For the latter part of last year and into this year, I've been raiding Saturday mornings in mostly x4 EM content. Outside of that, I've done mostly Advanced Solo content and just a smattering of group zones. From that gameplay, via selling shinies, masters, drops, crafting spells for other players, etc. I've been able to accumulate more than enough Plat for my character needs.

I am currently the co-owner of a Tier 1 level 62 guild hall with max amenities. I also have five level 95 characters (although my Ranger will always be my main). Between Reforging and Adornments, there are certainly some expenses to be considered, but I've always managed to make do without grinding Protector's Realm, Shard of Hate, etc.

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For the most part, issues being reported on the EQ2 Forums about Game Update 66: Scars of the Awakened have not included show-stopping bugs, but rather a few issues that can be worked around.

Sometimes, quests bug out due to mercenary <-> NPC actor interaction, and that can be resolved by temporarily suspending mercs or setting them not to defend you or themselves.

Known Issues

• Illusionist AA Resetting
• Druid Rebirth Power Cost
• Siren's Grotto Abyss
• Conjuror & Warrior Casting Animations
• Fitzpitzle Raid Bugged

Illusionist AA Resetting

In the course of changing the AA "Enhance: Cure Arcane" to "Enhance: Cure Magic", it looks like the way the points are calculated for this ability was changed. This is causing at least a partial reset in AAs for all Illusionists who spent points in that line.

From Maevianiu:

Did you have the AA Enhance: Cure Arcane? It looks like that was changed in max tier and points per tier which could invalidate your arrangement.

and:

Fix will go out with a hofix early Thursday morning. Along with a free respec for everyone.

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With Game Update 66, we saw a lot of changes, including "Quality of Life" changes to a number of classes. Summoners now see their dumbfire pets share their stats and now spawn behind the enemy, greatly increasing their chance of survival. Scouts especially Rangers have seen a lot of distance and positioning restrictions loosened or removed altogether. Crusaders can now cast on the run. This is not to mention the new overland zone as well as the Adv Solo, Group, and Raid zones.

However the most controversial issue in this update was the change in how Platinum (coin) is awarded in group and raid zones, particularly in outdated content. Kyle "Kander" Vallee went on the record on the EQ2Talk podcast to say that the changes were meant not to try to "balance" the economy or reduce the amount of coin coming into the game, but simply to fix the silliness of so many players farming 5 year old content just to fund their current activities.

So now that the update has gone live, what's the verdict?

How much are you seeing from doing old and current level content?

Is it enough to finance your gameplay?

From EverQuest II's Youtube:

SERVER STATUS UPDATES

1:01pm PDT: Crushbone seems to be up.

1:00pm PDT: Crushbone is now offline. 2 hours 20 minutes.

12:10pm PDT: Despite being told that Crushbone is up, the server is still locked.

11:40am PDT: Crushbone server is now up still DOWN, 40 minutes behind the others.

11:27am PDT: Ahma and Holly have tweeted that all servers are up, but Crushbone is still down.

11:25am PDT: Crushbone server just crashed.

11:22am PDT: Guk, Everfrost, Butcherblock, and Unrest are up.

11:00am PDT: Looks like some servers are up, but Guk, Everfrost, Butcherblock, and Unrest are still locked.

We know you have content in there. Give it up.

Niami Denmother has come through with another set of previews on her EQ2Traders site for tomorrow's Game Update 66: Scars of the Awakened.

Here's a master list of the reading material I have put together for folks regarding the crafting/housing side of things. The Crafting/Housing Preview contains links to all of the other pages mentioned below, but this should help if you want to shortcut to something specific.

• EQ2Traders Corner GU66 Crafting/Housing Preview
• GU66 Carpenter Furniture Guide
• GU66 Buyable Furniture Guide
• GU66 Apprentice Information
• Cobalt Scar Crafting Quests Intro
• Yeppa's Last Stand Crafting Quests
• Scarstone Crafting Quests
• Cobalt Scar Crafting Quests Endline

Niami's previews go into some of the new features in Game Update 66 such as Pitch and Roll for house items, pictured below:

And you don't have to memorize the command to hide/show the Housing control wheel above (I personally dislike it, but it's how you must access Pitch and Roll commands), as a new Housing sidebar has been added:

From EQ2 Zam:

Game Update 66, Scars of the Awakened, launches on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. In this update players visit the vastly changed Velious land of Cobalt Scar and its dungeon, Siren's Grotto.

Adventurers over level 90 can speak to Joren Kalth in any major city or on the Thurgadin docks in the Great Divide to be sent on their way to Cobalt Scar. Players once again work with Osh, who is trying to save his brethern from a corruption that has twisted their native land. After the othmir problem is addressed, the famed Field Marshal Vishra sends word, and the work to assist the New Combine with their various minor issues begins.

Cobalt Scar offers players 45 new quests, four daily missions, and one weekly group mission. Missions will send players who have completed most of the Cobalt Scar quests into Siren's Grotto, but access to Siren's Grotto itself has no requirements. The Scar has several contested heroic and epic creatures, which may drop the Obol currency for adventurers who have completed the Chains of Eternity signature quest series. New collections can be found in both new zones.

While owning the Chains of Eternity expansion will ease the combat difficulty of GU66, it is not required (the Destiny of Veliousexpansion is required). We recommend that your adventurer at least be equipped in Withered Lands or Skyshrine armor before diving into this update.

From EverQuest2.com:

All EQ2 Servers will come down on Tuesday, April 30, at 7:00 am Pacific Time* for Game Update 66: Scars of the Awakened. The expected downtime is three hours. Part of this maintenance will occur at the same time as a SOE-wide maintenance.

Game Update 66: SCARS OF THE AWAKENED
Update Notes

Ever vigilant, Norrathians march united under the banner of the New Combine army, deeper into the perilous continent of Velious.

Finally, the army breaches the borders of a region known as Cobalt Scar - a majestic, lush, but tormented region. And from within dark passages in the surrounding mountains, the inhabitants of Sirens Grotto beckon to all.

The first news heard from Cobalt Scar concerns tribes of Othmir that succumbed to an unfortunate fate that now threatens everyone. Further examination into the area will reveal a foreboding presence of the Awakened Legion, a force of evil that decimated dragonkind in the legendary city of Skyshrine.

Nearby, in the watery depths of Sirens Grotto - unseen by landwalkers for the ages – it is said that the caverns hold secrets of their own. And the beguiling siren coven known as the Darkwater Sisters will not give up those secrets easily.

All the while, the Ages End Prophecy looms with its promise to see Kerafyrm - Norrath's most evil, powerful dragon - bring a violent end to the world. Heroes from every corner of Norrath are called to explore this new land in Velious and fight for a future for all.

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Wednesday's sprawling two hour Critical Hit podcast with Nathan "Kaitheel" McCall is absolutely worth listening to, as Nathan goes into the best uses of design hours, what it takes to revamp zones such as Qeynos and Freeport, why the starting islands were removed, the importance of storytelling, and more.

But if you are a raider or otherwise into the mechanics and itemization of EQ2, and you listen to only one EQ2 podcast this month, it should be EQ2Talk Episode #63 with Kyle "Kander" Vallee. He goes into a lot of the thinking behind the upcoming update (and this fall's expansion), has some refreshing vision towards the future of EQ2, itemization and content design, and is very candid about some of the missteps in Chains of Eternity as well as other past changes.

All comments below are paraphrased from Kander's comments in the 1 hour 40 min podcast. Any errors in meaning are the fault of the editor.

Stat Consolidation

• If there is one thing Kander could go back and change about EQ2, he would never have gone along with Stat Consolidation (where each class has just one primary stat and then Stamina for increasing health).  The different benefits you got from each stat were some of the "meat and bones" of EQ2 and chasing different stats and having to make choices on which gear you equip added a lot of depth. We had a lot more choice itemization-wise. For example, building up Intelligence to increase poison damage for scouts.
• As far as Stat Consolidation, we're actually planning to head back in that direction as far as the next expansion to provide more choices. Right now, itemization feels a little bit stale. Players should need to think about their gear.

More after the jump...

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In case there are any doubts about just how big a deal EQNext will be at SOE Live, if you haven't already read it, Linda "Brasse" Carlson's SOE Live blog leaves no doubt on the subject:

This year, it’s all about EQ Next. The Dev team is madly writing code, making art, and preparing to reveal a ton of news about this long-anticipated game world. While we will do our best to livestream or record the keynote and panels, there is nothing that beats being there, in person, to get the breaking news and then ask your very own questions.

Player Panels were so popular that there was no doubt they'd make a comeback:

Keep an eye on the SOE Live schedule as we fill it out. May is the month for panels – dev has been asked to submit their sessions already, and in a week or two, we’ll open our call for player panel submissions!

After the jump, the remainder of her comments, plus beefcake!

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From EQ2 Zam:

EverQuest II's lastest game update, Scars of the Awakened, is right around the corner with new content for Norrathian crafters! Be sure to take your artisan to Cobalt Scar where Acting Supplymaster Grant could use a hand. Along the way you'll help the Othmir, save the day at the main camp, and help a mysterious dark elf. Your reward is a nifty set of gloves handed down the Bayle line. Be sure to check out our Cobalt Scar Crafting Series guide and the shopping list so you're not shy on resources.

Level 95 crafters will find that their Apprentices have some new ideas and need new equipment to get the job done. The new researched recipes will use Tier 10 resources and are set up so that while they require more reactants, those reactants aren't as hard to come by as they are in the level 80 recipes.

Tier 10 recipe books are being renamed to be consistent with other tiers. With GU66 all volumes will be available on the usual merchants, although the Advanced ones are quite expensive. It's important to note that you can still get these recipes adventuring and questing, and you don't have to buy them from an NPC to obtain them.

Game Update 66, Scars of the Awakened, is slated to hit live servers Tuesday April 30. Be sure to log in this weekend and get some of that bonus experience!

On Wednesday, April 24, 2013, the Zjeven from Critical Hit podcast interviewed EQ2 Assistant Lead Designer Nathan "Kaitheel" McCall about the upcoming Game Update 66: Scars of the Awakened.

Online Gaming Radio's website has been struggling a bit, so if you can't get the Podcast to download from them, I'm mirroring a copy here at EQ2Wire.

From Twitch.tv:

We’re just a few days away from the launch of EverQuest II’s 66th game update, Scars of the Awakened! Host and EverQuest II Producer Holly “Windstalker” Longdale interviews Akil “Lyndro” Hooper (Creative Director), Nandy "Zoltaroth" Szots (Lead Programmer), and Dave “Maevianiu” Kish (Senior Programmer) to share a few final details about “Scars,” as well as talk about what else the EQ2 team will be working on next! Have a question for the team? Make sure you share it on the EverQuest II forums!

From Twitch.tv:

If you live near a 7-11 (they used to be widely popular in the U.S., then mostly pulled out and moved into Europe, and are now slowly trickling back into the U.S.), then this StationCash deal may be of interest to you. We have not been able to confirm if this deal applies cards bought from European 7-11 locations (or if they carry the cards). While there are nearly 500 7-Eleven stores in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), I've confirmed that they do not carry the cards.

Stock Up Now!

Buy a SOE Pre-Paid Card at 7-Eleven and redeem it for Station Cash this weekend only to get Double SC!

Offer valid on redemptions from 12:01AM PDT April 27, 2013 to 11:59PM PDT April 28, 2013. Cards can be purchased in advance but must be purchased at 7-Eleven stores.

Time Zone Conversions

• PDT: Saturday April 27 @ 12:01am ~ Sunday April 28 @ 11:59pm
• EDT: Saturday April 27 @ 3:01am ~ Monday April 29 @ 2:59am
• BST: Saturday April 27 @ 8:01 ~ Monday April 29 @ 7:59
• CET: Saturday April 27 @ 9:01 ~ Monday April 29 @ 8:59
• AEST: Saturday April 27 @ 5:01pm ~ Monday April 30 @ 4:59pm

UPDATE: Looks like SOE has figured out a way to add days to months as their original headline said Double SC at 7-Eleven ran until 4/48.

It's official! SOE Live 2013 Registration is now OPEN!

SOE Live Gains a Few Hours

The planned events will sound familiar to SOE Live/Fan Faire veterans, but the schedule is a bit different.

The popular Player Panels are returning this year. But due to their popularity, and how crunched for time the devs have been in years past trying to squeeze everything in, you'll notice that SOE Live activities will spill out well into Sunday afternoon this year, with Developer and Player Panels stretching until 2pm. I'm booked to fly out at 12:30pm so hopefully there aren't any crucial panels I will miss. As it is, I'll have to duck out of the Dev Brunch early to hail a cab.

Give it a Rest!

It looks like SOE listened to us about the dueling Keynotes last year which meant that we were busy with activities on Thursday, Friday AND Saturday night, so the second Keynote has been pushed to Friday morning. Friday evening we have from 5pm-8pm completely free before the Pool Party starts.

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From the EQ2 Forums:

Get ready for next Tuesday's launch of Game Update 66: Scars of the Awakened with a Double Experience Weekend! Adventure, Tradeskill, AA, and Guild XP will be doubled from 12:00pm (Noon) Pacific* on Friday, April 26th through 11:59pm (Midnight) Pacific* on Sunday, April 28th.

Time Zone Conversions

• PDT: Friday April 26 @ Noon ~ Sunday April 28 @ 11:59pm
• EDT: Friday April 26 @ 3:00pm ~ Monday April 29 @ 2:59am
• BST: Friday April 26 @ 20:00 ~ Monday April 29 @ 7:59
• CET: Friday April 26 @ 21:00 ~ Monday April 29 @ 8:59
• AEST: Saturday April 27 @ 5:01am ~ Monday April 30 @ 4:59pm

This took a few months bit longer than anticipated, but at long last, EQ2Wire is now hosting a complete Forum Archive of the EQ2 Forums, as well as selected Station Forums.

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From Holly "Windstalker" Longdale on twitter:

We have more work to do on Player Studio House sales, so it won't be going live with the game update on 4/30. We'll update soon though! #eq2

— Holly Longdale (@WindstalkerEQ2) April 23, 2013

From out of left field, here is an announcement not from Sony Online Entertainment, but from a third party who are working hard on tools that will be used in EverQuest Next. A tip of the hat to ZAM who got this news first.

From an e-mail blast by Storybricks:

Hello world,

We just wanted to share another update this month. (Nothing for a while and then two updates in a month, this feels like Lithe and Whacking Day rolled into one!) But we really did not want to wait another week for this exciting news.

After several months of working together with Sony Online, we can finally reveal that we are collaborating on EverQuest Next. EQN is “the biggest sandbox ever designed” and we are extremely happy to be working on the most innovative MMORPG under development.

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It's only got 2 episodes under its belt, but already, Zjeven, host of the new Critical Hit! podcast has landed an interview with an EQ2 developer -- Nathan "Kaitheel" McCall, recently promoted Assistant Lead Designer for EverQuest II.

From the EQ2 Forums:

Tune in this Wednesday, April 24th at 9pm EST (6pm PST) for our live show where we will be interviewing Nathan “Kaitheel” McCall about the current state and future of EverQuest II!

Have any tough questions that you would like answered?
Ask them in the comments below, and we will ask them on the show! Keep in mind that Kaitheel is a zone, quest, lore, and holiday designer, so your questions should reflect that role.

We will see you on Wednesday!

If you didn't immediately rush to Google Planet Hollywood and explore their website when the new venue was announced for SOE Live 2013, well, SOE has put together some facts about this year's locale...

From the EQ2 Forums:

Join us this summer at our new SOE Live venue - Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas! Here are some highlights about our new home for these four fun-filled days in August:

• The Pleasure Pool - Our annual pool party will be taking place at Planet Hollywood's pool, "The Pleasure Pool," located on a sixth-floor rooftop! The pool area offers breathtaking views of the Las Vegas strip, including sights of the famous Bellagio fountains, located across the street.
• Miracle Mile Shops - Planet Hollywood is connected to the Miracle Mile of Shops, a grand shopping experience with a variety of stores and dining options, as well as live shows in the V Theater.
• Convention Area + Casino - The main convention area, where SOE Live will be held, is closely integrated with the casino area of the resort, so guests will be able to be part of the Vegas action while still staying close to SOE Live events!
• Central Strip Location - Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino is centrally located on the Las Vegas strip, which makes visiting other nearby hotels, restaurants, and attractions easy for all guests!

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From the Station forums:

On Thursday, April 25, 2013 we have two exciting webcasts scheduled for you:

4:00pm -- EQ2 Scars of the Awakened and More!

4:30pm -- SOE Live Registration Opens!

Our first broadcast is at 4 PM! We’re just a few days away from the launch of EverQuest II’s 66th game update, Scars of the Awakened! Host and EverQuest II Producer Holly “Windstalker” Longdale will interview Akil “Lyndro” Hooper (Creative Director), Tim “Haohmaru” Heydelaar (Art Director), and Dave “Maevianiu” Kish (Senior Programmer) to share a few final details about “Scars,” as well as talk about what else the EQ2 team will be working on next! Have a question for the team? Make sure you share it on the EverQuest II forums!

Then at 4:30, you’ve been asking us for months and now we’ve got it for you… registration is opening for SOE Live! Brasse will chat with Jen Belfield (Marketing Services Director) and Casey Roberts (Marketing Services and Events Specialist) to give you the details on registration, tournaments, panels, Live Quests, in-game items, the Keynotes, and MORE! Do you have SOE Live questions for the gals? We’ve got a place for you to ask them.

Join us on Thursday, April 25, 2013, at 4:00 p.m and 4:30 p.m. US Pacific Time* on Twitch TV! These webcasts are expected to last about 20 minutes each.

The EverQuest II servers send a lot of data to the game client, especially when a player is grouped with 23 others, all decked out in top end gear, adornments, and running potions, all triggering and multiplying heals, damage, and so forth. Years ago, this came to a head with Procs (built-in effects on items). They were critting, magnifying each other, and just creating a cascading mess of combat events which put a strain on servers and player's computers alike.

Fast forward to 2013 and while Procs have still been largely kept in check, the addition of more AAs, more Prestige abilities, and just more of everything has once again put us in a situation where the more powerful the raidforce, the more their computers choke on thick data milkshake of endless combat events.

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From the EQ2 Forums:

Last week, you got an inside look at Cobalt Scar on a tour with Haohmaru, ttobey, and Kaitheel. This week, we bring you an early look at the Siren's Grotto! Join Tim "Haohmaru" Heydelaar, Chris "Chrol" Garlick, and Christopher "Phatkins" Atkins as they take you through this new dungeon, coming with Game Update 66: Scars of the Awakened, which will be released on April 30.