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With Deepest Regrets, Aradune has passed away

    • 109 posts
    November 21, 2019 12:18 PM PST

    This was shocking and really sad to hear.  I can only take some solace in knowing that at the very least I get to be part of what clearly meant the most to Brad and hopefully I can help shape it in some small way that he would appreciate.

     

    My experience with Brad was that he was always really nice to everyone.  Even though he was a legend in the industry he was always naturally very modest and eager to answer questions.  My condolences to the family and close loved ones.  I'm sorry Brad won't get to see this game get completed, but I'm sure VR will do everything they can to make it successful. 

    • 125 posts
    November 21, 2019 1:24 PM PST

    So young, had so much more to accomplish.

    My heart and condolences go out to the McQuaid Family, VR team and friends.

    VR is right when they say it won't be the same without Brad, but let's not forget he brought together an all star team. He paved the foundation with leading the development of avendyrs pass, halinir cave and the upcoming Faerthale amongst I assume the foundation for many others. The classes and movement mechanics were all to be finished with pf and I wouldn't be surprised if Brad was there to see them get close if they're not finished already.

    I have no doubt that pantheon is already throughly captivating.

    It's true romance that VR is continuing the production of the game and I'm sure they have all of Brads design notes to draw from.

    God speed completing Pantheon in his name VR.

    • 2 posts
    November 21, 2019 9:06 PM PST

    Rest in Peace Brad, you will be truly missed by many. My condolences go out to your Family, VR team and friends.

    • 8 posts
    November 22, 2019 1:23 AM PST

    Very sad news. My best wishes go out to his family, and to all the VR team. He was a visionary creator, and brought great joy and adventure to the lives of so many.

    • 393 posts
    November 22, 2019 8:40 AM PST

    Very sad and devastating news. I'm shocked.

     

    Thank you Brad, for being the Master Forger to a genre of games I have loved since 1999. So much joy I've had is because of your genius, passion and imagination.

    • 71 posts
    November 22, 2019 1:51 PM PST

    Very sad t hear. He brought so much joy to so many people. His vision in the gaming world is unmatched and he was always in the forefront.

    He's on another adventure now and thoughts to his family and friends that knew him best.

    • 7 posts
    November 22, 2019 2:52 PM PST

    RIP Aradune. You will be forever missed and remembered, for me personally as the father of MMO's and creator of worlds. Everquest was a huge part of my youth and I have you to thank for that. Godspeed in your next quest sir!

    • 3 posts
    November 22, 2019 6:52 PM PST

    Thank you for everything Brad McQuaid!!!

    • 902 posts
    November 23, 2019 7:13 AM PST
    I hope you are still questing out there Aradune. Honour to you and your house.
    • 4 posts
    November 23, 2019 10:39 AM PST

    Truly unexpected and sad to hear this. Rest in peace Brad. You will be missed by the world :(

    • 3 posts
    November 24, 2019 9:23 AM PST

    Damn, didnt see this one coming... shocking.

    My condolences to everyone who knew him.

    So sad that he couldnt be here to see the release...

     

    RIP Brad.

    • 1 posts
    November 24, 2019 10:46 AM PST

    So sorry to hear this news, he was truly a creator of worlds and will be greatly missed. Fly free good sir, fly free. RIP Aradune

    • 5 posts
    November 24, 2019 6:39 PM PST
    Brad McQuaid will be remembered as the "Moses" of the MMORPG genre. He will have led his people through "The Wasteland" of what are called "modern" MMOs and finally deliver us to his promised land. What is so damned sad is, just like Moses, Brad will never see that promised land...

    Rest in peace Brad. You will be remembered for ages to come.
    • 165 posts
    November 25, 2019 7:51 AM PST

    I just heard about the passing of Brad McQuaid. I am in shock and filled with great sadness. I can’t imagine how it feels for his family and friends.

    Brad made worlds that we loved to live and grow in. The MMORPG genre has been touched and inspired by Brad.

    Rest in peace Brad. We love you!

    • 20 posts
    November 25, 2019 8:12 AM PST

    Rest in peace Aradune, your visions are inspiring. Will always be grateful for the world, memories and friendships you created with EQ. Look forward to adventuring in your next world and honoring your legacy.


    This post was edited by Xeos at November 25, 2019 8:14 AM PST
    • 228 posts
    November 26, 2019 1:35 AM PST

    I didn't know Brad personally, and he certainly didn't know me.

    So why am I so genuinely sad? 

    My thoughts go to his family and his friends, including all the great people at Visionary Realms.


    This post was edited by Jabir at November 26, 2019 1:37 AM PST
    • 217 posts
    November 26, 2019 7:14 AM PST

    Dorn B'Dynn strikes YOU, for ALL the hit points of damage!!

     

    ....LOADING, PLEASE WAIT....

     

    RIP Brad-adune

    Thank you for all you have done to contribute to the entertainment, enjoyment and touching of so many lives. Thank you for making a community based game that brought people from all over the world, into another world... your world... your vision, your dream. And we worked together for a common goal and were anle to many of us let our hair dow. And just be us, or our avatar as we meant them to be, to be silly and real. Some serious amounts of intorverts became in this way extroverted and some who felt as though they were losers, nerds, geeks, fleebs, outcast and the such, were able to  come out and play with the rest of the crowd. Thank you for showing it can be done... world peace can be achieved. If only RL leaders had the same vision and drive to make the RL world as fantastic to live in as your worlds have been for us.

     Much love brother,

     Xev

    • 42 posts
    November 26, 2019 11:45 AM PST

     

                                                 My thoughts and prayers to his family and the gaming family.......

    I sit here with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart,(took a couple of days to do this )Remembering that first step I took in Everquest(1999) and the joy this game brought into my life of abuse and darkness.

    I want to thank Brad for saving my life ! For giving myself(and so many others) this escape,to meet new friends and families. WOW !! The adventures this game/world has brought into so many lives(and sorrow too)

    I do hope VR continues with Pantheon more than ever now to fullfill his dream !! and let him live on  (Please name a Starting City (Aradune ) in his honor PLEASE or even a zone/or buff :0) 

     

                                               


    This post was edited by Tonei LaVae at November 26, 2019 2:55 PM PST
    • 15 posts
    November 27, 2019 10:08 PM PST

    Tonei LaVae said:

     

                                                 My thoughts and prayers to his family and the gaming family.......

    I sit here with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart,(took a couple of days to do this )Remembering that first step I took in Everquest(1999) and the joy this game brought into my life of abuse and darkness.

    I want to thank Brad for saving my life ! For giving myself(and so many others) this escape,to meet new friends and families. WOW !! The adventures this game/world has brought into so many lives(and sorrow too)

    I do hope VR continues with Pantheon more than ever now to fullfill his dream !! and let him live on  (Please name a Starting City (Aradune ) in his honor PLEASE or even a zone/or buff :0) 

                                               

     

      Im still hurting, man its been a good run, I feel like a part of me is gone.. I hope your friends can carry the torch, because I'm so lost.. 14 years in your wolds of creative genius..

    Brad, I can honestly say you've been one of the greatest motivations in my life, as well as a uniting factor; to keep me going...

    My heart hurts ....You are missed Dearly, the very depths of my soul yearn for you to be back.... I ask God why???

     


    This post was edited by EQvet1980 at November 27, 2019 10:12 PM PST
    • 9 posts
    November 28, 2019 2:52 AM PST

    Just wanted to share this, just the guild for my army of alt and a friend, in Everquest. Created like 6 years ago.

    You've got the Barbarian berserker, the 2 froglok brothers, and the drunkard, a bard.

     

    Also wanna share a funny story.

    When I created my 2 other accounts, I got to that dreadful step, where you have to find a username. Everyone know the drill am sure, already taken, already taken, etc..

    Finally, I just type BradmcQuaid, and it was not taken! /em shocked

    The Second account : BradmcQuaid2. Finally, couple months ago, I made a 4th account, BradmcQuaid3.

     

    Anyway, the BradmcQuaid account, is the home of my Shadow knight Froglok, Glubs. And one day, as I was just working on my epic quest (best look ever), I was in city of mist, camping that "rare" spawn.

    Anyway, after a couple days, alone and boring in the zone, I decided to /petition, the zone was revamped, couple new quests added, we all know the database could have been messed up, so just sent a request to be sure I wasn't waiting for nothing.

    A GM got in /tell with me, saying he believe nothing is wrong with that mob, it's working as intended etc.. ;)

    I thank him, but I completly forgot about my station username.. The GM says "I wanna say I always wanted to meet you".

    So here I am, acting like the famous Brad mcQuaid for a couple mins, until I finally tell him I am a fraud, and why ;)

    We both laughed, he took it well, and a couple mins after he "left", my mob spawned.


    This post was edited by Vaan at November 28, 2019 2:54 AM PST
    • 4 posts
    November 28, 2019 3:28 AM PST

    Very saddened to hear of Brad's passing..  Condolences to his closest friends, family, and the VR team.  He was a great visionary and understood the need for adventure at the core of every man.   No other game developed has truly given me the satisfaction EQ did and the desire to keep adventuring.  The top end guild on my server at the time was Legacy of Steel and that is what I feel Brad left behind.  RIP.

    • 55 posts
    November 28, 2019 4:31 AM PST

    Brad changed the course of my life with Everquest back in 2000, I will always honor him for his contribution to my life with that World. 

     

    To the Mcquaid family, my deepest condolences to you, Thank you for sharing him with all of us.

     

    To the Pantheon staff, please find support in us, the fans, we are here for you guys. 

    • 2 posts
    November 29, 2019 12:41 PM PST

    Thank you sir for the creation of worlds that we could live in, explore and share with each other! You and your teams' work have brought many people together and made the world a better place. We will greatly miss you!

    Also, thank you Visionary Realms for all your hard work and passion so far! I wish you all a lot of strength for the coming months! I have no doubt that Terminus will be a wonderful place.

    I will never forget my life in Vanguard, the friendships I made across the pond and the many adventures I and we embarked on. The class design was outstanding as well...I especially miss my Psionicist. Sincerely, thank you for everything!

    • 1 posts
    November 30, 2019 11:02 AM PST

    My Deepest Sympathy ! To his family and VR Team

    • 6 posts
    November 30, 2019 3:15 PM PST

    A friend of mine texted me with the news, I hadn't been online due to the holidays, and I was in shock as I tried to take it all in.  Brad McQuaid was a visionary and a story teller who ranked up there with J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Anne McCaffrey, and Stan Lee.  Each used the format of his day to bring a created world to life for their fans.  We were allowed to venture into their world through words, pictures, and games.  Brad McQuaid will be with us all when Pantheon goes live, I believe he will be watching, and smiling, as we delve across the new lands that are waiting to be explored.  This community will continue to encourage and support the entire Pantheon family as we each endeavor to see his dream become reality.