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Anyone remember back in the day on EQ where you could not only heal your friends but you could also heal Mobs? Well it was a long time ago in this day in age. If you dont remember that but you do remember getting your Life Day Orb then do me a favor. Stop whining about the status of the game. Take a look at the big picture here folks. You are playing a game that has to do quite a few things all at once. When EQ came out it had to introduce a whole new genre to the world. With NO budget. It took forever for a few guys to figure out how to get things right. You know the formula.

Step One=Create a game everyone loves and do it as fast as possible.

Step Two=Add content.

Step Three=Charge what the market will bare.

Repeat steps two and three while making sure number one is still current.

The big picture is simple if you accept a couple basic truths. Creating a game isnt easy. Knowing how to please everyone is impossible. And that paying your bills comes first.

Lets take a look at these simple truths and see how they relate to those steps. You cannot make a game everyone loves. You cannot give everything everyone wants out of their experience. You have to come as close as you can. Then you come to the speed thing. Do you release now and let the community rip it to shreads? Or do you draw the Beta out over 2 years so as to get everything right? Remember that you are not only creating something no one has ever tried before with a whole new interface but with graphics, AI, Combat, Char Creation, AND Abilities. Not only this but you have to make not only one game but TWO different games and make sure they can coexist with interlocking mechanics. Now this doesn't seem to be too much to ask for now is it? Oh wait. Let's add one more thing to the mix. A genre building storyline that has been in place for over 25 years. A storyline that has been forced into their souls by two generations of media coverage. Oh, and that story line, may just change on you in a heartbeat because the Base facts havent been established yet. Ok so you put something out ppl could get their hands on. then you find out that no one cares what you had to do to get there. They want more. They have to have more. They see the bugs they dont remember having to fight in EQ or UO or DOAC. You know they were there. You know how long it took to gewt those ironed out. You know that given the chance you can give them something they can enjoy. You have to. You have to make sure they still want to play the game. You have not only your career at stake but your families well being. If ppl dont want to play, you wont get to keep the job you so love. you look to the future and you see what? A great game? A pleasently satisfied customer? No. You see having to start over again adding more to the game to keep them playing. You see even more posts on you forums that you dont know what your doing. Your greedy. Your pathetic. You put out a crappy game and you dont care.

Folks, There is no arguement that things need to be changed up. Things need to be added to the game. Things need to be addressed. But understand. There was a time when you could get mad at someone in EQ and heal the mob they had been trying to kill for over the past hour and there was nothing they could do about it. Things take time. And eventually you will be remembering the days when you could take your speeder bike to the starport, Leave it, Call it up at your destination, And it will be good as new. And when you do

Laugh and have some more fun