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Norrathian Notebook: The EverQuest franchise through the ages
Our notebook is tattered no longer! We've filled so many pages over the years that it is time to set the dog-eared, fraying sheets aside and take up a fresh new notebook with plenty of room for all the upcoming adventures. And on this fresh new slate, you will see a slightly different focus from that of its predecessor. As you may have noticed, over the past few months, The Tattered Notebook dipped into coverage of more than just EverQuest II. As of this moment, it is official: Our notebook now chronicles Norrath, in all its shapes and forms. These pages will fill with all things EverQuest, from the original game to the next incarnations. On top of the franchise focus that includes four major titles, the notebook is moving back to a weekly time slot every Saturday, so you'll get your Norrathian news more frequently. To kick things off, let's a look at the history of Norrath, from start to sequel to sandboxes, and everything in between.
It's official: EverQuest goes free-to-play
Back in December, when EverQuest II made the transition to free-to-play across all servers, many gamers wondered whether its sibling, EverQuest, would follow. Today, the speculation has become reality, and EverQuest will officially go free-to-play in March, which also is the month that the game first launched back in 1999. As the game closes in on its 13th birthday, it's worth taking a look back at this game's amazing history.
A Decade of Norrath: Q&A with EverQuest's Kevin Burns
March 16th will mark 10 years of SOE's EverQuest, and Massively is here to celebrate! Follow along with us as we countdown to the big day with galleries, developer interviews, staff memories and more! Best of all, on the final day we'll be holding a special contest where you will have the chance to win SOE goodies! Stick with us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until the 16th for our complete EQ 10th Anniversary coverage.Today we're beginning our EQ Anniversary coverage by spotlighting one of EverQuest's original artists: Kevin Burns. Kevin has been with SOE since the days before EverQuest, and has created some of the most well-known zones in the game, such as Freeport, Erudin and Highpass Hold. Follow along after the break for his complete Q&A, and be sure to browse our on-going EQ Anniversary gallery where today's additions are concept art and screenshots from Seeds of Destruction.%Gallery-46192%
Massively.com giveaway: EverQuest Seeds of Destruction
The Massively giveaway week extravaganza rolls on! Today it's all about our friends over at Sony Online Entertainment. That's right, today is a giveaway day entirely devoted to SOE games and the gamers that love them. We'll kick things off with the brand-new expansion for the game that started it all: EverQuest. The Seeds of Destruction expansion only launched just a precious few weeks ago, but the addition of NPC allies to the game has come with enormous positive feedback from the community. New dungeons, more levels, and even more content for players to explore makes this easily the best-recieved new EQ pack since the days of The Serpent's Spine. We have ten of these fantastic expansions to hand out, and they each go for about $40, making total retail value of this giveaway about $400.All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite EverQuest zone is! Remember, the new expansions come with all the old ones packaged in. Even if you haven't played in a while you'll be getting the whole experience with this new content. To get it you'll need to comment before 7:00 AM EST Friday, November 7th. You can only enter once per person, and after the contest closes we'll ship out these fantastic prizes to 10 randomly-selected winners. Give us at least a week to ship out this massive pile of swag, though. To win you must be age 18 or up and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). For full eligibility details, we suggest you read our official rules. Good luck!
EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction goes live!
We were there for the announcement of the expansion, with our fantastic chat with the developers. We had the chance to walk through the all-new content with you, and we've waited while the lore has trickled out over the last few months. Now today's the day! EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction launches to eager fans. Check out this wrapup of our coverage below, and read on below the cut for the full patch notes for today's most excellent expansion. Good luck in Norrath! Massively explores EQ's upcoming expansion, Seeds of DestructionThough we've interviewed the design team, read the lore as well as watched an introductory video, we were given our own tour of the expansion by Lead Designer Ryan Barker. You can join us in the tour either by clicking on the first picture below or heading after the jump to watch the 2 minute video of expansion highlights we recorded. Exploring Seeds of Destruction with the EverQuest design teamJoin us now for another chat, this time with the heads of the EverQuest development team. EQ's Senior Producer Clint Worley and Lead Designer Ryan Barker chatted extensively with us about the new content. Unfolding the lore of EverQuest's Seeds of DestructionThe official EverQuest players site has begun a new series of articles exploring the lore of the game's upcoming expansion. Seeds of Destruction will feature a big leap forward in Norrath's storyline, catapulting players into the far-flung future of the world. This first piece frames the setting for that future, a bleak ruin inhabited only by a crazy god and a tree. EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction teaser trailer releasedIn conjunction with the deluge of EverQuest II news we've given you from Fan Faire today, there was also the announcement of an expansion to the original EverQuest as well. EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction features twenty new zones, a new Mercenaries system, a level cap raised to 85 and much more. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
The Best of Massively: Hands-on with upcoming games
Massively's first birthday is only a couple of weeks a way! We've been having fun looking back at our first year of coverage -- first with our ten most important interviews, then our most helpful guides, and most recently our top 5 weirdest news stories. This week we've compiled six of our hands-on previews of games that are yet to be released.Jump into the gallery to see what's on the genre's horizon with new expansions, Sci-Fi, super heroes, and more. No matter what your interests, we've got you covered! Click to start >> %Gallery-34363%
EverQuest subscribers get an early go at Seeds of Destruction
SOE has announced that starting October 7th, which would be today, EverQuest players who locate the herald of Druzzil Ro in the Plane of Knowledge will be transported to a time rift leading them to the new zones from the upcoming expansion, Seeds of Destruction. They've also released the patch notes for the update, in case you want to get right into the nitty gritty details.The two weeks early look include the zones The Void, Oceangreen and the Temple of Bertoxxulous. There will be quest lines and group encounters to keep everyone busy as they traverse the new content. Overall this looks like a very cool way to showcase upcoming new content to the people who matter the most: current subscribers. If someone wasn't sure about picking up the new expansion or not, this early look will definitely allow them to make an informed desicion.
Massively explores EQ's upcoming expansion, Seeds of Destruction
On October 21, SOE's EverQuest will release its 15th expansion, the Seeds of Destruction. Along with with a level cap raise from 80 to 85 and twenty new zones, EQ will also introduce a new Mercenary system to the game. Long considered a grouping dependent game, players have often struggled to find a group at odd hours or on low-population servers. SOE's solution is the new ability for players to hire NPC tanks and healers. These fill-ins will do the job adequately until the group slot can be filled with another player.What of those 20 new zones? Some are re-imagined classic zones and some are entirely new. And they all are tied together with the new storyline. The agents of Discord have tampered with Norrath's timeline to engineer the destruction of the planet. Players must travel back in time to make sure history goes as planned, even if it means letting good people die and treacherous creatures prevail.Though we've interviewed the design team, read the lore as well as watched an introductory video, we were given our own tour of the expansion by Lead Designer Ryan Barker. You can join us in the tour either by clicking on the first picture below or heading after the jump to watch the 2 minute video of expansion highlights we recorded. EQ expansion tour begins here >> Watch the video here >> %Gallery-32253%
Unfolding the lore of EverQuest's Seeds of Destruction
The official EverQuest players site has begun a new series of articles exploring the lore of the game's upcoming expansion. Seeds of Destruction will feature a big leap forward in Norrath's storyline, catapulting players into the far-flung future of the world. This first piece frames the setting for that future, a bleak ruin inhabited only by a crazy god and a tree.This information was first unveiled to players in our exclusive interview with the EQ team's senior producer and lead designer. We'll keep track of the game's new approach to lore as the expansion's launch date draws nearer. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
The Daily Grind: It's expansion season!
It's expansion season in MMO-land. World of Warcraft will of course see the Wrath of the Lich King, which will add the continent of Northrend, a prestige class, and numerous enhancements. The Lord of the Rings Online will open up the Mines of Moria -- a massive dungeon environment for levels 50 and up. There will also be two new classes, and yes, numerous other enhancements.Then there's EverQuest II's The Shadow Odyssey, EverQuest's Seeds of Destruction, and Asheron's Call's just-released 100th update. If you've got long-inactive accounts with any of these games, the devs are trying to win you back! If you're still there, they're trying to keep you from leaving for Warhammer Online or from freeing yourself from the genre completely.Are any of these expansions going to do the job for you? And if so, which ones?
Sony Fan Faire drops debut trailers for Everquest and EQII expansions
At Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire event in Las Vegas, expansions to two of the MMO developer's major titles, Everquest and Everquest II, were revealed and dated: EQ fans will be planting Seeds of Destruction on October 21, while EQII players will find themselves embarking on The Shadow Odyssey November 18. Shortly thereafter, SOE revealed a teaser trailer for each expansion. We debated about which one to feature on the main page, and ultimately decided upon the expansion for the game that hasn't been out for a hojillion years (fret not, Seeds' trailer is after the jump). The Shadow Odyssey's teaser shows off some of the rather uninviting locales featured in the update, and not much else. The Seeds of Destruction trailer previews the new mercenary system, and flaunts a number of new areas which will be added to the title. Pretty impressive from a game that, if it were a human being, would be entering the fourth grade this Fall, where it would slowly begin to develop funny feelings towards its classmate, Asheron's Call. Read: EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction teaser trailer released Read: EQII: The Shadow Odyssey teaser trailer released
The Daily Grind: EverQuest expanding
Yesterday evening at Fan Faire, SOE announced expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest 2: Seeds of Destruction and The Shadow Odyssey, respectively. This will be EQ's 15th expansion and EQ2's 4th, with SoD promising 20 new zones and a new level cap of 85; and SO promising new zones, new dungeons, new quests, and additional achievement points. But what we're wondering is: how long can a game last? (15 expansions at least, apparently!) How long can expansion packs up the excitement factor? Tell us, will these new expansions keep you playing? Will they bring you back into the game? And if so, what has you excited about the latest additions to SOE's online world? %Gallery-29748%%Gallery-29751%
EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction teaser trailer released
In conjunction with the deluge of EverQuest II news we've given you from Fan Faire today, there was also the announcement of an expansion to the original EverQuest as well. EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction features twenty new zones, a new Mercenaries system, a level cap raised to 85 and much more.To help highlight this new contest, we present a brand new teaser trailer for Seeds of Destruction shown right after the cut which showcases new zones, new rewards and the new Mercenaries in action. Don't forget to check out the exclusive interview with the Seeds of Destruction design team, and let us know what you think of this new content. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
Exploring Seeds of Destruction with the EverQuest design team
Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire event is in full swing, and John Smedley's community address this evening has been the epicenter of news for SOE MMO players. New expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest II are freshly announced, and we've already talked out the EQ2 expansion with its senior producer. Join us now for another chat, this time with the heads of the EverQuest development team. EQ's Senior Producer Clint Worley and Lead Designer Ryan Barker chatted extensively with us about the new content.Talk of a level increase, all-new zones, old zones revamped, and tons more awaits you below the cut. Click on through! Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
SOE announces the next EverQuest expansion: Seeds of Destruction
Alongside the announcement of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey, Sony Online Entertainment CEO John Smedley has just announced the next expansion for the venerable EverQuest Live. To be named Seeds of Destruction, it's a lore-rich extension of the game's past into a whole new realm. Turning inward to address much of the compelling story the game already possesses, Seeds of Destruction will allow players to reach a brand new level cap of 85!Other expansion features include: Twenty new zones to explore, with many re-imaginings of old and familiar fan favorites! New zones bring to life lore elements never before seen by players, like the battle at the Field of Bones or Rallos Zek's invasion of the plane of Earth! A new Mercenaries system that will allow PCs to hire AI-driven NPCs to aid them in battle. Never play solo again! Lots more, including new tie-ins to Legends of Norrath and all fourteen of the previous game expansions in one box. For full details on this compelling new content, be sure to check out our in-depth interview with the EverQuest design team.%Gallery-29751%
SOE announces EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction and EQII: The Shadow Odyssey
At its annual Fan Faire, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has revealed new expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest II. For EQ players, The Seeds of Destruction expansion offers a new level cap (85), 20 new zones, a new mercenary system, and all fourteen previous expansions in one box. EQII: The Shadow Odyssey will feature brand new zones, some revisits to the original EQ dungeons, a bump in the number of achievements you can get (up to 200), new deities, new quests and a new loot system that lets you pick your loot rewards. Our MMO-obsessed colleagues at Massively have interviews with the EverQuest design team and EQII Senior Producer Bruce Ferguson about the expansions. All Fan Faire attendees will receive both games for free and will be able to participate in the SoD and TSO betas when they begin on August 19 and September 2, respectively. Seeds of Destruction will come out October 21, while The Shadow Odyssey is scheduled for November 18. Stay tuned to Massively all week for more Fan Faire coverage. Gallery: EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction Announcement Gallery: EverQuest 2: The Shadow Odyssey Announcement
Sign up for the EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction beta test
Players of the venerable EverQuest take note: SOE has put up a new expansion beta sign-up page. Feel free to sign up to test the Seeds of Destruction expansion right now! The sign-up process works a little differently now than it did before. You won't have to camp out looking for a very narrow window of opportunity during which to sign up. Now the beta application will always be online.Last month, Senior Producer Clint Worley promised that the beta would start in August. It looks like everything is still on track. Seeds of Destruction will be EverQuest's fifteenth expansion. The word is it'll be more of the same -- lots and lots of faction grinding! Whatever floats your boat, man.
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.
The next EverQuest 2 expansion is ...
The moon was so clear. It was alive with energy flowing through every part of it. Then it was as if something in the center broke loose and leaped outward, like a bird of prey hatching from an egg. I couldn't turn away. It was so beautiful. -- excerpt from The Shattering.Cyanbane posted a cryptic note on EQ2-Daily.com this morning. "EverQuest 2 - The Shadow of Odyssey? Those f'ing Everlings..." He'd done it. His USPTO-fu was strong. SOE had trademarked the names of their next expansions for their EverQuest franchise. EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction for the older game now entering its tenth year; and EverQuest II: The Shadow of Odyssey for its sequel.So what is the Shadow of Odyssey? There are so many unexplored plot threads in the Norrath of EQ2, and the title is so vague, that it could be almost anything. Still, we have a few good ideas. If we had to put money on it, we'd bet that the shadow in question has something to do with the Void, and the mysterious Shadowmen. Or, Odyssey could refer to the long-lost homeland of the Erudites, the magic-weaving spellsmiths of yore. And then there's the possibility everyone's been mulling ... the one obvious if you look into Norrath's night sky. What if that shadow is the one cast by the shattered moon? What if Shadow of Odyssey will send us back to Luclin? Click on through for a discussion of what "The Shadow of Odyssey" might suggest about the next expansion.
