The launch of The Outer Brood is just around the corner! It’s almost time to see who, or what, is coming to answer the call as this expansion launches to Live a mere two weeks from today! You still have time to pre-order and get the exclusive Azure Scalewrought Weapon Ornament!

Azure Scalewrought Weapon Ornaments

The next expansion for EverQuest, The Outer Brood, is set to launch on December 3, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. PST. To pre-order your copy today, click here. All Access members enjoy loads of benefits such as 10% off when purchasing an expansion, so if you’d like to take advantage of this and the benefits, click here.

But that’s not all! We will be having a livestream event with a few members of the game team on our YouTube channel. Join us on November 21, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. PST to listen in as they discuss the creation of The Outer Brood!

Be sure to follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, and Discord.

*** Highlights ***

– Made performance improvements that should improve zoning times and end-of-raid lag.

*** Items ***

– Violet Hero’s Forge Cloth Robe Ornament now counts toward the Violet Hero’s Forge Cloth achievement.
– When switching equipment sets, unused augments will now go to your item overflow after one is placed on your cursor.
– Reduced world server lag caused by real estate item loading.

*** Quests & Events ***

– Oasis of Fear: Corrected an issue where some NPCs could be attacked out of order.
– Oasis of Fire: Corrected an issue with the bosses idle not resetting.
– Oasis of Swamp: Lowered the NPC awareness range to allow players a safer location to zone in.
– Oasis of the Jungle: Added a way for the player to reset the barrels with the boss.
– Fixed an issue that caused the November Year of Darkpaw Illusions to malfunction.

*** Spells ***

– Call of the Zero and Fabled Call of the Zero spells will no longer summon the player into the dragon’s body.
– NPC combatants no longer warp back to their target after being flung by spells such as Lure of the Siren’s Song, Hate’s Attraction, and Moving Mountains.

*** NPCs ***

– NPC should prefer walking, rather than warping, to their destination.

*** Progression Servers ***

– Updated Mangler to be a standard live server.

*** Miscellaneous ***

– Equipment sets should once again save empty augment slots.
– Updated several messages that include a replay or request timer to show the amount of seconds remaining.
– Improved zone server performance to reduce lag spikes caused by rewards given at the end of raids and in general.

*** UI ***

– Fixed a bug where your target was invalid after respawning until reselecting it.
– Added a chat message when trying to tribute an item that has at least one augment in it.
– Converted the Trade window to the new UI engine.
– Converted the Give window to the new UI engine.
– Fixed an issue where the Real Estate Items window failed to update correctly after placing an item.

– Added –
GiveWnd.html
TradeWnd.html

– Changed –
EQUI_GiveWnd.xml
EQUI_TradeWnd.xml
index.html
InventoryWindowPersonas.html
main.css
NameReservationWnd.html
style.css

*** Previously Updated ***

– Oasis of Sand: Corrected an issue where some NPCs could not be attacked.
– Oasis of the Jungle: Corrected an issue where approaching the frenzied gorilla would not progress the task.
– Added Blood of Ssraeshza to the loot lock exception list in the progression instance.

– The EverQuest Team

Qindaar and Derevaun have been having a blast on the weekends!  The other characters are making the most of their time with Overseer Quests. Leveling up can be quite the grind, but it they’re making good progress.

And I am totally relived about the level cap not being raised. It can be a bit overwhelming when there’s always a new level to chase. This way, I can focus on perfecting my strategies and enjoying the game without the pressure of constantly leveling up.

*** Highlights ***

– A new heritage crate, the Drakkin Heritage Crate, is available in the marketplace.
– The PVP flag can now be disabled on non-PVP servers. See below for more details.
– Increased the experience characters gain for killing NPCs between levels 109 and 125. See below for more details.

*** Items ***

– Added a cast time and recast time to Midnight Mallet and Ivandyr’s Hoop.
– Fixed an issue where equipment sets would not load augments correctly if augments were loaded before a piece of armor. This bug will occur one more time after the next server restart.
– The Argent Clockwork Boar Saddle is no longer Free Storage. This mount can now also be sold back to Miacallie Herlsas in Tides of Time.
– Added backstab damage to Bestowed Dagger.
– The heroic intelligence stat on the Terracotta Torc has been adjusted to bring it in line with original intentions.
– Fixed an issue that allowed more than one augment of the same lore-equipped group to be equipped.
– Aspect of the Brood is now flagged as Heirloom.
– Metamorph: Menacing Samhain and Metamorph: Putrid Rotdog are now flagged as Heirloom. Additionally, the appearance of the Putrid Rotdog should work much more reliably.

*** Quests & Events ***

– Priest of Discord will now allow players to enable and disable PVP on non-PVP (Zek) servers through dialogue and quest turn-in. Players who wish to enable PVP will need to turn in a Tome of Discord, while players who wish to disable PVP will need to turn in a Note of Order.
– The Earring of Rallos Zek quest line will now give all appropriate recipes, regardless of class, at each step.
– Oasis of the Jungle: Barrels will no longer defend themselves.
– Oasis of the Jungle: Altered the boss activation so that the task should always be completable even if steps are completed out of order.
– Broken Key of Swamps: Eggs killed by pets should now count towards progress.
– Oasis of Forests: This task should now execute properly if two skeleton pairs are the random choice for pre-boss NPCs.
– Oasis of Forests: Altered the damage and duration of Howl of the Undying.

*** Spells ***

– The Veil of Alaris teleports can be purchased from Grelulden if that character has completed the task The First Pilgrimage.

*** AA ***

– Required levels for enchanting Honed Reflective Emberquartz and Honed Reflective Luclinite have been adjusted.

*** Progression Servers ***

– Corrected an issue where level locked progression servers were not using the adjusted minimum level of a shared task when checking if a persona swap should be allowed.
– Corrected an issue where trophies did not have their level requirement reduced by 10 on level locked progression servers.
– Corrected a bad check that was causing AA scrolls to be consumed when not granting the AA on level locked progression servers.
– Vaniki: Added challenge achievements for Night of Shadows, Laurion’s Song, and The Outer Brood.

*** Miscellaneous ***

– The level-based experience modifier will no longer apply to experience earned from rewards and some types of quests.
– Increased the experience characters gain for killing NPCs between levels 109 and 125, inclusive. This change is based on the player’s level, not the NPC’s or the expansion. This change does not affect experience gained through other types of experience such as quests or rewards.
– You can no longer swap personas while holding items on your cursor. Additionally, items that overflow to your cursor are not destroyed during a persona swap.
– The /assist main/group/raid commands should now prioritize those roles over characters with names beginning with those words.
– Made speculative changes and improvements to pathing to try to prevent NPCs from pathing slightly under the world.
– Added several new loading screen tips.
– Updated the various chat messages when using /beta to be more accurate and to use the System Messages chat filter.
– Players may now persona swap in the Tides of Time base zone.

*** UI ***

– Added a Max Active Quests label to the Quests tab of the Overseer window.
– Switching between a fullscreen EQ window and other app windows, using the ALT+TAB shortcut, should work as expected on the primary display monitor.
– Fixed an issue that prevented the Mercenary Merchant window from refreshing its contents when the desktop window mode changes.
– The Combat Abilities window will now correctly update hot buttons that share the same reuse timer.
– The Video Modes window now updates its list of resolutions correctly.

– Changed –

EQUI_OverseerWnd.xml

– The EverQuest Team

Qindaar has had a bit of a rough patch in EverQuest lately. Taking a break can definitely help rekindle the enthusiasm for the game. The frustration with rare mobs not spawning and the repetitive grind of killing placeholders can be quite draining. Moving on to Splitpaw seems like a good change of pace and might bring some fresh challenges and excitement.

With the cooler weather and earlier evenings, it seems like a perfect time to dive back into the adventures in Norrath. Hopefully, Qindaar finds more success and enjoyment in Splitpaw.

See you in Norrath!

September 10, 2024
_____________________

*** Highlights ***

– Increased the maximum number of all Year of Darkpaw collection spawns to 20 (up from 10).
– Added a swag store category in the marketplace to give an easy link to the swag store marketplace.

*** Items ***

– Added the quest flag to the following Shadows of Luclin items: Taskmaster’s Pouch, Zazuzh’s Idol, Zherozsh’s Ring, and Ssraeshzian Insignia.
– Quest flag added to Call of the Forsaken raid armor templates (Bracer/Gloves/Boots/Helm/Armguards/Leggings/Tunic of Suppressed Ether and Flowing Ether).
– Added a speculative fix for augments occasionally not saving to equipment sets.
– Fixed an issue where an equipment set swap would fail due to an inaccurate lore equipped group conflict.

*** Quests & Events ***

– Increased the maximum number of all Year of Darkpaw collection spawns to 20 (up from 10).
– An NPC will now return all items given in the trade window upon quest completion failure.
– The following achievement has been restored as the underlying quest has been fixed:
– – The Hero’s Journey – Cabilis Quests – Blood Ink
– – The Hero’s Journey – Cabilis Quests – Illweed Parchment
– – The Hero’s Journey – Oggok Quests – Craknek Hero
– Final Fugue (Raid) – Yarith will now cast all of her spells as she should. Previously she was pretty much doing nothing. Also, Firethorn’s signature defense will no longer trigger on spells that cost less than 10 mana, so it should no longer trigger on procs.
– Slightly increased the amount of platinum players receive for some event rewards for characters greater than level 100.

*** Spells ***

– Corrected an issue where asymmetrical cone spells would hit targets between the wrong angles (mirrored over the y axis).

*** Progression Servers ***

– Trinket of the Center can no longer be activated before Heart of Fear: The Epicenter unlocks.

*** Miscellaneous ***

– Added a swag store category in the marketplace to give an easy link to the swag store marketplace.
– Added more details to the message you get when a character transfer fails.
– Optimized zone performance.
– Updated /autoskill to allow an additional parameter to force a skill to be on or off instead of toggle it.

*** UI ***

– Updated the minimum level in the Task Window to display correctly for Level Locked Progression servers.
– The quantity column of the Alternate Currency tab in the Inventory window can now be resized.
– Fixed a bug where in-game windows could reopen when the desktop window loses focus.
– Fixed a bug where the /copylayout window would open when the client is launched in maximized windowed mode.
– Fixed a bug, with New UI Engine display option disabled, where certain in-game windows, including chat windows, would not save their positions for each desktop window mode: restored, maximized, and fullscreen.
– Fixed a bug that caused container and other UI windows to close when switching focus away from the game client while in fullscreen mode.

– Changed –

EQUI_Inventory.xml
InventoryWindowAltCurr.html

– The EverQuest Team

*** Items ***

– Changed the icons of some gem items to match the color specified in the item’s name.
– Inner Turmoil (Raid) – Fixed the ‘Destroy the rubbish’ effect on the Trash item. The cast and recast times were removed and the number of charges has been set to 1.
– Daily hotzone quest rewards for levels 100 and 105 now have stats and sockets.

*** Quests & Events ***

– Altered the way rares spawn in the Dranik Sewers, Catacombs, and Hollows instances. After killing a number of NPCs in the zone, the chance for the rare to spawn will be activated. They will not spawn 100% of the time, but their chance to spawn has been increased.
– Altered the way that Xenevorash spawns and activates so it will now be loot-locked.
– Missions from The Burning Lands that take place in Plane of Fire will no longer send corpses to the graveyard.
– Added a calendar event that highlights when the Extra Life bonus period will happen.
– Final Fugue (Raid) – The Tertiary Echo will now break Margator out of his spin and break his speed increase. This means that the ‘Speed Limit’ achievement can be achieved using this method.
– The following achievements have been restored as the underlying quests have been fixed:
– – The Hero’s Journey – Surefall Glade Quests – Gnoll Paws
– – The Hero’s Journey – Ak’Anon Quests – Tinmizer’s Fabulous Compactor

*** Spells ***

– Shrink spells will no longer cause pets to grow if they are already smaller than the new spell would make them.
– Spells that triggercast the highest rank of another spell should no longer consume an extra Frenzied Devastation counter.

*** Miscellaneous ***

– Added the item quantity, item name, and sender’s name to the chat message when receiving a parcel delivery.
– Auras will no longer cast shadows.
– Improved zone server performance to reduce lag spikes during raid wins.
– Reduced world server lag during raid events.
– Fixed an issue that caused the Expansion column on the Server Select screen to be blank for servers with Laurion’s Song unlocked.
– Fixed an issue where attempting to enter a house or guild hall would send you to a different neighborhood.

*** UI ***

– Added a minimum height to the Task Selection window’s list of offered tasks.
– Added commas to the DoN currency, coin, and Alternate Currency quantities in the Inventory window.
– Adjusted the default column widths of the Alternate Currency list in the Inventory window.

– Changed –

EQUI_BlockedBuffWnd.xml
EQUI_BlockedPetBuffWnd.xml
EQUI_Inventory.xml
EQUI_TaskSelectWnd.xml
InventoryWindowAltCurr.html
InventoryWindowInv.html
main.css

*** Previously Updated ***

– In-game window positions should be as expected when launching the game, for the first time, with a maximized desktop window.
– Fixed an issue that was causing display device reset failures with a fullscreen window.
– Made a speculative fix to correct the game window’s rendering resolution.
– Fixed a bug that prevented the client from opening a fullscreen mode window.

– The EverQuest Team

I’ve had an amazing summer! A trip around Northern California has been incredible, especially with visits to iconic places like Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, the Redwood forests, and the beautiful wine regions of Sonoma and Napa. The Charles Schultz Museum was a nostalgic treat too!

As for Qindar, it seems like he’s been patiently waiting in the Plane of Knowledge. Hopefully, I’ll have some time soon to resume his hunt for Grizzleknot..

July 17, 2024
_____________________

*** Highlights ***

– The Thornblade server has been merged into Mischief.

*** Items ***

– Sodden Staff of the Kedge’s teleport to Dagnor’s Cauldron no longer places players underwater. The new location is still potentially dangerous for players lower than level 15, but should now be less drown-y.
– Eye of Fear and all tiers of Rain of Fear armor template items (Dread Touched, Dread, Dread Washed, and Dread Infused Armguards, Boots, Bracer, Gloves, Helm, Leggings, and Tunic) have been flagged as Quest Items.
– The type 7/8 augments available from Miacallie Herlsas in Tides of Time will now be in Lore-Equip groups based on the predominant stat they give.
– Fixed an issue where “The Golden Pick” has been doing more damage than intended.
– Updated Beryl Hero’s Forge Ornaments to drop in all of the hotzones. Additionally, there are new updated hotzones that can be picked up to level 105.

*** Quests & Events ***

– Fixed an issue where Sienn Kastane doesn’t respond correctly if the player did the the epic 1.5 pre quest.
– Fixed an issue with “The Rise of Marnek” quests not correctly registering the death of Skeleton L`rodd.
– Fixed an issue with the “Predators of the Sea” quest not registering the location of the goblin camp after the zone was changed.
– Fixed an issue with “Into the Leviathan’s Lair” that wouldn’t allow you to accept the quest with the correct amount of people in your group.
– Reduced the melee and spell damage done by NPCs from level 30 to 75 in heroic adventures, including the Tides of Time, that use the “Normal” heroic adventures table.
– Tides of Time (Heroic Adventures): Reduced the damage of spells cast within the Tides of Time. The level 60 range will see the most significant change.
– Fixed an error in the spell damage scalar for NPCs above level 120. This will result in increased spell damage in heroic adventures when an NPC is above level 120.
– Added a minimum level to Franklin Teek hotzone quests.

*** Mercenaries ***

– Buffs that are too powerful for a mercenary will now be removed when it is unsuspended.

*** Progression Servers ***

– Removed the additional rules acceptance dialog box from Aradune and Rizlona.

*** Miscellaneous ***

– Task replay and request timer chat messages will now show seconds remaining.
– Corrected an issue with the Tribute Gain Modifier not affecting guild tribute donations.
– Improved world performance when a large number of players are online.
– Weapons will no longer give a damage bonus if they are equipped but unusable.
– Optimized spell processing which should result in increased zone performance.
– Made performance improvements to the Tradeskill Depot.
– Added the option to use /who on a player by clicking their name in a chat window.

*** UI ***

– Minimizing the game’s desktop window no longer causes the client to become unresponsive.
– The game client’s desktop window correctly saves its state when camping out by clicking the close window button.
– The game client once again saves the size and position of its desktop window immediately after manually moving/resizing the window.
– Updated the server select screen to fit a resolution of 1024×768.
– With the New UI Engine display option disabled, most in-game windows will now save their positions distinctly for each desktop window mode: restored, maximized, and fullscreen. Notable exceptions that are not yet fixed include: Main Chat Window.
– Fixed an issue where some game windows would reopen automatically after the player closes them.
– Fixed a visual artifact where the cursor would incorrectly display the previously held item.
– Reduced game hitching when using ALT+TAB while in full screen mode.
– Fixed a bug that unmaximized the game’s desktop window if it was minimized.
– Fixed a bug that caused the game’s desktop window to unminimize when it was deactivated.

*** Previously Updated ***

– The game’s desktop window once again correctly toggles between maximized and minimized state.
– The game client no longer crashes when spamming the WINDOWS+D key.

– The EverQuest Team

When Time Becomes a Currency

In the vast expanse of Norrath, time takes on a peculiar form. It’s not merely minutes ticking away; it’s an investment, a currency traded for the chance at something extraordinary. We hunters, seekers of elusive rares, know this dance all too well. We trade hours, days, and sometimes weeks for that adrenaline rush when the coveted name finally appears.

The Monotony of Repetition

How many skeletons have we slain? How many gnolls have fallen under our blades? The repetition becomes a rhythm, a heartbeat of the game. But then, there’s the twist—the anticipation. We camp near spawn points, eyes glued to the screen, hoping for that telltale shimmer. We become part of the landscape, blending with the rocks and trees, waiting for Grizzleknot or Quillmane to emerge from the shadows.

The Joy of Triumph

And oh, the joy when it happens! The adrenaline spikes, and we forget the countless hours spent. Grizzleknot’s corpse lies at our feet, and we’re victorious. We’ve danced with fate, and fate finally twirled us into its arms. Screenshots are taken, guild chat erupts in cheers, and we bask in the glow of accomplishment. It’s a high that no other game can replicate.

The Frustration of Obsession

But what about the times when Grizzleknot remains elusive? When days stretch into weeks, and our patience wears thin? We check the spawn points, curse the placeholder mobs, and wonder if we’re chasing a phantom. Our obsession grows—OCD, as you aptly put it. We question our life choices: “Why am I doing this?” Yet, we can’t tear ourselves away. The allure of that rare loot, that unique experience—it keeps us tethered.

The Community That Sustains Us

In this dance, we’re not alone. Fellow hunters share tales of their own quests. We swap tips, commiserate over dry spells, and celebrate each other’s victories. The community becomes our lifeline, reminding us that we’re not crazy for waiting hours on end. We’re part of something bigger—a fellowship of patience and passion.

The EverQuest Paradox

So, my fellow adventurer, as you vent and persevere, remember this paradox: EverQuest both tests and rewards our patience. It’s not just about Grizzleknot or Quillmane; it’s about the journey—the camaraderie, the memories, and the sheer audacity of chasing pixels across a digital realm.