Episode 5 is here. And what a day!
A huge amount of news has dropped for both EverQuest and EverQuest II.
NEWS
Producer’s Letters have dropped for both games and there’s a ton of announcements, updates and surprises.
EVERQUEST 1
It looks like we’ll be returning to Velious. Maybe?
The first screenshots of the next expansion were released. They include “frosty giants” and an icy location.
The expansion still doesn’t have a name or an official release date. But the PL did say that the expansion will be released THIS year, sometime in December.
And in an EXCLUSIVE to The EverQuest Show, we’ve received an additional set of screenshots that you won’t find anywhere else.
You can find more of these exclusive images HERE.
Also pictured in the screenshots and mentioned in the PL is a new “ice shader” for EverQuest. According to the team, in the entire 20 year history of the game, it has never had an ice shader.
It might seem silly, but those kinds of changes to a decades-old code base are significant and I’m so proud of the team! We hope our fans enjoy the chill!
More interestingly, the screenshots appear to show Kael Drakkel, or at least, an updated version. The banners clearly give it away. Those are the Kromrif banners visible throughout Kael in Velious.
Several locations are identifiable, including the west ramp into the Arena as well as the wall behind Kallis on the way to Derakor the Vindicator.
Will Vindi be a raid target in the next expansion? No word on that.
The next expansion will raise the level cap to 115. This was announced in the previous PL.
NEW EQ TIME LOCKED PROGRESSION SERVER
In a surprise announcement, a new progression server is coming to EQ to celebrate the 15th anniversary of EQ2.
It’s set to launch on November 9th, the 15th anniversary of EverQuest II.
Players will start at a “Heroic” level 85 character and all expansions up to House of Thule will be available when the server opens.
The experience gain is expected to match live servers and expansions will unlock every 2 to 3 months. More specific information is expected closer to the launch date.
TROLL HERITAGE CRATES
We’ve known about them for weeks, but it’s finally confirmed that Troll Heritage Crates are the next set of crates.
Those are available immediately in this patch.
A few other tidbits in the PL :
- Mangler unlocks Scars of Velious on August 28th
- Labor Day bonuses (Double Exp?) expected
- The Burning Lands now marked down 50%
EVERQUEST II
The Producer’s Letter for EQ2 also was loaded with announcements.
A confirmed level increase of 120 is coming with the next expansion. We also received a teaser image.
That expansion also does not yet have a name nor a release date.
In preparation for the upcoming expansion, Chaos Descending is now on sale at 50% price.
GAME UPDATE 111
Part of GU111 had been covered previously regarding Carnage in Kael, but I’m told by an inside source that there will be some surprises inside that game update.
That update goes live on August 27th.
It wasn’t originally planned for the year, but the team stayed late and snuck in on weekends to give you more content to chew up as we work on the expansion and events! There is a giant-sized tankard of events as we head into our 15th Anniversary and expansion season….
A new server was announced as well, to celebrate the 15th anniversary.
It will have a unique ruleset to start as Heroic Character and all content up to Chaos Descending will be unlocked, but no other details were given. Experience rates will be normal (that of live servers).
Also announced :
- New Content for Heroes’ Festival
- New Server-Wide dragon-themed events on live servers
- A “First-ever” for EQ2 reward
- 3rd year of Panda events
- Labor Day weekend bonuses
FAN EVENT POLL
And the fan event is in the “information gathering” stage.
A new survey has been created by the team to gauge interest. The event is still slated for “next year.”
We wanted to get a feel for how many players would be interested, so we have a survey … Please participate if you are interested in hanging with your EQ friends and family for a couple of days!
That’s an incredible amount of news for one episode! Two producers letters, and it’s patch day. The patch notes can be found here.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS
We’re looking to feature artists and musicians on our future episodes. If you have EQ art, writing, fan fiction, music, lego creations, graphic design, clothing ANYTHING…we want to see it.
ACTION FIGURES
This week’s feature story coveres the Toy Vault Action figures released for EverQuest in 2000.
You can find a complete breakdown of the figures and a checklist on this story.
IRL – FIRIONA VIE
In 2004, EverQuest released an article stating that there was a new Firiona Vie! A mother had named her daughter after the famous spokes-elf of the game. Firiona is now a teenager.
I took the show on the road to find a meet this mother and daughter duo In Real Life.
(Be sure to watch the show until the end for a set of EQ Show bloopers)
The EverQuest Show 
“Several locations are identifiable, including the west ramp into the Arena as well as the wall behind Kallis on the way to Derakor the Vindicator.
Will Vindi be a raid target in the next expansion? No word on that.”
Almost certainly yes.
52330^^^The Vindicator infuses you with his wrath.^^^
52331^^^You are hit by the warth of the Vindicator.^^^
[52330] Vindication
Restriction: Cannot Remove
Target: Single
Range: 1000′
Resist: Unresistable
Reflectable: No
Focusable: No
Casting: 0s
Duration: 18s (3 ticks), Dispelable: No
1: Cast: Wrath of Vindication on Duration Fade
Text: The Vindicator infuses you with his wrath.
[52331] Wrath of Vindication
Restriction: Cannot Remove
Target: Caster PB
AE Range: 100′
Resist: Corruption, Min Resist Chance: 5%, Max Resist Chance: 15%
Reflectable: No
Focusable: No
Casting: 0s
Duration: 60s (10 ticks), Dispelable: No
1: Decrease Current HP by 270000
2: Decrease Current Mana by 15000
3: Decrease Movement Speed by 80%
4: Decrease Melee Haste by 60%
Text: You are hit by the warth of the Vindicator.
This is revamp of Kael raid event; Derakor the Vindicator
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Awesome finds! I may put these in a future article! Have anything else to pass along?
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Tijoely is an original Velious era name found in Velketor’s Labyrinth. There are two new NPC spells that have his name, 52344 Tijoely’s Charge, and 52345 Tijoely’s Grasp. They look like group content name spells. Nothing fancy, but suggest Velks as being in the zone revamp.
Errkak Icepaw is an original Velious era name found in Velketor’s Labyrinth. There is one new NPC spells that have his name, 52350 Errkak’s Leap. It looks like group content name spell. Nothing fancy, but suggest Velks as being in the zone revamp.
Additionally, this spell:
[52348] Throw Vile Bile
Restriction: Cannot Remove
Target: Target Ring AE
Range: 100′
Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: No
Focusable: No
Casting: 0s
1: Summon Pet: VL2Raid1BileAura x 1 for 60s
Text: You throw a glob of vile bile.
:could be taken that VL 2 is Velketor’s Labyrinth 2.0, as is common naming theme they use for revamps. Note also that this is clearly a raid effect (as an aside, its text notes “Throw the bile. It may attract the undead like it does when all over you body.”
Regarding Kael and the likely Vindicator event, the nearby effect (in the spell file) is:
[52340] Rules of Battle
Restriction: Cannot Remove
Target: Single
Range: 1000′
Resist: Unresistable
Reflectable: No
Focusable: No
Casting: 0s
Duration: 5m (50 ticks) Song, Dispelable: No
1: Inhibit Effect: Levitate
2: Inhibit Effect: Summon Mount
Text: You must abide the rules of the arena.
:which sounds reasonable to be an effect in the arena of Kael.
Here is a snow griffon mount associated with both a mission and a raid:
[52312] Summon Snow Griffon
Restriction: Cannot Remove
Restriction: Outdoors Only
Target: Self
Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: No
Focusable: No
Casting: 0s
Duration: 120h (72000 ticks), Dispelable: No
1: Summon Mount: EW2Raid1BossMount
[52328] Summon Snow Griffon
Restriction: Cannot Remove
Restriction: Outdoors Only
Target: Self
Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: No
Focusable: No
Casting: 0s
Duration: 120h (72000 ticks), Dispelable: No
1: Summon Mount: EW2Miss1BossMount
EW (presume Eastern Wastes if we’re going with the Velious theme) may sound like an unusual zone to remake (or just revisit), seeing as how we had one already with Rain of Fear. But it is indeed a new spell, created 05/15/2019.
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Ry’Gorr Parley Totem
Slot 1: Increase Faction with Faction1407 by 2000
Slot 2: Decrease Faction with Faction1460 by 1000
Perhaps a pre-order item for expan. But more importantly strongly suggest faction being a “thing” next expan that will need management.
AVC Reserved:
– Spell Name changed from ‘AVCReserved’ to ‘AVC Reserved’
– Target changed from ‘Single’ to ‘Self’
– Slot 1 changed from ” to ‘Summon Mount: GD2Raid1Mini4Mount’
Great Divide raid, mount
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Likely a Velk’s Lab 2.0:
1: Summon Pet: VL2Raid1BileAura x 1 for 60s
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