SOE -> ShowEQ Road Map

[MrSteed]

Hi All,

This is my first post to this forum.

I'm in the "biz" as we say. In fact I work for a company that's about to go live with an online game RSN. I also happen to have been an EQ player from nearly the beginning and have used SEQ for quite some time. Good work guys! My interest in EQ was waning quite a bit, but I still play occasionally with SEQ.

Anyway, I used to work with the Lead Programmer on the EQ Live Team, prior to when he was at Verant when he was a rabid EQ player AND when he was, I know, one on the early guys working on ShowEQ. I really haven't had any contact with him for a while, I don't know much about the internal goings on at Verant, but I think I can give a good guess:

They are all HELLA busy on getting new features into whatever they happen to be working on next. They'll likely be crunching on a lot of REAL features, slipping schedules, dropping features, etc... My guess is thwarting the SEQ thieves is VERY LOW on the priority list in terms of scheduling engineering resources. When you've got something as complicated as EQ running LIVE, even minor code changes can have devastating rippling effects. So lots of resources have to be devoted to QA testing, regression testing, etc.... Sure, they may thwack the SEQ mosquito every now and then, but unless it really becomes a huge thorn in thier side I don't think they're going to devote much in the way of engineering resources to thwart it.

Probably, they'll figure they'll do what the can to thwart things in EQ if it isn't too risky to code and doesn't take too much time. Perhaps they'll take what they learned about hacking into EQ II and Star Wars for a better security system. EQ is working, its raking in cash, and its helping to fund EQ II. EQ II is thier future so you can bet thier super focused on that right now.

So, I wouldn't be too worried about EQ. Just my opinion...

MrSteed

[Puppit]

I agree with Mr. Steed. Just don't see this as a high priority for SOE, although if I am wrong, that's ok too. I also agree with several other posts...a) EQ only remains interesting with ShowEQ
b)There are other games out there waiting to be played
c)Perhaps most important, mass bannings would suggest a form of privacy invasion by SOE that would prompt me to avoid any other games sponsored by this company and advise my friends to do likewise. People are sufficiently upset by Microsoft's alleged attempts to pry into their computers - I think most people would actively avoid playing a game sponsored by a company with similar intentions.

[Relowd]

I'm no coder but its my understanding that if Sony jumps their Encrypt up too high then that slows down the client when it goes to decrypt, interfering with the speed of the game and therefore the whole Virtual World experience.

In addition I think that for any MMOORPG you will have an SEQ-like program for it. After all they are sending packets to YOUR machine, and as they say inquiring minds want to know. So someone is bound to develop something like this for EQ2 Starwars, SB, DAoC, anything that requires YOU the user to accept packets of data describing the world on THEIR servers.

I understand this says nothing of the complexities of creating these sniffing proggies, but ...to simplify...there is always someone willing. And whee there's a will there's a way.

As for a windows version, and getting thousands to use it, well we all know that unfortunately Terror tactics DO work on the masses and all it would take to halt the general player from attempting to use a windows version is threat of a ban, sure if everyone used it it'd be a major customer base cut, but if you play...ever just tried to get your guild to commonly use a specific chat channel or post a message on your forums, it ain't as easy as it sounds.

[Madman]

I wonder how many devs in SOE are laughing at this thread right now? Will they continue change in an attempt to make it so SEQ will break again and again? yes. Could they encrypt it so that Ratt goes to their door with a stick and a list of names of men wasting his time? yes.There will be no mass bannings. A few said the bannings would only decrease their profit margin by less then 10%. Show me a corp that has top management saying "well, eliminate the customers with the gaming edge and I'll tell the board why its down 10%." 1% can get a man fired. And don't tell me its Sony and they don't care.. Its a Sony sister company and they care about every penny. Now throw in the employee costs and time of waging war against showeq and try and put that on paper for your investors.

Sorry if someone ranted this or touched base on it. I was away for a couple months and didn't read the entire thread. I just stopped by for some source code and info. All I wanted to give was my 2 cents and calm some people down. Deterence is SOE's goal and I'm sure thats whats gonna happen with low costs. EQ2 and Star Wars is what their golden children are now.