Game News » Sony-Everquest

New Items Available in the Station Marketplace

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:46:36 +0000

July 8, 2010

Greetings Norrathians. Take a look at the new items available right now in the Station Marketplace!

To purchase these items in-game, type /marketplace and please on our official forums!

Meet the New Community Manager

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:46:30 +0000

As you may have heard, there’s been a changing of the guard for the EQ Community! Zatozia has shifted to herding wookiees in SWG leaving a need for a firm dark elven hand in EQ.

So who am I? No, not 24601 (+50 dkp if you get the reference). I’m Christie "Kiara" Renzetti, formerly the Community Manager for EQII.

I’ve been ordered to post a picture… But no one said what kind of picture it had to be, so here ya go!

I don’t photograph well. Cameras are not my friends!

My gaming background… EQ was my first MMO and I started playing about a month or so after launch. My first character was a half-elf ranger. I was horrible. All those ranger jokes? Could so totally have been about me and my constantly lost and dead self. I played EQ up through Scars of Velious, when I took an extended haiatus (I needed to graduate college and that required going to class). I dabbled a bit in Dark Age of Camelot when it first launched and really enjoyed it, but the people I played with sort of stopped… So it was back to EQ for all of us.

When I stumbled upon EQII one day in April of 2004, I had a major geek moment. I signed up for the community and devoured all the information. I was lucky enough to be invited to the beta of EQII and was hooked ever since. I’ve played a bunch of other games, some more than others, but EQ and then EQII have held my attention in ways that the other games haven’t been able to do. I think it’s the story and the depth of the games. I’ve done everything from soloing to "hardcore" raiding and I love it all.

Somewhere around 2006 I started writing for fan sites covering EQII. I was hired in 2008 to be the Community Manager for EQII… and the rest, as they say, is lore.

I love the EQII community, they’re a great bunch of people and I’ll miss them a lot. However, I’m so excited to come home to EQ where it all started for me. I’m really looking forward to renewing my little dark elven cleric and getting to know all of you.

The new/old Kiara returns to Norrath!

Stop in and say hi!

Forum Hodgepodge – 7.21.10

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:45:56 +0000

Check out these interesting threads and many others on the EQLive Official Forums…

Everquest Trivia # 505 – Posted by phaenna, winner of EverQuest Trivia #504

Back after 7 years. – Discussion started by Community Member Sanon12

EverQuest. The past – EverQuest tribute thread started by Community Member Lufnis-FV

Flying Mounts! – Discussion started by Community Member Siwin

So when are we going to see some more in game droped Flying Mounts?

Only one so far that’s avalible and its an in game drop too http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/…html?item=81599

For me personaly I think its kind of funny looking.

But how about the rest of you? Would you like to see more flying mounts avaible in game? Hopfully to be able to get in the game itself.

I’d like to see Griffin’s

Newest Items Available in the Station Marketplace – 7.21.10

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:45:54 +0000

July 21, 2010

Greetings Norrathians. Take a look at the new items available right now in the Station Marketplace!

To purchase these items in-game, type /marketplace and please on our official forums!

Four Days Left Til Block Party!

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:45:19 +0000

Four days left…

ONLY FOUR DAYS!!!!!!!!!

Will you be here?

You’d better!!!

Why should you be at Block Party?

Activities for the kids – Free Pictures at the Green Screen – FOOD – DRINKS

And, are you ready for this one?

A BOUNCE HOUSE!!!!

News flash: These games will have demo stations:

Magic the Gathering: Tactics
Clone Wars Adventures
PoxNora
EverQuest
EverQuest II
Star Wars Galaxies
Free Realms

So you still think you can’t make it? Hope not!

Now taking RSVPs!

Are you planning to attend Block Party? Send us your RSVP on Facebook or via email SOE-communityevents@soe.sony.com! Click the image to go straight to our event page.

Say Cheese!

We’ll be uploading our pictures to the Block Party Flickr group, and invite you to join us by submitting your pictures there, too.

Pimp Your PC

800×600 | 1024×768 | 1080×1024 | 1680×1050

That’s it for now. Don’t forget that Block Party is Saturday, July 24th, 2010, from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the SOE Headquarters (8928 Terman Ct, San Diego, CA, 92121.) Stay tuned for more reminders and updates before the day arrives. We’ll see you there!

Shuttle buses are scheduled to travel round-trip to SOE from Comic-Con every 30 minutes from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Look for the SOE signs in front of the Marriott Hotel, located north of the Convention Center (toward convention area A). You can follow us on Twitter @SonyOnline for regular updates on bus arrivals and departures. Buses will be returning to the Convention Center every 30 minutes until 8:00pm.

Into the Depths of: Loping Plains

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:45:18 +0000

Into the Depths of: Loping Plains

Overview

Change has come to Faydwer. The Bloodmoon tribe of wereorcs have become a formidable force in the land. Secured in their southern fortress, the wereorcs send scouts and hunters out into the surrounding countryside. The Bloodmoon tribe often wars with the neighboring werewolves while the goblins and minotaurs keep mostly to themselves.

Background Lore

Long ago, the Loping Plains were a thriving habitat for a large variety of Tunare’s creations. They have since become cursed and twisted by the influence of dark powers. From the south, the dark forces of the Bloodmoon tribe creep out from Bloodmoon Keep, threatening to consume the land, while the curse of an angry god pulses from the northern coast and the Hills of Shade.

The wereorcs have taken up residence in elven ruins from the days when the Loping Plains were a vast magic forest. Their purpose is to subvert as many of the Crushbone orc tribe as will join them. Those who will not join, they will destroy.

Areas of Note

Bloodmoon Keep: The keep was once an elegant elven city. It was destroyed by the forces of Mayong many ages ago and was recently claimed by the Bloodmoon orcs as their fortress. Even though the city lay in ruins, the ramparts and thick stone walls of the keep provide a stronghold that is relatively easy for the wereorcs to defend.

Nightwalker’s Refuge: The nightwalker refuge a goblin stronghold built on an abandoned elven outpost. The goblins use this area as a hiding place to avoid the wereorc scouting parties. The Nightwalkers are allied with the Ranthok goblins, who are searching, largely in vain, for their leader.

Festival of Mistwynd: An abandoned festival ground on the northern shore of Wayunder Lake. This was once a fairground of sorts, but now has a more nefarious purpose… There is evidence of sacrifices.

Drangol Point: A fortress of Creepfeet goblins who are trying (mostly in vain) to avoid the conflict raging in a land now dominated by undead.

Fangbreakers’ Recruiting Station: Once a society of werewolf hunters, the Fangbreakers have expanded their scope and now hunt weres, cursed spirits and any other monster that preys upon normal folk.

Shadowmane Camp: The Shadowmane feel responsible for the spread of the wereorcs and have set up a camp to try help rid Norrath of this new scourge. While they don’t normally interact well with the Fangbreakers, there is an uneasy alliance between them in the face of a common threat.

Three Oaks Hill: A mysterious grove of oak trees. It may well be worth exploring.

Roots of Elddandor: A small cave system under the Three Oaks area made up of roots. Adventurers who venture into these caves may meet dangerous imps.

Decaying Caverns: These caverns house minotaur thralls, who work there until released by death. Their cruel taskmaster was once one of them, but his failure changed him into a shadow forever bound to toil in the caverns.

Marble Mine of Mistwynd: A cave system located near Wayunder Lake. The outcast vampires of Mayong’s realm live here in exile.

More Information

Curse of the Bloodmoon

Bloodmoon Keep

Gallery of Images

Have something to add or a correction? Please

Official SOE Podcast #90 is Live!

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:45:06 +0000

Official SOE Podcast #90

Join us for the Official SOE Podcast #90 a.k.a, the “Almost Fan Faire Cast.” Co-host Christie “Kiara” Renzetti stops in to chat with your host, Aimee “Ashlanne” Rekoske. Listen in as they chat about Block Party, Fan Faire, and Gnoob the Gnaked Gnome. This cast also includes an interview with Dawn Wilson and Lauren Zeiger, a member of SOE’s event staff. Dawn gives us the low down on this summer’s SOE events. Jason “Pex” Ryan’s news gives us all of the latest updates on SOE titles! Let us know what you think at podcast@soe.sony.com or you head over to the Station Forums and share your opinion with the Community!

You can download the MP3 file directly or subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the button listed below. We have both high and low bandwidth versions available. Or if you have iTunes installed select iTunes store, type SOE into the search box and click Subscribe!

High-Bandwidth ||

Low-Bandwidth ||

Don’t forget you can find us on and !

Random Screenshot of the Week – 7.19.10

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:44:49 +0000

This week’s Random Screenshot of the Week is another puzzle! Put the pieces together to see what the screenshot of the week is, then visit the current Random Screenshot of the Week thread over on the Community News section of the EQ forums and leave your guess for the location of the screenshot.

Create your puzzle at flash-gear.com

Fan Faire Tips

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:44:13 +0000

One of the things you can count on every year for Fan Faire, is Calthine’s Fan Faire Tips! Calthine is a Fan Faire veteran after three years and has graciously allowed us to reprint her prep list to share with everyone.

Getting there: If you’re flying, be sure to check the current FAA regulations on what you can and cannot carry. There are, for example, some odd rules about extra laptop batteries. Check your departing airport’s website for how early you need to be there: if you miss the window you might arrive without your luggage. Once in Vegas, plan on a couple of hours to get from the plane to your hotel. I recommend you catch a shuttle to the hotel. It doesn’t matter which one – they all cost about the same, $15 or so. Buy a round trip-ticket, because it’s cheaper that way and all you’ll have to do is call the night before you leave to schedule a pickup.

Lodging: It may be cheaper to stay in a smaller hotel than the one hosting the convention, but if you can afford it stay at Bally’s. Fan Faire goes just about all night and all day, and if you really get into it you won’t have a minute to spare! It’s also nice when your swag bag has gotten really heavy to have a hotel room five minutes away.

Where’s the Con?: As you are facing the Bally’s registration desk, turn 90 degrees to your right. Walk that way, past the Flamingo Road exit and past the North Tower elevator. Keep going down that hall. It will take you there. There are some great hotel maps on the official Fan Faire forum.

What Happens in Vegas Ends Up on the Internet: There’s a sign outside the Fan Faire area warning that by walking in you consent to having your image used. Hence Ke’la linking that picture of me being thrown in the pool at FF ‘07 over and over again. Although it seems names are rarely attached to Fan Faire pics, if you’re very privacy conscious wear a costume!

The Devs are Nice People: After Fan Faire 2009 a dev asked me to pass this on: “If you see me standing at a booth or demo all by myself, please come talk to me! I’m probably bored!” The developers and other SOE staff are great people who love what they do and love to talk about it. Don’t be shy! On the other hand, they are working, so if they have to run off don’t take it personally.

Sign Up Early: Some activities have limited space. Sign up early to save yourself a spot!

Be kind to your feet: You’re going to spend a lot of time walking, not just to and from your room but around the huge Legends Lounge and between conference rooms. You’re also bound to spend a fair bit of time in lines. Bring comfy walking shoes. Unless you’re comfortable in heels or cowboy boots for hours on end, avoid them. Your feet will thank you!

Beware the air: I always feel odd mentioning this, but if your sinuses are sensitive in any way, be prepared. You’re going from where ever you live to a place where outside it’s hot and dry and inside the air is very dry and over-processed. It’s so dry that I always lose my voice by late Saturday. Gum and breath mints can also help counteract the dry air, and keep us all from AOE effects when we’re chatting. A big bottle of plain old nasal saline will save you a lot of grief. While you’re at it, grab some of your favorite cold medicine, because I positively guarantee that someone at Fan Faire will be passing around a cold.

Stay Hydrated: Keeping yourself hydrated will not only keep you going, it’s a great defense against hangovers. I actually bring my own water bottles, because I’m cheap and nothing is free in Vegas if you’re not actively gambling. Fill them half-full at night, pop them into your room freezer and top them off the next morning. Fill them up whenever you hit a rest room or water fountain.

Feed your body: There is, of course, food available in the hotel. Fan Faire veterans have been compiling a list of eateries from the cheap to the lofty on the Fan Faire forums. But if you want to min/max Fan Faire, be aware there are no meal breaks once things get going. I recommend a hearty breakfast (even for folks like me whose idea of breakfast is a 16 oz latte), because you mightnot stop to eat until dinner, if then. I carry some high-protein snack bars on me (brought from home, of course, ’cause I’m cheap) ever since the year Niami Denmother saved my life with a bag of her famous Trail Mix.

Nothing is Free in Vegas: Everyone talks about the free drinks and free shows, but nothing, nothing is free in Vegas. Every “free” drink requires you to sit and gamble. Every “free” show requires you sit through a timeshare presentation. Locals advise not to be sucked in by free offers. Wait, I think maybe the bathrooms are free. And the over-processed air.

The Nectar of Life: Coffee, that is. Every time I’ve been to Vegas there’s been no coffee pot in the room. Nothing is free in Vegas: Bally’s wants you to buy room service, rent one of their pots, or get a $6 Starbucks. Me, I pack a little travel coffee maker. Have I mentioned I’m cheap? It cost me about $15, and easily paid for itself the first trip. It works great to heat water for tea too!

Want to be Wireless?: Most hotels in Vegas don’t offer free Wi-fi, and Bally’s is no exception. High-Speed internet is available in your room at a “nominal fee” for 24 hours. The script the nice young man read me last year specified you need your own laptop with an Ethernet card. Don’t forget the cable!

Tech Toys: Don’t forget your phone chargers, laptop peripherals, mp3 chargers, and all those other miscellaneous wires that are scattered around your desk! If you leave one behind the only reasonable options will be to buy a replacement or do without. To my embarrassment, after saying that last year I forgot the proprietary cable for my camera and was forced to use crappy cell phone pictures during Fan Faire. At least 15 people attempted to read that card for me, too.

Forget Something? Fortunately there is a Walgreens and CVS on either side of the road right near the Paris, which is connected to Bally’s. The tricky part is getting across the street, because it’s a bit of a walk to the nearest corner.

6-2-1: This is the third year I’ve recommended the 6-2-1 rule. My friend Rijacki told me at my first Fan Faire that to “function” at a con you need 6, 2, and 1 of three things:

showers
hours of sleep
meals

It works in any combination. The recommended configuration is 6 hours of sleep, 2 meals, and 1 shower. But it’s been done as 2 showers, 6 meals, and 1 hour of sleep. I skipped this one day last year and regretted it badly the next day.

Leaving: If you’re taking a shuttle to the airport, call the night before for a pickup. If you’re taking a cab, it’s pretty quick to get one at the front door. Check your room. Check it again. And again. If you leave something there’s a slim chance it’ll be found and you can get it back, but don’t hold your breath as it may be hard to find your cell phone in the giant box of abandoned cell phones at the lost and found. Plan on being at the Las Vegas airport two and a half hours before your flight departs.

You can find more info from Calthine and the other Zam folks on their SOE Fan Faire wiki page.

For more information from us about Fan Faire, you can check out the official Fan Faire page or any of the following features we’ve posted:

Save the Date! Fan Faire 2010 Happens August 5-7 at Bally’s Las Vegas!
Fan Faire Registration Is Now Open!
Fan Faire News – Last Call For The Platinum Pass
Fan Faire News – Hotel Map **The map has been updated, so be sure to check this one out!
Who’s coming to Fan Faire?
Behind the Scenes at the SOE Fan Faire

Also, we’ve had a few additions to our list of attendees!

Daniel “Walrus” Myers – The Agency
Rory “Hub” McGuire – The Agency
James Nance – Magic the Gathering Tactics
George Evan Lorentz – Legends of Norrath
Darrell David Hardy – Legends of Norrath
Charles Kallenbach – Legends of Norrath

The Forum Hodgepodge for June 24th

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:49 +0000

Check out these interesting threads and many others on the EQLive Official Forums…

Everquest Triva, #494 – Posted by Woulf, winner of EverQuest Trivia #493

‘Twas the Night Before Mergers.. – Discussion started by Community Member Zanderon

‘Twas the night before Mergers, and all ‘cross Norrath
Everyone rushed to prepare, even good ‘ole Brath.
The shared banks were cleared by the players with care
In hopes that their phat loot still would be there…

Alternate Ways of Playing with EQ – Discussion started by Community Member Tellmir

A game I play with my two kids: Visit Mayong, create some 51/50 toons. Go tear up some old world zones, attack Qeynos, rob a bank, do a Lost Dungeon (you get the idea). play for a couple of hours, delete toons and arrange to have another go at Lady Vox some other time….

Does anyone else have some ‘alternate’ ways of messing about with EQ ? (eg, not the standard character progression ?)

Newbie help = Mines of Gloomingdeep – Discussion started by Community Member Zekyr

Hello,

I am a brand new player to EQ. I was wondering why I don’t have access to the tutorial "Mines of Gloomingdeep". Is this a technical issue I need to submit to SoE or am I doing something wrong?

Any assistance is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Extreme Noob

New Items Are Available on the EQ Marketplace

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:36 +0000

June 22, 2010

July 4th’s around the corner so get in the mood with a Firework Rack and round out your Scrindite collection with Scrindite shield and weapon ornamentations. Now in the Marketplace!

For more information on these and other items available on the marketplace, log in to EverQuest and use the /marketplace command.

Server Downtime for Game Update on June 24th

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:34 +0000

All EverQuest Live Servers (except Al’Kabor) will be coming down on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 2:00 am PDT (PDT is -7 GMT: 3:00 am MDT, 4:00 am CDT, 5:00 am EDT, 9:00 am GMT, 10:00 am CET) for a brief Game Update to resolve an issue with character transfers. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for 2 hours. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed.

Server Downtime Reminder and Tips – Tuesday, June 22, 2010 starting 12:01am PDT

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:33 +0000

The following servers will be down and undergoing the announced server merges on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 beginning at 12:01 am (U.S. PDT). The maintenance is expected to take 12 hours: Stromm, Drinal, Xegony, The Tribunal, Fennin Ro, Saryrn, The Seventh Hammer, Prexus, Quellious, Erollisi Marr, Luclin, Maelin Starpyre, Druzzil Ro, Bristlebane, Cazic-Thule, Bertoxxulous, Tunare, The Rathe, Povar, and The Nameless.

Additionally, Zek, Firiona Vie, Antonius Bayle, Mayong will also be undergoing maintenance on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 beginning at 12:01 am (U.S. PDT) for a brief game update to address zone stability issues. Expected downtime for these for servers is 2 hours.

U.S. PDT is -7 GMT: 1:01 am MDT, 2:01 am CDT, 3:01 am EDT, 7:01 am GMT, 8:01 am CET. Please check your favorite time zone converter for accurate downtimes for your area.

The EQPlayers website will also be unavailable during the downtime for the server merges.

For up-to-date news and discussion, you can visit the Official EverQuest Forums.

You can also follow EverQuestLive on Facebook and EverQuest on Twitter.

http://www.facebook.com/EverQuestLive

http://twitter.com/everquest

EverQuest Server Merge Tips and FAQ

Not sure if your account is ready? Here are some tips on preparing your characters for the server merge and information about frequently asked questions.

Character and Guild Names
Priority for character names will be based on the date the character was first created. Subsequent players with the same name will have an “x” appended to their name until a unique name can be determined. The same process will be applied to guild names. Players that receive an “X” appended to their Character Names can change it by typing the “/changename” command into their chat window. Guilds that wish to change their names will need to use the “/petition” command.

Inactive Characters
Accounts with characters below level 10 that have been inactive for six months or more will be purged from the EQ system. If you wish to keep these characters, be sure to log into them at least 24 hours before the server merge takes place to ensure that they are included in the merge.

Accounts with More Than Eight Characters
Accounts with characters on the merging servers will have their character names alphabetized, and only the first eight listed will be accessible until characters are deleted to make room. Any characters past the first 8 are not deleted, they are simply inaccessible until one of the first 8 is deleted to make room. The character limit for accounts with Station Access is 10 characters.

If you believe you have multiple characters on the servers, you may want to consolidate the characters in advance to avoid having to delete characters after the merge.

Shared Banks
If a player’s account has characters on both servers, the most recently updated bank will have priority unless it is empty. Players must empty out the shared bank they don’t want to keep before the merge. If players wind up with the wrong shared bank (they didn’t empty out the other one in time, etc.) they can use “/petition” to have the other shared bank copied over.

If you know you have items in the shared bank on multiple servers, we recommend clearing out the Shared Banks before the merge takes place to simplify the process.

Corpse Cleanup!
All corpses will be sent to Shadowrest, however; due to the amount of downtime the servers will undergo, you should clean up all corpses before the merge if you wish to recover any experience from the corpses. If you can’t bring a cleric to your corpse, bring the corpse to a cleric in the Guild Lobby. In the Guild Lobby, you’ll find A Disciple of Luclin who will sell you a soulstone. If you give the soulstone to a Priest of Luclin, you can have your corpse summoned to the Guild Lobby from anywhere in the world. You can then get a cleric to perform a resurrection.

EQPlayers Character Pages
Player information will be updated to reflect new names/guilds/servers. Characters moved to a different server and characters that receive a name change due to the merge will need to use the /eqplayersupdate command to update their character on the website once the move takes place.

Artifacts
The servers will allow multiples of the same artifacts.

UI and Character Settings
Characters moving from one server to another will need to re-set up their UI and character settings for their characters. Don’t worry; your settings will not be lost forever.

Once the servers have been merged, to use the same settings that you had for your character on your older server, you simply need to copy the files and rename them.

Log out of game if you are logged in or switch to another character.

Go to your EverQuest directory (C:\Program Files\Sony\EverQuest). Look for UI_charactername_server.ini and charactername_server.ini Example: UI_Zatozia_combine.ini and Zatozia_combine.ini

Copy and then paste a copy of those files in your EverQuest directory.

If you have ever logged in to the destination server with that character name before, you’ll need to first delete the ini files – ex. UI_charactername_druzzil.ini and charactername_druzzil.ini files.

Rename the pasted combine.ini files to replace combine with druzzil. Example: UI_Zatozia_druzzil.ini and Zatozia_druzzil.ini

Log into EQ again and the settings should work correctly for your character.

The Files
The UI_charactername_server.ini file holds the all of the main UI settings for your character, including UISkin setting, window placement, window sizes, and color for backgrounds and text.

The character_server.ini file holds settings for your character’s, abilities, combat skills settings, and Hotbuttons.

Custom UI
If you use a customized user interface (UI), it’s a good idea to save a screenshot of your interface. Generally for larger updates, several user interface changes are made. You will need to update your customized interface before logging into game or you may experience problems. By taking a screenshot, if you are unable to get an update for your customized UI, at least you have a picture of what it looked like so you can try to get a new one to match it.

Saving In-game Mail
While characters are expected to retain their in-game mail for this merge, we recommend manualy saving any important mail just in case something unexpected comes during the merge process.

The in-game mail system has an export feature that will export the mail for individual characters to a text file in the EverQuest directory. To use the export feature, take the following steps:

Open up the in-game email window (ctrl-E).

Select the messages you would like to export by clicking them in the top pane, using shift-click and/or ctrl-click if you would like to select multiple messages.

Click “Export.”

The selected messages are then saved to a file in the EverQuest Mail directory with a name in the format:
SavedMessages_charactername_servername.txt.

This will need to be done for each character that has mail you wish to save.

Logging Out
Give yourself plenty of time to log completely out of game before the servers go down. If you wait until the server boots you, a transaction, skill advancement, etc., may not be saved. Try to log out at least one hour or more before the servers are scheduled to be down. Make sure you log out in a safe place. It’s generally a good idea to log out in a city, the Plane of Knowledge, Guild Lobby or another zone that might be deemed safe.

Random Screenshot of the Week – June 21st

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:22 +0000

This week’s Random Screenshot of the Week is another puzzle! Put the pieces together to see what the screenshot of the week is, then visit the current Random Screenshot of the Week 6/21/2010 thread over on the Community News section of the EQ forums and leave your guess for the location of the screenshot.

Create your puzzle at flash-gear.com

Random Screenshot of the Week 7.12.10

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:15 +0000

Create your puzzle at flash-gear.com

Official SOE Podcast #88 Is Live!

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:04:10 +0000

Official SOE Podcast #88

Join us for the “Fan Faire Count Down… Cast!” Official SOE Podcast #88: Co-host Linda “Brasse” Carlson, stops in to chat with your host, Aimee Rekoske about E3, G.I.R.L, and Legends of Norrath: Doom of the Ancient Ones. Listen in as they start counting down the days until Fan Faire and Hallie and Emily continue to look into Hubert’s whereabouts. Aaron Bisnett’s news gives us all of the latest updates on SOE titles! Let us know what you think at podcast@soe.sony.com or you head over to the Station Forums and share your opinion with the Community!

High-Bandwidth ||

Low-Bandwidth ||

Don’t forget you can find us on and !

Into the Depths of: Elddar Forest

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:59 +0000

Into the Depths of: Eldaar Forest

Overview

Today, the once great city of Takish Hiz lies in crumbled ruins. The once majestic forest city succumbed to the fury of Solusek Ro’s wrathful sun, leaving sand and ruins behind.

In ancient days, the city of Takish Hiz nestled in the heart of the Elddar Forest. The elves who inhabited this lush forest are the ancestors of today’s high and wood elves. Adventurers can see the influences of these ancestors throughout the high elf and wood elf cities even now.

Tunare has enlisted the aid of Karana and Druzzil Ro to send adventurers back to this city in order to reclaim lost knowledge to aid in the fight against Mayong Mistmoore.

Background Lore

Tunare, the goddess of Nature, saw a lush forest and fertile land on a great continent in Norrath. She eagerly and lovingly created a race of elves and settled them into the dense forest. Those elves, who came to call themselves the Elddar, prospered quickly and greatly. And while Tunare watched her children with pleasure and pride, other gods came to notice the new world. These gods soon realized they received no invitation to be part of Norrath’s development and were not so enamored of those who had. One god who took particular offense was Innoruuk, the Prince of Hate.

Innoruuk seethed with anger over his exclusion from the new world and was most disgusted with Tunare’s loyal and kind elves. He felt them a weak abomination and chose to use them as an example of his power in the creation of his own race. He stole the first elven king and queen of the great house of Thex right from their thrones in the great elven city of Takish-Hiz. He would torture them both for three hundred years in his Plane of Hate until they were twisted and torn by his power to become the first Teir’Dal — the dark elf race.

Many years later, Solusek Ro, the Lord of Flame, saw the new world of Norrath and wanted to claim the same great lands Tunare had taken for her elves. His jealousy and determination overcame him and he would soon intervene.

Areas of Note

Palace – The palace of Takish Hiz is subtly elegant, with smooth, white stonework of the highest quality. The decorations are understated, yet beautiful and consist of rugs, magical instruments, and facted windows that highlight the superb craftsmanship of the elves.

Tunare Shrine – A temple to the goddess set in a hollowed tree. This area is where the priests and acolytes of Tunare gather to discuss the spiritual well-being of the city.

City Complex – The main area encompasses the library, magical workshops, amphitheatre, homes, and other necessary parts of a thriving city.

Nature Spirit Grounds –A training area for learning how to work with nature spirits and mastering nature based magics.

Orc Huts – A tiny orc village.

Giant Encampment – Intelligent giants reside in this mountainous encampment.

Area NPCs

Elddar Elves
Horses
Nature Spirits
Forest Animals
Treant
Nature Dervish
Orcs
Forest Giants
Pixies

Gallery of Images

Have something to add or a correction? Please

There’s Still Time to Register for Fan Faire!

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:51 +0000

There are just two weeks left to register for Fan Faire and the number of Gold and Silver passes available is limited! Platinum passes are sold out.

We have so much in store for you, so don’t miss out! Mix and mingle ‘til the wee hours with your online pals at our nightly celebrations! Check out the latest content from your favorite games and chat with the developers in our daily discussion panels!

Oh, and did we mention the giveaways? Don’t miss out on all of the items we’ve put together for you!

And that’s not all! Fan Faire Gold and Silver pass holders can:

Have the opportunity to compete for great prizes in various tournaments, live events and contests (also included in day pass registration)
Attend lots of social activities, including a Kickoff Reception, a Grand Banquet, a Costume Contest and a Pool Party!*
Hear exciting announcements and play live demos of SOE’s upcoming titles (also included in day pass registration)
Receive extra cool gifts and in-game items
Browse cool products and purchase Fan Faire items in our Station Store and Vendor Bazaar! (also included in day pass registration)

Can’t join us for the whole weekend? Buy a day pass for only $39 (plus any applicable taxes). You’ll still get a chance to participate in the daytime activities, such as forums, roundtables, live quests, tournaments and more.

We’ll be announcing even more special activities and guests in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

*Attendees must be 21 years or older with valid identification to attend certain evening events.

New Items Available in the Station Marketplace

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:35 +0000

July 8, 2010

Greetings Norrathians. Take a look at the new items available right now in the Station Marketplace!

To purchase these items in-game, type /marketplace and please on our official forums!

Official SOE Podcast # 89

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:34 +0000

Official SOE Podcast #89

Join us for Official SOE Podcast #89: Co-host Christie “Kiara” Renzetti stops in to chat with your host, Aimee “Ashlanne” Rekoske about Star Wars Galaxies’ 7th Anniversary and the recent round of musical chairs in Community Relations. The ladies also count down the days to Fan Faire and the search for Hubert continues with “Where the in the World is Huber the Hamster.” Be sure to listen in! Jason “Pex” Ryan’s news gives us all of the latest updates on SOE titles! Let us know what you think at podcast@soe.sony.com or you head over to the Station Forums and share your opinion with the Community!

High-Bandwidth ||

Low-Bandwidth ||

Don’t forget you can find us on and !

Forum Hodgepodge for 7.7.10

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:33 +0000

Check out these interesting threads and many others on the EQLive Official Forums…

Everquest Trivia 497 – Posted by treebouncer, winner of EverQuest Trivia #496

Hardest class to play on raids – Discussion started by Community Member Wassabi

So taking a poll…who has the hardest jobs on raids? I.E has the most to do?

Fansy the Famous Bard – Discussion started by Community Member Cartridge

Was bored the other day, so i was searching the web for fun eq-related things, then found this blast from the past!

http://www.notaddicted.com/fansythefamous.php

Ah the memories, good times…

Happy Independence Day

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:15 +0000

Sunday is Independence Day in the United States. We hope that everyone who is celebrating has a happy and safe holiday, and that you are able to enjoy the day with all your friends and family, either in-game or in person.

We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to all members of the United States armed services for keeping us safe. We appreciate all you do.

Please note that the SOE offices will be closed on Monday, July 5th. While we will not be offering phone support on the 5th, our in-game, email, and live chat support will operate as usual… Happy 4th of July!

Random Screenshot of the Week 7.5.10

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:12 +0000

Create your puzzle at flash-gear.com

Double Station Cash Weekend from 7-2 to 7-5

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:03:07 +0000

How do you celebrate the 4th of July weekend?

Fireworks? BBQ? How about Double Station Cash?

Players with active accounts in good standing in EverQuest, EverQuest II, Free Realms, Pox Nora, and The Agency: Covert Ops can take advantage of this special promotional offer from Sony Online Entertainment. Simply purchase any pre-paidStation Cash retail game card (don’t worry that it says Free Realms, it works for all SOE Marketplaces!) at any one of our participating retailers and redeem that card during the promotional period for double its value in Station Cash. That’s right, double its value in Station Cash!!

Places you can find SC cards: 7-Eleven, Best Buy, Blockbuster, CVS, Rite Aid, Speedway, Target, Toys R Us, Walgreens, or Walmart. Redeem your card online through www.station.sony.com during the promotional period.

Only cards redeemed between Friday, July 2nd, 2010 (after 12 noon PDT) and Monday, July 5th, 2010 (before 12 midnight PDT) will receive the double Station Cash value bonus. Cards may be purchased any time in advance, but to receive the promotional Station Cash bonus, cards must be redeemed successfully during the promotional period. Once successfully redeemed, your Wallet Balance will reflect your new pre-paid Station Cash balance plus your bonus 100% Station Cash value.

The Station Cash granted through Free Realms starter card packs will not be included in this offer.

To redeem your cards:

At http://www.station.sony.com/ click on "MY ACCOUNT" on the top navigation bar.

From the drop down menu select "Enter Activation Code".

On the Enter Activation Code screen, select "STATION CASH" in the GAME drop down menu and enter your card number in the space provided.

You can ALSO go to "My Account," then "Subscription Info," on the drop down and select the "STATION CASH BALANCE." Then click on "ADD FUNDS" under your account balance. You will see a screen with purchase selections. Look at the bottom where it says "OR" ENTER ACTIVATION CODE. You can enter your card number here as well to get your double points.

Behind the Scenes at the SOE Fan Faire

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:02:56 +0000

With just over a month left until the big event we thought it would be fun to give you a behind the scenes look at Fan Faire! What goes into planning such a big event you may ask? When do we start? Just how many pallets of stuff are shipped to the event, and how many rolls of shrink wrap does it take to keep everything together? Look no further folks —we have all of the answers right here!

In our quest for insider information we looked to the experts, the Events Team! Three wonderful ladies make up this team: Jen Belfield (Manager Marketing Services), Lauren Zeiger (Marketing Event Manager) and Dawn Wilson (Marketing Coordinator Services).

Question: How many pallets do we ship to Fan Faire?

Dawn: In general we ship around 25 from the SOE SD, campus however we send several from alternate locations. In total it is close to 50, depending on the size of the equipment that we need to get to Vegas.

Question: How many rolls of shrink wrap does it take to ship all of our items to Fan Faire?

Dawn: Last year we used 4 cases - that is 16 rolls of 1,000 ft shrink We did ship a castle though!

The Events Team attends more than 100 meetings throughout the year that involve planning for Fan Faire… These meetings include a weekly team meeting along with a monthly general Events meeting. As we approach Fan Faire that moves to weekly meeting as well.

Let’s not forget Live Quests and Tournament planning!! We caught up with Christie "Kiara" Renzetti and here is what she had to say. "I usually deal with live quests and tournaments, so my planning is limited. Planning a live quest has a lot of challenge to it. You need to plan it just right. It has to be fun and quick, but still have depth and tell a story. You also have to make sure that you don’t have bottlenecks that hold people up and slow things down (a mistake I made last year). All in all, it’s great to see people enjoy themselves!"

One thing you may not know is we do practice runs for the Live Quests and Tournaments. For Tournaments like the EverQuest Best of the Best, the Community Team logs into the pre-made characters and runs through the tournament. Then we will make changes to the characters based on ssues we may find. The same goes for the Live Quests… This year we’ve planned the quests so far in advance that we can hold a trial run with the actual quest actors. We will have a chance to practice the puzzles, put together crafts, and make sure the quests run smoothly and within the designated time-frame.

There are also behind the scenes aspects of the Phat Lewt Store (or the Station Store). Months in advance, the team is looking for new things to sell in this store. This year we even had a thread up on the Station Forums asking for customer feedback. As we get closer to Fan Faire we must do inventory, doesn’t that sound exciting? Before everything is packed up on one of those 25 pallets, every item for the Store is tallied and accounted for. This makes set up that much easier. Setting up the store at Fan Faire takes a few hours. Merchandise needs to be displayed around all of the tables, in a way that is inviting, and things must be securely stored away in their proper places. We also have to set up the computers and cash register. The last couple of years we’ve had members of the Accounting Department take care of the store… This obviously makes things much more efficient. After Fan Faire is over on Sunday morning, we have to take inventory again and then pack back up. This ensures that all of our ducks are in row and that things tally up as they should on the computers.

Setting up registration and the info desk are just as fun! For registration there are computers to set up, so we can check in fans. We then have to sort through the badges and put them in order. At the Info Desk we set up an assembly line to fill up schwag bags! We also sort t-shirt sizes and arrange them so they can be passed out conveniently

Don’t forget the gaming room! Wow, that’s a venture! Before we even get to the show, our IT department makes sure that there is an image to put on the 100 plus computers we will be setting up. In addition to computers in the game room, there are computers in almost every panel room. Each computer must have the proper programs, and games installed on it. This process can be very time consuming. The IT department starts early in the day the Wednesday before Fan Faire starts and are usually hard at work right up until the doors open for registration.

We’ve asked a few folks some Fan Faire questions and here is what they had to say:

Question: What aspect of planning Fan Faire do you find to be the most challenging?

Dawn: For me, the most challenging is making sure that all of the little details are taken care of. Sometimes due to the nature of the event season, we are planning two to three events at the same time. Keeping everything straight is difficult at times. With Fan Faire it is harder because it is 100% our event so we have a hand in every detail. This makes for long nights and even longer weekends—all worth it in the end though.

Draakull: Getting all the moving pieces to go in the right directions. Who is doing what and when. Running the panels and live events. Making sure you don’t overlap events so you can attend them all.

Question: What is the one “behind the scenes” thing that you want attendees to know?

Amnerys: Please don’t be offended if you see one or more of us rush by you at Fan Faire, sternly focused and oblivious to those around us. We’re not trying to be rude, I promise! But we’re all so intricately involved in the execution of the event, that at any given time we might have been asked to run an errand, look for an employee or guest, pass a message, etc. Catch us when we’re standing around at a booth or event, or after a panel, and we’ll be very happy to meet you and assist in any way.

Draakull: That this takes planning and effort from offices all over the country. Many long hours with little sleep for days and days all in effort to make sure the fans enjoy their time at the event.

Gordo: We do it all for you.

Dawn: I would want the players to know that we really DO care about the things that matter to them. We always listen to the advice and suggestions and try and incorporate them into our planning for next year.

Greeblen: It literally takes an army of dedicated staff to pull this event off. Everyone works so hard to make sure that our attendees and their guests have a great experience and they do it because they love it.

What do you love most about planning Fan Faire?

Dawn: Because this is 100% an SOE venture I most enjoy the pride we get when we see how happy everyone is with our hard work. We are a small department and at times it is hard to think how we will get everything done for the summer events. When we are there and it looks amazing and everyone is having a great time, it is the best feeling.

Draakull: Making the event as much fun as possible and seeing the excitement build.

That’s your behind the scenes look at Fan Faire! We hope you’ve enjoyed it!

By the way, want to know who is coming to Fan Faire? Check out last week’s feature "Who’s coming to Fan Faire?" Speaking of things that go on behind the scenes… We accidentally left a few names off that long list:

Paul "Virrago" Williams – Community
Nathan "Kaitheel" McCall – EQII
Tom "Ttobey" Tobey – EQII

Meet the New Community Manager

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:02:55 +0000

As you may have heard, there’s been a changing of the guard for the EQ Community! Zatozia has shifted to herding wookiees in SWG leaving a need for a firm dark elven hand in EQ.

So who am I? No, not 24601 (+50 dkp if you get the reference). I’m Christie "Kiara" Renzetti, formerly the Community Manager for EQII.

I’ve been ordered to post a picture… But no one said what kind of picture it had to be, so here ya go!

I don’t photograph well. Cameras are not my friends!

Somewhere around 2006 I started writing for fan sites covering EQII. I was hired in 2008 to be the Community Manager for EQII… and the rest, as they say, is lore.

The new/old Kiara returns to Norrath!

Stop in and say hi!

Forum Hodgepodge for June 30th

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:02:38 +0000

Check out these interesting threads and many others on the EQLive Official Forums…

Everquest Trivia #495 – Posted by Lost_Map, winner of EverQuest Trivia #494

Keep seeing progression threads.. Is Sony thinking of a progression server? – Discussion started by Community Member Vahshir

I keep seeing progression server threads pop up, and i was just wondering if SoE is thinking of making one.

I myself was an old school classic eq player, and have joined/led many progression guilds in the past years, so this really interests me..

Greetings EQ!! – Meeting the new Community Manager – Kiara

Just in case you hadn’t seen it, I’m your new dark elven overlord!

I’ll be posting a more detailed introduction later this week, but I wanted to pop in and say hello!

I look forward to getting to know you and getting back into my very first MMO ever.

If you see a dark elven cleric running about Norrath with some variation of the name Kiara, it’s probably me

What brought you back to EQ over the years?- Discussion started by Community Member Tallor

Played around EQ launch time until mid Kunark.

Came back for Velious

Came back for LDON – took my paladin and cleric to 65; played some OOW and very little DoN.

Came back for Progression Server

Came back for Old Man McKenzie Missions – to get that old world feel.

Came back for Mercs and had a blast in The Burried Sea; spent a little time in SoD but got owned.

But enough about me…tell me about yourself !

Reminder – Backstage Blogger Contest!

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:02:29 +0000

Sony Online Entertainment
Fan Faire – Backstage Blogger Contest

Time is ticking away! The Fan Faire Backstage Blogger contest ends on Thursday, July 1, 2010, 11:59 p.m. PDT!

Have you ever wanted to see what Fan Faire is like behind the scenes? Now’s your chance to find out! Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) is looking for guest bloggers to write and record their Fan Faire adventures in Las Vegas!

Submitting an entry is easy! Just make a video and write a brief message telling us why you like playing your favorite SOE game!

Don’t forget! You need a video blog AND a written blog! For your videos, don’t be shy. You don’t need a big production to make it fun and enjoyable. Just turn on your web came and talk about your favorite SOE game, what you like to do in the game, etc. Just remember to add “THIS IS AN ENTRY TO A SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT SPONSORED CONTEST” at the beginning for both!

What do Fan Faire Backstage Bloggers get?

In addition to winning a really cool bloggie™ Camera Kit and a Fan Faire Platinum Pass, Backstage Bloggers will have special access to the main hall, late night gaming sessions, panels, the banquet, the Live Quest preparation area, tournament area. Going to be in town on Thursday and Sunday? Well if you are selected as a Backstage Blogger you can come watch us put it all together and tear it all apart!

Hurry and get your entries in before it’s too late?

Visit the Backstage Blogger Contest Page for details!

Random Screenshot of the Week – June 28th

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:02:29 +0000

This week’s Random Screenshot of the Week is another puzzle! Put the pieces together to see what the screenshot of the week is, then visit the current Random Screenshot of the Week 6/28/2010 thread over on the Community News section of the EQ forums and leave your guess for the location of the screenshot.

Create your puzzle at flash-gear.com

GAME-ON! Bonus XP Weekend!

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:02:28 +0000

June 25, 2010 (10:00am) to June 30, 2010 (10:00am)

Hey Folks,

The Server Merges are complete. However, we’ve had some technical difficulties in the past 48 hours that has kept parts of our universal chat system down while we finished migrating all Friends lists and In-Game Emails. Within the past 24 hours we finished the integration of our chat system. We are getting a few reports that some Friends lists are not reporting correctly, so we’re continuing to work on it and hope to have it resolved soon. In the interim, we’ve restored all of Chat so you can now communicate without any issues. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you and we appreciate your patience and cooperation during this time.

On a side note, our Customer Service team has reported an increase of tickets this week, receiving many panicky comments that an increased number of intruders or strangers have been lurking around the lands. They wanted me to let you know that you have nothing to fear and to convey that while this may have caused some confusion, these people have traveled far and wide to get where you are… but just from a parallel universe. So, all is fine! Add them to your friends list and have a good time with it!

Knowing that we’ve inconvenienced you during this process and to thank you for your continued support while being without your list of friends and at the same time causing panic with all the “strangers” walking amongst you, we thought we’d extend the olive branch of experience in your direction starting today.

We’ve tasked one of our best tinkerers to create a new experience modifying device for your benefit and would like to unveil the Gnomish Arcanus Magical Experience Of Norrath (GAME-ON for short) device today. Not realizing that our tinkerer splits his time as a prankster, we’ve discovered that the GAME-ON device is set to random experience. The best that we can tell right now is that it is set no higher than a 50% experience boost and no lower than 25%. It appears that the GAME-ON device is set to turn on at 10am this morning (Pacific Time) and to shut down at 10am on Wednesday (also Pacific Time). As we get more data, we will share it with you. Otherwise, please accept this as a token of our thanks for your patience and dedication to EverQuest.

Best regards!