From Silius on the EQ2 Forums:

Hello again,

I just wanted to update everyone on the situation. We will be unable to get this fix live until Tuesday. Once again I am sorry for the inconvenience but I offer some assistance. If you are unable to get into the same instance please do the following:

1. Have your raid leader petition so their is only one petition generated for the raid.

2. Place the petition in the stuck character category.

The CS team is aware of this issue and they will do their best to promptly assist by pulling everyone into the same instance. There is no guarantee that they will be able to get to you quickly so I ask that you please be patient. While not an ideal solution, I hope that this is a satisfactory compromise and that you will extinguish your torches and lay down your pitchforks.

The hits keep coming for GU57, and we don’t mean critical heals. Some quick updates on GU57 from the overnight dev responses all in one handy post…

Players on a variety of servers (in two different threads) have reported that yesterday’s change to how players reach the Palace of Roehn Theer, requiring each player to individually click on the zone-in, instead of a raidwide zone-in, is resulting in multiple separate instances.

Currently there seems to be no fix, as even players who zone in one-at-a-time are still ending up in separate instances and must wait 30 minutes before their timers reset.

Players on standard EQ2 accounts with more than 7 characters in a region, or players on Station Access accounts with more than 12 characters in a region were locked out of accessing these “hidden” characters with a change in Game Update 57. Although intended to close an exploit, the primary motivation for this change has been to protect the monetization of character slots, which are for sale on EQ2 Extended servers.

Note: This change has been rolled back as of Tuesday, August 24th, to allow players to “get their house in order”. On Tuesday, August 31st, players who have more characters than are allowed by their account type will only have the option of deleting characters to access “hidden” characters. The /camp command will not load any character not visible on the character select screen, and changes to the character list INI file will be ignored.

If you have no more than 7 EQ2 characters on your EQ2 account, or no more than 12 EQ2 characters on your Station Account, you do not need to do anything.

If you haven’t read the Game Update 57 Feedback thread, it’s a real eye-opener, let me tell you.

I have always seen players who manage find a silver lining in every cloud, and always find something good in each Game Update, even the relatively content-light Game Update 54 “bug stomp” from last fall. However I have never seen such universal negativity as that directed towards Game Update 57. Players have overwhelmingly expressed their distaste for many policy initiatives included, and content excluded in GU57.

Game Update 57 added an interesting new UI feature. As you gain adventure levels, newer spells are now supposed to replace the previous tier’s spell on your hotbar. For instance, if you have Roped Shot III and you gain the requisite level, Roped Shot IV would replace it on your hotbar.

However two things are happening.

• First, the new spells acquired from leveling are replacing random existing spells on your hotbars.

• Second, Master spells are being replaced by Apprentice spells of the next tier. This is ok in the 30’s and possibly 40’s, but beyond this level range, Apprentice spells will almost always be a downgrade over the previous tier’s Master.

Here is Gninja‘s response on this issue:

There is actually a bug currently where spells and/or abilities are replacing the wrong versions. We are looking into it. The way it should work is it should only replace it if it actually a higher quality spell of the same type.

I file this change under completely unnecessary and possibly more confusing than the old method. I’ve always sequestered new Apprentice spells into their own hotbar until such point that I can login my sage, alchemist, or jeweler to craft Expert (Adept III) versions of those spells.

Ah… the Shadow Odyssey. The land of milk and honey… The lost dungeons of… ok I’ll stop now.

Ask players of EQ2 during the Shadow Odyssey what they thought of the expansion, and you’ll get many different responses.

Ask a developer of the Shadow Odyssey for their frank opinion, and I bet you’d get something like “Ah yes, every level 80 player fully decked out in T2 heroic gear, fabled jewelry, and all carrying bagfuls of platinum coins.”

On April 14, 2009, a new Welcome Screen was added to EQ2. It was pitched to the players as an informational window with a small amount of StationCash Marketplace content. There was a lot of negative player reaction, but feedback was balanced against trying to keep the window useful.

And for those players who wanted to avoid the Welcome Screen window, a method was found to disable it. A configuration line (cl_show_welcome_screen_on_startup 0) could be added to your eq2.ini settings file. Eventually the EQ2 team relented and added a “Show this window at startup” checkbox so players could opt out of seeing this window.

From the EQ2 Forums:

The US servers will come down on August 19, 2010, at 7am PDT for a hotfix.  The expected downtime is 2 hours.

Update Notes will be posted in the Game Update Notes forum when available.

The exact details of this update are not known, but may include a fix for the XP issues discussed previously.

Today we repost some player advice on how to switch from the new default Red UI to the optional Blue UI, without blowing away all your hotbars. This advice comes from the EQ2 Forums.

Due to a code bug which allowed the EQ2X Marketplace to appear on international servers, all international servers are now down for a patch. From Amnerys:

All international servers were just taken offline (earlier than planned) due to today’s patch. It was unplanned but necessary, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

We are hoping to have all international servers back online by 1PM PDT (9PM GMT). Please watch this thread for updates.

EQ2Players is now reporting that all U.S. servers (EQ2 and EQ2X) are up and running with Game Update 57. Europe-based servers will be updated later today on their usual schedule.

EQ2X Marketplace Momentarily Appears on Runnyeye/Splitpaw?

Speaking of Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY), the EQ2X Marketplace (with mastercrafted and powerful items available for purchase) briefly appeared on European servers Runnyeye and Splitpaw before they were brought back down. We’ll update you as we hear more.

Update from SmokeJumper

There was a code bug with the international servers. They are coming down now so we can correct.

Free-to-play items will not be present when they come back up.

You might have heard that EQ2’s User Interface is getting some spit and polish. With today’s Game Update 57, the default User Interface (UI) for EQ2 is getting some subtle and some not so subtle tweaks.

Major additions include the introduction of an “EQ2 Dock” to replace the existing EQ2 “start” button and XP bars. Also, the Character, Inventory, and Options have been merged into a single Character superwindow accessible by pressing “C” (Crouch has moved to “Z”). Bags have been streamlined, the Welcome window has received a facelift, the Map window now shows some key update locations (not to replace EQ2Maps), and

Many players do use some or all of the default UI, so there has been concern that the default UI has shifted from a predominant blue hue to a red one. You’ll be happy to know that the default UI includes a Blue graphics set which can be activated in-game by typing /loadui.

As always, players have the choice of installing other UIs. Which is why Rothgar, Lead Programmer on EQ2, notified the EQ2 interface community just over one month ago. The UI Revamp does not add popular Click-to-Cure, Autoattack Status, or the Advanced Broker available either separately or in packages from UI developers. You’ll want to visit EQ2Interface.com to see what’s going on with your favorite modifications.

>> ProfitUI Fix for Game Update 57 <<

Note: There seems to be an obscure bug with the Blue EQ2 theme. Guild level is being reported significantly lower than it should be in some situations.

Although Niami has advised that she is still working on adding more information to her Game Update 57 article, if you are up early and want to keep up on everything EQ2 Tradeskills, by all means check out her Game Update 57 Tradeskill Preview @ EQ2Traders!

Today marks the introduction of Game Update 57 to the live servers. Key features of this update include:

• The EQ2 User Interface has received a facelift, with a new toolbar, a refresh of various windows, and a merged Character/Inventory/Profile window. The default theme is red, but easily switchable to blue by typing /loadui and choosing the Blue graphic set.
• More character classes are now neutral and may start in either good or evil cities.
• Spell animations and effects have been revamped.
• Intrazone travel now supports path linking. Travel within Kingdom of Sky has been improved.
• Erudin group instances (level 86-90) are now easier to reach.
• New tradeskill quests have been added in the level 10, 20, and 30 tiers. These quests reward a mount as well as access to what have previously been overpriced Advanced recipe books.
• Starting areas in Greater Faydark and Darklight Wood have received substantial revamps. Gorowyn has received further architectural rebuilding to improve navigation.
• All classes have had some group-specific spells postponed until later levels to reduce the number of spells new players get in the first 20 levels.
• Fighter heals will no longer critically heal.
• The “Notable Norrathian” contest winning paintings are now available within Norrath but only during the monthly City Festivals (next is Sept 1-7). They are guild hall placeable.
• Lucan D’Lere has returned to Freeport.

• Today’s update contains no new dungeons or raid zones.

EQ2X

Also going live today is the public beta for EverQuest II Extended, the Free-to-Play alternative to a monthly EQ2 subscription. Game Update 57 will arrive simultaneously on both servers. EQ2X, as it’s being abbreviated, may be discussed on the separate EQ2X Forums.

The team over at EQ2 ZAM have buckled down and delivered complete documentation to the new Tradeskill quests being added in Game Update 57. These quests now fill out the entire level 10-90 range in EQ2 with at least a few Tradeskill quests on each tier so you have some options other than discovery XP from new combines and grinding Rush Order writs.

Of course these quests provide new rewards, including a 25% runspeed mount which, for some players who have low level adventurers but high level tradeskillers, will be quite useful.

These new level 10-30 tradeskill quests will also help players who think paying over 1 plat for a level 10-30 Advanced crafting recipe book is a bit over-the-top. At the conclusion of these quests, players will be able to buy Advanced recipe books from a vendor.

To get a grapple on the details of these quests and their rewards, check out the EQ2 ZAM guide.

From Amnerys:

All U.S. EQII servers are scheduled to come down on Wednesday, August 18 at 5:00 AM PDT for Game Update 57. Servers are expected to be offline for around 4 hours, coming back online around 9:00 AM. The UK servers will be updated according to the usual schedule.

Notable Norrathians Paintings

What about those Notable Norrathians paintings? Kaisha has dropped some hints regarding how the 10 winning paintings will become available. If our interpretation is correct, it looks like they may be available from the City Festivals for 10 city tokens each.

Tribute to the Huntress and Druid Reconstruction Live Events

The Tribute to the Huntress quest has been confirmed to end with the launch of GU57, but the Druid Ring Reconstruction event has been extended to last until GU58. (from EQ2 ZAM)

Whence Update Notes?

We’ll post the Game Update notes when they become available (assuming we’re awake!).

Gary Daughtry, graphic artist/animator on the EQ2 Team, set about to revamp the spell animations, specifically the particle effects, for Game Update 57, currently expected to go live tomorrow. The intention has been to reduce the number of “pyrotechnic”, “over-the-top” effects and create something more gradual, with larger effects based on the tier and level of the spell.

However players have been expressing their displeasure with the sometimes sweeping changes.

Between the avalanche of news about Free-to-Play, the new UI, and Guardian tweaks (coming approximately one month after GU57), it’s been easy to overlook the new Spell Animations which went to Test along with GU57.

In short, all particle systems and related animations associated with casting spells and combat arts have been revamped. This means every animation such as roots or chains coming out of the ground, explosions, streaks of light, glowing colors, and pyrotechnics for all of the spells and combat arts of all 24 classes have changed.

Rothgar has posted some additional thoughts and clarifications about the new User Interface facelift for EQ2 in Game Update 57 on the EQ2 Forums. After the jump…

Game Update 57 is now up on  the Test and Test Copy Servers and we’ve got the Update Notes. We’ve already taken some new screen shots of the new default interface including the new pictorial tutorials for new players.

• User Interface – One of the touted features of Game Update 57 is the revamped User Interface. The Persona and Inventory windows have been merged into a Character window. The XP bar has become a sort of “dock” at the bottom of your screen. All buttons and window corners have been rounded off. And for the most part, everything that was blue is now red! No doubt UI modders will come out with a classic re-skin to turn everything back to blue. We will be posting a preview of the GU57 Interface Changes soon. Discussed Here

• Map Points of Interest – Many points of interest have been added to the default map, including quest locations. This will provide some of the functionality of EQ2Maps.

• Additional Travel Revamp – There have been additional revamps to Travel. With path linking, you can now choose the ultimate destinations of any inter-zone travel and it will “connect the dots” to get you there. All transport pads in Kingdom of Sky connect to all others, and travel between the three Kingdom of Sky zones is much easier.

• Character Creation & More Neutrals – The Character Creation screens have been revamped, and several more classes have become neutral, including Assassin, Ranger, Templar, Inquisitor, Coercer, Illusionist, Monk and Bruiser.

• Extraneous Spells/CAs Removed from Levels 1-15 – Many spells and combat arts that new players generally did not use at level 1-20, such as Taunts, De-Agros, Agro-reduction, etc. have been postponed until level 15+ to decrease the number of new spells/CAs that players are exposed to in the increasingly brief sprint from level 1-20. First Discussed Here

• Spell Effects Visual Revamp which was rumored for GU55 is now on Test. This is an update/revamp of the animation which plays for each beneficial and hostile effect cast by characters.

• Lucan D’Lere has returned!

• Additional Tradeskill Quests have been added at level 20 and 30.

• Starting Zone Conflicts – Frostfang Sea (New Halas) and Greater Fay starting zones are now under attack by invaders, adding an additional level of interest to these zones. In addition, Gorowyn has received yet another architectural revamp to hopefully improve navigation.

• General – You can also expect the usual array of tweaks and bugfixes to raid zones, battlegrounds, AA lines, Quests, and Items. Most classes got some kind of benefit here.

As this is all on Test and Test Copy, the EQ2 team are really looking for bug reports, feedback, and comments on everything that’s been added.

Complete Game Update 57 Notes after the jump…

Although most of what we’ve been hearing from Rothgar over the last year has been closely tied to sorting out Battlegrounds, addressing Server Lag and Performance, and directing Server Upgrades, one of his big passions has been to upgrade the default EQ2 User Interface.

So far, the coolest news about Game Update 57 has been that it will include a pretty substantial polishing up of the default UI. Today, Rothgar has posted some tantalizing details of just what we can expect. And if you will be attending the SOE Block Party (if you will be at Comic-Con, there will be shuttle buses available), then you’ll be the first to see it in action.

From SOE-Rothgar on EQ2Interface:

Rest up because you’re most likely going to have a lot of work to do when GU57 hits test server in just over a week!

I can’t go into a lot of detail right now, but we’ve made some pretty big UI changes for 57. The default UI is getting a re-skin and many windows have been modified.

We’ll post more when we can.

This was posted on July 16th, so that would put Game Update 57 onto Test as early as the end of this week.

Due to the streamlining of spells and combat arts from levels 1-20, specifically several changes to fighter spells and arts, Fighter classes are finding it difficult or impossible to complete Heroic Opportunities.

Game Update 57 will see some changes to fighter classes to resolve this issue. From Xelgad on the EQ2 Forums:

Fighter heroic opportunities have been changed from requiring a taunt to complete them to requiring a ‘Fist’ icon to complete them. Paladins and Shadowknights should soon see that one of their primary spells is now a Fist rather than a sword (Judgment and Malice) and Berserkers will soon see that Body Check and Raging Blow now go up to Raging Blow/Body Check VIII, rathar than VII, and they receive those spells at levels two and three.

Everyone should be able to complete their solo heroic opportunity without toggling a buff or a stance as soon as the rest of the changes make it to test.

Game Update 57 could be a big update, based on some notes already posted in the Test forum, and hints of other changes coming down the wire. The biggest change thus far is the removal of certain group spells from the various player classes from levels 1-20. Because level 1-20, and especially levels 1-10 are considered solo play, those spells which are only useful in groups are being postponed to later levels.

From Rothgar:

These changes are PART (notice the emphasis on the word “part”) of a bigger change that wasn’t fully rolled out to the Test Server.

As you’ve probably guessed, these changes are part of a package to make the game more approachable to new players. There were many spells and abilities that were either useless or made no sense at such a low level.

We can also expect some changes to the default User Interface (UI) appearance of spells and combat arts. Of course, these will be customizable by installing third party UIs. Again from Rothgar:

I’d ask that you wait until you see the other changes that are going with it (to the default layout). Then decide if it fits or not for you.

From SmokeJumper:

You’re seeing some new changes on Test right now. We’re doing a bunch of revamping, some of it to make the game a lot faster when you play it, and a bunch more to make the game more intuitive and cool when start playing for the first time.

The skill progression for the lower levels was a) drowning new players in skills that they didn’t understand, and b) often giving players certain skills way before they needed them. Also, some classes just simply weren’t getting enough useful skills in order to have fun. So we’ve shuffled things around. Details of that shuffling are listed below.

After the jump, the changes to class abilities (mostly from levels 1-20) which have been submitted by Xelgad: