Just Let Me Plant My Flag

I spent most of yesterday not testing or even playing EverQuest Next Landmark, but sitting in a queue that varied in length from moment to moment, both my position in the queue and the estimated wait time. At one point the estimate exceeded 14 hours. Of course it didn't take that long, but on several occasions, the client crashed while I was in the queue or as I was finally loading into the game. I think I spent maybe 30 minutes actually in the game world, and most of that was trying to meet up with Scooter's character, Keke.

It will settle out. We have more servers otw and will be setup but we have enough for now if we can get the server issues fixed
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) February 2, 2014

I would say, "Well, just roll another couple servers out in the meantime." But the new servers would likely have the same issues. Heck, I'd just like a chance to get in and stake a claim. Scooter, meanwhile, actually did spend a significant amount of time in-game because she managed to jump into the queue about two minutes before me. However, the only spot she could lay claim to was a Tunare-forsaken stretch of sand at the edge of one of the maps. She opted against it. I suggested that she simply gather and craft some tools or other items for when the claims issue is alleviated.

The workaround/fix for the claim display glitch (where all the claims you've ever seen are visible on the current map) is to log out and then back in again, but when that involves a multi-hour queue, it's not really a workaround. I'm not really sure why server lag, server stability, and long queues are somehow off the table, other than that the devs are likely already aware of the problems (or caused them in the case of the queues. Of course, it needs to be constructive reporting. Crying about how you couldn't even get in (kinda like I just did) is not helpful.

To be clear - the queues you are seeing have nothing to do with how many servers we have. We are artificially slowly letting people in
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) February 2, 2014

Channeling the natural frustrations inherent in this sort of testing into something constructive is hard to do. I know they are unreasonable, but I have the feelings nonetheless. The key is realizing that they are irrational, especially given that Smed, David Georgeson, and the rest have been very clear on what is and is not available right now in the game. Near as I could figure, Georgeson was at the SOE office for at least 36 hours over the weekend before realizing he was not going to be any more help to the team due to fatigue. The devs are doing their best to make even the alpha period a success.

I, for one, am looking forward to seeing much of the potential of EQNL come to fruition. I haven't played Minecraft, and Trove does not interest me either. 8-bit graphics, simulated or otherwise, simply hold no appeal. Call me spoiled, but I like better graphics pure and simple. EQNL promises to provide the sandbox experience of those other games with something pretty to look at, and that's important to me. But for those people that through nostalgia or some other factor like that style or like old games for that matter, more power to 'em.

I have enjoyed the little bit of housing experience I got in Rift and EQ2, I think I could have a lot of fun with something even more flexible.

Even as I get ready to post this, I am in a queue over one thousand, with an estimated wait over an hour and a half. [EDIT: Just after I posted, they opened the other server and I got right in.] We'll see, early this evening, what we can get done, but it is Secret Monday, and you know what that means. . .

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