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EverQuest II due for a major UI overhaul
The UI is simultaneously one of the most transparent and important parts of a game. EverQuest II doesn't have a bad one by any means, but the designers apparently aren't content with the current setup. They're already promising major changes to hit the test server in just over a week -- to coincide with game update 57 -- and among the many mechanical changes going along with the update will be a major UI overhaul. A post earlier today by lead programmer Greg "Rothgar" Spence confirmed that the team is re-skinning the default interface, as well as modifying several windows alongside it. While he's scant on providing exact details, he promises that players will get a chance to experience everything on the test servers very shortly. Although there are some concerns in the the thread regarding what the changes might mean for existing custom UIs, most seem cautiously optimistic. EverQuest II players should be ready for the test server in just over a week, with the patch likely not too far in the future past that. [via Zam]
The Tattered Notebook: Farewell, but certainly not goodbye
Heyo there readers. Seraphina here this week, stepping in for Seccia to announce some unfortunate news. While our Tier'dal reporter is dedicated to her mission to spread disease and death across the face of Norrath, she unfortunately has a few... character flaws. In short, Seccia has decided to pursue new opportunities blogging about kittens. She's left Massively.com very unexpectedly, leaving only a short note and her favorite purple stapler. Unfortunately, she also forgot to write a farewell column in her rapid exit towards balls of yarn and inevitable allergy problems. So that leaves me sitting here, filling in for her, and delivering my final thoughts on my return to EverQuest II. I just wish her desk chair wasn't so... short.
The Tattered Notebook: I'm in ur community, stalking ur threads
Last week's small little interview was fun, but this week it's time to get back to business. I haven't stalked threads in the forum for a while now, and I'm afraid that I'm losing my touch. So this week I've dived back into the official EverQuest II forums to bring up the most recent discussion topics -- many of them centered on the changes made during Halas Reborn. Freeport and Qeynos still dominate the hot topic list, suggestions for things Dave Georgeson should fix in the game are being collected, and one thread muses on the past and future of the game. In short, don't miss out on this week's entry in my Tattered Notebook. Do not disgrace the power of the Tier'dal, as the Community Manager Dark Elf has done! Otherwise I will have to invent stern punishments, like withholding lolcats from the internet. Do not force my hand!
The Tattered Notebook: Post-Halas Reborn interview with producer Dave Georgeson
Hello there, brave Norrathian adventurers! It is I, Seccia Ravenloft, back again from my recent excursion to track down "The One Final Truth." While I didn't find "The One Final Truth," I did run across Dave Georgeson again, and that made the whole excursion totally worth it. Last week, I noticed a fair number of you had some problems with Shader 3.0 in EverQuest II. I'm sorry to hear that your pathetic non-Tier'dal computers cannot handle the wonderous onslaught, but I certainly brought that up with Dave in this interview, as well as the controversial decision to remove the starting areas of Freeport and Qeynos. Plus, I may have even weaseled a small detail or two on the next expansion out of him, thanks to my incredible interrogation techniques. But why shall we delay the inevitable any longer? To the interview, quickly!
The Tattered Notebook: Nerding out on Shader 3.0
"Hello nerds. Look at your game, now back to me, now back to your game, now back to me. Sadly, your game isn't me, but your game could look like me if it stopped using that crappy 2000s-era shader and started using shader 3.0." That's what she would say if she could say things other than her pre-programmed voice-over. With the release of Halas Reborn today, many players will be undoubtedly checking out the frozen north's new content overhaul. However, Halas Reborn didn't just stop with a simple content update. The storyteller system was introduced in this update, and the game's graphics had new life breathed into it via Shader 3.0. So today, in honor of nerd day, let's take a look at what exactly Shader 3.0 does with the game's graphics and if it's worth all the hype. %Gallery-93688%
Ride around Norrath in style with a free prowler mount from Massively and SOE!
Foolish reading mortals! It is I, Seccia Ravenloft, here to publicly lament the decision made by Seraphina Brennan. She has denied me a stylish cat mount, all because she made some statements regarding ponies that sparkle and poor marketing decisions. Rubbish, I say, rubbish! Her foolishness has disgraced the Tier'dal, and I shun her! Shuuuunnnnnnn! But you! You dear, beautiful readers! You still have a chance to avoid Tier'dal disgracement! How would you like to cross Norrath in style on the back of a powerful prowler mount? Tempting, is it not? Well, we here at Massively (namely me) have 10 prowler mounts to give away to lucky, Tier'dal-supporting readers, thanks to our friends at SOE! How can you claim one of these $25 mounts for yourself for the low cost of absolutely free? Follow after the break and I'll hit you with details.
Anti-Aliased: Shut up woman, come buy my cat
Stupid sparkle cat. I'm sitting here in EverQuest II right now, basically staring at the Station Marketplace. My character, Miss Seccia, has had 2,500 Station Cash in her pocket for a while now. It's been sitting there since I last bought it, begging to be used for something in the Marketplace. There has been nothing that I wanted for two months now. No sets of armor, no potions, no character modifications. The cash has been sitting there unused, wasting away in my coin purse. And then, as if dropped down on a magical beam of light from the development team, EverQuest II introduced 25-dollar mounts into the game. A perfect 2,500 station cash for a mount that would be insanely useful to Seccia. Yet, for as much as I stare, I know I can't buy this cat. That would make me a gigantic hypocrite.
The Tattered Notebook: The forum thread round-up
Greetings fellow Norrathian travelers! This week, right on the heels of the Dave Georgeson interview, we're back to investigating the issues in the community. So far, this Tier'dal investigator has uncovered some community gold! Plus, we've got some big events coming up for the EverQuest II community, including the annual Fan Faire registration and the Mr. and Ms. Norrath contest! And, of course, I'm still looking for great tip threads for all of the new (and old) players who are wondering on how to play their MMOs better. So come along and check out what's been documented in this week's notebook entry!
The Tattered Notebook: A moment with Dave Georgeson
Foolish and pathetic mortals! It's another week of adventuring and mystery here in Norrath, as I, Seccia Ravenloft, have once again braved the depths of Sony Online Entertainment's inner sanctum. And by "I," I mean I sent Seraphina Brennan to do my work for me. Now who is the master and who is the slave?! Ahahahahahahaha! For this week's column, Seraphina was able to speak with Dave "Avatar" Georgeson, the brand new EverQuest II producer. Dave is stepping in for Alan "Brenlo" Crosby, as he has moved onwards, away from my might. (Little does he know that I pursue him still with powerful Tier'dal magic, but that's a story for another time.) Some of you may know of Dave Georgenson's works, as he has been producer of SOE's PlanetSide as well as Gaia Online's ZOMG! So come along, listen to Sera as I force her to ask questions of Dave, and listen to Dave as he answers to the avatar of my will! No producer is safe from the Tier'dal might!
Registration opens for SOE's Fan Faire
Fans of EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, and Free Realms have a big reason to get excited -- the seventh annual SOE Fan Faire opened up registration Tuesday. Just as a reminder to everyone who missed our previous announcement, the event will run on the weekend of August 5-8 at Bally's Las Vegas. Fan Faire will take place right in the center of the Vegas Strip, in the same venue as last year. That means even if you find a spare moment away from the events, there will be plenty of nearby attractions to go see. The events already announced at Fan Faire include: Developer panels Contests Live gaming tournaments Tons of prize giveaways A vendors area for all your memorabilia needs In addition, SOE is giving away a whole mess of bonus items to people who register for the whole weekend, including free digital copies of the upcoming EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions. Enough to get you excited? The hopes of breaking news for DC Universe Online is enough to get us hyped up. If you're a big fan of SOE's various titles and have a little vacation time, now might be a good time to start planning!
The Tattered Notebook: The importance of storytelling
Hey Norrathian travelers! Seccia is off for the week, undoubtedly soaking up the rays on the shores of the Sinking Sands to welcome the warmer months. I, on the other hand, am stuck inside writing her column. Sheesh, I wish I had accumulated as much vacation time as she did... Anywho, I want to tell you a story about telling stories this week. As many of you may have heard, one of the newest features coming to EverQuest II in the near future is the storyteller system -- a simple window that will visualize your travels from one zone to the next. It's a UI element that will help link quests together, aiding the game in telling a continuous story as you travel around Norrath. Plus, if you wish, you can follow the Storyteller window as it takes you down the game's "Golden Path," a series of quests that will become a "main storyline" of sorts for the game. Out of all of the new things coming with the next set of updates (New Halas included), it's the storyteller system that I've been looking forward to the most. So why do I choose a simple UI addition over a brand new city? Simply put, I want to be engaged with my gameplay experience.
Win a copy of EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate tonight in Massively's "Keys of Fate" event! [Closed!]
You have an EverQuest II subscription (or want to sign up for a trial?) You want to participate in a fun event, solve a few puzzles, and have a chance at winning a collector's edition key for Sentinel's Fate just in time for tomorrow's launch? Then do we have the offer for you! Tonight, starting at 8:30 PM ET (5:30 PM PT), boot up your EverQuest II to the Lucan d'Lere server and get your browsers pointed to Massively.com. We're hosting an across-the-internet scavenger hunt, finishing out with a race across Norrath to find our roving Dark Elven reporter, Seccia Ravenloft. Seccia has been equipped with not one, but two key codes that will unlock the Sentinel's Fate collector's edition in addition to 10 key codes that will unlock the standard retail version. All of these keys will let you access the Sentinel's Fate headstart, which begins tomorrow! Need all the details? We have them right after the break!
Conquer the Keys of Fate, win a copy of Sentinel's Fate!
"Seccia quickly looked over the treasured keys one last time. Her fingers lightly traced the ornate engravings on the two platinum and ten golden keys as a smile pulled itself across her lips. She took a deep breath before slowly wrapping them up in a large piece of canvas, hiding the package at the bottom of her backpack. "In a few short minutes she had finished packing her camping supplies and had donned her armor. Without a second look back across her apartment she quickly moved towards the front door, praying that the right adventurers would find her before it's too late." This Monday at 8:30 PM EST, join Massively as we set out on a bold quest across not only the face of Norrath, but the internet itself! Our intrepid Dark Elven reporter, Seccia Ravenloft, is holding the keys for brand new copies of EverQuest II's Sentinel's Fate collector's edition and retail edition! To claim them, however, one must track her down, wherever she is hiding, and politely request a key. Tracking her down, however, will lead you through multiple puzzles and riddles in a race against the rest of Norrath! You will need an active EverQuest II subscription to participate in this contest, readers, so be sure to reactivate if you're interested in winning yourself a brand new expansion pack. Full instructions will be posted here and on the EverQuest II Community News forum come Monday, so keep your eye out! Can you conquer the Keys of Fate?
Massively's developer tour of Sentinel's Fate
With the EverQuest II team hard at work on their newest expansion, Sentinel's Fate, we were invited by community manager Kiara to drop by the Shattered Lands and take a closer look at the new zones in the expansion. While we were expecting to see some nice content, it's amazing to see just how beautiful these zones are when you walk through them in person. I'm not one to open an article with such a bold statement, but the zones we got to tour in Sentinel's Fate were impressive. Hopefully today we can impart some of the beauty of these zones to you as we talk about three major areas in the new expansion: The Hole & The Seal of the Underfoot, the Erudin Library, and the Vasty Deep Conservatory. %Gallery-84287%
The Tattered Notebook: Tips for a WoW player in EQII
Greetings and fair travels to you, adventurers. Once again it is I, Seccia Ravenloft, here to present this week's look into the world of Norrath. Now, from what these humans on this spiderweb site tell me, some of you are more familiar with other worlds than you are with Norrath. Blasphemy, I say! This week, I wish to mend that little problem of yours by teaching you how to adapt quickly to our world, lest you coddle yourself with the pillow armor other worlds offer you. Luckily there are many similarities between our world and that Azeroth thing. So come, read along, follow my instructions, and soon you'll look like a hardened Norrathian adventurer in no time flat.
The Vigilant dungeons previewed on EverQuest 2 players
Ok, so, disclaimer: It's not actually a dungeon in the common definition of the term. The Vigilant is a massive airship used by the Paineel Erudites, abandoned by the Odus Erudites when the void leaked into Odus. The Vigilant sits silently above Paineel and watches the city like a hawk to protect it. Even though the Vigilant is flying, adventurers will find a way to board it in EverQuest 2: Sentinel's Fate to brave the challenges within. The ship is broken down into three distinct dungeons -- Vigilant: Incursion, Vigilant: Infiltration, and Vigilant: Rescue. But watch your step when you're in the Vigilant! The zone designer, Kyle "Kander" Vallee decided to insert a few areas where adventurers will be able to fall out of the ship to their deaths. So be careful up there, walk safely! We have, as usual, a few screenshots of the Vigilant to show off to those interested. Check out the gallery of shots from the ship below and be sure to visit EQ2Players.com for Kander's commentary on the zone! %Gallery-84287%
Massively proclaims victory and rage over all citizens of Norrath!
See, this is what happens when we let Seccia write titles for us. Ughs... sorry about that readers. We don't proclaim any victory, nor do we have any rage towards the citizens of Norrath or EverQuest II. We are, as always, unbiased in our viewpoints... unlike some new Dark Elven interns. However, Seccia has noted that we've received a package today from a member of her elven bretheren, a certain community management elf by the name of Kiara. Enclosed were two pieces of a shattered tablet, one named "Victory" while the other was entitled "Rage." We're not sure what this whole thing will form once it's put together, but we do know that other fansites have more pieces of the tablet. (Oh, Dark Elves and their puzzles.) We've put the pictures of victory and rage after the break, so good luck with assembling the tablet and we can't wait to see what it reveals!
The Tattered Notebook: Community guide to EverQuest II
Brave adventurers from across Norrath, I bid you welcome to my humble pages of scripture. It is no secret that Norrath is a dangerous place. From the shining towers of Qeynos to the dark alleys of Freeport, plots of intrigue are woven every day. These plots, these many threads of darkness and deceit, are the reason I have created this notebook. By writing down my many experiences and the things I learn, I hope that I can guide you from afar, even after I pass on and leave this book behind. Each week, I will be adding a new journal entry to these pages -- delving into the depths of the physical land as well as the culture of Norrath. For this first week, however, I want to first document the many other sources of knowledge in the world. You, the reader, should have access to these sources, for you never know when they will come in handy.
April Fools 09: SOE gets silly
The fun thing about checking out the different pranks and events in SOE's various titles is just trying to chase all of them down. Sure, some of them are patently obvious like the class name changes in EverQuest, but others were a bit more subtle and took some looking to notice. Curious as to the various things we noticed? Have something you'd like to add to the mix of all the SOE April Fools' hilarity? Join us after the break for a quick run-down of what we found.
What happens at Fan Faire, stays at Fan Faire
Vegas, city of lights, nightlife, and SOE's Fan Faire! Sony has announced that they will once again be heading for Vegas to party down in high-rolling style. This year they'll be holding the event from June 25th to 28th at Bally's Hotel. The location they've picked is right in the middle of various Vegas attractions - although we're sure if you're there for the SOE party, you won't need to worry about that too much. Having attended last year's Fan Faire, we can definitely say that it's a great weekend of fun and interesting panels, nice people - and this year's lineup appears to be just as interesting. So far the scheduled events include: Special announcements and sneak peeks of upcoming SOE titles at the Third Annual Community Address from SOE President John Smedley Autograph signings with members of the original EQ development team and other key contributors Lots of in-game tournaments; and live, game-themed competitions and quests Developer forums and roundtables Cool giveaways and other fun items! Player of the Year To top it all off, prices for Vegas vacations are quite good, currently. So if you've been thinking about getting away, really dig SOE's games - or upcoming titles, and enjoy partying down with a great bunch of friendly, welcoming people, then definitely make some plans to attend this year's Fan Faire.
