SOE Fan Faire 2008 Day One in Review

[Medeor]

Yesterday was a big day at SOE's Fan Faire 2008. Everything from Everquest expansions to the new ZAM network database and a ton of information about Free Realms.

From CEO John Smedley's community address:

The new Everquest II expansion The Shadow Odyssey is also slated to launch this year on November 18th. Again, all attendees of Fan Faire will receive a free digital copy of this expansion. Many players have already begun to feel the presence of the Void Storms and Void Beasts which are the prelude to the new zones and dungeons comprising the Shadow Odyssey. In addition to twenty new zones (yes twenty) and sixty new achievement points (yes sixty), players will also be able to return to previous content and re-experience it for rewards. Another major advancement are the much anticipated Guild Halls. This fifth expansion will be open for beta signups in the next few weeks.

And that is just one of the many games discussed. Read the rest of my first day round up here and let me know what you think about all of this tasty goodness!

[B. de la Durantaye]

Wow.. just... wow....

SOE has partnered with the ZAM network to create an Everquest II database that far exceeds anything else. It will include SOE giving ZAM direct data feeds as ZAM populates the database with typical character and mob info, but it will also host live broker data.

That's huge. By the sounds of it they're giving ZAM, who's owned by the same blokes as IGE access to the entire database as to what's being sold, for how much, and by whom. Conspiracy theorists are going to have a hay-day with this one.

[Taea]

Hmmm, wasn't it late last year that there was controversy surrounding ZAM and the magically enhanced overnight growth of their item database?

[Acidbaron]

This is really a good and bad thing at the same time.

It helps and makes the life easier to build unique and good setups on the other hand DB parsers (rips) are normally in most cases also already taken of test servers or atleast at the start of a new update on the live servers.

This really kills the 'magic' of new content updates as you can already see and will hear from others if that new zone or dungeon is worth it.

[Shayalyn]

Originally Posted by Machail

By the sounds of it they're giving ZAM, who's owned by the same blokes as IGE access to the entire database as to what's being sold, for how much, and by whom. Conspiracy theorists are going to have a hay-day with this one.

I've heard Boomjack use the expression, "Everyone has a price." I guess ZAM must have been able to pay SOE's price. I just find it distressing that their ability to pay that price came from hopping into bed with a notorious gold selling empire like IGE.

[Xebek]

Feel free to bunch any SOE Planetside team members while your there, Also bring some kind of hard metal object in case CSR Brewko decides to show up...
Why? well SOE are still trying their hardest to destroy the game... This time they are giving away free BR25 CR5 chars to anyone that shows up, Thats not the end of it, CR5 isn't just the max rank, its the rank that allows you to command members of your empire, you have access to global chat and OS strikes... its not something you give to a noob. Really does suck for players who have stuck with SOE and been playing for 5 years now...

[Medeor]

Originally Posted by Shayalyn

I've heard Boomjack use the expression, "Everyone has a price." I guess ZAM must have been able to pay SOE's price. I just find it distressing that their ability to pay that price came from hopping into bed with a notorious gold selling empire like IGE.

I think they missed my head spinning off into the chandeliers at the community panel when I tried to pry a little further into the announcement, but it appears like a lot is still being figured out after the announcement. I will pass final judgment a little later after we can see the real results, but I share the skepticism. On the surface it seems to throw a lot of people under a gold farmer bus, but I'm trying to stay calm.