The latest news story on EverQuest2.com (formerly EQ2Players.com) is an article about a new SOE marketing program called “SOE Super Fan Days“. After reading the article, I still have some questions, especially as I am now stationed in Europe, where StationCash cards are not available. There seem to be two aspects to this promotion.

First, is that every day, one SOE game will have a special item that is 50% off. So on one day, it seems EQ2 will have 1 item for 50% off the StationCash price.

Second, it seems that under some circumstance(s), StationCash can be purchased at half price. It’s not clear which circumstances, and understanding is further clouded by the fine print:

Promotion does not include purchases made via SMS or pre-paid cards. See promotional email for details.

We haven’t seen the e-mail, but when we do, we’ll update this article as needed.

I hope you got a chance to test all those changes on the Test Server over the weekend, cause they went live today. Once we sorted through the formatting of said Update notes, we were able to determine that the changes cover a broad spectrum of gameplay elements, including solving crashes related to Voice Chat, Battlegrounds tweaks, etc. The most notable line item might be a fix to a potential exploit in Roehn Theer as we discussed over the weekend.

Your Update Notes for November 2, 2010 after the jump…

EQ2 Test Update Notes give a glimpse of what changes we may expect in the future of EQ2. They are always subject to change, sometimes due to player input, sometimes because an item is not ready to go live yet (i.e. Multi Attack over 100%). We nevertheless keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the EQ2 Test Update Notes and occasionally present that information here.

The detailed Test Update Notes, which can be found on the EQ2 Forums, contain numerous tweaks and fixes large and small. October 28th’s notes reference the Currency window, Tradeskill Writs, Stonewill effects, Heroic Resistance effects, LoN-dropped Petamorph wands, the Heroes Festival, and Battlegrounds. Pretty routine stuff. But a line item in these Test Notes was brought to our attention which may have a substantial impact on Raid Progression:

It should no longer be possible to bug the swarm adds portion of the Roehn Theer fight.

Roehn Theer is a unique fight in that the difficulty is chosen by the raid and there are 1, 2, 3, and 4-rune versions, each adding an additional effect the raid force must survive.

EQ2Wire Mailbox: For those guilds that are taking down the 3- and 4- rune versions of Roehn Theer, will this change affect your raid force? If so, is this an unnecessary roadblock, or a well-considered exploit closure? We’d like to hear your comments!

Today’s hotfix notes include the ability to relocate your City Bind Point to any city you are aligned with, more crafted Marks of Manaar equipment, and other changes to live events and raids.

A few players have reported issues with not earning the +50% bonus on Guild XP. I can confirm that it’s working on adventure writs in Kylong Plains, but other players have posted results indicating that doing Tradeskill Rush Orders in instances (Guild Halls, instance ‘tradeskill cellars’, etc.) may not receive this bonus.

We strongly suggest checking to make sure that you are receiving a message like this before spending hours doing writs:

Your guild has received 1961 status which includes a 50% server bonus!

UPDATE: Since the publication of this article, we have learned that several Heritage Quests, writs, etc. are not providing the +50% Bonus Guild XP. As this was the first bonus Guild XP weekend, no doubt notes are being taken to fix some of these issues for the future.

Is it time to just rip off the Band-Aid™ and be done with it?

Unannounced in this week’s additions to the StationCash Marketplace were the addition of in-game merchant-bought arrows (no great shakes compared to woodworker-made ones) to the StationCash Marketplace. When prompted on the EQ2 Forums, EQ2 Senior Producer Dave “SmokeJumper” Georgeson had this response:

They’re just the basic arrows you can get from merchants. It’s a convenience thing for folks that run out of arrows in the field.

and later in a similar topic in the Tradeskills forum:

It’s pure convenience. Some players are willing to spend a buck to avoid leaving a raid or dungeon to resupply with arrows.

Player response has varied from “Get this crap off the live servers and put it back on EQ2X“, to “if my group/raid expects me to buy items from the Marketplace to stay competitive, I’ll tell them to pound sand” to “Why not just rip off the Band-Aid and put RMT on the live servers, since that’s where we’re headed anyway.”

UPDATE: In response to player concerns, these arrows have been removed from the StationCash Marketplace. From SmokeJumper:

We never intended to start a fight here, folks.

They’re removed.

I think SOE have demonstrated a lack of self-discipline in what items they will add to the Marketplace. They’ve continued to push the envelope, seemingly until players will accept full RMT on the live servers. Is it time to just rip off the Band-Aid and go full RMT on the live servers? Most of you probably clicked delete on this weekend’s announcement that Pirates of the Burning Sea is going full RMT/Free-to-Play. I read it with interest, because it’s like a pair of binoculars (or a spyglass and sextant, if you will) into the future of EQ2, EQ2Next, and beyond.

The community team will be hosting a Nights of the Dead Masquerade Ball on the Test Copy server.  Go to the docks in Sinking Sands at the proper time and date and take the portal to the community lounge.  Find out when, after the break.

From Everquest2.com:

Challenge: To celebrate Halloween, we’re holding a Pumpkin Carving Forum Challenge. Carve a pumpkin related to the SOE game you play and take pictures of the process. Upload the pictures to an external site, then submit them to us for review. Now, let’s get to carving!

Duration: Submissions for this forum challenge start on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 and end on Tuesday November 2, 2010 at 10am PDT. (PDT is -7 hours GMT: 11:00 am MDT, 12:00 pm CDT, 1:00 pm EDT, 5:00 pm GMT)

A few months back, the frequency of StationCash item introductions was increased from a monthly schedule to a bi-weekly schedule. If EQ2Wire reported on all of these items, then 50% of our articles would be about items that, quite frankly, a lot of our readers aren’t that wild about. There was a time when $14.99 paid the bills, kept the lights on, and paid the staff. I’m not sure when we strayed from that.

But sometimes, an SC item is cool enough to warrant mentioning here, especially when it comes with cool art. There is a dearth of cool-looking mounts in EQ2. So this might help…

We leave it up to the reader to decide whether 2500SC (normally $25; $12.50 if you stocked up on SC during a double SC weekend) is reasonable for a large animated skeleton. 😉

From EverQuest2.com.

It’s a Bonus Guild XP Weekend!

Starting at 5:00 pm (PDT) on Friday, October 22nd and ending at 10:00 am (PDT) on Monday, October 25th, players in EQII and EQ2X can gain a 50% bonus on guild XP!

Get out there and level up, and enjoy hearing those dings come 50% faster. But don’t wait; the weekend will be over before you know it. Enjoy!

This promotion will run from Friday, October 22 at 5PM PDT (Sunday 02:00 GMT) until Monday, October 25th at 10AM PDT (17:00 GMT).

Discuss this on the EQ2 Forums

As we previously reported, with GU58, the guild XP levels were evened out to get rid of the hell levels.  Depending on where your guild was in relation to the closest hell level, you may have gained guild levels or lost progress in your current level.  In the grand scheme of getting to level 90, just about everybody ended up better off.  In the grand scheme of making it to the NEXT level, which could have been your long term goal, some guilds lost progress. 

In an effort to make up for this (I assume), SOE has decided to have a Bonus Guild XP weekend.  I’ve been holding off posting this until the official announcement was made.  However, since it’s getting pretty close to start time, I thought it would be better to go ahead and get the word out so people can plan accordingly.  Rothgar posted this on the official forums:

This weekend there will be a guild status bonus weekend where all status that you earn will increase your guild’s XP by 50%.  For example, if you complete a writ that awards you 10,000 status, normally your guild will receive 1000 status (xp).  With the 50% bonus you’ll still receive 10,000 personal status, but the guild will instead receive 1500 status.

The promotion will run from 5pm Friday night until 10am Monday morning (PST).  Look for the official announcement coming soon.

Just remember, grinding tradeskill writs not only gets you guild XP and city tokens, you also make a small profit. 🙂

Here are your update notes for Thursday, 21 October 2010 after the break:

Here are your update notes for Tuesday, 19 October 2010 after the break:

Initially released in an email message sent out to players and posted on the official forums by Xalmat, word comes to us that the long awaited server merges will begin on 16 November 2010. The following servers will be merged: 

• Nektulos merges into Guk
• Najena merges into Unrest
• Befallen merges into Oasis
• Blackburrow merges into Everfrost
• Mistmoore merges into Permafrost
• Kithicor merges into Butcherblock
• Runnyeye merges into Splitpaw (UK)
• Innovation merges into Valor (DE)

More info after the break…

The EQ2 Community Team is hosting a unique decorating challenge for Nights of the Dead this year.  You create a new character on the Test Copy server in Neriak and post a response in this thread on the official forums.  The EQ2 Community Team will then give you supplies to work with and PM you when you have your supplies.  Use the provided supplies to purchase a house at 1 Walk of the Dead and purchase items from a special merchant just outside the house.  You then have until the 25th at 6pm PDT to finish decorating your new home.  Further details after the break:

SOE wants to know where and when people would prefer to have Fan Faire 2011.  Your choices are Vegas or Vegas.  Go vote for your prefered hotel and dates.   Amnerys posted this on the official forums:

It’s that time again folks! Time to tell us where and when you want to attend Fan Faire 2011! We have two choices for you, both of them in Las Vegas. The first one sends us back to Bally’s, July 7th through the 9th. The other option takes us to the Hilton, August 4th through the 6th. Head on over to the Fan Faire forums to vote in the official poll and let us know which dates you prefer.

The poll includes hotel room prices, as well, to help you make your decision. Registration prices will be announced at a later date.

Thanks so much for your input on this year’s Fan Faire! We can’t wait to see you there, at whichever option is chosen!

Everquest2.com has a news items up anouncing this years Nights of the Dead live event:

It’s time to enjoy spooks, frights and other creepy festivities in Norrath! Beginning at at 12:01am PDT Thursday, October 14th and running until 11:59pm Monday, November 8th, the Nights of the Dead celebration brings a bit of seasonal fun to adventurers of all levels!

Nights of the Dead summons goblins and ghoulies out of the shadows of Norrath. Those inclined to celebrate the holiday through crafting will find a new book of recipes full of new house items being sold by official event merchants. Those feeling more adventurous can trick-or-treat within Qeynos or Freeport or investigate the multiple haunted locations! But be wary of the strange illness that has been reported near the docks in Nektulos Forest, and of the headless guardsman that has been rumored to wander the paths of the forest, too!

New for 2010:

• Be sure to visit New Halas as they join in the celebration this year.
• Show your holiday spirit with the new “Nights of the Dead Devotee” quest and get the dish on its cool reward.
• New rewards for some of the returning Nights of the Dead events.
• Check out the new costume illusions, a new recipe book and new house items available from Nights of the Dead merchants.
• The Headless Horseman is back and tougher than ever, and he’s carrying some new loot in his pack.
• Wandering through Nektulos Forest might provide some spooky fun, too!

Here are your update notes for 14 October 2010 after the break:

Hiding in every Game Update, there are changes that go through that are either undocumented, or otherwise slip under the radar. Some of them appear as a single line item in the Update Notes, but have significant ramifications. Some don’t appear at all. Today, we shed some light on these changes.

If you have been /feedbacking to the EQ2 team for years that you would be ready, willing, and eager to sell family members, limbs, or just pony up a few extra bucks to increase your house item limit, then I have some great news.

If, however, you hate StationCash and everything it stands for, and SOE will never get a penny of your money over the $14.99 (or less depending on your subscription plan), then I have some bad news.

But first, let’s look at some cool changes to housing in Game Update 58. 😉

Update: This has been pushed to Wednesday.  Unknown if the update notes will stay the same.

The current estimated down time is 3:15 PDT with an uptime of 4:00 PDT 12 October 2010.  Here are your hotfix notes for the downtime:

GENERAL

• Fixed a bug causing the client to crash when using a third-party UI that hasn’t implemented the mount or currency windows.
• Fixed a server side crash bug.

SmokeJumper posted this on the EQ2X forums:

Silver members can now buy items from the Broker.

They still need to purchase broker credits to *place* items onto the Broker, but they now have unlimited capacity to BUY from the Broker.

Enjoy!

Wondering why the XP bar for your guild went down with GU58?  Don’t worry, you’re actually closer to level 90 than you were before.  Rothgar explains on the official forums:

Your XP value behind the scenes, which is some number like 183627, did not change unless your level would have gone down.  For example, that number may have put you at 54 prior to the change but would now put you at 52.  In this case, we added XP to the number to increase you to level 54 but it would look like you lost progress in 54 when in fact you would have been 52 on the new curve.  The total amount of XP needed to get to 90 was lessened, so you are now further along than you would have been before.

In some cases, depending on where you were in the curve, you just passed a hell level and will now be further along than you were before.

Regardless of what the progress bar shows, when you reach level 90, everyone will have put in the same amount of work.  It just depends on whether or not you’ve already been through the “hell levels”.

I’m really sorry this is confusing and looks like you’ve lost XP, but everyone should have benefited from this change in the long run.

If its not already as clear as mud, to summarize:

If your guild looks like you lost XP on the progress bar, you were one of the guilds who had XP added to get you up to your old level when you would have been behind.

If your guild gained levels after this, you unfortunately didn’t receive any “free xp”, but since you just went through a hell level that required more XP than the other levels, you now are higher than you were before.

Prior to GU58, totems didn’t stack.  If you wanted to sell large quantities of these, you could get a Jewelry Box and stuff a bunch of them in there to sell.

With GU58, new totems now stack up to 100 (old ones remain the same).  Because of this, they no longer fit into Jewelry Boxes, they go in Potion Cabinets.  DominoDev explained this on the official forums:

Due to the new format of the totems (essentially acting like potions, and stacking) they are now considered potions by the sales crates and would now fit into a potion cabinet instead of a jewelry box.  Apologies for the confusion, it hadn’t occurred to me that this would be a side effect of the change or I would have called it out in advance.

Update: Apparently, this change currently only applies to the following totems:  Fearstalker, Void, Otter, Jaguar, Butterfly, Owl, Turlte, Chameleon, and Escape.  I’m sure this will change one way or another eventually.

Once GU58 went live, some users reported crashing while using Profit UI.  Rothgar loaded up Profit to see if he could reproduce the problem.  Fairly quickly he came up with a work around.  Amnerys posted this note on the official forums:

Some players are reporting a crashing issue after today’s update. If you are experiencing this, here’s some info from Lead Programmer, Rothgar:

The crash is related to having a UI without the Mount tab.  We will have a fix for it as soon as possible but in the meantime, you can delete your eq2ui_mainhud_persona.xml file from your custom directory and revert back to the standard Character window.

They intend on having some short downtime later today to patch in a server side fix for this as well.

It should be noted that this workaround will also get you the new currency and mount tabs regardless of which custom UI you are using if the author hasn’t updated their UI to be GU58 compliant.  By deleting this file from your custom UI folder you are telling the game to revert back to the default version of that window which contains the new tabs.  This is the same thing that my GU58 bandaid patch does for FetishNightfall.

Profit has apparently been updated for GU58 but it seems as though you may need to manually drop in some files from TalTal to get it to work properly.

Update:  SmokeJumper just posted this on the official EQ2X forums.  Basically, by telling people to delete their eq2.ini file, he’s telling them to not run Profit until after today’s patch since that’s where the game reads which UI it should load.  If it doesn’t find this file, it loads the default UI.  Not sure all this is needed since I’m pretty sure the workaround above would work fine but here goes just in case it’s helpful to someone out there.  In his instructions, replace Freeport with the name of your server:

I don’t know if this has been posted on these forums yet, so here goes:

If you are running Profit UI, then there is a crash issue. We have it fixed and will be updating the servers in a couple hours with the fix…however…in the meantime:

You may want to make backups and then delete the following files and folders from your game folder:
cache folder
eq2_recent.ini
eq2_default.ini
EverQuest2.exe
eq2.ini

As well as the character specific files, these will appear as such:
Freeport_CharacterName_EQ2_uisettings.ini
Freeport_characters.ini

That will let you run the game now, and then after today’s update, you can restore those files back into your game folder and run Profit normally.

If you are crashing and NOT running Profit UI, please speak up!

Update 2: Reading through some of the threads about crashing clients, people are reporting the same crashes with the default UI.  If the game is crashing on you repeatedly and you’ve tried the steps above already, it might be a good time to find a good book until the server patch a few hours from now.  Looks like this one really caught them off guard.  I tried it out on Test this Saturday and it was working fine.