SOE has lifted NDA on Landmark, so here we go!
Now, first let me say that we’re in the “Alpha stage” – which means SOE is still working on this, and there’s a lot more to come. Here are a few first thoughts on what I’ve seen so far.
Warnings
- I’m sure there will be a lot of optimization coming, but right now, EQNL(a) is one hell of a hog on the computer. I can run EQII and Skyrim on the highest settings fairly well, but I’ve had to tone it down for this one.
- Watch the Tutorials! This is all new stuff and it can get frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing.
- As fun as it sounds.. Digging all the way through the world IS possible, but will result in you falling through and ending up in a safepoint. There are no multiple levels in Landmark, no caves, no lava.
The Sights
The world is different than that of EverQuest II. Where EQII had more of a realistic look.. EQNL(a) looks like they took a lot of ideas from FreeRealms and made improvements. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing. It looks good – a little cartoony but, still enjoyable for adult players.
At this time, there are only humans to choose from, and that’s fine for now.. this is a building phase, and I think it’s more important that we work things out and report bugs and stuff, role play can wait! I do wonder how in depth the character creation will be in EQN when it’s all said and done. I’m hoping for the same level (or more) of detail that EQII and SWG brought to the table.
The Sounds
You know, I’m all about the Music. You’ve come to expect that from me. I was harsh on my opinion of the theme we heard previewed at the 2013 SOELive, and for good reason. It lacked anything to do with the EverQuest franchise. It was simple, boring and honestly.. insulting to the world of Norrath. Three (3) notes, played over and over again without any hint of the theme we’re all familiar with. This is the theme we were greeted with when Landmark Alpha launched.. For the first time in 14 years.. I turned off my music volume. I became vocal on the Landmark forums about this.
This week, we were treated with a patch (one of many, and many more to come). Low and behold.. A NEW THEME – or shall I say, a familiar theme!
Huzzah!! That’s better!
Voxels, Voxels Everywhere!
Well, with being busy at work, I really havent had a lot of time to play around, but I’m getting the hang of building with Voxels. If you’re a fan of Minecraft, I dont think you’ll have an issue with the basics of construction in EQNL(a).
Everything in is little cubes, or big cubes, depending on the scroll of a mouse wheel. Destroy, create, mine, harvest and built.. There are simple shapes, materials and textures to choose from, and advanced tools for shaping your creations – I’m not quite there yet, but I will be soon!
Well, that’s my 2 coppers for now. More to come as things develop!
Check it out for yourself at EQNLandmark!
