The Tattered Notebook: What EverQuest II deserves this Frostfell
Santa Glug is prepping his bags and getting ready to deliver the goods this Frostfell! While some of us, mainly Gnomes, will end up with a sack of coal to place in our homes, most of us have been well-deserving of the treats we're sure to receive. EverQuest II has had an extremely eventful year, and despite a few bumps in the road here and there, it's a game that deserves some festive holiday gifts this Frostfell.
Read more to see what I'd like Santa Glug to deliver to EverQuest II this season.
Mergers! After a delay, we're knee-deep in server mergers, and the last of the U.S. server merges should be complete today. There have been a few issues with chat problems, AAs resetting, and the usual conflicts with player and guild names, but overall, the newly combined servers should help freshen up the community and make grouping a lot easier.
Velious live events. We've repaired the Druid rings, now bring on the snow! Destiny of Velious is right around the corner, and if past expansion launches are any indication, we should be seeing some exciting live events in the near future. Personally, I'm hoping for a return of the Sleeper, and yes, I still wish he'd destroy the urban sprawl of the racial hamlets outside Freeport and Qeynos. Barring that, I'd at least like to see one event include snowbunies. I might even purchase a snow bunny hat to celebrate!
Velious beta. We're slowly starting to hear more about Destiny of Velious, and word is that January will mark the start of beta. I'm excited to see how SOE brings back some of the old areas, and I'm also eager to test-drive a flying mount. Based on some of the zone music files that were out on test, it looks as if we'll see old stomping grounds like Kael Drakkel, Thurgadin, Velketor's Labyrinth, and Iceclad. We know there will be Othmirs, but what other creatures will we get to hunt again? Santa Glug, bring us beta!
A fix for the sadly broken EQ2Players site. Over the past year, this site has been full of errors such as player stats, leaderboard rankings, and paper doll image uploads. Now that the mergers have gone through, it seems that guild chat from the site is also broken. The site has been badly neglected, and unfortunately, it seems that the web team has had its hands full with other projects. I would love to see Santa Glug send over a few of his elves to hammer it back into shape.
Collections sorted by level on the broker. This was on the wish list of several of my guildmates, and it's an excellent suggestion. Since collection experience scales based on your level and caps at a certain point, it would be wonderful to be able to search for collectibles that are close in level.
Kilts. We can't make our Barbarian friends run around in the snow wearing pants, what an indignity! The rumor of kilts has been floating around for a while now. Make it so, Santa Glug!
The ability to make player made paintings.EverQuest II does a phenomenal job when it comes to house items. Over the years, SOE has added fireplaces, fountains, plants, cookware, and tons of unusual decor to make your house look unique. I would love to see a way to let players create their own artwork and have it be made into an in-game painting. We've had player-made books for a while now, and we haven't had problems with players using them to write dirty stories or share illegal exploits. EQII players are a very creative bunch, and just as they've done with the books, I think they'd come up with some amazing artwork if given the chance. We know it's possible to do, because there are several player-made paintings in game already. Heck, Free Realms has a cash-shop item that lets you make a customized trading card. Why not have something similar in EQII with player-made paintings?
Expand the currency window to include keys. This was another idea suggested by a guildmate, and while it seems minor, it would definitely be helpful in the nonstop fight for bank and bag space. It would also help prevent those heart-stopping moments when you reach a gate and you suddenly panic because you left your key in the bank. I've never done that, nope, never.
Charmed pets that zone. I know it will never happen, but my guildmate Vadel insisted I add this to the list or he'd turn me into an owlbear again. He has a habit of finding unusual mobs to charm, and he'd like to be able to bring them with him when he zones. Tunare help us if Santa Glug really does grant his wish.
Advertising. It's time for EverQuest II to get some marketing love. No, not the EQII Pwnz type of marketing love that we saw over the summer, but some serious advertising that gets this game out there a little more. WoW has Mr. T, and LOTRO has Gandalf in the city; can't we get a pretty face to endorse the game? Please don't pick Gnoob or Jace Hall, though. Personally, I'd vote for Brasse. She's got a stunning wardrobe and a beard that beats Santa Glug's.
Hopefully Santa Glug can deliver at least some of these things on the list, because EverQuest II really has been nice. What would you like to see EQII get for Frostfell? Share your thoughts below.
I hope everyone has a very merry Frostfell, and may your stockings be full of shiny baubles and jumjum snap cookies. And if you're out collecting purple shinies in the Winter Wonderland and you happen to get interrupted by a constant barrage of snowballs and giggling, that isn't me.
From the snow-capped mountains of New Halas to the mysterious waters of the Vasty Deep, Karen Bryan explores the lands of Norrath to share her tales of adventure. Armed with just a scimitar, a quill, and a dented iron stein, she reports on all the latest news from EverQuest II in her weekly column, The Tattered Notebook. You can send feedback or elven spirits to karen@massively.com.
