I've Got A Lot Of Catching Up To Do

 

In a desperate attempt to prove there are other games available besides Valheim (which I just this morning gifted to Mrs. Bhagpuss after she expressed repeated interest in trying it, so we'll see where that goes...), this morning I finally got around to doing something I'd been meaning to do all week, namely log in to EverQuest II.  

I'd been meaning to drop by to celebrate Erollisi Day. It isn't my favorite Norrathian holiday but it's in the top five. (I totally should do a Top Five. A Top Ten even.) It's been running for a while now. I knew there was some fresh content in the form of a new quest and some crafting recipes, plus new rewards for some of the older activities, including that excellent Public Quest I always enjoy doing.

Luckily there are still a few days left. Time to check out the new quest, grab the recipe books and maybe do an old favorite or two. It ends on the twenty-fourth, after which there's a brief respite until Brewday arrives on the fifth of March. Brewday definitely would not make my Top Five. (Damn! I really have to do that...).

It's been a while since I logged in, which is not something I was expecting to be writing about EQII at this point of the expansion cycle. I was thinking I'd still be taking characters through the Reign of Shadows storyline by now and working on all the detailed upgrading and filling out of various slots and abilities that come with vertical progression.

That's not what's been happening but it's very much not the fault either of EQII or the expansion, which I thought was first rate. It's just that I seem to have entered an enthusiasm phase for gaming in general, one where everywhere I look I see things I want to play. Ironic, isn't it, after I was mithering about not really feeling it just a month or so back ? 

It looks as if EQII will very much be back on the schedule soon, though. When I opened the launcher the first thing I noticed was a link to a new episode of the dev podcast, Kander's Candor. It's Season Two : Episode One and it's available through all the usual channels. I like to listen to it on Anchor, which is incredibly simple and unfussy to use.

I had it on in the background as I played through Heartbreaker, the new Errolisi Day quest. It's a classic holiday story of cursed flowers, disruptive demigods and vendors who just want to make a buck. If you're an EQII player and you like the kind of quests you're familiar with from playing EQII then you'll like this one because it's just like all the others. I loved it.

Since I knew exactly how it would go and I was following the walkthrough on the wiki, I had plenty of mental capacity to spare not only to listen to the podcast but even to make notes. I could woerk them up into something more elaborate but I think the notes make pretty solid bullet points just as I wrote them down.

• Lofty plans for the year
• Company "absolutely re-investing in EQII" (and EQ)
• New nodes to reduce lag
• PQs had been off development because they addded to lag
• "Feel like we're in good and safe hands" with new owners
• Blood of Luclin "a rough year"
• RoS "much better"
• Some stuff about raids.
• "Large GU" in March (probably).
  
• Solo, Heroic and a lot of Raid content.
• New Overseer Season
• "Cool stuff" Kander can't talk about
• New RoS Guide quest (lots of status)
• Some guides have been around since the beginning of EverQuest
• Whole bunch of new rewards etc. for Guides
• Something PvP related being worked on for "sooner rather than later"
• Specifics on PvP in next Kander's Candor podcast

That's the bones of it. If you want details, listen to the podcast, but really there's not a lot more detail than I've given. There's a lot of flavor and nuance, though. As always, plenty's said in the things that aren't being said and if you missed that, well Dreamweaver and Kander keep pointing it out.

I think when the new lot (I've already forgotten their unmemorable name) bought out the old lot (who had more names than I care to recall) most players probably felt more relief than concern. It's good to hear that sentiment covertly echoed from the other side of the fence.

It's also good to hear for sure that Overseer isn't being dumped in the pile of forgotten things that seemed like a good idea at the time. Because Overseer was a good idea. One of the best they've had for a while. Very much looking forward to a new season. I hope EverQuest is getting one, too.

With so much going on all over right now, it's a little hard to say how I'll fit EQII in but I'll manage somehow. Now I'm off to grab those recipe books while I still can.