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EverQuest II's GU61 going live today
Those of you trying to log into EverQuest II this morning may have been greeted by a crashing launchpad or some variation on the standard "service offline" message. Fear not, as it's patch day, and the servers will be back sooner rather than later (we hope). Game Update 61 is in the offing, and EQ2Wire has an extensive breakdown of the patch notes for what is one of the more significant non-expansion updates in the history of the game. Aside from the alternate advancement tweaks, the most significant change is a complete loot and itemization revamp. This means that there's no reason to restrict yourself to the "Golden Path" when it comes to leveling your characters. Norrath is one of the largest and most diverse game worlds in existence, and you should now see level-appropriate loot no matter where in the world you adventure. Also of note are new dungeons that scale between levels 60 and 90 as well as the house rating system, a native video-capture and YouTube publishing feature, and the ability for your Fae and Arasai characters to fly at level 85 and up. Finally, the official EQII site has a lengthy new lore passage related to the update, and you can bone up on what's happening with the War of Zek while you're waiting for the servers to restart.
Gamescom 2011: More details on RIFT's patch 1.5
RIFT hasn't been out for all that long, but the game is already rapidly approaching its fifth major patch since launch. A recent demonstration at Gamescom reveals more of what will be coming along with the patch, which promises more options for endgame players as well as for players without a great deal of time. For the former group, the game is adding a new Planar Achievement System that will give players points to spend in unique supplemental skill trees, adding some fine-tuning and character customization. For the latter group of players who don't have time to delve into large-scale group content, solo instances will be added, with one or two players easily able to clear the area depending on equipment. Hammerknell will be one of the first sorts of this dungeon, allowing players a chance to see more of the game as a whole. Higher-end players aren't forgotten, however, with a new Master Mode added to give dungeons extra sting and rewards. It looks like patch 1.5 will be a good time for all RIFT fans, whatever their level of commitment to the game.
