Rumors from the Fan Faire

[KyrosKrane]

The items in this post are flat-out rumors. Most come from questionable sources and NONE are verified. Heck, I didn't even send these in to the developers. Most likely, all of these are false. I just wanted to share them with you folks for their humor value. Again, most likely, these are incorrect, so don't go quoting me on them!

Rumor: The next expansion is due in July, and will raise levels to 70.

Rumor: EQ is on a much tighter budget than we suspect. Apparently there isn't enough programming manpower available to implement all the changes the devs want, let alone all the enhancements players are requesting.

Rumor: nVidia will be releasing a new high-powered card within a week or so. This will be a new high-end card and push some existing cards down in price. (This one was told to me directly by the nVidia rep at the Fan Faire, so I'd judge it more reliable than the others.)

Gah, I can't find my notes. I had a nice list of various rumors I'd overheard, but I can't find it now.

Anyone else hear any juicy rumors they'd like to share?

[Brodybeard]

Rumor: nVidia will be releasing a new high-powered card within a week or so. This will be a new high-end card and push some existing cards down in price. (This one was told to me directly by the nVidia rep at the Fan Faire, so I'd judge it more reliable than the others.)

From the Tom's Hardware web site:

NVIDIA has seemingly pulled out all stops in an attempt to deliver cutting edge graphics with its GeForce 6800 Ultra. After gamers for too long have had to be content with mere incremental improvements to graphics performance, NVIDIA new card delivers a performance jump not seen for a long time. The device is also solidly engineered as well as insanely fast.

[Dunthor Warsmith]

That GeForce 6800 Ultra looks quite nice NVidia finally put ATI back in its place (assuming, of course, ATI's next card, which is also due out soon, doesn't have a similar performance leap)

From HardwareAnalysis(mostly refererencing max-setting performance)

At the end of the day the level of performance, it beats the best ATI currently has, the Radeon 9800 XT, by 60 to 120%

From Tom'sHardwareGuide

With the GeForce 6800 Ultra, you can play UT2004 with 4xFSAA and 8x anisotropic filtering at one resolution higher than its rivals [ATI Radeon 9800XT] - and still get better frame rates!

[Cavel]

By all reports even the card ATI is releasing AFTER the next release will be lower power than this Battleship of a Graphics card called the FX6800 Ultra.

[Nizanko]

Crap! And I just bought a 9800 Pro.

Oh, well. At least System Shock 2 runs on the ATI. nVidia managed to break their most recent few driver releases in that regard, and I'm a sucker for classic games with great atmosphere.

[Kilauea Bacchus]

On GOD the upper management wanted these three things: new race, new class, raise level cap to 70. Because of time constraints and programming shortages they were only able to do the new class this time around. Expect to see a new race and/or level cap on the next expansion. From what I heard, the art department couldn't do all the work it would take for a new race, and likewise the programming department couldn't do all the work it would take to implement level 70.

[Tuga]

Dear Rallos, there simply ain't enough room in Neriak for us Ogres also. They had better come up with a better method of implimenting a new race than they did with the frogs. /grin

[Kilauea Bacchus]

I'd like to see a new race from that phantom zoneline in Stonebrunt

[splunge]

Or how about that hawt chickie in the chanter area of the PoK Library?

Rowr.

[Lilosh]

Next race?

Brownies. :-)

Next time you kill Nillipuss
"Your faction standing with the Keebler Brownies could not possibly get any worse!"


-Lilosh

[Itzena]

/veto brownies

Othmir!
Add Barren Shores as a zone in Erud (off of Stonebrunt) and have an Othmir village there - complete with steel drum music.


Or maybe luggalds. Hmm...luggalds would be fun to have, merely to irritate dark elves: "Ah, I see that you're one of those teir'dal, Innoruuk's flawed first attempt at creating servants. Greetings. We are your vastly superior replacements."

[Ursawraith]

How about Gobbies out of Runnyeye

[Ambrya]

Naw...next new playable race should be the Fae.

Seriously...Faeries rule, and the toons themselves would look awesome.

Ambrya

[Renjah]

2 words....

mutant chickens!!!

[Kilauea Bacchus]

Actually I'd like to see an aviak-type. I'm betting it'll be a humanoid though and not an anthropomorphic.