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Norrathian Notebook: The top 10 Tattered moments of 2013
At the end of every year and the beginning of a new one, many people kick back and review what went well and what went wrong. We certainly got a taste of something that went wrong last week, so let's switch gears and focus on the positive! For my one-year anniversary as a writer of this column (I took over this piece exactly one year ago this week), I felt it was particularly appropriate to reflect back on the previous year, highlighting the best moments of The Tattered Notebook. Actually deciding on only 10 articles to fill out my favorites turned out to be more difficult than I thought. There we were plenty of useful guides, videos, holiday celebrations, and even a peek at a certain upcoming game. But when forced to choose, these particular moments all stand out. See if my picks coincide with yours!
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 Tattered Notebook: Dishing out memories for EverQuest II's ninth birthday
Like its older sibling before it, EverQuest II doesn't show any signs of slipping quietly into the night as it ages. Another year has come and gone for the middle child in the EverQuest franchise, and plenty has transpired in those 52 weeks. You'd think after all the goings on of the game's eighth year that things might slow down a bit; after all, how do you top monumental occasions like going free-to-play? But no, the content train just kept rolling in. If you thought that there was already too much to do in EverQuest II when the ninth year started, I'm sorry to say that it just got worse -- or better, depending on how you look at it. That's not to say it was all rainbows and kittens and unicorns (although there were those, too!), but there were definitely plenty of positive happenings throughout the year. From demonstrations of great community spirit to updates galore, the past 12 months have been filled with things both big and small. Take a stroll with me down memory lane as we celebrate EQII's ninth anniversary.
EverQuest II moves expansion to November
EverQuest II's next expansion, Tears of Veeshan, has been moved to mid-November, according to a letter by Senior Producer Holly Longdale. Calling the expansion "something special," she said that the team will begin the beta on October 15th and that the project is coming together well. In the letter, she also announced that heroic characters are now scheduled for the first week of October. Longdale said that the team is still "fine-tuning" details for the heroic character release and is making adjustments to Destiny of Velious zones so F2P players have a place for heroic characters to romp. Finally, if you haven't purchased the Age of Discovery expansion, you might be interested to hear that SOE is selling features from that expansion individually.
SOE Live 2013: EQII's Destiny of Velious will be free, Age of Discovery split
If you didn't have the chance to sit in on the EverQuest II expansion panel at SOE Live, you didn't get to hear the outright confirmation that Producer Holly Longdale hinted at in Thursday's keynote address, namely, that the Destiny of Velious expansion will soon be bundled with the previous expansions and available to all free-to-play players. Yes, that means that the game updates including SkyShrine, Scars of the Awakened, and Darkness Dawns will open up to all! How else could everyone get free access to the level 85 Heroic Characters and experience the high-level content? Longdale also added that the dev team has been listening to community feedback and that the stand alone Age of Discovery expansion will be split into its components so players can buy the features they like and not have to shell out for those they don't. This expansion contains the Beastlord class, the dungeon maker, and mercenaries. What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, at least where SOE Live is concerned! Massively sent intrepid reporters MJ Guthrie and Karen Bryan to this year's SOE Live, from which they'll be transmitting all the best fan news on EverQuest Next, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, and the other MMOs on SOE's roster.
Jukebox Heroes: Expansion themes
Main themes seem to be a strong favorite among video game music fans (and even the casual set), but I've talked about them a few times already. So instead of puttering around with main MMO themes, why not give expansions some of the credit? Not every expansion gets its own theme tune, of course, but plenty do. We've covered a few of them in this column so far, including Riders of Rohan and EVE Online: Apocrypha. What we haven't done is spend an entire week looking at these upstart themes and see how they compare to the originals. So strap on your headphones and prepare for symphonic excellence. Here are six great MMO expansion themes that deserve a few minutes of your time!
The Tattered Notebook: A guide for new and returning EverQuest II players
With the Chains of Eternity expansion now live, I've seen lots of comments and even a couple of emails from players who are looking to try out EverQuest II or are thinking of coming back after an extended hiatus. And because the game is free-to-play, it's easy to get in-game and check things out before committing to a payment plan. But with all of the changes over the past year or so, it's sometimes hard to make sense of it all. Some guides and write-ups are now outdated, and with the recent forum conversion, it's difficult to find answers to common questions when coming back (or trying out) the game. So in this week's Tattered Notebook, I've put together a general rundown of topics that tend to come up for new and returning players.
Jukebox Heroes: EverQuest II's soundtrack, part 2
Last week, the laid-back folks at Sony Online Entertainment released the 118th expansion for EverQuest II, Chains of Eternity. Fortunately, it's available as a digital download so you won't have to suffer the embarrassment of a store clerk yelling, "PRICE CHECK ON 'CHAINS OF ETERNITY' FOR THIS PERVERT HERE -- THE ONE IN THE 50-SHADES-OF-GREY COAT" over the loudspeaker. Even more fortunate, for us, is that the expansion continues to grow EverQuest II's already immense symphonic library. SOE's been adding to the score with not only the game's expansions but also several of the larger content updates, and it's absolutely impressive to behold. As in most scores, there's a lot of forgettable noise that could probably be replaced by humming bees, but there still remains quite a few great tracks to appreciate, cherish, and adopt into one's own music library. Instead of focusing on the game's initial soundtrack, we're going to be skipping around to look at many of the terrific pieces of music that have come out of Norrath post-2004.
The Skyshrine's the limit: EverQuest II delivering new update April 17th
It wouldn't be EverQuest II without a dragon or two, and come April 17th, players will be able to bask in as much flamebreath as they can handle. It's on this date that SOE will release the much-anticipated Game Update 63, and with it, the dragon city of Skyshrine and the new area of the Withered Lands. Skyshrine is a dragon citadel where good and evil dragons dwell, and as of the update's release, it will be coming under siege by mysterious forces. Only the most daring players will be brave enough to explore the nooks and crannies of this city -- and plunder it for its tempting treasure. If Skyshrine isn't enough for excitement, the Withered Lands offer plenty of challenges (over 100 quests) for those who can navigate the formerly glorious region that's been twisted by dark corruption. Game Update 63 will also include many additional features for players. For those who have the Destiny of Velious expansion, the level cap will be raised to 92, the Skyshrine and Withered Lands areas opened for adventuring, prestige class talents added, and an awesome Drake mount dangled as a major reward. Age of Discovery expansion holders can also get their hands on a new dungeon maker theme and adventurers, tradeskill apprentices, and an elite mercenary for hire. [Source: SOE press release]
SOE tweaking EQII's dungeon finder mechanics
Once upon a time, EverQuest II's dungeon finder was a hot-button issue. Some players wanted it, others predicted the doom of grouping, the game, and life as we know it if the feature got implemented. Fast forward a few months and now the dungeon finder is hardly used aside from guildless mid-level players looking for a quick PUG crawl. Sony Online Entertainment has announced a couple of tweaks designed to incentivize the mechanic, and EQ2Wire has the relevant developer quotes as well as a bit of commentary on the process. In a nutshell, SOE is adding contested dungeons and daily rewards into the mix. While this may result in a temporary upswing in dungeon finder interest, it doesn't address the primary reason veteran and high-level players shun the mechanic. The system still won't take player gear into account when forming parties, so it is therefore quite useless when gear-dependent content -- like any of the dungeons from the Destiny of Velious expansion -- is the goal.
The Tattered Notebook: Will Age of Discovery be the last EQII expansion?
It's amazing how much can change in just over a year. At the end of last summer, we were wrapping up Fan Faire and looking forward to Destiny of Velious, the upcoming expansion and the first of what was supposed to be a two-part expansion. This past weekend, just over a year later, I was headed to #OccupyNorrath to check out the planned protest, part of which was aimed at the cost of the new expansion, Age of Discovery. While the protest was light, to put it mildly, there has been quite a bit of rumbling on the forums about this upcoming expansion and the fact that while it might be heavy on features, it's pretty light on new content. Now, when I question whether Age of Discovery will be the last EverQuest II expansion, I'm certainly not predicting that all production will cease and desist in the game afterwards. But I think it's worth asking whether we're seeing a shift away from the traditional expansion model. Let's take a look back the past year and a half because I think it offers hints that might help explain the bigger picture for the game.
EverQuest II beefs up its free trial
Sony Online Entertainment is going to great lengths to rope in prospective EverQuest II players, as today the company announced that it is vastly improving its free trial for the game. Assuming that you're not interested in EQII's free-to-play version, you might want to check out these changes and see if they're enough to tempt you into a taste or two. The beefed-up trial includes two weeks -- 14 days -- of commitment-free play in the core game plus the first seven expansions up through the recent Destiny of Velious. In addition, SOE is sweetening the deal by giving trial players a Superior Experience potion that bumps up advancement for two hours as well as a Green Journeyman's Cloak that contains a respectable 25% speed boost. It's a good of as time as any to give EverQuest II a try, especially since the much-anticipated GU61 lands on the live servers today.
The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire knowns and unknowns
As we inch closer to Fan Faire, speculation begins to mount about what news EverQuest II fans will finally get to hear. Last year, players were smarting from the announcement of EQII Extended, the free-to-play server, and it seemed to deflate the mood among EQII Fan Faire attendees. This year, EQII is full of knowns and unknowns, to borrow a phrase from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. We have known knowns, which are things that we know we know. And then there are known unknowns, or things that we know but we actually don't know. Lastly, there are unknown unknowns, which are things that we don't know we don't know. That's where things are in EQII currently. Confused? Me too! This week's Tattered Notebook will look at what we know and what we hope to find out more about at this year's Fan Faire.
The Tattered Notebook: Exploring GU 60
Game Update 60: The Children of War went live last week, and with it came a plethora of new content and some big changes to the game. Rallos Zek has begun preparations for his march on the Western Wastes, and Drunder is the new front line for the impending war. There are new heroic instances, new raid content, and even a new battleground scenario. In addition, there were some itemization changes, new battleground gear, and adjustments to the adornment interface. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at a few of the highlights from EverQuest II's latest update.
EverQuest II releases the Children of War!
Hot on the heels of EverQuest II's Destiny of Velious expansion, Sony Online Entertainment has launched the 60th major update to the game: Children of War. As we reported yesterday, the massive patch continues the story of Rallos Zek as he commands an army of giants that threatens Velious and perhaps all of Norrath. In celebration of Update 60's launch, the team has uploaded a new trailer that outlines the latest EQII gameplay features, including four new dungeons, four new raids, two new heritage quests, and new battleground Velious maps. Check out the trailer after the cut, then jump over to the official EverQuest II website site for all the latest information on Game Update 60: Children of War!
The Tattered Notebook: Free level 90? Heck yeah!
I'm a bit late to the party, but I want to throw my two coppers into the discussion on the level 90 winback suggestion that Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson made recently. In a recent forum thread, he tossed out the idea of EverQuest II's offering level-capped characters to new players who purchased Destiny of Velious. After a fairly robust discussion, he pulled it off the table, but I actually think it should still be an option. Before you make fists of fury at the screen, hear me out! In this week's Tattered Notebook, I'm going to look at why this promotion is needed and suggest a way that it actually could work for everyone's benefit.
The Tattered Notebook: Dave Georgeson on EQII's Children of War
Even though Destiny of Velious has only been out for a couple of months, EverQuest II is about to see some big improvements and new content in the upcoming Game Update 60, Children of War. Despite the recent cuts to Sony Online Entertainment's staff, the team working on EQII seems more focused than ever, and over the past couple of weeks, fans have received a constant stream of information on both near- and long-term plans for the game. In this week's Tattered Notebook, Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson was kind enough to take some time to talk about the future of EverQuest II. In a bit of a surprise, he discusses how the team will continue to release Velious content in the form of regular updates rather than a larger part II as originally planned. He also gives some detail on highlights from the next update as well as future plans. Multiple housing, deity changes, the Freeport revamp -- Georgeson sheds some light on all that and more. Read on for the interview!
EverQuest II prepares for The Children of War game update
Sony Online Entertainment's premier franchise EverQuest II has continued grow year after year. Following on the heels of EQII's latest expansion Destiny of Velious, the developers have announced a new update. Set to release on May 17th, the new addition to the EverQuest II storyline, The Children of War, will be the 60th update for the fantasy MMORPG. What's in store for fans? Well, are three new dungeons, a new battleground, new pvp armor, new daily missions, and three new raids enough to whet your appetite? The Children of War update tells us the story of Rallos Zek and the Fortress of Drunder. This ruthless general plans to lead his war parties up the cliffs leading to the Western Waste to pillage the power of Roehn Theer. Only the bravest warriors and adventurers will be able to circumvent his massive crusade. Check out the four new screenshots added to the gallery below, then for all the new content information, fly over to the EverQuest II official web site. Also, SOE is inviting former players to come back to the game and experience Norrath again. From April 14th to April 21st, eligible account-holders will be able to log in for seven days to claim their winged mounts, hang out with old friends, and fight some new enemies. %Gallery-116188%
New EQII producer's letter outlines roadmap for 2011
Recent layoffs at SOE may have caused a certain amount of trepidation in terms of future development on some of the company's most popular titles. Thankfully, the most recent Producer's Letter from Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson should put many EverQuest II players' minds at ease. He took some time to sit down and give us an outline of plans the EverQuest II developers have for 2011, indicating that things are very good for the game's future. Those who purchased the most recent expansion, Destiny of Velious, will be glad to hear that en route is even more content that will further expand on the Age's End Prophecy storyline. That content will only be available to those who picked up the expansion, however, so if you've been thinking about getting it, now would be a good time. Next up, it appears that Freeport is going to be getting a pretty heavy makeover both in terms of layout and what it will offer to players -- along with becoming a single zone open to flying mounts! We don't want to spoil you for all the interesting information mentioned, so if you're curious, head over to the EverQuest II site and check out the newest Producer's Letter.
The Tattered Notebook: The value of vanity
I always knew Gnomes were evil, but a Gnomish pirate?! This was too much. As much as I wanted that new horse of a different color mount from Bristlebane Day, I could barely stand the thought of having to go toe-to-toe with the cabbage-scented Captain Gnoggin. In a lopsided battle, I emerged victorious, and as I did my turn-in for the new Bristlebane Day quest, I was reminded that EverQuest II offers an enormous variety of unique house items and appearance clothing. Cosmetic items might not offer any real advantage in progression, but they speak to the depth of content in the game and the quality of life that players enjoy. Being able to create an amazing home or make yourself stand out with a unique look is a real luxury for players. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look back at the evolution of vanity items in game and take a look at a few easy ways that players of all levels can add a little bling to their lives.
