Feldon
The Nights of the Dead festival returns to Norrath today with a new quest and zone of mayhem as well as past events, craftable items, etc. Nights of the Dead is expected to run from Thursday, October 13 @ 12:01am PDT (08:01 BST) to November 7 @ 11:59 PST (07:59 BST). EQ2 ZAM has a detailed writeup of all the recurring Nights of the Dead quests, collectibles, and craftable items as well as what’s new this year. There are so many quests involved in Nights of the Dead that EQ2 ZAM provides a printable NoTD Quest Tracker for the...
From Yahoo News: TOKYO (AP) — Sony said Wednesday intruders staged a massive attempt to access user accounts on its PlayStation Network and other online entertainment services in the second major attack on its flagship gaming site this year. The Tokyo-based company temporarily locked about 93,000 accounts whose IDs and passwords were successfully ascertained by the blitz. Sony sent email notifications and password reset procedures to affected customers on the PlayStation Network, Sony Entertainment Network and Sony Online Entertainment services. Credit card numbers linked to the compromised accounts are not at risk, Sony said. It has “taken steps to...
If there’s one thing you don’t want to recycle, it’s passwords, as some EverQuest II players found recently out. I think we’re all guilty of using the same login and password on many different sites such as e-mail, bank websites, and yes our SOE acounts. Recently, attempts were made by outsiders to login to some 33,000 SOE accounts using login and password credentials taken from other websites. SOE and PSN detected these login attempts and have pre-emptively disabled any accounts that matched the login/password credentials stolen from websites not affiliated with Sony. Note: This appears to be unrelated to...
Here are your update notes for today, October 12, 2011: POPULATION / ZONE PROGRESSION All Drunder x4 raid zones Sullon’s Spire, Tallon’s Stronghold, and Vallon’s Tower: The named boss NPCs do less damage and have slightly lower health. Tallon’s Stronghold x4 raid zone [non-challenge] The banners that spawn during the Tyrax Terrolus fight now have less health.
With today’s update, the entirely optional Beastlord Prelude #2 quest goes live. It provides an explanation for where Beastlords have been and why they’re now returning to Norrath. Don’t worry — whether you complete these brief lore quests or not, anyone who purchases the EverQuest II: Age of Discovery expansion (when it goes on sale) will be able to create new Beastlords in November. More controversial in today’s update is the removal of any “shard” cost from Thurgadin and Ry’Gorr armor. You can expect crafters to be exceedingly busy today as they fulfill orders for full sets of Thurgadin...
Here are the results of our Wednesday survey EQ2Wire Asks: Will You Use Dungeon Finder? Results are as of Oct 10, 2011 01:00 PDT. Do you think the Dungeon Finder will be popular? Definitely . 359 Votes (30%) Possibly . 435 Votes (36%) Probably Not . 285 Votes (24%) Definitely Not . 106 Votes (8%) Total Votes: 1185
This week we’ve seen the introduction of the Dungeon Finder, and what may be the end of “Shards” (Void Shards, Marks of Manaar, and Primal Velium Shards), at least for acquiring sets of armor. Primal Velium Shards First, let’s tackle the removal of Primal Velium Shards from the “shard armor” equation. The EQ2 team continues the minimalist approach to discussing and announcing mechanics changes, with this reactionary explanation from Gninja: The Thurgadin, Ry’gorr, and Drunder armor sets are direct upgrades to each other. They should scale in difficulty to obtain and that difficulty was off. That was one of...
Kwill
Something that we can never forget, is that when we play an MMO, we play with real people. Most of the time, our relationships with our fellow players are superficial. Sometimes, real friendships form, and outlast the dragon slaying. But it’s those chance encounters, those brief moments when the paths of human beings cross for just a few moments, that brings into focus the reality of human relationships in a world where we choose just how much we want to reveal about ourselves.
SOE has been exceedingly tight-lipped about the upcoming EverQuest II: Age of Discovery expansion, now just 5-6 weeks away by our estimates. In the process of searching for any kind of official press releases, we found two sites which covered EverQuest II at Fan Faire that we hadn’t seen mentioned before. Did you know that MMORPG.com interviewed Dave Georgeson about the EverQuest II: Age of Discovery expansion during Fan Faire? Did you know GameTrailers did a 4:54 interview with Dave Georgeson at this year’s Fan Faire where he talks about Design Your Own Dungeon?
Here are your Update Notes for Friday, October 7, 2011: DUNGEON FINDER You will no longer lose infamy (a PvP stat) when joining a dungeon finder group. The dungeon Cauldron Hollow should now be listed as a 30-40 dungeon instead of 30-45. Meanwhile on the Test and Test Copy servers, a new feature which will help with Dungeon Finder: Sentinel’s Fate and Destiny of Velious dungeons now have mission givers located within the entrance of the zones.
EQ2Wire wants to know… Will you use the Dungeon Finder? Will your friends? Take the reader survey and we’ll publish the anonymous results soon!
From EverQuest2.com: You asked for it – we delivered! The Dungeon Finder matchmaking system for EverQuest II is finally here! No longer will you have to scour the Looking for Group, Trade, or Auction channels to find a dungeon group. We’ve developed an amazing tool that does the work for you. All you need is to come prepared with your best adventuring outfit and rations.
Tomorrow’s Update brings us a positively reviewed revamp to the Troubador class, as well as a nerf rebalancing of the Dirge mythical effect. However the biggest feature in Thursday’s patch is the widely anticipated Dungeon Finder group-forming tool. Dungeon Finder will be isolated to each server at first, becoming cross-server at some point in the future. This update does not include the controversial removal of Primal Velium Shards from heroic armor. That change will likely go in next week.
We are very pleased to share the news that SOE Pre-Paid Game Cards are now available for purchase at retailers in Europe! Help us celebrate the launch of SOE Pre-Paid Game Cards in Europe! Redeem SOE Pre-Paid Game Cards anytime between October 7th, 2011 and October 10th, 2011 to get Double SC. Redeem between 12:01 am CET Oct. 7, 2011 and 11:59 pm CET Oct. 10, 2011; offer valid only through redemption of SOE Pre-Paid PC Game Cards purchased from participating retailers in Europe. Visit www.soe.com/gamecards/retailers for European retailers and game card information. According to SOE’s Game Card Availability...
From EverQuest2.com: Beginning October 6, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. US Pacific login for all servers, subscription and commerce services will be unavailable for maintenance. We expect this maintenance to take approximately an hour and a half. This may also cause some forum accounts to temporarily lose permissions, due to the inability to verify account status while the maintenance is taking place. This is only temporary and normal permissions will return automatically once the maintenance is complete.
No sooner than we’ve posted a long-simmering article about Velious’ steep heroic progression than changes have hit Test which could turn EQ2’s heroic progression on its ear. Brace yourself. Everything you know about Velious shard armor is about to change.
From Rothgar on the EQ2 Forums: What are your current concerns with the state of PvP in EQ2? Separation of PvP/PvE stats? PvP Mechanics? Warfronts? Battlegrounds? Flying Mounts? Population? Something else? Feel free to prioritize them in a list such as the one above. Rothgar‘s thread has also served as a great literacy test. Most players have responded with novel-length feedback.
Nights of the Dead returns to Norrath next Thursday October 13th through November 7th with new quests, new crafted items, and more fun. Nights of the Dead 2011 Preview @ EQ2Traders New Nights of the Dead 2011 Crafted Items “plants vs zombies” event image courtesy EQ2Traders
Are you spending much time in Kael Drakkel? Drunder? Elements of War? That’s ok, neither are most other people. EQ2 has a storied history of challenging dungeons. Players who have been around since the Fallen Dynasty fondly recall Nizara for its breathtaking challenge. Echoes of Faydwer delivered the instant classic Estate of Unrest. Kunark followed up with the mid-summer release of Veksar 2 and Runnyeye 2 (both forerunners of so-called Hard Mode zones). The Shadow Odyssey had a pair of zingers — Ruins of Guk and the Palace of Ferzhul. However no EverQuest II expansion has played host to...
Today’s update removes the need for Critical Mitigation from Velious overland zones, as well as Kael Drakkel: Throne of Storms and the Temple of Rallos Zek (non-challenge). From the EQ2 Forums: POPULATION / ZONE PROGRESSION Sullon, Tallon and Vallon x4 raid zones (challenge versions) Many of the adds in the boss encounters now have reduced health. Sullon, Tallon and Vallon x4 raid zones (non-challenge versions) In the non-challenge instances of these raid zones NPC bosses now have less health and do somewhat less damage with their melee attacks and spells. Temple of Rallos Zek: Foundations of Stone [Challenge] The...
Reversing yesterday’s odd changes to the Zek and Drunder Breastplates, here Today’s Update Notes for September 28, 2011: ITEMS Temple of Rallos Zek non-challenge BP mitigation values should be fixed. Temple of Rallos Zek non-challenge BP crit mit should be at 34%. Talisman of the Ethernauts should work for real this time. Fixed crit mit values on Elements of War caster legs and forearms. Fixed the stats on the Feinting Dagger of the Cunning Gambit and Feinting Blade of the Cunning Gambit.
Yesterday, Test received an update with these auspicious line items: Kael and Drunder group BPs have been modified to better fit within the progression. Temple of Rallos Zek Raid Hard mode BPs have had their power increased. The result of these changes, however, has been less than desirable. The Mitigation (not crit mit, but the basic mitigation) of all the Breastplates (Robes, Cuirassen, Hauberks, Gis, Tunics, etc.) from Kael Drakkel: Fortress Spire and Drunder: Tower of Tactics has been reduced by over 90%.
From the EQ2 Forums: Beginning September 29, 2011 at 6:00 a.m. PDT subscription and commerce services will be unavailable for maintenance. We expect this maintenance to take approximately two and half hours. This may also cause some forum accounts to temporarily lose permissions, due to the inability to verify account status while the maintenance is taking place. This is only temporary and normal permissions will return automatically once the maintenance is complete. We apologize for this interruption and will resume all affected services as soon as the maintenance is completed. Time Zone Calculations: PDT: September 29, 2011 at 6:00~8:30...
From the EQ2 Forums: HOUSE RATING SYSTEM The House Rating System has been modified to use the median value of all ratings instead of a simple average. This will reduce the effect caused by players leaving extremely low or extremely high values that are outside of the norm for that house. POPULATION / ZONE PROGRESSION Kylong Plains Gregor Footstomper, Warlord Di’Ouz, Gorguolatha and Widow Mistress Xalthira in Kylong Plains should now drop treasure. Nektulos All Griffin flight paths in Nektulos will now function properly. ITEMS Fixed an issue where the incorrect leg shader would appear when wearing kilts. The...
From EverQuest2.com: Brell Serilis is in search of more treasure to expand his vault! He has selected some treasures from the EverQuest II Marketplace to add to the hoard of valuables locked in his vault deep underground. Get select items now before Brell locks them away on October 2, 2011. Items placed in the Vault of Serilis won’t be available for purchase until at least sometime next year. Visit the Marketplace and select Vault of Serilis to get these items now! The list of items being mothballed put aside until 2012 can be read at EverQuest2.com or in-game in...