Farewell, Brad/Aradune.
May his vision for us all live on.
I just found out about an hour ago...Since then I've had a youtube video playing in the background called "A Musical Journey Through Norrath". It seems only fitting that music that brings back such nostalgia is the last thing I hear tonight. I can't seem to get my thoughts together again, so I'll copy/paste the same comment I left on the Pantheon facebook...
"Like many others here, my life was touched by Brad's work. I was deeply immersed in EverQuest and loved Vanguard, despite its flaws. Brad will be missed. If it weren't for his vision with EverQuest, the MMO genre wouldn't have been as successful as it is now.
I fondly remember my time playing EverQuest. I started playing late 2000, right before Shadows of Luclin came out. Most of my fondest MMO memories come from between Shadows of Luclin and when I switched to EverQuest 2 in late 2005.
When I heard about Vanguard, I was constantly looking for more information on the game. I was beyond hyped for it. I played that until it went F2P.
Then I heard he was working on a new game called Pantheon and I knew what my next MMO obsession would be.
Rest in Peace Brad...Long live Aradune Mithara, avatar of Tunare!"
Brad opened to door to what it meant to play in a world not just a game to my friends and I in our younger years, as he did for so many others. I remember my first time logging in and making a human ranger who started in Surefall Glade only to get stuck completely blind in a tunnel for around 10 minutes. I wasn't frustrated but rather found myself entirely immersed in the experience, it was real to me. When I finally made it out of the cave I died to a wolf pouncing upon me from behind while fighting a bat and I just started laughing with enjoyment at how it all felt like a real world, just something totally different than anything I had ever imagined or experienced. A high that no other MMO or game has ever met equal.
Everquest was a miraculous game world to be a part of, the experiences shared in that world led to countless memories and friendships that have lasted decades now. Over the years I have run into many people in the real world who light up with a tangible joy and warmth upon discovering another who shared in Norrath and the early EQ years. Those memories so visceral, so potent, so unique and cherished.
My sincerest and deepest sympathies go out to Brad McQuaid's friends and family. He was a true visionary and he will be deeply missed.
Thank you for everything Brad, I mean it when I say you changed my life for the better in those trying youthful years.
No...
I am shocked. I so appreciate Everquest, and have many truly fun childhood memories with it! I have always looked up to Brad and been inspired by his messages. He's always been one of the true greats and originals, rarely met.
Thank you so much for your work, Brad! You are very truly missed!
And not just Brad's work, but his personality. Kind, great sense of humor, supportive, sharp intelligence, grateful - this all came out in the videos Ive seen of him talking with whomever. Thank you, Brad!!
My deepest condolences to Brad's family, VR, and all his friends who's lives he positively affected. Brad's visions and creations meant so much to me, and affected my life in so many positive ways. He will be very missed by so many of us. I hope that VR pushes Panthon towards it's finish, now with even more passion to honor everything Brad was about. RIP my friend.
Lost for words... and saddened. I got to meet him at Twitchcon 2017, some great conversations. I played EQ for 11 years and will not forget those experiences. I then supported Pantheon and wanted to help see his dream come true. It is really sitting heavy with me that he was not able to see Pantheon launch. My condolences to his family and to the entire VR team.
Wow. This is such a shock. My deepest condolences to Brad's family, friends and loved ones as well as for the staff of Visionary Realms.
Brad,
Thank you for giving us Vanguard - Saga of Heroes and for everything you have done for the world of gaming and its community.
RIP.
PS: WTB Rez.
Visionary
He had fantastic moments for the MMO genre, being human he also had some less so.
I am deeply thankful for what he allowed me and many others to live while in the worlds he had contributed to.
I now wnat even more to taste Pantheon to see what his final dream was about.
K
Wow, I'm utterly shocked and deeply saddened. My thoughts and prayers go out to Brad's family and friends.
As someone who never played the original EQ and only briefly played Vanguard, I actually didn't know who Brad was until I got involved in supporting Pantheon. But even in the short time I've followed his career, I've come to respect him as one of the few great creative minds in this or any industry. It wasn't just Brad's talent that made him special; it was his integrity. In an industry (and world) where profit is nearly always the primary concern and artistry a mere afterthought, Brad was one of the few with the courage to flip that paradigm on its head. His ceaseless desire to create worlds of wonder and magic, to follow his own heart and blaze his own trails, has given all of us a gift beyond measure.
There was an interview that Brad gave a few years back where he talked about Pantheon and his philosophy about making games. I can't remember who it was he was talking to, but at one point in the interview he said that there was a quote by Tolkien that he felt exemplified his own creative philosophy, and he included the entire quote in the interview. I had never heard the quote before, but when I read it I felt that it beautifully reflected my own beliefs as well, and I was so inspired by it that I copied it down immediately. It went:
"We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil."
Brad's work truly did embody this quote. Just as Tolkien did, he let his passion for fantasy inform his work and never gave in to the corporate materialistic mindset. I can think of no better tribute to him than to let his work inspire us to live our own lives with the same fearless integrity with which he lived his. If we do that, whatever circles of life we ourselves may walk in, we can't help but inspire others, and Brad's spirit will always be at work in the world.
Thank you, Brad, for inspiring us.
Brad was a legend. He helped spearhead the MMO genre that wouldn't be the same, if it exists at all, without him. He designed his games around the core concept of working together with others to overcome challenges. This alone is what made Everquest great, inspired thousands of people to become game developers, and, most importantly, brought people together. He will truly be missed.
I hope that the VR team honours his memory by sticking to the vision for Pantheon that was agreed upon so that it may blossom into an MMO that Brad would be proud of.
In terms of bringing back challenging group focused MMO gameplay, it felt like Brad McQuaid was Obi-Wan Kenobi, i.e. "Our only hope". There is zero doubt that this tragic event diminishes all but a flicker of that hope. I pray that Chris Perkins can be our Luke Skywalker and rise out of nowhere to take the mantle that Brad just layed down to try and spearhead this industry back on course. The odds are very long though, he has huge boots to try and fill. As for Brad, without knowing the cause of death, it's hard to properly comment, but I just hope the delays and struggles of Pantheon's development had nothing to do with this. I know how broken he was over the Sigil fiasco, I know how important Visionary Realms and Pantheon was to trying to atone and move past that disaster. I truly hope that this company and game somehow thrive to fulfill that deep desire and shine as a beacon to a great individual in the MMORPG sphere. It's definitely a tragic day.