's pretty exciting. I've got a walkthrough this week from the designers, and it is really looking awesome.

Along the lines of that, in our attempts to get content out, we're incorporating new quest lines, new loot, new rare drops. We're incorporating the three spheres of diplomacy, crafting, and adventuring into this release. There's alot of work that's been done, and the unfortunate and fortunate part of this is that this is just the first part of Pantheon. The higher end raiding portion of Pantheon will be coming out as we're working on the customer request list, but we will be doing all of that work simultaneously.

That's just a process of balancing, mostly. Different areas to play in and not to have raids and groups playing on top of one another. It's just quite a bit of work to juggle.

This is a simple question, but there seems to be something more to it. I noticed that you were increasing the level cap from 50 to 55, which is something usually reserved for an expansion. I'm interested in your thought process behind raising the level cap.

Thom: Well, we have quite a few players, a large percentage, that is already at the cap of level 50.

This is the kind of value that we keep adding to Vanguard. Something that you've already paid for, we just keep adding more and more value for your money. You don't need to go out and spend 20, 30, or 40 on a new expansion. We've chosen to do content and level expansions, giving you new race/class combinations, all with existing content and your existing purchase of Vanguard.

We felt that this is something that the players would appreciate more rather than going out and purchasing a new box.

Speaking of leveling, there's a little note here on your Producer's Letter about alternate advancement. Can you shed some more light on that?

Thom: We're building a way for you to advance your character, well, I guess, alternatively.

*laughs*

Thom: But the idea is you can build your character out so it's a bit more specialized in things like damage, or mitigation, or spell damage. So you can specialize any way you want.

We're working on that now, and it's something we're looking to launch in the raiding portion of Pantheon. So if you really love your character and want to specialize in something more, be a little different then the rest of your class, then AAs will be coming with the second part of Pantheon so you can customize your character further in the higher level.

So, then, let's pretend for a moment that I've heard about Vanguard, but I don't own it and this Collector's Edition box isn't sitting next to my desk. In fact, let me hide this box for a moment.

Thom: *laughs*

So I've only heard about Vanguard. I heard about the rocky launch, it's been two years into the game and many people are at level 50. Why should a new player pick up Vanguard today?

"So I'd say come on back and we'd love to have you. I'd like to prove that we've been able to take a rocky launch and make it into a better game."

Thom: I think that if you're interested in playing a game that is a little bit different than the hack and slash games, Vanguard gives one of the best vistas and looks of any game I've played or been associated with. It is incredible to just hop on a flying mount and just see the vast areas that have been created for Vanguard and explore this artwork that is inspired by Keith Parkinson and continues on with our current art team.

This is something you don't see in every game. I'm not saying we're doing something that nobody else has done. But I'm saying the views, the artwork, the level in detail in Vanguard can measure up to some of the highest games you can think of.

If you're looking for visual, but also exciting playstyles, you have three spheres of progression you can choose to be an expert in. So, I guess the experience in Vanguard is just limitless.

Well thank you for your time today, Thom. This has been very insightful. Any last words you have for everyone? Anything we should know about?

Thom: Thank you! Let's see! Well, check out my producer's letter on the forums and you can see what the team has put together. The game is certainly getting out to new audiences. If you've tried us in the past or haven't tried us, then come on back, we have free trials on the website. You can also find it now on Steam as well as FilePlanet, so this is a great time for Vanguard and our team right now.

So I'd say come on back and we'd love to have you. I'd like to prove that we've been able to take a rocky launch and make it into a better game.

Vanguard's past, present, and future with producer Thom Terrazas pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard's past, present, and future with producer Thom Terrazas

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Vanguard, Massively Interviews

It's been two years since the world of Telon opened its doors to a rocky launch and unstable future. The team of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes had much to overcome after launch with a whole plague of technical hurdles, incomplete content, and a dwindling player base.

Yet, two years later, Vanguard managed to stay on its feet thanks to an aggressive development team and a steady schedule of tackling performance issues and bugs until they could open the doors for new content -- one of the few games to make it through with such a rough launch and begin to see a new growth years after opening.

Massively was able to sit down with Vanguard producer Thom Terrazas and talk to him about where Vanguard's been, where it is now, and what the future looks like for the expanding fantasy title.

Continue reading Vanguard's past, present, and future with producer Thom Terrazas

Vanguard's past, present, and future with producer Thom Terrazas originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard producer discusses the state of the game

William Dobson — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Launches, MMO industry, Vanguard

In an interview with Allakhazam, Vanguard producer Thom Terrazas talked about how his game is going right now, how it is currently being improved, and improvements that can be expected for the future. Allakhazam wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions, bringing up the game's less-than-stellar launch, and asking Terrazas to pinpoint the areas that have held back Vanguard until now.

Terrazas admits that the performance and system requirements of the game during the launch period lost them a lot of players, but promises that these issues are well behind them now, with a lot of optimization to the client. His advice is to get in the game and join a guild, and promises that his team listen do the community and make updates accordingly. But with the next generation of MMOs already upon us, is it too late for Vanguard to recover?

Vanguard producer discusses the state of the game originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard Producer's letter to the community details what's in store for Vanguard

Matt Warner — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:50:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Vanguard

It's been about a month since the Vanguard development crew made the big move from Carlsbad, and they must be settling into their new lofty digs at SOE HQ in San Diego, California, as work on Phase II and III continues as scheduled. Other than that, what's Vanguard's plan? Well, cleaning up one of the worst MMOG launches in the history of the genre isn't an easy feat, and SOE has delegated Thom Terrazas to command Vanguard's development team to some sort of victory.

In Vanguard's defense the game has drastically improved since launch but much more still needs to be done. Terrazas has already shown frequent communication with the playerbase on the official Vanguard forums since taking the assignment. In his recent letter to the community Terrazas details Vanguard's long term development focus and proposes a few controversial changes that some consider "WoW-ifying" the game. The two biggest changes causing a forum uproar are: implementing a faster leveling curve and removing the experience loss component from the death penalty. (More after the jump.)

Continue reading Vanguard Producer's letter to the community details what's in store for Vanguard

Vanguard Producer's letter to the community details what's in store for Vanguard originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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