After Daybreak Games recently announced that the EverQuest Next / Landmark Team has been split into two groups, allowing for continuous development on Landmark alongside EQNext, Terry Michaels (Senior Producer) once again proves that they listen to community suggestions by overhauling the entire User Interface (UI) of the game.
With the introduction of the new Build Mode, the developers fulfill a long-awaited wish of players and divide the User Interface into two areas: one for combat and another specifically for building. This primarily prevents the icons for resource gathering as well as weapon and movement skills from competing for space in the hotbar with the building tools.
In addition, players will also gain direct access to the also new Mega Palette through the Build Mode, which combines the previously separate libraries for materials, shapes, props, and templates (saved custom builds) into a single, large, and user-friendly pop-up.
Additionally, there will be several smaller innovations, such as additional controls for manipulating the time of day on one’s own property and adjusting the field of view, as well as a so-called Modal Bar, which prominently displays shortcuts for important functions such as scaling, rotation, and the frequently used tweak mode.
Especially high expectations are placed by developers and players on the new camera mode. This is supposed to allow the player to control a freely movable camera (Free Cam) instead of their avatar or bind the camera to a specific object for some time (Orbit Cam) to view it in all-around perspective.
Unfortunately, the update is still a bit of a wait, as the individual features are being implemented gradually. However, the new Build Mode and the Mega Palette should have made their way into the game by the end of the year.
Mein MMO says: Many players would surely have appreciated new content as well, but the overhaul of the User Interface and building tools is at least as important for a Minecraft-like building MMORPG like Landmark.
Some players and online magazines already see the overhaul as a first step towards an Open Beta. However, since the EQNext team is currently working on the new combat system, which will also be introduced in a simplified form (among other things, Landmark has no classes), we assume that it will take several months before the Open Beta starts. But hope springs eternal.
If you want to learn more about EverQuest Next and Landmark or want to exchange ideas with other players, take a look at EQ-Next.de – Your fan and role-playing community.
