EQ News Update ~ June 2008

[Zahasha]

From the EQ News Letter


Living Legacy and EQ’s Hardcore Heritage


Celebrate Your Hardcore Heritage! Living Legacy is a celebration of the millions of players who have adventured in EverQuest in the last nine years. Whether you were one of the first players to call Norrath home, or just dropped by for a day to explore, come back and celebrate with us! Special events and unique reward opportunities are waiting. We're still in the fight. Is the fight still in you? Log in now to celebrate:

* Free Game Play: All inactive paying and trial EverQuest accounts in good standing have been reactivated and entitled for free play up until July 25, 2008.
* Free EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer All-In-One Pack Software: Get caught up on content and keep the game upon your conversion to paid monthly subscription.
* Unique In-Game Items Available for all returning players.
* Live Events – XP Bonuses, Upgrades To Favorite Zones and New Raids! All current EverQuest hot zones offer an additional 25% experience bonus. See the “Welcome Back” tab on the Living Legacy website for a list of the current hot zones and their suggested level ranges as well as details on the experience bonus.
* More Loot! The global drop rate has been updated throughout all of Norrath so returning and current adventurers can line their pockets.
* Classic Group Content Upgrades! Lower Guk (7/7/08 – 8/04/08) will be fine-tuned with upgraded loot for groups of returning hardcore adventurers. Prepare to face some old enemies…and a few new ones!
* Brand New Raids! Get ready for the fight of your life with four brand new raid scenarios. Incredible item rewards await adventurers who face these hardcore challenges and succeed. See the “Events Tab” for more details.

For more details visit the Living Legacy website.


Returning to EQ

Over the past few months, we have made some changes to EverQuest game play and the EQPlayers community website to make returning to EverQuest smoother than ever.

Scholars of Refreshing Knowledge

Five scholars recently entered the Plane of Knowledge to pass along knowledge of the expanding world of Norrath and beyond to all returning travelers. These scholars hope that their guidance will assist these adventurers as they embark upon their journeys.

* Scholar Berkin: Leader of this group of educators, Scholar Berkin can give adventurers an overview of the expertise of each of the other scholars.
* Scholar Awerrin: Adventurers wishing to learn how to gain equipment from the spoils of war should speak to Scholar Awerrin. She can help find the greatest spoils that have been discovered over the years.
* Scholar Jarvi: Over the past few years, Scholar Jarvi has collected information about incantations and disciplines. She can aid adventurers in locating more powerful abilities within their school of magic or combat arts across the expanding world.
* Scholar Kiulo: Need to find the path to places you've never been to before? Scholar Kiulo loves exploration and can help you find the most beautiful areas found both on and off Norrath.
* Scholar Werum: There have been vast improvements in numerous fields of science and innovation over the years. Some have allowed adventurers shortcuts to destinations that would take a great deal of time to traverse, whereas others help strengthen adventurers. Scholar Werum can help adventurers sort through all of the new advancements.

Flagged/Keyed Zone Access Changes

Many keyed zones from the Ruins of Kunark, Scars of Velious, Shadows of Luclin, Planes of Power, Gates of Discord, Omens of War, Depths of Darkhollow and Prophecy of Ro expansion packs have had their key/flag requirements modified. All players that have obtained the key/flag will still be allowed entry into the zones, as will players that have met minimum level requirements for the zones. Read More

Alternate Advancement Enhancements

In an effort to improve the advancement process, we have made a few changes to the to the Alternate Advancement system for EverQuest . The AA window was revamped and many of the AA lines have been consolidated to make them easier to find. Also, we increased the rate at which AA points are earned at the lower levels of the scale. Read More

New Player Nexus on EQPlayers

The Player Nexus is where new, returning, and existing EverQuest players can find information regarding playing and participating in the community.

* Player Handbook: The Player Handbook contains various articles on game play features, game play strategy guides, zone information, support guides and other helpful tips.
* Lore Library: The Lore Library reveals the lore that surrounds the people and places of Norrath and beyond.
* Hall of Fame: The Hall of Fame features EverQuest adventurers who earned titles, artifacts, items named after their characters from the Legends server, won contests and forum challenges, and more.This link gives the Hall of Fame a permanent home.

EQ Gets a Blog


The EverQuest team has joined the world of SOE Blogging. The team uses the blog to reveal the inner workings of EQ in a more personal manner. Some posts may be quick and dirty and others may dive into the depths of development but either way, the goal is to give EQ fans a different spin on EQ. Check out the EverQuest Blog!

EverQuest Contest Winner News

Congratulations to the Winners of EverQuest's "You're in Our World Now" Video Contest! First Place winner was Oriaas Farslayer of the guild Sol Invictus on The Tribunal server. View all the Winning Videos

2008 SOE Fan Faire in Vegas!

Registration is now open for the annual SOE Fan Faire being held on August 14-17, 2008 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Whether you're a player of one of SOE's many games, or someone who just loves games and good times, SOE Fan Faire is the party where you'll find friends and a whole lot of gaming fun stuffed into an unforgettable three days!

Don't miss out on your chance to meet fellow MMO players from around the world, participate in discussion panels, live events, and tournaments, and mingle with the teams behind each of the SOE games.

For more information, visit the official SOE Fan Faire Website.

To chat about the news, join the EQ Fan Faire Roll Call and Discussion thread over on the official EverQuest forums.

Frequent NPC Interactions

We asked the community if there were NPCs in the game that they interact with on a daily or frequent basis; ones that they feel the need to hail every time they see them... even if they don't offer a greeting back. Here are some the responses.

“Back in the day, when running across the Karanas was the method of travel, my hunting partner and I always felt the need to stop by and chat with Barkeep Jeny.”

~ Community Manager Zatozia

“Whenever I am at the Butcherblock Docks I always say "I love you" to Glorin Binfurr.”

~ Community Member Elizabeta

“I don't do it every time I log in but there are several NPCs I feel the need to interact with each time I pass through a zone or get a wild hair. I kill Sgt. Slate anytime I am in Commonlands. Revenge! I kill Haden o placeholder in Qeynos Hills, why? Just because, then /ooc or /general Fishbone Earring rotting. When in Kael I just have to take a few swipes at the Recruiter. In Plane of Knowledge (PoK) the Soulbinder is so lonely now. I bind there but then immediately rebind in the lobby. Old habits die hard, had to confirm was bound in PoK each time logged in, not by Plane of Time stone, Tactics stone, LDoN camps, or by Thurg for a Ring War, etc. I ping Fuzzlecutt; there's just something about Fuzzlecutter Formula 5000. I think it's addictive due to a 'secret' ingredient.”

~ Community Member PaulCoffrin

“Whenever I'm in Shar Vahl I stop by Rajyk and Palav, hail them for a nice purr and then I ask them to play dead.”

~ Community Member Ayhar

“Whenever I'm in PoStorms, I enjoy chatting with Grok. My husband can't pass up the opportunity to hail Karsor the Mad while he's in Dranik Scar. He always giggles like a little girl when he hails him.”

~ Community Member Pradera

At least three times a week I like to run through Sleepers Tomb and make it down the Kerafyrm's Lair and say hello to the ancients. It brings back memories.”

~ Community Member Ssliasil_Tunare

“Sadly, I find myself interacting with the Disciple of Luclin and Priest of Luclin in the Guild Lobby quite frequently.”

~ Community Member rush417
Share your Frequent NPC Interactions

Share the News

Do you have an article you would like to contribute to the next newsletter? Do you have strategy tips to share? Do you have a story to tell? Then we want to hear from you. Submit your feedback and there's a chance it could appear in one of the next editions of the EverQuest Newsletter.
For subject line write Share the News send to lpope@soe.sony.com