living-legacy
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Ask Massively: Second chances in MMO's
I'm feeling a bit cranky these days, so for this week's Ask Massively, I thought that I'd give you all my unvarnished opinion instead of kissing your collective backside in order to generate a few more page hits. Get your claws out for this one, folks. This nugget of truth is going to hurt a little.Why do MMO's only have 1 shot when they change so *drastically* over time?Games such as EQ2, DDO, Vanguard, Tabula Rasa, perhaps AoC...6 months to a year later when the game is good and bursting with content etc. Why do players always chime the mantra "Too little too late" and perfer to just wait for the "next big thing" instead of re-visting these other games?I understand feeling burnt for not getting everything at launch, but who cares? if the game has everything you wanted *now* who cares about the past when it *didnt*?I just dont get it. -Ding Dong Dang
EverQuest II seeks more Living Legacies until Sept. 30th
Apparently happy with results from earlier in the summer, SOE has added a new phase to the Living Legacy program. This time, all inactive EverQuest accounts may now try EverQuest II and all its expansions for free until September 30th. Yes, you read that right: inactive EverQuest accounts, not EverQuest II accounts. Looks like SOE is trying to bring old customers into the 21st century!Participants also get $5 towards the purchase of this fall's new expansion (assuming they upgrade to a paying account) and a bunch of in-game items including a pet drake, a 12-slot bag, and a bag of XP potions. Word on the street is that the previous iteration of the Living Legacy program was a big success, so SOE is probably trying to keep the ball rolling. Note, though, that this isn't being offered to current EverQuest subscribers, just lapsed ones. Apparently SOE doesn't want to lose current EQ players to EQ2, but if you're playing neither right now, it wants you to play the more modern one. Makes sense.
EQ devs talk upcoming expansion, old zone revamps
A half dozen EverQuest developers sat down with their faithful players and discussed the details of the new expansion, Seeds of Destruction, which old zones were next to be hit with the revamp stick, and what other changes were on the horizon for SOE's most venerable, but still popular, game.The next expansion will continue to require faction grinding to progress, similar to that in Secrets of Faydwer, though some changes will be made to address player complaints. Still, World of Warcraft-like faction grinding seems to be a big hit with EQ devs since its introduction in the Dragons of Norrath expansion, and we wll likely see it continue in the foreseeable future.
Are you owed any EQ Veteran Rewards?
With many players returning to EverQuest after SOE's Living Legacy promotion, there are probably a lot of people out there who are owed Veteran Rewards that are sitting unclaimed. A new guide has been posted at the EverQuest Players website which not only explains exactly what the rewards are and how they are earned, but more importantly, goes over all of the reward tiers and their effects. Be careful before you go "/claim"-happy though -- once a particular reward is claimed on one character, no amount of GM bribing can ever allow it to be moved.The EverQuest Veteran Rewards offer some pretty neat effects, from experience and stat buffs, to a Bristlebane puppet, right up to a summonable robot merchant (if you've been around for 10 years!). Have a look at the guide to see what your loyalty will be rewarded with in the coming years.
Massively's readers (you) interview EQ2's Senior Producer
About two weeks ago we asked you to pass on some questions we could give to the EverQuest 2 team. Our own team of bloggers and columnists pitched in a few questions as well, and we brought the best of those to the attention of EQ2's Senior Producer Bruce Ferguson. He answered several of our questions in-depth, though some of his answers may not be exactly what you were hoping to hear.Read on below the cut to see your questions answered! Mr. Ferguson chats about the purpose of the Living Legacy program, future plans for developing PvP in the game, and even tackles that burning question about solo vs. group play. Also, about the possibility of flying mounts in Norrath ...
EQII "Fight with Legends" campaign offers free game time
As part of the Living Legacy promotion that is taking place in EverQuest II right now, SOE has announced a brand new campaign that is kicking off today. Called "Fight with Legends", this initiative is aimed at bringing even more people to EQII by getting players to recruit their friends, and rewarding them for it.For each account invitee that converts to a paying subscriber within 30 days of their trial conclusion, the inviting player will receive 1 month of EQII game time (added to the end of their current subscription). The number of friends you can do this with is limited to 20, which would mean a whopping 20 months of free game time; but even 1 month is a pretty nice bonus, so if you've got some bored friends, perhaps it's time to introduce them to Norrath.
Legends of Norrath Living Legacy Photo Contest
EverQuest and EverQuest II are getting the lion's share of the attention in SOE's Living Legacy promotion. But they are reserving something special for their massively collectible card game, Legends of Norrath. Win the Living Legacy Photo Contest, and not only will you get your picture painted, in character by artist Kieran Yanner for use on a Legends of Norrath card, but you'll be flown to the SOE Fan Faire this August. If you're an EverQuest player, your image will be made into a statue and placed into the guild halls of every guild in Norrath. If you are an EverQuest II player, your card will be made into a painting that can be hung in a place of honor in your apartment. All you need to do is to send them a picture that shows your passion for EverQuest. Find the complete rules on the Legends of Norrath web site. And good luck!
EverQuest's new lead designer on the future of SOE's venerable MMO
Ryan Barker is the newly-dubbed lead designer for SOE's venerable EverQuest, and recently sat down with the folks at Curse to talk the state of the game - and even a bit about the game's future. Barker again confirms the team's pleasure at having more times to work on expansion packs, a subject covered well in our discussion with previous EQ lead designer Travis McGeathy. They also note their heavy enthusiasm at seeing players return for the Living Legacy event, something we've also discussed on the site.Without a doubt the most interesting segment is the design team's reflection on their favorite encounter in the game's history. Barker and several members of the design group point out their favorite moments from the nine years worth of content the game has on offer. Says Barker, "For me it was definitely Lord Nagafen back in original release. I was part of the first raid that killed him on Rallos Zek. It was such a rush going back through the fire giant castle and seeing that dragon for the first time. I think I seriously jumped out of my chair the first time he stuck his head through the door and bit me."Your turn, then: What's your favorite encounter/quest/monster from EverQuest?
Vanguard offers 5 days free to past subscribers
The Vanguard team has deployed its own (more modest) version of EverQuest's much-publicized Living Legacy campaign. Anyone who used to have a Vanguard account may play for free up through the 31st. SOE is touting performance enhancements and "new code" intended to make the game run more smoothly. See, when the game first launched, it had performance issues about as bad as (or maybe even worse than) those of Age of Conan's open beta event. The game was virtually unplayable in major cities for all but the most beastly systems. With each major game update, though, SOE has tweaked and optimized the engine to make it run better. Apparently the team now feels that it's reached the point where it can reach out to old players and say, "Hey, we fixed it; come back and try again!
EverQuest's Living Legacy live event going on now
Remember when Kerafym the Sleeper went on a rampage slaying every mortal after the Warders were defeated? Think further back to your first excursion into the Plane of Fear and Plane of Hate, when tragedy struck and what followed was the tireless effort to recover one's corpse or the ultimate raucous victory that immediately followed a guild's first God kill. Good times and bad, it was special. Many years have passed, bringing many unknown expansions since your last foray into Norrath, but that shouldn't stop you from visiting now with the Living Legacy promotion providing all inactive EverQuest and EverQuest II veterans with ample opportunity and incentives to return at no cost until the end of July and relive the adventures. Events are planned all throughout the campaign and the current event running this weekend is: "Sacrifice at the Sand Keep." It is an endurance challenge that pits players against Eothar and his echelon of undead minions. The goal is to endure attacks as long as possible. Players can seek out Dougan Merule in the Southern Desert of Ro to initiate the expedition, but if you're a returning player you probably want to check out the Guild Halls first located in the Plane of Knowledge to find other fellow and more than helpful to answer any questions you have. So did you go back?
EQII "Become a Legend" contest gets you to prove your epicness
You know how epic you are. You know that you're the best dragon-slayer there is, you've saved the most maidens, and have shiny gear that blinds mere mortals as you ride past. It's time to show the world what a hero you are -- and get rewarded for it. As part of EverQuest II's Living Legacy promotion, SOE is running a contest called "Become a Legend", asking entrants to snap a shot of their characters in their best digs, in an interesting location, and include a short history of their character's legendary adventures.The winning entries will be treated to a digital copy of the next EQII expansion, and Living Legacy merchandise. As well as this, the winning pictures will be displayed at the Station website, and probably at the EQII sites. As always, there are some terms and conditions for this competition. You must be 18 years or older and live in the U.S. to take part -- visit the EQ2Players website to get the full contest details, including picture sizes and word limits.
EverQuest 2 guild recruitment fair set to take place this weekend
Gnobrin has dropped into the official EverQuest 2 forums to announce a unique event this weekend. Players just returned for the Living Legacy event, or lone wolves looking to come in from the cold, will be happy to hear there's a guild recruitment fair set for June 28th and June 29th. Where you are going to be headed for the fair depends on what kind of server you're on, because of the dangers of open-world PvP. Folks on the hardcore servers will have to brave city lag, with goodies heading to the Claymore monument and evil-folk aiming for Execution Square in West Freeport. On PvE servers, you'll have an easier time. The Claymore in Antonica is the site of the fair for goodly players, while Evil players will want to head to the Crossroads in the Commonlands.If you're looking for a guild right now, why not check out their guide to the guild search functionality? Gnobby also offers up a few previews for EQuinox #2, the official EQ magazine. This next issue is going to have a bunch of guild-related information; if you're interested there is a pdf preview available online. He also links to a massive image of the 'Guild Bill of Rights' from the magaizine. It's funny and smarmy; just like a gnome.
SOE runs first EverQuest magazine ad in years
Sony Online Entertainment reportedly bought a "three-page advertising spread" for EverQuest in this month's issue of PC Gamer magazine. The massive ad promotes the Living Legacy campaign -- an initiative that allows former EQ and EverQuest II subscribers to play for free until the end of July.In two interviews, reps from SOE told us that the Living Legacy initiative is intended to show lapsed and potential EQ and EQ2 players that both games have evolved over the years, and that they deserve a fresh look. A print ad is a bold statement, although new marketing pushes for old games are not unprecedented. Near Death Studios bought ad space for Meridian 59 on the Vault Network when the game relaunched in 2001 after a two year absence. Electronic Arts plastered the web with Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn ads in the wake its 3D graphics engine upgrade.But will it work? Should more old MMOs do it? Are advertizing blitzes and a couple of free months of play what MMOs of yore need, or does this industry move too fast for that to be sufficient? Commence pondering.
An interview on the Living Legacy campaign
Sony Online Entertainment's Living Legacy promotion has reportedly become their most successful win-back campaign to date, doubling those efforts from other reactivation promotions. This hasn't come without controversy though. In a recent interview at Allakhazam, SOE's Torrie Dorrell explains some details on the success of this program and addresses the complaints heard from the current loyal subscribers of EverQuest and EverQuest II.According to Dorrell, there are numerous advantages given to EQ's loyal players including live events and new lore leading up to the eventual launch of the newest expansion pack. "This is like complaining about a shiny someone picked up near you while you're opening an exquisite chest," Dorrell says. This interview goes on to debunk rumors that this campaign was timed to compete with the launch of other big-name MMOs and expansions due out this year.
Did Living Legacy bring you back?
Were you a EverQuest or EverQuest II player who has returned because of this summer's Living Legacy promotion? You're not alone. From all we've heard, and all we've seen in game, people are coming back in droves. If you've come back, how are you liking it? The EverQuest II forums are full of stories of people who returned (and lots who are offering help as well). Having looked around EverQuest again, are you planning on staying for awhile?
Raiding the I.R.A.
It's a dark time in EverQuest. Meldrath, the evil gnome necromancer harrying Faydwer with the mecha-monstrosities, has seen the summer celebrations bring joy to the land, and he is not happy. To prevent Meldrath from breaking out of his mecha-castle and taking over all of Norrath with his numberless mechanical minions, the engineers of Ak'Anon have constructed the Infinitely Regenerative Automaton -- the I.R.A. -- to stop him in his tracks. This marvelous machine pops back to life and full health two minutes after he is defeated, and so can never be stopped for long.To make sure that the I.R.A. can handle whatever is thrown at it, they need you -- and lots of your friends -- to test it. As part of the Living Legacy promotion, your skill as a raider will be tracked and rewarded. Every time a raid that you're in takes the I.R.A. to 5% health, he will deactivate and reset, and you will get a point (which you can track on the clockwork abacus you will receive). At the end of the promotion, every player that participated in the fight against the I.R.A. will receive an augmentation -- the Silver Threaded Worm Gear -- with power that scales to the number of times they raged against the machine.Check out the teaser video after the break.
EverQuest 2 Game Update 46 goes live
The tempest is gathering. Runnyeye, a storied dungeon since the days of the original EverQuest, is now a more dangerous locale. EverQuest 2 Game Update 46 is now live on the game servers, and we have some new media to go along with it. We've been previewing this content for some time now. You might recall Brenda Holloway's fantastic walkthroughs of The Void Storms live event, or the new heroic version of the Runnyeye dungeon. Make sure to check out the Void Storms while you can, because that event is only running through the middle of July. Also make sure to check out improvements to Chelsith, Shard of Fear, and the Estate of Unrest; these locales will now offer up status points for adventurers brave enough to face them and survive. For another look at this great content check out our gallery below, or click on through to the brand new EQ2 Game Update 46 trailer below the cut.%Gallery-25310%
Exclusive interview with the developers of Legends of Norrath
The next set of Legends of Norrath cards is slated to release just next week. Oathbreaker will be the final set in the 'first block' or 'year one' of the SOE-Denver production. To get some information on Oathbreaker, new raids, and future plans, we sat down to talk with Kyle Heuer, Associate Producer for the game, and Tom Lischke, Producer at the Sony Online Entertainment studio in Denver. Join us as we talk about raid play, tournaments, some exciting plans for integrating Legends of Norrath with EverQuest and EverQuest 2, and a few hopeful words about the future of loot mounts for EQ2 players. Also make sure to head over to our exclusive gallery of Oathbreaker loot cards!%Gallery-23223%
The bigger picture behind SOE's Living Legacy strategy
The Ancient Gaming Noob is stirring up the crack pots in this excellent post questioning whether or not a New World Order is taking shape over at Sony Online Entertainment. Why would he think that? Well all the ballyhoo surrounding the Living Legacy promotion of course. In an unprecedented move SOE reactivated and marked over a million EQ/EQ2 accounts for free play until July 25th. Oh yea, that's freakin' insane, not to mention the deal only gets sweeter because it comes with a ton of perks and incentives for those that resub to either EverQuest or EverQuestII. While some disgruntled players who were already active EQ/EQ2 subscribers at the time of the announcement lament, as felt in various drama bombs around the blogosphere; the case he presents and the reasons listed are very intriguing. We would go into greater detail into the theory, but we don't want to spoil it. Go read it and come back here and tell us what you think about Living Legacy and the speculative truth behind it. Is he onto something?
The week in massively features
Massively goes to WAR: Every Warhammer class explainedThe morning was quickly running out, and to compensate for the sheer amount of information we needed to pile through our demonstrators went into overdrive. For roughly an hour we moved quickly from class to class, visiting the highpoints of several different types of gameplay. Much of our discussion explored the karmic doppelgangers across classes; different races entirely that share similar roles or playstyles. EverQuest's senior producer and designer on SOE's Living LegacyLast week we sat down with EverQuest lead designer Ryan Barker, and senior producer Clint Worley. They were both very enthused to talk about the Living Legacy program, the just-announced initiative to bring adventurers back to Norrath. With the game's amazing tenth anniversary just about a year away, it was very interesting to speak with these industry veterans on what the team has in store for us this summer. Unboxing EverQuest's Living LegacySo you've decided to take SOE up on their Living Legacy promotion, with free two months of gameplay and all the goodies you can fit into your extra-large sized trick-or-treat bag, and are wondering just what you'll find in that bag when you open it. If you're finding yourself in EverQuest, you'll get quite a lot. Tabula Rasa goes AWOL from Q1 NCSoft financial reportsWhen the financial reports for the Q1 performance of NCSoft hit the Massively offices, fingers were quickly pressed to pages with one intent -- finding out what was going on with Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa. Already this year, we've heard dour reports on the status of the game, which were then rebuked by NCSoft, but those reports still planted seeds of doubt. Massively interviews Jon Van Caneghem about the SCI FI Channel MMOMassively sat down with Van Caneghem (a busy man since the news dropped on Monday) to chat about both the fantasy MMO and the SCI FI project, and what Trion's been working on since they formed. Van Caneghem told us why Trion wants to make a different kind of MMO, and how they'll balance an online game with a television series from the network that's running Battlestar Galactica. The interview starts right after you click the link below.
