Everquest 2: Druids Grove Interviews

Here is the link: http://eq2.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=7848

EQII Interview July, 2004

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Note: Questions were answered by Steve Danuser (SD) and EJ Moreland (EJ). Steve is the community manager and EJ is a mechanics designer who works on the spell system.

If a Half-Elf monk and a Half-Elf druid were standing side by side, wearing the same chest armor piece, would the pieces look the same?

SD: The intended design of our armor system is that a given item looks basically the same when worn by any race or profession. Since brawlers and druids both wear light armor, there could be cases where two players of different professions were wearing the same item and did have the same look. We can, of course, also restrict items to certain professions and give unique appearances or tints to them.

Will druids have the capability to change their form, similar to the wolf form or tree form in EQ, and if so will this be restricted to wardens or furies in any way? I.e. wardens changing to only trees, furies changing to only wolves. Understandably being in the early stages of tuning this question lends to a vague answer. If you can elaborate a little on some of the spell ideas it'll clear up some myth and curiosities that have been dancing around the boards.

EJ: We're planning to give relevant (in terms of lore) forms to the druid subclasses. These will probably be implemented as upgraded soloing buffs, and not something a druid would use while in a party (unless there was more than one priest in the group). I don't want to give details on those forms yet, as they may change before ship.

Will druids have any effects on weather systems, spells related to changing the weather conditions and if so can an example of one of the spells and its effect be mentioned?

EJ: This could very well be something we add in the future, but do not expect to see spells that directly affect the world's weather on release.

What advantage will wardens have as a priest class in a group over a templar or inquisitor?

EJ: All of the subclasses have at least one defining spell that is not shared by other subclasses--even the one that shares the same parent class. We don't want to release the specific spells at this point, but I will say that in our current spell lists each priest subclass has a noticeable advantage that is unique to them.

The druid's most popular advantage in EQLive was the ability to teleport. What will allow druids to standout in EQ2 regarding a unique ability or a similar ability limited to 2 classes? (wizards and druids porting ability)

EJ: Point-to-point travel will not be available due to the spires and druid rings ceasing to function. Druids will stand out due to their specific mix of spell abilities, both role-related (such as their potent over-time healing) or non-role related (larger selection of damage spells). This does not include the druid subclasses' distinct spells that set them apart from each other as well as making them stand out further from other types of priests.

Regarding religion, in EQLive druids drew their power from their gods, Tunare or Karana. What will druids draw their powers from, nature, weather, faith, deity?

SD: Ask ten druids in Norrath and you might get ten different answers. Some maintain that the gods are still present and provide priests with their power. Others claim the planes themselves provide mystical energy for their magic. Many druids see Nature itself as the source of their powers. Players will no doubt explore these mysteries as the game unfolds.

Druids were mentioned to specialize in heal over time spells, will druids damage spells focus mainly on damage over time too?

EJ: Druids, from class to subclass, actually have both direct damage ("nuke") and damage over-time ("DoT") spells depending on their subclass choice. But they are not "focused" per se on either type of damage-dealing since it is not considered part of their primary role as a Priest.

How have druids, from a storyline point of view, changed in the time between EQLive and EQ2.

SD: The uncertainty brought about by the absence of the gods, not to mention centuries of war and turmoil, caused many Norrathian philosophies to change, and druids are certainly no exception. Some have remained true to the teachings of Tunare and Karana, seeing their gods' absence as only a temporary test of devotion. But others have taken on a more neutral philosophy, viewing Nature as a source of raw power that owes allegiance to no one. The elves remain guardians of the natural world, while other races have harnessed this primal power and taken it in new directions.

Will there be out of game resources; as in graphic novels, novelettes and novels, planned to help expand and elaborate on the history, lore, or quest dialogue for EQ2, or will all of the lore come strictly from inside the game?

SD: There will be lore uncovered in the game and provided on our own website, but we are always looking for other avenues through which we can tell the story of EverQuest II. I think it's a safe bet that you'll be seeing a variety of supplemental materials that take place in and around our vision of Norrath.