Massively

Those wanting EverQuest Next information have a long wait ahead

MJ Guthrie — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New Titles, News Items, EverQuest Next, Miscellaneous

No news is EverQuest Next news. Players interested in hearing more about the development of the next installment in the EverQuest franchise should find a very comfy chair and stockpile a significant cache of snacks -- it's going to be a very long wait.

In response to questions posted on the official EverQuest II forums about EverQuest Next and how it will affect the current games, developer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson issued the statement that no news would be forthcoming for a very long time. He states, "The *earliest* we are currently considering that we *might* reveal info is late this year." He also noted that old screenshots should be disregarded as they had no relevance to the game in its current state.

Dave further addressed players' concerns about the Next version supplanting both the original EQ and EQII by assuring that "EQN is not being designed to replace those games." He does, however, acknowledge that the game could conceivably squash the other two if it was just astronomically better and everyone decided to play it instead. Massively readers chimed in not too long ago about their thoughts regarding jumping ship for sequels.

Those wanting EverQuest Next information have a long wait ahead originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Skyshrine, mercs, Qeynos, and shields that roar

Karen Bryan — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Interviews (Massively's), Community Q&A, The Tattered Notebook

For those gamers who have been patiently waiting to hear about GU63, the past few weeks have been a treat. We've shown off a few trailers on Massively, the official site has hosted a couple of team interviews, and even the SOE Twitch TV channel has been focused on EverQuest II. In fact, the recent webcast was the second part of a featured series on the update, and this one took a closer look Skyshrine and also answered a few fan questions. EQII Producer Holly "Windstalker" Longdale, Lead Designer Akil "Lyndro" Hooper, and SOE Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson sat down to preview what's coming to a server near you. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at the highlights and analyze what it means to both new players and old. Read on for the skinny!

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Skyshrine, mercs, Qeynos, and shields that roar

The Tattered Notebook: Skyshrine, mercs, Qeynos, and shields that roar originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II producer handing over the reins

Matt Daniel — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next

EverQuest II players will probably be familiar with the name Smokejumper, the forum handle of the EverQuest franchise's Executive Producer Dave Georgeson. Georgeson has served as Executive Producer for EverQuest, EverQuest II, and the upcoming EverQuest Next while simultaneously filling the role of Producer for EverQuest II. As you might imagine, that's quite a lot of work for a single person. With that in mind, Georgeson announced on the official EQII website today that Holly "Windstalker" Longdale has rejoined SOE in order to take over the position of EverQuest II's Producer.

Holly also takes the opportunity to introduce herself to the community, remarking that "the opportunity to be a producer on this team is surreal and certainly perfect." She goes on to say that "EverQuest... has had a place in [her] life for well over a decade now," making it clear that she's not just some corporate suit who doesn't care about the game -- she's a player who is passionate about the game and is in-tune with the playerbase. To read the full announcement from Smokejumper as well as the follow-up by Windstalker, just click on through the link below.

EverQuest II producer handing over the reins originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: The significance of the update delay

Karen Bryan — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum, and you could almost hear the record scratch when it did. Players have been speculating on two things recently: the release date of GU 63 and the absence of Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson from the forums. As it turns out, SmokeJumper was simply on vacation, but his first post after returning created quite a stir. He reported a new timetable for game updates this coming year, and it's different from what had been announced.

Game Update 63 is now scheduled for April, not February. Furthermore, there are only three planned updates this coming year, rather than four, along with an expected expansion at the end of the year. Let's look at some reasons for the change in schedule and what it means to EverQuest II fans.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: The significance of the update delay

The Tattered Notebook: The significance of the update delay originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE makes EQII veteran rewards available to F2P players

Jef Reahard — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

Sony Online Entertainment is pulling out all the stops when it comes to the courtship of EverQuest II's new free-to-play constituency. In a post on the game's official boards, producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson has announced that both free and silver-level players are now eligible for the fantasy title's extensive veteran rewards program.

Georgeson's post is short and to the point as he briefly outlines SOE's approach. "There are a lot more [payment] options available to folks, and it just doesn't make sense that a free or silver player shouldn't be able to accumulate veteran rewards," he explains. You can view both the announcement post and a feedback thread on the official EQII forums.

SOE makes EQII veteran rewards available to F2P players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II grandfathers in established characters

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business Models, Classes, Free-to-Play

EverQuest II players got a pleasant surprise today, as Executive Producer Dave Georgeson announced that any and all characters created prior to Age of Discovery's launch would be grandfathered into the game. This means that any characters that were locked due to a player going from, say, subscription to free-to-play are now available. The company is also refunding any Station Cash points spent to unlock these characters following the expansion's release.

From the full announcement on the EQII forums:

But, we don't really want to force those decisions on returning players. It's not a fun experience to come back to something that seemed exciting (F2P) and then get hit with a bill as soon as you arrive, just for the privilege of using your current characters.

So here's what we're going to do.

*Every* character that was created before 12/06/2011 at 12:01 a.m. will be grandfathered in without race or class restriction. This means that regardless of your membership level, you will be able to play any character created before 12/6 without paying for race- or class-pack unlocks.

For any player that previously subscribed to EQII Live servers, or as a Gold or Platinum member on EQ2X, we will also refund all the class/race pack purchases made after 12/06/2011 at 12:01 am and before the time of this posting (12/08/2011, 4:30pm) so that no one loses any SC due to this change.

EverQuest II grandfathers in established characters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE releases EQII Age of Discovery expansion, Freeport revamp, F2P model

Jef Reahard — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business Models, Classes, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dungeons, Crafting

There are big days, and there are big days, and today is definitely the latter when it comes to EverQuest II. First of all, as producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says in his newly minted producer's letter, "today we stop requiring any sort of payment."

Yes, free-to-play is here (again, and across the board this time). That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. Today also marks the introduction of the much-ballyhooed Freeport revamp along with the rest of Game Update 62, and oh yeah, did we forget to mention the Age of Discovery expansion?

If so, the short version of AoD includes the dungeon-maker tool, mercenaries, the Beastlord class, and a ton of customization and collectible updates sure to make your stay in Norrath even more enjoyable. We could tell you about 20 additional alternate advancement points, a new launchpad and website, new social networking integration, and more, but then you'd have no reason to check out the official forums for yourself. Check out the official AoD trailer after the break.

Continue reading SOE releases EQII Age of Discovery expansion, Freeport revamp, F2P model

SOE releases EQII Age of Discovery expansion, Freeport revamp, F2P model originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II Age of Discovery launch date, new features revealed

Karen Bryan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, EverQuest II, Classes, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Lore, Previews, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Dungeons

For months, EverQuest II fans have been patiently waiting for the launch date of the latest expansion, Age of Discovery. Fortunately, the wait is over: SOE has announced that Tuesday, December 6th is the official live date for EQII's free-to-play transition, the Age of Discovery, and the Freeport Reborn game update (GU62). Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson and EQII Associate Producer Emily "Domino" Taylor both took time to give Massively a tour of some of the new features, so read on for an up-close look at Beastlords, the new Freeport, mercenaries, and the dungeon maker, and check out some new screenshots in our gallery below!

Gallery: EverQuest II Age of Discovery Screenshots

Continue reading EverQuest II Age of Discovery launch date, new features revealed

EverQuest II Age of Discovery launch date, new features revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New launchpad coming to all EverQuest II users tomorrow [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play

EverQuest II's official site has updated with a news blurb heralding the launch of, er, well, a new launcher. Currently, Sony Online Entertainment's fantasy title has multiple access points including the streaming launcher, the retail box launcher, and SOE's station launcher.

As of November 30th, all EQII users will be migrated to a new launchpad.

What's new about it? Well for starters, it doesn't require Flash. It also boasts a "much faster patching speed" and a "general aesthetic upgrade." The migration process should be painless for the end user, as Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says that all you'll have to do is point the new launcher at your existing EQII directory when prompted. There's a bit more info on the official site if you're curious.

[Update]: EQ2Wire has a great dev rundown on what exactly is coming with the new launcher.

New launchpad coming to all EverQuest II users tomorrow [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: What free-to-play means for EverQuest II

Karen Bryan — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

Thursday was quite the news day for EverQuest II. Normally, the announcement of pre-order specifics and details on the new expansion would be pretty big news by itself, but it was completely upstaged by the announcement that all EQII servers will be free-to-play.

As expected, there are lots of mixed emotions from the players regarding this new transition. Here at Massively, readers generally welcomed the move with open arms, but on the official forums and on the fansite EQ2Flames, there was a lot more trepidation. That's understandable because this move could change quite a lot going down the road. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at what the free-to-play transition means for the future of EQII.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: What free-to-play means for EverQuest II

The Tattered Notebook: What free-to-play means for EverQuest II originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II goes fully free-to-play: Our chat with Dave Georgeson

Karen Bryan — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, Free-to-Play

Earlier in the fall, Massively's EverQuest II column, The Tattered Notebook, took a look at the differences between the live servers and the free-to-play server and speculated on the possibility of making all servers free-to-play. As it turns out, we no longer need to speculate because SOE has officially announced that EverQuest II will make the full transition to free-to-play in early December. Just in time for the release of the newest expansion, Age of Discovery, all servers will now share the same subscription plans, Marketplace, and forums. Last week, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson took time to share with us the details of the free-to-play transition as well as highlight some of the new features coming with the expansion. Read on for a look at what's to come for EQII.

Continue reading EverQuest II goes fully free-to-play: Our chat with Dave Georgeson

EverQuest II goes fully free-to-play: Our chat with Dave Georgeson originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: What if live servers go free-to-play?

Karen Bryan — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

For the past few weeks of The Tattered Notebook, I've explored EverQuest II's Extended server, Freeport, to see what gameplay is like on the other side of the wall that separates it from its subscription-based cousins. This week, I'm going to look at the scenario that all EQII players consider: making all servers free-to-play. It's a very complicated issue, and there are excellent arguments on both sides, but there are a few factors that tend to tip the scales.

I don't have nearly enough space in this column to touch on every issue involving a free-to-play transition, so I'm going to focus on a few of the most important ones and give my thoughts on what would need to happen if EQII did indeed go free-to-play on all servers.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: What if live servers go free-to-play?

The Tattered Notebook: What if live servers go free-to-play? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Players bracing for EverQuest II's GU61 AA changes

Jef Reahard — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play

Big changes are afoot in the world of Norrath, or at least the version of it on display in EverQuest II. Game Update 61 is just around the corner, and ZAM has a brief rundown on the major alternate advancement and tradeskill changes coming when the patch goes live.

While many players are cautiously optimistic, some are concerned over the fact that such sweeping changes will affect their playstyles. How sweeping, exactly? Well, every character is getting a free AA respec, so there's your first clue. Also of note are the new class, subclass, and tradeskill trees available at level 10. Of particular concern to some is the fact that the Shadows AA tree will now be off limits to characters under level 50, depriving them of some very useful health, power, and run-speed AAs and making life that much harder for dedicated crafting characters.

In other EQII news, EQ2Wire offers a brief look at the veteran reward changes hinted at during last month's Fan Faire. While no release date is forthcoming, producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says that "the design is outlined and we're committed to the concept."

Players bracing for EverQuest II's GU61 AA changes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire knowns and unknowns

Karen Bryan — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook

As we inch closer to Fan Faire, speculation begins to mount about what news EverQuest II fans will finally get to hear. Last year, players were smarting from the announcement of EQII Extended, the free-to-play server, and it seemed to deflate the mood among EQII Fan Faire attendees. This year, EQII is full of knowns and unknowns, to borrow a phrase from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. We have known knowns, which are things that we know we know. And then there are known unknowns, or things that we know but we actually don't know. Lastly, there are unknown unknowns, which are things that we don't know we don't know. That's where things are in EQII currently. Confused? Me too! This week's Tattered Notebook will look at what we know and what we hope to find out more about at this year's Fan Faire.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire knowns and unknowns

The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire knowns and unknowns originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Leapers, gliders, and Beastlords, oh my!

Karen Bryan — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

E3 has come and gone, but EverQuest II fans are left with more questions than answers. Children of War has just launched, and already, players are wondering what's coming down the road. We do know about some of the more immediate changes, such as the rebuilding of the Dragon Ring and Spires live event, new mounts, and the Freeport Revamp. But there were some hints at much bigger changes down the road -- and few details on how exactly it would change the game.

In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll break out the crystal ball and speculate on whether EQII is growing closer to EQ2X and whether we might in fact see the arrival of Beastlords in game.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Leapers, gliders, and Beastlords, oh my!

The Tattered Notebook: Leapers, gliders, and Beastlords, oh my! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2011: EverQuest II's Dave Georgeson in 3-D

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage)

If you're going to fly, why not fly with a little style -- and in 3-D? At E3, we were able to grab some facetime with Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson, EverQuest II's executive producer, as he showed us the next dimension of MMO gameplay while we checked out some of the new aerial races in the game.

"We wanted to do a little more with the flying creatures than to go from Point A to Point B," Georgeson said, referencing EQII's aerial races. "So we put in these flying race courses, which is a good test ground for showing off 3-D."

It's one of those things that has to be seen to be believed. The 3-D effect while flying is, in a word, awesome. The user interface is up close, your character is somewhere in the middle, and the environment is in the background. The effect is very noticeable when you turn, which happens a lot while flying.

Hit the jump to hear more of Georgeson's thoughts on 3-D in EverQuest II as well as a get tantalizing sneak peek at the game's future!

Continue reading E3 2011: EverQuest II's Dave Georgeson in 3-D

E3 2011: EverQuest II's Dave Georgeson in 3-D originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE welcomes players back, Mark Anderson named DCUO's new game director

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Expansions, Patches, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, Promotions

"It's good to be back!" Many Sony Online Entertainment customers have said this these past few days as the studio's titles came back online after a two-week absence. They're not the only ones, either; many of the leads to SOE's host of MMOs are saying the same thing today.

Eight developers representing a large portion of SOE's library posted "Welcome back!" messages on the Station Blog, expressing a mixture of relief, happiness, and hopeful visions for their games' futures. Several of these developers have also used the opportunity to show that they were working hard during the break.

"We're incredibly glad to have our worlds back online again," EverQuest II's David Georgeson said, "and we really appreciate you all being so patient with us while we strengthened the castle walls."

There's certainly a lot of information to digest in these eight posts. Lorin Jameson dropped the news that Mark Anderson's been moved up to become DC Universe Online's latest game director, while Georgeson hinted at a "major new feature set" for EQII that's in the works. Several of the devs mentioned that the downtime will result in a delay of future patches and expansions so that they can be properly tested.

You can read the full assortment of "Welcome back!" posts at the Station Blog.

SOE welcomes players back, Mark Anderson named DCUO's new game director originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EQII's Georgeson talks GU60, low-level flying mounts

Jef Reahard — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

It's a pretty safe assumption that Sony Online Entertainment's MMO developers and its IT security staff are separate groups of people, and that begs the question of what EverQuest II's coders were doing during the recent 12-day downtime. Perhaps an impromptu vacation or some quality time with other games (or hobbies) was in the cards?

Not so, according to producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson, who says that the team was hard at work on Game Update 60 (and 61). EQ2Wire's Feldon has a breakdown of various and sundry Smokejumper quotes gleaned from the official EQII forums, and there's a lot of ground to cover. Topics range from GU60 testing to update notes and updated abilities to potential flying mounts for lower-level players. "Also, the mysterious flying mount thing I promised to explain... well... I don't want to build it up too big, but it's aimed at lower-level characters also," Georgeson says. Hit up EQ2Wire for more details.

EQII's Georgeson talks GU60, low-level flying mounts originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: SmokeJumper talks GU60

Karen Bryan — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Interviews, The Tattered Notebook

The past week has certainly been difficult, both for Sony Online Entertainment and EverQuest II fans. The attack and the downtime has certainly been on players' minds as they wonder when the game will go live again and how much of their personal information was compromised.

But while these seem like dark days for EQII, there will be lots to look forward to in-game once things are back to normal. A few weeks ago, Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson took time to answer some questions for Massively about Game Update 60, The Children of War. And he met again for a roundtable interview just before news of the attack on SOE broke.

Read on for highlights of the interview and a look at what's on the horizon once services are restored.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: SmokeJumper talks GU60

The Tattered Notebook: SmokeJumper talks GU60 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Free level 90? Heck yeah!

Karen Bryan — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

I'm a bit late to the party, but I want to throw my two coppers into the discussion on the level 90 winback suggestion that Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson made recently. In a recent forum thread, he tossed out the idea of EverQuest II's offering level-capped characters to new players who purchased Destiny of Velious. After a fairly robust discussion, he pulled it off the table, but I actually think it should still be an option.

Before you make fists of fury at the screen, hear me out! In this week's Tattered Notebook, I'm going to look at why this promotion is needed and suggest a way that it actually could work for everyone's benefit.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Free level 90? Heck yeah!

The Tattered Notebook: Free level 90? Heck yeah! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Dave Georgeson on EQII's Children of War

Karen Bryan — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Interviews, The Tattered Notebook

Even though Destiny of Velious has only been out for a couple of months, EverQuest II is about to see some big improvements and new content in the upcoming Game Update 60, Children of War. Despite the recent cuts to Sony Online Entertainment's staff, the team working on EQII seems more focused than ever, and over the past couple of weeks, fans have received a constant stream of information on both near- and long-term plans for the game.

In this week's Tattered Notebook, Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson was kind enough to take some time to talk about the future of EverQuest II. In a bit of a surprise, he discusses how the team will continue to release Velious content in the form of regular updates rather than a larger part II as originally planned. He also gives some detail on highlights from the next update as well as future plans. Multiple housing, deity changes, the Freeport revamp -- Georgeson sheds some light on all that and more. Read on for the interview!

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Dave Georgeson on EQII's Children of War

The Tattered Notebook: Dave Georgeson on EQII's Children of War originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you care if players get free max-level characters?

Jef Reahard — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, EverQuest II, Guild Wars, Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play

Poor Dave Georgeson.

All he wanted was a bit of discussion regarding the possible (not definite, nor even probable) implementation of free level-90 characters as an enticement for returning to EverQuest II. What he got was a 16-page (and counting) thread full of whining about how it's grossly unfair to those who've "worked" for their levels.

Never you mind the fact that Guild Wars has had a similar system in place for the last six years, or that Age of Conan started giving away free levels (and, essentially, free max-level characters if you subscribe long enough) in 2010. Georgeson ran afoul of that segment of the MMORPG-playing population that loves to grind, and the only thing that certain grind fans seem to enjoy more than the treadmill is forcing other players to partake of it with them.

What about you, Massively folk? Are you outraged that some folks consider the grind an unfortunate (and disposable) fact of MMO life, or are you content to live and let live? Do you care about free max-level characters?

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!

The Daily Grind: Do you care if players get free max-level characters? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II's Georgeson mentions free max-level toons, community foams at the mouth

Jef Reahard — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Community Q&A

EverQuest II producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson recently touched off a firestorm of controversy by asking the fantasy game's community how it would feel about a win-back promotion featuring free max-level characters. Predictably, the howls of protest are still reverberating around the internet, and EQ2Wire has a bit of analysis regarding both the discussion and the high-level flying mount portion of the game's latest expansion that led to it.

Despite the fact that Georgeson was clearly engaging in a bit of speculative thinking with the community (i.e., there are no plans for EQII insta-90s), and despite the fact that Guild Wars has been offering max-level PvP toons since 2005, the EQII discussion quickly turned hostile and demonstrated the minefields that developers must occasionally navigate when engaging their playerbase.

EverQuest II's Georgeson mentions free max-level toons, community foams at the mouth originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: If we all look cool, how do we know who's really cool?

Karen Bryan — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

Last week, we looked at the amazing job that EverQuest II does with providing ways to make your character look unique. EQII is one of the best when it comes to making your character look special, cool, and fitting of who you are. But there's another side of this coin, and as one forum poster has rightfully pointed out, the best-looking items aren't always the best items in the game. As Rayven2 noted recently on the official forums:

A good example is the Elemental War Sword. Sure it drops from an easy-mode mob, but it's a 4x raid and takes time and effort to beat (at least the first time you do it). The sword should look somewhat cool, but the graphic is just the same reused sword graphic painted gold. The chillborne sword is the one that has the particle effects for 200SC. So you bust your hump beating a mob that took 24 people to take down only to get a reward that looks worse than an appearance weapon anyone can acquire for little or no effort. None of the scout weapons look anywhere as cool as the SC daggers out there.

Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson replied, saying, "It's a fair point, although if we're not paying attention to that now, it's by oversight, not by intent. Everyone wants something cool looking (not just cool stats) when they overcome big challenges. That's natural."

In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll take a closer look at "looking cool" and how the rise of cash shops has changed the way we view each other.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: If we all look cool, how do we know who's really cool?

The Tattered Notebook: If we all look cool, how do we know who's really cool? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New EQII producer's letter outlines roadmap for 2011

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries

Recent layoffs at SOE may have caused a certain amount of trepidation in terms of future development on some of the company's most popular titles. Thankfully, the most recent Producer's Letter from Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson should put many EverQuest II players' minds at ease. He took some time to sit down and give us an outline of plans the EverQuest II developers have for 2011, indicating that things are very good for the game's future.

Those who purchased the most recent expansion, Destiny of Velious, will be glad to hear that en route is even more content that will further expand on the Age's End Prophecy storyline. That content will only be available to those who picked up the expansion, however, so if you've been thinking about getting it, now would be a good time. Next up, it appears that Freeport is going to be getting a pretty heavy makeover both in terms of layout and what it will offer to players -- along with becoming a single zone open to flying mounts! We don't want to spoil you for all the interesting information mentioned, so if you're curious, head over to the EverQuest II site and check out the newest Producer's Letter.

New EQII producer's letter outlines roadmap for 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: More on flying mounts, public quests, and prestige homes

Karen Bryan — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, The Tattered Notebook

SOE has been slowly getting new information out about Destiny of Velious. As part of an ongoing promotion to showcase the upcoming expansion, Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson and Greg "Rothgar" Spence took part in the second installment of the Destiny of Velious webcast. They took the opportunity to elaborate on topics from the first show and also revealed some exciting new features. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll look at the highlights of last Friday's webcast. Read on to hear more about flying mounts, prestige housing, and public quests.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: More on flying mounts, public quests, and prestige homes

The Tattered Notebook: More on flying mounts, public quests, and prestige homes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Highlights from the Destiny of Velious webcast

Karen Bryan — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, The Tattered Notebook

With Destiny of Velious just around the corner, the team at SOE has announced a webcast schedule to provide details about the upcoming expansion and answer player questions. The first one was this past Friday and was attended by Senior Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson and Siliam "Silius" Grant, whom Vanguard fans might recognize. While the show was brief, the duo did touch on many different areas -- from itemization to raids and even to the addition of new public quests. Read on for highlights from the first Velious question-and-answer session.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Highlights from the Destiny of Velious webcast

The Tattered Notebook: Highlights from the Destiny of Velious webcast originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II Destiny of Velious webcast schedule released

Jef Reahard — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, Expansions, News Items, Free-to-Play

The EverQuest II development team is gearing up for the long-awaited Destiny of Velious expansion, and part of said gearing up involves disseminating information to the masses. Starting today at 4:00 p.m. PST, SOE will be hosting a series of live webcasts designed to spread the word about Velious as well as give anxious players a chance to have their questions heard. The webcasts will be taking place every Friday for the next month, with various guests and topics scheduled for each.

Tonight's segment features Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson and Salim "Silius" Grant, and the duo is scheduled to talk a bit about new Velious zones, raids, and more. Player-submitted questions are also on the docket, so visit the official EQII forums to submit yours.

If you're looking for a bit of a preview, head to EQ2Wire, where Feldon shares his experiences with past SOE webcasts as well as the full schedule.

EverQuest II Destiny of Velious webcast schedule released originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EQII Destiny of Velious beta in full swing

Jef Reahard — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, News Items, Free-to-Play

News of SOE's EverQuest II has been fairly sparse as of late. Aside from the recent server merges and a somewhat controversial vampire race, it's been pretty quiet relative to the deluge of information that followed last summer's free-to-play conversion. Presumably, the SOE gnomes have been too busy bustling about with the creation of EQII's next expansion to provide any headline fodder, and exhibit A is the fact that the Destiny of Velious beta is rolling right along.

EQ2Wire's Feldon mentions community reports of the ongoing beta (which is under a strict NDA at this point), and he also provides a helpful sign-up link (viewing it requires SOE account credentials), as well as a link to producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson's thoughts on the early closed beta process. "Depending on how many folks pile into the beta, and how many testers we need, we may authorize extra groups of people later this month. Stay tuned for more details," Georgeson writes.

EQII Destiny of Velious beta in full swing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: EverQuest II's year in review

Karen Bryan — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

EverQuest II may be the ripe old age of six, but it certainly isn't showing signs of slowing down. With 2010 coming to a close, it's time to look back on the past year, which was marked with several major changes to the game.

Read on for The Tattered Notebook's year in review, and then share your memories of the past year in EverQuest II.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: EverQuest II's year in review

The Tattered Notebook: EverQuest II's year in review originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trading platinum for Station Cash items OK with EQII's Georgeson

Jef Reahard — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Economy, News Items

EQ2Wire has an interesting tidbit regarding the exchange of platinum (EverQuest II's in-game currency) and items purchased with SOE's Station Cash. With players now able to gift Station Cash items, EQII vets wondered aloud on the game's official boards if trading some of their surplus plat for SC paraphernalia would lead to a ban.

Surprisingly, EQII producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson took a laissez faire approach to the discussion, in effect saying that players are welcome to the trades provided they're not facilitated by any third parties. "We really don't want to put a hard value on platinum to SC conversion rates, so we would probably only step in on this if we thought it was going to cause us legal headaches in the future. So...if kept on the low-down, it'll never cause problems. But if someone put up a website selling items officially with posted conversion rates, I have a feeling that legal might want to step in and stop it to avoid issues. Make sense? Keep it person-to-person and I don't think this will ever be an issue," he wrote.

In addition to the exchange discussion, EQ2Wire's Feldon chimes in with a brief analysis of the game's economy and inflation troubles that's worth a read if you're thinking of heading back to the world of Norrath.

Trading platinum for Station Cash items OK with EQII's Georgeson originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Station cash, server merges, and musings from the community

Jef Reahard — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook

Welcome to another chapter of The Tattered Notebook. There's a ton to talk about this week, as our favorite game has been making news left and right, in both its traditional and free-to-play flavors.

Pull up a chair and grab a cup of your favorite beverage as we delve into our semi-monthly look at what's turning heads and generating discussion in the EverQuest II community. As it turns out, nothing stirs the pot more than server merges (and maybe Station Cash), and in this week's edition we'll highlight a few noteworthy conversations you may have missed.

Turn the page for more.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Station cash, server merges, and musings from the community

The Tattered Notebook: Station cash, server merges, and musings from the community originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EQII Live server merges begin this November

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, News Items

In a move that should surprise no one, Sony Online Entertainment has announced it will be officially merging EQII Live servers beginning this fall. Sixteen shards will be affected, though notably populated servers such as Antonia Bayle, Lucan D'Lere, Nagafen, and Crushbone are not among them (nor are the Live Gamer shards Vox and The Bazaar).

EQII producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson cautions that the merges won't happen quickly, as there is a lot of work to be done. The trade-off is that "bigger population density on a server is just simply more fun for everyone involved, so it's time to get it done," he writes.

For the complete listing, check out the announcement on the official website, and also hit up this thread for more discussion and details.

EQII Live server merges begin this November originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Unlimited EQII character slots coming October 5th

Jef Reahard — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

If you're anything like us, you're a raging altoholic with an EQII character select screen crammed full of ratonga wizards, barbarian monks, froglok swashbucklers, and any number of other funky race/class permutations. One of the great joys of SOE's long-running EverQuest sequel is the huge number of races and classes available for play and now, courtesy of an update coming your way October 5th, Norrathians will no longer be limited to a select number of character slots.

EQII producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson announced the good news in a post on the official forums. "We've solved some technical issues recently and we can now offer character slots for sale," he writes. Each additional slot will be permanently tied to your account after a one-time purchasing fee of 1000 Station Cash ($10.00), and there is no limit to the number of additional slots you can buy. The service will also be available on both the Live and F2P servers.

Unlimited EQII character slots coming October 5th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EQII's Georgeson on LotRO comparisons, class manifestos, and more

Jef Reahard — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

With all the folks popping into the newly free-to-play world of Norrath lately, it's easy to forget that EQ2X has been a beta product up to this point. Now, with the testing tag gone away for good, Massively has taken the opportunity to sit down with SOE producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson to get his take on how the grand experiment is going.

Join us after the cut for a revealing discussion about Everquest II's new F2P flavor, the state of the Live servers, comparisons with Lord of the Rings Online's recent business model conversion, class manifestos, and a possible dungeon finder.

Continue reading EQII's Georgeson on LotRO comparisons, class manifestos, and more

EQII's Georgeson on LotRO comparisons, class manifestos, and more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Community rumblings

Jef Reahard — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook

Ah, the Everquest II community. A fascinating melting pot of cynical veterans, middle-of-the-road types, and now (thanks to EQ2X), fresh-faced new bloods. While there is no shortage of informational destinations about the world of Norrath to be found around the web, the best is still the official boards when you're looking for up-to-the-minute anecdotes about the game (courtesy of its most passionate players).

In this week's Tattered Notebook, I break down a few of the more interesting discussions from the past couple of weeks, many of them dealing with the recently released GU57, EQ2X, and of course the future of Norrath in both Live and F2P flavors.

Turn the page for more.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Community rumblings

The Tattered Notebook: Community rumblings originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Exclusive: EQII F2P interview with Dave Georgeson

Jef Reahard — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play

Earlier today SOE dropped the F2P bomb that is EverQuest II Extended, and Massively was on the front lines to bring you the scoop first. We also sat down with lead producer Dave Georgeson to chat about the particulars of the new service, as well as get his take on where the industry is heading.

He had a number of interesting nuggets to share, about not only the game's alternate F2P business model, but also the fact that SOE is keen on respecting the wishes of its core player base.

Read all about it after the cut.

Continue reading Exclusive: EQII F2P interview with Dave Georgeson

Exclusive: EQII F2P interview with Dave Georgeson originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II jumps on the F2P bandwagon

Jef Reahard — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items

Despite assurances as recently as last month that EverQuest II wouldn't be going free-to-play, Sony Online Entertainment today announced that the game is doing just that... sort of. EverQuest II Extended is slated for a beta launch on August 17th, and features a separate server set providing all of the game's original content via the insanely popular F2P business model.

"The very nature of an MMO is change, and the decision to create Extended was fueled by evolution of the industry landscape," says EQII lead producer Dave Georgeson. "By offering two services side by side we have given the power to our players to determine the program that best fits their game play style."

Extended will allow access to all zones through The Shadow Odyssey, sans subscription, credit card info, or software purchases. Players will be able to purchase additional perks (such as races, levels 80 - 90, statistical gear, and potions) through the marketplace. Existing EQII subscribers will also be able to transfer their characters to the F2P servers, albeit without their gold. Bags, no-trade items, and attuned items will be transferred. Extended also offers a yearly subscription priced at $200 USD, which equals out to $16.66 per month. SOE is chipping in 60 Station Cash to make up the difference.

Check out the membership matrix for all the details on the new service, and stay with Massively for our interview with Dave Georgeson later today.

[Update: That interview can be found here.]

EverQuest II jumps on the F2P bandwagon originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments