From Holly “Windstalker” Longdale on Twitter:

Standard servers in #EQ2 have double XP (AA/TS/Adventure) activated from now until the expansion launch on Nov. 17! (TLEs don't receive it.)

— Holly Longdale (@TheWindstalker) November 12, 2015

All servers in #EQ2 have double XP (AA/TS/Adventure) activated from now until the expansion launch on Nov. 17!

— Holly Longdale (@TheWindstalker) November 12, 2015

From the EQ2 Forums:

Norrathians! It is time once again to come together and celebrate all the years of questing, raiding, tradeskilling, house decorating, and socializing that we’ve shared. Come join the fun in the cities of Qeynos and Freeport!

There are new festival and Mischeva Event items available this year for either Tokens of Heroism or Micheva’s Tribute. Check with the Heroes’ Festival merchants in Freeport and Qeynos for items such as the “Final Dance of the Fey” or the various Aetoek and Enoxus Replicas.

All hail the Overlord – the Freeport City Festival returns to the Commonlands from November 1-7! Spend City Tokens on local specialties, generic festival goods, appearance clothing, or food & drink. Make sure all your characters have finished the Freeport Postage Collection, speak to Kella Swampfoot to assist with festival quests, and achieve 119 seconds or less in the local Aether Race to earn the Portal Jumper title.

Be sure to check in with the merchants to see if there’s any new items this month!

WHEN: 12:01am PT on November 1st – 11:59pm PT on November 7th
WHERE: Commonlands, near The Crossroads, /loc -563, -49, -427
QUESTS: Special Delivery, Special Order Crafting, Special Order Gathering
ACHIEVEMENTS: Delivery Ahoy, Harvesting Hoopla, Kella Caffeinated, Requisition Acclamation
MERCHANT ITEMS: EQ2 Traders | EQ2 Furniture

Announced yesterday on the EQ2 Forums:

As part of Fall Frenzy leading into our next expansion, we have something special planned for players every week as we lead into our launch.

Starting NOW and going until noon pacific on Friday, November 6, 2015 we’ll have double Ferrins activated in-game. This means double DOUBLE Ferrins for All-Access members!

Don’t miss your chance to stock up on Far Seas Ferrin this week!

As we head into the next expansion, we’ll have special promotions for players each week. Learn more about Fall Frenzy here!

From Dexella on the EQ2 Forums:

How’s everyone enjoying the FALL FRENZY? We’ve got another bonus for All Access members this weekend!

From 12:00PM (Noon) PDT on Friday, October 16 through 12:00PM (Noon) PDT on Sunday, October 18, All Access Members can get DOUBLE STATUS. The bonus will be available on all servers (including TLEs).

Hop into game and enjoy the bonus! Remember, Fall Frenzy is leading up to Terrors of Thalumbra. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

NOTE: This is, in effect, Double Guild XP.

Some people aren’t the slightest bit interested in what’s going on with Daybreak’s new offices or what kind of fun or silliness the EQ2 team had yesterday. They want to know when the heck the server mergers and expansion beta are happening and have no patience for anything else. If that’s you, then you’re not the target audience for this update…

Yesterday was the EverQuest II team’s big moving day from the buildings SOE has rented for nearly two decades to its brand new built-to-order digs across town. After a week of silence on the EQ2 forums, yesterday held a bountiful stream of rather silly tweets as the EQ2 team celebrated the 40th anniversary of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In fact an in-game event was turned on for all servers allowing players to face off against the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog as depicted in the film.

From the EQ2 Forums:

As you’re wandering through Norrath, you may have come across a sweet, non-aggressive (and non-targetable) rabbit or two… perhaps even an entire herd of them! Something has changed with these woodland creatures this week. You may want to run away… or run toward them, if you’re brave enough!… from now through 11:59PM PDT on Tuesday, October 20th.

A group of EverQuest II Developers recently came across one such Killer Rabbit in game, and they catalogued their adventure on Twitter:

The San Diego #Daybreakers are moving in to their new studio! We’ll be showing off pieces of the new space all week. pic.twitter.com/bEIkfRy9cO

— Daybreak Games (@DaybreakGames) October 13, 2015

From the EQ2 Forums:

How about some weekday BONUS EXPERIENCE for our All-Access members?

The +100% experience bonus for Adventure, Tradeskill and AA XP will turn on at noon PDT* on Monday, October 12, 2015and run until noon PDT on Friday, October 16, 2015!

Bonus XP will be available for All Access members on all traditional servers. While the bonus will not be available on Stormhold and Deathtoll, there are still exciting adventures awaiting All Access members on those special servers. Remember, you must be a member to access Time-Locked Expansion servers.

Not currently an All-Access member? Now’s the time to sign up!

Nights of the Dead is creeping into Norrath, and this year the merchants will be stocked up with new goodies (which Niami has pictures of over on EQ2 Traders) and costume illusions. Previous quest content and achievements make their return, and crafters now have a new recipe book to spook their house guests with. There are no new quests, collections, or achievements this year.

The event runs from 12:01am PT on Thursday, October 8, 2015 (3:01am ET) and concludes at 11:59pm PT on Monday, November 2, 2015 (2:59am ET on Nov 3rd). TLE servers are excluded from world events.

Credits

Note: No EQ/EQ2 Content

From DaybreakGames.com:

Hello Players, Partners, & Friends!

It’s been an eventful few months for us here at Daybreak and since our last update, we have been working diligently on our plans for fall and beyond. We wanted to take a moment to share some of these updates with you.

When Sony Online Entertainment became Daybreak Games in February, the 30-day/2000SC StationCash cards were discontinued and went out of production. Next week, the replacement DaybreakCash cards will be reaching retail stores. Interestingly, the new cards come in $25 and $50 denominations.

The snazzy new DaybreakCash website is a little vague on how these cards work for All Access subscription time. Fortunately we’ve learned through followup posts by Dexella that these new cards can redeemed for 30-day All Access subscriptions, DaybreakCash, or a mixture of the two. It will be interesting to see exactly how granular this control is (can a $25 card grant 50 days of All Access subscription?).

From the EQ2 Forums:

Beginning the week of October 12th, you will see the new Daybreak game cards at U.S. Best Buy, GameStop, and Toys R Us retailers. In November, the cards are scheduled to be available in Target locations across the U.S.

The new cash cards will come in two denominations: $25 and $50. There are four card designs in all and every retailer will get multiple copies of each card design. Collect the whole set!

Daybreak Cash is the in-game currency that unlocks thousands of cool items, services, and adventures in your favorite Daybreak Games. We appreciate your patience while we roll out these new cards, and we hope you enjoy them!

From Dexella on the EQ2 Forums:

There’s a chill in the air that can only mean one thing… Night of the Dead is about to return to Norrath! To prepare yourself for the arrival of ghould and ghosts, peruse the new spooky delights available in the in-game Marketplace! Here are just a few of the items available to get your in the spirit of things:

Personal Estate of Unrest

Who would dare reside in such a place? And what sort of horrors might be waiting in the rooms within? Find out by purchasing this Personal Estate of Unrest! Those screams sound like you’ll be hosting one killer Nights of the Dead party this year…

From the EQ2 Forums:

Ghosts and goblins, pumpkins and poltergeists, bats and broomsticks… it’s Halloween time here at Daybreak! We’ve got special themed in-game activities, new Marketplace treats, and a chance to win some Daybreak Cash – no tricks!

Daybreak Halloween Promotion: $25 Daybreak Cash Card Giveaway!

New Daybreak game cards will be hitting the shelves of U.S. retailers this month, and we want to give some away! We’ll randomly select ten (10) winners to each receive a $25 Daybreak Cash Card.

Here’s what you need to do:

This editorial is non-game specific and solely based on insights and opinions from its author.

One comment I receive a lot when I explain my job to others is “That’s awesome! How do I get into doing that?!” There is no perfect answer to this query, and despite how awesome working in this industry sounds and really is, it’s hard work and not quite as glamorous as you may be envisioning in your head.

Working on a gaming fan/press site requires a lot of dedication outside of game(s). We don’t actually spend most of our day playing these games for hours on end (unless we’re working on a review). Often, we find that there’s only a handful of time to spend in-game while dedicating the majority of our workday to emails, writing breaking news about games we may or may not actually play, writing guides, participating in social media, and so on. It doesn’t matter if you’re the editor-in-chief or a contributing writer; as a friend succinctly told me, “Everyone in the gaming press has to wear multiple hats, from the smallest fan site to the largest press operation.”

It’s time to grab some white marble – the Qeynos City Festival returns to Antonica from October 1-7! Spend City Tokens on local specialties, generic festival goods, appearance clothing, or food & drink. Make sure all your characters have finished the Qeynos Postage Collection, speak to Kella Swampfoot to assist with festival quests, and achieve 134 seconds or less in the local Aether Race to earn the Bridge Buzzer title.

Last month’s festival had new items, so check in with the merchants!

WHEN: 12:01am PT on October 1st – 11:59pm PT on October 7th
WHERE: Antonica, outside North Qeynos, /loc 6, -14, -61
QUESTS: Special Delivery, Special Order Crafting, Special Order Gathering
ACHIEVEMENTS: Delivery Ahoy, Harvesting Hoopla, Kella Caffeinated, Requisition Acclamation
MERCHANT ITEMS: EQ2 Traders | EQ2 Furniture | EQ2 Design Gallery

The second prelude quest leading up to EverQuest II’s twelfth expansion is now activated on all non-TLE EQ2 servers. This quest appeared on Test servers for several days and the discussion thread may be helpful to those looking for clues how to complete the quest.

Interestingly, the quest references the underground cities of Moradhim and Klik’anon which appeared in the now-sunsetted PS2 exclusive EverQuest Online Adventures (EQOA), which predates both EverQuest and EverQuest II. Moradhim and Klik’anon were the player starting cities of the Dwarves and Gnomes, respectively.

The good version of this prelude quest is Sundered Ground, an Investigation for the Order of Arcane while the evil version is Sundered Ground, an Investigation for The Spurned. Niami Denmother of EQ2Traders has also posted a Sundered Ground preview on her site. Completing either of these quests awards the title “the Undertok Dismantler“, status, and the recipe book [eq2u]Building on Sundered Ground[/eq2u] which makes a variety of stone house items.

From Windstalker’s twitter:

Starting now, TLE players in #EQ2 are getting a 35% discount on in-game store items until noon Oct. 1! (Decorators asked….)

— Holly Longdale (@TheWindstalker) September 21, 2015

From the EQ2 Forums:

Time-Locked Expansion server players rejoice, because you’ll get 35% Off items in the Marketplace until noon PDT* on Thursday, October 1, 2015!

What items will you pick up from the Marketplace during this period of huge savings on Stormhold and Deathtoll?

The monthly Moonlight Enchantments event begins tonight! The grottos open up on the 20th at 12:01am PT and close on the 21st at 11:59pm PT. The time applies directly with no conversion for all servers.

From the EQ2 Forums:

What if we told you that we’re offering DOUBLE EXPERIENCE to our All-Access members for a whole week?

The double experience bonus for Adventure, Tradeskill and AA XP will turn on at noon PDT* on Friday, September 18, 2015 and will last a full week! This means you have until noon PDT on Friday, September 25, 2015 to fill up those XP bars!

The Double XP bonuses will be available for All Access members on all traditional servers. While the bonus will not be available on Stormhold and Deathtoll, there are still exciting adventures awaiting All Access members on those special servers. Remember, you must be a member to access Time-Locked Expansion servers.

Not currently an All-Access member? Now’s the time to sign up!

EverQuest II’s twelfth expansion, coming in mid-November, will include the Altar of Malice expansion and Rum Cellar campaign. If you have recently resumed playing and can’t wait until then to play all this level 95-100 content, then now’s your chance to grab them at a 50% discount.

But perhaps the biggest audience for today’s 50% discount will be those players who missed out on the Striped Savage Pterodon mount, Elite Battle-Mystic Mercenary, 3 Gems of Armor Advancement, Prehistoric House Pet, and Mage Tower teleporter item for your house. If so, then the next two weeks are your last chance to get these items. This is the first time that the Altar of Malice Collector’s Edition has been discounted. Here’s the original announcement about what came with this release.

and here’s today’s announcement from the EQ2 Forums:

For the last three years, Player Panels have added another perspective to the expected Developer-led panels at the annual Fan Faire SOE Live conventions. Last year, an EQ2 player named Katanallama presented a standing room only (including two EQ2 devs) panel which cracked the code of EQ2 Macros and Advanced Combat Tracker triggers. The concepts can go deep, but he presents it in a way that any EQ2 player can grasp. During the panel there was a ton of great information shared and useful questions asked and answered. This video has now been posted on Youtube. Katanallama also posted a information-rich forum thread that further extrapolates on the concepts shown in the panel.

I’m sorry that it took me a year to get this video edited, produced, and uploaded. It does take about 10 hours of effort to get more complex videos with slides and transitions done and posted. There’s still one to go — the EQ2 Hardcore Decorating panel.

All day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday this Labor Day weekend, All Access customers will get to enjoy 100% Bonus XP on non-TLE servers.
From the EQ2 Forums:

This weekend is a great time to be an All Access member! Why? Because you’ll get DOUBLE XP (Adventure, Tradeskill, AA) all weekend long! The Double XP bonus will turn on at 12:01AM PDT on Saturday, September 5th and will last three full days. This means you have until 11:59PM PDT on Monday, September 7 to fill up those XP bars!

The Double XP bonuses will be available for All Access members on all traditional servers. While the bonus will not be available on Stormhold and Deathtoll, there are still mighty adventures awaiting All Access members there. Remember, you must be a member to access those special servers.

Not a member yet? Now’s the time to sign up: https://www.everquest2.com/membership

It’s time to stock up on blue marble – the Neriak City Festival returns to Darklight Wood from September 1-7! Spend City Tokens on local specialties, generic festival goods, appearance clothing, or food & drink. Make sure all your characters have finished the Neriak Postage Collection, speak to Kella Swampfoot to assist with festival quests, and achieve 89 seconds or less in the local Aether Race to earn the Fearless Flyer title.

Last month’s festival had new items, so check in with the merchants!

WHEN: 12:01am PT on September 1st – 11:59pm PT on September 7th
WHERE: Darklight Wood, outside Neriak, /loc -554, -53, -74
QUESTS: Special Delivery, Special Order Crafting, Special Order Gathering
ACHIEVEMENTS: Delivery Ahoy, Harvesting Hoopla, Kella Caffeinated, Requisition Acclamation
MERCHANT ITEMS: EQ2 Traders | EQ2 Furniture | EQ2 Design Gallery

Legends of Norrath hasn’t had a development team at SOE/DGC for a couple of years now, and the LoN forums were blown away by RadarX earlier this year without explanation, however the game continues to have diehard fans (including EQ2Talk’s Dellmon). This weekend, a Marketplace sale is being held for Legends of Norrrath booster packs and bundles as well as XP and Vitality potions for EQ2.

One problem: Legends of Norrath players are running into an issue where they are blocked from redeeming more than a few Legends of Norrath card packs after having purchased them.

UPDATE: Windstalker is now personally looking into this issue of being blocked from redeeming packs:

It looks like our fraud detection software got a little overloaded with LoN redemption over the weekend and some folks may have been unfairly flagged as fraudulent claimers. Our CS Team is aware of the issue and will work on it asap.

From Daybreak Games Content & Social Media Manager Dexella on the EQ2 Forums:

Hail Norrathians!

The heat of summer is slowly beginning to dissipate. Before we know it, the rustle of leaves and the chill of Nights of the Dead will fill the air, and soon after, the jingle of Santa Glug’s sleigh will be heard…

But summer has not left us yet! And to savor the last bits of August, there is a SALE this weekend in the Marketplace.

From 12:00PM (Noon) Pacific on Friday, August 28, 2015 through 12:00PM (Noon) Pacific on Monday, August 31, 2015 the following will be available at deep discounts:

• Legends of Norrath booster packs
• Legends of Norrath booster bundles
• XP Potions (including Vitality Potions on Stormhold & Deathtoll!)

EQ2 player Blade Parker reported the issue with being unable to redeem packs:

“You have been blocked from redeeming loot. Please contact support if you have any questions.”

I am receiving this error when trying to redeem my LoN loot. Is there any chance I can have my ticket addressed and be unblocked before the sale is over? I don’t really want to buy anymore if I’m not allowed to claim the loot. Thanks.

Alas Customer Service ticket response times are in the 5-7 days range, and all most of Daybreak Games’ Community team are currently in Seattle at PAX Prime, so there’s zero  little chance this will be resolved before the sale ends.

The Disney Norrath Vault is open and some 36 mounts which were previously only available from Legends of Norrath and other rare means are now available in the EQ2 Marketplace (most are also available on the Time-Locked Expansion servers) for just two weeks or until September 8th.

From the EQ2 Forums:

New Marketplace mounts are now available on all servers (INCLUDING the Time-Locked Expansion servers) for a limited time.

Look for these under the “Limited-Time Mounts” tab in the Marketplace. These can be purchased for 2499 Daybreak cash. Don’t hesitate, because all of these mounts will be retired to the Norrathian vault at noon PDT on Tuesday, September 8, 2015!

Which of these mounts are you most excited for?

Disappointed by a single screenshot? So were we, so we took screenshots of all of them….

The monthly Moonlight Enchantments event begins tonight! The grottos open up on the 20th at 12:01am PT and close on the 21st at 11:59pm PT. The time applies directly with no conversion for all servers.

Achievement: Shinies Beneath the Moonlight
Merchant Items: See on EQ2 Furniture | EQ2 Traders Corner | EQ2 Design Gallery