Loading... Extended Possibilities

Tags: in

Posted Tue, Sep 07, 2010 by B. de la Durantaye

Loading... is the premier daily MMOG newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer!

Welcome to the 1,413th edition of Loading...

EverQuest II Extended, Sony Online Entertainment's free-to-play with microtransactions game launched a few short weeks ago. Ben takes a look at the soft launch of the game and evaluates the value of the product today in Loading... Extended Possibilities

The Pulse

You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Pulse (What is The Pulse?).

Today's top 5 Pulse results:

Biggest movers today:

Dark Age of Camelot
- UP 2 to #17
Guild Wars 2
- UP 1 to #14
Champions Online
- down 1 to #15

Recent Releases

7/27 - Need for Speed World (release)
7/27 - StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (release)
8/17 - City of Heroes: Going Rogue (release)
8/18 - EverQuest II Extended (release)
9/7 - Aion: Assault on Balaurea (free expansion)

Upcoming Releases

September 30, 2010 - Final Fantasy XIV (release)
October 26, 2010 - LEGO Universe (release)
November 2, 2010 - DC Universe Online (release)

Upcoming Events

10/5 - 10/8 - GDC Online
10/8 - 10/10 - New York Comic Con
10/22 - 10/23 - BlizzCon
3/24 - 3/26 (2011) - CCP FanFest

Loading... digesting MMOGs so you don't have to.

As the MMOG world moves steadily forward and more games move towards alternate revenue models a few companies stand at the front paving the way for other Western developers. Obviously we've seen huge breakthroughs from Turbine with Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited and the soon to be free-to-play options of The Lord of the Rings Online, but Sony Online Entertainment has taken a big step and said: "hey, we have some ideas too."

A few short weeks ago SOE brought us a soft launch of EverQuest II Extended: the EverQuest II we all know and love but with different pricing models from free-to-play all the way up to a $200 per year Platinum membership. So how is it? Is it worth checking out?

Resident dedicated EverQuest II writer, Savanja, wrote a good column yesterday on the top reasons to try it out. I agree with all her points. It can be played completely free; you can spend only what you want to fit any budget; it's a solid game (and dare I say one of the best on the market); there are tons of players on the server; it's as casual or as hardcore as you want it to be; you can try before you buy; and it's easy to talk friends into trying something free. I'd like to expand upon my experience of EverQuest II Extended today.

Let me start out by saying I have an active EverQuest II account. I have since launch because I invariably end up going back to the game. Even with that in mind though, I couldn't stay away from EQ2x. Why? For me, it was simply due to the population. On my live server leveling up a new character can get pretty lonely. As good as the game is, I think we've seen its peak of subscribers. There simply aren't many new players coming into the game apart from some friend referrals here and there. With EQ2x it's a whole different ballgame. There's only one server and it's jam-packed with players. This makes it particularly fun when you want to check out a dungeon or complete a tough quest and need backup. Sure, many of us have guilds, but let's be honest: there's not always enough players of the right level online to do what we want and/or need to do in most guilds. In EQ2x that problem simply doesn't exist. There are lots of players to fill out groups and it's quick and easy to make new friends because of it.

The community is unlike many popular MMOGs. For the mostpart it's a friendly, helpful and courteous crowd. Obviously there are some exceptions but I can say with conviction that I don't remember the last time I logged onto a game and enjoyed the company of almost everyone I've had contact with in the community. I'm guessing the quality of the community comes from the fact that many of the players on the server are like me: old EQ2 players who are making a new home on the server. The good thing here is that a friendly atmosphere is contageous and soon enough the vast majority are fun and friendly.

The game hasn't been cheap for me though. While I do know several who have yet to pay more than $10, I have invested a lot of money into the game. I'm lazy, don't like harvesting, but really want to level up my weaponsmith. So having the ability to buy crafting supplies direct from the EverQuest II marketplace is convenient, but it's starting to add up in price. Yes, this is completely optional as I could harvest the materials myself, or buy them from other players. I'm just saying that while you can shortcut aspects of the game, it will add up in cost over time... pretty quickly in fact.

Other expenses that may be hard to resist are unlocking races and classes. 750 Station Cash ($7.50 USD) will get you three races unlocked or one class unlocked. Alternatively you can upgrade to a Gold account for $14.99 per month which will unlock all the classes (but you'll still have to buy race packs if you don't like the default options). Or $200 per year will get you a Platinum account which will have all races and classes unlocked.

Inventory space is a bit on the unrealistic side even for free-to-play. With only 2 bag slots available with Bronze membership (free-to-play) and very few bank slots free, it won't be long until you simply have to upgrade to get more. The biggest problem here is that currently there are no marketplace options to unlock inventory space apart from upgrading to a gold or platinum account. A silver account (one time fee of $10) will unlock an additional slot, but that still isn't much. Hopefully we'll see more options for inventory space become available soon.

Overall EverQuest II Extended has once again renewed my interest in the game. I think SOE still has a way to go yet to optimize the efficiency of purchases and the availability of services and items on the marketplace but we are seeing a good start. Even though the characters created now will never be deleted and servers are up 24/7 (apart from regular weekly patches) the game still is in beta, meaning SOE is still figuring these sorts of things out. Once they're content with everything we'll see the game promoted to a greater extent. In the interim though, hop on in and give it a try. And, more importantly, give SOE your feedback. Free-to-play games are still a developing concept with Western audiences so the only way they'll improve is for you and me to let the developers know what we think.

Have you been playing EQ2x? Let us know what you think in the forums.

Today's Hottest Articles, Guides, and Features from Ten Ton Hammer

8 new Ten Ton Hammer features today! 16 Ten Ton Hammer features in September! 971 in 2010!

FROM PAX 2010

HOT! Guild Wars 2 - Hands-On at PAX Prime Part 1
http://www.tentonhammer.com/gw2/previews/pax2010/hands-on-part-one

This weekend at PAX Prime in Seattle, Ten Ton Hammer was fortunate enough to get plenty of hands-on time with the live demo for Guild Wars 2. In fact, we even managed to play through full demo sessions of both the low level human experience in and around the village of Shaemoor, as well as the mid-level charr content including the epic Shatterer event and a whole lot more.

Since the overall breadth of content to consume in the Guild Wars 2 demo encompasses far more than what a single article could properly cover, we have a two part look at the game in action. First up, Ethec shares his thoughts and experiences in his first hands-on impressions of the game, specifically as a low level human ranger. How is the game shaping up so far? Read on and find out!

HOT! PAX 2010 Hands-On Preview of Torchlight II
http://www.tentonhammer.com/torchlight2/previews/pax2010

Ten Ton Hammer joins Executive Producer Travis Baldree for our first hands-on session with the multiplayer morphed sequel to the best action RPG of 2009, Torchlight II. Travis tells us a bit about two announced classes and their skills, how pets will change, and what kind of changes to gameplay and the world will make multiplayer not only possible, but worthwhile. It's all in our newest Torchlight II preview from PAX 2010.

Firefall Game Trailer from PAX 2010
http://www.tentonhammer.com/firefall/videos/pax-trailer

Has Firefall piqued your interest? It has ours. We got our hands on the trailer from PAX 2010 to tease us a little more with this exciting upcoming MMO shooter from Red 5 Studios. Strap yourself in, turn off your safety, and enjoy the official Firefall trailer direct to you from PAX.

Firefall Gameplay Video from PAX 2010
http://www.tentonhammer.com/firefall/videos/gameplay-pax

One of the most pleasant surprises for us at PAX Prime 2010 was Red 5 Studio's announcement of their upcoming MMO shooter, Firefall. This team shooter game promises to have big fun attached from the early peek we have seen. In this video we see some of the actual gameplay of the game and it's hard not to get fired up for Red 5's newest project.

REGULAR FEATURES

WoW Weekly Report - Beta Patches, Hunter Pets, Zones Changes, and More
http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/newsletter/issue83

This week we look at some of the recent Beta patches, new Hunter Pets, the changes to Tanaris and a lot more. In addition, the network launched the open beta of a great new tool PlayerScore, and our WoW forums got a complete face-lift. You'll also get all the news regarding World of Warcraft so you don't miss a thing. All this and more in our WoW Weekly Report every Tuesday.

FEATURES & GUIDES

EVE Online - Single-Planet Business Options
http://www.tentonhammer.com/eve/guides/politics/single-planet

Figuring out what can be made on any single planet is pretty complicated. Thankfully, we have Space Junkie, who has braved these stormy waters, to show us what we can make on any given planet.

Top Reasons to Try the EQ2 Extended Server
http://www.tentonhammer.com/eq2/editorials/trying-eq2x

If you haven't tried the newest free-to-play server that SOE has introduced for EverQuest II then you are missing out! EQ2 Extended offers a whole new way to experience the popular world of Norrath and judging by the holiday weekend traffic in the newbie areas, it has become the place to be. Still not sure if EQ2X is for you? Read up on the top reasons why everyone should give at least give the F2P server a try.

StarCraft II - Campaign Mercenary Guide
http://www.tentonhammer.com/starcraft2/guides/mercenaries

You'd think with a reputation like Jim Raynor's, you'd get the best in the galaxy to fight for you by default. Such is not the case though, for the best of each unit in the land command a hefty price. With an instant build time and huge bonuses compared to their normal version though, buying the right mercenaries will give you a major edge in the campaign and enable you to breeze through otherwise hairy situations. We break down who is worth your hard earned credits in our Campaign Mercenary Guide!