CGO has posted a preview of Everquest - Shadows of Luclin. Here's a bit:
Although the Luclin expansion, the third for the popular subscription game, also includes some hefty graphics, engine, and gameplay updates, it's the addition of equestrian activities that seems destined to cause the most commotion. "It's kind of a convenience factor, a cool factor, a status symbol," says Jeff Butler, the Producer for Luclin and the director of the ongoing EverQuest operation. You will be able to buy horses from horse traders, for a price—a hefty price. "The thought is that they will be symbols of status, and the desire is that more exotic appearances or higher maximum velocities will be more expensive," he says, so don't expect to give a pony to your first level Necromancer. Butler admonishes, "We probably don't want every first level player, every tenth level player, every fifteenth level player, maybe not every twentieth level player to be able to afford to ride around on a horse."
So what does having a horse do for you, other than impress your friends? Basically, you can ride it, and move faster than you'd be able to on your own two feet. According to Butler, because horses won't go any faster than skilled players can already travel, "players on foot won't be disadvantaged because all of a sudden monsters can run faster to make up for horseback riding." Still, the ability to move rapidly across the open areas of EverQuest's huge game world will be a boon in and of itself, and being able to outrun most monsters without casting a spell will also come in handy, especially for players without their own magical abilities. |
CGO Previews EQ: Shadows of Luclin
