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Massively's Massive Giveaway: EQ2 - Rise of Kunark
This just in: we've actually been contacted by the fine folks at Sony Online Entertainment, who have given us a veritable plethora of copies of both of their new expansions launching today! This means that we've changed the original prizes from just the one copy we had, to 3 copies -- as well as the prizes for the rest of the day! That said, for EQ2 we couldn't be more excited about this, as some of us were lucky enough to get into the beta for Rise of Kunark. You can trust us when we say that the Sarnak are a wickedly fun addition to the Everquest II stable. The attention to even the little details of the starting area in Timorous Deep on up will impress both old and new players alike. But enough gushing about Everquest II and Rise of Kunark -- for now, anyway. Let's get on with giving you a chance to win your own copy!This hour we're offering three copies of the EverQuest II expansion, which actually includes the core game and all expansions up to this point! So those new to EQ2 and those who've been around alike will be able to use this prize. Full of win, no? All you need to do is leave a comment below and you could be one of the lucky people who walks away with your very own copy -- and the ability to create your very own snarling Sarnak! You must be 18+, a resident of the U.S. and all the rest of the hoopla from the official rules. Good luck!
Massively's Massive Giveaways: EQ Secrets of Faydwer [Updated]
Many, many moons ago, I remember getting a call from one of my best friends; he was crowing about this new game called EverQuest that he said I absolutely had to go get. After all, as he pointed out, not only was it a game (a common passion we share to this day) but it would give us a chance to "hang out" together despite the enormous physical distance between us. Thus began my passion for MMOs -- and EQ will always have a special spot in my heart as my first MMO love. For those of you who also keep your torches burning bright for EverQuest, this giveaway is for you! For this giveaway, we're offering a copy 3 copies of the newest EverQuest newest expansion, Secrets of Faydwer. But don't think that this is only for the people who only own EverQuest already. This expansion actually includes all the prior games in a giant roll up of gaming goodness for both EQ veterans and total EQ newcomers alike.All you need to do to be eligible for this drawing is to leave a comment before 2:00 PM tomorrow (11/13) telling us what your first ever MMO was and how you got into it? Did your friend call you and tell you to go get it right now or they were going to buy it for you -- or was that just me? Of course, you must be 18+ years of age, a U.S. resident, and all the other official rules stuff. Let us know!Update: We've just heard back from SOE who has gifted us with some boxed copies of Secrets of Faydwer. So this giveaway has just gotten three times as cool because we're giving away 3 copies of Secrets of Faydwer instead of 1! Stay tuned throughout the rest of the evening for more EverQuest giveaway goodness!
EQ2 Rise of Kunark tradeskilling: harvested resources
There's not long left now before EverQuest II's world will be expanded once again, and Rise of Kunark is released. Leading up to the November 13th launch, the tradeskill fanatics at EQ2 Traders Corner have put up a ton of great information for crafters in the new expansion. One of their most useful pages details the tier 8 harvested resources found on the continent of Kunark.The names of all the new resource types can be found here, including the rare harvests, as well as a list of transmuting items. Apart from this, the page informs that meats will no longer come from animal dens as they used to. Dens are solely for hides now, and meat will be obtained by killing mobs. We are assured, however, that for those tradeskillers that prefer not to bloody their blades, there is a level-up path for Provisioners that does not involve meats at all. Check out the resource lists at the link below, and we'll feature some more excellent RoK crafting coverage from EQ2 Traders Corner, later in the day.
EverQuest II celebrates its third birthday
Thursday was the third anniversary of the launch of Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest II. In celebration of another year of service, the team put together a retrospective video, interviewing the team about their time working on the game. They talk about the process of making the three currently-released expansions for the game, and give a few tantalizing glimpses of the Rise of Kunark, which is slated for release next week.They also had cake, as shown in a series of pictures posted to the official EverQuest II website. Happy Birthday EQ2. Nice MMOGing.
New EQ2 abilities for levels 71 to 80
TenTonHammer has updated their list of Everquest II spells to include new abilities that will be earned along the way to level 80. Each of the game's 24 classes has a full list of skills, and if you scroll to the bottom, you will be able to see what's in store for your character when Rise of Kunark is released. Some of these spells will undoubtedly just be upgrades to existing lines, but there are some new ones in there too, so poke around your class list and find out which levels you should be particularly excited about. You may also notice that the spell-list page includes a link to the racial traditions in EQ2, however, the information for the new Sarnak race has not yet been added. We plan to put up some details ourselves about the Sarnak's racials, so check back later for that, as well as other RoK coverage prior to launch.
Blogger unleashes awesome Rise of Kunark screenshots
The NDA for the closed beta of EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark has finally been lifted. Expect to see a lot of new information about the new expansion in the coming days. The first wave has already begun. For example, MMO blogger Ogrebear unleashed several outstanding screenshots of the Fens of Nathsar and The Kylong Plains. These zones are looking fantastic.The Kylong Plains were covered in our own tour of the Rise of Kunark beta if you want some more information. The expansion is expected to go live next week, so sit tight.
Rise of Kunark interview with Scott Hartsman
We almost missed this one, but Massively's own Michael Zenke put together a terrific interview with Everquest II Senior Producer Scott Hartsman about Rise of Kunark, the upcoming expansion, which features lizard-men called Sarnaks. You know any game that features lizardmen already has a lot going for it, and from what we saw in Dan's walkthrough, lizardmen are just the beginning..Zenke and Harsman talk about developing the game (this is the first expansion that's had almost a full year for development), and the ambitious schedule for all of EQ2's development-- Hartsman says that the advent of WoW was a kick in the pants for all MMO developers, and that it set the bar not just for competition, but for survival. They also cover what there is to find in Kunark-- Hartsman especially loves the storyline on the war between the Sarnak and the Spirroc (parrotmen, apparently-- what will they think of next?!), and the updated tradeskills, which should offer lots of interesting items for crafters and consumers alike.Definitely a must-read if you're interested in the new expansion (or if you have fond memories of Kunark in the original Everquest).
So your guild wants into Beta?
Craig "Grimwell" Dalrymple is the Senior Community Manager at SOE, and handles EverQuest 2 specifically. He's been going through his first Beta process with the Rise of Kunark expansion, and jotted down some notes about the process as he went along. His personal site, Grimwell Online, is playing host to some of his thoughts on what it takes for a Guild to get into a Beta test. It's a great, simple guide on what the development team is looking for from the players, and is easily applicable for any Beta experience.Suggestion #4: Be coherent"This zone sucks! The Designers are idiots!" That is not coherent feedback. We see stuff like this daily, and the part that is honestly frustrating is that the negative feedback has nothing to act upon. Obviously someone is angry, but why are they angry? What specifically do they not like? Even negative feedback can be delivered coherently."I do not like the changes in the zone because the danger factor has been significantly reduced, and the loot is now trivial. All the work my guild put into earning the loot from the boss in the zone is now solo content, and I feel like my work has been devalued."That's useful negative feedback. It points to risk/reward levels and becomes a valid topic of discussion.
EQ2 tradeskill writs confirmed for Tier 8
If you were worried that you would be grinding your EverQuest II tradeskiller to 80 without any writs to help along the way, then fear not. EQ2 tradeskill developer Domino has replied in a thread on the official forums, stating that T8 writs are currently being beta tested for inclusion with Rise of Kunark, the new expansion that will see the level cap for both adventuring and tradeskilling raised to 80. It was also confirmed that the existing distribution scheme of writs throughout a tier, will be used for T8 -- that is to say, the writs will be at level 70, 74 and 79. There was some discussion in the thread as to the possibility of changing this formula, particularly moving the 79 writ a little closer to 74 -- people argued that there was limited use of a new writ on the second-to-last level, and that the few levels prior to this are punishing when grinding on a lower level writ. However, Domino stated that for the time being, the levels would remain the same for the new tier, and could not say whether they would be changed in the future.Are there any EQ2 tradeskill buffs out there that have an opinion on this matter? Would you prefer to see the last level of writs moved down somewhat, to bridge the large gap -- or perhaps, an extra level of writs to be added altogether? Or are you of the mind that it is fine as is? Let your voice be heard in our comments section.
The Massively EQ2: Rise of Kunark beta tour
The continent of Kunark holds special memories for long-time EverQuest players. It was the focus of the first expansion of the original game, The Ruins of Kunark, and it opened up the world of Norrath in many new ways. It introduced the first level cap increase, the first zones dedicated to raid content and the best class weapons in the game through epic quests, some of which took over nine months to fully discover.EverQuest II is looking to recapture that magic with their fourth major expansion, The Rise of Kunark. And from the tour of the new expansions lands I had last week, I would say they've done a damn fine job.You've probably already heard about the level cap increase from 70 to 80, the new playable Sarnak race with a new starting city, the new Rhino mount and the return of Epic Weapons. But there may be a few things you haven't yet learned. Things revealed to me when Community Manager Grimwell led me into the jungles of continent both familiar and strange.
Reminder: EQ/EQ2 beta key give-away ends tonight
For those of you just joining us, we're still handing out party favors from yesterday's launch of our site. The fine folks at Sony Online Entertainment were kind enough to throw in beta keys for us to give to you, our soon-to-be loyal readers.What beta keys, you say? Why, shiny keys to EverQuest: Secrets of Faydwer beta and Everquest 2: Rise of Kunark. All you have to do for a chance to win is post a comment. Not here, silly. In the original contest posts linked below. Posting a comment in the contest posts by 11:59pm EST tonight will qualify you to win. That's it.The only restriction is that you must already have a paid subscription to the game(s) or else the beta key will be no good. Also, you must agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement so no blabbing to your friends about what you see in the beta until the NDA is officially lifted.So get to commenting! But not this thread, this EQ: SoF contest thread and/or this EQ2: RoK contest thread. And feel free to enter to win the many other contests we have running today.
Clarifications on EQ2's Bonus XP Sundays
After it was announced that there would be bonus experience on the two Sundays leading up to the EverQuest II expansion Rise of Kunark, it looks as though a few players have been confused about the finer details. A thread surfaced on the game's forums, that kicked off with one unhappy customer stating that the bonus experience was for US servers only. This was quickly cleared up by a community relations representative, along with some other questions that came up later in the thread. Here is a compiled list of the clarifications found in the thread: It is for ALL servers, not region-specific or US only When the clock ticks over, the bonus xp will be in effect -- no need to log out and back in If you already have vitality saved up, the bonus XP stacks with this Because the first bonus day, November 4th, is that day that clocks get turned back for daylight savings, there will actually be 25 hours of bonus on that day. This should apply for servers in all regions too -- from the thread, "everyone will get 25 hours of bonus time since the person turning the time on and off is going to be affected by that time change. I'll leave ya'll to figure that one out" So there you have it. Everyone gets to take part, and there's even a little bonus hour this Sunday -- better get some rest now so that you can last the full stretch.
We're giving away 15 EQ2 expansion beta keys
To celebrate the launch of Massively, Sony Online Entertainment has graced us with 15 beta keys for their upcoming expansion, EverQuest II: The Rise of Kunark. Unlike those other sites giving away beta keys, we're not even going to make you work for it.That's right, no creative writing contests or screenshot submissions or badly cut machinima efforts to apply. Just post below in the comments section before Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 11:59pm. We'll choose among them randomly and send the winners a beta key with instructions on getting into Kunark.Though we are free-wheeling with the beta key love, there are two restrictions that you should know about. First, you will need to have a paid subscription to EverQuest II. The beta key doesn't work if you're not already paying for the game. Second, you will have to agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). This means no talking about what you see or posting screenshots until the NDA is lifted.If you wanted to try out the new Sarnak playable race before everyone else, this is your chance. What are you waiting for? Get to commenting!EDIT: Give-away is over! E-mails are all out to the winners. For those who didn't get in, keep an eye on Massively for, well, massive coverage of EQ2. First with our beta walkthrough feature. Then, when the NDA lifts.
Everquest I and II expansion beta key giveaways!
What, 24 hours of Tabula Rasa schwag isn't enough for you people? Fifteen days of action-packed sweepstakes not keeping you satisfied? Fine, then -- we'll have to resort to giving out some beta keys to you greedy mofos. Check back later this morning for chances to win 10 EverQuest: Secrets of Faydwer beta keys and 15 EQ2: Rise of Kunark beta keys courtesy of the lovely folks at SOE. See you soon!
Race to Kunark with bonus XP Sundays
Our favorite events are ones that net us heaps and loads of experience points. What could be better than that? You have fun, and you become more powerful so you can have even more fun. It's a win-win situation. So we want to point out to all the EverQuest II players out there that SOE is running a bonus-XP event called "Race to Kunark."Players will receive 50% more experience than normal in both PvE and crafting "from midnight to midnight pacific time" on the two Sundays preceding the expansion's launch -- November 4th and 11th. This is a pretty nice boon for adventurers looking build up in so they can vanquish all the new monsters. So if you're an EQ2 player, make plans to order some pizza and start grinding this Sunday. Oh, and check out our overview of what Rise of Kunark has to offer if you're in the dark.[Via Stratics]
New monsters revealed for EverQuest II expansion; producer Scott Hartsman weighs in
MMORPG.com has posted part one of their Creature Feature article, in which they had a chance to chat with Everquest II senior producer Scott Hartsman about monsters being introduced for the game's upcoming expansion, and about bringing new monsters to an MMO in general. The feature will have two parts, and cover five new monsters from Rise of Kunark. The two nasties that we meet in this episode are the Burynai Casters and the Devourers. These races both debuted in the Kunark expansion of the first EverQuest. Fans will recall that the Burynai are usually located deep underground -- if you see one walking above ground, you can be sure there's a cavernous tunnel nearby. Devourers seemed to show up all over the place, but I always wondered what the heck allowed them to float in mid-air. Regardless, a very cool-looking mob.Hartsman's contributions to the article are insightful as he discusses ideas, balancing and time frames when bringing new creatures to MMO's. He also reassures us that beyond the five monsters featured in the two-part series, there are plenty more to discover in EverQuest II's new expansion. Click through to the full article below, and we'll let you know when part two goes up.
EverQuest II upcoming expansion details: Set sail for the Rise of Kunark
Since we've now heard that pre-orders are becoming available for the fourth expansion to EverQuest II, expected to be released November 13th, let's take a look at what players will have to look forward to. Rise of Kunark will focus on the continent of Kunark, including its dragon-lizard inhabitants, the Sarnak. Veterans of the first EverQuest game may remember these annoying fellows, introduced during its first expansion, and be keen to relive old memories by relentlessly hunting them down all over again. But this time around, you can expect them to have a little help.The Sarnak will be greatly bolstering their numbers, as for the first time they become a playable race. Sarnaks will have their own new starting city located in the islands of the Timorous Deep, and the surrounding areas will support advancement to around level 20. The Kunark mainland is designed for the upper echelon of levels, and the expansion itself includes an increase of the existing level cap from 70 to 80. Along with the raising of the level cap and new race, other highlights of Rise of Kunark include an increase in the current achievement point limit of 100 to 140, and a new player mount, the Kunarkian Rhinoceros (which for some reason instantly brings to mind Donkey Kong Country and the rampaging Rambi) to traverse the lands upon. There will of course be new dungeons and raid encounters for the high level folks to sink their teeth into, with Veeshan's Peak (making its return from the original EverQuest) for the top raiders. You can read about the expansion or pre-order the game from Sony's Station Store. Those that pre-order will receive a new pet for their house, a Burynai Seeker. If you wanted to give the game a go before the expansion hits, EQ2's main page includes a download link to a 14-day free trial.
Rise of Kunark preorders going down now
Average Joe notices that EverQuest II's next expansion, Rise of Kunark, is now available for preorder at a Gamestop website near you. If you just can't wait to guarantee your copy, Gamestop is happy to take your money right now.Plus, their page has some tidbits about what you'll get if you do preorder. Not only do you get to pick up the Burynai Seeker House Pet, but you also can take a poster, and a starter deck and digital booster for Legends of Norrath, that digital card game that all the kids are talking about lately. Joe also notes that Allakazham has snuck onto Gamestop's offer, but apparently that's old news-- Alla has been hawking their wares with MMOs for a while now.As far as I can tell, this is just the preorder stuff-- still no word on if SOE will offer a collector's edition of the expansion, or what goodies will be in that one. Are you excited enough about the new expansion to guarantee your copy right now?
