EverQuest II Interviews

Two new EverQuest II interviews have hit the web, one with community relations representative “Farrwolf” over at Girlz Game Too and the other with Sony’s Ben Skelly at EQ2 Trader’s Corner. A snip from GGT’s interview:

Q: What is SOE doing specifically to keep their female gamers happy? There’s always something that is geared towards specific demographics in all marketing plans, so what are you doing to make game play female friendly and enjoyable?

A: In EverQuest II we’ve taken into account that the ratio of female gamers has grown exponentially and that their playstyle cannot merely be defined as being based on gender. While there are plenty of female gamers who enjoy tradeskilling, socializing and roleplaying, there are many more who enjoy fast-paced hack-n-slash and raiding as much as the next guy! We felt that the best option to make EverQuest II enjoyable for everyone was to allow a vast range of playstyles tailored more to the individual than to a generic gender-based demographic. For example, a hardened Shadowknight might also be a skilled crafter as comfortable wielding a greatsword as she is a loom. Alternately, someone might be a level 9 fighter and a level 50 Artisan, comfortable in his shop with his tools and enjoying the life of a merchant.

And a quick excerpt from EQ2TC’s interview:

Q: Do player stats have any effect on tradeskills?

A: Player stats don’t have any impact on the tradeskill process. We want there to be a distinction between your adventuring level and tradeskill level. Any aspect of crafting that involves health or power will be percentage based so the impact is the same whether you are a level 3 mage or a level 50 guardian.