Feldon
The Data Feeds (Census) panel is just starting in Las Vegas and Dethdlr and I will be presenting a talk about how EQ2U started and our plans for the future. The big news is, we are unveiling a feature we’ve been working on for some time — Achievements. I wanted to do this feature right, and further, I wanted it easier to read than both EQ2Players, and the in-game Achievements window. I hope you’ll agree that we’ve accomplished that! Go ahead and head over to EQ2U and check out the new Achieve tab on each character.
EQ2
Just starting the EQ2 Art & Animation panel. Dave “covic” Brown, Tom Tobey, Aaron “Gnobrin” Bisnett, Chris Myers Lotsa slides. This is a visual panel, so not going to be a lot of updates. How we create a 3D environment Showing a flythrough of a new outdoor 3D dungeon that’s being worked on. The expac will have 9 individual dungeons (not repurposed)
From the EQ2 Forums: ZONE PROGRESSION Raid zone timers have been returned to their previous states. Most are 2.8 days minimum and 7 days maximum. Plane of War is again 4.8 days minimum and 9 days maximum. Sleeper’s Tomb Updated shader on golem NPCs to address a crash issue. Players have pointed out that the minimum lockout timer for Plane of War was 2.8 days, so we’re not sure if this is a typo in the update notes, or if SOE is keeping PoW at a longer lockout until they can address the exploit.
From Akil “Lyndro” Hooper on the EQ2 Forums: I have an update! The actual fix is going to be riskier than we expected, and we want to take more time to make sure nothing explodes, so we’re going to roll back the zones to the way they were until we can get the fix to live. We are aiming to have the zones back the way they were on Thursday. Since I know it’ll be the next question, the fix is going to function outwardly the same way things do right now. There are going to be a couple...
From the EQ2 Forums: LIVE EVENTS Nights of the Dead The Troubling Truth – The Scarecrow King now has a reward chest for players level 91+.
I just received an e-mail indicating that the new Chains of Eternity expansion is available for pre-order at EverQuest2.com. Introducing Everquest II: Chains of Eternity™! This is the 9th expansion of the revolutionary EverQuest II franchise. This expansion contains must-have features such as level increases, prestige abilities and new game items only available with this expansion, such as adornments that become more powerful with your character. Also, explore new content in two overlands in the spirit realm, and experience adventure with new dungeons and quests. Put right the imbalance in the Ethernere!
According to Zoltaroth, the EQ2 team are looking into alternate solutions that would allow them to return to the soft timers. This would restore the ability to do raid zones in as little as 3 days or as long as 5 (or 7 or 9 depending on the zone). More as I have it…
Less than 72 hours before this year’s SOE Live fan gathering in Las Vegas, the EQ2 team have rushed a ham-handed fix for an exploit that, according to one player, has been present in the game since launch, and players have been exploiting for at least 5 years. From hennyo on EQ2 Flames: This is a bug that has been in the game since day one. The first time I heard of it being used was [Spirits of the Lost], but the first [expansion] I know it was extensively abused was [Echoes of Faydwer]. Even then though, most people...
From the EQ2 Forums: ZONE PROGRESSION / POPULATION Current Raid Zones Due to an exploit, raid zones now have a hard 2.8 day [ 2 days 20 hours] lockout timer. Timers will expire naturally and are no longer able to be reset. This will include all Velious and future Raid zones. Plane of War is now a hard 4.8 day [4 days 20 hours] lockout timer. Nu’roga Witch Doctor Bzegon now properly summons Crusader of Rok Nilok. ITEMS The proc Temporal Magnate will no longer function in PVP combat.
From the EQ2 Forums: Be on the lookout for frightfully fun items in the Marketplace, including a herd of unicorn mounts! One new unicorn mount will be released each week. Some of these items will be available year round. From Ahma on the EQ2 Forums: Some Nights of the Dead items on the Marketplace will be available for a limited time only, like the Tricks and Treats house decorations that have returned from previous years and the new cordon house decorations released this year. (This is a good chance to get your Spooky, Sinister, and Creepy Tricks and Treats...
From the EQ2 Forums: The skies darken and a blustery wind blows across the land, sending shivers down the spines of all Norrathians. Though it was long ago, the memory of the undead assaulting the city of Maj’Dul is strong. And goblins and ghouls and all things frightful are once again emerging from the shadows on the anniversary of this event! It’s time for Nights of the Dead! Whether you’re the crafting kind or a daring adventurer, there are new and exciting additions for 2012 as well as returning favorites! There’s something for everyone as all of Norrath comes...
From the EQ2 Forums: SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT BREAKS NEW GROUND WITH FIRST ‘WIKIA OFFICIAL COMMUNITY’ FOR UPCOMING MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER VIDEO GAME PLANETSIDE®2 Powered by the Fans, New Official Wiki Takes Community Collaboration to New Level with Tools that Support and Empower Players
It’s October which must mean it’s time for the annual Nights of the Dead celebration to return to Norrath. In addition to many past events, this year’s adventures include a totally new task — Ghost Hunting in Antonica and the Commonlands. Niami Denmother of EQ2Traders has turned out one of her operatic previews complete with copious photographic evidence of the new wares available during this season. Read “Diary of a Reformed Sugar Addict” at EQ2Traders >> Meanwhile, Cyliena and Calthine over at EQ2 ZAM has put in some serious hours testing and documenting this year’s Nights of the Dead...
From the EQ2 Forums: ITEMS Hoop of Draconic Fervor – fixed an issue with the heal/ward increase portion of this proc not applying. Vallon’s Chestplate of Cold Determination now has Wisdom additionally to its other stats. Sullon’s Rage Imbued Greaves of Slaughter are now chain armor. Classes that can use them remain the same.
For months, the question in my mind has not been IF, but WHEN the SOE forums would need to be replaced. On September 18th, word broke on the Vanguard forums that SOE will finally be leaving their crufty homegrown forum solution behind in favor of new forum software. After the jump, we look at why new forum software is absolutely imperative, and just what will happen to the millions of existing forum posts amassed over the last 5 1/2 years.
In the weeks or months leading up to a new Game Update or Expansion, players have come to expect the familiar call to Testers to try out new Group or Raid content. Sometimes a specific schedule is posted, with developer chaperones to monitor player reaction to encounters, zone design, and so forth. At other times, testing as at-your-own pace. Either way, Bug Reports are collected and placed in a queue to be fixed at some future date. If any “show stopping” bugs occurred during this Testing, such as a boss that would not spawn or could not be defeated,...
From the EQ2 Forums: POPULATION / ZONE PROGRESSION Sleeper’s Tomb: A Temporal Leap (Raid) Drakeen should hit significantly less hard with auto-attacks. Tower of Frozen Shadow (Raid) Killing Spectral Librarian Emiida and the Shadowed Tome of Ages Past should more reliably flag as completed when it comes to opening the portal to Tserrina. ITEMS Fixed a combine issue with Sullon’s Vengul Wrath. Kraden, Eradication Blade: The effect Reign of Terror will now proc properly. Earring of Dissonant Cries: The effect Glorious Rout no longer suggests that it debuffs crit bonus and now has riposte chance. Vallon’s Whetstone of Cunning...
From Ahma on the EQ2 Forums: Hey folks! As GM Feyodor said, this is a display issue only. People can win the Majestic Pridewing from the Goblin Games–and there are a number who have won it. The Pridewing is an elusive beast, though. Sorry for the confusion on the loot list. We’re getting that fixed right now.
Ok folks, let’s get those bugged Achievements fixed before the next expansion! If you have done all the tasks necessary to complete an Achievement, but it did not register, please visit the link below and post a report on the bugged achievement! From Gninja on the EQ2 Forums: I will be going throguh this list over the next few days in an attempt to get most of these fixed with the expansion release. If you know of any achievements that are not listed in this thread and are not currently updating please just post the name of the achievement...
Sorry for the lack of EQ2Wire updates, but I’m hard at work on another little data mining project that I think will be worth the effort. -Morgan
From the EQ2 Forums: GENERAL Fixed the double-click buying and selling functionality within the merchant windows. ABILITIES Paladin Paladin Faith Strike I and II will now properly heal the caster rather than the target. QUESTS Holgresh See in Withered Lands now has better rewards for brawlers and scouts.
We have identified a problem with responses to the Sleeper’s Tomb Survey on EQ2Wire. Specifically, after looking at timestamps, we have determined that through some automated means, nearly 200 answers were submitted within a span of a few minutes. This is highly suspicious and casts doubt on the veracity of the survey. It is unfortunate that someone would abuse the system to try to pad or discredit results. Further surveys will be conducted on EQ2Wire only after we are able to prevent duplicate voting by a combination of IP addresses, sessions, and/or cookies. UPDATE: I’ve gone through and removed...
From the EQ2 Forums: ITEMS The Qeynos Ceremonial Plate Helm should now have the correct appearance. Avatars: Evasion of a Dauntless Champion’s proc now has the proper icon. Avatars: Vallon’s Hoop of Concentrated Convergence’s effect, Concentrated Convergence, will now only drop if you take significant damage to your max health. Avatars: Rings of Planar Scrutiny – Scrutiny of the Hounds now also grants 1100 ability mod.
Brian Green, former developer on Meridian 59 (and currently on the Storybricks team), has posted an intriguing essay on the realities of Community Management for an MMO, the day-to-day challenges, and how it can go wrong if mishandled. At one time or another, I have made many of the same points as this article, but it is nice to see it all written down in one place. Many times people see community managers only as the people who post news about a game. Sometimes they’re derisively painted as the mouthpieces of developers or management, the hapless people who have...
NOTICE: We have identified a problem with responses to the Sleeper’s Tomb Survey on EQ2Wire. Specifically, after looking at timestamps, we have determined that through some automated means, approximately 180 answers were submitted within just a few minutes. This is highly suspicious and casts doubt on the veracity of the survey. It is unfortunate that someone would abuse the system to try to manipulate or discredit results. Further surveys will be conducted on EQ2Wire only after we are able to prevents duplicate voting by a combination of IP addresses, sessions, and/or cookies. UPDATE: The results of this survey have...