Live Update

[Gninja]

Update Notes: June 28, 2005 6/28/2005 7:00 AM

*** Headlines ***

- The Splitpaw Saga begins!
- Examining an item now shows which classes can use it!
- Track the progress of your skill growth with the revamped skills window!
- Take 360-degree screenshots of your characters!


*** The Splitpaw Saga ***

- The EverQuest II team is pleased to announce the launch of our second Adventure Pack: The Splitpaw Saga!
- Those who purchase this Adventure Pack can access the new zones and /claim their azure shard. Venture into the Thundering Steppes, examine your shard, and seek out the mysterious terraporters that have appeared!
- The entrance to the Upper Tunnels of Sundered Splitpaw has recently been unearthed in the southern reaches of the Thundering Steppes. To enter the Upper Tunnels, you must have first explored Delving into the Darkness and completed that adventure.
- The Splitpaw Saga is intended for characters that are levels 20 to 50. The new zones automatically scale their population based on the average level of group members.
- Experience new styles of gameplay as you move objects and use explosive devices to solve puzzles and explore the depths of this deadly gnoll den.
- Many new items are available in the new zones. Players who don't purchase The Splitpaw Saga can buy these and other goods from adventurers who explore the caves below the Thundering Steppes.
- To download the files necessary for the Adventure Pack, run EverQuest II and click "Download Options" on the launchpad. Under "Optional Downloads," check the box next to "Adventure Pack #2: The Splitpaw Saga." If you wish to receive the files right away, check the box next to "Download Immediately." If you would prefer to let the files download in the background while you use your computer for other tasks, leave the box unchecked.
- As a bonus for all players, gnolls across Norrath now have improved animations!


*** Item Examine Information ***

- Examining items such as armor, weapons, and spell scrolls will now show which classes can use them and at what level they can be equipped. This replaces the previous information that showed the skill name and required skill level, which was often confusing.
- In the near future we will modify the market window to allow browsing by class.


*** Skills Window ***

- The Skills window (opened by using the L key) is now divided into Adventure, Tradeskill, and Utility tabs.
- The Adventure tab displays combat-related skills that grow as you use them. Examples of this include crushing, slashing, and defense.
- The Tradeskill tab shows your harvesting abilities (e.g. foresting, mining, trapping) and knowledges used in crafting like metalworking, artistry, and chemistry.
- The Utility tab shows skills like swimming, and lists the languages your character has learned.
- Skills that increase automatically as you level (such as light armor, great axe, etc.) are no longer listed.


*** 360 Degree Screenshots ***

- You can now issue a single command to make the camera travel in a circle around your character and take a series of screenshots. Use them to make your own 360-degree mini-movies of your character or the environment!
- To take character pictures, go into third-person mode and set the camera the desired distance from your character. Then type the "/cl_screenshot_orbit" command, which will cause the camera to circle around your character and take a series of 36 screenshots.
- Use the "/cl_screenshot_orbit_count X" command to specify the number of shots you'd like the camera to take (where X is the desired number).
- To take environment shots, go into first-person mode and issue the "/cl_screenshot_orbit" command. This will cause the camera to turn in a circle and take shots of your character's surroundings.
- Take these shots and combine them into mini movies, just like we did on http://www.everquest2.com!


*** Gameplay ***

- Players can no longer mount griffins while feigning death.
- You can now see the spirit shards of group members.


*** Zones and Population ***

- Wolves in Rivervale now drop corpse loot.
- The zone out from Drafling Tower should now be safer.
- The following NPCs will now remain about twice as long in their respective zones: Mangler (Rivervale); Grimfeather, Doomsquall, and General Linarius (the Thundering Steppes); Underwurm (the Commonlands); The Seraph of the Stags (Everfrost).
- Lord Gydak's companions in Stormhold should now go away after a time if Gydak isn't killed.
- Characters should no longer fall through the ground when running into doors in the Temple of Cazic-Thule.
- The cartographer's group in the Orcish Wastes should now stay closer together, thus the encounter should no longer break.
- Player characters entering the instanced zones in the Orcish Wastes (the Sullon Mines, the Tallon Hording Halls, and the Dark Den) should now arrive at the proper starting location.
- Menders have been added to the docks of the Thundering Steppes and Nektulos Forest.
- Skulkers in the Ruins will no longer flee when low on health.
- The Disciple of Satrinah no longer carries much in the way of valuables.


*** Epic Encounters ***

- Rognog the Angler is back, but his stomping grounds can only be entered once every six days.


*** Quests ***

- Master training tomes now require killing "lavacrawlers" instead of "thoughtbleeders" as the latter were too rare.
- The mail kiosk in Temple Street no longer blocks one of the spawn points of a sabotage target.
- Obsid will now provide another Cracked Stone Hand Axe during the early stages of the Polished Granite Tomahawk heritage quest if the original axe was destroyed.
- Fixed an issue with the Obelisk of Lost Souls access quest located in the Feerrott. Defeating The Eye of Thule's guardians will once again start the temple event as part of "The Mark of the Adumbrate."
- Defeating a bouldering during “The Lost Legend of Lavastorm� heritage quest will now update “a bouldering heart� every time.


*** Items ***

- Items that have a guild status cost will now refund the spendable status points when you sell them back to a merchant. If you're not in a guild when you sell the item back, the points will be available when you join another guild.
- Golden Efreeti Boots now regenerate 5 power per tick. Robe of the Invoker now regenerates 7 power per tick. These regen effects will stack with each other.
- An item with the Battlement of the Mind effect now regenerates 5 power per tick. While this effect will stack with either or both of the items above, having multiple items with Battlement of the Mind will not result in additional power regeneration. The effect does not stack with itself.
- The proc on Cryptic Pants and Ethereal Shoulder Pads should now trigger at a more appropriate rate.
- Items with base levels that aren't a multiple of ten now display their resistance values correctly.
- The Fishermans Walking Stick now has a rod graphic instead of a sword.
- Rod of Pollution is now one-handed instead of dual-wield.
- Epee of the Hatebringer no longer has a No Rent flag.
- Slippers of the Fleshripper now equip in the feet slot instead of the head slot.
- Stun procs on items should no longer affect epic raid mobs.
- Girdle of the Grudgebearer is now a waist item.
- Expendable items should no longer regain charges when zoning.


*** Tradeskills ***

- The guild level requirement on Wyrmsteel recipes has been lowered from 30 to 25.


*** Controls, Commands, and User Interface ***

- The target window now clears properly after a character has been resurrected.
- The tooltip that is visible when mousing over house decorations now shows the amount of status reduction provided.
- Mousing over an activatable item will now display the number of charges remaining.
- The new fonts introduced in the last live update are now brighter and crisper, and should fit better in many of the game windows.
- Font size should now save correctly in chat windows.
- The new fonts introduced in the last update are now available on the French and German versions of EverQuest II, although they are disabled by default until spacing issues in some of the game windows can be addressed. If you wish to enable the smoother fonts, you can do so by checking the box in the options menu under “Options->User Interface->Game Windows->Smooth Fonts.�


*** UI Files Updated ***

eq2ui_mainhud_skills.xml
eq2ui_commonelements.xml
eq2ui_specialelements.xml
eq2ui_textstyles.xml
eq2ui_windowelements.xml
eq2ui_examine.xml

-The EverQuest II Team