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EU PTR appears to be up, connectivity issues abound
The EU PTRs are up, and people are slowly starting to trickle in, with screenshots popping up on MMO-Champion and World of Raids. Unfortunately, very few of us here in the US have managed to be able to bring up the PTR in our test clients, despite Bornakk's earlier words. Hopefully Blizzard will get the bugs worked out soon enough and we'll all be checking out the Magister's Terrace. The US Character Copy queue is full as well, although there is a handy little page once you get it that will let you see the progression on any characters you've set to copy, so you won't have to keep logging onto the test server and staring forlornly at your empty character select screen, in theory. Other than that, Everything already coming in from the test servers looks like it's going to be a lot of fun to dive in to, and we'll break it all down for you in the next few days, as soon as we can get on ourselves!
Bornakk announces region free test servers
Bornakk announced last night that we can expect what could be a fun change for this and future PTRs: the US, Korean, and EU servers will share test realms. We might speculate that this could be delaying the release of the PTRs despite the fact that we have the notes and the patch in hand, though it is, of course, possible that it's the problems with the live servers right now as well. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see how this changes the test dynamic as testing goes forward. There's been some questions in the past over which region's raid groups are better, so it might be fun to see if they decide to duke it out over the new Sunwell content face-to-face. It might be fun to see if some multi-region arena tourneys get set up as well. Even on the casual side, some of us have overseas internet friends who play on different servers than us by necessity, so it should be great to meet up with them and kill a few monsters or do a few dailies together. Of course, before we get to see if anything fun comes out of this, we'll have to make it on the PTRs. We'll be sure to tell you as soon as we see them up and running!
CoX updates now on Test
Starting today, CoX patch 16.20080122.0 is live on the Test server. Both sides will see some important changes. Aside from a Combat Attribute window and Attribute monitor, a number of playability enhancements have been made. Debt is lowered across the board, Tasks can be dropped more often, Powers were tweaked, a large number of changes were made to Inventions, Server Transfers were clarified, a few Graphical Effects were adjusted, Base Storage is now more understandable, and the 45 Month Veteran Reward grants a free Respec. For City of Heroes players, changes were made to the Scrapper, Blaster, Defender and Tanker ATs, while City of Villains players will find changes to the Masterminds and Stalkers, instead. For both, graphical and sound effects have been adjusted for wristband summoning and strafing transitions.If you've been dealing with the known issue of spammers sending you influence and power leveling offers in-game, you needn't worry about them any longer. One of the changes in this patch is that characters below 10th level cannot send in-game email. For most players, this means their first two or three days of game play will see them blocked from sending (but not from receiving, reading, or deleting) mail, but it should also keep the spammers from flooding our inboxes. Speaking of known issues, if you run CoX in Vista, Vista-compatible cursors are now part of the build. As Lighthouse mentioned previously, though, changes on Test may be altered or reverted before going live. Now go forth, ye spandex-clad legions, and test that update.
Latest patch update notes released for EQ2 Test server
The latest patch notes for EverQuest II's Test server are here, and the full list is available after the jump, but we'll do a little break-down of some of the bigger and more general changes on this side of the fence. It looks like the Avatars of the Gods have bolstered their ranks with a few late-to-the-party ringers, The Tribunal, Karana, and Bertoxxolous. Tradeskillers will now also be able to provide players with mannequins that can display armor and weapons in their home.While we're on the tradeskill front, the crafting-inclined will be pleased to hear that there is a new quest available for level 30 or higher tradeskillers that have already completed the first quest, Journeyman Service. As well as this, tradeskill societies are offering a new recipe book to those that they regard warmly, and rare pelts that are looted from chests will now stack with those that are harvested -- but existing pelts probably won't have this property, so use up your old ones first. The patch also seems to have given pets a boot up the backside, as they will now have an easier time keeping up with their owners when traveling. Finally, a connection stats window has been added to the user interface, and can tell you your ping, bytes per second, frames per second and packet loss. The toggle for this window is mapped to F11 by default.Along with all of this, there are some spell, zone and quest, and item changes that are fairly specific, and they can be found after the break with the entire patch notes, and keep in mind that this applies to the Test server only for now.
SOE caught red-handed: EQ2 Player / Dev relationship breached ethical boundaries
Several days ago Massively reported that EQ2 Flames administrator broke the story on a scandal that regards numerous members from Unhallowed Triad, a guild on EQ2's Test server that was transferred to Unrest, a Live server through an inside connection at SOE. Character transfers from the Test server to a Live one is not allowed and against current SOE transfer policy; albeit, the EULA has a clause that SOE may change this policy at any time. However, the case is made that a Player / Dev affiliation has led to corruption, leaving many infuriated players with lots of unanswered questions as seen in these two threadnaughts. To recap for those not following this closely or wanting to sift through 100+ pages on the forums: SOE employee(s) abused their power breaking various codes of ethics (confirmed & guilty) Numerous Test players accuse Unhallowed Triad with a history of exploitation and getting away with it in due part to their SOE connection (rumors) Someone at SOE made the call to transfer Test characters to a Live server breaking policy (confirmed & guilty) Not only were characters transferred to Unrest, but items as well. Unhallowed Triad's Guild level was also inflated to 60. (confirmed & guilty) Many Unhallowed Triad guild members admitted to transferring off test in Assassin's chat (confirmed) Several Unhallowed Triad guild members were transferred unknowingly (more than likely) Legitimately leveled characters belonging to several Unhallowed Triad members were transferred over from other servers or already leveled on the Unrest server (confirmed) Unhallowed Triad guild tag no longer exists but there other guild tag Unholy Trinity exists and their Guild level stands at 30 (confirmed) All players on the Test server have not been given the same opportunity to transfer to a Live server The evidence found via EQ2 Players alone is overwhelming. So much so that it's impossible to sweep all the allegations under-the-rug. Initially, SOE was quick to react as both Alan "Brenlo" Crosby, Director of Global Community Relations and Bruce "Froech" Ferguson, EQ2's new Senior Producer admitted to SOE's involvement. Well, rather that someone at SOE made the call to override the policy, but in a good natured manner to reward certain players for their hard work on the Test server. Not a smart choice of words or tone given EQ2 players warranted concerns. In any case, Ferguson claims the transferred characters will be removed. Since their initial statements and response there has been no further word from a SOE representative on this matter.
Rumor: Entire guild Unhallowed Triad moved from EQ2 Test Server to live
A thread on popular forums EQ2Flames is asserting that a guild from the EverQuest II Test Server, Unhallowed Triad, has been moved over to the live server Unrest. This is something that SOE had said would never happen, due to the doubled experience gain on Test making it unfair on live players. The poster also claims that there was a GM account in the guild that assisted them in killing things that they could not take down on their own, in order to obtain some of the best gear in the game.
Preview the Frostfell crafted goodness from EQ2's Test Server
Niami Denmother and her team at EQ2 Traders Corner have once again been busy, this time cataloging tradeskill content that has been included in the recent Game Update 41 on the EverQuest II test server. The new items have been crafted and photographed for your enjoyment, including Frostfell-themed goodies.The preview includes a look at how to obtain some of the Frostfell recipes and ingredients, and a gallery of both furniture and clothing items that are available for Frostfell 2007. It's not all Frostfell-related crafting items that come with Game Update 41 either, and the preview page includes details on some new candles, lamps, and dishes for your in-game home.So you like what you've seen and can't wait until this is all available on your normal server? In that case, you can get your fill of GU41 right now on the test server -- but it shouldn't be too long before it's live.
Game Update 41 available on EQ2 Test Server
It's the time of year again where EverQuest II's Norrathian residents prepare to celebrate Frostfell, and the Gibblegibbers make their rounds of the major cities to offer quests and presents for the holidays. If you simply can't wait to get in to the Frostfell content, then you don't have to -- Game Update 41 has gone live on the test server, and Frostfell, among other updates, is in full swing.Apart from the Gibblegibbers, the update allows you to visit the Frostfell Wonderland Village to craft presents, do more holiday-themed quests and purchase Frostfell items. Gardy Giftgiver, the famous Frostfell elf, also makes a return and will provide one gift each day per character.It's not all Frostfell with Game Update 41 though, and there is a large list of changes and fixes in the test notes. It looks like there are a lot of important things on the list, too many to comment on them all, but here's a few: the Sarnak language primer can now be purchased, lava damage can be resisted, Exquisite Chests will always contain a Fabled item, Armorers and Tailors can make better Mastercrafted armor at all levels, and you can harvest while being attacked again. Phew! The rest of the exhausting list of updates has been posted after the break for your convenience.
CoX Winter Event on Test server
Dust off the sleigh bells and strap on your rocket-propelled skis, boys and girls, it's that time of year again: NCsoft has once again released the CoX Winter Event into Test. Now, a word of warning: it's not always up, and it could be pulled at any time for further tweaking, but it is there, waiting for you to discover it just like a tasty digital sugarplum in the bottom of your spandex stocking.This year, prep for some serious competition on the ski slopes: the slalom course is now timed, and you can win medals badges depending on your placement. And don't worry, Old favorites like Father Time and his missions have returned, and the Gamester is still putting out gifts for those who are naughty or nice. One intriguing element this year is new salvage: Candy Canes. This sweet treat can be redeemed in Pocket D for holiday rewards. Sorry to disappoint the fan community, though, but Sexy Jay's not collecting them, the Candy Keeper is. So ... who's up for hot cocoa and cool gaming, hm?
CoX: new patch is ready for download
NCsoft's latest patch for CoX, 16.20071128.2T, is now online. The patch addresses timing in the Winter Event slalom, an update to the Rectified Reticle IO enhancement set, badges, spawning, and City of Heroes-specific Blaster powers. As usual, it will be automatically installed once you exit the game, so that you'll have a fresh, shiny experience with your next login. As well, the Test server will be down today from 5 p.m. Eastern to approximately 6 p.m. Eastern.
CoX Flashback Friday event
Want to warm up the winter evening in a thermonuclear manner? Looking for a weapon of mass destruction to send to your friends? Well look no further, because POJRadio's got your back. They're putting the Ho-Ho-Ho back in "Holy Hannah" by taking everyone to CoX's Test server and setting them free in groups of four to launch missiles. Of course, you have to face the Rogues who don't want you to succeed, run the risk of falling prey to roving bands of villainous swine, take your lives into your own hands with other PvP-minded folks, and be the first to launch the missile, but then that's what this holiday season is all about, isn't it? Let's give 'til it hurts.The event is tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. Eastern, you MUST sign up beforehand, and it's being held on Test so that any alt (who's able to reach Warburg, of course) from any server can attend. Why attend, you ask? Well, aside from the warm fuzzies you'll receive from irradiating those who have displeased you, there's an actual prize involved: John Becaro will be crafting a free sketch of the winning team. So get your Fannys over there and launch that missile! And if you can't attend -- or just want to know what's going on -- tune into POJRadio during the event to keep up with the mayhem.
EVE Trinity screenshots galore
The Trinity patch notes dropped yesterday, and apparently the new graphics also went live on the test server, so screenshots of all the new ships coming in the EVE Online expansion are flooding the forums.We've seen a lot of these before, both in trailers and official screenshots, but there are so many here that if you want to find your ship-- someone even grabbed some Titans-- it's probably here. Still, my guess is that nothing will compare to what we'll see when we log in on December 5th. Screenshots are nice, but I can't wait to see all these great graphics flowing in motion through the outer reaches of space.
Lineage 2 expansion out on test server
If you've been hanging out for Lineage 2's upcoming free expansion, The Kamael, then you may be interested to know that the content is available for testing, right now. Curse.com noticed that the game's public test server now includes the new content, so players can go and try out the Kamael and their not-suitable-for-flying single wing.You will need to have an existing Lineage 2 account to be able to log in to the test server, and if you don't have the test client yet, it can be downloaded from Fileplanet. The news story on Curse.com includes a few links to the test server's forums, and a post on those forums that contains a list of testing notes for The Kamael, so if you're interested in giving it a try then be sure to check those out.There is no officially confirmed release date for The Kamael just yet, so if you're really hankering to try it out, it would be better to jump in to the test than wait around and hope it comes out soon.
DAoC's birthday gift
While most news surrounding Mythic these days has the words "Warhammer Online" somewhere in the title, today we spend a little time to celebrate their other great fantasy MMO: Dark Age of Camelot. DAoC has recently hit the six year mark, as was recently acclaimed by the game's producer Chris Rabideau in a letter to the readers. The game still has quite a following after all this time, and it is for that reason that he also took the time to talk about a few changes coming into the game in the coming months. Think of it as a DAoC birthday gift from the devs to the players, rather than the other way around. The devs are adding in an experimental test environment to their server structure. While this isn't the most medieval item to bring to a birthday party, it will enable the dev team to test some more robust technical elements that their current test server isn't capable of working with. I was hoping for some party favors and perhaps a hat or two, but I guess a new test server will do, at least for now. But where's the party, Mythic? Where's the party?
HELIOS PS3 Linux for fast and easy installation
HELIOS is offering PS3 owners a test server that runs on a simplified version of Yellow Dog Linux. The OS arrives via CD disk image and installs in about six minutes. Terra Soft Solutions, the brains behind Yellow Dog Linux, agreed to allow Helios to distribute this "lite" version, catering specifically to the PS3 crowd through its Cell optimization. HELIOS, being no stranger to server development, says this modified Linux test-drive server will offer full DHCP network settings, support for Java 1.5 and AppleTalk enhanced kernel. Interested parties should head to the HELIOS website here, which provides detailed instructions on how to download the client and set it up. Let the game hosting officially begin![Via GamesGalore]
