As many gamers know, Reddit can be a dark and terrifying place, so where else would the idea for a deep black and dangerous night come from?

In the land of EverQuest Next discussion we see many posts and commentators advocating a return to older 'hardcore' MMO values, and arguing for the sake of that elusive, some say mythical beast known as 'immersion'. As these ideas and values go merrily hand in hand it's no wonder that the day/night cycle has become a hot topic in the community, and for once we all seem to agree! Time of day should matter in a persistent world game; beyond that we move into the difficult terrain of 'how', but for now we're all on the same page! Isn't that nice?

Less than six months after Dave Georgeson stunned the crowd at SOE Live, players will be getting their hands dirty building in EverQuest Next Landmark. With such a short turnaround, it seems the fundamental purpose of Landmark has been lost on many of us, I still see the big questions asked: 'What is the difference between EverQuest Next and Landmark? Why is it a separate game at all? Is it just a fancy housing system?

These are pertinent questions that need to be answered, but underneath the true nature and purpose of Landmark is hidden, and it is this hidden nature that gets me so excited for what's in store. And I want you to share that excitement because I'm a massive nerd and that's what we do best.

So with that in mind, it's time to talk about Landmark, and how it's so much more than a way to build your EverQuest Next Guildhall.

In an effort to start monetizing EverQuest Next Landmark, Sony Online Entertainment has unveiled the Founder’s Packs. These $20, $60 and $100 bundles enable players to join in on testing the game and provide a wide assortment of rewards. Senior Producer Terry Michaels goes into detail about the Settler, Explorer and Trailblazer tiers you can buy:

Fast Travel in MMOs has always been a widely debated topic. When trying to create an entire living-breathing world that feels vast and unexplored, should players have the ability to simply open their map and click wherever they want to travel to? Or should you make them explore the vast jungles, mountains and other fantasy-like vistas that cover the landscape?

In the latest EverQuest Next Round Table we're joined by Senior Brand Manager Omeed Dariani and Lead Designer Darrin McPherson to talk about the pros and cons of "Fast Travel" and how EQ Next should approach it.

Sony Online Entertainment's third EverQuest Next Landmark Developer Diary discusses the material and tools that players will use with Lead Designer Darrin McPherson. Further in the video we get a glimpse at how some of these materials look in-game as well as a brief run through the castle that Executive Producer Dave Georgeson recently created.

The EverQuest Next Round Table polls are still attracting controversy and stimulating debate as the responses hit double figures. This week Omeed Dariani welcomes Terry Michaels back to discuss issues raised about player building privacy in EverQuest Next Landmark.

One major factor in allowing players privacy when building is the Player Studio, a system that allows players to earn real life cash for sales of their work, and as my Grandpappy used to say: Mo' Money Mo' Problems.

The pair go on to contextualize the Round Table Feedback and respond to a few specific pieces of player feedback, topics such as griefing, offline mode and the social interaction built into Landmark.

Yesterday, those of us glued to our screens waiting for the next sweet morsel of information about EverQuest Next were treated to a whopper of an appetizer! David Georgeson, executive producer of the EverQuest franchise, dropped this tease via twitter, which was quickly confirmed by brand manager Omeed Dariani, mentioning that the dates for the EverQuest Next Landmark beta will be shared within the next month or so. 

So the agony of anticipation is nearly over - in a few weeks we will know when we can expect to get our hands on the tools players will use build the new Norrath and more. But just when you thought it was safe to unstrap your tinfoil hat, David Georgeson tossed us another teasing nugget, is there more to Landmark than we expect?

Always eager for more EverQuest Next? We’ve got two more videos to keep you busy.

Sony Online Entertainment's second EverQuest Next Landmark Developer Diary introduces the concept of "Globetrotting" with Creative Director Jeff Butler and Senior Art Director Rosie Rappaport. Globetrotting is exploring the various "biomes" of the world, collecting harvestable resources, visiting other players and to check out what else has been built in the world.