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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 Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The blogger
To tell you all the truth, the comments from last week's initial foray into EverQuest Online Adventures bowled me over -- I truly was not expecting so many players to be so passionate about the game! How cool is that? I hope that some of you send me in your EQOA stories to justin@massively.com so we can include them in next week's column. Today I want to welcome Rick "Stoney" Stonebrook to our neck of the Massively woods. I remember finding Stoney's EQOA blog over a year ago and being so impressed that there was someone out there regularly updating a blog about this low-profile MMO. Stoney agreed to an interview about the game from a player's and blogger's perspective, so here goes! The Game Archaeologist: Please introduce yourself and your blog! Why did you start blogging about EQOA? Stoney: Well, I'm 24 and have lived in a lot of places in the past few years. I adopted the name Stoney when I started the blog, eqoa.wordpress.com, in October 2010. The purpose for the blog was simple: compile as much information about the game as I could find using various search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and YouTube. I hadn't played since 2005 and wasn't familiar with any new content. I had always wanted to return to the game. Thus the blog's goal evolved from a collection of memories to an effort to get people to return.
The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: Your journeys
I have to say, this month's been everything I'd hoped it would be for EverQuest. As with many of these older MMOs, my working knowledge of EQ was spotty and anecdotal at best, and I'm personally glad to rectify that. EverQuest's always felt like a "You had to have been there" club to me, one that stopped accepting members a long, long time ago. It's great, therefore, to see that there's a thriving community, a rich history and an uplifting future in store for the game. Above everything else, I've come to realize just how crucial EverQuest was -- for better or worse, depending on your perspective -- to the development of the MMO genre for the past decade or so. If SOE never created EQ, just how different would our games be today? It's incredibly hard to imagine. As we continue our EQ month here at The Game Archaeologist, we have two things on the immediate agenda. The first is to share a few of your personal journeys that you emailed my way, and the second is a look at how you can plug in with EverQuest if you've never done so in the past. It turns out, quite fortuitously, that this is looking to be one of the best times to do so. Read on, courageous gamer!
The Game Archaeologist and the NeverEnding Quest: The highlights
To many veteran MMO players, the opening horns of EverQuest's score are enough to trigger vivid memories, violent hallucinations, and an unstoppable desire to leap through the computer screen to return to Norrath. It all depends, of course, on which MMO you first cut your teeth, and while many gamers would claim titles like World of Warcraft as their first, there is a large contingent who will confess that EQ was their first MMO lover. In fact, before WoW came on the scene in 2004, EverQuest was the gold standard of MMOs for a half-decade -- it was insanely popular, perfectly addictive, and absolutely revolutionary. It was a giant that roamed the virtual lands of those days, a giant that continues to forge new grounds well over a decade from its inception. It was 1995 when John Smedley realized the potential for online gaming and roped in Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover to start putting together an online RPG for SOE. What began as a small project ballooned into a crazy endeavor as the growing team created a monster RPG the likes the world had never seen before -- a game that would forever shape the MMO genre. This month, the Game Archaeologist is going after one of the biggest treasures of recorded history as we unearth the secrets to EverQuest's popularity, legacy, and longevity. The first step on our journey is to look at some of the highlights that made EQ what it is today.
11 days of in-game events for EverQuest's 11th birthday
11 years ago, when Bill Clinton was still the U.S. President, The Matrix wowed moviegoers with bullet-time, dial-up Internet was the norm, and 3D online gaming was just in its infancy, bouncing baby EverQuest stepped into the world. It's amazing to see that this game is not only still around, but expanding constantly -- a fact that should encourage fans of this or any MMORPG. In honor of one of the longest-running 3D MMOs, SOE has announced 11 days of special in-game events for EverQuest. Players are challenged to find a special gift for a wizard master, to rescue poor Miggles Mistflinger from a sad fate, party with the Community Team on St. Patty's Day, and take on mechanical nasties in a special raid. For Marketplace shoppers, SOE is offering a 25-50% discount on 11 items. Finally, they've invited everyone to join the EverQuest team for an exclusive USTREAM event on March 17, 2010 at 1:00pm PST. Oh, and did we mention you can pick the game up on Steam for $2.50, and that it includes all 15 expansion packs? Even those who aren't EQ players have a chance to help celebrate. Fans of EverQuest can also mosey over to the Facebook fan page for the game, where SOE has posted a large gallery of screenshots to celebrate 11 years of fantasy gaming.
Massively digs into the EverQuest Underfoot expansion
SOE's EverQuest, one of the earliest of 3-D graphical MMOs, launches its 16th expansion today: Underfoot. This particular area of Norrath, the realm of Brell Serilis, the Duke of Below, is filled with inner turmoil and new adventure. Massively was given a tour of the new expansion and we have all the details for you below. This tour is divided into two parts. Part one, after the jump briefly covers the two new features being introduced to the game: the new Achievement system and the Extended Target window. Part two is a screenshot tour of the new zones with its bizarre and fractious denizens. Join us, won't you, on a journey into the plane of Underfoot.%Gallery-73586%
EverQuest unveils the city of Kernagir in Underfoot
EverQuest continued their "Unfolding the Lore" series yesterday with the introduction of Kernagir, the Shining City. This latest area of the Underfoot expansion is "where the chosen of Brell Serilis go to live out eternity in Underfoot." The city of Kernagir was built to honor and worship Brell, and is created using the unlimited natural resources that his followers enjoy to make Kernagir a place of beauty. Kernagir was designed as a sort of Utopia for Brell's chosen, and the citizens have traditionally been fairly choosy about who they allow in. Things are changing in the Shining City, though. With Brell keeping his distance lately, followers of the Faith of Self are seeking out the talented craftsmen who live in Kernagir, and the "heresy of individualism" is spreading. The tale of Kernagir says "This has led to a philosophical schism and the taking of sides. The acrimonious debate between the two sides is descending towards violence and may lead to rampant chaos in the Shining City now that Brell's influence has disappeared." What happens next? The story of Kernagir and its fate will continue with the December release of EverQuest: Underfoot.
EverQuest's third Road to Underfoot event shakes Norrath
The ground in Norrath has literally begun to tremble with the introduction of the third and final "Road to Underfoot" event in EverQuest. "Breaking the Seal" completes the series of events, and participating in all three will allow players to gain access to the Underfoot expansion ahead of its official release date. This time the event involves the Cliknar -- from our Underfoot zone previews, we know that the Cliknar inhabit (or rather infest) many regions in the expansion. Now they've raised a significant army and are causing trouble on Norrath's surface.The Road to Underfoot mini-site has been updated with a section on Breaking the Seal, as well as a short video showing the enemy in action. The epicenter of the shaking seems to be coming from Odus, so those willing to fight should gather there. Remember that apart from the early access, there is also a beta for Underfoot that SOE is still taking applications for, so there's another way to see the expansion ahead of time too.
Meet EverQuest's mountain-makers in Underfoot zone "The Foundation"
It's time for another EverQuest: Underfoot zone preview, as the EverQuest Players community site is featuring a look at "The Foundation". Like many of the other areas in the Plane of Underfoot, The Foundation is used by Brell's servants to create things that will end up in the world -- however, we haven't previously seen any creations quite as massive as what is made here. If you've ever admired a scenic mountain located somewhere in Norrath, then you have the inhabitants of The Foundation to thank. The enormous Genari stone giants push up mountains from underground, and then tirelessly hold their positions to keep the mountains standing.Their job gets even worse. Sometimes a god might decide to raise a new mountain themselves, without thinking about the Genari underneath. When that happens, the Genari will most likely be crushed under the new weight. Don't fret though, because the Genari's broken form is often enough to keep the mountain up, and Brell can simply make another giant later on. Now that's cold. Screenshots for The Foundation have been added to our Underfoot gallery, and we're very pleased to have another handful of exclusive pictures to share. Check them out below, and learn more about The Foundation's lore at EQ Players.%Gallery-73586%
EverQuest betas, backstory, and boosts
Reality check time: EverQuest is more than ten years old. And yet the game is still pushing out content, patches, and expansions, albeit more slowly. We recently reported that the most recent expansion, Underfoot, was open for applicants for beta testing, and today we've been treated to an interesting boost of game lore regarding one of the new areas in the expansion, Brell's Arena.The Arena was created to let gnolls and kobolds play a "game" known as the Boomerang Brawl. The word is in quotes because it would qualify only by Roman or Mayan standards - weighted metal boomerangs are thrown at the opposing team. The game also features exploding barrels, as if it weren't dangerous enough. Adventurers who venture into the game are promised appropriate treasure for winning one of these insanely dangerous games, however.In addition to all of this (and to form the third part of the alliterative title) there have been a number of recent patches and game updates, in the form of classic mission improvements and expanded "hot zones" for extra experience gain. It's a little strange to think of the game as being so old, but it clearly hasn't lost its life just yet.
Everquest accepting signups for expansion beta
Sony Online Entertainment's long running MMO Everquest is preparing to launch its sixteenth expansion, Underfoot. Fans who have been looking forward to this expansion since its reveal at Fan Faire in June now have something more to look forward to. SOE announced today that they are accepting signups for the beta, which is expected to run from October 20th until December 1st.SOE made an effort last year to streamline the signup process and make it easier on everyone involved, so you only need to sign up once. Your original signup will place you in the beta pool for every invite stage. The beta signup page will remain open until the end of beta testing as well, meaning you have plenty of time to join the beta pool.2009 Fan Faire attendees still need to sign up, but will be included in the beta, as well as receiving a free copy of the expansion. 2009 Dragon*Con EQ Panel attendees who filled in the sign-up sheet will also be included in the early beta.
See the mines of EQ: Underfoot zone "The Underquarry"
The next EverQuest: Underfoot zone preview is up at the EverQuest Players community site, this time giving us a sneak peek at an area called "The Underquarry". The Underquarry's main feature is two large sinkholes that were made by some intense waterflow. When the water stopped coming, the area's inhabitants (more servants of Brell) found that there was good mining to be had in the caverns. Similar to the creatures of Pellucid Grotto, the miners take the results of their work and seed them into Norrath, rather than hoarding them down in the Plane of Underfoot.As is expected from these expansion zones, there is some emerging conflict in the Underquarry to look into. Part of the problem is a group of stubborn Burynai (shown above) that are refusing to share parts of the mines, and there are also Cliknars that constantly invade and cause trouble. Our Underfoot gallery is now updated with screenshots from the Underquarry, including a few more Massively exclusive pics -- check it out below.%Gallery-73586%
Preview the Pellucid Grotto zone from EverQuest Underfoot
Just recently, the EverQuest Players community site featured a preview of the zone Brell's Rest from EverQuest's next expansion Underfoot. Another preview is now up on the site, showing off the Pellucid Grotto zone. The Grotto is home to a race called the Crystalkin, and these hard workers spend all their time harvesting, refining and polishing gems. They aren't in it for personal gain though -- far from it. After the gems are ready, they go and scatter them throughout Norrath, where adventurers end up finding them and either selling them, using them as spell reagents, or combining them with things using tradeskills.However, if the players want this gravy-train to keep running, they might want to look into a new disturbance that the Pellucid Grotto is experiencing. We're pretty sure there are far worse consequences to the world at stake than just missing out on gems, but ... well, the gems are a pretty good reason anyway. We like gems. Below you'll find our gallery of screenshots from Underfoot, newly updated with Pellucid Grotto pictures, and two of them are exclusive to Massively! For more on the lore of this area, check out the EQ Players feature article.%Gallery-73586%
A look at Brell's Rest from EverQuest: Underfoot
The focus of the next EverQuest expansion Underfoot is the Plane of Underfoot and its cavernous areas, which the god Brell Serilis created and filled with inhabitants. An update on the EverQuest Players website has given us an early look at one zone from the new expansion, "Brell's Rest". Apparently, the most devout followers of Brell are brought to Brell's Rest upon their demise. Since a healthy mix of races pay homage to the Duke of Below, this means that the area is home to quite a few different factions, including dwarves, gnomes, gnolls and kobolds. While the dwarves and gnomes tend to live a peaceful life in the Shining City section of Brell's Rest, the gnolls and kobolds have traditionally enjoyed ripping each other apart for all eternity. However, in recent times the gnolls have begun to withdraw from their beloved skirmishes, whispering about "The Destroyer" and "The Undying One". That's all we're going to find out for now, but it sounds like an interesting quest-line to look into when the expansion is released. The zone is also said to feature an arena for some good old-fashioned warrior games. Along with this chunk of lore, the EverQuest Players site had a handful of Brell's Rest screenshots to show off. We've put them all together for easy viewing in the gallery below.%Gallery-73586%
EverQuest's Underfoot expansion pushed back to December
It looks like EverQuest's upcoming expansion, Underfoot, will not be launching in November as was originally planned. A notice on the EQPlayers website has informed the community that the new launch date is the 15th of December, thankfully not too far from the previously nominated time frame. The reason given for the delay was fairly predictable: "To ensure that we can give our players the best possible gameplay experience and the amount of content that they've come to expect". Hopefully the extra time leads to a better expansion.Just as before, players can still get early access to the expansion by participating in all three of the events in the "Road to Underfoot" series. So far only two of the events have actually been revealed; the first is "Giants, Giants, Giants", and the second is the "Ancient Heroes" event that was introduced with this week's game update. This leaves one more event to be unveiled later on. The cut-off date to participate in all three of them and qualify for the head-start is December 1st, with early access to begin on December 8th. Just remember that you have to pre-order and pay off the Underfoot expansion too! You can visit the Road to Underfoot homepage to get all the details on the events.
EverQuest's Ancient Heroes game update brings a "classic EQ" experience
There are a lot of players and former players of EverQuest that would love to see a server that is locked down to just the first few expansions, or maybe none at all. While the latest game update, Ancient Heroes (which goes live today) doesn't bring a new server, there will be a new "classic EQ" experience introduced to the game. An NPC in the Plane of Knowledge will transform your character into a level 50 (the level cap once upon a time) decked out in launch-era equipment, and send you off to fight the Kobolds in Nagafen's Lair or the Frogloks of Guk -- or even to raid the old dragons, Lady Vox (pictured above) and Lord Nagafen. There will be new rewards waiting for those that choose to take up arms in old-school fashion.This character morphing is the primary focus of the Ancient Heroes update, but in fact, there is more character morphing to be had with some new Marketplace items. A Potion of Amnesia will allow you to change your character's name, and a Potion of Disgenderment will flip their gender -- both changes are permanent, though you should just be able to buy another potion if need be. The Witness Protection Pack combines the two new potions, for those situations where you've really driven your reputation into the ground and need to start afresh.
SOE updates EverQuest lore for Underfoot expansion
It began as a rumor but was confirmed at SOE Fan Faire 2009 -- EverQuest's 16th expansion will be called Underfoot and is coming in November of this year. We've mentioned some of the features that Underfoot will bring to the game, like the expansion progress window and new zones, and Sony Online Entertainment is also updating the game's lore. The lore update explains the subterranean Plane of Underfoot and some of its notable inhabitants, namely Brell Serilis, the Duke of Below. But mostly it provides EverQuest lore fans with a history of Underfoot, from the time it was shaped by the gods to the creation of Norrath's races. It's all part of the official EverQuest Underfoot announcement over at EverQuest Players.
Highlights from the SOE Fan Faire 2009 community address
Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire 2009 is happening in Las Vegas, and of course they've had a number of things to unveil so far. SOE president John Smedley gave his community address last evening, and other speakers made an appearance as well. We've got a few highlights from SOE Fan Faire 2009 for you: Station Cash Smedley jumped right in by talking about the state of the SOE game lineup and some of the new directions they've explored with them in this past year. One of those new directions has been the introduction of Station Cash, and he talked about the growing adoption of Station Cash among SOE game subscribers in EverQuest and EverQuest II, as well as how it will soon be tied into new services and customization options. He announced a partnership with Hewlett-Packard which will allow players to purchase matte print images of art from the games using Station Cash. You'll be able to have your own character rendered in a high-quality art print, or even have your entire guild depicted and sent to you as a hardcopy art book. EverQuest: Underfoot and EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate On the topic of EverQuest, remember that mention we had of SOE trademarking new EQ properties? It turns out these are the new expansions: EverQuest: Underfoot and EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate. Smedley kicked off the EQ announcements by reflecting back on 10 years of EverQuest and looking to where the IP is headed in the future. EverQuest II producer Alan "Brenlo" Crosby discussed the game's sixth expansion, Sentinel's Fate, where players will travel to the land of Odus and see what's happened there since The Shattering. He dropped a few details about this next expansion, slated for a February 2010 launch, and the updates they plan to release between now and Sentinel's Fate. These updates will include the ability to downtier characters, allowing you to go back and replay older content, plus achievements are coming to EverQuest II. In addition, the EQ II level cap will increase by ten levels. SOE hasn't forgotten about their long-term fans either, those who have stuck with the original EverQuest through the years. EverQuest producer Thomas Terrazas announced the sixteenth EQ expansion, Underfoot, which will launch in November 2009. Underfoot will feature 12-15 zones at launch, with bonus zones and additional content to release in April of 2010. Underfoot will have twice as many weapons as any of the previous 15 expansions, a new focus targeting window (allowing you to add specific targets to your list, monitor health of friends and foes), and achievement tracking that will help players remain aware of the objectives to be completed in their progression path. "In other words," Terrazas said, "you won't have to go looking online on somebody else's website so see what you need. It'll be in-game." Fan Faire 2009 attendees will get both expansions for free.
