I have JUST heard from a very reliable source that EverQuest II’s next expansion will be on the frozen continent of Velious.
This was EverQuest’s second expansion, and for the first time brought a three faction war into the game, where players chose sides and earned rewards. Also appearing was Sleeper’s Tomb, which included the once-per-server event where players woke The Sleeper, the illicit child of forbidden dragon love, who was imprisoned lest he destroy the world.
So, waking him would be a bad thing.
More as I hear more.
Note to self: Start getting on SOE tours again…..
Considering that the Sleeper event was one of the hallmarks of early MMO lore, I can’t wait to see if SOE goes above and beyond to honor that. Thanks for the news, Tipa!
I’m glad to see Velious being dusted off! I remember drooling over the new armor graphics they introduced with Velious with all the gems and shinies all over them. And the Sleeper… 😀
Reliable sources aside, the GU 52 content on the test server includes what appears to be an invasion force from Velious hitting Kunark. I guess we’ll know for sure in two weeks, but it seems like a slam dunk.
Seems logical to me. Nice break.
Very interesting! I wasn’t really a fan of Velious in EQ but I’m sure the EQ2 team will do a good job with it. I hope they introduce some new content for lower levels players and don’t just focus on the high levels though. I want to start a new alt 🙂
“once-per-server” event. SoE knows this no longer flies, right?
I’m just hoping in their enthusiasm to bring the EQ1 magic to EQ2, they don’t make a once-per-server event, that I get to miss out on because I’m taking the kid to a soccer game, or in a guild that isn’t the top of the progression food-chain, know what I’m saying?
Currently on Test (my home server) the Order of Rime are setting up camp all across Kunark. They have what look like Frost Giants among them (confusingly, one of the Order says he’s never seen a giant, although as far as I can see he is standing about ten yards from one), they have Ice Dragons chained as sled-dogs to a floating island of ice and there’s a great, frozen patch of sea where they arrived, as if they brought Velious’ cold with them.
All that points to Velious. On the other hand, one of the quests involves stealing a load of trinkets from members of the Order of Rime and results in a bunch of curios from other parts of Norrath lost since the Shattering: Highpass and Gunthak are mentioned, as is the Black Sun Sea (was that even in original EQ, outside of concept art?). But apparently they have snow bunny fur curios too, and we all know where snow bunnies live.
On balance, I think it has to be Velious, though. And I really, really hope it is.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEESSSSSSSSSSS YEEESSSSSSSSSSS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (Fangirl squeeels and giggles)
Let the Drunken Thurgudin Races Commence!!!!!!
Releasing a re-imagining of Velious into EQ2 is about the ONE thing they could do that would make me renew my accounts for another year come December…hopefully they do it better justice than they did Kunark though -the EQ2 version of Kunark just did not have the feel of the old version at all…maybe it was the lack of trains and mob camps though :p
That said, Velious was far and away my favorite EQ1 experience – I have seen many people voice similar sentiments, so they do have a pretty high pre-existing expectation if they DO do Velious.
Interesting since they announced at Fan Faire the expansion will be Odus with the new starting city being Halas, level cap raise to 90, all due for a Feb. 2010 release.
This was written prior to the Fan Faire announcement 😉
I got all excited when this came out. When I heard Sentinel’s Fate announced I actually almost cried. =(