*** Housing ***
- The price of the Antonican Defender house pet has been adjusted and the No Trade flag was removed.
- The Antonican Defender and Halasian Mauler are now larger in size.

*** Tradeskills ***
- The descriptions for the secondary components on level 50+ imbue recipes now correctly indicate Lambent extract.

*** Commands, Controls, and User Interface ***
- The /feedback command should once again work correctly.
- Additional UI windows now have the new background.

*** UI Files Updated ***
eq2ui_mainhud_death.xml
eq2ui_options.xml
eq2ui_popup.xml
eq2ui_popup_bugreport.xml
eq2ui_popup_claim.xml
eq2ui_popup_feedback.xml
eq2ui_popup_groupoptions.xml

Skill buffs don't work the way they did before LU13. Pre-combat changes, a skill boost of +5 essentially made you a level higher when it came to using that skill. This caused all kinds of things to become broken, especially considering the way buffs could be stacked.

Now, skill buffs are just that: a buff to your skill's effectiveness. They don't, however, allow you to roll the dice as if you were higher level than you really are.

In other words, you're not hitting as if you're a 57.8 warlock; you're hitting as a 53 warlock with buffs. That's definitely better than not having the buffs, but keep in mind that their effectiveness scales based on the con of your opponent. The buffs will matter less against oranges and reds, and will make a considerable difference against opponents below your level.

This same reasoning applies to melee skill buffs as well.

I am writing this to address a segment of the gaming population who, for reasons insufficient in my eyes remain, by and large, at best ignored and at worst ridiculed within this game. I speak, of course, of those perpetual pariahs, the role-players.

Shunned by the community at large, these staunch keepers of the faith huddle together in tiny groups, like cells of resistance fighters in 1940’s France. Around them the bombs of reality explode in the form of immersion-countering 1337 players and rude /shout commands. Yet still they remain, defiant. Their resolve is to be commended. I know this. I am one of them.

There are many new areas to explore within the Desert of Flames. Within, you will find information on the city—Maj'Dul—and the two main regions—the Sinking Sands and the Pillars of Flame—for you explore in our first expansion. Keep in mind that the lore here is speculative, and is based on the beliefs of some, but not all, Norrathians.

*** Desert of Flames ***
- You must now click the Shimmering Carpet of the Citadel to use its teleportation effect.
- Martuk the Sandscrawler King will now drop scrolls at the appropriate rate.

• GamerGod review:

  The level cap has been raised from 50 to 60, for both adventurers and tradeskillers. I tell you it will not be a cakewalk. Starting with 100% vitality, it will take you about 16 -18 hours of straight hardcore grinding to level from 50 - 51. Most people are happy about this, since gaining a level is now much more of an accomplishment. I must note however, that this is simply the case for levels 51 - 60.

• GameSpot review
• GameZone review

  EverQuest II is still a wonderful-looking game, with a lot of depth to it. The Desert of Flames expansion merely adds to it and makes the game even deeper. Yes, it still feels like a bit of a grind at times, but as this expansion and live update shows, SOE is not afraid to change things to try to make the gaming experience even better.

Beginning today, Tuesday, September 27th, all former accounts will be reactivated to allow you to rediscover the game that started it all. Just log in as if you had never left. The free reactivation period will last from September 27th through October 10th and will apply to all closed accounts still in good standing.

This is your chance to rediscover Britannia, reunite with old friends and bond over new adventures!

Dear AC2 subscribers,

In spite of our hard work and the launch of Legions, AC2 has reached the point where it no longer makes sense to continue the service. We will be officially closing the Asheron's Call 2 service on 12/30/05. Until then, we plan to run live events, but we will not be adding any content or features.

We deeply appreciate the many dedicated fans of AC2 who have stood by us over the years. You have our sincerest gratitude.

Best regards,

Jeffrey Anderson
CEO, Turbine

May you all find new homes you enjoy, and keep the friendships that only an MMO community can offer.

Avoidance and mitigation can't be measured the same way because they work very differently. Mitigation is always applied and it is always equally effective; if you mitigate 50% of damage, that means damage is cut in half.

Avoidance is extremely susceptible to chance. Having 50% avoidance does not mean you will avoid half of all incoming damage; you might avoid 0% or you might avoid 100% based on the roll of the proverbial dice.

Due to this streaky nature, avoidance chance needs to be somewhat higher than mitigation to achieve the same net effect. If a warrior were to have 50% mitigation and 35% avoidance while a brawler had 35% mitigation and 50% avoidance, their tanking would not be seen as comparable by players. Mitigation always wins.

This touches on the very nature of how people play these games. The typical player's goal is to minimize random chance in order to achieve the greatest odds of success. A lot of players gravitate toward known quantities while shunning risks; they will sacrifice potential efficiency for known outcomes. It's why many players will sit in one spot and kill the same thing over and over again if they are comfortable with the location and the rewards for doing it, even if there is the potential for greater rewards elsewhere.

Even under the old combat rules, brawlers had the potential to take less physical damage over time than plate classes. However, they were also prone to taking huge amounts of damage that could potentially lead to group/raid failure. This is why (among other reasons) most groups/raids preferred to have a plate tank: the results were more predictable than having an avoidance tank. Many healers tend to prefer reacting to damage in regular, predictable intervals over having to adjust to sudden streaks.

This is why the math in the post above doesn't hold up in practice. It may sound good on paper, but as we've all learned (developers included), formulas don't count. What counts is what happens in the game itself.

What you have to realize is that tanking isn't just about avoidance and mitigation numbers. You can't compare only those two stats among the various fighter classes and instantly determine which one is the best tank in a given situation. Tanking is a lot more complex than it used to be before Live Update #13. Resists are hugely important, taunts crucial, and skill more important than ever.

One of the goals of the revamp--for all types of characters, not just tanks--was to make skill and playstyle much more of a factor than innate abilities that you don't have to work to achieve. The best tanks or the best healers or the best damage dealers should be defined by the way they play and the effort they put into building their characters, not by their class choice alone. I think we're much closer to achieving that than we ever were before.

In any case, we are watching how all these numbers play out in game, because that's where it is most important, and we will make any adjustments necessary based on those facts and actual data. But we aren't going to balance the classes based on numbers in the persona window, because that simply doesn't work in practice.

We don't want any fighter class--that includes brawlers--to always be the best choice in every situation. Just as it took soloers time to figure out how the combat changes affected their playstyle, it's going to take groups and raids a while to work out how to best apply the advantages the different classes have in different situations.

Unfortunately any time a game developer is asked to talk about a project well before it's finished, things often change before the final product is released. This was true of EverQuest II during its development, when ideas were talked about before being implemented, which led to some players anticipating those features. While marketing people and interviewers are eager to have developers talk about upcoming plans, the reality of game design is that ideas evolve and change when faced with the practicalities of implementation.

In the case of the Desert of Flames preview in SOE Worlds, the piece was written long before most of the work on the expansion's zones had been completed. While we had a list of zones and features we wanted to create, we knew that this list was subject to change as work progressed and plans evolved.

Originally, four overland regions were planned: the Sinking Sands, the Pillars of Flame, the Anvil of Ro, and the Crags. But as the first two zones began to take shape, we found that they were far larger and more expansive than originally conceived. This was due in large part to the three-dimensional nature of the zones, with massive cliffs to be climbed and layers of caves to explore. These zones have more creatures in them than Antonica or the Commonlands, our previous standard for zones with massive play space.

From a content creation perspective, building four zones of that scope wouldn't give us enough time to make all the remaining areas we wanted. A decision was made a while back to stay with two huge overland zones (Sinking Sands and Pillars of Flame) while making some of the dungeons larger than designed (such as Clefts of Rujark) and adding more instances.

Storylines that were set in the Anvil of Ro or the Crags were moved to other locations, which was done without compromising the lore of the expansion.

Like we mentioned before launch, the number of zones in a game like ours isn't as meaningful as it used to be in the early days of EQ because the scale is completely different. What matters is interesting play space: the amount of terrain to explore and battles to fight. In that regard, Desert of Flames ended up being the size we originally intended it to be; content was simply distributed differently than we first conceived it.

Again, early previews that list locations or features that don't end up in the final product weren't done with the intention to deceive anyone. It's simply a reality of game development that not everything mentioned will always make it in for release. I had personally forgotten that we even mentioned those two zones to the community until investigating and finding out that they were discussed in SOE Worlds. We're sorry to those of you who were looking forward to seeing the other regions, but we hope you'll enjoy the huge amount of content that Desert of Flames has to offer.

Stat bonuses do not go away because an item goes grey.

Keep in mind that while physical mitigation was removed from accessories, they still have arcane resists (Heat, Cold, Poison, etc.). Those are more important than ever, since they affect your chances to both avoid and mitigate those damage types.

I think that many players (fighters in particular) don't yet appreciate the benefits of high resists and wisdom buffs in the new combat system.

By all means, judge accessories by their stats rather than just their minimum level. But at the same time, don't put all your eggs in one basket (by that I mean, don't consider health and power to be the only important benefits). Neglecting your resists is a very bad idea.

*** Zones and Population ***
- Darathar and his minions have been adjusted in difficulty to account for the combat changes.

*** Combat and Spells ***
- Adding more members to your group will now increase your experience gain efficiency over soloing or duoing.
- Single target and group see invis abilities no longer consume power over time. Group versions should now affect group members appropriately.
- Heroic Opportunity starter spells and arts should no longer grey out.
- Items will now grey out when you are 15 levels above them (rather than 75% of your level or 10 levels).
- Spells will now grey out 15 levels after they are gained, otherwise they will be white (if you can use them) or red (if you can't use them).
- Armor below your level will now be more effective at the lower levels.
- Characters now have fewer unconscious health points. You will no longer bleed to death, and will regen 20% of your max unconscious HP every 6 seconds.
- If you have a spell effect active that cancels when you take damage, the spell will only cancel if an attacker inflicts the damage (e.g. falling damage will no longer cancel that spell).
- Spell scrolls that do not have an upgrade path should no longer exist in the world.
Fury changes:
- The proc portion of Savage Feast will no longer be dispelled as a hostile effect.
Warden changes:
- Essence of the Great Bear now shares the same resistances as the rest of the spell line.

*** Tradeskills ***
- Imbue recipes now exist for level 50+ Armorers, Tailors, Weaponsmiths, Jewelers, and Woodworkers.

*** Commands, Controls, and User Interface ***
- The lock and delete buttons in the Events tab should now function correctly.
- The "remove" button should again remove players from the guild.
- The "change rank name" button will no longer open a large number of rename windows.
- Several more UI files have been reskinned:
* Merchant
* Help
* Book
* Feedback
* Group Options
* Set Price

*** UI Files Modified ***
eq2ui_mainhud_guild.xml
eq2ui_mainhud_help.xml
eq2ui_commonelements.xml
eq2ui_commonelements.xml
eq2ui_popup.xml
eq2ui_popup_setprice.xml
eq2ui_popup_setpricestatus.xml
eq2ui_popup_loadskin.xml
eq2ui_popup_book.xml
eq2ui_popup_feedback.xml
eq2ui_popup_groupoptions.xml
eq2ui_popup_scriptexecutor.xml
eq2ui_inventory_merchant.xml
eq2ui_popup_claim.xml
eq2ui_popup_instructions.xml
eq2ui_popup_bugreport.xml
eq2ui_popup_usagealarm.xml

Another great House of Commons is in store for us tonight as the Developers of Horizons joins us tonight in Stratics IRC. It will be at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

The discussion will center on the latest patch - the Ancient Rite of Passage for dragon players, and the following will be in attendance, so do come and let your opinions be known and get your questions answered!

• David Bowman, CEO and Creative Director
• Mark "Manga" Vargas, Lead Content Designer
• Jason "Amon Gwareth" Murdick, Content and System Designer
• Adrian "Smeglor" LaVallee, Programmer and Technical Design

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

Join us tonight, September 28th, for a House of Commons ~ IRC Dev Chat ~ with the Developers of EVERQUEST. It will be at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

The discussion will center on the recently launched expansion: Depths of Darkhollow. The following will be in attendance, so do come and let your opinions be known and get your questions answered!

• Ryan Barker ~ Rytan
• Craig Knapp ~ Zorillus,
• Jason Mash ~ Maddoc,
• Travis McGeathy ~ Rashere
• Christina Delza ~ Kytherea, and
• Camille Abdnor

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

*** Desert of Flames ***
- Those who have completed the three "Thief in the House of..." quests can now progress in "Welcome to the Peacock Club."

*** The Splitpaw Saga ***
- The ghosts in Anvilpaw's Grotto should no longer flee out of range.

*** Gameplay ***
- Adventure experience rewards have been increased for groups of 3 to 6 players. Solo/duo experience is unaffected.

*** Spells and Combat Arts ***
Ranger changes:
- Arrow Rip will now summon Indium Arrows.

Warrior changes:
- Hold the Line can now be canceled via the Maintained window.

This week, we interview an enterprising roleplayer on the Lucan D'Lere server who runs a player tavern out of an inn room in Longshadow Alley. Weekly events and a unique perspective on the world fuel this tavern continued success. Here we see the game of Everquest 2 through the eyes of the not-so-average roleplayer, Alak, from the Lucan D'Lere server.

Technical and Account support phone and chat support will not be available between 12:00pm and 4:00pm PST on Tuesday September 27th 2005.

Phone and chat support will be available on Tuesday September 27th between the hours of 9:00am – 12:00pm and again 4:00pm – 6:00pm PST.

Chat support is normally available Monday through Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm PST except holidays. Telephone support is normally available Monday through Friday 9:00am - 1:30pm and again 3:30pm – 6:00pm PST except holidays.

Email support will still be available by submitting a form at http://help.station.sony.com/cgi-bin/soe.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

This is a great site, and so much work has been put into it! To visit the Xanadu community site, click here.

*** Desert of Flames ***
Zones and Population
- Some of the fabled items that were dropping on solo creatures within the Silent City will now drop from more difficult encounters.
- Arazul, Hand of the Godking is now a little more elusive.

*** Quests ***
- The strangely stitched zombie should once again be making his lumbering rounds.

Here's a shock, sir. And I mean this with all sincerity and no malice whatsoever: it does not matter one WHIT what SOE thinks it's game is, vis-a-vis soloing, raiding, or grouping. The only thing that matters is what the community, the players, think of it.

Fair enough. But let me ask a question in turn: Which part of the community is correct on this issue? Is it:

• The ones who say they can't solo anything, anywhere.
• The ones who say they can kill solo mobs but get jumped by group mobs regularly.
• The ones who dislike Nektulos Forest and say it is unplayable.
• The ones who can solo fine but find it uninteresting.
• The ones who like Nektulos Forest and feel it is challenging.
• The ones who enjoy soloing and find it rewarding.

I'm not trying to be facetious. All those opinions were stated in this thread. So which is right?

Probably all of them, because fun is always subjective. It's part opinion, part perspective, with a sliver of fact mixed in.

There are many solo mobs available across all level ranges, and solo quest paths in every major overland zone. That's not to say everything is perfect or that the content is the best it can be; I'm merely saying it's there, and that's a quantifiable fact that can be proven with data. Now that we've gotten the expansion out the door and had a bit of time to recover, one of the things we will be working on is polishing the live game, starting in the cities and newbie yards. The solo game will definitely be a point of focus.

Again, I'm not trying to pick a fight or prove that I'm right while everyone else is wrong. It's just hard to respond to a thread like this without upsetting someone because the interpretations and opinions vary so widely.

Reactions to the combat changes present a similar disparity of opinions. That's why when someone posts something like "Clearly the majority of customers hate the combat changes and SOE just isn't listening," it's simply not a statement of fact. Lots of people like the combat changes and have posted as much. It's not that we aren't listening to the detractors; it's that we examine issues from all sides and try to separate facts from opinions. The reality that we don't act on every complaint does not mean that the complaint wasn't heard and noted, or that we won't decide to act on it in the future.

It is perhaps this ephemeral mixture of opinion and fact that makes MMOs so compelling. But while debating our perspectives on the message boards, it's worth remembering that there are other points of view that are just as valid as our own. It's not about proving you're right; it's about sharing perspectives and finding acceptance, if not common ground.

To buy armor by con color alone under the old system would be quite misleading. It was entirely possible for a piece of green gear to have better stats than a piece of orange gear. Because items grew with you, it became even more complicated; you pretty much needed a spreadsheet to tell which piece of gear would be better at a given level.

Under the new system, you compare two pieces of gear side by side to see which is better. That's really what you should have been doing before. While con color provided a kind of shortcut, it wasn't a shortcut that provided any useful information aside from indicating the base level of a given item.

We are changing things slightly with Live Update #14. Items will grey out 15 levels beyond their minimum use level. Also, using grey gear will be less punitive at lower levels. That should be particularly helpful to newer players.

The website can be found here, or if you'd like to join the ingame chat, try /join eq2.guk.ogr

This week's show will include AI Expectations, Everquest 2 vs. Real life, and DoF vs. Old Norrath.

Looks to be a great show!

Greetings Travelers!

The Ring of Vaniki can now be found on:

• Sage Navarius Orvalis in the Academy of Sciences in North Freeport
• Sage Indis Surion in the Mage Tower in South Qeynos

If you have already completed the quest “The Wheel of Vaniki” but didn’t receive your ring, you can go to the Sage corresponding to your alignment to pick one up.

Shadowbane continues their monthly House of Commons with us tonight at 5pm PST / 8pm EST. Join us to chat with the Devs and get your burning questions answered.

Connect to these chats via one of our IRC servers (irc.stratics.com port 6668) or whichever server is closest to you through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

Follow the links for the patch notes, Enhanced iTunes version, Subscribe via iTunes and the Subscribe via feed.

For comments on the podcast, visit this forum, and for the main Stratics page for the podcasts, click me!

*** Bonus Artisan Experience ***
- Bonus Artisan Experience is no longer in effect.

SOE has no desire to eliminate soloing.

I solo a lot. Many people in my guild solo. While dungeons have mostly group content, overland zones have an abundance of encounters designed for soloers. There are solo mobs for all levels; you can get to 60 on solo mobs if you want.

Assuming you meant that at your present level you can't find solo mobs, please post what zones you're looking in and what level range you are. I'm sure posters here would be happy to suggest hunting areas for you.

One of the things that makes guardians different from other fighters (their utility, if you will) is their ability to protect their group. No other fighter has as many ways to increase the defensive capabilities of their group and absorb a portion of the damage that hits them.

Warriors also have a greater number of abilities that include direct hate generation.

Group buffs are sometimes easy to take for granted, maybe because they're not as instantly recognizable or flashy as something like Lay on Hands or Feign Death. That doesn't, however, make them any less valuable.

If you compare entire spell lines for the fighter classes, you'll see that some professions are geared more toward enhancing the abilities of a group while others are more self-oriented. Guardians are arguably at the top of the group-oriented end of the spectrum while bruisers are at the other end. This difference does not make one clearly better than another; it's a matter of situation.

The effect a class can have on a group is one factor of balance. When a guardian buffs the defense or health of an entire group, that's a bonus applied to up to five other people. Those benefits are measurable and cumulative; the more people the guardian groups with, the more who benefit from their presence.

Here are a couple examples to show what I mean. Let me make clear that I'm not trying to say Spell X is worth more than Spell Y; I am only trying to illustrate the emphasis on group buffs for some classes.

The September contest was announced in the newsletter, and it looks like there may have been some problems with the email address. I'm including the original text here again so you can send in your entries now. If you have any issues doing so, please let me know.

September's contest honors Talk like a Pirate Day! Submit a screenshot along with a caption showcasing the swarthiest sea dog moment you've experienced in Norrath to eq2pirates@soe.sony.com. YARR!!!

As I've said before, soloing heroics is more likely for some classes than it is others. That's not a matter of one class being "better" than another; it's simply because some classes have abilities and styles of playing that others don't. Gear and spell quality also has a huge impact on whether or not such a feat is possible, which is especially true for melee types who have to stand there and take a beating.

But in any case, while it can be done by some classes, it's unlikely to be the most efficient way to advance your character. In the time it takes to kill a heroic by yourself, you could likely plow through several sets of solo encounters and receive better experience and probably more loot.

So why try it? Some people just like the challenge, especially if doing it requires careful tactics and timing. Again, we don't consider the ability to solo heroics to be broken so long as it can't be done so easily that it becomes the most efficient way to level.

If you would like to have your home featured in a magazine, send me an email at rshwayder@soe.sony.com with a link to some images along with your character name, server name, and location of your home. Sending me an email won't guarantee anything, but we'll check it out.

*** Headlines ***
- Try your luck at the Gigglegibber Goblin Gamblin' Game!
- No more run speed reduction with stealth and invisibility!
- Many UI windows got a new look!

*** The Gigglegibber Goblin Gamblin' Game ***
- Fun-seeking tricksters calling themselves the "Gigglegibber Goblins" have been spotted recently selling tickets for a gamblin' game.
- 6 numbers are chosen, 1-50. If your 6 numbers match the winning numbers, you get the jackpot!
- The jackpot grows larger as more people play.
- Tickets for the game cost 1 silver each.
- Match 2, and you win 2 silver.
- Match 3, and you win 5 silver.
- Match 4, and you win 25 silver.
- Match 5, and you win 2.5 gold.
- Match all 6 and you win the jackpot!

*** Stealth and Invisibility ***
- The run speed debuff associated with stealth and invisibility spells has been removed.
- The concentration cost of stealth and invisibility spells has been removed.
- The duration of group stealth and invis spells is being increased to 10 minutes.
- Run speed buffs (including horses) will suspend while stealthed or invisible.
- Run speed debuffs will still apply their movement penalty while stealthed or invisible.

*** UI Window Enhancements ***
- Many windows now have a sharper look. These include:
* Character Creation
* Knowledge Book
* Inventory
* Trade
* Loot
* Bank
* Guild Bank
* Zone Selection
* Revive

*** Desert of Flames ***
Gameplay
- Gnomes in plate should now have an easier time climbing.Art
- Genies will now have varied colors in their ethereal particles.
- Tornados will now appear a little more menacing.

*** Quests ***
- Sage Indis Surion and Sage Navarius Orvalis now sell the newer versions of the catalog and mastery tomes to players who have already completed these quests.
- You will now be rewarded for the completion of "Kallon's Vengeance" and "Caravan Lost."
- Journal information and minor changes were made to the Stormhold quests "Bolt-Streaked Cuirass," "Haunted Helm," "Rumble," "Virtue Belt" and "Vigilance."
- A new version of the Drafling Tower quest "Deadly Stinger" is available.
- "Trinkets of the Dead" in Nektropos Castle now requires Thexian diplomats instead of Sheila's Handmaiden.
- After slaying Scout Captain Underwood for Jaeta in Nektulos, he will no longer attack you.
- Enemies in the Lair of the Necromancer will now be a little less deadly.

*** Zones and Population ***
- Killing grey con creatures will now affect your faction standing.
- Raid targets for the Deception quest have been slightly lowered in level to be in line with combat changes.

*** Tradeskills ***- Warring Conviction, Purifying Flames, Wintry Cold, Bolt of Storms, Arctic Flames, and Fuliginous Tendrils are now found in the level 51 recipe books.
- Noxious Bolt is now a level 29 recipe instead of 30.
- Discretionary Flow is now a level 27 recipe instead of 30.
- Nullification is now a level 24 recipe instead of 30.
- Miasma is now a level 25 recipe instead of level 28.
- Dark Emanations is now a level 31 recipe instead of 33.
- The Summoner's Mark line of spells for Summoners, Conjurers, and Necromancers are now included in the correct recipe scrolls for level 28/42/56 sages.
- Fear should now be included in the level 24 sage recipe scrolls.
- Aqueous Stalkers should now be included in the level 24 sage recipe scrolls.
- Poisonous Veil should now be included in the level 20 sage recipe scrolls.
- All Apprentice II, III, IV and Adept III spell scroll icons are now visually consistent.
- Broadcloth Yarn and Broadcloth Thread have been removed from Tailor Essentials Volume 30, since they already exist in Volume 29.
- Roasted Rolled Oats and Rolled Oat Malt have been removed from Provisioner Essentials Volume 30, since they already exist in Volume 29.
- Rock Blast is now in Volume 15 of the Advanced and Essentials Scholar recipe books.
- Summoner's Mark is now Volume 15 of Advanced and Essentials Scholar recipe books.
- The consumable Pasta has been removed from tradeskill merchants.
- The Spellbinder's Sconce should no longer show appear as a pink box.

Greetings!

Recently we have begun the process of archiving old threads onforums across the Stratics network in an effort to reduce the lageffect that has been occurring recently. This announcement is anoutline of what you can expect to occur, and how to use the newarchive instance.

Each of the forums have been set up by the administrators ofthose instances for archiving, identifying when threads will bearchived. This allows each instance to decide individually whenthreads will “expire” and be sent to the archiveinstance.

Initially, the archiving process sentd literally thousands ofthreads to the archive. This process has taken some time, and mayhave caused some noticeable slowing down on the forums. We beganwith the lesser used instances first. The instances with muchheavier traffic, such as UO and TSO, were done a little at atime, in an effort to not tie up the server. Now that the initialarchiving has been completed, Teresk will be creating a cron jobthat will run nightly to check for new threads that are ready forarchiving. In this fashion, we can keep the archive up-to-date.

Here is how the archive instance will work for you:

• You will notice a new link and icon on the categories of your forums entitled "Archive". When you hover your mouse cursor over the icon, you will see information that pertains to the total amount of threads and posts connected to that particular archived forum. Please note that any forums that have not been archived will not have this link.
  
• When clicking on the "Archive" link, you will automatically be taken to the specific archive for the forum which you were in. For instance, if you were viewing the Ultima Online - General Discussions Forum, and clicked the "Archive" link, you would be taken to the archive for the Ultima Online - General Discussions Forum. That particularly category will be automatically expanded for you. All others will remain collapsed.
  
• Once in the archive, you will see a link entitled "Return". Clicking this will take you back to the main forum you were viewing prior to visiting the Archive Instance. You will also note that the "expand" and "collapse" option on that particular archived area is no longer accessible. (However, it is still accessible for all other portions of the archive). This is so that you do not lose the "Return" link. It remains for quick access back to the main forum that you initially came to the archive instance from. This is true for only the initial archive area you accessed, and only for that visit. Once you click "Return", that category will automatically collapse, and remain that way until you specifically choose otherwise.
  
• If you visit the archive instance without using the "Archive" link on the main forums, all categories are collapsed and in alphabetical order upon your initial visit. When you expand a category, it will remain expanded on future visits until collapsed. Expanded categories will be displayed before any collapsed categories. Once collapsed, it will return to its original alphabetical position.
  
• If you wish to refer to an archived thread/post, you can link to the desired information on the regular forums. However, all links currently existing which point towards information that has since been archived will be broken. While we realize that this may cause some frustration, there is simply no way to avoid it.
  
• You will not be able to reply to any posts found on the Archive Instance. This is merely a location to store the historical information of each instance across Stratics. If there is specific information which you need and do not see it, please see your individual Forum Administrator for assistance.

To access the Archive Instance, simply follow this link.

We hope this covers all of the questions or concerns thateveryone may have. If not, please feel free to contact either myself or Teresk so that we may address them.

Thank you,

AutumnKiss
Stratics Forums Programming Team

Come join us for the first ever House of Commons for EverQuest Online Adventures on Tuesday, September 27th. It will be at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC. Sapphyra and Zatozia will be in attendance

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

Starting September 19th, 2005, all Horizons: Empire of Istaria accounts created using the .mil email address used by military personnel and families will have a second CD key added to the account for free. This allows you to play Horizons with another family member together at the same time on one account. We hope that this will allow military families to play Horizons together, giving them a family-friendly environment where they can meet, talk and play together over the Internet.

I thought I'd pop by the armorer section and give you some updates on what's going to be going on with them. We have reviewed how we designed the armor that tradeskillers can make and it seem to not fit the general fit of what we were looking for. So we are going to be doing a review on the utility of the armor. Some of the stats in general on armor aren't very appealing to classes that can wear it.

We will be looking into customizing the stats to become something that players would look forward to equiping. As well the graphics used on Armorer made armor seems to repeat too much and not have a unique enough look. I'll be reviewing the assets that we have and seeing what I can do about giving tradeskill made armor a more unique look.

In Live Update #14 the movement penalty and concentration cost associated with stealth and invisibility spells is being removed. Run speed buffs will not be active while you are stealthed or invisible, but you will run at the normal speed. Run speed debuffs are still going to apply their movement penalty if one is currently active on you at the time you go stealth or invis. The duration of group stealth and invisibility spells is also being increased to 10 minutes in the update.

In bullet list summary form, here are the stealth and invisibility changes in Live Update #14:

• The run speed debuff associated with stealth and invisibility spells is being removed.
• The concentration cost of stealth and invisibilty spells is being removed.
• The duration of group stealth and invis spells is being increased to 10 minutes.
• Run speed buffs (including horses) will suspend while stealthed or invisible.
• Run speed debuffs will still apply their movement penalty while stealthed or invisible.

Here's what has been modified internally thus far:

Removed concentration use, removed movement penalties, set duration to 10 minutes:

• Illusionist (24): Illusory Mask
• Fury (45): Untamed Shroud
• Rogue (11): Smuggle
• Brigand (25): Burgle
• Swashbuckler (25): Freeboot

Removed concentration use, removed movement penalties:

• Sorcerer (18): Summon Shadows
• Summoner (18): Invisibility
• Enchanter (13): Veil of the Unseen

Removed movement penalties:

• Scout (3): Sneak
• Predator (17): Hunt
• Rogue (17): Snoop
• Bard (17): Walk Lightly

Please note that the Bonus Artisan Experience is planned to only be active until Friday morning's update.

There are many good crafting bug posts out there, especially in the 'Complete DOF bug list' thread. This is an attempt to summarize them,consolidate dupes, and remove flames.

If your bug is not on this list and you want it to be, please reply below with a pointer to your original post. I will try to follow the other bugthreads to keep this list up to date.

When you think it through, it makes sense. And we aren't the only game to do it this way, although it's more obvious because of the way we display the numbers.

Let's say you're level 30 and have a set of gear that your Persona window says gives you 40% avoidance and 30% mitigation. This is against a level 30 no-arrow creature; your numbers will be better against a level 27 mob and worse against a level 33 mob, but you don't see those numbers.

Three levels later, you look at your Persona window again and see that your numbers are down. Why? Because your gear is now being compared against a level 33 mob, which you already had lower numbers against and just never saw them. The Persona window is now reflecting your stats against a level 33 opponent instead of a level 30.

Has your armor gotten worse? Not at all. Your numbers against a level 30 no-arrow mob are still 40% avoidance and 30% mitigation (actually a fair amount better than that, because the skills that affect your avoidance have increased while you have gained a mitigation bonus against blue cons). But again, you don't see those numbers anymore, you only see the current values against a level 33 opponent.

This is why we show mitigation as a numerical value. The mitigation inherent in the armor doesn't change, but as you level up you keep comparing that same armor against increasingly more powerful opponents.It is logical that the same armor that protected you so well against level 30 opponents would be much less potent against something that is level 40.

If we never showed you percentages, you wouldn't know the difference because you'd just be comparing AC numbers that don't move. So while our display can seem confusing initially, it is ultimately quite informative.

*** Desert of Flames ***
- The carpet at the docks in the Sinking Sands will now provide those in the midst of betraying their city a ride to the Thundering Steppes.
- The Vessel of Fyr'un quest can now only be completed in the proper order. Those who have already completed the quest out of order can perform the last step and receive the Vessel.

*** The Splitpaw Saga ***
- Additional adjustments were made to the Trial of Harclave.

**** Quests ***
- Zealot Fahid in the Temple of Cazic-Thule will now wait an hour before offering someone the same quest again.

*** Commands, Controls, and User Interface ***
- Searching the Broker window with a class selected will now also provide matches that are usable by all classes. For example, having "Templar" selected and searching for food or earrings will provide the correct results.
- Selecting "Artisan" in the Broker window will now show results usable by all tradeskill classes. For example, to get a listing of all advanced tradeskill recipe books, choose "Artisan" from the dropdown.

"What can you say about a game that encourages you to shoot everything in sight and destroy it? Who doesn't that appeal to? A game where you can destroy every piece of landscape from the trees to the burnt out buildings to that speck of a human that dared cross your path who may or may not still be dragging on your bloody treads. This my friend; is Auto Assault. "

Be sure to give your PSP this update, so you can browse!!

Some changes to the Broker window went in today.

• Searches default to All classes, levels 1 to 60.
• You can now search by Artisan professions in addition to adventure classes.
• Advanced tradeskill books will now show up. To just get a listing of books, enter "adv" in the "Item Name" field, then input the level range and crafting profession of your choice.

There are still some quirks to iron out with searches, but this should help quite a bit.

Bonus Adventure Experience is no longer enabled. At this time, we have enabled Bonus Tradeskill Experience for artisans. Adventurers may now use the /respec command once per character in order to make new Character Advancement Choices. Please be aware that you only get to use /respec once, and will not be compensated for making incorrect choices or accidentally using this command.

It's contest time! First prize: brand new, unopened Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade for the PSP. Second prize: an EQII Map.

With the launch of Depths of Darkhollow I'm sure they're very busy trying to catch up on bug fixes, and sleep!

Be sure to join us on this new date, to catch up on all the EQ news!

Join us once again for our monthly Star Wars Galaxies House of Commons. Tonight - Wednesday, September 21st at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT / midnight UTC/GMT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC. The main topic of discussion will be the upcoming Trials of Obi-Wan expansion.

We also have two little "grab-bags" of SWG swag to give away, so stick around after the HoC has ended. What's in those grab-bags? Well... there may be figurines and/or patches in there.

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado
• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

See you tonight!

Dedicated? Committed? Want to see your name in lights? Join us!

The Everquest II Stratics team is looking to expand our ranks of Volunteer Staff, and we want YOU to be a part of it all! Everquest II Stratics is looking for dedicated, committed, and highly creative people to join us and fill out positions in our various departments. If you're interested in joining up with one of the top gaming networks in the industry, READ ON!

CONTENT

Content Editors: Content Editors are responsible for pouring over the existing content on the site and making sure it is current and correct. If it is not, they are responsible for correcting it and submitting it to the Admin team. They are also welcome to submit their own guides/databases if they so wish at anytime and such action is heavily encouraged. An ability to write well is necessary. Editors will be expected to write guides and keep them updated.

Content Photographers: Content Photographers are responsible for providing images of Everquest II for use in editorials and news reports. The knowledge and ability of editing screenshots is helpful, but not necessary. All photographers will be required to have a familiarity with Everquest II in order to accurately capture the requested images.

Other Submissions: You don't have to be an active Everquest II Stratics staff member to submit content. Simply send it to us at eq2admin@stratics.com. This includes guides, articles, editorials, database updates, artwork, and anything else creative you might have thought up.

CARTOGRAPHY

We are looking for cartographers to create maps of new zones in Everquest II as well as update existing maps as new things are discovered. This position requires a great attention to detail. General knowledge of online mapping is preferable, but not required. A system will be provided to all successful applicants for use, however each cartographer is encouraged to develop their own methods and style.

In general, the following is stuff we would like to see:

• Have a great deal of experience with Everquest II.
• Be excited about the role and have a willingness to encourage discussion about the game through feedback, forum use, etc.
• Have a clear understanding of what it is we are trying to do with these areas.
• Have the time available to commit an average of four hours or so a week to the staff.

The main qualities we are looking for are dedication and commitment, not the ability to write a novel.

We are looking to make some very large and sweeping improvements at Everquest II Stratics. If you would like to be a part of it all, contact us!

*** Desert of Flames ***
Quests
- Faction NPC's will now offer your entire group his or her tasks.

Zones and Population
- Altairenanhk should no longer stun the whole zone while fighting.
- Samira will now give chase to those who attack her or her pet.

*** The Splitpaw Saga ***
- The Trial of Harclave has been further tuned for some classes.

*** Quests ***
- The strangely stitched zombie that is part of the Freeport mage subclass quest will now spawn more frequently.

*** Items ***
- Chests with coin in them should now drop correctly off NPCs in the Sinking Sands.
- Raptors in the Sinking Sands should now have a chance to drop loot.
- Gatekeeper Hyzdu will no longer give Argent Bastard Swords as frequently.
- Molt in Nektulos Forest will now drop his loot more often.

*** Zones and Population ***
- Rognog the Angler can again be defeated.
- Dreadwake can once again reach Seth McMannus.

*** Spells and Combat Arts ***
- Creatures will change con color a little sooner than previously for players level 40 and above.
- High yellows, oranges, and red con mobs are now slightly harder to hit with spells and melee attacks.
- Pet classes must do at least one point of damage to an encounter in order to receive experience and loot.
- Red con items should now show their magical resistances properly.

Heroic Opportunites
- Luck's Bite will once again damage enemies.

Bruiser changes:
- Bruising Spirit, Strapping Spirit and Deadly Spirit once again consume health every 6 seconds while the buff is active.

*** Tradeskills ***
- Precious metals and gemstones will now be harvested more often.
- Stonehide and Scaled fistwraps should now produce an product at the pristine state.
- Stonehide and Scaled spiked Cesti should now produce a product at the pristine state.
- Indium and Cobalt Morning Stars should now produce a product at the pristine state.
- Cobalt Executioner's Axes should now produce a product at the pristine state.
- Scaled Leather Cestii will now produce an item when gaining the pristine form of the recipe.

*** Command, Controls, and User Interface ***
- An issue that was causing some users to lock up while "Loading UI Resources" has been fixed.

I found a problem that was causing "Loading UI Resources" to hang forever. Look for a fix in the next day or so.

If you read my post again, you'll see that I specifically say that we will continue fixing bugs and adjusting balance. Nowhere did I say we wouldn't keep on making changes. Quite the opposite, in fact.

My statement was only to make clear that we don't plan a rollback to pre-LU13 combat and spells. I was not claiming everything is perfect or that there aren't issues that still need to be addressed.

We make changes to this game every single day. Some of them are major, others minor. Live Update #13 was an accumulation of major changes that had a bigger impact on gameplay than any update before it. But you can look through the notes from prior updates and see some changes we've made that were arguably just as significant.

The difference is that LU13 had a huge impact on individual characters, from stats to spells to loot. Anytime you change something about a player character, you get a much more vocal reaction than changing a zone or an NPC. Part of the staying power of MMOs is that we become emotionally attached to our characters, so this is an understandable reaction.

My post was meant to be clear and direct. It's kind of a no-win situation on the boards: if you make a post flowery and smooth, you're accused of using PR speak and hiding the truth; if you come out and say something plainly, you're accused of arrogance.

I said what I said without malice or ego. As another poster pointed out, maintaining two separate code bases to run a pre-LU13 server simply isn't realistic from a technical standpoint. The reason there was such a long gap between LU12 and LU13 was because it became impossible to separate the combat code from the rest of the game, and we didn't want to release some midway point of combat.

Again, I understand the frustration some of you feel, and a certain amount of acting out is natural. But posters on both sides of the debate need to abide by the rules of conduct and a general sense of civility to one another. Posting when you're mad about something is a bad idea. Take a break, calm down, and come back when you can state your opinion clearly and without the vitriol. Nobody ever won a debate on the Internet (or face to face, for that matter) by insulting someone else's point of view.

Valor, Storms, and Splitpaw will be down for about an extra hour tonight, Tuesday, September 20, for maintenance starting at the standard time (04:00 GMT). We will be performing maintenance on both Runnyeye and Innovation at non-standard update times tomorrow. On Wednesday, September 21, we will be performing maintenance on Runnyeye at 7:00AM Pacific (14:00 GMT). On Thursday, September 22, we will be performing maintenance on Innovation at 7:00AM Pacific (14:00 GMT). The estimated downtime for both servers is 1 hour. We understand that this is not a normal downtime for these servers, but unfortunately we need to perform some server maintenance at these times.

*** Desert of Flames ***
Zones and Population
- Pounders in the Sinking Sands should now drop chest loot.

*** Desert of Flames ***
- The carpet at the Sinking Sands docks should take adventurers to Onerock Isle and the Undercity Arena after visiting those locations.

*** Gameplay ***
- Defeating single opponents with one or two up arrows will now provide an experience bonus similar to that of defeating encounters of grouped down-arrow targets.

*** Tradeskills ***
- Favor of Innovation should now award level 50 components when performing level 50+ tradeskills.

*** Spells and Combat Arts ***
- Player characters feigning death will no longer stand up and break feign if they take damage.
- Wards now generate considerably less hate for the caster.
- Dual Breed (Half Elf Racial Tradition) will now properly increase power.
- Dominate cam no longer be scribed or used by Illusionists, as it is a Coercer spell.

Berserker changes:
- Raging Blows is now named Raging Press.

Necromancer changes:
- The effects of Unliving Eyes should now show visible effects to the Necromancer's party.
- Nylph's Skeletal Regiment should once again change the Necromancer's group into skeletons.

Warlock changes:
- Hate generated by the damage produced from Nihilism will now go to the recipient of the buff.
- Netheros should now scale in level with the Warlock.

The need to involve more women in the game industry is spurring conferencs focusing on this issue. Our own Network Technology Director, Christin "Marizelle" Overton provides an attendee's perspective on a recent conference on this issue.

She tells us in this article that:

These conferences (and there are more coming!) are not about male versus female or who can make a better game, they are about creating games for a broader audience by better representing their potential audience on the teams creating them.

Join us tonight (September 19th) for our House of Commons with the developers of Pirates of the Burning Sea. It will be at 5pm PST / 8pm EST in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC. Come chat with the Developers at Flying Lab Software and get your questions about their latest announcement about "Talk like a Pirate Day" (today) and the feature that rhymes with "Feta" answered!

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

*** Items ***
- We've fixed the issue with the broker window not showing the seller's name.

*** The Splitpaw Saga ***
- The Trial of Harclave buff should now be applied correctly to fighter classes.
- The Trial of Harclave has been rebalanced to offer the appropriate level of challenge following the combat changes.
- Delving into the Darkness should no longer have any one-up-arrow gnolls inside.
- Many of the zones in the Splitpaw Saga will no longer offer a choice of difficulty to players level 45 and higher.

*** Gameplay ***
- Players now mitigate much less of the damage done by encounters that con orange and red. It is recommended that low orange encounters be attempted only by very well-equipped players, and even then there is no guarantee of success. High-orange and red encounters are meant to be deadly, so it is wise to avoid fighting them.
- Small wooden loot chests no longer have a chance to be trapped.
- Large wooden loot chests are now less likely to be trapped. If a trap is set off, it will only inflict damage rather than cast a debuff.
- Metal loot chests are very likely to be trapped, and these traps can inflict a variety of unpleasant effects.

*** Zones and Population ***
- The Threshing Chamber for would-be Freeport clerics has been rebalanced following the combat changes.

*** Items ***
- Adept I scrolls now have an improved chance to drop from encounters below level 20.
- Equipping non-attuned items will no longer show a mitigation increase in the Persona window. They were not providing mitigation; this was a display bug only.
- The damage rating on weapons should now display the proper value. The correct damage was being done in combat, but the displayed damage rating number was being computed incorrectly.

*** Spells and Combat Arts ***
- Summoned pets now mitigate some of the damage done by blue, green, and grey opponents. However, summoned pets will be hit harder by encounters that con orange and red.
- There are now caps on how much haste and DPS can be buffed or debuffed. The total amount of haste or DPS can never be debuffed below -50%, and never buffed above +100%.
- Sprint no longer has a chance to fizzle.

Mystic changes:
- Shadowy Attendant should now work correctly.

*** Tradeskills ***
- Harvesting abilities no longer have a chance to fizzle.

What are you most looking forward to in the expansion? [189] 31.61% The combat revamp [79] 13.21% The monkey [185] 30.94% PvP [46] 7.69% Climbing [50] 8.36% Guild vaults [34] 5.69% New voice commands [15] 2.51% Something else: Tell us what! Total Votes: 598 Ended: Sat Sep 17 00:20:55 MDT 2005

Thanks to all who participated! Check out this week's poll!

Learning the Changes

Sometimes, using the same spells and strategies that were used before the combat revamp will not work as well as they used to. A lot has changed, and taking the time to learn what was changed is the most important first step to re-mastering your class.

Starting with an empty hotbar is a good way of breaking the old habits. Open your Knowledge Book (k) and take a look at your new spells or combat arts. On the top right corner is a Sort button. Click on it and select to sort by ‘Category’ and ‘Down’. All of your abilities are now organized down each column and abilities that share the same reuse timer are now clustered together.

Examine every spell and look for the most powerful ability in each set. Then start reorganizing your Hotbars. Hotbar 1 is best reserved for your most frequent spells and arts such as Damage and Healing spells, while reserving Hotbar 2 for Buffs, Stances, and Emergency spells. Spells that are organized together by similar name and effects often share the same reuse timer. It’s best to only pick the most powerful one in each set, or you might not be playing to the full potential of your class. Also, there isn’t any need to use lower level spells when you already have an upgrade to complete Heroic Opportunities, because they are now more effective based on the level of the spells you cast to complete it.

Before jumping into a new group with these new configurations, practice learning your new setup on weaker monsters. Single down-arrow green or blue monsters are good starters for readjusting to the combat changes with minimal risk of danger. Try new strategies and be sure to cast all available group and single target buffs on yourself. For example, Fighters often do better soloing while taking an offensive stance, and Priests do better when they constantly use their damage spells and heroic opportunities. Scouts do best when they integrate Cheap Shot with their positional attacks, and Mages work well when they open up with control type spells at the beginning of a fight before they unload their damage spells. Don’t be afraid to take risks in changing your playstyle, as you may always find ways of adjusting that are more effective than what you were doing before.

There is currently an issue with the Broker window that is causing house vault items to not display the seller's name. We will not likely have this fixed for this weekend, but it is a high priority issue that we're going to have fixed as soon as possible.

We will be performing maintenance on both Runnyeye and Innovation at non-standard update times next week. On Wednesday, September 21, we will be performing maintenance on Runnyeye at 7:00AM Pacific (14:00 GMT). On Thursday, September 22, we will be performing maintenance on Innovation at 7:00AM Pacific (14:00 GMT). The estimated downtime for both servers is 1 hour. We understand that this is not a normal downtime for these servers, but unfortunately we need to perform some server maintenance at these times.

This week's wonderful feature is Ashlanne's tour of the EQ and EQ2 offices in the hours before the launch of both Depths of Darkhollow (EQ), and Desert of Flames (EQ2).

The EQ2 Walkthrough features some great pictures of the EQ2 team hard at work (nice to see you still around Frizz!), and the EQ Walkthrough shows those guys wandering around. Kidding!

Thanks to Ashlanne and Brenlo for the great pictures.

Braxus Greyhammer has submitted the winning screenshot in the Shorelines of Norrath contest that was run through EQ2 Players!
Congratulations to Braxus! What a great shot!

September Contest

September's contest honors Talk like a Pirate Day! Submit a screenshot along with a caption showcasing the swarthiest sea dog moment you've experienced in Norrath to eq2pirates@soe.sony.com Contest ends September 30th, 2005. YARR!!!

With the launch of Desert of Flames comes combat changes and bonus experience.

In celebration of the launch of Desert of Flames and appreciation for you sticking it out while you relearn some of your abilities, we will be running a week of Bonus Adventure Experience for characters under level 50!

An interview with EQII Design Supervisor Matt Higby regarding Arena Champions!

How do I get to the Arena?
Just take the nearest flying carpet to Maj'Dul; the arena is in the center of the city at the Sultan's palace. Once there, speak to the merchant to purchase some of the beginner pets, and from there you can click on the door to browse the available games.

How do I join an arena?
Once at the Maj'Dul arena gate, you open the arena browsing window in order to see all the current games. You can filter these games by "full", "private", and "empty." From here you can view the "Arena Options," join by clicking "Join Arena," or start your own arena by pressing "Create Arena".

What level do you have to be in order to participate in Arena Champions?
There is no level restriction to play Arena Champions. Anyone can get a champion and compete with anyone else in the game. The only restriction is in reaching Maj'Dul, which can be a perilous adventure!

How will you obtain new Champions? Will they just be purchased at a vendor?
Some will be available at a vendor by default, others will require that you earn a reputation in the arena before you can use them, and others still will be found throughout the expansion as a reward for quests and encounters. We're trying to distribute them as much as possible in order to make all of the champions special and to recognize your accomplishment in finding them.

You can read the entire newsletter here!

We are taking a look at Harclave, and will be making some adjustments to its difficulty based on the feedback that we have been recieving.

If there are other solo zones instances beyond that of the adventure packs that need some tuning please let us know so we can take a look at it.

Yes, orange and red cons are still too easy with today's changes. That is being addressed.

The intent is that if you're in an average group of non-uber players, you're probably taking out blues and whites. If you're in a very good group, you're taking out whites and yellows. If you're in an exceptional group, you might throw in the lowest con of orange as well.

High oranges and reds, though, should be deadly. So we'll make them that way.

Again, mobs that much higher than you aren't intended to be fodder. Especially when most players are still in the process of learning to play their class effectively with all the new changes, it's advisable to stay conservative with your selection of opponents.

Consider Information

We have improved the information provided when considering an NPC's level of challenge by expanding upon the previous system to make it clearer and more precise.

• Arrows in the target window indicate the challenge of an opponent:
  • 3 down arrows = very weak opponent
  • 2 down arrows = weak opponent
  • 1 down arrow = below average opponent
  • no arrow = average opponent
  • 1 up arrow = above average opponent
  • 2 up arrows = strong opponent
  • 3 up arrows = heroic opponent
  • 3 up arrows plus X2, X3, or X4 = epic opponent intended for 2, 3, or 4 groups in a raid

• When using the Simple (Frames) option, there are brackets around the NPC's name that indicate the following:
  • Swords under target name = weak opponent
  • Simple brackets = average opponent
  • Fancy brackets = challenging opponent
  • Fancy brackets plus banner = epic opponent

• The number of levels your target will fall within a given con color range (other than white) have been adjusted.
  • Levels 1 to 19: 2 levels per color Levels 20 to 29: 3 levels per color
  • Levels 30 to 39: 4 levels per color
  • Levels 40 and higher: 5 levels per color
  • Note: At levels 10 and below, there is only 1 level of green con.

I'm considering tagging all the heritage items as not for sale by default so this doesn't happen. If this happens to you again please remember you can switch to the 'buy' tab and buy your item back immediately for no loss.

"Photojournalist Robbie Cooper will be interviewing and photographing MMO players for the Alter Ego Exhibition and book in the coming weeks. Expanding on Cooper's original show as seen at the Proud Gallery in London, England last year, the project documents the growing culture of video games and online worlds. Alter Ego will:

• provide a visually arresting and entertaining journalistic record of life on the cyber frontier
• explore how gamers use technology to create novel forms of community and identity in cyberspace
• document the emerging culture of online games in an intelligent, witty, and accesible way

Alter Ego juxtaposes photographs of real people with their avatars and documents life on the screen with player stories, interviews, and screen shots. The exhibition will open in Amsterdam this fall and will visit other cities across Europe, the U.S., and the Far east next year. The book will be published sometime next summer.

Robbie is looking for EQ II players who: Look like their avatars
Look nothing like their avatars (especially trolls, ogres, etc)
Play a different gender than their real world gender
Use the game space to express their creativity
Met their significant other online
Have a colorful, off-the-wall, or unusual story about their online existence

Robbie has not finalized his itinerary, but will be on the east coast from about September 10th-20th, then will visit the mid-west, and will be in California for until the first week of October. If you'd like to be a part of the project, please send an email to Tracy Spaight (who's collaborating with Robbie on the book) at tspaight@gmail.com. Tell us where you live, how to contact you, and why you would make a good interview subject for the book / exhibit. We look forward to hearing from you!"

The ship's rocking soothed Jazper's qualms. Creak…creak…creak…his hammock swung slowly back and forth like a pendulum in time to the small swells near the island. Jazper grinned to himself, his arm flung across his eyes to shield them from a dart of sunshine that swung rhythmically across his face. A pendulum! What a very gnome-like observation!

For several weeks, the Smarmy Sprocket had been sneaking after one of the ships run by the Far Seas Trading Company. Those ships were bigger and hauled goods for much longer distances. The Sprocket 's technique, refined over the years, involved catching up to the larger vessel then overwhelming it with superior gadgetry.

Spell list updates are in progress. Given the number of spells we have and the fact that they were changing right up until Live Update #13 was released, it isn't a trivial process.

Making new class guides is a larger project. If anyone in the community is interested in submitting a class guide for potential use on our site, you can send it to eq2submissions@soe.sony.com and we'd be happy to give you or your character credit for writing it. Submissions become the property of SOE [insert other associated legal jargon here].

*** Desert of Flames ***
Zones and Population
- The dark elf merchants in the Ancient's Table no longer respawn. The zone's reuse timer starts when the party zones in.

Quests
– The statue that activates at the end of "Searching for the Silent City" should now only spin at the correct stage of the quest.

*** The Bloodline Chronicles ***
- The D'Morte Burial Chamber is now more solo friendly.

*** The Splitpaw Saga ***
- Delving into the Darkness is now more solo friendly.

*** Zones and Population ***
- Teleporters in Lavastorm will no longer remove group buffs from the Maintained window.

*** Epic Encounters ****
- The experienced gained from killing epic targets is now comparable to that of killing heroics.

*** Spells and Combat Arts ***
- Damage shields have been reduced in potency since NPCs no longer mitigate their damage.

Berserker changes:
- Rampage no longer has an initial cost but now costs power for each triggered attack. It now attempts a standard melee attack each time it triggers for every target in the area instead of always guaranteeing damage.

Brigand changes:
- Ruse is now toggleable.

Bruiser changes:
- The damage done by Savage Blows has been slightly reduced to be appropriate for an AoE attack.

Enchanter changes:
- Charm is now only effective on targets level 24 and lower.

Fury changes:
- Fleshweave, Wild Bloodflow, and Untamed Bloodflow can now be used on raid members.

Priest changes:
- Cure spells now have the "Cure:" prefix attached to their name.

Scout changes:
- The duration listed in Escape's examine info should now be more clear.

Sorcerer changes:
- The Tongue Twist line has had its control duration reduced, its power increased slightly, and cast time changes to half a second.

Warden changes:
- Undergrowth now has a 20-second reuse.
- The Undergrowth and Ensnaring Roots lines should be resisted less frequently.

Warlock changes:
- Bony Grasp now has a 20-second reuse.

Wizard changes:
- Ring of Cold now has a 20-second reuse.

It's contest time! First prize: brand new, unopened Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade for the PSP. Second prize: an EQII Map.

Oranges are supposed to be a major challenge. Solo oranges should push the limits of soloers, and group oranges should push the limits of groups.

We were witnessing a lot of players mowing through oranges, so we upped them a bit. High-con mobs aren't meant to be the default targets you fight, unless you have all the resources necessary to take them on.

In the last few days of beta we gave players an extra mitigation advantage against blues and lower. Now there is an additional mitigation penalty when facing oranges and reds. Oranges are still killable if you have the resources needed to compensate for that, of course.

All retail versions of Desert of Flames, pre-order or otherwise, were flagged for the pet monkey today. You should now be able to /claim your pet monkey in-game. We apologize for the issues that arose with the lack of pre-order keys.

Set your TiVo and get your character ready--EQII and our new Quest for Antonia winner, Anna Wainscoat, will be featured LIVE on G4’s “Attack of the Show” tomorrow--Thursday, September 15th--at 4:00 p.m. PST. Meet up with Anna and the other G4 network anchors in-game in Antonica on Butcherblock when the gameplay session is aired live for one hour. Maybe your character will be on TV!

Why do Necro's get to keep FD as a casting class, and is it a class defining ability?
FD for the Brigand was a defining trait that, I would think was overlooked when they made our stealth's group only.
Lurk lasted 12 hours and if broken, had the FD tied to it for 30 seconds. It was also self only. I do not understand why they would take this away as a class balance issue?

With upgrades to:

• Evade - Is now much more effective at decreasing hate, faster reuse, lower casting cost, lower cast time, and has an entire combat art line of upgrades.
• Beg for Mercy - Instant cast instead of 3 seconds, guarantees hate position decreasing.
• Baffle Adversaries - A new line that bounces hate off from the Brigand whenever they take damage
• Lie Low - No longer takes 3 seconds to cast.

All Stealths for Scouts were simplified to do exactly as the ability line intends it to do, rather than having extra effects dictate its use. Necro's Feign Death spell does just that and nothing else and is part of all emergency abilities that all Mages get at that level. FD isn't needed so much in a group situation anymore with all of those hate reduction tools, and it was clumbsy when attempting to use it by stealthing and then Feigning (AEs). FD in raids sometimes causes undesireable effects, such as monsters not resetting right away, so from personal experience, my guild doesn't want anyone feigning while raiding (We run around pulling our armor off as fast as possible when given the suicide signal).

When soloing, the Brigand already has enough escape tools (Escape, Stuns, Snares) and the Brigand's soloability has improved much as part of the Revamp, that if now you are escaping a bad situation and the only escape tool left to use would be FD, you were very likely fighting something that you know is too difficult to solo or are fighting in a dangerously crowded or cramped situation already.

*** Desert of Flames ***
- Sumixum the Arena Master will now provide you with one free Arena Champion when you introduce yourself for the first time.
- Players who have betrayed their city should now be able to use the Unusual Bottle.
- An Unusual Bottle can no longer be sold to merchants.

*** Dueling ***
- Your stats will no longer temporarily be reduced after losing a duel.

*** Quests ***
- The first part of Azhar's Gauntlet in Azhar's Penitence has been toned down in difficulty.

*** Items ***
- Items will now con red instead of grey if you are not a high enough level to use them.
- Damage and mitigation numbers will no longer display as 0 if you cannot use the item.

*** Tradeskills ***
- The Spellbinder's Sconce should once again appear within homes.
- Breath of the Tyrant can now be found in level 24 Sage recipe books.
- Spiked Earth will no longer appear twice in the level 20 Sage recipe books.
- Tradeskilled food will no longer stack its stat bonus with itself.

*** Combat and Spell Changes ***
- The difficulty of orange and red con creatures has been increased.
- Experience gained from epic targets has been reduced.
- Merchants should now have the missing level 30-40 Apprentice II spell scrolls available for melee classes.

Swashbuckler changes:
- Hamstring and Disable no longer require you to be in a specific position to use them.

*** Desert of Flames ***
- The initial champions available on the merchant outside the Maj'Dul arena now cost 5 silver instead of 11 gold.
- Carpets to Sinking Sands from Qeynos Harbor and East Freeport will temporarily zone players directly to the Sinking Sands instead of flying there so you may choose which instance to enter.
- Several Desert of Flames maps will now have fog that gets cleared as you explore the area.

*** Gameplay ***
- Various issues that caused server instability have been addressed. As other issues arise, we will take care of them as quickly as possible.

*** Spells, Abilities, and Combat Arts ***
- Apprentice II spell scrolls are now available on merchants for all new level 1-50 spells that were added as part of the combat changes.
- Scout NPCs using Cheap Shot will no longer stun for as long as they used to.

Monk changes:
- Wind Walk will no longer penalize movement speed.

Warlock changes:
- The Flashfreeze spell line will properly land its stun on enemies.

*** Tradeskills ***
- Advanced recipes for Provisioners and Carpenters will no longer drop in the world.

*** Commands, Controls, and User Interface ***
- The graphical errors that appeared as large black polygons for some users have been corrected.
- The graphical corruption that occurred on the right and bottom edges of the screen on some machines should now be fixed.

We've addressed a major issue that was causing server problems as of this morning. We'll look into any other issues as they arise to make sure things run smoothly.

Now we are all aware the spells from lvls 51-60 and no longer auto attained on the start of a lvl.Theres a few theories how this is gona work and im trying to find a straight answer to it all.

If you gain enough faction with any of the courts, you can buy whatever Apprentice II scrolls you need. We aren't making any of them exclusive to certain factions.

However, you can also get your scroll upgrades through standard means. Adept I will continue to drop as loot. Crafters with the appropriate level of faction can buy books and create spell scrolls that they can sell to anyone.

Sure, new spells will be at a premium price for a while, but that is the case with anything that's new, of a limited supply, and highly sought after. But now that Legendary components are going to be more common, I'd expect prices to stabilize after the hype dies down.

As for new abilities no longer being auto-granted from 51 to 60, that's simply a new twist we wanted to throw in to add some of the mystery and excitement back into discovering new spells. Besides, I'm sure anyone who has made it all the way to 51 is capable of doing a little legwork to track down the scrolls they need to purchase.

Let's please not let this devolve into a debate as to whether people should need to quest in order to obtain something. There are already some abilities in game that you have to quest for if you want them, such as some of the abilities from the two adventure packs. But no matter what your opinion on the subject, there are alternative ways to obtain the DoF spells so both styles of play can be satisfied.

Live Update #13 includes many changes to spells and combat arts for every class. In fact, just about every spell and art has changed in some way. Certain changes may be slight, such as the amount of damage done by a combat art or the potency of a buff. In other cases the changes are more significant, such as secondary effects being added or modified, the level at which the spell is granted being raised or lowered, etc. Additionally, many new spells have been added to the game, either to enhance existing spell lines or to provide additional versatility to many classes.

Because of these changes and some of the other ways combat has evolved, you are likely to find that using the abilities on your hotbar in the same manner you used them before will no longer provide the same results. Naturally this could be disorienting for players, so we've compiled a few tips that will hopefully make your transition into this update go smoothly.

Explore your Knowledge book. Whether you've been playing EQ2 only a few days or since the game was released, it's extremely important that you go through your abilities with a fresh eye. Examine all the spells and arts you have, including those you didn't use much before. You may find that many spells have entirely new effects that could prove useful in a variety of situations.

Try new combinations of abilities. With the addition of many new spells and effects, the standard series of abilities you used before may no longer be the most effective way to play. For instance, skill and resist debuffs have a much more meaningful effect on your effectiveness against an opponent. Don't forget to use your debuffs!

Keep your equipment up to date. The quality of your armor and weapons is more important than ever. Examine the equipment on your character and make sure it isn't grey, which means its level is too low to be effective. You can usually upgrade to a more powerful set of gear every 10 levels. For example, when you turn level 20 it's a good time to look for new armor to replace the items you could wear at level 10. Look over the mitigation and stat bonuses of the new gear to make sure it provides a worthwhile benefit.

Upgrade your spells and arts. Under the old system, ability upgrades didn't always provide a noticeable improvement. After the combat changes, however, you gain a visible benefit from upgrading your spells and arts. You'll find your character to be much more powerful if you upgrade from the basic Apprentice I abilities you're automatically given.

There is strength in numbers. Big changes can seem overwhelming if you're facing them alone. Now is a great time to team up with other players so that you can learn your new abilities together. Teaming up with another player or two will provide faster experience gain and helps you take on tougher challenges than you could alone.

Remember, everyone else has changed, too. It's perfectly natural to focus on changes that affect your character. However, keep in mind that this update affects all other players and NPCs. It's going to take time to learn new ways to play your best, so just remember that other players are in the same boat you are. Hopefully this advice will prove helpful as you experience the combat and spell changes for yourself. For a more complete list of the changes included in Live Update #13, please see the Combat Changes article on our EQ2Players.com site. See you in Norrath!

Join us tonight on Stratics IRC as we chat with the developers of City of Villains, the standalone sequel to City of Heroes. This House of Commons will be at 3pm PDT / 6pm EDT / midnight UTC/GMT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado
• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

We're still working on the server issues as our top priority. At this time, Najena, Permafrost, Unrest, and Antonia Bayle will remain down until further notice. I will provide you with an ETA as soon as I receive one. Thank you for your patience while we work on these issues.

Blackguard let everyone know they're aware of the issue, and though he hasn't announced a fix yet, he did have this to say:

With this particular issue, it looks like you can keep trying to log in and you should eventually be able to get in. It is related to the main issue with all of the other server problems (crashing and zoning times) we're experiencing right now, so it's also top priority to get fixed. We'll be here until we get the issues resolved.

We'll be offering a /respec soon. It will take place at the same time we remove the Bonus Adventure Experience that you are getting right now. We would like you to get acquainted with the combat changes after the initial respec (that occurs for everyone when they log in for the first time after Live Update #13) before you decide what character advancement choices you would like to make.

He strode in measured paces back and forth upon the balcony of the citadel, overlooking the crowds lining the streets below. Soldiers in dark armor kept the masses orderly and quiet. Those who could not draw close enough to see him gathered near the mystical stone statues that came eerily to life as he began to speak.

"Long has the city of Freeport thrived under my protection. Since the day I drove out the degenerate followers of Marr and united the city under a single banner, I have watched over the citizens of my kingdom and brought us prestige and prosperity. Across these Shattered Lands, all who hear the name of Freeport know it is a place to be respected.

*** Headlines ***
- The Desert of Flames expansion pack is here!
- The long-awaited combat changes are upon us!
- View your faction standing and character details with the improved Persona window!
- Guilds no longer rely on patrons, so all members can contribute!
- Is your wood elf ready to tie the knot, or are you just tired of your surname? Now you can change your last name!
- Aquatic creatures have been banished from the land!
- Group experience debt has been removed!
- Encounter locking restrictions have been relaxed.
- You can now resurrect players that are outside of your group!
- Roleplayers rejoice! You can now use a ` or ' in your last name!
- Sort your Knowledge book by name, level, or category!
- Challenge other players with the new dueling system!
- Share items with guildmates using the new guild vault!

*** Desert of Flames ***
- The EverQuest II team is pleased to announce the launch of our first expansion pack: Desert of Flames!
- Players who purchase the expansion can explore the vast Desert of Ro and the exotic but dangerous bandit city of Maj'Dul.
- Discover exciting new quests, hundreds of new items, new abilities for every subclass, and breathtaking challenges all the way up to the new adventure and tradeskill level cap of 60!
- Battle against your friends in the arenas of Maj'Dul. You can play as your character, or join in fights with players of any level as an Arena Champion.
- Climb walls, use voice emotes to communicate with your friends, and take on epic challenges designed for players level 45 and higher.
- Those who purchase Desert of Flames can /claim a djinn bottle for your home that lets you enter your own magical realm where you can listen to storytellers and learn more about the Desert of Ro. If you are currently betraying your city, you will not be able to use the bottle until you've settled into your new home (all the more reason to finish off those last 499 orcs).
- Desert of Flames is available in your local retail outlet or via digital download. It can be purchased online at The Station Store:
https://store.station.sony.com/
- If you purchase the digital download version of Desert of Flames, all necessary files will be automatically downloaded the next time you launch EverQuest II.
- See you soon in the arena! And remember, watch your back in the streets of Maj'Dul!

*** Changes to Combat and Spells ***
This update introduces significant changes to the way combat works and how spells behave. Here is a brief overview of some of the goals of these changes:
- Adjusting spells and combat arts to ensure that damage, healing, and utility are more proportionate among the classes.
-Making spell upgrades more meaningful and satisfying by adding new spells and arts to better fill out character progression and put the emphasis on distinctiveness at the subclass level.
- Removing damage mitigation from NPCs so that your spells and arts do damage in the range listed when you examine them.
- Making the con color of your opponent a lot more meaningful to better indicate the level of challenge you're about to undertake. For example, a red-con opponent should be something you want to avoid; an orange-con opponent should indicate an extremely tough fight, and so on.
- Removing item growth so that comparisons between items are clearer and upgrades feel more satisfying.
- Smoothing out player and NPC progression so there are no longer sudden increases in difficulty around the class and subclass levels.
- Addressing cases where some characters could be made virtually immune to attack through buff stacking.
For a more complete list of changes, please see the EQ2 Players.com website.

On a recent tour of Desert of Flames, I was able to capture some pictures of various locations we visited. I have recently received these images back from the photography studio, and would like to share them with you.

This first snapshot is of the Oasis, where a large creature is said to reside. It is difficult to believe that anything but peace and tranquility would be found here, but the locals hesitate to vacation at this spot. There are rumors of people coming here... never to be seen or heard from again...

The rest of story can be found here!

Don't forget to join us tonight (September 12th) for our monthly House of Commons with the developers of Planetside. It will be at 5pm PST / 8pm EST in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC. Come chat with Planetside Developers and get your questions about the latest development in the game answered!

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
• irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
• stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

Shari_D has recently completed her guide on the mail system in Everquest II! A lighthearted and informative review, Shari provides useful information such as:

Personal Mail Items

A Norrathian Express Box is purchasable at City Merchants for 68127 SP 12g 29s 74c to place in your home to use as your own personal mail kiosk.

Just another small tidbit of information I never knew! Thanks, Shari!

To review the guide in its entirety, click here!

Everquest 2 Guru has posted 17 screenshots, from the upcoming EQ2 Expansion Pack: Desert of Flames, showing off the different solo, group and raid zones in the expansions, the new scenery and the new features like climbing and the PvP Arena.

To check out their Desert of Flames Screenshots, click here!

Recently Sony Online Entertainment announced they are looking for an Assistant Design Producer with their Station Player services:

An Assistant Design Producer leads a multi-department team within the Platform organization on key products that have game interfacing elements. Examples of such product’s include Station Players (www.stationplayers.com) and Station Exchange (www.stationexchange.com).

If you have the knowledge and/or experience to fulfull this position, apply today!

There is yet another update to the combat changes on the BetaServer, posted earlier today by Moorgard:

*** Combat Changes ***

- There is now a maximum amount that an enemy's movement rate can be slowed (such as with snare spells).
- Brawlers can once again do damage with their bare fists.
- Some epic encounters will now use their innate abilities at different intervals, making them a little less predictable.

SummonedPets

- Pet defensive stances now provide a health bonus based on the rank of the spell instead of a mitigation bonus.
- Igneous and Grim pets will no longer attempt to melee, except in the rarest of circumstances such as the pet being stifled.

To read the remainder of the update notes, click here!

Recently, Moorguard posted a new list of updates currently in testing:

*** Dueling ***

- Right-clicking on another player will now display "duel" and "duelbet" options.
- Players feared while dueling are no longer able to run through objects and other things they shouldn't.

*** Emotes ***

- Character emotes were polished a bit to fix grammar errors and make sure their animations make sense.
- Emote text for racial traditions no longer plays every time a character zones.

To read theremainder of the update notes, click here !

Blackguard has posted the most recent changes to the beta server, which focuses solely on combat:

*** Combat Changes ***
 
- Poisons of different categories should now stack.
- Corrected an issue that was preventing certain spells from consuming health or power as intended.
- The new level 51-60 spells received some fixes and updates.
- Damage shields will now provide their effects consistently on all targets.
- Any damage bonus from the caster's intelligence is now applied correctly to all ticks of DoT spells.
 
Attributes
- Corrected an issue that was causing players and NPCs to receive their maximum attribute bonus all the time.
- Buffing attributes, defensive skills, and casting skills now has a more noticeable effect.
 
Encounters
- Encounters now break if all members of the engaging group leave the zone.
 
NPCs
- Priest NPCs should heal less frequently and for a reduced amount.
- The autoattack damage of 1-down-arrow and 2-down-arrow NPCs has been reduced.
- The damage done by epic NPCs has increased.
- NPCs no longer recast faster if their spell is resisted. This is a benefit only players are meant to receive.
 
Summoned Pets
- The maximum health of Fighter pets is now based on the quality level of the spell used to summon them.
- The maximum DPS of Scout pets is now based on the quality level of the spell used to summon them.
- Mage pets gain an intelligence bonus based on the quality level of the spell used to summon them.
- Dumbfire and swarm pets now do less damage.
- Offensive and defensive pet stances now have a "Minion's Stance:" prefix when scribed.

To read the entire list of updates, look here!

Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer of Everquest II, has released the following letter, which gives more insight into the thoughts behind the recent changes to the game we all know and love, including the combat changes and class diversity:

EverQuest II Producer’s Letter – September 2005

It's been a couple of months since we've done one of these and there's more going on in EverQuest II than there ever has been before.  While we've added all kinds of new places to play in and quests to do, this time we're more focused on the overall feel of combat and encounters.

For those of you who keep up with the forums, some of this is going to be things that you've heard before.  For those who haven't, some of this may come as a surprise. 

Many people will be relearning parts of their characters, getting used to new spell lines and working with altered buffs.  That's a lot for us to ask, and we realize that.  As a way of thanking you for sticking through the effect this will have on your first few sessions, we'll be running a week of Bonus Adventure Experience for characters under level 50 beginning the day that Desert of Flames launches.

I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about what it is exactly that's going on with the game, what you can expect to see on Tuesday 9/13, and our reasons for bringing you these combat changes.

To read the remainder of the letter, go here!

Blackguard has posted the latest update to the Test Server, which includes an update on the new combat model:

*** Combat Changes ***

- The damage of heroic and below creatures will be reduced when they con yellow or lower to you.
- State dispels (i.e. dispelling effects such as Root, Stun,etc.) should now be working correctly.
- Hate from beneficial spells such as heals and wards will now be siphoned when using spells such as the Paladin Amends spell.
- Heroic Opportunities can again be restarted.
- You can now loot corpses and chests while in combat or dueling.
- Poisons of different categories should now stack.
- Corrected an issue that was preventing certain spells from consuming health or power as intended.
- The new level 51-60 spells received some fixes and updates.
- Damage shields will now provide their effects consistently on all targets.
- Any damage bonus from the caster's intelligence is now applied correctly to all ticks of DoT spells.

To see the full list of what is included on the update, click here!

Aggro Me has provided yet another installment of Friday Humor, and this week it involves pickup lines in Everquest II Desert of Flames! Here is just an example:

"Am I on a magic carpet or is that just my heart taking off?"

"If I told you that you had a great body would you kill me in the arena?"

"Do you have a map of Maj'Dul? I keep getting lost in your eyes."

So head on over to Aggro Me and have some laughs!

Another exciting month awaits us in Stratics House of Commons Dev Chats:

• Mon, September 12th 5pm pst / 8pm est -- Planetside
• Wed, September 14th 5pm pst / 8pm est -- City of Villains
• Mon, September 19th 5pm pst / 8pm est -- Pirates of the Burning Sea
• Thu, September 22nd 5pm pst / 8pm est -- Everquest
• Tue, September 27th 5pm pst / 8pm est -- Everquest Online Adventures
• Thu, September 29th 5pm pst / 8pm est -- Horizons

Recently, I was afforded the wonderful opportunity to be shown around the world of Desert of Flames by Ryan "Blackguard" Shwayder. We visited many areas around Desert of Flames, including the Arena of Champions.

Our tour guide took us through the Sinking Sands, where we climbed a wall... through an oasis in the desert where we searched for a creature that lives in the water there. He fought heroic battles by our side when our group was viciously attacked by skeletal beings, and danced with us in victory.

In one battle, our guide took on the challenge of a beast that was intent upon killing us all... and ran off with him in tow! Blackguard took the creature to another location, a safe distance from his charges. What happened to that creature is unknown, but our guide returned to us unscathed and undaunted. We continued on our course without being further molested by the creatures that dwell here.

For the full story, click here!

Recently, Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer for Everquest II, agreed to sit down with us in an exclusive interview and answer some of our burning questions. We touched on many of the topics that were discovered to be very important to the community as a whole, and are very excited with Scott's answers.

So, without further ado... read on!

Desert of Flames

Stratics: New creatures. So far, as we travel from zone to zone, we see the basically the same creatures over and over, with different names given to them. Will the DoF "40 new creatures" actually be... well... new?

Scott: The new models start with monkeys, camels, caimans, and new human-types pretty much right on the beach where folks arrive. Additional, completely unique ones including custom bosses, new giants, specters, and the like, are featured throughout the new lands.

The expansion is pretty huge, and the idea is that you'll have something new to see pretty much everywhere you go.

Stratics: You say 12 new zones. Are these twelve unique zones? Can you give us any detail of what you have created?

Scott: Those are unique, yes. The number has actually gone up in the time between our releasing the first information until now - We've had time to add even more instances to the expansion, bringing the grand total of "Places to Go" (including instances) to upwards of 45 adventure areas taking place in something like 15 distinct sets of geometry.

Sometimes we only use part of a zone for a given adventure or instance, and use another part for another adventure. So what we call "one zone" in EQ2 can often times be two completely unique looking and playing experiences.

To read the rest of the interview, go here!

Moorgard has posted the current list of training spells that are on the Beta Server:

Below is the current list of Training choice options currently on the Beta server. For those who didn't read the update notes, Training choices now begin at level 14 and occur every 10 levels thereafter. You are now selecting a spell or art that you would like to upgrade to Master II quality.

Fighter
Warrior
Level 14

• Provoke
• Rallying Cry
• Shield Bash
• Wound

Scout
Rogue
Level 14

• Backstab
• Quick Flurry
• Street Smarts
• Circular Strike

Mage
Sorcerer
Level 14

• Blaze
• Painful Meditation
• Freezing Whorl
• Conflagrat

Priest
Cleric
Level 14

• Rebuke
• Radiant Strike
• Bestowal of Vitae
• Soothing Sermon

For a complete list of the Training choices and the levels at which you will get to choose, click here!

Complete patch notes as well as a direct link to the podcast can be found here.

This week is the final week to sign up for our Irth Online Giveaway. Don't miss out on this chance to win a copy of Irth Online Software and a grand prize of a lifetime account!

If you'd like the chance to win a cd-key for Desert of Flames, I encourage you to participate!

This is a short story contest, to be based on the Desert of Flames. Not just about the Desert of Flames, but in the tale. Immerse us into your character and your storyline. Carry us away with your detail and imagery. Draw us in with the plot!

MMORPG.com is proud to announce that we have teamed up with NCSoft to offer you a very exciting contest! On October 1, 2005 we will draw 50 lucky members to win a beta testing account for Auto Assault - the highly anticipated post-apocalyptic vehicular MMORPG from NCSoft!

River and Benska Goldenwart are a dynamic mother-daughter duo of fashion critics. They attend all of the most important functions that you can find Norrath's celebrities at, and let you, the consumer, know just what clothes are hot this season. Heed their fashion advice, or you may risk being made fun of by the beautiful people!

Status clothing may be purchased from status merchants in both Freeport and Qeynos. Status Clothing can cost both coin and status points.

The way haste items currently stack is being changed. While the specifics are still being worked out, the general result will make it more like EQ in that you will be able to stack an item haste with a spell haste and maybe another specific type, but you won't be able to stack each haste type infinitely with itself.

As of today's update on Beta, a charmed mob will essentially have the same resources as a summoned pet. That is, it will use its abilities at the tier of the spell used to charm it, and it will have the health and power pools of a regular no-arrow solo NPC.

So even if an enchanter does charm a named mob, it won't provide any additional benefit over charming a standard NPC.

- Fighter defensive stances now provide less physical damage mitigation and have greater offensive penalties.
- Fighter offensive stances now provide an increased bonus to offense and steeper defensive penalties.

The note is correct.

There were two issues with the stances. First, that the amount of physical mitigation given was too high, and second, that the tradeoff in offensive capability was meaningless. There was little reason for a fighter to be in anything but their defensive stance all the time.

Now the tradeoff is much more substantial. If you're the tank in a group, you'll want to go defensive. If you're not tanking in a group, you'll probably want to use the offensive stance. If you're soloing, you're likely better off going with a bunch of self buffs instead. I encourage you to experiment and see what kind of results you get against the things you typically fight.The mitigation reduction came after taking a hard look at the numbers and taking into account other types of buffs.

Greetings,

I would like to apologize for the downtime we experienced during the day and evening yesterday and half of the day today - Monday, September 5th, 2005. One of our primary servers had a hardware failure and a replacement part was required to get everything back up and running. Everything is now repaired and back to normal. We apologize for the inconvenience and confusion this may have caused.

Regards,

Jhariden
Network Director

Been curious what has happened in the past week?
Have you been unable to keep up with the news?
Looking for a place to talk about the latest news?

Have no worries and look no further! EQ2 Stratics is now providing a weekly news recap in the Wayward Tavern! Read up to discover what you missed, or join in on the discussion on any of the topics! You can find the recap right here!

The site lists lore from The Shattering, to the Froglok's Long Journey Home!

Definitely a wonderful site, that's worth checking out.

Tamat from EQ2 Warcry has taken the site manager position that opened when Sassee stepped down from EQ2 Vault!

Leonai from EQ2 OGaming has left the site in the capable hands of Methos, while she concentrates on the OGaming Radio and EQ sites.

I'd like to wish them both good luck with their new responsibilities. Looking forward to seeing the great things you'll both do!

It's always hard to see long time contributors leave a community they've worked so hard in. Best of luck to both Sassee and Leonai!

Elves and Ogres, I give you, The Coffee Diaries - Sept. 1st!

Glory days from Springsteen played in the background as we trotted on to the field, garbed in our SOE Sluggers jerseys. We had prepared for many minutes to take part in this epic struggle against out local arch-rival. There they stood, across the diamond of dirt and grass, steely eyed in thier resolve to face us with the same ferocity we displayed on our pasty, game-developer faces and in our soft, padded (well padded in my case) physiques. We were warriors, warriors facing off with Maces and Missiles on a field of battle. We the defenders and they, the aggressors, challenging our army for dominance of the diamond.

"MORTAL KOMBAT", the team from Midway games yelled as they took the field. We responded with a hearty burp while rubbing our generous bellies. The battle had begun. . . With the fury of Sub Zero they attacked, missiles screaming and maces flailing. The Emperor hovering over the battle in delite, hoping for a coronary or a stroke from the middle aged warriors reliving thier youth. Several times I toyed with giving up, toyed with the thought of giving in to the Grim Reapers icy embrace, yet I fought on. I fought with my brave brothers beside me (who was the guy from accounting anyway? Does anyone know his name?) Bravely we fought on. Glory in Valhalla (well okay, not Valhalla, but bragging rights among San Diego gaming companies) awaited the winner.

After 6 short innings the Emperor stepped in and ended the onslaught. We appealed to the Emperor to allow the battle to continue ( Come on Ump, we have an inning left! What do you mean there is a time limit? His comments about our luck at still being alive were not taken lightly as he stated that he was doing us a favor.) Both armies had shown well this day and while no one had perished (although I can barely walk today . . . whimper, whimper; mommy) we had proven our worth before the softball gods. 22 - 19 was the outcome ( I accounted for 3 hits and 1 run I might add). Flawless victory the Emperor stated with mirth in his eyes as our play had been far from flawless but at SOE had triumphed and won this pitchers duel. We were the champions, my friends . . .

Hats off to the team from Midway games, well If I could raise my arm above my head to grab my hat. They played well, were great sportsman and we all had a lot of fun. I look forward to our next meeting in a couple of weeks. I hope I can actually move more than my typing fingers by then. I just hope the Emperor does not get a chance to announce,"Fatality!"

Meadowstar visited the official forums to let everyone know about the auto-decline command.

this command will toggle acceptance of duel invites...

/duel_toggle

Hurricane Katrina has left an incredible wake of destruction across the Mid-Atlantic States. Sony Online Entertainment would like to ask you to take a moment to make a donation to the American Red Cross in order to help alleviate some of the suffering.

In EverQuest II we have added the /donate command, type in /donate to be taken to the American Red Cross’s Hurricane 2005 relief page. For those members of SOE Communities in other games, you can contribute using this link, American Red Cross. The American Red Cross will process your donation and make sure that it is put to maximum use to help those whose lives have been affected by the hurricane.

Additionally, for our 13,000+ players actually in the affected areas, we will be suspending billing until such time as they are able to play again. In addition, any items or structures in any of our games, which decay over time, will be preserved until the user’s next login.

Thank you in advance for your support and generosity.

If you'd like the chance to win a cd-key for Desert of Flames, I encourage you to participate!

This is a short story contest, to be based on the Desert of Flames. Not just about the Desert of Flames, but in the tale. Immerse us into your character and your storyline. Carry us away with your detail and imagery. Draw us in with the plot!

I'm looking forward to the great job I know you all can do!

*** Dueling ***
- Challenging another player to a duel with the /duelbet command now brings up a wager window.
- You may put items or coin into the window. Once accepted, the duel begins. The winner of the duel will gain any items and coin that the loser had put into the wager window.
- The wager window follows the same rules as the trade window: No Trade items are not allowed, etc.
- As long as the player is killed by their dueling opponent, the loser of a duel will be left with 1 point of health. No shard will be dropped, and no XP debt or item damage will result. Neither harmful nor beneficial spell effects will be dropped as a result of losing the duel.
- You can engage NPCs while in a duel. If someone in a duel is killed by an NPC or the effects of something outside the duel (such as a DoT), they will be declared the loser and take a normal death with all the penalties associated with it.

*** Tradeskills ***
- The number of fuel needed in Cerulean Ink has been adjusted from 5 on the Alchemist recipe and 2 on the Apothecary recipe to 2 on the Alchemist recipe and 4 on the Apothecary recipe.

*** Commands, Controls, and User Interface ***
- The title screen backdrop has new artwork.
- Hitting the Tab key will no longer target player pets.
- Tooltips on spells and abilities in a hotbar now default to showing their effects data rather than the prose description.
- The tooltip for the clock window will now appear.
- UI modders: Shadowstyle color can now be set through dynamic data system to better support use of greyscale shadow styles.

Hello Everyone,

Technical Phone Support and Live chat will be closed Monday September 5, 2005 in observance of the Labor day holiday. Normal hours for both Tech Support and Live Chat will resume on Tuesday September 6 2005. For many of the most common issues regarding all Station.com games, visit the Knowledge Base. This simple to use search tool can help in answering and solving most of your support questions.

*** Zones and Population ***
- Many creatures will now be less likely to wander far from home.