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The Tattered Notebook: I'm in ur community, stalking ur threads
Last week's small little interview was fun, but this week it's time to get back to business. I haven't stalked threads in the forum for a while now, and I'm afraid that I'm losing my touch. So this week I've dived back into the official EverQuest II forums to bring up the most recent discussion topics -- many of them centered on the changes made during Halas Reborn. Freeport and Qeynos still dominate the hot topic list, suggestions for things Dave Georgeson should fix in the game are being collected, and one thread muses on the past and future of the game. In short, don't miss out on this week's entry in my Tattered Notebook. Do not disgrace the power of the Tier'dal, as the Community Manager Dark Elf has done! Otherwise I will have to invent stern punishments, like withholding lolcats from the internet. Do not force my hand!
FilePlanet offers EverQuest II Halas Reborn promotion
If the buzz surrounding EverQuest II's Halas Reborn has caught your attention, you're not alone. This new/old zone has proved to be a very exciting addition for many fans as well as something that has gained interest from those who haven't tried the game before. FilePlanet is offering a deal for that second group in celebration of Halas Reborn. If you pick up the EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey starter pack, you'll receive Halas Reborn free for 30 days. In addition, you'll also get a special in-game item: the Halas Reborn Ice Rune Cloak. The offer is exclusive to FilePlanet and for a limited time only.
The Tattered Notebook: Post-Halas Reborn interview with producer Dave Georgeson
Hello there, brave Norrathian adventurers! It is I, Seccia Ravenloft, back again from my recent excursion to track down "The One Final Truth." While I didn't find "The One Final Truth," I did run across Dave Georgeson again, and that made the whole excursion totally worth it. Last week, I noticed a fair number of you had some problems with Shader 3.0 in EverQuest II. I'm sorry to hear that your pathetic non-Tier'dal computers cannot handle the wonderous onslaught, but I certainly brought that up with Dave in this interview, as well as the controversial decision to remove the starting areas of Freeport and Qeynos. Plus, I may have even weaseled a small detail or two on the next expansion out of him, thanks to my incredible interrogation techniques. But why shall we delay the inevitable any longer? To the interview, quickly!
Look inside SOE with Ustream
Curious about what goes on behind the scenes over at Sony Online Entertainment? If so, Ustream has your backstage pass in the form of the Inside SOE Broadcast. The 30 minute live event will take place today, May 26th, at 1:30 pm Pacific (9:30 pm GMT). The broadcast will feature live chat as well as a question and answer session with Community and Development team members. Topics will include the new Halas Reborn update in Everquest II, newly released Free Realms items, and The Agency: Covert Ops and Pox Nora Facebook games. Check out the SOE Ustream channel to watch the event, and be sure to create an account and log in to text chat with the SOE team.
The Tattered Notebook: Nerding out on Shader 3.0
"Hello nerds. Look at your game, now back to me, now back to your game, now back to me. Sadly, your game isn't me, but your game could look like me if it stopped using that crappy 2000s-era shader and started using shader 3.0." That's what she would say if she could say things other than her pre-programmed voice-over. With the release of Halas Reborn today, many players will be undoubtedly checking out the frozen north's new content overhaul. However, Halas Reborn didn't just stop with a simple content update. The storyteller system was introduced in this update, and the game's graphics had new life breathed into it via Shader 3.0. So today, in honor of nerd day, let's take a look at what exactly Shader 3.0 does with the game's graphics and if it's worth all the hype. %Gallery-93688%
Halas Reborn launch day roundup
Fans of Norrath rejoice, as launch day for Everquest II's epic Halas Reborn patch is upon us. Despite the recent brouhaha regarding pricey virtual items, Sony Online Entertainment's fantasy standard-bearer is soldiering on (and dropping a ton of new content on its player base in the process). Check out all the links below to catch up with Massively's Halas-related coverage, and be sure to review the patch notes over at the official website. EQ2's newest raid zone Icy Keep: Retribution is a mammoth four-group raid instance with several new challenges, including a deadly game of chess. Players will be helping the Frostfoot clan to gain entry to the keep, but that may be the beginning of the true danger -- Vrewwx, an ice dragon, has hatched and is waiting Halas update brings storyteller system The system adds a tab to the quest journal user interface that consolidates the story of each major quest. Additionally, the Storylines tab will chronicle your position in EverQuest II's lengthy quest chains, provide clues to completion, and add a bit of narrative flavor to the long-running fantasy MMORPG Click past the cut for more coverage.
Come get some in EQII's newest raid zone
If EverQuest II players jumped genres, they might exclaim, "That's no content patch! It's a space station!" As it is, the upcoming Halas Reborn patch is awe-inspiring, as SOE continues to highlight new goodies packaged within its coded depths. Players have a lot to look forward to: the Storyteller system, the travel revamp, additional player housing, and a brand-new 1-20 leveling experience in New Halas should expand the already-beefy title nicely. On top of all of that, the juicy cherry resting comfortably on a bed of whipped cream, are two challenging new raid zones for high-level characters. We've already looked at one of them, The Underfoot Depths, and SOE has just released details on the second. Icy Keep: Retribution is a mammoth four-group raid instance with several new challenges, including a deadly game of chess. Players will be helping the Frostfoot clan to gain entry to the keep, but that may be the beginning of the true danger -- Vrewwx, an ice dragon, has hatched and is waiting. Read the full scoop on EverQuest II's newest raid zone as we count down the days for Halas Reborn!
EQ2 Storyteller system detailed
Sony Online Entertainment has revealed another feature of their Halas Reborn content update for EverQuest II. Coming later this month, the patch will include a new mechanic called the Storyteller system. The unfortunately named system is not a robust set of roleplay tools like the one in Star Wars Galaxies, but rather a modification to the game's existing quest journal. The system adds a tab to the quest journal user interface that consolidates the story of each major quest. Additionally, the Storylines tab will chronicle your position in EverQuest II's lengthy quest chains, provide clues to completion, and add a bit of narrative flavor to the long-running fantasy MMORPG. The Storyteller system is a work in progress, as SOE will not have all of the game's quest loaded into the system when the patch launches. "What you see when Halas Reborn reaches the live servers will only be a starting point, and other quests will be connected and looped as we progress the feature. If you don't see your favorite quest right now, don't worry! It will be there soon," says the official press release. Check out the release and the associated discussion thread on the official boards for more information.
Fate for free: EQII upgrades the celebration
The party continues! If the offer of a free cosmetic armband wasn't enough to get you to log back into EverQuest II, then SOE is hoping that opening up Sentinel's Fate for all to experience will do the trick. All current EQII players now have access to the Sentinel's Fate content through tomorrow, May 14. SOE obviously wants players to upgrade to the new expansion as well, so they're offering a variety of discounts to nudge the playerbase along. Active players can get Sentinel's Fate for $5 off the current price if they purchase it by May 30, while inactive players will receive the same offer in addition to a $5 discount for their first month's resubscription. It's a good time to be an EverQuest II player, with the expansion pack still going strong, this celebration pulling players back in, and a decent chunk of new content on the way with the Halas Reborn patch. So head on over to EQII to get your goodies, see the new sights and secure your discount today!
SOE's Silius talks EQ2 travel revamp
EverQuest II's upcoming content patch is growing seemingly larger with each press release. We've already examined the additions to player housing, end game raids, and a bevy of new visuals. Now, the official site teases us with a lengthy preview of the travel revamp that will also debut with the Halas Reborn patch. "In general we really want our customers to spend less time travelling and more time playing the game and having fun. That's not to say that travel and exploration is not fun for some people, but not everyone enjoys having no choice in the matter. The curious player will still explore and discover if they wish, we have not taken that away. We have however made it easier for the various modes of travel to get people together requiring as few zoning screens as possible," said Sony Online Entertainment's Salim 'Silius' Grant. Check out the full list of changes over at the official EverQuest II website.
EQ2 previews new Halas Reborn raid zone
Everquest II's much-hyped Halas Reborn update, currently scheduled to debut later this month, is adding two new raiding zones to the game, one of which is detailed in a new article over at the official site. The Underfoot Depths raid is designed with four groups of level 90 characters in mind, and features a large zone and wide variety of mob difficulties. The zone is so large, and the mobs so brutal, that designers extended the lockout time to four days and twenty hours (up from the standard two days/twenty hours) to allow players the option of running the zone's gauntlets over multiple days. "The named encounters will be challenging and require some tactics be applied. If you manage to reach Master Yael himself, you'll be ready to take on the most challenging encounter yet," proclaims the press release. You can view the article, along with a selection of images from the new raid, over at Sony Online Entertainment's official Everquest II website.
New details and screenshots of EverQuest II's New Halas
If you're a fan of EverQuest II you are undoubtedly excited about the addition of New Halas to the game. Any and all information on the new area is welcomed by players. Sony Online Entertainment recently obliged their fan base with a wealth of new information, plus over a dozen screenshots to round it out. You'll be able to access New Halas from two different areas depending on your experience. New characters will need to go to Pilgrim's Landing just off the main island, while more experienced characters can take a griffin from the Butcherblock Docks. Once you've arrived, there are over 80 quests in the area -- more than enough to keep every visitor busy exploring for quite a while. If you're enough of a fan of New Halas that a temporary visit just isn't enough, you may just be in luck. Good or neutral aligned races and classes have the option to earn citizenship and make a permanent home on New Halas. Check out the gallery below for a look at the upcoming area, and check out the EverQuest II site for all the latest details. %Gallery-92155%
