Brad McQuaid, Designer Behind EverQuest, Kickstarts Pantheon MMO

IanDavis

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Aug 18, 2012
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Brad McQuaid, Designer Behind EverQuest, Kickstarts Pantheon MMO


Worlds and gods collide in this social-focused MMO.

There's a significant population of MMO players who always seem to complain that modern games are just too easy. There's not enough risk and thus not enough reward, the argument goes. Brad McQuaid, the designer behind Everquest and Vanguard, agrees. That's why he and the other MMO vets behind Visionary Realms Inc. are developing Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. It'll have a focus on group gameplay with an active combat system, in a world of colliding realities and pantheons. Development has already started, but it's looking for a boost from [a href=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1588672538/pantheon-rise-of-the-fallen/]Kickstarter[/a] to keep things rolling.

Patheon is advertised as "an MMO developed by gamers who aren't afraid to target an audience of like-minded gamers." Essentially, it's the game they've always wanted to make. It'll have a heavy focus on social elements, both in group combat and "Designed Downtime", so that players can build social bonds. It also promises to have "challenging and involved" combat. Players can actively block and counter attacks, and they'll have to plan ahead what spells and abilities to bring with them into combat. Also, death penalties will be "at least similar to Vanguard's, and quite possibly more intense." Perhaps the most interesting new idea is that spells and attacks will drop from bosses, just as loot will. Personally, I can only imagine this in the context of Megaman.

Visionary Realms Inc. is looking for $800k to continue development, with a healthy list of stretch goals to reach. Pantheon looks like a nostalgic throwback to the MMOs of old, but with a new modern spin. However, MMOs are huge development commitments, so it'll be interesting to see if McQuaid and company can keep it rolling.

Source: [a href=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1588672538/pantheon-rise-of-the-fallen/]Kickstarter[/a]

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Lvl 64 Klutz

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Apr 8, 2008
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I don't know. I wish them luck, but I really don't want my MMOs to be tense and overly challenging. I like a good challenge yes, but the whole thing with this "involved" combat in MMO games is a little too much for me. I'd prefer a combat system where I don't have to put 120% of my focus into it for a game I play mostly to socialize.
 

WashAran

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Jun 28, 2012
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That is one stupid subtitel!

It sounds like they are going for a niche audience, one that likes to talk big game but does not act on it.
 

Hagi

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Apr 10, 2011
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This has some potential.

Vanguard may not have been a great commercial success and it's development was likely mismanaged by McQuaid ( which is why I'm hoping Chief Creative Officer is the extent of his responsibilities ) but it was very much a massive and immersive world where you could really go out and adventure ( as opposed to the 'adventure' coming to you in carefully proportioned chunks never more than you can handle, which isn't really all that adventurous ).

I hope they stick to their vision. MMOs may nowadays be a dime a dozen but they're mostly all within the same sub-genre. This could be a very welcome change to the genre.

Color me cautiously optimistic, might even donate depending on how it progresses. Not quite sure yet.
 

Tastum

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Jun 1, 2011
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I don't know.. Vanguard was an overambitious mess at launch, but there was enough of the game I wanted to play and Brad wanted to make to keep me playing for a few months. The adventuring was good, the world was huge and interesting, and the crafting economy was one of the deepest I've seen in any game. Then came the patch that flattened all the crafting interdependencies, and within the week my entire guild quit the game and the player-run town I was based out of vanished. Still, one could peg that on Sony rather than Brad McQuaid... they introduced similar disastrous patches in Everquest II and Star Wars Galaxies after all.

I'm just not sure if I trust him with my money - certainly not sight unseen.