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The Tattered Notebook: My EQII journey with the ghosts of Frostfell
As the year comes to a close, it's really amazing to look back and follow the twisty path of EverQuest II's evolution. This past year in particular stood out for me because the first half was marked by unconventional (some would say radical) ideas that broke away from the EverQuest tradition. The second half, though, revealed a return to the game's roots, and to what longtime players associate with the EQ franchise. In fact, when I look back even further, there are many things I've really come to appreciate in EQII, and I miss them when I'm playing other MMOs that don't have them. So in this week's Tattered Notebook, I'm meeting up with the EQII ghosts of Frostfell past, present, and future to look at what I love most about the game and what I want to see in the game as we approach 2013.
The Tattered Notebook: A guide for new and returning EverQuest II players
With the Chains of Eternity expansion now live, I've seen lots of comments and even a couple of emails from players who are looking to try out EverQuest II or are thinking of coming back after an extended hiatus. And because the game is free-to-play, it's easy to get in-game and check things out before committing to a payment plan. But with all of the changes over the past year or so, it's sometimes hard to make sense of it all. Some guides and write-ups are now outdated, and with the recent forum conversion, it's difficult to find answers to common questions when coming back (or trying out) the game. So in this week's Tattered Notebook, I've put together a general rundown of topics that tend to come up for new and returning players.
EverQuest II's 8th anniversary: Celebrating a pivotal year
What a difference a day makes. And what a difference 365 days make! Every EverQuest II anniversary retrospective notes a number of changes, tweaks, and additions to the lands of Norrath, but none can boast the depth and breadth of changes that have happened over the previous 12 months. Between adding brand-new systems and altering the very landscape itself, Sony Online Entertainment has changed how players relate to -- and even access -- the game in fundamental ways. What's new? For starters, new lands, new sandbox features, a new payment model, and a new class have all appeared over the course of this past year. But that's not all; no one can accuse SOE of just sitting on its laurels because the changes keep a-comin' at seemingly ever increasing speeds. Not only does this anniversary sit literally on the cusp of even more major dramatic alterations (the dust's hardly settled from SOE Live and the ninth expansion, with all of its content, launches in just five days), but two innovations have slid in right under the wire! Whether you've been away or you just want to reminisce, let's take a moment to look over the past year in EverQuest II before we lose ourselves in Chains of Eternity.
The Tattered Notebook: Touring EQII's winning player-generated dungeons
In my spare time, I love to watch cooking competition shows because I can sit back on the couch and pontificate about how the contestants did this wrong and plated that poorly and how I could do it so much better. And then when I get into the kitchen, I thank Tunare I don't have a clock at my back and that no one's judging me on my knife skills. It's pretty much the same with creating a dungeon in EverQuest II. I have all these blueprints, items, and tools, and I've seen plenty of examples for which I swear I could do it sooooo much better, and yet I just can't seem to put together one that's worthy of publishing. Back in the spring, I resolved to construct a Poet's Palace dungeon for SOE's official dungeon maker contest, and I had several ideas in mind, but once again, my ambitions were larger than reality, and I just couldn't get the job done. Fortunately, there were over 80 players who did, and the winners were announced this week. I visited each of the four winning dungeons and was blown away by what I saw. Read on for a look at the real dungeon masters of EQII!
EverQuest II's Qeynos revamp goes live July 24th
Say bye-bye to the Baubbleshire. Anyone wanting screenshots of his favorite EverQuest II boroughs will want to log in and get them quick because Sony Online Entertainment has announced the day that Qeynos will be reborn on the live servers. On July 24th, players will log into to find a city with more intrigue and conflict as the Queen and the Circle of Ten struggle for power. Familiar boroughs (such as the Baubbleshire and the Willow Wood) will be replaced by instanced zones accessible only via new racial and class quest chains. The remaining zones will be consolidated, and the entire city will receive a graphical facelift. The announcement also highlights other July plans for EQII, including a preview of the changes coming to PvP and the battlegrounds. There are also tidbits about the changes in class focus effects, notes about tweaks to the New Halas and Neriak starting areas, and a reminder that playing as your character in the dungeon maker should launch this month using the same level-agnostic gameplay as the battlegrounds. Complete details can be found in the official announcement. And for a more personal look at the revamp, check out The Tattered Notebook's tour on test.
EverQuest II announces finalists in Dungeon Maker contest
EverQuest II's Dungeon Maker is a love-it-or-hate-it feature. Some love it for the story possibilities and the player-generated content; some hate it because of the number of 50 Tokens Solo Nao dungeons that infest the feature. In a move that promoted the former use of the feature, Sony Online Entertainment hosted a contest utilizing the Poet's Palace map with entries being judged on creativity, originality, and theme, meaning storytelling was just as important as design and action. The judges were so taken with the talent displayed in the 82 entries to the contest that they couldn't decide on just 10 finalists, so they chose a lucky 13 instead (although they will apparently be going without lunch now). The top finishers all received a set of heritage armor of their choice, the in-game title Dungeon Maker, and 2,000 Station Cash. Congratulations to all the winners! For a list of 10 of the winners (the top three will be announced next week) and where to find their dungeons, check out the official announcement. Then tell us what you think of the dungeons!
The Tattered Notebook: EQII's level-agnostic dungeon maker
This past week, EverQuest II fans heard even more details about the upcoming summer update. The big news, of course, is the Qeynos revamp, but another nice addition will be the ability to play as ourselves in player-made dungeons. The announcement by EQII Producer Holly "Windstalker" Longdale discussed the new level-agnostic system, and players were treated to a surprise as it hit the test server a few days ago. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at how the new system works and how it could even affect other areas of the game.
EverQuest II shares planned updates and changes for June
Although news of late for SOE's flagship game EverQuest II has been focused on the soon-to-be-released SOEmote, the company spilled the beans about other plans in the works for the month of June, including a few changes players have been clamoring for. One bit of news that many players have been anticipating is the release of the ability to play their own characters in the dungeon maker instead of slipping into the skin of other creatures; this feature will open on the test server in the next week or so. Another change already on the test server is the addition of icons to NPC names that flag them as quest updates. Some zones will also get some loving: The two starting zones of Darklight Woods and Halas will receive a new coat of polish, from improved ambiance to new armor sets. More details about the much anticipated Qeynos revamp were also offered; unlike Freeport's revamp, Qeynos's revamp will see the city split into two separate zones. To the disappointment of many players, the neighborhoods will disappear except as quest instances. There will also be improvements made to PvP and the battlegrounds and updates to the core technology. For further details, check out the official announcement.
EverQuest II producer talks May updates, player-made dungeon tweaks
May is shaping up to be an interesting month for EverQuest II fans. Producer Holly "Windstalker" Longdale has given us a new blog entry that talks about new testing tools, NPC quest-update functionality, and of course, the usual optimizations and bug-fixing that follow any large game update. Also of note is the upcoming ability to take your own avatars into the game's Dungeon Maker utility. Initially, content creators and fans could select only from pre-made avatars when running through player-made dungeon constructs. Last December, EQII devs introduced the ability to run player-generated content with players' own avatars, but the update wasn't quite ready for prime time. It still isn't, according to Longdale, but she does say that substantial progress has been made. Look for the new "level agnostic" gameplay on the test server soon, and look for more analysis of EQII's changes in tomorrow's Tattered Notebook.
Why I Play: EverQuest II
Because. Remember back when this answer was lobbed at you as the definitive answer (often by moms tired of incessant "why"s or as a precursor to "I said so!")? But since I am not your mom -- and more importantly, the boss isn't about to pay me for a one word article -- let me elaborate, though, I warn you, you may regret it; once I get going I may not be able to stop! Seriously, they had to restrain me from taking over Why I Play. Obviously I broke free mwuahahahaha! Simply put, I love EverQuest II. I log into it daily. Sometimes I don't leave for more hours than I am willing to admit. I can hum the guild hall music from memory. I have a list of things I want to do so long I can't possibly get it all done. All this after taking a multi-year break. Yes folks, I left the game for a long time -- a move I am still kicking myself for. But certain features pulled me back, and let me just say, I am so glad I came back. So why do I play EQII? Where to begin...
Some Assembly Required: Six must-haves for creative expression
Creativity. It is expressed in so many ways in so many mediums. Art, literature, architecture, music, performance... I love it all, conventional and unconventional. Heck, I revel in it! Why do you think my work and recreation include gaming? Wait, gaming?! You betcha! Beyond the artistry of the developers, MMORPGs offer outlets for player creativity in a variety of ways. I am not ashamed to admit that the primary reason I delve into MMORPGs is not for the gameplay but to explore and experience the creative expression of others (and to express some of my own as well). In fact, finding and sharing that very creativity by championing and highlighting player-generated content is precisely what Some Assembly Required is about. Between (or in lieu of) the hacking, the slashing, and the plundering, players seize proffered tools in myriad virtual realms to build works of art, pen masterpieces, construct edifices, compose melodies, and take the stage, all within the pixeled confines of a virtual world. Unfortunately, not all games have adequate tools for such creative expression. While inspired players can make do if they must, having supporting features exponentially enhances a game (and positively affects retention). Thankfully, some games provide a few standard-setting features that -- in my opinion -- should be included in every game on the market. Here are six of those must-have features.
Some Assembly Required: A look at EQII's dungeon maker
So you're an armchair game designer, eh? Well, EverQuest II invites you to put your money where your mouth is -- at least as it relates to dungeon creation. While Sony Online Entertainment's venerable fantasy title is no stranger to player-generated content given its spectacular player- and guild-housing mechanics, this winter's Age of Discovery expansion upped the ante a little bit in the form of the new dungeon maker toolset. The system is a bit rough around the edges, but it's nonetheless a fantastic first iteration that adds a lot of fun and replay value to an MMO that was already chock-full of both.
The Tattered Notebook: The problem with leaderboards
If there's one thing you can say about EverQuest II, it's that it has a community that's as varied as cogs in a Gnomish do-hickey. There's a substantial and long-time community of hardcore players, made up of people who must also be math majors because the number crunching that's involved is impressive. There's also a good-sized portion of the playerbase that prefers the non-combat features, like crafting, decorating, and more recently, dungeon designing. (Some players have made a fortune hiring themselves out to decorate others' homes, for example.) In a previous column, I talked about whether there will be a strain on the team to continue making quality content for the broad spectrum of players, but this week, I'd like to look at it from a different perspective. Two of EverQuest II's newest features, the housing leaderboards and the dungeon maker leaderboards, are both designed similarly, with rankings, a hall of fame, and a voting system for various categories. But the leaderboard listings for each system look very different, and while the housing directory tends to be a good representation of EQII players' creative genius, the dungeon maker boards haven't reflected that as much. Read on to see why, and to look at what, if anything, should be done about it.
SOE shows off EQII Dungeon Maker video
EverQuest II isn't the first title that springs to mind when we think of player-generated content. After all, it's one of the genre's foremost themeparks, and its predecessor laid the groundwork for the linear MMO as we know it. Sony Online Entertainment has managed to fit quite a few diverse gameplay options into the usual box, though, and the latest example is the new Dungeon Maker toolset. The Dungeon Maker was included in this month's Age of Discovery expansion, and it basically allows players to build their own instanced content and publish it for everyone to enjoy. There are over a dozen pre-set layouts that can be populated with obstacles and NPCs, the latter of which can be set to patrol and otherwise interact with adventurers. Players can explore player-made labyrinths with custom pre-set adventuring characters, and soon, with their own avatars. Since EQII is a progression game at heart, SOE has of course included a dungeon currency system wherein players collect marks for completing custom content and then spend said marks to acquire the building blocks for making additional dungeons. Check out the new Dungeon Maker video after the break for a few more details.
EverQuest II holiday producer's letter focuses on dungeon finding and making
Before all of Sony Online Entertainment's developers fly out to see family and spend the holidays away from EverQuest II, the team decided to give players one last Frostfell present. Today's producer's letter takes a look at a number of new features coming to Norrath. The dungeon finder will see a couple of updates, such as the addition of contested dungeons to the dungeon finder and increased rewards for using the dungeon finder system. Dungeon-makers, meanwhile, will be granted a number of new treats. New effect objects will be available in the marketplace, and many items such as spawners, decorations, and maps will be purchasable with Station Cash as well as in-game currency. A number of general improvements have been made as well, including a revamped rating system for houses and dungeons and a couple of smaller tweaks. For the full details, click on over to the full letter below.
The Tattered Notebook: Discovery arrives!
The Age of Discovery has arrived, along with the Freeport Reborn game update and the free-to-play transition. On top of that, Frostfell is also upon us, with even more new rewards, tradeskill books, and quests. That's a pretty hefty amount of change to EverQuest II, and it's brought back many former players (as well as new ones). In this week's Tattered Notebook, let's take a look at the first week of launch. I rolled up a Beastlord along with the rest of Norrath, so I'd like to give some first impressions on the new class, take a look at the dungeon maker, and share some overall thoughts on the past week.
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.
The Tattered Notebook: What's free and what's not?
Tuesday, December 6th is going to be a very busy day for the EverQuest II team. The devs are launching an expansion, patching a game update, and performing the transition to make all servers free-to-play, simultaneously. And just as the dust settles from all of that, Frostfell is due to begin shortly after. With the stream of news announcements over the past month, there's bound to be confusion over what's free and what you'll need to pay for. Even veteran players have had questions about the game update versus the expansion, so in this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll give a rundown of what's what and even add in some handy links for more details.
EverQuest II drops Age of Discovery's NDA
Here's the invisible key: You can unlock and unzip your lips to finally talk freely about the next EverQuest II expansion, Age of Discovery. Sony Online Entertainment has released us from our pinky swear promising to keep mum on the project, and now everyone is free to share their experiences. There are a couple exceptions to the NDA dropping, however. Testers still may not share anything that's being posted in the beta forums, and no screenshots taken during the testing period may be made public. Age of Discovery is launching on December 6th. and includes many new features to the game, including the Beastlord class, the Freeport revamp, and the dungeon maker tool. Oh, and there's also a small matter of the entire game going free-to-play, but you knew that already. Because you didn't zip your ears closed.
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%
