EverQuest II

In 2011, a new event was added to EverQuest II's calendar, one that paid homage to the fantasy game's older sibling, EverQuest. Now each year around the anniversary of EQ, Chronoportals return to the land of Norrath, allowing EQII players the chance to travel through time to experience the nostalgia of the game that started it all.

Scattered throughout Norrath, Chronoportals are available for every 10 levels. They send players to a specific EQ land where they can then participate in as many time rifts as their level allows. However, due to minimum level requirements, only the highest levels will be able to travel through every one. There are also three new paintings available from the event merchants.

The event ends at precisely 2:59 a.m. Friday, March 29th, so if you want to check out a bit of EQ history and hear some amusing quips that celebrate it (like how to best spawn The Ancient Cyclops in Southern Desert of Ro), time is limited.

There is no two ways about it: Every time I started to pen this particular piece, I had to pause. You see, the story behind it all is steeped in emotion; inspiration, joy, pride, sadness, and togetherness are all a part of the heartwarming tale that is simply impossible to not be touched by (or in my case, completely choked up). And it's one that makes me proud to be a part of the EverQuest II community.

Last year we shared with you the story of a young boy whose simple wish for a fun place to play in EQII brought the community together in an unparalleled way. In order to make an extra special place for Ribbitribbit, adventurers, raiders, and crafters left their guilds -- heck, even their servers -- to come aid in what became more than a simple island refuge. It became a multi-house playground that included a Tier 3 guild hall. The sheer volume of enthusiastic participation is enough to make any heart swell. Sadly, shortly thereafter Ribbitribbit lost his battle with cancer, and that same community mourned his passing. Now, one year later, the same organizer who uncorked that first outpouring of generosity has brought players together again to commemorate community, continue philanthropy, and remember those who have been lost.

Today's Tattered Notebook invites you to become a part of this community with a look at Ribbitribbit Day 2013.

Continue Reading

Want a chance to rub elbows with some of the movers and shakers in the SOE world? Then head to the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel on March 22nd for a meet and greet during PAX East. Don't worry if you don't have tickets for the convention itself; the event on Friday night from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. EDT is open to the public.

Representatives from a number of SOE's titles will be there to chat, share stories, and even answer questions about the various games. You could discuss PlanetSide 2 strategies with Community Rep Maggie Krohn, discuss EverQuest's latest expansion with Sr. Community Manger Eric Cleaver, or even corner EQ franchise director Dave Georgeson and see what news about EQ Next he might let slip! Dragon's Prophet Senior Producer Todd Carson will also be on hand to answer your questions about, well, dragons. And rumor has it that the drinks are on Brasse!

What's a con event without swag? Dragon's Prophet priority access beta keys as well as T-shirts will be given out on a first come, first served basis. EQ goodies might be had as well. Folks planning to drop by can RSVP on the official Facebook event page and follow updates on the various games' respective twitter accounts.

What single action could unite all Norrathians in grand celebration? In the words of Mel Gibson's William Wallace: Freeeeeeeeeedoooooooom.

It's no secret that EverQuest and EverQuest II have had fairly restrictive free-to-play models, with severe limitations that unfortunately deterred some players from trying or sticking with the games. Although teased with a wide variety of races and classes, free (once called bronze) and silver players could choose from among only a few without dipping into their wallets. Other restrictions included limited bag slots, little to no shared bank access, and a very low cap on active quests.

But if those restrictions are what put you off, fire up that launchpad again because I've got good news for you: SOE has taken a giant eraser and wiped them right off of the free-to-play matrices. And now is a good time to get back into the games as the EverQuest franchise is set to commemorate its 14th anniversary with celebrations in both games.

In my interview with Dave Georgeson, the man at the helm of all things EQ, I scouted out the specifics of the F2P restrictions that will lift come the middle of next week. Georgeson also revealed some incoming updates for EQ as well as discussed the special events marking the anniversary that will kick off on March 16th. And you just know I tried to slip in a question or two about EQ Next.

Continue Reading

Selling power is a much quieter controversy than it used to be. I've been in gaming long enough to remember when selling anything desirable at all was taboo. At the same time, it's always been OK to sell some things like subscriptions or special boxed editions, proving that MMO gamers and others are brilliant at segmenting their rage. If it's a cool, special box with a neat virtual item inside, it somehow does not fall under the same umbrella as selling powerful, useful items in game. I think it does. But geeks in general are good at justifying poor behavior if they get what they want; just ask the hackers and file-swappers.

Still, it doesn't matter how we feel about selling power because the industry is already moving in the direction of selling power, lots of power. EA recently announced that every title it produces from now on will feature microtransactions. While that doesn't guarantee the sale of powerful items, I can promise that it will include some. This train ain't stopping. Sure, the console community seems a bit late to the party when it comes to the power-selling controversy, but that's likely because of MMOs' always-on multiplayer mode.

Continue Reading

When EverQuest II first went free-to-play in December 2011, a number of long-lost players poked their noses back into the game. But even before that, and certainly since then, veteran players have found cause to return to Norrath after a (sometimes very) prolonged absence. And why not? There are plenty of great things to lose yourself in within EQII... as well as plenty of ways to feel lost! Invariably, those who have been gone for any length of time are confronted with a doozy of a headache-inducer upon their return: alternate advancements.

Back in the dark recesses of time, The Tattered Notebook brought you a newbie guide to these AA points. But much has changed in the ensuing two years, including the AAs. So it behooves us to take another look and update our information. The following is my personal journey with that at times intimidating system, sprinkled with tips, tricks, and tales of woe I've picked up along the way.

Continue Reading

Back when Player Studio first introduced the idea of adding player-created items for sale in EverQuest II's cash shop, only housing items and cloaks could be submitted. However, players were promised that more items would be allowed in time. Well, break out your Blender, because that time is now! Fans with a creative streak can now submit personally designed hairstyles, weapons, and shields for consideration and possible inclusion in the game.

Currently, hairstyles for only elves and humans can be submitted and must be shoulder-length or above. For weapons, various one- and two-handed stances are all possible, with the notable exception of caster staffs. Instructions, models, and samples are provided on the official site.

Few people are without opinions on minigames in MMOs. Some love 'em, some hate 'em, and some just ignore 'em. Some even despise that I won't type "th." Takes all types, really. Personally, I'm all for including new types of enjoyable systems that can be repeated, particularly if it benefits my character in some way.

There's also this perception that minigames are just for kids. It's true that more kid-centric titles like Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures thrive on minigames like you thrive on deep-fried butter balls, but these little diversions exist all over the place in "grownup" titles too. Holidays are a favorite time to trot them out, although there are plenty that exist year-round.

Today we're going to look at 10 creative minigames that have tickled my fancy over the year. Yes, I used the word "fancy." Whatcha gonna do about it?

Continue Reading

I had a bit of MMO deja vu this week. See, I read a lot about the industry on a daily basis, and somewhere recently I saw someone commenting about the unrealistically huge interior spaces in some video games. It may have been here in the Massively comment section or it may have been on one of 200 other sites, I can't remember.

The point, though, is that I noticed the phenomena first-hand, for the first time, while I was playing both Star Wars: The Old Republic and EverQuest II this weekend. My player house in EQII has bedroom doors that a 15-foot cave troll could comfortably pass beneath, and yet my avatar and all this furniture are scaled to normal-sized humans. Similarly, starports (and really, all the interiors) in SWTOR are gigantic metal caverns that could hold a dozen of those space slugs from The Empire Strikes Back, and the humanoids are absolutely dwarfed by the bizarre architecture that makes it seem like you're outside when you're not.

Is this sort of scaling noticeable in your game of choice, and if so, does it bother you?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

So let's talk about adornments in EverQuest II. If you're a relatively casual EQII player like I am, you may not have any adornments on your gear. Heck, you may not even know what adornments are or why you might want them! The Tattered Notebook is here for you, and while adorning can seem like an unnecessary pain in the butt at first, availing yourself of the system will make your avatars much more powerful in the long run.

Continue Reading

Ahh, l'amore. You can feel it in their air tonight, no? Oh wait, that was Thursday! No matter, 'tis still the season of love and loot in Norrath.

Did I say loot? You bet your barbarian love notes I did! Holidays in EverQuest II may be inspired by their real-world counterparts, but their true purpose lies in supplying us with oodles of special loot. Don't believe me? Just look at the plethora of items available from quests, crafting, and collections during any given celebration. Sure, there are fun lore lines to follow as well, and that aspect certainly deserves a nod, but there is no denying the prominence of holiday paraphernalia that fills our bags, banks, and vaults.

Not that I am complaining, mind you; it's precisely this loot I am after -- specifically, the housing items. As a die-hard decorating nut, I look forward to the holidays like Erollisi Day to get my hands/paws/claws on these unique items offered only during the events. Unfortunately, like many of us plagued by real life, I don't always have tons of time to devote to the festivities, and EQII's holidays are pretty elaborate affairs with a whole lot to do. So to help us both get the most treasure for our time, I've devised this speed guide to getting the holiday goods before the festival ends at 2:59 a.m EST on February 21st.

Continue Reading

I was going to update you fine folk on my adventures in rolling my 17,000th EverQuest II alt for this week's Tattered Notebook, but SOE decided to drop a Fan Faire Live date on us, which sort of mucked up my nefarious plans.

Why do we care about SOE Live? Well, there are multiple reasons, but the most important one is that instead of having to wait until October, we now get to see (and touch!) EverQuest Next in early August!

Continue Reading

So the Massively staff was chatting up our experiences in Neverwinter's beta yesterday afternoon. Someone remarked that the title's guild tools seemed more robust than usual, which got my attention since the lack of guild tools in every MMO not named EverQuest II is one of my long-standing genre pet peeves.

Seriously, you devs out there should just copy EQII's guild interface, options, and associated functionality across the board. Every time I create or join a guild in another game it leads to a gigantic frowny face as I realize how limited my options are for tracking membership, achievements, alts, and a dozen other niceties. But this Daily Grind isn't about my guild tool preferences, it's about yours. Which MMO boasts your favorite set of guild tools and why?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!