May 18, 2007

EverQuest II continues to expand the world of Norrath
By Michael Lafferty

Update 35 will bring a dark fae race to EQII, as well as a new starting zone

EverQuest II launched in Novermber of 2004 and shows no signs of slowing down. Each month brings a new update that expands the world of Norrath in land zones, quests and sometimes new races. And Sony Online Entertainment is more than eager to show off exactly what is in store. In fact, EQII community manager Craig Craig Dalrymple took time from his other duties to show off what is just around the corner for fans and subscribers of the game.

Update 35 to the EverQuest II franchise promises to bring two things to the player community of this massively multiplayer online community: Old magic equals a new playable race, and the game will also provide yet another bridge to the past of the franchise.

Having just released Update 34 to the game on April 25, the SOE EQII team is gearing up for the release of Update 35, which will bring in the counterpart to the fae race, the Arasi. Just as, in EQ lore, the dark elves are the magically created counter to the elven races, the Arasi were spawned from the same pods that gave life to the Fae, introduced in the expansion Echoes of Faydwer.

The caves in Neriak hold some nice eye candy (GZ screenshot)

Deep and dark magic, wielded by a powerful ruler, overwhelmed the captured pods and ‘perfected’ the race, with the result being the fae-like race, the Arasi. But, as was pointed out in SOE-guided tour of the new zone, the Arasi are meaner and crueler.

The Darklight Woods is the new starting zone and much like the new race introduction in Echoes, the experience for those starting anew will blend seamlessly in with rest of the world. Previously, those starting new characters would begin on an island and then zone into the main world with its interwoven connecting portals.

Hate’s Envy is the encampment that serves as the starting base for the new race and characters beginning in this world. While the Arasi will have access to the quests immediately, those who create one of the other ‘evil’ races will have to become citizens of the kingdom in order to take on the quests. The quest line will guide players from area to area as they level, offering a continuous challenge while guiding the players into the zones that harbor the monsters that will give them experience commiserate with their levels.

Neriak is also know as the City of Hate and is built within a cavern. There are dangers in there but also visual delights. The Spires of Innoruuk houses the temple of the god of hate, and hellhounds will walk guard posts. You can fall off the bridges into the chasms, but should you survive the fall, there are teleporters to allow you to return to the area above.

The palace of Queen Cristanos is a wonderful place that houses the library of Neriak, which is akin to the Smithsonian of the race. It houses the deepest magical secrets, and perhaps a little more for those who are curious enough to explore.

Say 'cheese' - a GameZone writer poses with Queen Cristanos in the Neriak palace (GZ screenshot)

The buildings throughout Neriak are not just ‘window dressing,’ but are actually functional buildings that house merchants and goods. The whole idea was to create a city that felt alive, and the dev team has done a good job in that regard.

Nothing has been changed in regards to the control schemes of the game, and while there may be the hint of new music to accompany the new zone, the only major addition to this update was the look of the zone. For such a dark and foreboding place, the city of Neriak had its share of eye candy, whether in the statues or the costuming of the guards. This is a zone that totally fits into the overall EQII feel and should be conducive to those who like to role play. Why? The subtleties of the zone create a rich atmosphere.

Freeport was a hovel comparatively speaking, next to the glory of Neriak. This could well be a zone, and a race, that lures more players to move over to the darker side of the game’s factions.

Look for Update 35 to release sometime during the week of May 21, if all goes according to plan.

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