Massively^™

Who knew corporations could be so sneaky? Sony Online Entertainment has snuck up on the EverQuest 2 playing populace with a brand-new game update! GU48:Breaking Ground has dropped onto the live servers adding a ton of new content to the world of Norrath for players of SOE's flagship game. Here are the highlights of this massive patch:

• The Guild Hall Event! The cities of Qeynos and Freeport are busily working to build guild housing for EverQuest 2's mightiest organizations. You can help out!
  
• Veksar! We first noted the addition of this dungeon back in the Senior Producer's letter to the players, but it's great to see it finally in-game. The dungeons acts as a 'teaser' for content in the upcoming expansion and is appropriate for characters at the highest levels.
  
• Everfrost Overhaul! The first in what is likely to be a series of zone re-makes sees this icy realm given much better level progression, more solo content, and even a more intuitive design.
• Shiny new armor! Armor appearances have been updated and improved across the board, with brand new writs and quests for the non-adventuring-inclined.
• Tons more, including more zone tweaks, gameplay changes, the addition of a 'guild points' system, UI fixes and spell changes!

You can check out the full and unadulterated patch notes below the cut. Thanks to Stargrace for the tipoff!

GU 48 Patch Notes - September / 03 / 2008

SPECIAL EVENTS
The Guild Hall building projects for Qeynos and Freeport have begun to run dangerously low on resources! Director Jasmine at the Antonica docks and Director Hezreal at the Commonlands docks are eagerly seeking workers willing to help alleviate the situation.

During "Breaking Ground" (GU48): The Prophet of Healing, Seeress Ealaynya Ithis, has been murdered and Antonica appears to have been affected! Theories abound as to who performed the deed and towards what end. You may start your own investigation at the Temple of Life in North Qeynos. Meanwhile Evdokia, one of the Plaguebringer's fervent followers in Gorowyn, has tasks for those willing to help the Disciples of Disease. Won't she be delighted by the news of the Seeress' demise!

VEKSAR
Once thought lost to the waters of the Lake of Ill Omen, the ancient iksar city of Veksar has once again been discovered by the adventurers of Norrath! What has happened in the ancient theater of this once thriving resort city since it disappeared after the Age of Turmoil, and what secrets and treasures does it hold now? Make your way to the outpost of Omen's Call, and see if you can begin to unravel the mystery of this risen ancient monument to the pride and power of the Sathirian Empire.

GUILD MEMBER POINTS
Guilds can now assign and track points for guild members. Points can be assigned in many different ways. New guild permissions determine which members can manage points and which members can receive points. For more information, check out the Guild Member Points help topic in-game by clicking on the help button ("?") on top right of the the Guild Window (U).

GAMEPLAY
- Fixed the camera position on Griffins and Sokokars in 3rd person mode.
- First person view as a winter wolf is no longer disrupted by winter steam effect.
- The barrier holding the doors of the Godking's temple have weakened with the onset of the void storms, allowing entry even without the sacred eyes!

ZONES
- Everfrost
Everfrost has had a facelift! Adventurers will find dozens of additional quests, four new hubs, and a population friendlier to various playstyles.
- South Freeport
The alchemy merchant in South Freeport has begun stocking kindling as a sideline.
- Firemyst Gully
Wood in Firemyst Gully is now fully harvestable.
- Veeshan's Peak
Adventurers in Veeshan's Peak will now find that defeating certain bosses will earn various respawn points in the zone. Pattern drops in Veeshan's Peak now use the Smartloot system. Milyex Vioren has switched strategies against invaders in Veeshan's Peak, and is now much more aggressive and much less defensive. Xygoz, Nexona, Hoshkar, and Druushk will now drop two set pieces to match Silverwing, Phara Dar & Trakanon's drop rates.

TRAVEL
- Mariner bells have been added to the Thundering Steppes and Nektulos Forest docks to take players back to Antonica and Commonlands, respectively.
- There is now a bell on the Nektulos Forest dock to take Neriak citizens to the docks in Neriak.
- Mariner bell appearances have been added to the Neriak dock to help those who play on lower settings and couldn't see the portal glows.
- There is now a carpet to Sinking Sands on the Neriak dock.
- Neriak citizens can now use the carpet in Sinking Sands to fly to the docks in Neriak.
- There is now a carpet to Sinking Sands in Kelethin near the Greater Faydark ramp.
- A bell has been added to the left hand dock of Kylong Plains to take adventurers to Gorowyn.
- A bell has been added to the Gorowyn dock to take adventurers to the Kylong Plains.
- The level restriction on the Gorowyn portal to Kylong Plains has been removed.

QUESTS
- You can now speak to Ulgofar Wisme in Mara and get another Geomancy book if you no longer have your first one.
- Special Agent Froak in Kunzar Jungle now gives another copy of the item "Reet Marching Orders" to those that are on the quest "Save the Reets" but have lost their original orders.
- Rotten Chestwraps of the Guilty will now give credit to the priest who triggered it.
- Assassins working on their epic who are not on stage 11 will no longer get quest credit for killing Rhylinil.
- The Dwarven Ringmail Plans is now removed from inventory upon the completion of "In Honor and Service".
- Captain Vrondell in West Freeport will now update "Bandit Sash Bounty" for non-Freeport citizens.
- Those who have finished 'Deception' will now have access to Darathar's island.
- General goods merchants Ilmira T'Oziarn and Ilztaonar V'Setiate in Neriak, and Sage Navarius Orvalis in North Freeport now sell creature cataloging quest starter tomes previously unavailable to evil aligned players.

ITEMS
- The artisan's tunic reward for the tradeskill tutorial quest no longer has the adventuring stats.
- In-home crafting stations are no longer flagged as Lore.
- The Diamond Rod from Shard of Hate now says "In Combat Run Speed" instead of "Speed at all Times".
- The focus effect on the Robe of Nexus disruption has been changed from a 600 point hate reduction on Blip to a 20% chance to lower the caster's hate position by 1 upon casting Blip.
- The Crystal of Dark Energy should now stack to 100.
- Illusionist Shimmering Hues 4 piece bonus should now function properly.
- Troubador Magnetism 4 piece bonus should now function properly.
- Fury Stormbringer 4 piece bonus should now function properly.

SPELLS
- All non expiring class based spells should now gray out when cast and remain that way until cancelled.
- Master Strikes should work correctly with implied targeting now.
- Damage Over Time ticks, double attacks and flurry will no longer trigger damage shields and similar spells which trigger off of taking damage.
- Sathirian Scroll of Benediction and Smoldering Pontiff's Second Sight will now stack.
- Certain spells like Rescue which are common to the classes will no longer be reset while betraying.
- Moving players between groups in a raid should no longer cause non stacking group spells to cancel.
- Assassin, Brigand, Ranger and Swashbuckler self buffs should now be toggleable.
- Berserker: Juggernaut and Adrenaline have had their descriptions updated to match how they work while berserk.
- Defiler: Yoppa's Rodent Form should work correctly now.
- Fury: The Savage Feast proc should now apply properly when a dumbfire pet gets the kill.
- Warlock: Gas Cloud and its upgrades are now maintained.

ACHIEVEMENTS
- An issue has been fixed which allowed players to use more than one achievement mirror. If you were using more than one, the system will take the first one as your valid mirror and wipe the profiles from any extra mirrors.
- Assassin: Obfuscation should no longer appear to work with Concealment.
- Ranger: Conservation will now apply properly to power, heal and thorn potions. Enhance: Snare will no longer reduce the effectiveness of the Wood Elf racial Light Footed. Enhance: Fettering Poison will now increase the trigger chance of Fettering Poisons.

TRADESKILLS
- Tradeskill writs now award 300 faction (for timed work orders) or 200 faction (for regular work orders) on completion.
- Handcrafted and mastercrafted armor (levels 1-69) has received an upgrade. Existing pristine items will automatically receive the improvement.
- Outfitters are happy to announce there are no more incomplete armor sets craftable at any level - not all sets are available at all levels, but if a set is available, every piece can now be made.
- All available crafted armor sets from level 10 up can now be imbued.
- The appearances of cloth and leather crafted armors are now more consistent, more varied in shape and tint, and should provide a much-awaited wider range of appearance options for the fashion conscious.
- A wider variety of crafting stations are now available in Qeynos Harbor.

STATION VOICE
- Voice Channels with over 100 players are now considered "high-user channels" and will only display active speakers.

PLAYER VS PLAYER
- You can now betray and play the good classes in the evil cities and the evil classes in the good cities. In other words you can have a templar in Freeport or a brigand in Qeynos.
- Hypnosis can no longer be canceled by the target of the spell.
- It should now be possible to cure charm spells cast by hostile players.
- Inquisitor: If you cast Inquisition on a player, the spell will only heal members of the inquisitor's group. Due to the nature of this spell, casting it on a hostile NPC will still cause it to heal nearby enemies. This is due to the fact that the NPC is casting the area of effect heal not the Inquisitor.

USER INTERFACE
- World chat channels such as the Level channels can now be properly turned off on the main chat tab and moved to other tabs.

FAN FAIRE FEEDBACK
- Neither good nor evil players should spawn directly next to the docks in Kylong Plains anymore.
- None of the PVP respawns in the Fens of Nathsar should be threatened by creatures wandering too close.
- Several creatures in Veeshan's Peak and Shard of Hate now drop fabled deity altars.
- The "Clear All Hotkeys" option now displays a confirmation dialog before clearing your hotbar."