While the Worldbuilder Landmark received a huge patch yesterday, the attention of developer SOE now shifts over to the “mother project” Everquest Next.
Landmark is kind of a “peek into the cooking pot.” In this worldbuilder sandbox, players can use the tools that the “real” developers at SOE use to develop the MMO project Everquest Next. Initially, this went pretty much in parallel: The developers were essentially creating a new brush to design landscapes for Everquest Next. Suddenly, players in Landmark also had such a brush tool.
This step in development is slowly coming to an end. A quarter ago Landmark received a combat system, since then it has continuously transitioned from creative building to MMORPG.
Landmark: Dig where no man has dug before
Yesterday, a massive patch released for Landmark with extensive patch notes that introduced various PvE features into the game and should significantly liven up the sandbox there. It brings mobs, loot, new adventures, and players can now dig as deep as they have never dug before.
In a way, Landmark with this patch is making the final step from a worldbuilder to an MMORPG with PvE elements (or at least the beginnings of a full-fledged MMORPG).
Those who want to know what Everquest Next will be like, must play Landmark
For SOE, this also means: the focus is now shifting from Landmark and the “tools” and moving to Everquest Next. In the new year, most of the team will be working on Everquest Next and features developed for EQN will then be ported over to “Landmark”. They are essentially reversing the flow.
So we’re so close to transitioning the team almost entirely toEQN, and then we’ll take the elements that we build for EQN and port them over into Landmark, but our focus will shift almost entirely to EQN after the new year.
Everything in theory is quite complicated. This happens when you announce an extraordinarily transparent development process and are still creative.
For the players, this means: starting today, one can take an even closer look at what Everquest Next is supposed to become by diving into Landmark.
