The Tempest Hits Norrath

Game Update 46 Preview

 

By: Savanja

 

With SOE's continuing trend of adding more action packed content for the low, low price of zero, it really wasn't a huge surprise to see another live event and another zone make it's way into Norrath during the summer playtime slump. Ten Ton Hammer, among other esteemed community sites, were offered a preview of the newest Game Update features, and you can sure bet that we thrilled to tag along to an early look to pass along to our readers. What we found during this tour was that this was not just another GU...

 

Runnyeye: The Gathering

One of the biggest features of this GU is the addition of a new heroic zone for tier 8 players. Built from the footprint of the former Runnyeye, The Gathering couples the familiarity of a widely known zone with the excitement of all new enemies to conquer and all new challenges to face.

Upon entering Runnyeye, you'll find that when you right click on the door, you'll be given the option of either entering Runnyeye or Runnyeye: The Gathering. The old zone is still there for you to enjoy and The Gathering works as any other instance with the same instance rules and lock out timers.

Snok Eyegouger

Stepping inside, you really don't notice that anything has changed right away. Various mobs wonder the paths and a sneaky lil halfing hangs around the front door to chatter about various people. Behind the locked doors though, there is a definite change and amongst the pots of halfling stew you will not only find the expected named mobs and heroic encounters, but also several quest NPCs that are ready with a tale and a task.

One thing was made clear about this zone. It is meant to be challenging. EverQuest II is not in need of another farmable group instance, and all hail Marr, it is not one of those!

The named mob fights were likened somewhat to tier 8 raid encounters. Sure, you'll find a few named that follow the typical "tank -n- spank" format where nothing but sheer brawn will be needed to take down a mob, but then you will also see a few that take thought and strategy. This noticeable edge to the zone is what not only makes it special, but also what makes it the zone to clear and conquer. The final boss mob is stated to be a x2, which has thus far proven to be a challenge for even the most skilled of tester groups.

Obviously in a zone like this, there will be some concern regarding risk versus reward. The devs assured us that they made an effort to set loot drops that matched the difficultly of the zone and the mob you've killed. Expect to see a wide range of drops including the occasional master or fabled bit of goodies.

 

The Void Storms

Along with the fun zone addition, Game Update 46 introduces a new live event. In my opinion, this one is unlike any other and is very well done.

Enchanted Lands Storm

With any live event, the goal is to get players interested and engaged in the storyline. We've had some interesting (*cough*theplague*cough*) ones in
the past to be sure! Unfortunately, most events we've had have been somewhat limited and not always useful to all players. This is not at all true for The Gathering Tempest.

After the informative tour, I made me way back to check out the storm and pick up the corresponding quests. Speaking with an apprentice near the storm got me started searching the books and talking with the locals. You find some interesting bits of lore and I ended up visiting places that I haven't been to in a while.

After all the research is done, you are tasked with cleansing some of the effected creatures of Norrath. This is a repeatable quest and well worth doing over and over. Not because it's a highly stimulating quest, but because the rewards are downright cool.

At first I was unimpressed with my new title and some weird "note of appreciation". I read the note and found that I could visit a merchant who would take the note off my hands in exchange for goods. This is what I found:

Shadowed Set
Shadow Lurker Set
Night Set
Nature's Canopy Robe
Ocean's Serenity Robe
Ever Brooding Robe

 

Among housing items, weapons that you could actually use, and other neat little trinkets, you will find new robes, and a few new sets of armor. All mostly for looks of course, but they are so pretty! Being a diehard monk, the first thing I noticed was there was no gi. Definitely a bummer for me because I don't wear anything but a gi, but none the less, many will be pleased with the selection of rewards that these quests give.

To buy items, you do the repeatable quests, earn notes of appreciation, and use the notes to buy the items. Each item will cost anywhere from 1 to 5 notes, so you many have to gather quite a few to get a full set of shiny black armor, but with how pimp a full set looks, it's well worth the effort.

 

SOE has given their playerbase a fine Game Update this time around, and I am gleefully anticipating it's arrival on live servers. I hope to see you all soon in game, fighting the void!

 

If you have any questions or comments regarding this preview, please let me know directly or post it on our forums!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our EverQuest II Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

Comments