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Valentine's Day around the virtual world
Do you hear the chirping of songbirds in love? Do you see the flirtacious glance that cute Orc is giving you from across the battlefiend? Do you smell the flowers of romance in bloom all around you? If so, man, you've got it bad. Fortunately for those suffering from VDAS -- Valentine's Day Addiction Syndrome -- plenty of MMOs are on hand to provide you with a temporary fix until you get proper medication and are carted away to a professional love care facility. It may not be the biggest of holidays in the virtual world, but when love arrives in February, it cannot be denied. And who knows for you single folk? The man, woman, or one-eyed Gnome of your dreams might just stumble over you on this fine day! Read on as we sum up some of the larger Valentine's events in MMOs today.
The Tattered Notebook: What free-to-play means for EverQuest II
Thursday was quite the news day for EverQuest II. Normally, the announcement of pre-order specifics and details on the new expansion would be pretty big news by itself, but it was completely upstaged by the announcement that all EQII servers will be free-to-play. As expected, there are lots of mixed emotions from the players regarding this new transition. Here at Massively, readers generally welcomed the move with open arms, but on the official forums and on the fansite EQ2Flames, there was a lot more trepidation. That's understandable because this move could change quite a lot going down the road. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at what the free-to-play transition means for the future of EQII.
EverQuest II goes fully free-to-play: Our chat with Dave Georgeson
Earlier in the fall, Massively's EverQuest II column, The Tattered Notebook, took a look at the differences between the live servers and the free-to-play server and speculated on the possibility of making all servers free-to-play. As it turns out, we no longer need to speculate because SOE has officially announced that EverQuest II will make the full transition to free-to-play in early December. Just in time for the release of the newest expansion, Age of Discovery, all servers will now share the same subscription plans, Marketplace, and forums. Last week, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson took time to share with us the details of the free-to-play transition as well as highlight some of the new features coming with the expansion. Read on for a look at what's to come for EQII.
EverQuest II celebrates its seventh birthday with free things
EverQuest II just celebrated its seventh birthday a few days ago, and we all know what that means: time for a celebration! In order to commemorate seven glorious years of Norrathian adventures, SOE is giving players a lovely statue of Lucan D'Lere free of charge for a limited time. The new eight-year veteran reward is also available for players who are nearing the mark, and it includes a number of nifty bits like XP potions, a new title, and more. For the full details, head on over to the game's official forums, and don't forget to check out our own Karen Bryan's seven year retrospective.
Tattered Notebook: EQII turns seven, time for a retrospective
You can say a lot of things about EverQuest II's past year, but I'm sure everyone will agree that it's been memorable. A year ago, I had just begun my turn at the helm of this column, and it seems like the game is in a similar position now as it was back then, with a lot accomplished but even more unanswered questions. For a look back at the first six years, be sure to check out my retrospective column from last year. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll play catch up and look back at the past year in EverQuest II and the events that shaped the game.
The Tattered Notebook: What if live servers go free-to-play?
For the past few weeks of The Tattered Notebook, I've explored EverQuest II's Extended server, Freeport, to see what gameplay is like on the other side of the wall that separates it from its subscription-based cousins. This week, I'm going to look at the scenario that all EQII players consider: making all servers free-to-play. It's a very complicated issue, and there are excellent arguments on both sides, but there are a few factors that tend to tip the scales. I don't have nearly enough space in this column to touch on every issue involving a free-to-play transition, so I'm going to focus on a few of the most important ones and give my thoughts on what would need to happen if EQII did indeed go free-to-play on all servers.
The Tattered Notebook: The EQ2X community speaks
This week, I was all set to share my personal experiences as I continue my time on the EverQuest II Extended server. I was going to talk about guide events (or lack of them) and my amazing feats with my newly purchased Wand of Obliteration (I killed a Spectre in Sinking Sands at level 13 but only got about 1300 experience, which is not much more than I was getting for white and yellow cons at my level). But then I realized that if we're really going to roll up our sleeves and tackle the issue of free-to-play, we need to hear from those who exist on the other side of the virtual wall, those who have been silently playing in a world cut off from the rest of the Legacy servers, both in game and out. In this week's Tattered Notebook, I tracked down guild leaders and members of guilds on the Freeport server in order to hear from them what their gaming experience is like. While I had been playing my bronze account for the column, I made a character on my main account in order to have access to chat channels and in-game mail in order to get in touch with them. I spoke to two of the top raiding guilds on the server as well as a large crafting guild. We talked about raiding, the economy, and the community overall. What I uncovered was eye-opening. Read on for their stories.
The Tattered Notebook: Looking beyond the price points in EQ2X
Last week, I began a little experiment in the world of EverQuest II Extended. I wanted to see whether a longtime, loyal veteran could find enjoyment on the other side of the wall that separates my live server from the free-to-play server. Almost every assessment about free-to-play servers is dominated by talk of price points, fairness, and bang for your buck. But it's not a used car; it's a virtual world, and there is a lot more to look at beyond dollars and plat. EverQuest II and EverQuest II Extended actually offer a unique look into the similarities and differences between subscription based servers and free-to-play servers because they're completely separate entities, yet they're basically the same game. Read on for highlights of my second week in EQ2X!
The Tattered Notebook: A grizzled veteran goes free-to-play
It's been almost a year now since EverQuest II Extended was officially launched, and I've resented every minute of its existence. From the moment it was first announced, on the eve of Fan Faire 2010, EQ2X has been my own personal Newman of the MMO world. It dominated the discussions at Fan Faire and put a damper on everyone's fun. And once it launched, it always seemed to be at the root of every problem. New invites to our guild on the live server dropped to just one in eight months (and that one invite was a real-life friend of a guildmate). The promised marketing campaign for EQII live got the shaft in favor of pushing the new free-to-play service. Forum snafus during the Velious beta were all because of the EQ2X forums. While thousands and thousands crammed the Freeport server and frolicked for free, I languished on the live server and even began to empathize with the Grinch. But now that EQ2X is almost a year old, I decided it's time for me to bury the hatchet and pay a visit to the free-to-play server. I rolled up a new character on a bronze account, and over the next several weeks, I'll be taking a close look at EverQuest II Extended. It's a journey in EQII free-to-play through the eyes of a longtime player. Read on for my first arrival!
Free for All: Another attempt at free-to-play vs. freemium
I'm one of those types who can't just let certain things go. When I see someone talking on Facebook about issues with his pet, I have to chime in. (I'm sort of an amateur animal behaviorist.) If I hear someone talking about her favorite bands, I usually have to let her know which ones I love. (I'm a music snob.) I'm just sort of a nosy individual. Since I can admit that, I think I deserve a pass when I volunteer information that wasn't asked for. But I work at Massively. We're a website about, you know, games, and not just games, but MMOs, some of the least understood of all games. People and even developers seem to confuse what MMO means, and they especially confuse what a free-to-play MMO should offer. Once again I am going to take a crack at it, but not just because I am nosy. Mainly I want to clear this up so people will know what to expect from a title and whether there is going to have to be any money involved. Click past the cut and let's have at it!
The Tattered Notebook: Jeremy and I go house-hunting
As I write this, EverQuest II's Game Update 61, The War of Zek, is about to hit live servers. There are several exciting changes on the way, including the itemization revamp, two new scalable dungeons for levels 60-90, a new AA tree for tradeskillers, an AA revamp, and a new questline that gives the Fae and Arasai the ability to fly. For those at the level cap, there is a new dungeon and raid zone that continues the overarching storyline, and all stats are now uncapped. Those who like questing can find new content in Eastern Wastes. And everyone can now record her adventures on YouTube with a new Video Capture system. There's a plethora of new content that will appeal to both new and veteran gamers, but of all the additions, the one that's most intriguing is the new house rating system. Players will now be able to design, showcase, and rank each other's homes. The housing directory will also make it a lot easier to find and visit players' homes, something that was increasingly difficult to do because of all the different types of homes -- and addresses. As it so happens, Massively's Jeremy Stratton, who pens the Runes of Magic column Lost Pages of Taborea, has been spending quite a bit of time over in EQII's Norrath and fell in love with the housing system. This week's Tattered Notebook features Jeremy's impressions of housing in EQII, and then he and I present a few tips for those who are interested in showcasing homes through the new system.
The Tattered Notebook: Down but not out!
I was closely watching our Choose My Adventure poll last week and had a flashback to 1986, when I was torn between rooting for my two favorite teams, the Red Sox and the Mets. There I sat, staring at my Cabbage Patch Red Sox doll and my Cabbage Patch Mets doll, trying to decide which one I would embrace as I tuned in for the first pitch. Whom would I root for? Hurst or Darling? Dewey or Nails? Mookie or Billy Bucks? Carter or Geddy? Boggs or Ho-Jo? I chose the Red Sox, and I'm still trying to get over that memorable World Series. The CMA poll had me right back in that seat, as I found myself rooting for both frontrunners, RIFT and EverQuest II. For EQII fans, the vote tally ended up somewhere under Bill Buckner's cleat, and RIFT ended up winning. Take heart, EverQuest II fans: We have a great game, and like an aged wine, it's getting more buttery with a hint of raspberries and a taste of oak. So raise your glasses because it's time to toast the reasons EverQuest II is a great game!
The Tattered Notebook: Let's play 'Keep it or nuke it!'
As a longtime fan of EverQuest II, I'm often asked by non-EQII-players what the game is like. I usually try to answer by describing the usual game features like combat, crafting, PvP, and the unfortunate inclusion of Gnomes. But the best analogy I can think of for EverQuest II is that it resembles a type of MMO archaeological site. If you play the game long enough, you can begin to see the stratification of the game, as layer upon layer of content and features were heaped onto what was already there. It's something I've admired about the game because the developers have always been willing to try new things and make changes. But the mound of content can be overwhelming to a new player and even confusing to those who have returned after an extended hiatus. With a new round of content having just arrived on servers and even more due in a few months, it's time to consider whether some of the older stuff might need to go, for clarity's sake. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll play a little game called, "Keep it or Nuke it." Read on for my recommendations, and then add yours below.
The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire knowns and unknowns
As we inch closer to Fan Faire, speculation begins to mount about what news EverQuest II fans will finally get to hear. Last year, players were smarting from the announcement of EQII Extended, the free-to-play server, and it seemed to deflate the mood among EQII Fan Faire attendees. This year, EQII is full of knowns and unknowns, to borrow a phrase from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. We have known knowns, which are things that we know we know. And then there are known unknowns, or things that we know but we actually don't know. Lastly, there are unknown unknowns, which are things that we don't know we don't know. That's where things are in EQII currently. Confused? Me too! This week's Tattered Notebook will look at what we know and what we hope to find out more about at this year's Fan Faire.
The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire survival guide
It's hard to believe, but in just a couple of weeks, Fan Faire will once again be upon us. What started as a simple fan celebration eight years ago has become a massive showcase of Sony Online Entertainment games, fan spirit, and of course, amazing costumes. There's a lot going on, and the weekend really flies by quickly. Whether you're going for the first time or you're a multi-year vet, this week's Tattered Notebook offers up several handy tips to help you make the most of Fan Faire. Read on for all the details!
The Tattered Notebook: Leapers, gliders, and Beastlords, oh my!
E3 has come and gone, but EverQuest II fans are left with more questions than answers. Children of War has just launched, and already, players are wondering what's coming down the road. We do know about some of the more immediate changes, such as the rebuilding of the Dragon Ring and Spires live event, new mounts, and the Freeport Revamp. But there were some hints at much bigger changes down the road -- and few details on how exactly it would change the game. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll break out the crystal ball and speculate on whether EQII is growing closer to EQ2X and whether we might in fact see the arrival of Beastlords in game.
One Shots: Somebody's watching me
Today's extra-creepy One Shots comes to us from Niieh. EverQuest II might have its share of standard foes, but the game ventures well into the realm of the unusual too: In EQII, there is an 'evil eye' race. Where they come from is a bit of a mystery, but it is believed that they were created by a god called Xktkez, who looks like a huge eye with no eyelids. If you run into an evil eye, you should always remember two things: first, the bigger the eye, the more powerful it is (so if you meet a really big one, run!), and second, they obviously cannot hear or make sounds, but they can communicate with each other telepathically. Send a pic of the funniest, most strangely designed, or scariest enemy you've taken on in an MMO to oneshots@massively.com along with your name and the name of the game. Tell us a little about the foe and we'll share it here on One Shots! Next week on One Shots is guild week. It's time to show off your best group shot of you and your guildmates. Whether you're hanging out, enjoying guild housing, taking out a huge enemy, or throwing a party, grab a screenshot, send it in, and tell us about your guild! %Gallery-112285%
The Tattered Notebook: Five zones that deserve a revamp
Recently, EverQuest II developer Kyle "Kander" Vallee tweeted his followers asking for input on the following question: "What #EQII zone would you love to see revamped into new heroic content?" That's a tough but really fun question. Over the years, EverQuest II has added so many overland and instanced zones that there's no shortage of choices. A quick glance at the dungeon list at EQ2i shows well over 100 major heroic instances and open dungeons for groups. If you add in the list of minor instances, like the Splitpaw adventure pack instances or the Fallen Dynasty trials, it's easily over 120. In fact, there are so many group zones that it's nearly impossible to level up and see them all (I vote for a new in-game dungeon listing for the next UI revamp!). I've played through a good chunk of these zones and put together a list of the top five dungeons that deserve a makeover. Read on for the full list!
The Tattered Notebook: What I hate about public quests
As I was working on getting back into the swing of things in EverQuest II after the prolonged downtime, I had a moment of anger as I was waiting to start a public quest. For those not familiar, EQII's public quests are similar to those in other games, but there are only two, and they run at rather lengthy, and predictable, timers. So I flew over to Storm Gorge first, only to arrive seconds too late and miss out on the chest. I flew back to the Ring War, only to find that I had 40 more minutes before kick off and the only other person there was an Ogre Shadow Knight standing AFK with the angry mood emote. (Why on earth anyone finds that animation cool is beyond me.) "No problem," I thought, "I'll just use the time to peruse my bags and find my Frost Giant illusion that goes so well with the event." I tapped on my "B" key, and then something horrible happened...
One Shots: Welcome to free-to-play week!
We're kicking off One Shots free-to-play week with a postcard from Norrath, courtesy of Carolina: Lindirien the Fae and Griz, having some good times in EverQuest II Extended. You have to play through through Frostfang Sea's starter area to be able to locate Griz in the picture. Are you ready to show off your favorite free-to-play title? Send a screenshot to us at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll show it off here on One Shots and give you the thanks! %Gallery-112285%
