Scott Hartsman - Off the Record

The only thing that’s more fun than a launch day is the day before launch day.

It’s tense, but in a good way. It’s going out tomorrow, there’s no doubting that. The launch is a concrete event of its own, marked by an unmoving (and unmovable) point on a time line, and the clock ticks between now and then can get louder and louder in your own head if you let them.

No pressure.

There are huge flurries of activity. Then if you’re lucky like we are this time, there are occasional pauses. Then flurries again.

At this point, people are still getting useful work done. Some are scouring boards for things we’ve missed. Others are on beta chatting with testers, or possessing people’s pets and running off with them. Others are working on upcoming live events or tweaks for the first hotfix. (At least one of us is scribbling down random thoughts between emails, IMs, and people wandering in and out of his office.) Yet others are experimenting with changes for the future.

But everyone’s united in looking forward to tomorrow.

(At least that’s what I think “More items in update 41? I will f—ing cut you,” means. I could have misunderstood him.)

Regardless, it seems that EQ2 and ROK are on the minds of a few others folks too.

If you’re looking for EQ2-related ways to pass the time between now and launch, here are a few suggestions…

• Brandon Reinhardt had some very nice things to say about EQ2, wrapped up in a thoughtful analysis about the state of the game and some of the things we’re doing well. If you’re ever up this way, sir, I owe you a drink. Glad you think we’re doing good work up here.

• Her royal Cuppiness, the ultimate MMO dilettante, likes to give EQ2 some love from time to time.

• Ogrebear has some seriously nice looking Kunark beta spoilage.

• The folks at the shiny, new Massively have been doing their part and then some in getting the word out. Furniture? Giveaways? Video? Love for EQ2Traders? Birthday wishes? Beta Tour? They pretty much have it all.

• The inimitable Kendricke chimes in with his take on why right now is a great time to pick up EQ2.

• The equally inimitable (in an entirely different way) Winwin talks about her time poking around the beta, kicking its tires, then painting them pink.

• Yet more Kunark anticipation over in the direction of The Server Is Down…

• Darren of The Common Sense Gamer talking about something that I talked about, so now the cycle of my talking about his talking about my talking is complete. (I do apologize for any tears in the time-space continuum that may occur as a result of my pressing Publish.)

• Our own unique humorist Coyote has his take on the night before launch.

• If general gameplay is more your thing, over at The Lost Souls, George has a new article up about aggro management in EQ2.

• …and a bunch of other folks blogging about their own anticipation.

If you’re looking forward to Kunark too, know that you’re in good company.

See you tomorrow morning.