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SOE compensates players for All Access issues
Acknowledging that the recent switchover to the new All Access program has been "frustrating," SOE announced today that it will be compensating its playerbase for these issues. The studio will be handing out 50 replay badges to DCUO players, adding an additional week to seven-day Landmark closed beta keys, and triggering double XP weekends for Dragon's Prophet, EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2. "The implementation of this new membership plan across SOE's game portfolio has been one of the most complicated updates to our billing system to date," SOE apologized in a post. "As fellow gamers, we know that this has been frustrating and we sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused."
SOE's Georgeson on City of Heroes and the future of EQ
IGN has released another snippet of its recent interview with EverQuest franchise lead Dave Georgeson. Earlier today Georgeson talked up his enthusiasm for virtual reality, while this latest cut focuses on EverQuest, EverQuest II, and City of Heroes. Yeah, you read that right, as apparently the late great superhero title was one of Georgeson's personal faves. "Everybody who plays any MMO never wants it to die," he says. "You invest a little bit of your soul in an MMO, you spend a lot of time in it and so on and so forth, so of course you never want one of them to die." As for EQ and EQII, Georgeson says that SOE has "no intention of ever shutting those games down."
Player Studio goes international in Landmark and more this spring
You've already seen a number of the amazing player-designed creations in Landmark; come Spring, you will be able to own some as well! SOE has announced that Player Studio will be live in the sandbox game on or before May 1st, 2014. But the even bigger news is that Player Studio will expand internationally for all the studio's games that support it! Designers in select regions outside the United States will be able to submit items for consideration to be sold to their peers in EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2 as well as Landmark. Approved items will then be added to the marketplace and the creators will make a real-life profit from each sale. In Landmark, Player Studio is a vehicle by which players will submit templates for various building contests, and winners could see their creations end up in EverQuest Next. [Source: SOE press release]
Norrathian Notebook: Happy 15th anniversary, EverQuest!
This past Sunday marked the 15th anniversary of EverQuest. Any way you look at it, 15 years is a long time, and few are the games that can make this claim to fame. Such an achievement is certainly worth a hullabaloo! Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've witnessed a bit of this celebration; it's been touted across the entire franchise (not to mention the rest of SOE's portfolio!). Much has been said about the journey from day one until now, with folks sharing stories that span the entire life of EQ. Devs even offered an infographic highlighting how far the game has come since 1999. What a difference 15 years makes! But what about the difference just one year makes? Today's Norrathian Notebook is an anniversary retrospective that looks back at the last 12 months in the life of EverQuest. Join me for a jaunt down memory lane to see how Norrath has evolved this past year, then take advantage of the special deals and festivities commemorating this auspicious year.
EverQuest turns 15 years old on March 16
"While everyone was worrying about the world ending with Y2K in 1999," says SOE's latest press release, we were "creating a new world that forever changed the MMO and gaming industry with the introduction of EverQuest." Whether that change was good or bad is certainly debatable, but no one can deny the long-running fantasy themepark's massive influence. March 16th is EQ's 15th birthday, and SOE has released a video and an infographic to celebrate. Click past the cut to check them both out.
SOE has big plans for EverQuest, EverQuest II, and EQN Landmark in March
The Year of EverQuest may still be in its early stages, but that doesn't mean that things are going slowly. EverQuest, EverQuest II, and EverQuest Next Landmark have all churned out their share of updates (not to mention EQNL's alpha launch!), with plenty more on the way. And to let you in on what's in the pipeline for these three titles, I got to speak with all the games' producers -- EQ's Thom Terrazas, EQII's Holly Longdale, and EQNL's Terry Michaels -- as well as Franchise Director of Development Dave Georgeson about March's upcoming content. To help illustrate their words, we've also embedded a video after the break that highlights that very content.
Get an EverQuest heroic character for free
Players in EverQuest have a limited-time opportunity to snag a free heroic character if they create one between March 12th and March 26th, SOE announced on the official forums. Unlike other characters, heroic characters start at level 85. They also get a full set of gear, a unique mount, and alternative advancement abilities. Normally heroic characters will cost 3,500 Station Cash to purchase. EverQuest is also adding two new race and class combos to the game for its 15th anniversary. Starting March 12th, players will be able to roll a Wood Elf Beastlord or a Froglok Monk.
The Game Archaeologist: The care and feeding of older MMOs
When an MMO has reached a certain age and dwindled to a certain player population, what do you do with it? Do you put it out to pasture, nurture it, or put it down? With some of our older graphical MMOs approaching their 20th anniversaries, the question of what studios should do with aging titles is becoming very important. It's not just important for the games in question but as a precedent to the population of games that will one day become just as old. Lately we've seen different studios act on this topic in a wide variety of ways, all of which I find fascinating. Some of these games have seen tragic ends, while others may be entering into the enjoyable golden years. If nothing else, it's shown me that there isn't just one set answer for this and that some devs are hoping to do the right thing by their companies and their players.
Choose My Adventure: Riding into the sunset in EverQuest
No matter how much I want to hang on, no one can manage to forever; this wild Choose My Adventure bronc is just about to buck me right off, freeing the saddle for yet another rider. But woooeee, what a ride we've had together! From the jailbreak of Gloomingdeep Mine to the infamous Battle of Big Badgers, we've gotten a taste of gaming on the EverQuest frontier. And thanks to ya'll, it's been an adventure worth having. But the show ain't over quite yet! Before I grab my ten-gallon hat and ride off into the sunset, we've got some unfinished business to attend to. Ya'll told me to go out and poke through the native EQ dwellings, which I surely did. I even got me my own little spread. So come on in to my home on the Norrathian range and sit a spell while we chew the fat and I share the impressions of the run I've wrangled up just for ya'll.
Choose My Adventure: Taking EverQuest by the reins
Another week, another wild Choose My Adventure ride through EverQuest. And this time, I have a better understanding of this beast I am riding and feel more confident and in control! Contrary to my experiences in newer games where things feel familiar from the outset, it has taken me a little longer to start getting comfortable in my Norrathian skin. That total-newb-outsider feeling has been slowly diminishing so that I feel like a real citizen. Between knowing where to find things in the world and just getting the hang of the controls, I can now start relying on my gaming muscle memory to guide me instead of actively searching for everything. Of course, that doesn't mean that the world is now a piece of cake and that there is nothing left to learn! Far from it: There are still many new experiences to be had, some of which you will be selecting for me for this week's adventure. But before we get into that, let's take a look at this past week in EQ.
Latest EverQuest patch implements controvertial changes to AAs, skills
Change is rarely easy, but EverQuest's most recent patch comes with controversial changes that some community members are less than thrilled about while others herald as long overdue. After receiving feedback on the proposed changes to Alternate Advancement points and abilities (namely that Gold members would be granted a huge portion of AAs and classes would no longer be able to fight 100+ mobs at a single time with specific skills), SOE made some adjustments. Specifically, Gold level members must now opt-in to receive the AA grant that will give everything up to the most recent four expansions (with the exception of Spell Casting Subtlety and Tradeskill Mastery AAs, which must be earned as normal). Other AA changes include the conversion of Leadership AAs to standard abilities. On top of that, a number of spells and abilities now have limits to prevent players from fighting mass swarms of mobs, and Heroic Adventures will no longer lock, allowing players to be added to them at any time. The patch, which goes live today, also included a change that only affects the Firiona Vie server. The XP potions that players farmed and sold will no longer be a source of income; although all current potions already in game will remain tradable for now, all future ones will be non-tradable.
Massively's Valentine's Day roundup
When a mob hits your eye with a big sharpened spike... that's not really amore! In fact, it's downright painful. But it's February -- a time when love is in the air, hearts are aflutter everywhere, and pink and red festoon your favorite MMOs. So in the spirit of the season, go ahead and give that mob an extra-hard love tap, right from... er, to the heart! And don't forget to collect whatever treasures it had for you because we all know Valentine's Day isn't all about the love; no, it's about the loot! Want to know where to get your hands on something special for this holiday? There are plenty of celebrations throughout the MMOverse offering a plethora of events and goodies. Check out some of the various Valentine's events and specials going on now.
Choose My Adventure: Get along little EQ Froggy
Now that character creation wasn't there to soak up the majority of my gaming time (as minimal as it may be in EverQuest), I had the chance to move forward in my famous Froglok adventures -- as directed by you, of course. And while there's always a chance that votes will ultimately set the Choose My Adventure host up to be bucked right off the bronco of fun in a new game, y'all done me good. As per your latest votes, I moseyed along instead of galloping through the content; I checked out all the nooks and crannies of my areas, poking my striped nose into places it may or may not have belonged. This appealed greatly to the explorer in me, so thanks! I also grouped up when I could, which made everything that much more enjoyable. And I took special care to follow your final instructions: slaughter everything! And to tell you the truth, this past week EQ has grown on me more than ever before. I have had some of the funnest experiences this past week!
Choose My Adventure: Through the starting gates of EverQuest
And we're off! The gates of EverQuest have opened, and thanks to the advice of my very own pit crew (that means you!), I am planted firmly in my saddle as ready to take on this wild Choose My Adventure ride. So let's get this show started, shall we? Figuring out where in EQ I was going to go was pretty cut and dried; Firiona Vie was the server winner by a landslide. Either you know me well enough and placed me accordingly, or you're just saying that's an awesome place to be. Of course, it could be both, which is a double bonus. The racial fight was more of a nail-biter. Tier"Dal, Iksar, and Froglok battled it out, but in the end, good won. Well, actually let's not be too hasty tossing that "good" label around: As for classes, only two choices were running pretty much neck in neck, and both were decidedly evil! Ultimately the caster lost and tin can won. So instead of summoning and commanding my own hordes of undead (for which I thank you profusely), I dub myself Sir MJ, the Shadowknight. As much as I have rarely played plate or tank classes, I do appreciate this; necromancy is definitely not a favorite pastime of mine. Add in your final decision to start me off in my racial lands and we are all set to go.
Choose My Adventure: Hanging my hat in EverQuest
If ya'll were all fired up to see a rousing round of Age of Conan over the next few weeks, yer gonna be disappointed. This rodeo don't take kindly to cheatin', so AoC's been disqualified. What I can't figure out is why the perps would brag so brazenly about tryin' to fix the event. Do they think we don't read forums? Maybe some folks just fell off a horse and hit their heads one too many times? I'm sadder than a frog without a lilypad; I feel bad for all the genuine rule-followin' fans who wanted to see their favorite game get the spotlight it certainly deserves. And this will really put a bee in their bonnets: AoC probably woulda won even without the tamperin', so those fools who decided they didn't want to play fair an' square just blew it for the rest of ya. And here I was looking forward to returnin' to Hyboria. For those supporters who voted legitimately, I hope ya still get your time in the ring in another Choose My Adventure. With that unfortunate business outta the way, I'd like to introduce ya'll to the star of our show: EverQuest. It edged out Anarchy Online by just a few votes to takes its place as the next CMA title. Ya might find it a bit ironic that the keeper of the Norrathian Notebook is heading to Norrath, but since my first attempt to sink my feet in that soil didn't pan out, I'm hopin' it'll be different with ya'll directing the adventure. 'Sides, seems kinda fitting, it being the Year of EverQuest and all. Now there's a whole mess o' choices this week, from race to class to server, so get in there and brand yours before 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, January 31st.
Choose My Adventure: Back in the saddle again edition
Yeeehaw! Now that Mike has finished his ride, they're lettin' me back in the saddle for another round of rootin' tootin' Choose My Adventure fun! And the opportunity has come not a moment too soon: I've had my spurs on and been raring to go for weeks now. As you know, this ain't my first CMA rodeo, and I'm sure as shootin' excited for this next wild romp through a new world. Of course, I won't be doing this alone. This ain't a one-woman show, and you ain't just spectators. I'm the rider all right, but y'all actually have a hold of the reins and will be leading me through the adventures. I'll wrangle up some options each week, and y'all will make the choices for what we do, where we go, and how we get there. Our first choice: which game we're going to tame! I've corralled a herd of titles that ain't seen their time in the spotlight yet (or at least, not for a long, long time). We've got an assortment of breeds to choose from -- some I've the barest hint of experience with; with others, I've none at all. Look 'em over, size 'em up, and then tag the one you want us to spend our next six weeks in. Y'all have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 25th, to make your selection. Then we rope the winner and get this ride started.
EQ, EQII, and EQN devs dish on new game content for The Year of EverQuest
With EverQuest Next Landmark on the horizon, EverQuest Next in the wings, and EverQuest and EverQuest II going strong, this truly is the year of EverQuest. There's simply no denying that 2014 will be pretty significant for the franchise; one game turns 15, another turns 10, and the newest turns 0. To help kick of this monumental year, I got to talk shop with producers Thom Terrazas (EQ), Holly Longdale (EQII), Terry Michaels (EQN/EQNL), and Franchise Director Dave Georgeson and hear about upcoming content slated for each of these different projects. As Georgeson put it, "It's going to be a fun month!" As a bonus, we've also added a video that shows off some of that very content.
Smedley expounds on benefits blunder and SOE's philosophy
When SOE first announced the membership changes coming to some of its titles, the company stirred up a storm that was completely unexpected, according to CEO John Smedley. After listening to the community, the studio reversed parts of the proposal and unveiled an extra benefit: a $14.99 All-Access pass. But even after a few extra posts explaining the changes and the reasoning behind them, there were still some unanswered questions and remnants of confusion from the quick succession of announcements. Why were some titles in SOE's arsenal listed part of the pass but others aren't? Which membership gift is actually the one going forward? When will these changes take place? And what about the European players? I sat down with Smedley to answer these questions and get some added clarity on these changes,
Norrathian Notebook: The top 10 Tattered moments of 2013
At the end of every year and the beginning of a new one, many people kick back and review what went well and what went wrong. We certainly got a taste of something that went wrong last week, so let's switch gears and focus on the positive! For my one-year anniversary as a writer of this column (I took over this piece exactly one year ago this week), I felt it was particularly appropriate to reflect back on the previous year, highlighting the best moments of The Tattered Notebook. Actually deciding on only 10 articles to fill out my favorites turned out to be more difficult than I thought. There we were plenty of useful guides, videos, holiday celebrations, and even a peek at a certain upcoming game. But when forced to choose, these particular moments all stand out. See if my picks coincide with yours!
Some Assembly Required: Virtual world roundup for 2014 and beyond
Just over two years ago there was a great disturbance, as if millions (or so) of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Yes, something terrible had happened: a beloved virtual world was destroyed. And that left a number of sandbox refugees looking for a new place to call home. At that time, Some Assembly Required offered a roundup of the then available virtual worlds that could possibly offer accommodation, depending on what qualities players most desired in their games. But as things are wont to, they changed; a lot can happen in the MMOverse in 24 months, from additional features in existing games to new games to the loss of more worlds. So it's time to update this list of virtual worlds to reflect 2014 and beyond. Take a look and see what titles or titles-to-be have the sandbox features that best make a game a home for you.
