Guild Hall Alchemy Table Graphic Bug to be Fixed

Right now the Guild Hall Alchemy Table looks like a large bag.  SOE has posted:

We're aware of the issue with Alchemy tables and it is on a list of bugs to be addressed.

New Guild Hall Soon to be Available for Platinum

In response to player outrage over the lack of a new style of guild hall obtainable without spending Station Cash, SOE responded:

Hey folks,

I wanted to post here and let you know the status of Guild Halls.  With the release of the expansion, Guild Halls beyond the basic model were always intended to be available as an addition through Station Cash. We wanted to deliver the core functionality (placing your guildhall in a neighborhood and being able to place objects in the guild hall as you choose) to everyone, along with cosmetic options available through the Marketplace as upgrades.

Based on some of your posts it seems there was some confusion about whether any new Guild Halls would be available for platinum. We have decided to add another Guild Hall in addition to the ones we have available already in a future content patch, probably the December patch, but as this is still in the development process we can't quite confirm the exact timing yet. The new Guild Hall will be made available in game through purchase with platinum. We greatly look forward to seeing all the creative efforts of the housing community, either with the current Guild Halls or the one forthcoming.

Regards,

-Piestro
EverQuest Community Manager

Shatter the Veil Achievement Bugged

According to SOE:

We'll be updating the requirements for this one, not everyone is getting it who should have gotten it.

Sorry for the confusion!

Exact details about what is needed to obtain it are still lacking.

Valley of Lunanyn Crashing Bug to be Fixed

At least one cause of the crashing that almost everyone experiences in the Valley of Lunanyn will be fixed in the November 22, 2011 patch.  Here is the post by Steven S. Klug, EverQuest Lead Programmer:

I identified what's causing this over the weekend.  There are some particle effects abusing memory in that zone.  A fix for this should be going out tonight.   But in the meantime if you turn your environment particles off, I believe it should fix the crashing issue until the particle fix goes out.

Crashing? Here's What You Can Do To Help Stop It

There is a thread on the SOE forum on this issue. SOE seems to think it is a problem that we should work around.  Still, they will fix it if we can get them some information to work with.

Here are the highlights:

The best way to reduce crashing due to memory issues is to change the Memory Mode to "Least memory usage". We're still a 32-bit game so EverQuest can only use 2 gigs even if you have 36.

To change this:

1. Open the options to the Display Tab.
2. Click the "Advanced" button.
3. In the "Advanced Options" window, change click on the combo box below "Memory Mode*" near the bottom left hand corner.
4. Select "Least memory usage:.
5. Type "/camp desktop" in your chat window.

If you can no longer enter the game to change this, change find GraphicsMemoryMode and make it look like "GraphicsMemoryMode=0" in your eqclient.ini file.

There was a bug related to players with large guild sizes and that was fixed in the patch this morning [Friday, November 18, 2011]. If you are still crashing with the same frequency (after changing your memory mode) then please send your dmp files to equserclient@soe.sony.com.

In addition to sending your dmp files, please send them the following:

Can you give me a rundown of your full system spec please? I'll forward it over to the coders who can look at it.

• CPU
• Motherboard
• Video card
• RAM
• Operating System

Also include any other details that are out of the ordinary about your system.

So, to sum up, if you are crashing a lot:

1. Set your Memory Mode to "Least memory usage".
2. Send SOE as much information as you can on the crashes. The more email they get on the issue, the more likely they are to fix it; and the more information they have, the more chance they can track it down.

Hot Button Window Shape Bug to be Resolved Soon

Currently, some people have a bug where after they change the shape of the Hot Button Window it resets itself after they log out.

JChan, EQ Developer, reports that the fix:

Unfortunately not it didn't make it to today's patch.

Issues with Special Mercenary Contracts

From this SOE forum post:

Hey folks,

Just to let you know, there are issues that may prevent some special mercenary contracts from working currently. We're aware of this issue and working on a fix, potentially for the planned 11/22 patch. Sorry for any inconvinience [sic], these items will be restored to full functionality as soon as possible.

Thanks,

- Piestro
EverQuest Community Manager

Patch Scheduled Tuesday, November 22, 2011

No official word, but according to this post by Ngreth, EQ Developer:

It may go in with tonight's emergency patch, if not it will be in the patch on the 22nd.

UPDATE:  Additional "confirmation" from this post by Piestro, SOE Community Relations:

We're aware of this issue and working on a fix, potentially for the planned 11/22 patch.

UPDATE:  Finally, official word:

All EverQuest Live Servers will be coming down on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 4:00 am US Pacific* for a emergency maintenance. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for approximately 4 hours. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed. 

Miragestone Bug Destroys Stacks, Merchant Price Lowered

From this SOE forum thread, Ngreth, EQ Developer, comments on the issue:

The stack size change was a mistake.  They will be returned to 100 stacking.  You can petition for replacements.  You may want to wait until the stack size is returned.  It may go in with tonight's emergency patch, if not it will be in the patch on the 22nd.

The price change was intentional.

Some Valley of Lunanyn Tasks Not Updating Language

From this SOE forum post by Piestro, SOE Community Relations:

Yes, we've determined there is an issue with possibly 3 kill tasks. Good part is the fix should be retroactive as long as you click on a book.

Emergency Patch Scheduled Friday, November 18, 2011

All EverQuest Live Servers will be coming down on Friday, November 18, 2011 at 5:00 am US Pacific* for a emergency maintenance. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for approximately 3 hours. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed.

From this SOE forum thread.

SOE Reports Some Spawn Times Slower Than Intended

In a SOE forum thread about the slow spawn times of living steel, molten steel, living blades, empowered blades, a steel cyclone and a steel hurricane in Argath, Absor, EQ Developer stated the following:

Actually, those NPCs spawn very, very fast.  Unfortunately, there is some sort of issue with the large number of people in those zones that we've not seen before causing them to spawn super slowly.  We're looking at a way to fix it soon.

It is unclear if the "zones" he is referring to means that there are problems with spawn timers in other zones as well.

Wizard "Unresistable" Snare Nerfed

The Wizard Atol's Shackles spells have been nerfed.  They will no longer snare any mob.   Elidroth Renato (Doug Cronkhite), EQ Game Designer, commented in this SOE forum thread:

It's still unresistable to anything that isn't flagged immune to runspeed changes, which it should have never been usable on in the first place.

SOE Warns Berserkers Not to Buy New Ranks of Frenzied Volley

From a SOE forum post by Elidroth, EQ Game Designer:

BERZERKERS!

There is a bug with ranks 5, 6, and 7 of Frenzied Volley that will effectively cause you to stop proc'ing this effect at all. I will be fixing this the next time we patch following launch of VoA.

DO NOT BUY ranks 5, 6, and 7 of Frenzied Volley until after I can get it patched.

Tier 1 VoA Focus Effects Level to be Changed

For some strange reason, Tier 1 VoA group and raid gear have level 90 on the focus effects, with the effects degrading on spells above level 90.

This will be changed sometime after launch, according to Chandrok, EQ Developer:

While changing the focus to 90 did make sense at the time, we've decided to change it back to 95. Having the focus at 90 really doesn't make the armor appealing to anyone and we want it to be useful. This will happen sometime soon after launch.

Patch Scheduled Tuesday, November 15, 2011 for VoA Release

From SOE forums:

All EverQuest Live Servers will be coming down on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 12:00 am Pacific for a game update. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for 8 hours. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed.

HoT Armor Prices and Deadly Guild Lobby Virus to Change in First Patch after VoA

Two changes that are coming to EQ in the first patch after VoA is released (exact date unknown, assumed to be mid December).

First, the prices for NPC armor templates for House of Thule armor will be reduced:

This is a valid request in light of the lowered priced on VOA templates. I was already planning to lower the costs but it won't be done before launch. You should see the changes in the first patch after launch.

Next,  Virulent Pustules / Contagious Pustules will no longer spread among players in the Guild Lobby:

As amusing as this "feature" is, I will be closing the loophole that is allowing people to bring it to the guild lobby. This will happen in the first patch after the expansion launches.

Veil of Alaris NDA Lifted

From this post on the SOE forums:

As of 10:30am Pacific Tuesday, November 8, 2011 Beta participants are now released from the confidentiality requirements of the EverQuest Veil of Alaris Beta Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Thank you to everyone who waited patiently for the NDA to be lifted before sharing information with their friends!

Please note that even though the NDA has been lifted, there are still some limitations. Specifically the Veil of Alaris Beta forums remain under restriction. You are not permitted to share (especially via copy and paste) information from that section of the EQ Forums.

Thank you for participating in the Veil of Alaris Beta. We can't wait to see you in Alaris once it goes live!

-Piestro
EverQuest Community Manager

Corpse Experience Wipe November 15, 2011

From the SOE forums:

As part of the launch of EverQuest Veil of Alaris we will be wiping corpse experience on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. This is something we have done a number of times with previous content launches and should be expected with future content releases.

Please make sure to ressurect [sic] all corpses with experience that you would like to retrieve before the downtime on November 15, so that you have full credit for any experience you have earned.

Major Changes to Task and Mission Experience Beginning November 15

There are several changes being made.  Of importance right away, banked HoT and VoA group missions need to be claimed before November 15 or no experience will be granted.  Banked HoT and VoA solo missions will give less experience if claimed after November 15.  "Banking" such rewards has become a common way to get a head start on new expansions.

HoT and VoA Group mission rewards banked before November 15 will not grant any experience, and HoT and VoA solo mission reward experience will be reduced, if claimed after November 15.

More changes are being made:

• Experience Rewards
• For group tasks not in instanced zones, experience will be awarded to all group members within 300' of the final step in the Task. This is usually a Hail or Delivery, and in the few cases where a Task ended on killing a NPC these tasks will receive an additional step.
• For group Tasks in an instanced mission, Task experience will be handed out upon opening of the chest. Experience will be shared with group members within 300' of the chest.
• Characters will need to be living at the time experience is awarded, please make sure to resurrect anyone in the party who may have met an untimely end before you trigger the experience award.
• Other Rewards
All rewards other than experience including progression flags, coin, and any items will be shared as they always have been. No changes to rewards other than experience are being implemented.
• House of Thule Experience Changes
• As stated above, House of Thule Tasks (solo and group) are currently awarding too much experience. Experience for House of Thule Tasks will be reduced by approximately 50%.

Given these changes we highly recommend claiming any unclaimed Task rewards before November 15. If you claim previously completed Tasks after November 15, your awards will be affected in the following ways:

• Previously completed Solo Tasks will receive the modified experience rewards.
• Previously completed Group Tasks will receive no experience reward, as the Task Rewards will have been significantly modified.

Read the entire post, as well as further explanations, on the SOE forum thread.