Sony Online Entertainment has announced that the live update number 19 will happen on February 2nd.
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The most noticeable addition to this
update is the new Character Progression system. The gradual Archetype
progression has been changed, and players will be able to choose their final
class at the beginning of the game, rather than working their way up to level
20. This change means that the class system will be a more unique experience
for players at low levels, and give players access to unique spells and
abilities that set their class apart. Newly-created characters will also begin
with new class-specific gear that will further differentiate players and make
the world feel more diverse.
The game’s Tutorial section has also
been dramatically changed. SOE would
like to bid a fond farewell to Captain Varlos and the good ship Far Journey, as
new players will now begin on one of two new islands, either the Outpost of the
Overlord (evil) or the Queen’s Colony (good). The islands still serve as a
“newbie” introduction to the game, but are much different from each other and
contain a number of quests to get players started.
In addition to benefits for new
players, one of the best dungeons in EQII, Solusek’s Eye, is receiving a content
overhaul, with new high-level action and rewards for players in the late 40s –
50s level range. This awe-inspiring dungeon is now the home to new, powerful
items, including fiery red equipment to match the dungeon’s theme.
Additionally, the new quests create a foundation for the storyline that will
develop in Kingdom of
Sky, the next
EQII expansion scheduled for February 21.
Additional changes in Live Update 19
include: changes to Mentoring to make it more fun for those helping their
lower-level friends; the ability to send cross-faction mail (good characters can
now send items and coin to evil characters and vice versa); a cleaner and
clearer Adventure writs system; expanded vault storage space in some of the
premium player housing; and tons of tweaks to the game’s user
interface.
Since EQII’s launch in November 2004
there have been literally thousands of changes and augmentations made to the
game. SOE is very excited about the upcoming live addition of PvP to Everquest
II, as well as the arrival of Kingdom of Sky, both
scheduled for February 21."
