Address Reveals EQ Expansion, Info on SOE Games

Members of the ZAM team are currently at Fan Faire in Las Vegas and got to see Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley deliver the third annual Community Address. It was announced that the 16th EverQuest expansion will be called Underfoot. It's coming out in November, but you'll be able to participate in events beginning in July that will give you credit to get Underfoot before anyone else. It will launch with 12-15 zones, with bonus zones being added through April 2010. It will include a new achievement tracking system and double the amount of weapons of any other expansion.

UPDATE: To clarify, Eldiroth has stated in the official SOE forums that there is no level increase in Underfoot.

As Calthine has already reported, it was also revealed the new EverQuest II expansion, Sentinel's Fate, will explore Odus, and Free Realms will introduce the Soccer Star job and more content for both driver jobs.

Star Wars Galaxies is celebrating its six-year anniversary today at the convention with a bunch of panels, and attendees are getting a Dianoga Dumpster in-game item that eats your trash and spits out random items. As Tamat reported, the Chronicle Master profession was also announced at Fan Faire.

Keep an eye out on the DC Universe Online Myspace page for information on a new video contest that asks players to explain which hero or villain is their best friend or foe. Fans at the convention are also checking out a service that allows players to purchase SOE art prints and have them delivered to their home, which will launch later this year. Keep reading after the  jump for more information.

Sony Online Entertainment made a series of exciting news announcements during the company’s third annual Community Address on Friday, June 26. With a sold out crowd of more than 1,500 video game fans in attendance at Bally’s Las Vegas, SOE delivered the scoop on upcoming expansions and other cool features for current and upcoming titles.

Community Address Highlights:

 As SOE celebrates an historic 10-years of EverQuest®, the company announced two new expansions: EverQuest® Underfootand EverQuest® II Sentinel’s Fate. These new chapters add to the EQ legacy and will deliver even more exciting adventures for fans.

The wildly popular and successful Free Realms is growing even larger with the addition of more content for the Derby and Kart Racer jobs, each with 40 new quests!  A new job, Soccer Star, will also be available later this year!

Star Wars Galaxiesis celebrating its historic six-year anniversary on Saturday, June 27, in Vegas style with a series of panels and insider information straight from the developers. Fan Faire attendees also received an exclusive Dianoga Dumpster item, which will eat your trash and spit out a random collections items.

As development on DC Universe Online, continues, SOE announced a new MySpace Video Contest which asks, “Who’s Your DCU BFF?” (Best Friend or Foe). In this upcoming contest, DC Comics and SOE are giving fans a chance to express their passion for their most beloved or despised DC characters through DC Universe Online’s official MySpace site, www.myspace.com/dcuo.

Attendees are also getting a first look at an industry-leading print-on-demand service through SOE’s in game worlds available in conjunction with HP.  For the first time ever players will be able to view, purchase and have art prints delivered directly to their home.  Featuring classic characters, imagery and scenes from SOE’s various fantasy worlds, games and artists.  The service is scheduled to launch later this year.

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How about NO level cap
# Jun 28 2009 at 5:08 PM Rating: Decent
Take away the "green" MOBS for levelling and increase the Lt. Blue MOBS a few levels and you can do away with the level cap, since there will be few MOBS that give exp to an 85-90 level char that they cant level
July credit for Underfoot before anyone else
# Jun 27 2009 at 8:39 PM Rating: Decent
but you'll be able to participate in events beginning in July that will give you credit to get Underfoot before anyone else.
===========================

Is this statement only for peeps who attend Fan Fair this year or is that statement like last year where they released a few zones eairly to allow peeps to have fun and then they went away right before the Launch?
level cap increase
# Jun 27 2009 at 11:05 AM Rating: Decent
11 posts
From what I understand from previous posts, when SoE moved to the single expansion / year system a few yrs ago, rather than the biannual expansion, (every six months), it was stated that every expansion would contain a level increase.
lvl increase
# Jun 27 2009 at 10:26 AM Rating: Decent
17 posts
if i read other information correctly they will not be increasing the lvl cap with Underfoot
Level cap changes?
# Jun 27 2009 at 9:35 AM Rating: Excellent
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221 posts
Not sure if you will read this thread before or after questioning good old Smedley, but just in case you do read this first... Will the expansion Everquest Underfoot increase the level cap?
Level cap changes?
# Jun 27 2009 at 11:06 AM Rating: Excellent
11 posts
deleted what I posted as was wrong according to elidroth. He just posted in SOE forums

06/27/2009 01:10:07 Subject: Re:Re:Re:Fan Faire thread
" No. There is no level increase for EverQuest: Underfoot."

Elidroth Renato
-----------------------------
Doug Cronkhite
Game Designer
Sony Online Entertainment, LLC



http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?start=200&topic_id=152569&#2224910



Edited, Jun 27th 2009 3:13pm by Aroidan
Level cap changes?
# Jun 27 2009 at 12:27 PM Rating: Good
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221 posts
Ya ok so what's the point then to this idea of their's? So we can all take our maxed out toons to these new zones and pick up more substandard gear and not level up? I can do that now without the expansion.
Level cap changes?
# Jun 27 2009 at 1:46 PM Rating: Default
i think they shouldnt up lvl every expasion let some ppl catch up with AAs and stuff.. i think 1 expasion should just do lvl than next should just do AAs and so on. help with the ppl that can not play all the time to catch up.. but just my 2copper.
Level cap changes?
# Jun 27 2009 at 6:29 PM Rating: Good
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221 posts
siggewarkatt wrote:
i think they shouldnt up lvl every expasion let some ppl catch up with AAs and stuff.. i think 1 expasion should just do lvl than next should just do AAs and so on. help with the ppl that can not play all the time to catch up.. but just my 2copper.

Catch up? What are you talking about? Am I suppose to just pay my subscription fee and stop playing just so you can catch up to me? An expansion to do just AAs? You're kidding me right? 3500 AA's and counting - What would you like me to spend the next year 16 months doing? Grinding out AA's and maxing my AA bank to 30 but not spend them on anything because I have them all? Would it make you feel better if everyone stop earning platinum too and just destroy all their gear to make you feel equal?


Edited, Jun 27th 2009 7:39pm by tripodvi
Level cap changes?
# Jun 28 2009 at 6:43 AM Rating: Default
this what makes alot of new player(s) not interested playing coz of some SoB there who is max on all and dont care how to enjoy the game... i too have max toon so i create a new one...(isnt there like 8 Alts you can do? unless you have 8 toons all max as well ... then you trully are have no life besides this game hehehe)

I really like this idea of no lvl caps increased... and giving more options (toys or other stuff) so that new players can grasp how fun this game trully is. Its not all about how strong you are its all about how you play this game.
Level cap changes?
# Jun 28 2009 at 1:10 PM Rating: Excellent
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221 posts
New players and not so new players with a mid level toon have 15 other expansions to play around with.

The purpose of bringing out another expansion is to keep the game interesting for the end game players (those at the pinnacle). What is the point in an Expansion that provides little to nothing other than a small handful of zones and a few new gear items. It honestly sounds like a large patch or update to me. Without bringing in a level cap increase for current maxed out players, giving players more bank space or more character slots, detailing what the expansion truly has to offer the current level 85 players - then the expansion is nothing more than the yearly money grab by SOE - except this time they are not even going to offer us a kiss before they give it to us.

Someone mentioned in another thread and they made a very good point - SOE hasn't tried to pull this stunt, of making players wait 2 years before increasing the level cap, since LoY. 8 years ago and SOE learned their mistake then... clearly someone at SOE or EQ has forgotten that horrid expansion (If you can call it that).

I'm baffled honestly at what SOE's end goal is with EQ? Do they want to put the Grand-daddy of their MMO's into a home or what?

  • Tradeskills are all but dead (since the introduction of defiant armor)
  • Raiding is next to impossible except by maybe 1 or 2 guilds on every server due to the dwindling population
  • Levelling from 1-51 is so much of a joke SOE even introduced a 51/50 server to just get it over with
  • Grouping was hard so they introduced mercs as the population was low (but for some reason that escapes me failed to allow mercs on raids) and now grouping by yourself is the norm with a merc that eats platinum like the desert evaporates water
  • SOE comes across as if they don't listen to the players, how can they when every survey SOE runs is flawed and angled to steer the participant into answering the way SOE wanted the results anyway
  • EQ Developers are all excited and giddy over the new expansion but they won't even hint as to what it has to offer. Buy our game, trust me it's a lot of fun, really trust you?... Ya right that will be the day
  • EQ has been neglected since EQ2 came out, not sure if I blame them, but for them to expect me to buy into their sales pitch, that isn't selling me at all, that is just plain insulting

  • If all the next expansion has to offer is some beefed up AAs (because obviously we need them as they've not been beefed up in any REAL sense since SoF) and a few zones (any raid zones are useless as there are no real raiding guilds left except the few on each server). If SOE wants to bring life back into EQ - then do it for real. Tell us that the next expansion is FREE. Then just call it a glorified update with the title of Underfoot.
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 29 2009 at 3:40 PM Rating: Default

    hehehe im beginning to think you are an Ebay toon. all those you mentioned can be done easily and fun if you know what your doing... PLats? i never had problem with plats... and what about this you saying SoE created the 51/50 for those people who are bored... i remember SoE asks the players... so its the players decision to have it... i was voting for a new zone or class but oh well... pls stop with this idiocracy your babling about... its really making my head hurt hahaha... like i said enjoy and have fun (isnt this why its called a GAME) if you dont like it go play another... i bet you have a max toon at WoW too from ebay
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 29 2009 at 4:55 PM Rating: Good
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    Skelexis - Did you even bother to read my post? I'm not really sure what your point was other than to try to put me down. You didn't try to argue the point I was making about the expansion did you? To be honest, all those opposed to a proper expansion in favor of letting the lesser toons play "catch up" for a year are most likely the EBayers. Your only point was about the 51/50 server and I mentioned that as a matter of factly, not in an arguing sense.

    So to respond to your deep concerns about me rather than any interests you might have about the upcoming expansion I thought I would humor you:

  • I did NOT buy my toon, nor have anyone PL me, I started from level 1
  • I am a 2400 Tradeskiller - much of it done before recipes were memorized
  • How I voted on the new server doesn't matter in this post so I wont bother commenting on that issue you raised
  • I did NOT mention that the 51/50 server was for those that were bored but rather to make it easier to jump ahead because it was a joke to level up to 51 to begin with
  • I have never played WoW nor am I interested in that game but if it makes you feel any better I did try EQ2 on its launch and returned to EQ1
  • Not once have ever brought up the issue of platinum. So I ask, why are you claiming I have made it an issue?

  • As far as your head hurting - well that might explain your post. Get some much needed rest - maybe you'll think more clearly in the morning
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 29 2009 at 9:15 PM Rating: Decent
    yes you did say something about plat when you were snapping at me lol and just a note i only play this game. leveled all the way from lvl 1.

    Edited, Jun 29th 2009 10:18pm by siggewarkatt
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 30 2009 at 5:55 AM Rating: Good
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    221 posts
    I had to scroll back a while to even find and reference to the word "platinum" before I could even comprehend what you might have mistaken and taken out of context. You do that a lot, you know. I was asking you what you have the high end toons to do with all their achievements over the last ten years so it would make you feel warm and fuzzy - was it to trash all of our gear and platinum to bring us down. We don't need platinum, I never suggested I was short of it.

    It would seem you not only failed to comprehend the purpose of an expansion to keep current players interested that have worn out the older expansions (and are smart enough to know not to waste their time doing obsolete quests), but you also cannot understand posts.

    Feel free to private message me anytime should you be unable to understand any post I make or its intended meaning - I will be more than happy to help you by finding a more layman's way of communicating it to you.
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 30 2009 at 8:05 AM Rating: Default
    lol your funny. glad you like to try put ppl down. and all this was over me giving my 2copper
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 30 2009 at 3:31 PM Rating: Default

    remember he keep saying he got max lvl and AA with high tradeskill he knows what's he doing hehehe... maybe he knows how to play nice too... someday... ill add 2 more copper on this
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 29 2009 at 4:46 AM Rating: Default
    Although I agree with "most" of your points....EQ does not ONLY revolve around YOU, nor the UBER raiders that are gonna complain about no level increase, or lack of raid forces. Go out and recruit new raiders, help them catch up a little, and there's your raid force.

    As far as your comment about
    Quote:
    Quoted Text
    Catch up? What are you talking about? Am I suppose to just pay my subscription fee and stop playing just so you can catch up to me? An expansion to do just AAs? You're kidding me right? 3500 AA's and counting - What would you like me to spend the next year 16 months doing? Grinding out AA's and maxing my AA bank to 30 but not spend them on anything because I have them all? Would it make you feel better if everyone stop earning platinum too and just destroy all their gear to make you feel equal?
    Quote:
    Quoted Text
    I think you're full of yourself!!! IMHO. To me 3500 AA's...you got about another 1k+ to be close to max AA's...so BOO-HOO...grind 'em like everyone else! Here's an idea --- play those lvl 30-55ish alts that have been collecting dust all these years.

    The short of it is: for those that "enjoy" playing this game, let us. For those that constantly acheive to ***** and complain about what "xxx" got, or didn't get....Zip it, or quit; bottom line. Expansions come out....you either like it or you don't. No matter what Sony comes out with....someone is gonna ***** about what they did or didn't do, what raiders got or didn't get...you're telling me that you've experienced the entire content of TSS and later? every zone, every quest, instance....etc. I highly doubt that. So go explore zones or instances or quests you haven't done yet, I'm sure there is a piece of gear with your name on it...that you haven't bothered to do yet.

    Point of this wasn't to flame you, (but you did have it coming)...it's to show ppl that have the attention span of a gnat...to try different things that you wouldn't normally try...since uber raiders are only consumed by 3 things:
    1.) Gotta make max lvl cap A.S.A.P.
    2.) Gotta fly thru the newest Raid content in 2 months, vs. 3 months last expansion
    3.) Since we beat the latest raid content in 2 months this time, i gotta go get all the latest/greatest gear/weps so I can link them in /general so I can make everyone else jealous, lmao....(just to boost my self-righteous power-trip)

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Tell ya what....since you have the best gear in the game and you are obviously bored out of your mind...try a new concept: it's called Goodwill.

    The rest of the EQ population on your server (@85%+/-)....would probably appreciate some help or random acts of kindness by someone of your elite stature. Remember the ppl that nudged you along when you were a NEWB to EQ?.... = payback. It's called kindness and helping others. Not saying go get them free gear, or their 2.0....just help on an epic fight, or maybe PL your own alts...and if there is a piece of nice gear (even 250hp/mana gear rotting that your alt can't use), link it so someone else could use it.

    I know, charity of that kind is hard to face, but it shows what kind of person you REALLY are...besides, what's wrong with interacting with your server?

    For some reason EQ was a community based game, pickup groups galore.......now it has been reduced to 4 categories that are exclusively secluded from everyone else on your server. (in order of highest to lowest)
    1- Uber raiders
    2- Uber botters (2-6+) that are almost as effective as a raid guild
    3- Casual players (non-raiders)
    4- solo classes....either because they choose to, or just lack of grps

    I personally have been #3 and #4....#2 was out of my grasp, and #1 was too much politics and B.S. for my taste....so I will never have raid gear....but i still enjoy the game for what it IS, and not what I want it to be...forget about ME,ME,ME...and enjoy what it IS.

    It's like life --- you gonna complain about how bad you have it?, or you gonna be thankful for what you have....cause someone else out there is always going to be worse off than you. Think about it.
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 27 2009 at 6:54 PM Rating: Default
    sure if you want to thats your deal lol you dont need be snappy was giving my 2copper. this game wasnt made just for lvling you know so if thats all you care about i feel bad for you. my toons are high end and im saying it so dont get snappy with me about what i think is a good idea you dont got to like it.
    Level cap changes?
    # Jun 27 2009 at 11:55 PM Rating: Excellent
    Sage
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    124 posts
    He may not like it - with him being max level/max AA, the only thing he can do is either raid for new(er) gear, or ... what, use expendable AA?

    Sounds pretty boring to me, and I'm nowhere near being end game, being only 79 with 700ish AA in a casual family guild. If those were my choices for a new expansion, I'd probably cut back on my playtime after first testing out the new expansion and see if I wanted to live with it for another 12 months for the next level increase.

    Everyone's got an opinion. :) Me, I'm just happy to be finally seeing the Underfoot, and people killing Brell (and my first character was a dorf! Ahh, the memories...)



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