The good news for those who paid good money to get to Fan Faire was that each attendee would get the expansions free. Well, you know... "free"

The full list of features, including new zones, new dungeons and a higher level cap, in both SOE expansions is contained within the press release after the jump. Should reading bore you to tears, lovely new screen shots of both EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey and EverQuest Seeds of Destruction are in our galleries below.

LEGACY OF EVERQUEST® FRANCHISE CONTINUES WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF EverQuest® AND EverQuest® II EXPANSIONS AT FAN FAIRE

All attendees to Receive Both Expansions for Free as Part of Living Legacy Program!

LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Aug. 15, 2008 – Thousands of video game enthusiasts are in Las Vegas for the annual Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire where the upcoming expansions for the online role-playing games EverQuest® (EQ) and EverQuest® II (EQII) were just announced. EverQuest® Seeds of Destruction™ is scheduled to be available on Oct.21, and EverQuest® II The Shadow Odyssey™ is scheduled to be available on Nov.18. As part of SOE’s extensive Living Legacy program designed to entice new and past EQ and EQII players into the games and reward the existing loyal playerbase, all Fan Faire attendees will receive the software for both expansions for free, an unprecedented offering.

“It is such a privilege to announce the upcoming expansions for two of our most popular games, EverQuest and EverQuest II, in a venue like Fan Faire where we are joined by thousands of our loyal fans, and it seems more than appropriate to give those fans access to both of the expansions for free,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “Both of these expansions are rich in content and adventure, and will provide our players with hours of excitement as they explore the online world of Norrath.”

EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion for the critically acclaimed EQII franchise and follows the award-winning and best-selling Rise of KunarkTM expansion. New players and veterans alike will journey through a substantial amount of exquisite content with more than 20 new zones, including the Moors of Ykesha, a massive outdoor zone once known as Innothule Swamp, and the legendary dungeon Guk. Throughout the summer months, players were treated to prelude events, such as the Void Storms, that gave them a glimpse into the expansion lore and content from The Shadow Odyssey, building the anticipation leading up to the launch.

EverQuest is rapidly approaching its 10th anniversary, and Seeds of Destruction is the 15th expansion for the genre-defining online game. For the first time ever, players will have the ability to hire non-player characters (NPCs) to aid them in their heroic endeavors in Seeds of Destruction. These mercenaries will be valuable player assets as they thwart the efforts of Discord’s Dark God. This expansion also includes a level cap increase to 85, new dynamic high-level raid content, new spells and new alternate advancement abilities.

EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey Feature Set:
· New Zones: Journey through more than 20 new zones, including the new overland zone, Innothule Swamp.
· Dungeon Adventures: Experience nostalgic EverQuest dungeon themes, such as Najena, Mistmoore and The Sebilisian Empire, and adventure through more than 18 goal-based dungeons, such as Ruins of Guk and Befallen.
· Achievement Point: An achievement level cap increase to 200 that offers new achievements for class-specific lines.
· Dungeon Delving: A new mission system for players to replay content with new and different experiences.
· Heritage Quests: Five new quests with unique rewards being added.
· Shard Reward System: A new, mysterious group of erudites with powerful new armor and equipment will barter for void shards earned during players’ encounters
· Epic Tales: Stories told through battles with dozens of new creatures and hundreds of new quests.
· New Deities: Rodcet Nife and Anashti Sul are introduced into Norrath.
· Access to All Previous Content: Includes all previous expansion packs and adventure packs.
· Legends of Norrath: Includes strategic online trading card game, digital starter deck and booster pack.

EverQuest Seeds of Destruction Feature Set:

* Mercenaries: Player-controlled NPCs are now available and will not only scale to the appropriate level, but also think and act for themselves with limited player guidance. Designed for extra support or extra muscle in PvE encounters, mercenary archetypes include a variety of classes from all playable races.
* Level Cap Increase: Players can now achieve level 85 with new high-level item sets, new alternate advancement ability lines and new spells.
* 20 New Zones: Features re-imagined classic content and brand-new realms for adventurers to explore, including the eerie wasteland of the Void, the Battle of Rathe on the Plane of Earth and the ultimate Heart of Darkness in the Plane of Discord.
* Access to All Previous Content - Includes all features and content from the 14 previous expansion packs.
* Legends of Norrath: Includes strategic online trading card game, digital starter deck, booster pack and loot item.

In addition to attending exclusive panels this weekend at Fan Faire, eligible players with active accounts will receive early access to beta for one or both games, depending on their preference. EQ’s public beta is anticipated to begin on Aug. 19, and EQII’s public beta is anticipated to begin on Sept. 2.

For more expansion information from EverQuest Seeds of Destruction and a free trial of EverQuest, visit www.everquest.com.

For expansion information from on EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey and a free trial of EverQuest II, visit www.everquest2.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.

Beckett Massive Online Gamer Packed with Exclusive Content Now on Shelves

Dallas, TX - November 28, 2007 - Fresh off the press, the latest issue of Beckett Massive Online Gamer magazine (Issue December/January - Vol. 2 No. 6 Issue 10) is on retail shelves with hard-hitting exclusive interviews, an exclusive item from Everquest II, and insider feature stories readers won't find anywhere else.

Among the many exciting features packing this issue:

* Exclusive Everquest II: Rise of Kunark Exclusive in-game item available for all Massive Online Gamer subscribers. The retrieval key code and instructions are available on pg 21 of this issue. The in-game item is a first ever and only animated portrait available of Venril Sathir.
* Exclusive Interview with the Everquest II: Rise of Kunark Development Team.
* Exclusive Interview with Richard Garriott, the creator of Tabula Rasa.
* Everquest II Shard of Fear Zone Guide and Quests.
* Interview with Kevin Balentine, PR Director for Stargate Worlds and some Exclusive Art and Images.
* Interview with Hermann Peterscheck, Producer of Jumpgate Evolution.
* World of Warcraft complete details for Conquering Karazhan.

Additional Coverage: Pirates of the Burni ng Sea, Rappelz, The Agency, Guild Wars: Eye of North, Mythos, and much more. Also, don't forget to vote for your favorite MMO's for the MMO Reader's Choice Awards. For more information about Beckett Massive Online Gamer Magazine, please visit the official website for the magazine, http://www.beckettmog.com.

John Smedley is at Fan Faire talking to the masses about the past, present and future of all things Sony Online Entertainment. I'll be remote liveblogging it for those of you too lazy to watch it yourself.

Hit the jump to follow along.

The Denver SOE guys are talking up Legends of Norrath right now. Check out our feature on the in-game online trading card game that is free to Everquest players.

OK, now they're showing two SOE Denver guys playing the game. Keep in mind this will be a free game to Everquest and Everquest II gamers. Cards for the game will show up as loot drops as you play. Loot drops in the card game will also occasionally give you the occasional Everquest items. I think this is a really cool idea.

Looks like they're having some technical issues with the game. Wait a second isn't it supposed to launch today? Ah, actually they will be beta testing starting tomorrow with a soft launch next week, allowing attendees to play the new game online. The best part? All beta cards and dropped loot earned in the beta can be kept.

Annnnnd the video stream just crapped out.. or maybe it's over. Man, that was short.

I had a chance, last month, to meet with Sony Online Entertanment's Denver studio and check out their now-announced online trading card game: Legends of Norath: Oathbound.

The Legends of Norrath game is based on the worlds of Everquest and Everquest II and, in an interesting twist, will be playing inside both of the massively multiplayer online games at in-world taverns and such.

Oathbound, the first set in the Legends of Noorath game, has more than 350 virtual cards in it and comes in both 60-card starter decks and 15-card booster packs. The Oathbound set was designed to tell the story of the servants of the Tribunal that rules the Plane of Justice. These masked and hooded servants swear an oath to Justice and must help preserve the balance between Order and Chaos.

The SOE Denver team did several things to try and distill the essence of Everquest into a viable online trading card game. Chiefly they went with the Everquest II model of using archetypes rather than classes. The first set has four.

In the game you control an Avatar which can summon up creatures, use items and cast spells. Another of the game's unique twists is that as you play your avatar gains experience. As you gain experience the actual attributes and text of the avatar changes. Of course you can always play several different avatars, working to level each up.

The game has two ways of winning. You can either take out your opponents avatar out in the tradition card game way, or you can complete your four quests. At the beginning of each round, the players place one of their quests on the table. As soon as you complete any four of your or their quests you win.

As you play through a match you can either choose to take the path of good or evil, based on the sorts of cards you play. As you continue to use one type of card or another, your half of the playing field starts to change and you get bonuses playing cards that match your field's alignment.

On top of what appeared to me to be a rather sophisticated and interesting take on online trading card games, The Legends of Norath will also come with a single-player campaign. As you play through this campaign you can build up your avatar and earn reward cards for use in play later on.

While the thing that initially most interested me was the idea of playing an Everquest Online Tradiing Card game inside of Everquest, what ended up really captivating me was the look of the cards the SOE team showed me.

The art is very reminiscent of the sort of art used to convey the Everquest games, but not the kind found in the game. In other words, it's not computer graphics, its quite beautiful art.

When I last spoke with SOE, they idea was to launch the game today with the announcement at Fan Faire. The game will be free for Everquest gamers but booster packs will sell for $3, while starter packs will likely run for $9 to $10. And with 70 unit cards alone, there's going to be plenty to buy.

The devs also tell me that the game will include loot drops, loot that will sometimes be cards but will other times be actual items used in either Everquest or Everquest II.

Most interesting is the fact that the game engine, designed from the ground up by SOE Denver, has the potential to support many other types of in-game, MMO-themed card games in the future. So expect to see a lot more of this if things work out.

Personally, I kinda like the idea of sitting down in a tavern to play a deep card game with another player. But I am a big nerd.

This Saturday two Fan Faire attending will be tying the knot in both the real world and the virtual one.

The wedding ceremony will take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the annual event's Grand Banquet. The couple, clad in Everquest II costumes, will exchange vows in front of a pastor and inside the game at the same time using two computers perched on the alter.

The whole thing, set to take place on Saturday at 9 p.m., will be broadcast during the Grand Banquet. Here's hoping that at least one of them look like Antonia.

On a sunny afternoon in the middle of May, I made my way from the familiar streets of Da'an District, Taipei, all the way down to Zhonghe District. I drove by streets full of betel nut stands and motorcycle repair shops, but my destination was an inconspicuous office tucked into a generic high rise office building. Other than the EverQuest II poster that is hung next to the door, there's no indication that Sony Online Entertainment's Taipei branch, SOGA, lies inside.

Of course, a few months ago, most people outside of Asia had probably never heard of SOGA. With the announcement of a game based on Stephen Chow's 2004 movie Kung Fu Hustle, people have at least started wondering about the little studio tucked away in Taipei, on a little island that a lot of people can't find on a map. Not wondering enough to send anyone down to take a gander at the place, apparently, since SOGA's general manager, John Laurence, commented to me that "We haven't had a visitor in 4 years or something!"

Four years is about the length of SOGA's history. The studio's roots lie in EverQuest II; historically, Western character models - the more medieval style that anyone who has seen a game like World of Warcraft is familiar with - haven't worked well in Asia. Armed with the concept art of Japanese artist Hisanowo (who is also doing work on Kung Fu Hustle), the guys at what would become SOGA came up with the CG artwork that was found in Asian localizations of EverQuest II.

Even cool concept art and a solid attempt at faithfully recreating those stylized 2D, paper-and-ink renditions in CG didn't help EverQuest II in Asia. The game was shut down in most of Asia for a host of reasons, which Laurence thinks related mainly to game play. But Western gamers liked what they saw of the SOGA characters, and they were released in America and Europe. In a classic example of making lemonade out of lemons, Laurence said that the character models were a big success for the fledgling branch: "It was really cool, because we were able to nail a relevant graphical style for EverQuest II that worked the world over, and the source was here - it was the CG creators, who are all Taiwanese, and the concept artist, who's the Japanese guy."

After getting their feet wet with character designs, SOGA co-produced EverQuest II's The Fallen Dynasty adventure pack with San Diego-based SOE, taking full advantage of the wealth of Taiwanese imagery and Chinese culture at their fingertips. Most people wouldn't recognize the Taiwanese landscapes and facets of traditional Chinese culture, but they're in there. "[The adventure pack] was a big hit for EverQuest II," Laurence said. "And it was all based on Asian imagery, particularly imagery from Taiwan. Nobody knows that - well, probably most people - but ...we went out and took a lot of pictures of places in Taiwan."

Despite the failure of EverQuest II in Asia, Laurence was adamant in his stance against the idea of targeting games to consumers on a cultural basis, at least in terms of the way it's been talked about in Western press recently. "I think it's foolish to say that 'Chinese gamers like this, Korean gamers like this, Taiwanese gamers like this, and American gamers like that.' And I think the first thing people need to do in order to understand what they're really talking about to be successful out here - they need to abandon that outdated idea. There's just too much stuff with too much in common culturally to think along those lines."

With one blinding exception, that is - the variation in play styles, how people play games, must be taken into account. We spent a long time talking about the culture of internet cafes in East Asia something that is relatively unknown in the West. The free-to-play model, which is regarded, at best, as a bit odd in Western markets and at worst, degraded as a model that simply allows companies to nickel and dime consumers, is pretty much the gold standard in Asian markets outside of Japan. Consoles have never had the market penetration they've enjoyed in Japan and the West in China, Taiwan, or Korea, and so gaming emphasis has been elsewhere.

"This doesn't have to do with taste so much, it has to do with the evolution of how the games came about. Here in Taiwan, people's houses - same in Mainland China - you don't have big houses, it's unusual for kids to say 'Hey, I want you to come over to my house to play.' It's more like, 'Let's go to sing karaoke together, let's go someplace else ....' I think that whole culture of doing things outside, which started with things like ... the karaoke bars, turned into the internet cafes."

Laurence expanded on his thoughts on the traditional package- or subscription-based model, where he says the sales channels dictate what goes into game and how a game is designed, not leaving "any flexibility at all for the creator." Going further, he described what he sees as an "unwritten pact" between game designers and the users that so much content has to be supplied to justify either the initial purchase price or subscription fee. The free-to-play/microtransaction model really works for both designers and consumers, he says:

"It makes it so we can say, 'Hey, we don't have to make an MMORPG, we can make an MMO action game, there's still a way to give the player value for their short time playing the game.' If they don't like it, they can play it for free until they decide they don't like it. If they do, they can pay a little bit of money to continue or to get cool items. But it means when we're making a game like Kung Fu Hustle, we don't have to say 'We have to create enough content for you to grind 60 hours a month in order to justify the subscription price.'"

All this ties into the game version of Kung Fu Hustle, which will utilize the free-to-play, microtransaction-based model. Utilizing game points - which in a lot of Asia means purchasing cards associated with games or publishers at any convenience store or internet café, getting a certain amount of points depending on how much you want to shell out - they're going to make sure that "the game points will be a fun part of the game that won't be a nuisance to players." We'll have to wait and find out exactly how the in-game items and game points will work, and as of right now, release outside of Asia isn't confirmed, though it's something that the team is shooting for.

In designing the game, the SOGA team obviously had the Taiwanese or Mainland Chinese internet café phenomenon (and common microtransaction model) in mind, as well as an older arcade feel. Just as the movie version of Kung Fu Hustle pays homage to the tradition of Hong Kong kung fu flicks and the wuxia genre in general, the game version seems to want to pay homage to its own forerunners in the game department. "We wanted to recreate the experience of the video arcade when we were kids, where you can not only play the game yourself, but have the experience of a video arcade, with your challengers and opponents standing around you, waiting to challenge you."

In response to criticisms of the free-to-play, buy items and other things model, Laurence dismissed them as unfounded - criticisms that exist only because the model is largely unfamiliar:

"I notice on the streets, when you even mention the model of the game cards, and the paying for items, and getting the game for free, everyone's like 'Oh, you guys are just trying to nickel and dime us. And to screw us,' and stuff like that .... But the truth is, it gives the player a chance to try out a lot of different things. But the best thing for us as game creators is that you're not shackled to how the sales channels dictate what goes into the game .... For us, I'm really happy because it makes it much easier to pitch ideas up and get projects green lit and it's also easier for us to try new things, because ... we can almost decide the business model after we make the pitch."

While information about Kung Fu Hustle is scarce right now for a number of reasons - namely, John Laurence feels that "Stephen should be the spokesman for this, and not me," and the game isn't even in "pre-alpha" yet - we did get to talk about the thoughts and feelings behind the game. The SOGA team seems acutely aware of the speculation and sensitivity surrounding the game, and also cognizant of the plethora of "crappy movie-based games," something that they definitely don't want to replicate. The 'essence' of Kung Fu Hustle is what they are going for, with the input of Chow; they are also trying to create a game that is an homage to those older, classic kung fu and beat 'em up games like Final Fight or Streets of Rage, games that were killed by 3D, at least to Laurence's eyes.

Of course, no one sets out to make a bad game based on a well-liked movie, but the obvious sensitivity with which they are approaching Kung Fu Hustle was reassuring at least, as was the stack of classic kung fu flicks and a book on the Shaw Brothers Studios kung fu movies occupying a prominent place. "When they saw Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow surprised them," Laurence said. "When they play Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow is going to surprise them. So I think in a nutshell, that's the message - and there's only a little bit of information out, and I want to talk about it, I could talk about it for the next 15 hours, but we can't right now."

At the same time, the studio is excited by the reception (anxious though some articles may be) over news of a Kung Fu Hustle game. "How often can you say to people, 'Hey, we're making this game in Taiwan for the Chinese market,' and then a bunch of guys start to really want to talk about it, and ... all of a sudden - you're at our office!" Taiwan is largely off the radar of most people, and Laurence said it makes it the perfect place to develop games. With the heavy hitters like Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA, et al. setting up studios on the Mainland, there's a distinct lack of jockeying for prime talent on the little island that could.

But more than that, the unique variety of cultural influences that pervade Taiwan also make it a great place to set up shop. "Once you get here, you'll find that this is such a cool place, because you've got the Japanese influence, Chinese influence, American influence, and of course strong Taiwanese aesthetic sensibilities," Laurence said as we were wrapping up. "This is the perfect place to make games."

Sony Online Entertainment today launches a new Everquest II free trial offer based off the most recent expansion, Echoes of Faydwer. Entitled, "Play the Fae", the trial lasts 7 days and introduces players to the Fae, tiny pixie-like creatures with beautiful, multicolored, leaf-like butterfly wings. I've not played the expansion, but a friend of mine assures me that they make him feel like a pretty fairy princess. I suppose that's good.

The trial also includes the rediscovered city of Kelethin, allowing a whole new generation of players to fall to their deaths in a fantasy-forest setting. Best of all, no credit card is required! Huzzah!

This trial replaces the previous Trial of the Isle, which let you play as long as you wanted, only you were stuck on a tiny island with very limited content, slowly going insane, with the only cure being giving Sony money. Michael Fahey

Play the Fae 7-Day Trial [Everquest II]

Even though Curt made it to #4 on the list of The Ten Most Hated Athletes his real-deal hardcore EQII addiction just makes him so, I don't know, huggable. Check out the video and fall in love! /bats eyelashes @ Curt

Curt Schilling's Other Pasttime [CNN]

When not on the baseball diamond, Schilling spends countless hours playing multiple EverQuest players on his four-monitor computer system. The pitcher has also reviewed two of the game's expansion packs for PC Gamer. Simply put, Schilling *hearts* EverQuest.

"I enjoy the anonymity and the ability to interact on a personal level with people I wouldn't normally meet or know," Schilling said. "That, and the game is a riot. There's no end to it, the world is enormous, the possibilities are endless, and above all else, it's a place to go and relax amongst friends. What I can't get enough of is your ability to interact with real live people. The game's about teamwork, and knowing the right way to pick and play your class properly in such a way that it complements a group. That's why EverQuest has stayed so popular."

With his new Sony Online Entertainment endorsement deal, Schilling will be attending the Sony Fan Faire Convention in Atlanta this April. He will be giving media interviews and get a tour of the game's newest features. Remember back in the days when athletes endorsed things like sneakers or cereal, instead of video games? Nah, neither do I.

Press Release Here [PR Newswire]

Sonic Riders (GC, PS2, Xbox)
Sega's second console attempt at racing Sonic characters will hopefully perform better than Sonic R, but will hedgehog fans buy into extreme airboarding? Tons of screens and videos are at the official site.

Toca Race Driver 3 (PC, PS2, Xbox)
Codemasters ambitious catch all racer has all the numbers: 35 racing disciplines, over 100 championships, on 80-plus tracks. Great car models, extremely creepy human models. *shudder*

Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll (DS)
Sega brings monkey ball touching to the Nintendo DS. Work your simian ball around the hair-pullingly hard courses in true 3D. Same hot monkey ball action, just on-the-go!

Fight Night Round 3 (PS2, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360)
EA Sports newest Fight Night looks like the best yet. The 360 version has been a long standing graphics showcase, with stunning character models and everyone's favorite new effect: sweat!

Everquest: Prophecy of Ro & Everquest II: Kingdom of Sky (PC)
The eleventh (eleventh!!) expansion pack for the original and the second expansion pack for EQII both ship this week, to our nations addicted shut-ins. More items, higher level caps, more character customization; if you play EQ, you know what to expect by now.

In keeping up with the Joneses, EverQuest II is unveiling its long-awaited Player-versus-Player system for the Sony Online MMORPG. Often thought of primarily as a Player-versus-Environment game, the new changes to EverQuest II bring a ton of changes to the gameplay—too many to just list here, so we've dumped them after the jump. On paper, it looks like SOE is getting some of the PvP stuff right, but the changes won't appear in-game until a February 21 live update. Perhaps most interesting in the EverQuest II PvP ruleset is the loss of experience on player death. A true death penalty. It'll be interesting to see how that works out.

Player Vs. Player Combat [EverQuest II]

Gameplay

The general gameplay is as follows: You start off aligned with the city you choose at character creation Freeport (Evil) or Qeynos (Good). You will hunt and battle with members of the opposing alignment to gain experience, status, faction and titles. Further rewards will become available at PvP merchants as you earn standing within your city you will have the opportunity to purchase items and other rewards from these special merchants.

Nowhere in Norrath is safe, so be on your toes. While you are relatively safe within the protective walls of your home city, you'll have to watch your back nearly everywhere else (see "City PvP"). Let's get that adrenaline pumping!

Communication and Interaction

On EverQuest II PvP-ruleset servers, there is a distinct language barrier between citizens of Qeynos and citizens of Freeport . All players aligned with Qeynos will speak Antonican, and all players aligned with Freeport will speak Lucanic. This means that members of opposing cities cannot understand each other's language.

Regardless of the language you choose to speak in be it draconic, oggish, or otherwise members of the opposing city will be unable to understand what you communicate in /say. Similarly, anything said in /auction, /ooc, and /shout channels will only be seen by members of the same alignment (good, evil, betraying).

Things you CAN NOT do across alignments:

* Group with members outside of your alignment
* Join a guild that is not of your alignment
* Send /tells to characters not of your alignment
* View /auction, /ooc, /shout from characters of another alignment
* Join chat channels created by characters of another alignment
* View members of another alignment in the zone with /who
* Send mail via the Norrathian Express
* Trade items or coin
* /duelbet (/duel still functions)

Combat

Spells, combat arts, and combat in general may not function identically to PvE during PvP. We have the ability to define any level of differences in the combat system for PvP, from global changes like "all spells and arts do slightly less damage to players" to specific changes such as "this particular effect on this particular spell works slightly differently in PvP."

Here is a general outline of how combat-related effects are changing on a fairly broad scale. Note that the changes that are described below only have to do with PvP combat, as PvE combat on PvP servers functions the same as on Standard-ruleset servers.

Taunts and Hate Reduction

Taunts have the ability to change players' targets in PvP. They can also keep targets focused on the taunter for short durations of time.

Spells that reduce hostile hate or lower your position on a creature's hate list can force players to completely lose their target. Examples would include a Scout's Evade or Templar's Placate.

Melee Combat

The default maximum range for melee combat has been increased. Positional spells and arts that require the caster to be either behind or flanking the opponent will work if either requirement is met. *Note* This is only the case against other players.

Control Spells

Control spells (Snare, Root, Stun, Fear, Charm, Stifle, Mez, and Pacify) will carry an immunity placed on the target for 2x the duration of the spell. Essentially, if you are rooted for 10 seconds, you will be immune from any root effects for the duration of that root and for 10 seconds after the spell wears off. *Note* You'll only be immune to these effects from other players; these immunities will not protect you from NPC spells.

Other

A character that would normally be invisible or stealthed to you will appear with a shadowy outline if within a specified range (currently 30m). Characters that would normally be visible to you (i.e. if they are significantly below your level or you can see-stealth or see-invis) will remain visible with the shadowy outline outside of this range.

Upon zoning, players will be immune from PvP combat until they initiate a hostile action or move. No need to worry about zoneline campers as long as you don't make yourself vulnerable.

A separate inspection option has been included on PvP servers that will allow players to view how Spells and Combat Arts perform in PvP combat (you will access this in the right-click context menu).

Death and Rewards

Currently, deaths from PvP kills will result in moderate experience debt. You will not receive any armor damage. *Note* If you are on any creature's hate list at the time of your PvP death, you will take normal PvE death penalties.

Rewards for engaging in and triumphantly winning a PvP conflict vary depending on how the kill took place. Rewards and definitions for kill types follow.

Honorable Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had greater than 80% health. The first group or player that engaged will receive experience, status, and faction.

Neutral Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had greater than 50% health. Neutral kills result in moderate faction gain, but do not reward experience or status.

Dishonorable Kills: Any kill of the opposing alignment that was first engaged while the target had less than 50% health. Dishonorable kills result in a loss of faction with both your alignment and the opposing alignment. Losing enough faction will cause you to fall out of favor with your alignment, and will restrict or remove any access to the rewards system.

The Kill List: Honorably killing another player will place them on a list tied to your character, designed to reduce friend farming and griefing. Any Honorable subsequent kill of the same player will result in a neutral kill until you have killed 10 other players. Neutral and Dishonorable kills have no effect on the list.

PvP Rules

While PvP servers are, for the most part, very dangerous and intense worlds to live in, there are a few rules that Norrathians must still abide by. These rules are outlined below:

Players under level 10 are protected from and cannot initiate PvP combat. While some players will be ready to have at it swords a-swingin' and spells a-flyin' from the get-go, others will need to familiarize themselves with their character a bit before joining the fight.

Players cannot openly engage in PvP within their city walls under the same rules. This currently refers to both Freeport and Qeynos main zones, districts and villages. PvP within the city walls is handled in the form of City PvP Flagging, which is outlined in the section below.

For the opposing alignment, players' names will have a red outline indicating that they are a valid hostile target. Any players +/- up to 8 levels are valid targets, and their names will appear as a color based on the level difference:

* Green: 5-8 levels below you.
* Blue: 1-4 levels below you.
* White: Even level.
* Yellow: 1-4 levels above you.
* Orange: 5-8 levels above you.
* Player names more than 8 levels below will appear grey, and non-aggro.
* Player names more than 8 levels above you will appear red, and non-aggro.

You cannot attack any player that cons grey unless they attack you first.

As previously mentioned, when you zone you will be immune to PvP combat until you either move or initiate a hostile action. Conversely, you will be unable to attack someone who has just zoned until they either move or perform a hostile action.

City PvP

PvP within city walls works a little differently than it does in the outside world. The idea is that you are relatively well-protected within the walls of Freeport and Qeynos. Under normal circumstances, a player cannot attack another player within a city unless they are specifically flagged for this to occur. The rules for City PvP are as follows:

* Attacking any NPC in a safe zone (i.e. city) flags the attacker for "City PvP"
* Anyone flagged as "City PvP" can be attacked by anyone of the opposing alignment in any zone who meets the requirements to engage in PvP.
* Anyone that attacks a "City PvP" flagged player also becomes flagged for "City PvP."
* "City PvP" flagging lasts for 15 minutes from the last hostile action taken against a safe zone NPC or another "City PvP" flagged player.

PvP: Coming Soon to EverQuest II

We hope you'll try and enjoy Player-versus-Player conflict within EverQuest II, scheduled to be unleashed on February 21, 2006 along with Live Update #20. PvP server names will be revealed in the February newsletter and, later, as part of update notes. Be one of the first to experience traditional PvP action in the world of EverQuest II's Norrath. It's time to heat up the cold war!

Note: Please be aware that this information is accurate as of this writing. Many things, especially specific numbers, may change during PvP beta testing.

The jump has an enormously long and detailed list of all the changes.

*** Frostfell ***

- It's Frostfell time in Norrath!
- Talk to Gardy Giftgiver in either Qeynos Harbor or West Freeport once a day for lots of fun presents! He has 15 to give you in all, including new music boxes that play your favorite EverQuest Live tunes.
- Those Gigglegibber goblins are up to no good again. Help the Frostfell Elves save Frostfell! Just talk to Pinchy Presentpeeler to start the quest.
- Celebrate the holidays by having snowball fights with all your friends.
- Buy decorations for your home from the Frostfell elves.
- The festivities commence in Qeynos Harbor and West Freeport. Look for the Frostfell tree!

*** Questing ***

- An NPC that will offer, update, or complete a quest now has an indicator above its head.
* A quill indicates that the NPC will offer you a quest.
* A book with a quill indicates that the NPC will update one of your quests.
* A book indicates that the NPC will complete one of your quests.
* NPCs that offer a quest 10 or more levels above or below your adventure level will not display these indicators.
* You can turn off these indicators in the Options menu (User Interface -> Name and Chat Bubble -> NPC Overhead Quest Icons).
- Zone maps now display a circle where there is a nearby NPC that offers, updates, or completes a quest.
* NPCs that give a quest are indicated by an open yellow circle.
* NPCs that update or complete quests are indicated by a filled yellow circle.
* Mousing over these icons will show you the name of the NPC.
* NPCs that offer a quest 10 or more levels above or below your adventure level will not be shown on the map.
* You can turn off the quest giver map icons in the Options menu (User Interface -> Game Features -> Show quest icons on map).
- The Quest Journal will now display quest rewards—no more guessing what you'll receive for performing a task. You will also be able to see quest rewards before accepting a new quest.
* Not all quests will show their rewards; some special rewards are meant to be a surprise.
* You can turn off the display of rewards in the Options menu (User Interface -> Game Features -> Show quest rewards).

*** New Guild Level 40 Rewards ***

- New mounts have been trained for use by level 40 guilds.
- The Mistrunner is available to Qeynosians with plain, blue, and purple saddles.
- The Nightmare is available to Freeportians with plain, black, and red saddles.
- There are now titles available to members of level 40 guilds: Lord and Lady.

*** Subclass Armor Quests ***

- The armor rewards for the level 20 subclass armor quests now have a unique appearance per subclass.
- All of the armor now has unique stats appropriate for each subclass.
- If you have already completed your armor quests, speak with the assistant next to the NPC you originally did the quests for.

*** Dungeon Exploration ***

Fallen Gate
- The Fallen Gate has been invaded by Thexian explorers and Tseralith is stirring.
- The population within Fallen Gate has been improved, now with 50% more evil.
- Discover new treasures by exploring the Fallen Gate and vanquishing its denizens.

*** Summoned Pets ***

- Summoned pets now have consistent and distinct appearances at each spell level. For example, the level 52 Conjurer ability Tellurian Myrmidon is the only spell that will summon a rock elemental pet; the Necromancer ability Rotting Thrall is the only spell that will summon the previously overused zombie. Other levels will summon different creature types.
- Summoned pets in a given spell line have a distinct look at each quality tier. For example, the Necromancer's Diseased Servant spell summons a skeleton warrior. As the spell is increased in quality tier (Apprentice I, Adept I, etc.), the skeleton looks more impressive.
- Temporary pets also have new appearances. For example, the Shadowknight's Tainted Sacrament line will change in appearance with upgrades.
- Persistent summoned pets start out with a base number of abilities. An additional ability is granted to the pet at each spell level upgrade. Pet spells in the level 52 to 60 spell range now have an additional ability that they did not have before.
- Temporary Pets (e.g. Conjurer's Roaring Flames and Necromancer's Ghastly Stench) will now cast their close-range AoE spell more often.
- Pets will no longer inherit abilities based on their creature type.
- Temporary Pets now display their owner's name.
- Fighter and Scout pets now use their combat arts more often.
- Fighter pets now taunt more often, and their taunts have a lower chance of being resisted. Their taunt effectiveness should now scale properly with level.
- Some Conjurer Fighter pets now have interrupt/knock-down effects, while some Necromancer Fighter pets now have root/stifle effects.
- Scout pets had their damage adjusted based on the reuse timer of the combat art. Slower combat arts now do increased damage, while faster combat arts now do less damage. Overall, Scout pets should deal about the same amount of damage they did before.
- Mage pets focus more on AoE spells than they used to. These spells have generally been made more effective.
- Mage pets are much more resistant to spell damage than they were before, and the size of their power pool has been increased. Casting times on their spells were generally decreased, and their single-target spells will land more often than they did before.
- The Illusionist pet spell list now also includes Stunning Array, Lock Mind, and a direct damage/mez spell. They no longer try to cast DoT spells on their target.
- Summoned pets now have the same base run speed as their owners.

*** Enemy Mastery ***

- Player characters can now choose from four new Enemy Mastery options at level 52: Cyclops, Djinn, Harpy, or Naga.
- You will automatically be granted the ability to choose your new Enemy Mastery option—just click the blinking character advancement icon.

*** Veteran Rewards ***

- If you own Desert of Flames, you will receive 90 days added to your Account Age, which is used to determine which Veteran Rewards you are eligible for.
- It's our way of saying thanks to those of you who are enjoying our expansion.

Update details [Sony Station]

Somehow I missed the 178 pictures of Antonia-clad women over at IGN last week. The babe-obsessed site managed to capture nearly 200 images of attractive brunette women wearing similarly ugly purple bikinis as they attempted to win the right to play the part of Everquest's Antonia at events. The 178 images show enough purple swimsuits and cheap gold high heels to last a thousand stripper-lifetimes.

Antonia Pagent [IGN Babes, via Cathode Tan]