EverQuest: Gates of Discord

EverQuest: Gates of Discord

Developer(s) Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher(s) Sony Online Entertainment
Platform(s) PC
Release date(s) February 10, 2004
Genre(s) MMORPG
Mode(s) Online

EverQuest: Gates of Discord (GoD, GOD, Gates, or simply the Gates expansion) is the seventh expansion released for EverQuest, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The expansion focused on high-level content, providing a number of zones meant to be used by large groups of players and many extremely powerful monsters to fight.

The introduction of this expansion in early 2004 was beset by numerous serious quality issues. John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has described the release of this expansion as "SOE's worst mistake in five years".[1]

General information

The GoD expansion takes place on the continent of Taelosia and expands upon the storyline introduced in Lost Dungeons of Norrath. In GoD, the Wayfarers Brotherhood discovers a new continent across the seas from Odus, and the known areas of Norrath. The wayfarers set up a base in the new lands of Taelosia, and provide the transportation system that allows players to teleport to the new continent quickly. As players explore the storyline, they find that the former inhabitants of Taelosia have practically disappeared, and evil creatures are roaming abroad. Players are challenged by the Wayfarer Brotherhood to find out who or what is behind this new evil that now inhabits Taelosia.

The expansion features 20 new NPC models, and 18 new zones. There are 10 single-group instanced trials, 8 uninstanced exp zones, and 9 raid zones/instances. All of the zones in GoD are designed for higher level (50+) characters, and many of the raid zones require level 65 before they can zone in.

In GoD, the Berserker character class is also introduced. Berserkers are a melee class that use 2-handed weapons along with special class abilities to double attack and intimidate their opponents, as well as going into attack frenzies. Berserkers can both take and dish out a good amount of damage. They start off with the Corroded Axe combat skill for creating throwing axes and a 2-handed Axe, so new players can get right into combat at level 1 without delay. They also have spell-like conventional combat abilities, such as striking a target's leg to slow him down (like a snare spell), striking his head to stun him, or cutting him to make him bleed (like a Damage over Time spell).

An In-Game "Casino" was introduced during the time period of the GoD expansion (although separate from it) as a money sink for the players. This was in response to a serious cash exploit in the game at that time that threatened the virtual economy of the game via economic mudflation. At the "casino", tokens are purchased from a bar maid in the Shadow Haven zone and turned in for prizes. Prizes are typically meager stat foods or gems. However, lucky players could win a golden ticket, which can be turned in for extremely rare magic items that have previously been removed from the game.

Also included was an updated tradeskill interface with numerous new recipes. Tradeskill combine containers have been upgraded to include recipe lists (which can be searched, by resulting item name or tradeskill difficulty range). The new interface also allow players to combine items without opening up inventory bags to find the components. This allows players to easily make several tradeskill combines in a short amount of time. The new tradeskill containers are available to all players, but items for the new recipes can only be found in GoD zones.

GoD introduced the tribute system, an alternate money sink the developers created to take cash out of the game system. Scattered throughout the home cities of all character races are Tribute Masters who act as vendors. Players can donate items or coin to the Tribute Masters and earn "tribute points". Tribute points can then be used to increase stats, increase resists, increase HP / mana pools or regen, or gain spell-like focus effects (water breathing, increased damage foci, improved healing foci, etc.). The abilities gained through Tribute Points are all on a timer; once activated points get deducted at a certain rate depending on what tribute effects were selected. A later expansion introduced guild Tribute points, which stack with personal Tribute Points.

Leadership Alternate Abilities (LAA) are also a new feature introduced in GoD. Similar to normal AA, Leadership AA is an Opt-In system. Once opted in, 20% of the group leaders XP will go to Leadership abilities that will enhance play when they are the leader of a group or raid. Leadership abilities include neat features like increased mana, increased hit points, increased HP regen, increased ATK, special targeting circles to help the group target the correct mob, marking a path to lost players, etc. In February 2014 a changed was made removing the need to earn Leadership Alternate Abilities and instead automatically granting them.[2]

Controversy

Many players and reviewers were dissatisfied by the Gates of Discord expansion; some claimed it was thus far the worst EverQuest expansion, or at least the worst since The Shadows of Luclin. Gamers perceived Gates of Discord as an unfinished product and criticized Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). The main issues were with the rushed release that had unbeatable content at critical points of the expansion, and problems with the graphics engine which was updated at the same period. Matters came to a head when Woody Hearn, a notable gamer and cartoonist of GU Comics website called for the boycott of the next planned expansion Omens of War.[3]

When released, some of the content was nearly unplayable for most of the player base. Numerous bugs were discovered in the game with the release of the expansion, which also updated the graphics and geometry engine. Old content seemingly unrelated to the new expansion "broke", requiring the immediate attention of the new developers or online guides and GMs. One explanation offered is that during expansion developments there was a "changing of the guard" in the staff at SOE, leading or contributing to these issues. It was also revealed that a management mistake had been made in which some of the content was meant for the next tier cap of player levels - level 70. A SOE game developer confirmed that SOE designed Gates of Discord with level 70 in mind, but SOE did not include the planned tier cap increase from 65.[1] This management mistake ensured that several critical points of the expansion were unbeatable by most players at that time, both for single groups and raids. Whatever the cause, these issues were eventually addressed, but too late to prevent controversy.

Several "uberguilds" (highly powerful and influential groups of players), including Fires of Heaven, Afterlife, Ascent, Keepers of the Faith and Infinite Vision departed from EverQuest around this time. Many of these players acted as beta testers for World of Warcraft, which was in development for release later in the year, although by spring of 2005 some returned. This possibly had something to do with EQ becoming a game with fairer competition due to instanced raids.

In response to player criticism, SOE organized a summit in the summer of 2004 to hear the main concerns of the playerbase towards Gates of Discord and EverQuest in general.[1] The summit's guests included influential players and gamers from guild leaderships and fan websites, notably among them Woody Hearn (of GU Comics). SOE also delayed the release the next expansion Omens of War by several months to give time for the GoD quality issues to be addressed.[4]

Zones

Instanced zones

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Loral, The Guild Summit Report, Mobhunter.com, 2004-06-08, Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  2. ↑ http://www.eqhammer.com/news/everquest-patch-notes-february-19-2014
  3. ↑ Hearn, Woody., Money Grubbin..., GU Comics archive, 2004-05-26, Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  4. ↑ Patrizio, Andy., EverQuest: Omens of War Review, IGN.com, 2004-10-13, Retrieved on 2007-03-29.

External links