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EverQuest Producer's letter talks race/class combos, scaled Heroic Adventures
Want your favorite race/class combination to make it into EverQuest for its 15th anniversary? Then you'd better jump on the site and vote! The December Producer's Letter noted that the semi-final round just started, with three Elvenkind and one Iksar battling to be the chosen one. But the news doesn't stop there: The letter goes on to say that Call of the Forsaken: Hate Rising -- the first large free content update for those who own that expansion -- is launching in January, bringing new raids, new rare loot, and new Heroic Adventures to Norrath. On top of that, Heroic Adventures are getting tweaked so that they will be scaled by level, giving players the opportunity to play this content even earlier.
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.
The Daily Grind: Are you enjoying an expansion this fall?
It looks to be a good fall if you love MMO expansions, as they're all over the place. EVE Online fans have Rubicon, Lord of the Rings Online adventurers hope to dive into Helm's Deep, EverQuest II Ratongas are chewing up Tears of Veeshan, and the EverQuest faithful have Call of the Forsaken to conquer. And that's not even to mention the upcoming Galactic Starfighter for Star Wars: The Old Republic and Lineage II: Valiance. That's a lot of new content to explore, but only if you're in those particular games. So sound off: Are you enjoying an expansion this fall? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Game Archaeologist: A history of EverQuest expansions
This past week, EverQuest made history as the title published its 20th expansion, Call of the Forsaken. Seriously, I cannot get my head around that number: 20! It's even more astonishing when you consider that contemporaries that launched in that early generation have gone many, many years since their last expansion. SOE's commitment to EverQuest's continuing development, even as the fourth and fifth titles in the MMO series are coming in the next year, is pretty inspiring. What's even more inspiring is the community that continues to prefer EQ as its stomping ground of choice. Today I want to pay tribute to the 20 expansions of EverQuest by going through them, one by one, and seeing how they grew and enriched the game over the past decade-and-a-half. I would also love to hear testimonies in the comments as to which EverQuest expansion you enjoyed the most!
EverQuest releases 20th expansion, Call of the Forsaken
There should be a really big cake somewhere in SOE's offices today to celebrate the fact that the studio just pushed out its impressive 20th expansion for EverQuest. Call of the Forsaken launched today with a host of new features including a new storyline, four additional zones, enhancements to the mercenary system, heroic adventures, and (of course) more raids. Senior Producer Thom Terrazas had a speech prepared on this occasion: "The launch of EverQuest's 20th expansion is a testament to the dedication of all of the talented people, developers and members of our awesome community, who have contributed to the game over the years. As we approach the 15th anniversary of EverQuest in 2014, the influence of the franchise is unparalleled in the MMO genre. This latest expansion demonstrates our continued commitment to bring the highest quality content to one of the most dedicated player communities in the industry." The expansion for the free-to-play title is $39.99 for the regular edition and $89.99 for the collector's edition. EverQuest is currently running a "welcome back" promotion that includes a gold membership and a goodie bundle to those who log in by the 15th. [Source: SOE press release]
EverQuest's Call of the Forsaken lands October 8th
Call of the Forsaken, the next expansion for the original EverQuest, has been humming along in beta since August 14th. While the original launch window of late September seems to have been a miss for SOE, EQ fans won't be waiting too much longer. According to today's update in the EQ forums, Call of the Forsaken is now set for an October 8th launch. Call of the Forsaken brings new zones to explore, Heroic Adventures, and customization for Mercenaries. Folks who pre-order the expansion before October 7th will receive an exclusive piece of Mercenary armor along with a 32-slot bag, a Tirun house pet/familiar, and other special in-game goodies. There's still a chance to get in on the beta; SOE is continuing to flag accounts daily.
The Game Archaeologist: Classic MMOs in August
How few players do you need to have before operating an MMO becomes ridiculously unprofitable and in need of closing? In the case of The Matrix Online, we found out that the magic number was 500. I wouldn't have even guessed that so few people were in that game when its shutdown was announced, especially considering the vocal anguish that arose when SOE lowered the boom. I guess it goes to show that we're often quite clueless what goes on behind the curtain. There's always this balance between the number-crunchers (who need players and money to justify continued operations) and the passionate creators (who are often developers putting in the effort because they simply love the game and its community). If nothing else, it reinforced my belief that SOE does bend over backwards to keep these games running as long as possible, much longer than some other studios would in a similar situation. So what other news regarding classic MMOs happened this past month? It's time for another one of my patented roundups, complete with archaeological commentary!
SOE Live 2013: Thursday keynote announces expansions, release dates, and more
SOE Live 2013 kicked off in the new Planet Hollywood venue with a keynote full of information as well as frivolity. The night started with a rap performance by a PlanetSide 2 player and continued with plenty of humor and even prize giveaways. Fan favorite Brasse, aka Linda Carlson, then lit up the stage (literally) in her PlanetSide 2-inspired Dwarven armor set and plugged Player Direct, a way for player-made gaming videos to gain more exposure. And then came the gaming news. Although even more details will be forthcoming as the convention progresses, there were some definite highlights shared by SOE CEO John Smedley, EverQuest Producer Thom Terrazas, and EverQuest II Producer Holly Longdale, including expansion announcements, release dates, and even some EverQuest Next tidbits.
