15 Flags That Signal The End Of Your Marriage

In the modern era, the name EverQuest, and Sony Online Entertainment, are looked upon with a certain amount of scorn and derision by gamers.

For MMO players over a certain age though, it’s been hard to watch the fall of a once mighty empire. Every now and again we’ll hear tell of tales from theearly days of the MMO, that captivate and amaze, hilarious stories of griefing, enthralling emergent gameplay, and frighteningly draconian death penalties, and there’s always a certain amount of nostalgia involved in the telling, a twinkling of the eye, a longing for the old days, and a shake of the head at how easy today’s MMO’s are for the young uns.

How the mighty have fallen. Sure, both EverQuest and EverQuest II are still making money for SOE, but EQ II was supposed to be the king of the mountain. It was supposed to be the be-all-end-all, it was incredibly ambitious, had a massive budget, unparalleled visuals, and pedigree. It was not supposed to be brushed aside by an upstart named World of Warcraft.

So, it’s nearly six years after EverQuest II has hit the market to a decidedly lukewarm reception. SOE have licked their wounds, and after floundering with a series of massively multiplayer online duds; Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard Heroes, Pirates of the Burning Sea, they seem to have found their mojo with Free Realms, and the promising looking DC Universe Online and the spy themed thrill ride, The Agency, but what now?

At the most recent Fan Faire though, SOE let us have a look at another title currently in development that made gamers sit up and take note, the next entry in their flagship EverQuest series, currently being developed under the working title; EverQuest Next (imaginative, yes?).

Sure, we only got a few early (but gorgeous) screenshots and some nifty concept art, but it was enough to get gamers excited, and more importantly to start hoping. Hoping for what? Well, frankly, hoping that SOE don’t mess things up the way they did with EverQuest II.

First things first, get the art style right. At first glance, SOE seem to be on the right track with this (at least judging by the first images). EQII was an incredible technical accomplishment, but the dull, plastic faces and lifeless vistas were depressing and boring, especially in comparison to a certain World of Warcraft, with it’s lush environments and bright, vivid colors. We’re not saying copy WoW, but taking a page out of their playbook wouldn’t hurt.

Speaking of cribbing from World of Warcraft, EverQuest Next needs to learn the most important lesson that WoW taught modern MMO’s, be approachable!

It’s no fun losing half your wow gold, items and valuable weapons. Not that you lose half your eqII plat when you die in EverQuest II, but in comparison to WoW, SOE’s effort was considerably more hardcore and old school in its design philosophy when it launched.

This is something that’s been addressed to a certain degree, but the opportunity exists now, to start with a clean sheet for EverQuest Next, and make sure the game is easy to get into for new players, and gamers new to the genre.

Stick to your guns. Designing an MMO is no simple task, and developers never get everything right the first time out to bat, it’s why we get gigabytes of patches the first few months following a launch or major expansion. Developers sift through the data, see how players are playing, and make adjustments to balance the game accordingly. It’s a natural process of the development cycle, and this sort of upkeep is part of the reason we pay $14.99 every month.

What we do not want to see, is the game swept out from beneath our feet, and replaced with something else entirely. It’s been harped on for years, but that’s because we hope SOE has learnt their lesson and it won’t happen again, never forget; Star Wars Galaxies New Game Enhancements.

Learn from what works. It hasn’t been all doom and gloom for SOE over the past six years. There has been a concerted effort to explore the boundaries of the current MMO space, especially with quality games like the free to play, browser based Free Realms.

The technology behind Free Realms seems to power the currently in-beta EverQuest Extended, and the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures, it really shouldn’t stop there, the ability to simply fire up a browser and be in-game in seconds, rather than have to sit through patches, or wait hours to download tens of gigabytes worth of game data for a new install, is priceless. Put simply, making it easier to get started is a step in the right direction, and EverQuest Next should really incorporate it.

Compete. Presentation, polish, content, and gameplay. It would seem to be a no-brainer, but the market has changed quite a bit since EQII hit, and it’s even harder to make an impact.

WoW is the defacto standard, for better or worse, when you launch, gamers expect at least a similar level of competence in regard to presentation, polish, content and gameplay.

Despite keeping an eye on the competition though, SOE need, above all, to innovate, not immitate. Easier said than done, true, but the ground work is in place, just look at the aforementioned browser powered game engine, the promise offered by the Station Exchange and the importance of real money trading in a free to play or freemium environment (being able to buy eqII plat, items or equipment would be huge, and should be included) and you have to say they’re on the right track.

Don’t blow it SOE… again.

Chris Coker is a freelance writer and avid gamer. He has written on all aspects of the MMO industry, focusing on his latest favorite, Everquest 2. Check out Epictoon and some of my blogs on how to combined with the best leveling gear that eq2 plat can buy.

15 Flags That Signal The End Of Your Marriage2093015 Flags That Signal The End Of Your MarriageA frequent question I hear is,Should I divorce? How do you know when your marriage is over? It’s a difficult question, and one no one can answer for you. For one couple, a cheating spouse may be the final reason. For another couple, cheating may be worked through, but the in-laws may be the reason for divorce. I usually advise couples to wait and put every ounce of energy they can into salvaging the marriage. I also ask them to think about issues: How will your children fare? What will your friends say, and will they take sides? What about the in-laws? Will you still be able to see them, and if you loved them how will they deal with the divorce? Are you really prepared for the dating scene? How will you feel when you are all alone? Can you make it financially on your own? What has this spouse done that you ultimately cannot forgive? Until you are clear with these issues, you may want to wait with a divorce. Divorce means the final end. There is no going back, so it is not a decision with which to be reckless.

Divorce is commonplace now, but it isn’t easy. Many times when something becomes common, we devalue it or make light of it. Anyone who has gone through divorce has suffered the sleepless nights, the gut wrenching feeling of the legal papers, and the aftermath of watching the kids try to adapt to their new lifestyle. There are flags that wave when a divorce is highly likely. You may note a few of these in your marriage right now. If you see less than two, the marriage is salvageable. However, the more you have, the harder it will be to salvage the marriage.

1. Has it become impossible to talk to your spouse without it turning into a full blown argument?

2. Does your spouse curse you in front of your children? If your spouse continues to the point of upsetting the children, I would leave tonight (with your children).

3. Does your spouse threaten you? This is a flag you should never ignore, call the police and get out.

4. Does your spouse refuse to help with chores, child care, or financial obligations?

5. Does your spouse have friends of the opposite sex that they demand they see even at your request that it makes you insecure or threatened?

6. Does your spouse abuse drugs, alcohol, and or money in an addictive manner without trying to get help? This problem can jeopardize your life, as well as your children’s.

7. Does your spouse use discipline in a hurtful, abusive way with your children? We all read the story about the dad who punished his child with punches. This should never be tolerated. He has a problem, and you need to end your marriage with him if he won’t get help.

8. Does your spouse respect you? Do they talk down to you, or make you feel lower than them?

9. Does your spouse belittle your career and make fun of you?

10. Does your spouse resist personal growth? Do they want you to stay the same, even though you are a living thriving being? This is symbolic of a controlling person; they are also usually very insecure.

11. Does your spouse no longer desire you sexually? Do they resist by pointing out your faults? Do they compare you to other more desirable spouses?

12. Has your partner changed ethically or morally in a way that is not as loving and giving? It is worthwhile to check with your spouse if this happens. It could be sign of depression. Depression is treatable; you don’t have to divorce something you can treat.

13. Does your spouse avoid any opportunity to bring harmony or joy to the family?

14. Has your spouse been unhappy for so long that they have already given up on the marriage?

15. Has your spouse told you they don’t love you anymore, but are staying for the children’s sake? Children are happy if parents are happy. If you are unhappy in your marriage, your children know it. When they are small, they will act marital issues out. When they get bigger, they will take the pain of their parents’ marriage and act it out in destructive ways, such as teen drinking, body piercing, obesity, and sexual promiscuity. If you think you are hiding a bad marriage from your kids, you are deluding yourself.

A divorce is often seven years plus or minus two in the making. If your marriage is in trouble take every measure possible to salvage it. If many of these 15 flags are waving, you would be wise to consider letting it go. It sounds broken. Mary Jo Rapini

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