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EverQuest II producer handing over the reins
EverQuest II players will probably be familiar with the name Smokejumper, the forum handle of the EverQuest franchise's Executive Producer Dave Georgeson. Georgeson has served as Executive Producer for EverQuest, EverQuest II, and the upcoming EverQuest Next while simultaneously filling the role of Producer for EverQuest II. As you might imagine, that's quite a lot of work for a single person. With that in mind, Georgeson announced on the official EQII website today that Holly "Windstalker" Longdale has rejoined SOE in order to take over the position of EverQuest II's Producer. Holly also takes the opportunity to introduce herself to the community, remarking that "the opportunity to be a producer on this team is surreal and certainly perfect." She goes on to say that "EverQuest... has had a place in [her] life for well over a decade now," making it clear that she's not just some corporate suit who doesn't care about the game -- she's a player who is passionate about the game and is in-tune with the playerbase. To read the full announcement from Smokejumper as well as the follow-up by Windstalker, just click on through the link below.
The Tattered Notebook: The significance of the update delay
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum, and you could almost hear the record scratch when it did. Players have been speculating on two things recently: the release date of GU 63 and the absence of Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson from the forums. As it turns out, SmokeJumper was simply on vacation, but his first post after returning created quite a stir. He reported a new timetable for game updates this coming year, and it's different from what had been announced. Game Update 63 is now scheduled for April, not February. Furthermore, there are only three planned updates this coming year, rather than four, along with an expected expansion at the end of the year. Let's look at some reasons for the change in schedule and what it means to EverQuest II fans.
The Tattered Notebook: Plat, loot, and the morality of cash
There's a dirty little secret going on in EverQuest II, and every now and then it bubbles up to the surface in forum complaints from players. With the arrival of Station Cash, the Marketplace, and Legends of Norrath cards, players have worked out a way to buy in-game coin with real money, without fear of getting banned. And with the transition to free-to-play, it seems like that practice has grown even more. The problem is that there are several things that factor into the plat-for-cash scenario, so it's impossible to find a quick fix. Are we at a point that SOE should just put plat on the marketplace and be done with it? Let's look at a few reasons for and against it.
The Tattered Notebook: A wish list for EQII's 'phase two'
EverQuest II has had quite a year, but I was recently thinking about a comment that Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson made regarding the future of the game. In a recent interview, he discussed plans for "phase two," which is an ongoing list of things the team wants to do to improve the game but don't make it to live. With all of the new changes to the game, the team usually comes up with lots of extra ideas, and Georgeson said the focus going forward will be to knock out some of those ideas on the "phase two" list. I thought it would be fun to put together a list of things I'd like to see on the phase two list, and since it's the season for wish lists anyway, the timing is perfect. Read on for a look at a few things I'd like to see in EQII next year, and then share your ideas below!
SOE makes EQII veteran rewards available to F2P players
Sony Online Entertainment is pulling out all the stops when it comes to the courtship of EverQuest II's new free-to-play constituency. In a post on the game's official boards, producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson has announced that both free and silver-level players are now eligible for the fantasy title's extensive veteran rewards program. Georgeson's post is short and to the point as he briefly outlines SOE's approach. "There are a lot more [payment] options available to folks, and it just doesn't make sense that a free or silver player shouldn't be able to accumulate veteran rewards," he explains. You can view both the announcement post and a feedback thread on the official EQII forums.
EverQuest II grandfathers in established characters
EverQuest II players got a pleasant surprise today, as Executive Producer Dave Georgeson announced that any and all characters created prior to Age of Discovery's launch would be grandfathered into the game. This means that any characters that were locked due to a player going from, say, subscription to free-to-play are now available. The company is also refunding any Station Cash points spent to unlock these characters following the expansion's release. From the full announcement on the EQII forums: But, we don't really want to force those decisions on returning players. It's not a fun experience to come back to something that seemed exciting (F2P) and then get hit with a bill as soon as you arrive, just for the privilege of using your current characters. So here's what we're going to do. *Every* character that was created before 12/06/2011 at 12:01 a.m. will be grandfathered in without race or class restriction. This means that regardless of your membership level, you will be able to play any character created before 12/6 without paying for race- or class-pack unlocks. For any player that previously subscribed to EQII Live servers, or as a Gold or Platinum member on EQ2X, we will also refund all the class/race pack purchases made after 12/06/2011 at 12:01 am and before the time of this posting (12/08/2011, 4:30pm) so that no one loses any SC due to this change.
SOE releases EQII Age of Discovery expansion, Freeport revamp, F2P model
There are big days, and there are big days, and today is definitely the latter when it comes to EverQuest II. First of all, as producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says in his newly minted producer's letter, "today we stop requiring any sort of payment." Yes, free-to-play is here (again, and across the board this time). That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. Today also marks the introduction of the much-ballyhooed Freeport revamp along with the rest of Game Update 62, and oh yeah, did we forget to mention the Age of Discovery expansion? If so, the short version of AoD includes the dungeon-maker tool, mercenaries, the Beastlord class, and a ton of customization and collectible updates sure to make your stay in Norrath even more enjoyable. We could tell you about 20 additional alternate advancement points, a new launchpad and website, new social networking integration, and more, but then you'd have no reason to check out the official forums for yourself. Check out the official AoD trailer after the break.
EverQuest II Age of Discovery launch date, new features revealed
For months, EverQuest II fans have been patiently waiting for the launch date of the latest expansion, Age of Discovery. Fortunately, the wait is over: SOE has announced that Tuesday, December 6th is the official live date for EQII's free-to-play transition, the Age of Discovery, and the Freeport Reborn game update (GU62). Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson and EQII Associate Producer Emily "Domino" Taylor both took time to give Massively a tour of some of the new features, so read on for an up-close look at Beastlords, the new Freeport, mercenaries, and the dungeon maker, and check out some new screenshots in our gallery below!%Gallery-140534%
New launchpad coming to all EverQuest II users tomorrow [Updated]
EverQuest II's official site has updated with a news blurb heralding the launch of, er, well, a new launcher. Currently, Sony Online Entertainment's fantasy title has multiple access points including the streaming launcher, the retail box launcher, and SOE's station launcher. As of November 30th, all EQII users will be migrated to a new launchpad. What's new about it? Well for starters, it doesn't require Flash. It also boasts a "much faster patching speed" and a "general aesthetic upgrade." The migration process should be painless for the end user, as Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says that all you'll have to do is point the new launcher at your existing EQII directory when prompted. There's a bit more info on the official site if you're curious. [Update]: EQ2Wire has a great dev rundown on what exactly is coming with the new launcher.
The Tattered Notebook: Will Age of Discovery be the last EQII expansion?
It's amazing how much can change in just over a year. At the end of last summer, we were wrapping up Fan Faire and looking forward to Destiny of Velious, the upcoming expansion and the first of what was supposed to be a two-part expansion. This past weekend, just over a year later, I was headed to #OccupyNorrath to check out the planned protest, part of which was aimed at the cost of the new expansion, Age of Discovery. While the protest was light, to put it mildly, there has been quite a bit of rumbling on the forums about this upcoming expansion and the fact that while it might be heavy on features, it's pretty light on new content. Now, when I question whether Age of Discovery will be the last EverQuest II expansion, I'm certainly not predicting that all production will cease and desist in the game afterwards. But I think it's worth asking whether we're seeing a shift away from the traditional expansion model. Let's take a look back the past year and a half because I think it offers hints that might help explain the bigger picture for the game.
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.
Players bracing for EverQuest II's GU61 AA changes
Big changes are afoot in the world of Norrath, or at least the version of it on display in EverQuest II. Game Update 61 is just around the corner, and ZAM has a brief rundown on the major alternate advancement and tradeskill changes coming when the patch goes live. While many players are cautiously optimistic, some are concerned over the fact that such sweeping changes will affect their playstyles. How sweeping, exactly? Well, every character is getting a free AA respec, so there's your first clue. Also of note are the new class, subclass, and tradeskill trees available at level 10. Of particular concern to some is the fact that the Shadows AA tree will now be off limits to characters under level 50, depriving them of some very useful health, power, and run-speed AAs and making life that much harder for dedicated crafting characters. In other EQII news, EQ2Wire offers a brief look at the veteran reward changes hinted at during last month's Fan Faire. While no release date is forthcoming, producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says that "the design is outlined and we're committed to the concept."
The Tattered Notebook: Exec. Producer Dave Georgeson on EverQuest II and EverQuest Next
If there's one thing that came out of Fan Faire about EQ Next, it's that no one will talk about EQ Next. No matter who you talked to, any time the subject came up, the answer was always, "I can't talk about that." However, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson sat down with Massively during Fan Faire to talk more about EverQuest II, and during that interview, he did give a tiny glimpse into what that game would be like. In this week's Tattered Notebook, Massively gets the scoop on Beastlords, the dungeon builder, Freeport's revamp, and much more.
EverQuest II Freeport and Beyond panel video released
Earlier this week our own Karen Bryan brought you the details on all the EverQuest II happenings from last week's Fan Faire 2011. Today, EQ2Wire has added some lengthy video coverage to the mix in the form of an hour-long recording of the initial EQII dev panel entitled Freeport and Beyond. The proceedings are captained by producer Dave Georgeson, and the panel features more info than one news post can adequately cover. The highlights include Game Update 61 (to be launched in late August), the new dungeon creator functionality, itemization and AA revamps, the addition of AA functionality to the crafting game, the Age of Discovery expansion, and of course, the Freeport revamp. That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, so grab your favorite beverage and click past the cut to view the hour-long video.
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.
Leapers and gliders swoop into EverQuest II
Slipping in under the cloud cover -- or soaring above it -- of a busy day for SOE is the news that leapers and gliders have landed in EverQuest II. These are special mounts for lower-level characters that allow them to get a taste of flight without the full thing, by giving them either the ability to "super-jump" or glide for a good distance. We first heard about these mounts at E3, where David Georgeson revealed how players as young as level 30 could start earning their wings (so to speak). As part of this update, ground mounts have had their speeds significantly increased, going from 65% to as high as 130%. Ground mounts are still faster than leapers and gliders on land, and players will have to stick to the same category of mount for alternate appearances (no flying rhinos, alas). EverQuest II has the details about where to get your spiffy new mounts, and don't miss our own thoughts about how these jumpers and soarers will change the landscape of the game!
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.
E3 2011: EverQuest II's Dave Georgeson in 3-D
If you're going to fly, why not fly with a little style -- and in 3-D? At E3, we were able to grab some facetime with Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson, EverQuest II's executive producer, as he showed us the next dimension of MMO gameplay while we checked out some of the new aerial races in the game. "We wanted to do a little more with the flying creatures than to go from Point A to Point B," Georgeson said, referencing EQII's aerial races. "So we put in these flying race courses, which is a good test ground for showing off 3-D." It's one of those things that has to be seen to be believed. The 3-D effect while flying is, in a word, awesome. The user interface is up close, your character is somewhere in the middle, and the environment is in the background. The effect is very noticeable when you turn, which happens a lot while flying. Hit the jump to hear more of Georgeson's thoughts on 3-D in EverQuest II as well as a get tantalizing sneak peek at the game's future!
SOE welcomes players back, Mark Anderson named DCUO's new game director
"It's good to be back!" Many Sony Online Entertainment customers have said this these past few days as the studio's titles came back online after a two-week absence. They're not the only ones, either; many of the leads to SOE's host of MMOs are saying the same thing today. Eight developers representing a large portion of SOE's library posted "Welcome back!" messages on the Station Blog, expressing a mixture of relief, happiness, and hopeful visions for their games' futures. Several of these developers have also used the opportunity to show that they were working hard during the break. "We're incredibly glad to have our worlds back online again," EverQuest II's David Georgeson said, "and we really appreciate you all being so patient with us while we strengthened the castle walls." There's certainly a lot of information to digest in these eight posts. Lorin Jameson dropped the news that Mark Anderson's been moved up to become DC Universe Online's latest game director, while Georgeson hinted at a "major new feature set" for EQII that's in the works. Several of the devs mentioned that the downtime will result in a delay of future patches and expansions so that they can be properly tested. You can read the full assortment of "Welcome back!" posts at the Station Blog.
