EverQuest Next: The Magic of a New Norrath, Part One

The guys at Ten Ton Hammer have kicked off a series of articles that provide some much-needed coverage of Sony Online’s ambitious free-to-play EverQuest Next project, with the initial episode of “The Magic of a New Norrath” feature discussing the game’s interactive nature, the means in which it will push MMORPGs into uncharted territory, how it will deliver new content to players, and more.  A few paragraphs:

The clever implementation of Rallying Calls and Rohsong will also ensure that a core plot is still being followed. That means (again I use Middle-Earth as an example) that the Fellowship will still be moving to eventually destroy the ring; however, we-the-players get to choose as to how that exactely happens. So there’s no worry that the story and world will fall into total chaos (although that’s certainly an option for an alternate server type). If you’re familiar with the old “Goose-bumps” choose your own adventure books, it reminds me slightly of that, except all of our actions will combine to determine the future. Together, all of us will be writing the canonical history of this fantasy world and game – rather than just having the story thrown at us as a content shell, or ignored text filling up grocery-list styled questlogs.

Also, unlike other games where everyone is fed the same story of being the “Frodo Baggins” of the Lord of the Rings, instead we all get to serve a unique (and important role) that greatly impacts the future. The collective choices and actions that we all make will cumulatively decide how things ultimately unfold. So you don’t have to be the hero of the story to be a hero in the story. That’s huge. That’s beyond huge.

The single greatest flaw in most current MMO games is that they spend all this time and money and effort trying to create this immersive experience… and yet all of that hard work is destroyed the moment you realize that you’re just another cog in an unimportant machine. It’s that pivotal moment when you realize you’re just another consumer of a non-unique experience. It’s all a grand illusion and inside you feel jaded – whether you’re consciously aware of it or not. Suddenly, or slowly, you begin feel like what you’re doing doesn’t really matter. How long you typically last in these types of games all depends on how long you’re able to lock that truth in the back of your mind and ignore it. (Or maybe, you just really love the Franchise IP they’ve stuffed into the same old terrible mechanics and content delivery system).