destiny-of-velious
Latest
EverQuest II opens beta signups for Destiny of Velious
If you've been looking forward to EverQuest II's upcoming expansion, you've likely been waiting for the announcement that beta testing will commence. Good news -- the wait is over, as the official signup page is now available for players. The slightly less-good news is that there will be no open beta for the expansion, which means that the current registration is your one and only chance to test out Destiny of Velious before it goes live. Applications from any players with an EverQuest II account in good standing will be accepted through January 3rd; the pool will be decided upon and the selectees notified sometime before testing begins on January 5th. Fan Faire attendees get an automatic pass, so long as the account used to register for testing is the same as the account registered for the Fan Faire. It's an opportunity to get into a long-lost area of the world before anyone else, so if you're a player, it's well worth at least trying for the beta.
The Tattered Notebook: What EverQuest II deserves this Frostfell
Santa Glug is prepping his bags and getting ready to deliver the goods this Frostfell! While some of us, mainly Gnomes, will end up with a sack of coal to place in our homes, most of us have been well-deserving of the treats we're sure to receive. EverQuest II has had an extremely eventful year, and despite a few bumps in the road here and there, it's a game that deserves some festive holiday gifts this Frostfell. Read more to see what I'd like Santa Glug to deliver to EverQuest II this season.
EverQuest II's first Velious rewards brighten home and hearth
Purchasing an expansion for a long-running game is something of a necessary evil. Getting special rewards for having purchased it, however, certainly does help take the edge off. That's the philosophy behind the Velious rewards for EverQuest II, and it's certainly the case for the first two rewards. Revealed today, the rewards make a fine addition to the home of any resident of Norrath, allowing you to spruce up your living quarter with a new butler and painting. The painting is a reproduction of the cover art for the original EverQuest's second expansion, taking place in the same region (Velious, naturally). The new Coldain butler, on the other hand, will serve as a retainer within your house, possibly following you on errands for an hour or so at a time. ("Errands" may well include "killing things and looting corpses," for the record.) EverQuest II players have plenty more rewards to look forward to, but the first pair should be a welcome addition for everyone in the game.
The Guild Counsel: Expansion pains
With winter comes a wave of MMO expansions, like EVE Online's Incursion, EverQuest II's upcoming Destiny of Velious, and, of course, Blizzard's Cataclysm. It's always exciting to have new content, but for guilds, a new expansion can lead to growing pains, competition, and major drama. The cohesive team atmosphere you worked so hard to build can quickly dissolve the moment servers come up, as members race towards the new level cap, new skills, and shiniest toys. How can guilds wade through the chaos of an expansion and keep an even keel? Read on for a few tips on how to avoid having a cataclysm within your own guild.
EverQuest II reveals new Freeblood race lore
There's a brand new race coming to EverQuest II this winter, and SOE has all the juicy lore details in a post on the game's official website. Freeblood vampires will be available to EQII Live subscribers and EQ2X gold and platinum members beginning in February as part of the Velious Winter Rewards program. A quick read-through of the fine print reveals that players must qualify for both the December and January rewards to be eligible for the Freeblood race (and ice wolf mount) that make up the February rewards. Both prerequisites require an active subscription and an account in good standing. If you're having trouble waiting until February, the Freebloods will be available for purchase via the Station Store later this month. In the meantime, SOE has provided some fairly meaty lore for you to sink your teeth into, and it's available at the official website.
The Tattered Notebook: An Interview with Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson
This past autumn has been a busy one for EverQuest II, with the unveiling of EverQuest II Extended and upcoming server mergers. In contrast, players haven't heard much about Destiny of Velious, the upcoming expansion due to release on February 8th, 2011. But even though news of the expansion has been quiet of late, the team has been hard at work getting things ready for beta and launch. This week, I had a chance to talk to Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson about EverQuest II's upcoming expansion, Destiny of Velious, as well as a progress report on EverQuest II Extended. Curious about what role factions will play in Velious or what Georgeson's favorite instance might be? Read on to find out!
EQII offers blood-sucking rewards for Velious pre-orders
EverQuest II players undoubtedly wish it was next February already so that they could get their hands on the upcoming Destiny of Velious expansion. There's a hunk of new content on the way, including a broader flight experience, more dungeons and a pair of new zones... but three months can seem like an eternity when you want it now. To take the edge off the wait, SOE has announced a series of rewards for subscribers who pre-order EQII's next expansion -- and better yet, the rewards will be parceled out prior to release. Every month, starting in December, SOE will send a pair of special in-game goodies to those who have proven their commitment to the game. While SOE is being secretive about most of them, we do know two: the ability to play the new Vampire race, and an Ice Wolf mount. Vampires and wolves getting along? That's not what Twilight taught us! These Velious rewards are schedule to be handed out December 15th, January 18th and February 8th, and each character on an account "in good standing" will get them. Head on over to EverQuest II to read up on this promotion.
The Tattered Notebook: Flying mounts and what's Next
Well, it's been quite the week and a half for EverQuest fans, with not one but two expansion announcements, a few more details on the upcoming EQII Extended service courtesy of various Fan Faire panels, and of course the speculation supernova surrounding the pseudo-reveal of EQNext (is it really a reveal though if we know virtually nothing about it?). You might think that here at the Tattered Notebook, we'd be quivering with excitement for more EQNext info, or salivating at the prospect of a return to Velious as well as gearing up to visit the House of Thule. You'd be right, but all of that pales in comparison to two very special words (no, not Station Cash): Flying frickin' mounts.
SOE officially announces EQII's Destiny
Not to be outdone by all the fan coverage of last week's Fan Faire 2010, Sony Online Entertainment has released its own smorgasbord of information on the next EverQuest II expansion in the form of an official press release. Destiny of Velious, flying your way in February, looks to expand the venerable franchise while simultaneously paying homage to its roots. The release will feature an all-in-one compilation pack with the base game, all seven expansions, and three adventure packs, allowing newbs and veterans alike to dive into (or back into) the world of Norrath. Speaking of diving, we've now confirmed that flying mounts will allow you to venture off the beaten path of pre-determined flight tracks, wheeling and soaring at will. Additionally, expansioneers can partake of 300 new quests (including four Heritage Quests), 10 new dungeon instances, a contested dungeon, Velious-themed PvP battlegrounds, two new overland zones, six new raids, and dozens of new armor sets. %Gallery-99169%
Destiny of Velious details announced for EverQuest II
This year's Fan Faire has been kind to fans of EverQuest II and EverQuest, with the announcement of new expansions and a mysterious further project for the franchise. The fine team at The EQ2 Wire sat in on a discussion of all of the new features and details of the upcoming expansion, Destiny of Velious, and they transcribed their notes from the event. While the notes are a bit disjointed, they should give players quite a bit to look forward to and a number of tidbits to munch on. If there has to be a downside, it's likely the fact that the Othmir will not be added as a playable race -- in fact, no race will be added to the playable roster. But there's a lot for fans to mull over even with the questions that the team declined to answer. Most interesting is that the expansion's release will be split into two parts, with part two possibly coming via update rather than a separate release. There are also plans for flying mounts in every overland zone of the game, rather than the "some" that was announced earlier. EverQuest II players should promptly take a look at the latest news, as it's going to be an interesting ride.
Fan Faire 2010: EQII flying mounts, EQNext art revealed [updated]
The EverQuest franchise looks to be the big winner at this year's Fan Faire event, as several large announcements regarding the games in the long-running series were featured in SOE president John Smedley's community address. EQ2Wire's Feldon has the details on the short presentation. In addition to restating the features coming your way when EQII Extended hits in mid-August, Smedley discussed the next EverQuest expansion, House of Thule, which adds several new dungeons as well as player housing and launches on October 14th. EverQuest II players will have a to wait a bit longer for their expansion, Destiny of Velious, which debuts on February 8th. The wait will likely be well worth it, however, as flying mounts will be introduced in many of the game's zones. Finally, Smedley revealed a presentation slide labeled "The Future of EverQuest" and preceded to show off the first concept art in-game art from the cryptically titled EverQuest Next, which you can view in our gallery below. He also hinted that more information would be forthcoming as Fan Faire wraps up this weekend. [Update: We received a note from SOE clarifying that the screenshot here is not mere concept art -- it's actual in-game art. Only makes you more curious, doesn't it!] %Gallery-98975%
Rumor: EQII's next expansion returns to Velious
It's been a long road getting from there to here, it's been a long time, but my time is finally here. Oh wait, that's from the incredibly sappy theme song to Star Trek: Enterprise. My bad. But it does describe the wait for EverQuest II players to return to their old stomping grounds of Velious from the first EverQuest. That wait may soon be over, as ZAM is reporting that SOE has applied for the trademark "EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious." This comes on top of other recent hints, such as the Coldain dwarves in New Halas, so it shouldn't come as a total shocker to EQ II fanatics. The Scars of Velious was EverQuest's second expansion back in 2000, which featured the titular continent where snow, ice and dragons abounded. A decade later, and players may be able to return to their old stomping grounds to see the familiar sights, as well as the (undoubtedly) great changes that have come upon this land. Head over to read the speculation and news on ZAM.
