MacroQuest64

Yes and no. No corporation is really structured very well in terms of efficient use of man and machine. Management is inefficient for one thing :)

Think of it this way. An EQ "server" isn't really one computer. It's its own small network. Even with mainframes it takes several computers to handle all the activity on one "server" with thousands of active players at any given time. That's why one zone can drop but the rest of the server remain unaffected; the computer that handles that zone has dropped out of the network for whatever reason.

Now, you have to have a staff for that network. Even handling multiple networks you need a number of people on hand, and others on call, in case of a major malfunction. Each of those people gets a salary, and network specialists are paid pretty decently.

You have to maintain the computers, and as we all know they do wear out. A corporation factors all that in: initial cost, maintenance costs, replacement costs. They project a lifespan for the machine and amortize (sp?) that cost across the lifespan of the system.

You have to power the systems, with backup power supplies. Back up computer systems as well. Redundancy gets expensive.

And then you have to hook it all up to the internet, using a very large pipeline, and those aren't cheap.

Sure, SOE makes a profit, but at some point they have to say "the predicted income does not meet the predicted costs plus profits", and pull the plug.

Or they have to cut corners. New product? Take your best talent from the old product and move them, leave the "simply competent" (or worse yet incompetent) people on the old version to keep it running till the new product demonstrates it will live up to it's potential.

When they do that, we are left with less folks to add new content, or fix old content, in EQ.

That's EQ in general, if Sony really wanted to do something to improve there product they would read these sites and learn what users are wanting to see in game.

They won't stop anyone from doing this type of stuff becuase it's revenue to them, I can see the Alan (from EQ) going to the Board of Directors explaining why the revenue when down in the 4th Quarter when they are about to release EQ2. For eaxmple they banned folks for using EQW but they added EQWindows then sent out emails telling those banned for using EQW they could come back and play, hmm hurt the pocket?

Bottom line most folks using 3rd party products are tierd of the game in general and the use of the 3rd party products rejuvenates there interest in the game. If Sony wants to do something, they need to revamp the game from ground up and make it so weapons are level based (stops twinking), make quests worth wanting to do (ie. fight lvl 30 mobs get a lvl 30 item not a lvl 5 P.o.S. item). Trade skills need to increase skills on certain amount of success for each lvl not some random stupid way that's in use now. They want to stop plat making then make it easy to buy stuff within your lvl range (ie weapons based on lvl).

The biggest thing Sony could on learning what the users want is do what AO (Anarchy Online) did, they played EQ learn the downfalls then improved on them. Now EQ has started looking at AO (which they wont admit to) and you are starting to see AO style of things introduced into EQ (ie LDoN is based on AO's missions), In EQ2 you can buy land, in AO you have an apartment. Now you see what I'm talking about. And BTW in AO the weapons are lvl based, so no major twinking.

Epic's what a joke, you should be able to do an Epic by yourself or at max 1 group, hmm The Hobbit?

lol im still working on my epic .. no single group there .. too bad i dont have the 200k to MQ it =P ( not as in macroquest it lol , the day thats done i will shoot myself =P) you make very good points

Eh, the epics were written a long time ago, when something like 45 was the highest level. They should have added epic upgrade quests a long time ago.

BTW, yes I do have mine and yes I'm using it still at 63 :) Damage/Delay ratio isn't what it should be, but with two procs (it's own and an augment), plus a proc spell or two, it still outdamages almost anything else I've come across.

the only epic in eq that is still worth doing is the cleric clicker, the rest is just crap. I dont even bother starting on my other chars epics.

Oh, for the trouble involved I agree, only the clicker is worth having.

Wizard epic is still priceless untill you get the time force shield clicker

pretty easy to do too, a 65 wizard can easily solo phinny
(all phinny epic drops banked hoho)
Venril Sathir duoable

Broken Golem, duoable if you find him up, just clearing the rest of the shit in fear to get to him and finding him up can be a pain

I got a Epic'd Cleric and Druid and the Cleric is the only good one if your in a raid and/or under lvl 56.

You forge the importance of the bard epic. Not many understand how it still retains it's worth in the present day.

Keta wrote:You forge the importance of the bard epic. Not many understand how it still retains it's worth in the present day.

The Bard Epic is at the point where it shouldn't even be an epic. It should be a song or something you buy from a vendor, and play to summon the sword ... I mean, the Bard epic is absolutely necessary. It's not an Epic for bragging rights. (Well, it is, but point aside ...) It's usefulness is so incredibly high, that it really should be more easily obtainable.

I wouldn't go as far as to give it to every lvl 55 or what not, but it is one of the best items a bard can possess pre elemental/time. Crowned staff of Anguish being the only item pre elemental with a singing modifier higher than epic but it comes from a mob that doesn't like to drop it often and takes quite a while to clear to as it is part of getting to Saryrn in Torment.

What strikes me is that not alot of people understand it's worth to a bard and his or her guild.

The stuff that guy is doing is FH type stuff, not MQ.

wanna bet?
http://www.team-maia.com/hateowned/raijinsmom.jpg
*cough*

anyone could name a chat window mq.. but . shrug.

What the fuck are you talking about? How is overriding the name selector (or changing your name) a MQ function?

he is saying that the guy in the screenshot has a chat window named mq, like the mq chat window... thus he might be using a plugin for mq to do it all.. however i do not believe that mq is what enabled him to do this stuff.. i believe he just happened to be running mq also.