Filed under: EverQuest II

EverQuest II: Brewday is back

by Rubi Bayer Mar 9th 2010 at 9:00PM

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

Those who have been hanging around Norrath for a while know what this time of year brings: Brewday is returning to EverQuest II. While the holiday originated with the Dwarves, they don't mind sharing the fun, so get ready to celebrate beginning March 11th with events both old and new.

You'll see some familiar features such as Snoogle's Presentation, Ale Goggles, and Beers for Brell, but they offer brand new rewards, so make sure you check them out. If you're a fan of crafting, you'll be happy to hear that Brewday will bring new craftables and supplies in addition to all the other treats.

So what are you waiting for, an invitation? (It's okay if you are, because you'll be receiving one in your in-game mail.) The event runs from March 11th until the 22nd, so check out the event page for the full story, and enjoy yourself!

SOE reveals EverQuest II forum treasure chest

by Jef Reahard Mar 9th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items

Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information available on the EverQuest II forums? It's easy to get lost amid the forest of posts, replies, and game guides collected on the official site since the title launched in late 2004. To alleviate the information overload, SOE has released the Treasure Chest, a compendium of worthwhile forum postings selected by community managers.

"With so much information being posted in the EQII Official Forums at all times, it can be very easy to miss some real gems and opportunities to share. The Treasure Chest is here to highlight interesting, unusual, and humorous posts," proclaims the official news release.

Head on over to the official news archive by hitting this link, and check out the best of EverQuest II's forum community.

One Shots: Dangerous winds

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 8th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, EverQuest II, One Shots

The fun part of an expansion is never knowing just what's in store when you go to a new area. Perhaps before you were used to just having to avoid mobs, but how do you deal with it when it seems the land itself is bent on your destruction? Well, if you're today's One Shots contributor, Valencin, who captured this screenshot in EverQuest II, you might try sneaking your way through. He wrote in to explain his plan: This is a shot from the newest expansion to EverQuest II, Sentinel's Fate. You can barely see my character Valencin hunkered down (in stealth form) in front of the flowers as the storms are about to roll over him. We wonder if that worked, or if he got clobbered by a flying rock.

Have you taken on the elements in your game world and survived? We'd love to hear about it. Grab a screenshot and send it in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a note. We'll post it out here for everyone to check out and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

SOE announces dates for Fan Faire 2010

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 4th 2010 at 5:30PM

Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, PlanetSide, Events, real-world, The Agency, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Everquest Online Adventures, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, PoxNora

For fans of Sony Online Entertainment's stable of MMO titles, the time has come once again to start making plans for Fan Faire. It looks like we'll all be heading back to Bally's Hotel in Las Vegas from August 5-8 for a weekend chock-full of all manner of crazy gaming fun with MMO friends.

This year, they're offering everything from day passes at $35 on up to a Platinum badge which -- for $135 -- will net you access to all events, plus an additional in-game item, a special swag bag boasting more than just regular Fan Faire goodies, access to a VIP lounge, and even private VIP events. Add to that the room discounts starting at $65 a night for a swanky hotel right on the main Vegas strip, and this could well be a great vacation that just happens to include the awesome fun of this year's SOE Fan Faire.

For now, there's no details on the schedule of events, but we wouldn't be surprised to see Alan "Brenlo" Crosby wedging people into t-shirts three sizes too small, as well as an appearance by of one of our favorite Dwarves. If previous years are any indication, this is a should-not-miss event for any serious SOE fan.

The Tattered Notebook: No one is left behind

by Seraphina Brennan Mar 2nd 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Guides, Leveling, Tips and tricks, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook

'Allo again, lovelies. Last week has been a week of danger and intrigue as I battled through Nektulos Forest and worked on getting my unique Shadowknight armor. During all of this, though, I thought to myself -- how can I apply any of these experiences to my notebook entry for this coming week?

Then of course, it hit me. Why not just explain what I've been doing to get through the areas in a short amount of time? A few tips and tricks for playing the level game? Sure, I've been up and down with grouping and preparations for Sentinel's Fate, but many players are always intimidated when entering a game and "being behind."

Well, don't worry about being behind. You're not entering the game late at all when it comes to EverQuest II, especially thanks to the recent additions to the game in Sentinel's Fate. Interested in catching up and experiencing some great content? Then click on through after the break!

Also, I'm still looking for questions anyone has on EverQuest II, so I can answer them in an upcoming Tattered Notebook. Ask me anything, from EverQuest II questions, guild leadership and raiding questions, and even questions on my Dark Elven heritage. Send them over to seraphina@massively.com, and she'll be sure to forward them on through the Norrathian Express mail to me.

Sentinel's Fate rises to the top of the charts

by Krystalle Voecks Feb 26th 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, News items

The EverQuest II players have spoken. The results are in, and the sales of the newest expansion, Sentinel's Fate took the #1 spot in the PC game sales charts for a second week in a row. We'd bet there will be much celebratory battleground playing or virtual pillow-fighting at the Sony Online Entertainment offices today.

The sixth expansion to EverQuest II, Sentinel's Fate is chock full of content, taking players from level 80 to 90. Packed into this expansion are two new overland zones, 15 new dungeons, 400 new quests and over 2,000 new items to check out. There's also some pretty cool armor and 500 station cash to go shopping with as well. Not too shabby.

If you're curious for more details about the expansion, Sera's compiled a great roundup of our coverage. For now, we'll just say grats on the ding, EverQuest II team!

The Tattered Notebook: Sentinel's Fate aftermath and advice

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 23rd 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions, Tips and tricks, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook

Hrm. After a brief vacation, darlings, I am back at the reigns of my column. Neriak was lovely this time of year -- I encourage you all to stop by for a visit if you have the time.

But who has the time these days, right? All of your are off exploring Odus as if you haven't seen the place in 500 years. I hear that some adventurers are already tackling some of the most dangerous dungeons on that continent already! My, my, my, how you all tackle your challenges so quickly.

Many of you have had some very interesting things to say about Odus, and I've been silently watching and taking some notes. I've got them all right here, tucked away in my notebook. I've even amassed some answers for a few of your more common problems, just in time for the digital download release today. But, all of you can never say that Seccia Ravenloft was a secretive elf. I'm more than happy to share my findings so come closely, gather around the campfire, and listen here.

Dragons abound in the Sentinel's Fate launch day trailer

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 16th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, EverQuest II, Expansions, Launches

An epic expansion deserves an epic trailer, and that means adding as many dragons as possible to your video. The new Sentinel's Fate launch day trailer takes a good look at all of the new monsters and encounters available in the game, but it seems to have a particular focus on large dragons and how they destroy people with their acidic breath. Fun if you're a dragon lover, bad if you're on the receiving end of that breath.

If you haven't gotten a look at the expansion in motion yet, or want to watch some dragons eat some people, we have the video for you embedded after the break. Just click the continue reading button to see the eye candy if you dare to cross into the dragon's lair!

The Tattered Notebook: A look into grouping, and a roundup of our Sentinel's Fate coverage

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 16th 2010 at 6:00PM

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

While Sentinel's Fate doesn't hit the digital download shelves for another week, retail players (and the many winners of retail access keys) are already enjoying the brand new lands of Odus as of this morning, thanks to today's headstart launch! The magical barrier protecting the continent has fallen, and many adventurers have already accessed the wizard spires to throw themselves into the Sundered Frontier and right into the intrigue.

But, while you're waiting to patch (or if you're an international customer, waiting for the servers to come up) we have just the thing for you -- our roundup of Sentinel's Fate coverage. Plus, this week we're taking a look at forming groups in EverQuest II, and how you can quickly and effectively put one together.

Latest EverQuest II data study covers roleplayers

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 16th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Culture, News items

A year ago, we mentioned that Sony Online Entertainment had opened up their EverQuest II database to researchers, allowing scientists from noted universities the ability to study the demographics of their server in an anonymous fashion. Slowly but surely, more studies are coming out that are using this information, and one of the newer studies takes an in-depth look at roleplayers.

While the study is over 40 pages long and packed with information, Raph Koster has broken down the big findings on his website -- namely the fact that hardcore RPers only make up 5% of the player population and don't care about playing on an RP server. RPers also commonly belong to minority groups of some sort, play less hours per week than the average player, and have a higher rate of turning in-game social connections into real-world connections.

It's all interesting stuff, and Raph has it broken down on his site, or you can check out the full study in Word's .doc format.

EverQuest II hits ConnectDING goal of 15,000 fans

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 15th 2010 at 6:00PM

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

If you're an EverQuest II player, you should rejoice right about now! SOE's ConnectDING! program has been a success in EverQuest II, granting everyone in game a celebratory 500 station cash and the community pillow fight pillow!

The last day was the decider, as the EQII community got over 1,000 more fans to sign up to the game's Facebook and Twitter pages in a single day. It looked a little iffy, especially as the community still needed 947 of those fans to sign up within 12 hours, but they made it with only a few hours to spare, clinching the victory.

The station cash has already been deposited into everyone's accounts, however the community pillow has not. Look forward to the community pillow in your inbox tomorrow, after the Sentinel's Fate server downtime.

Win a copy of EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate tonight in Massively's "Keys of Fate" event! [Closed!]

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 15th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Contests, Events, in-game, Expansions, Giveaways

You have an EverQuest II subscription (or want to sign up for a trial?) You want to participate in a fun event, solve a few puzzles, and have a chance at winning a collector's edition key for Sentinel's Fate just in time for tomorrow's launch? Then do we have the offer for you!

Tonight, starting at 8:30 PM ET (5:30 PM PT), boot up your EverQuest II to the Lucan d'Lere server and get your browsers pointed to Massively.com. We're hosting an across-the-internet scavenger hunt, finishing out with a race across Norrath to find our roving Dark Elven reporter, Seccia Ravenloft.

Seccia has been equipped with not one, but two key codes that will unlock the Sentinel's Fate collector's edition in addition to 10 key codes that will unlock the standard retail version. All of these keys will let you access the Sentinel's Fate headstart, which begins tomorrow!

Need all the details? We have them right after the break!

Catch up for Sentinel's Fate with a bonus exp weekend

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 12th 2010 at 6:00PM

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

Behind on your leveling? Stuck in a mire of experience? Looking for a quick boost to get you set for the latest expansion to EverQuest II, Sentinel's Fate?

Well, starting at 3 PM PT today (6 PM for those of us on the east coast) you'll be able to get bonus experience to everything you do in EverQuest II! Leveling experience, alternate advancement experience, tradeskill experience, country experience, and western experience will all benefit from the bonus event. (Editor's Note: We don't remember country or western experience being in EQII, but hey, he is the executive producer, after all. He should know what he's talking about.)

Your new experience buff will be running out on Monday at Noon PT (3 PM ET) so be sure to take advantage of it while you can! Get some more experience under your belt before Sentinel's Fate launches on Tuesday!

Conquer the Keys of Fate, win a copy of Sentinel's Fate!

by Seraphina Brennan Feb 12th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Contests, Events, in-game, Expansions

"Seccia quickly looked over the treasured keys one last time. Her fingers lightly traced the ornate engravings on the two platinum and ten golden keys as a smile pulled itself across her lips. She took a deep breath before slowly wrapping them up in a large piece of canvas, hiding the package at the bottom of her backpack.

"In a few short minutes she had finished packing her camping supplies and had donned her armor. Without a second look back across her apartment she quickly moved towards the front door, praying that the right adventurers would find her before it's too late."

This Monday at 8:30 PM EST, join Massively as we set out on a bold quest across not only the face of Norrath, but the internet itself! Our intrepid Dark Elven reporter, Seccia Ravenloft, is holding the keys for brand new copies of EverQuest II's Sentinel's Fate collector's edition and retail edition! To claim them, however, one must track her down, wherever she is hiding, and politely request a key.

Tracking her down, however, will lead you through multiple puzzles and riddles in a race against the rest of Norrath! You will need an active EverQuest II subscription to participate in this contest, readers, so be sure to reactivate if you're interested in winning yourself a brand new expansion pack. Full instructions will be posted here and on the EverQuest II Community News forum come Monday, so keep your eye out!

Can you conquer the Keys of Fate?

One Shots: Camping out in Timorous Deep

by Krystalle Voecks Feb 12th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, EverQuest II, One Shots

Who doesn't love extra experience for enjoying some game time? Double experience weekends are a great way to draw players in to level up their characters, or to try leveling new characters up for the fun of checking out different starting areas. Today's One Shots comes from my own recent night-time adventures in the noob lands of EverQuest II -- specifically a picturesque camp outside of Gorowyn in Timorous Deep. With Alan "Brenlo" Crosby sending out the call that players would be treated to "[b]onus xp this weekend in EQ2. Both kinds. Country and western," it's a great time to jump back in and enjoy the quiet before Sentinel's Fate launches.

We love to show off all manner of MMOs, but we need you to contribute shots from far and wide. All MMOs welcome from big to small. Just gather your screenshots and send them in to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots