Filed under: EverQuest

EverQuest announces 17th expansion

by Rubi Bayer Aug 9th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, EverQuest, Expansions

House of Thule is coming to EverQuest. The game's 17th expansion is planned for an October 12th release and will bring a generous amount of new content and features to EverQuest.

House of Thule takes place in a dreamland setting: Powerful leaders across Norrath are falling into dream-induced comas, and it's your job to find out what's happening.

The expansion brings a level cap increase to 90, more storage, and new raids, zones, and spells. That's not all, though: House of Thule also introduces player housing, something EverQuest fans have been looking forward to for a while. With just over eight weeks to go until the expansion's release, you've got plenty of time to start saving for your little corner of Norrath. In the meantime, check out the gallery below for a first look at House of Thule.

Gallery: EverQuest House of Thule

It's the end of EverQuest's 51/50 server, but players feel fine

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 6th 2010 at 7:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Culture, News items

Generally, MMO players don't like giving up even the smallest advantage -- but sometimes having a special server isn't as important as having people to play with. That's certainly the case for EverQuest, and it's resulted in a scenario where the game's special Mayong server is being merged with the Tunare server on September 6th. Mayong is generally known as the 51/50 server, as a character starts at level 51 with 50 AA points already earned. The intent when the server was created was to allow players who wanted to skip the level grind a chance at getting straight into the meat of the game.

As it stands now, however, the server is dramatically underpopulated. After several community discussions, the development team made the decision to merge the server, preemptively shutting down the special creation rules on Mayong. Player response has been almost universally positive -- few players are upset by the potential slowdown this implies. While the server merge itself isn't due for another month, the days of creating 51/50 characters have already ended, and players are able to get slightly discounted transfers off of Mayong if they want to move early.

[ Thanks to Jason Davenport for the tip! ]

Fan Faire 2010: EQII flying mounts, EQNext art revealed [updated]

by Jef Reahard Aug 6th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events, real-world, News items

The EverQuest franchise looks to be the big winner at this year's Fan Faire event, as several large announcements regarding the games in the long-running series were featured in SOE president John Smedley's community address. EQ2Wire's Feldon has the details on the short presentation.

In addition to restating the features coming your way when EQII Extended hits in mid-August, Smedley discussed the next EverQuest expansion, House of Thule, which adds several new dungeons as well as player housing and launches on October 14th. EverQuest II players will have a to wait a bit longer for their expansion, Destiny of Velious, which debuts on February 8th. The wait will likely be well worth it, however, as flying mounts will be introduced in many of the game's zones.

Finally, Smedley revealed a presentation slide labeled "The Future of EverQuest" and preceded to show off the first ~~concept art~~ in-game art from the cryptically titled EverQuest Next, which you can view in our gallery below. He also hinted that more information would be forthcoming as Fan Faire wraps up this weekend.

[Update: We received a note from SOE clarifying that the screenshot here is not mere concept art -- it's actual in-game art. Only makes you more curious, doesn't it!]

Gallery: EverQuest Next

EverQuest introduces Destrier mounts

by Rubi Bayer Jun 29th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest, Free-to-play

It's been just over a month since Sony Online Entertainment brought the Prowler mounts to EverQuest II, and they seem to have been a hit. SOE is extending a similar offer to EverQuest players with the addition of Destrier mounts.

The Destriers will have the same price point -- 2500 Station Cash -- as the EverQuest II Prowlers. Players will have a choice of four mounts: the Armored Battle Shire Saddle, the Armored Royal Ardennes Saddle, the Armored Royal Shire Saddle, and the Armored Planar Ardennes Saddle.

Want to see them in action? Sony Online Entertainment put together a trailer to show them off, so take a look after the jump, then visit the EverQuest site for more images.

The Tattered Notebook: A loremaster's dream

by Jef Reahard Jun 29th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Lore, PvE, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook

I have a confession to make. Well now that I think on it, I have two confessions to make. One, I'm your new EverQuest II columnist. Two, I never played the original EverQuest. If those two facts haven't turned you off already, congratulations, you might just make it through the rest of this week's Tattered Notebook, and hopefully future editions as well. Now before you go summoning your fellow villagers and rounding up all the torches and pitchforks in your neck of the Darklight Wood, allow me to elaborate on the EQ virgin bit.

I have in fact logged into Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest on multiple occasions over the years, both on full paid accounts and various trials. I've also toodled around the earlier version of Norrath long enough to be slightly above complete and total newb status. For whatever reason though, the title never grabbed me like it did many gamers. So, while I've played the game, I haven't really played it as many of you no doubt have, and it's my hope that you'll forgive me for this little oversight so we can all get along. Why do I bring this up when writing about EverQuest II? Well because the earlier title informs the later, and of course they share fans. More importantly for purposes of my first column, they share lore.

Turn the page for more of The Tattered Notebook.

SOE releases Fan Faire attendee list

by Jef Reahard Jun 28th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events, real-world, MMO industry, The Agency, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms

Thinking about heading to Sony Online Entertainment's annual Fan Faire gala, but not sure if your favorite developer or community liaison will be in attendance? Fear not, as Ashlanne has posted an exhaustive list of attendees on the official Station community forums.

This year's event, scheduled to take place August 5th - 8th in Las Vegas, will feature a veritable who's who of SOE talent, including developers from EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, Pox Nora, and The Agency Covert Ops.

You can visit the official Fan Faire website for more information and the official Station forums for the full guest list.

One Shots: Returning to the oldschool

by Krystalle Voecks Jun 26th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, EverQuest, One Shots

It's definitely been a while since we've had a look inside SOE's original MMO offering, EverQuest. Some things are comfortingly familiar, like the flat planes of floors and furniture. Other things seem strangely updated, such as Ryan's character and pet. He sent in a longer note to explain, so we'll cede the rest of the column space to him and simply remind y'all to email your images to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a note about what we're seeing. For now, on with Ryan's story, which continues behind the break as well

"This photo was taken just after I popped on today, when the servers opened up after the big server merger. I had known ahead of time that he was going to have to change his name because someone with a character sharing the same first name predated him in the server I merged with. He was born on October 22, 2002, so that's saying something."

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Brad McQuaid returns, forms new company

by Jef Reahard Jun 21st 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: EverQuest, MMO industry, News items, Vanguard, Casual

Brad McQuaid, the former CEO of Sigil Games and one of the driving creative forces behind Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and the original EverQuest, has announced his return to gaming after a three-year hiatus. Lost amid the hubbub of last week's E3 deluge was an announcement on McQuaid's personal blog that served as both a news update as well as a job recruitment posting for his new company.

"After a needed three[-]year break from 11 years of working on massively multiplayer games with the large teams, budgets, and 3-5 year development cycles[,] I think this will be a nice change of pace. I'm also very excited to be involved in a genre that is relatively new to me. I look forward to bringing MMO design principles to casual/social gaming," he wrote.

Dust off your resumes and view the full announcement on McQuaid's blog.

EverQuest celebrates Memorial Ding with extra xp and items

by Krystalle Voecks May 29th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, News items, Promotions

You may recall the ConnecDING promotion that Sony Online Entertainment ran some time ago. Well, the EverQuest team decided that after the interest sparked by the first one, they'd run yet another promotion to get even more people to come join their Facebook page and keep up on what's going on in Norrath. The good news is that the team managed to meet their goals and are rewarding players with a weekend of 125% bonus experience. Yes, indeed -- that's a full 125% on top of all regular experience you get in the game.

The even better news is that not only are players getting a full weekend of sweet, sweet bonus experience, but there's also a slew of goodies available this weekend for free in the Station Marketplace too! Items range from simple solo experience potions and a humorous "Tome of Friends" (which spawns a "Little Black Book" floating pet) all the way up to group experience potions that offer 50% experience (normally 1400 Station Cash) a fae familiar, and more. So if you've been thinking about heading back to the old stomping grounds, or just working on some more AA points, this is a great weekend to play some EverQuest and take advantage of all the DINGstravaganza.

Sony Online Entertainment announces EverQuest server merges

by Rubi Bayer May 23rd 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, News items

If you've felt like the population in EverQuest was on the low side lately, you can expect that problem to disappear within the next month or so. Sony Online Entertainment will be gradually cutting the number of servers in half beginning June 22nd. They'll complete the process by July 6th, leaving ten servers in place of the original twenty.

It's a big undertaking, and SOE have done some detailed planning ahead. The forum announcement contains the list of planned mergers, answers to common questions, and important information about the deletion of inactive characters and shared banks. They are further easing the transition by offering one free server transfer for all affected characters as well as discounts on race, gender, and name changes.

If you've got characters in EverQuest -- active or inactive -- these server merges are very likely going to affect you. Head over to the EQ forums and read the full announcement for all the details.

SOE releases podcast #83, talks Halas Reborn

by Jef Reahard Apr 13th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Podcasts, EverQuest, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Casual, Free Realms

Sony Online Entertainment has released the 83rd edition of the Official SOE Podcast (which also happens to be MiniCast #14). Hosted by the one and only Brenlo, with color commentary by the lovely Robin and Amy, the twenty-six minute romp through the Sony MMORPG landscape includes a bevy of news updates regarding current in-game happenings, details on registering for Fan Faire 2010, and a conversation with the server hamsters (don't ask).

Additionally, the team drops a bit of info about the EverQuest II expansion, as well as Game Update 56: Halas Reborn, travel revamps, plus information on a gaggle of exclusive items available to Fan Faire attendees. Check out Podcast #83 at the official site for all the details.

Registration opens for SOE's Fan Faire

by Patrick Mackey Apr 8th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Culture, Events, real-world, Free-to-play, Casual, Free Realms, DC Universe Online

Fans of EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, and Free Realms have a big reason to get excited -- the seventh annual SOE Fan Faire opened up registration Tuesday. Just as a reminder to everyone who missed our previous announcement, the event will run on the weekend of August 5-8 at Bally's Las Vegas. Fan Faire will take place right in the center of the Vegas Strip, in the same venue as last year. That means even if you find a spare moment away from the events, there will be plenty of nearby attractions to go see.

The events already announced at Fan Faire include:

Developer panels
Contests
Live gaming tournaments
Tons of prize giveaways
A vendors area for all your memorabilia needs

In addition, SOE is giving away a whole mess of bonus items to people who register for the whole weekend, including free digital copies of the upcoming EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions.

Enough to get you excited? The hopes of breaking news for DC Universe Online is enough to get us hyped up. If you're a big fan of SOE's various titles and have a little vacation time, now might be a good time to start planning!

One Shots: Here be dragons

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 30th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, EverQuest, One Shots

While EverQuest is 11 years old this year, the game is still getting love -- both in terms of new content and devoted players who continue to call Norrath home after all these years. However, if you haven't looked in on the world of EverQuest recently, you may be surprised to see just how the game looks compared to the old days. Thankfully, we have a great One Shots today to give you an idea!

This great image was sent to us by our friend Tipa of the West Karana blog, who captured this foreboding image recently while playing. She writes in to explain the scene: "You'll have to do a lot of running to scale the Direwind Cliffs in EverQuest, but no matter how high you get, the dragons have gotten there first. The iconic symbol of Veeshan, the immense dragon that brought life to Norrath, marks the mountains of the Serpent's Spine much as Veeshan's claws marked the planet."

If you'd like to send in a screenshot, we'd love to see them. All you have to do to take part is to email those screens in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post it out here and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

11 days of in-game events for EverQuest's 11th birthday

by Justin Olivetti Mar 16th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Events, in-game

11 years ago, when Bill Clinton was still the U.S. President, The Matrix wowed moviegoers with bullet-time, dial-up Internet was the norm, and 3D online gaming was just in its infancy, bouncing baby EverQuest stepped into the world. It's amazing to see that this game is not only still around, but expanding constantly -- a fact that should encourage fans of this or any MMORPG. In honor of one of the longest-running 3D MMOs, SOE has announced 11 days of special in-game events for EverQuest.

Players are challenged to find a special gift for a wizard master, to rescue poor Miggles Mistflinger from a sad fate, party with the Community Team on St. Patty's Day, and take on mechanical nasties in a special raid. For Marketplace shoppers, SOE is offering a 25-50% discount on 11 items. Finally, they've invited everyone to join the EverQuest team for an exclusive USTREAM event on March 17, 2010 at 1:00pm PST.

Oh, and did we mention you can pick the game up on Steam for $2.50, and that it includes all 15 expansion packs? Even those who aren't EQ players have a chance to help celebrate.

Fans of EverQuest can also mosey over to the Facebook fan page for the game, where SOE has posted a large gallery of screenshots to celebrate 11 years of fantasy gaming.

EQ wants you for St. Patty's Day

by Jef Reahard Mar 11th 2010 at 10:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Events, in-game, News items

Sony Online Entertainment Project Manager Ashlanne has announced Everquest's 11-year anniversary and St. Patrick's Day party over on the official forums.

The event kicks off on Wednesday March 17, 2010 at 1:00 PM PST and is expected to last approximately two hours. To join in the festivities, head over to the SOE UStream channel and get ready to chat with the Everquest Community Team and other special guests.

In addition to the usual St. Patty's Day carousing, party-goers can expect to watch interviews with various Everquest alumni, assist the Community Team in making special St. Patrick's Day crafts, and chat live (via text) with both the EQ Community and Development Teams.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Clone Wars Adventures Launch	Sep 15, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Launch	Sep 30, 2010
GDC Online	Oct 5-8, 2010
NY ComicCon	Oct 8-10, 2010
LEGO Universe Launch	Oct 26, 2010
DCUO Launch	Nov 2, 2010

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Seraphina Brennan	Senior Editor
Brianna Royce	West Coast Editor
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Rubi Bayer	Contributing Editor
Tateru Nino	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Larry Everett	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist