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The Tattered Notebook: Experiencing experience in EQII
It's time to talk about experience. No, not the experience that comes from immersing yourself in a virtual world and creating memorable moments. I'm talking about the numerical value assigned to the various things you do in game, the kind of experience everyone wants and never has enough of. EverQuest II underwent a recent change in how experience is awarded, and it got me thinking about experience in general in our MMOs. How far have we come when it comes to the experience reward system, and will we ever arrive at a system that satisfies everyone?
New EverQuest II Sleeper's Tomb dungeon live, trailer released
EverQuest II's newest dungeon, Sleeper's Tomb, is now open for adventurers with both group and raid versions. This dungeon is just the first chapter of the game's Chains of Eternity expansion, which releases in November. The adventure begins for level 92 players by answering a summons from Erus Dal'viv, the Swordbearer, that will arrive via Norrathian Express. Along with a new dungeon of foes to fight (included massive dragons), three demi-gods newly ascended to full godhood are appearing in Velious lands to battle any who dare to challenge them. Players can also acquire new dragonkin mounts from Sleeper's Tomb or purchase them from the cash shop. Want a glimpse of what to expect when you enter the tomb? Watch the trailer after the cut. [Source: SOE press release]
The Tattered Notebook: In like a lion, out like a dragon
With the recent drama surrounding the ProSiebenSat.1 deal last week, EverQuest II's March arrived with all of the fury as those storms that have been pounding much of the United States in recent days. But there's been a steady stream of news that signals a much smoother month is on the way. For the second week in a row, it's what's going on outside of the game rather than in-game that's topping the headlines, and The Tattered Notebook is ready for the roundup! From poll results to pathing to hints about Game Update 63, we'll look at the highlights below the cut.
EQII producer teases March update info, promises more communication
New EverQuest II Producer Holly Longdale has completed her maiden voyage around the good ship S.S. SOE, completing her first month of reviews and meetings as future plans are laid out. Now that she's gotten her feet wet, Longdale wrote a short letter to the community about the general activities and focus of the team. The March update -- centered around the Velious storyline -- is coming along, and the team will be unloading tons of information in the near future. Longdale reports that it's not just new content that the EQII crew is concerned about, as bug fixing and refining features are a major priority for the team's engineers. Players irritated with the quest feather graphic issue will be happy to know that it's high up on the priority list. Longdale also let players know that she's paying attention to "big hot-button issues" with the game and is trying her best not to overlook anything. She wraps up her post sharing the meaning behind her dev name, Windstalker, and promising that she'll be corresponding with the community frequently from here on out.
The Tattered Notebook: Exec. Producer Dave Georgeson on EverQuest II and EverQuest Next
If there's one thing that came out of Fan Faire about EQ Next, it's that no one will talk about EQ Next. No matter who you talked to, any time the subject came up, the answer was always, "I can't talk about that." However, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson sat down with Massively during Fan Faire to talk more about EverQuest II, and during that interview, he did give a tiny glimpse into what that game would be like. In this week's Tattered Notebook, Massively gets the scoop on Beastlords, the dungeon builder, Freeport's revamp, and much more.
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.
The Tattered Notebook: Five zones that deserve a revamp
Recently, EverQuest II developer Kyle "Kander" Vallee tweeted his followers asking for input on the following question: "What #EQII zone would you love to see revamped into new heroic content?" That's a tough but really fun question. Over the years, EverQuest II has added so many overland and instanced zones that there's no shortage of choices. A quick glance at the dungeon list at EQ2i shows well over 100 major heroic instances and open dungeons for groups. If you add in the list of minor instances, like the Splitpaw adventure pack instances or the Fallen Dynasty trials, it's easily over 120. In fact, there are so many group zones that it's nearly impossible to level up and see them all (I vote for a new in-game dungeon listing for the next UI revamp!). I've played through a good chunk of these zones and put together a list of the top five dungeons that deserve a makeover. Read on for the full list!
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.
The Tattered Notebook: Week one in Velious
It's been a very busy week since EverQuest II's Destiny of Velious launched! Despite a few server issues, the launch seemed to go smoothly, and there were plenty of players running around in otter illusion form by the end of the first day. I happily welcomed the return of the Kael Giants, the Coldain Dwarves, and even the Tizmak! After battling the void for so long, I found them to be a refreshing change. In this first week, I set out to raise and train my flying griffon mount and began to tackle the new content. Read on for highlights of my past week, including public quests, my stubborn baby griffon, and a mysterious guide quest involving Kael Drakkel.
MV Guide: February 28th - March 7th
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. Every week the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. This week's edition of MV Guide is a little on the light side thanks to GDC, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality! Beau and Karen are checking out the brand-new expansions in their games of choice, Larry's taking on Aphrodite in DCUO, and Karen will be making an encore Livestream performance to show off the game on everyone's mind this week: RIFT. Follow along after the jump for this week's MV Guide!
Exclusive launch trailer for EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious expansion
Heroes of Norrath, heed the call of Al'Kabor. An ancient enemy once again threatens the world as we know it. The powers of fear were stolen, and only the twin Swords of Destiny can bring victory. But there is hope! A creature has appeared on the shores of Norrath to transport heroes to the continent of Velious, where the evil rests. If the enemy is defeated there, you can save the people of Norrath. Your destiny and the destiny of all are tied to the Destiny of Velious. Tomorrow, Sony Online Entertainment will unleash its seventh expansion for the company's premier title, EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious. In celebration, SOE has released a brand-new video calling all EQII players to arms. It features narration from the Erudite Al'Kabor and boasts footage shot entirely in-game. We want to be the first to show you, the Massively reader, this exclusive trailer! Follow after the break to get a glimpse of the Destiny of Velious expansion, then ride your flying mount over to the official website to find out how you can take part in saving the world.
The Tattered Notebook: What will Velious bring?
It's been a long wait, but tomorrow, EverQuest II players will finally get to explore the frozen continent of Velious. Longtime players, including me, worried that the expansion would not pay tribute to the features that made the original Scars of Velious so popular. The official site isn't very reassuring, either, as it's dominated by announcements of appearance gear and marketing promotions. Veteran players are left feeling like the Wendy's lady, pointedly asking, "Where's the beef?" With the arrival of launch day, what will the Destiny of Velious expansion bring to players? Is there more to this expansion than flying mounts and cute othmir illusions? Read on to see what players might expect to see.
EQII's Destiny of Velious expansion reviewed, sort of
Hey guess what? The EverQuest II Destiny of Velious expansion NDA is down! Not! That's basically how it went for EQII fansites recently as SOE pulled a fast one in regard to allowing info on the highly anticipated expansion into the wild. We were quite interested in a preliminary Velious review, and Feldon from EQ2Wire was all set to oblige us when... well, let's just say his hands were tied. "Really, when the 'NDA lifts,' all this means is you are allowed to talk about what you experienced in beta. The gag order is lifted. You get your voice back. But anything else is still off limits," he writes. Feldon goes on to say that EQ2Wire will still be publishing a couple of articles on the expansion, but nowhere near as many as had been planned. So how's the new Norrathian content itself? Pretty good, it seems. "The group and raid zones are some of the most impressive, well-built, engaging, interesting content designed yet for EQII," Feldon tells readers. He goes on to praise flying mounts and new art assets while saving a few unkind words for public quests, solo quests, and itemization. It's quite a lengthy write-up despite the lingering restrictions, so head over to EQ2Wire and check it out for yourself.
The Tattered Notebook: Velious itemization and flying Gnomes
With the launch of Destiny of Velious rapidly approaching, EverQuest II fans are starting to hear a lot more about what this expansion will bring. This past week was filled with new lore, new screenshots, and another live Webcast with Senior Producer Dave Georgeson, Lead Designer Rich Waters, and Itemization Developer Salim Grant. As in previous webcasts, the hosts talked about flying mounts, launch day events, and othmir, but the main topic they discussed was itemization and gear progression. There is no level cap increase with Destiny of Velious, and because of that, many players wondered what items would look like, especially since a lot of Sentinel's Fate gear was already loaded with procs, wards, and effects. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at how the developers tackled this difficult area and what changes players should expect to see with the arrival of Destiny of Velious.
Exclusive screenshots of EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious revealed
If you mention the word Velious to most fans of the original EverQuest, you'll instantly see their eyes light up. The original Velious expansion was a revolution for EverQuest back in 2000, so it's no surprise that EverQuest II fans are getting excited about the upcoming Destiny of Velious expansion. Sony Online Entertainment has big shoes to fill with this update, which is due to launch later this month on February 22nd. Information on the Velious content has been sparse recently, with only a few lore reveals and a trailer released in the past few months. Today, SOE has released several screenshots of new zones in the expansion, exclusive to Massively. To put the new EQ2 screenshots into their proper contexts, SOE has provided the following lore: "This glacial tundra bears the scars of centuries of conflict and strife. Here, adventurers can find the haunted remnants of the series of battles known as the Ring War, which was fought between the dwarven race known as the Coldain, and their ancient enemy, the Kromrif. On the southern tip lies the remains of a crumbling fortress, now occupied by the savage snow orcs known as the Ry'Gorr. To the west lies the Storm Gorge, a massive valley carved from the land during the continent-cracking event known as the Upheaval. There, the noble coldain stand against the might of the fearsome and militaristic legion known as the Order of Rime, and fight to protect their beloved city of Thurgadin." %Gallery-116188%
The Tattered Notebook: More on flying mounts, public quests, and prestige homes
SOE has been slowly getting new information out about Destiny of Velious. As part of an ongoing promotion to showcase the upcoming expansion, Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson and Greg "Rothgar" Spence took part in the second installment of the Destiny of Velious webcast. They took the opportunity to elaborate on topics from the first show and also revealed some exciting new features. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at the highlights of last Friday's webcast. Read on to hear more about flying mounts, prestige housing, and public quests.
The Tattered Notebook: Highlights from the Destiny of Velious webcast
With Destiny of Velious just around the corner, the team at SOE has announced a webcast schedule to provide details about the upcoming expansion and answer player questions. The first one was this past Friday and was attended by Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson and Siliam "Silius" Grant, whom Vanguard fans might recognize. While the show was brief, the duo did touch on many different areas -- from itemization to raids and even to the addition of new public quests. Read on for highlights from the first Velious question-and-answer session.
EverQuest II Destiny of Velious webcast schedule released
The EverQuest II development team is gearing up for the long-awaited Destiny of Velious expansion, and part of said gearing up involves disseminating information to the masses. Starting today at 4:00 p.m. PST, SOE will be hosting a series of live webcasts designed to spread the word about Velious as well as give anxious players a chance to have their questions heard. The webcasts will be taking place every Friday for the next month, with various guests and topics scheduled for each. Tonight's segment features Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson and Salim "Silius" Grant, and the duo is scheduled to talk a bit about new Velious zones, raids, and more. Player-submitted questions are also on the docket, so visit the official EQII forums to submit yours. If you're looking for a bit of a preview, head to EQ2Wire, where Feldon shares his experiences with past SOE webcasts as well as the full schedule.
The Tattered Notebook: How not to sell an expansion
One month. That's all that's left before EverQuest II's new expansion, Destiny of Velious, goes live. I've been looking forward to this expansion since 2009, when rumors first emerged that there was some work on Velious content quietly going on. It's my favorite content from EverQuest, and it really marked a Golden Age for those who look back fondly at the game. But with one month left, I'm left feeling frustrated and concerned. There's just too much silence about the expansion and too many questions left unanswered. Read on to see why the blank slate of Destiny of Velious is a troublesome sign for players.
