House of Thule Half Price At Steam and Direct2Drive

House of Thule can be purchased at Steam for $19.99. The following things are assumed, it would be best to ask Steam and/or SOE to confirm them:

a.) Limited time only. Most likely this offer will end after the holidays.
b.) For new accounts only. The page claims it will not work for current accounts. I would suggest checking with SOE if you have a current account and wish to upgrade it to HoT.
c.) You must provide a valid credit card to register and play.
d.) You must sign up and install Steam.

Also note that many people are reporting problems downloading and installing EQ through Steam. It is currently suggested that you begin the downloading through Steam, once the download reaches 1-2%, you can right click the expansion in your Steam games list, then "View game properties", one of the tabs has the key which you can enter via the "accounts" page on Sony station.

At that point, you can download EQ through the Sony Station Launcher and then enter the key you need.

Underfoot is also on sale for $9.99 from Steam if you prefer to get that instead. If you get HoT, it includes Underfoot and all other expansions.

This thread on the SOE forums explains more.

UPDATE: Direct2Drive also has EQ at half price, plus a extra 10% discount code "Grinch".
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Patch Scheduled December 15, 2010

An emergency patch is due:

All EverQuest Live Servers (except Al'Kabor) will be coming down on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 5:00 am US Pacific (US Pacific-PST is -8 GMT: 6:00 am MST, 7:00 am CST, 8:00 am EST, 1:00 pm GMT, 2:00 pm CET) for an update to resolve a few emergency issues. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for 3 hours. We apologize for the inconvenience. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed.

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Servers To Be Down Thursday, December 9, 2010

In addition to the patch on Wednesday December 8, there will also be a server downtime on December 9.

All EverQuest Live Servers (except Al'Kabor) will be coming down on Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 1:00 am US Pacific (US Pacifc-PST is -8 GMT: 2:00 am MST, 3:00 am CST, 4:00 am EST, 9:00 am GMT, 10:00 am CET) for SOE Network Maintenance. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for 11 and ½ hours.

This downtime is separate from the Game Update downtime on Wednesday, December 8th. We apologize for the inconvenience. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed.

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Ninja Nerfs to Alleviation Effects

On the Test Server, Sympathetic Alleviation items from Underfoot are now not working on 87+ spells.

From the thread, we discovered that all older Alleviation Effects have been either nerfed or will be nerfed.

The lack of patch notes on this change was an oversight on my part. This was a change that was meant to be made back before HoT launch, at the same time I changed the Agreeable Alleviation spell line to cap at 86. The truth is that we simply made these spell lines too good and we needed to close them down. HoT augs have a similar mana return line, just not with as high of a return.

I know this will not be a well received change but it's a necessary one. Sorry for the confusion.

- Chandrok, EQ Developer

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Frostfell Coming December 8, 2010 through January 8th 2011

Frostfell Preview!
(December 8, 2010 through January 8th 2011)
Frostfell Overview

As the season of Frostfell slowly peeks over the horizon, several of your fellow Norrathians are making their way to the major cities and the Plane of Knowledge in search of adventurers willing to help them with their holiday tasks.

Frostfell will be celebrated throughout Norrath and beyond from December 8, 2010 through January 8, 2011. Various activities and events will be available at different intervals throughout the season, so make sure you're ready to join in the fun on day one.

Two new adventures, Operation: Jolliness and Gathering Holiday Cheer, are coming as well as the old quests returning.

Read the SOE official post here.
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Alas poor Enrage.. I knew it...

Though we're past design lock for the December patch, I thought I'd pass along that with the January patch, we're removing Enrage from NPCs from the game entirely.

- Elidroth Renato (Doug Cronkhite), Game Designer, Sony Online Entertainment, LLC

Read the entire thread on SOE forums here.
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EverQuest Switching to LaunchPad 3

On December 1, 2010, EverQuest will be switching over to the LaunchPad 3 version of the download client. The older versions will no longer work to download and patch EverQuest.

In order to help with this transition, please share your feedback about any issues that you currently experience with LaunchPad 3. LaunchPad 3 can be accessed through this link.

Note: LaunchPad 3 is not the same as Station Launcher.

The above quote is from this thread on the SOE forums.

Note: Station Launcher is separate from LaunchPad and should continue working.

UPDATE:

The launchpad upgrade will likely not happen until January.

- Steven S. Klug, EverQuest Lead Programmer

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DoT duration issues with multiple casters

Currently, the first caster to land DoT "A" on a mob will have it land with all extension bonuses (AA/potion/etc). The second, third, and beyond casters to land DoT "A" will have it land for only base duration.

I had QA verify this before Thanksgiving, which they did, and it's now in the coding bug queue, but I have no view into where it is on their priority list. I'll see if I can get some info.

- Elidroth Renato (Doug Cronkhite), Game Designer, Sony Online Entertainment, LLC

From this thread on the SOE forums.
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Patch Scheduled December 8, 2010

From a SOE forums post:

The next patch is Dec. 8th.

- Steven S. Klug, EverQuest Lead Programmer

UPDATE:

All EverQuest Live Servers (except Al'Kabor) will be coming down on Wednesday, December 10, 2010 at 12:00 am US Pacific (US Pacifc-PST is -8 GMT: 1:00 am MST, 2:00 am CST, 3:00 am EST, 8:00 am GMT, 9:00 am CET) 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.

NOTE: It is assumed that it is an error that the SOE post says "December 10" rather then "December 8".
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"EverThanks" Begins

From November 22nd to November 30th some special events happen on Norrath.

* From Tuesday, November 23rd to Monday, November 29th, the Symbol of the Sated will be available on the Marketplace at no cost. This symbol causes those around you to yawn as if sated.

* From 12:00 noon (PST) on Tuesday, November 23rd to 12:00 noon (PST) on Monday, November 29th faction hits, both positive and negative, all across the world will be increased.

* From 12:00 noon (PST) on Tuesday, November 23rd to 12:00 noon (PST) on Monday, November 29th, several rare encounters will increase the rate of their appearance.

* The Haunting of Norrath events return on Monday, November 22nd and will remain until November 30th. UPDATE: Not all Halloween events will return, only the two new ones for 2010 that were bugged.

The entire SOE article is here.
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Some Itemization Errors To Be Fixed Next Patch

Some belts are missing potion belt slots, and cultural seals and gloves with the wrong focus effects are on the list to be fixed.

For more, click these links about the belts, the seals, and the gloves.

UPDATE: In addition, the HoT augs currently flagged as Range will have the 1H restrictions changed so they actually fit in ranged weapons next patch. This is reported in this thread.

MORE:

The lack of type 3 slots on [HoT] shields was an oversight on my part. This will be fixed in the next patch.

- Chandrok, EQ Developer

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Enchanter Glyph Spray To Be Fixed In Next Patch

From this thread on the SOE forums:

It's been fixed internally, and had the agro modified significantly. It should be nicely usable with the next full patch.

- Elidroth Renato (Doug Cronkhite), Game Designer, Sony Online Entertainment, LLC

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Morell's Castle Raid On Hiatus

From this thread on the SOE forums:

It has come to our attention that we may have to change the requirements to enter the raid in Morell's Castle. It looks as though someone (me) made some poor decisions about what should be required to get the raid. It all works as designed, but the design isn't very good. Essentially, it's way too easy to get into. The requirements, as they are, would pretty much destroy the raid progression. So it needs to be changed.

So we have given Towerguard Melbur a vacation until we get it fixed.

Also, we have made some fixes to the raids in Sanctum Somnium that we can't push live until our December update. This adds incentive to prevent folks from accessing the Castle raid, so that we can have time to get those fixes in as well.

I'm sorry about the mistake. We're figuring out what changes need to be made now, but can't actually make them without a full patch, and that will happen in early December.

I am extremely sorry about this error and the delay it will cause the guilds that are pushing up to those raids.

Thank you for your patience.

- Absor, EQ Developer

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Target Ring Bugged, To Be Fixed Next Patch

Various memory management problems, which are reflected with a bugged target ring, should be fixed in the next patch.

Found the problem. This will be fixed next patch.

- Steven S. Klug, EverQuest Lead Programmer

This thread on the SOE forums discusses the issues.
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Shadowrest Being Removed With January Game Update

From this SOE forums post by Zatozia, Community Relations:

Greetings Everyone!

The Shadowrest zone where old corpses go after the timer runs out will be going away with the Game Update in January 2011. The zone is no longer needed due to corpses not having items anymore.

If you have questions regarding this zone please respond to this thread and we'll try to get answers for you.

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Patch Scheduled November 10, 2010

From the in-game Welcome to EverQuest window:

Events of: 11/10/2010
Live Update
Start Time: 01:00 AM
Ending Time: 08:00 AM
Description: The next live update is scheduled for this date.

UPDATE:

All EverQuest Live Servers (except Al'Kabor) will be coming down on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 1:00 am US Pacific (US Pacifc-PST is -8 GMT: 2:00 am MST, 3:00 am CST, 4:00 am EST, 9:00 am GMT, 10:00 am CET) for a Game Update. The servers are estimated to be unavailable for 7 hours. Keep an eye on the EQ Players website and the forums for status updates and for news if additional downtime is needed.

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Important Spell Reward Change

From the in-game Update Notes:

11/03/2010

*** Important News ***

In next week's patch we are adding the Wave of Dreams spell to the same reward option as Denon's Dirge of Disruption and we are adding Sotor's Chant of Flame to the same reward option as Lyssa's Lively Crescendo.

If you have not yet turned in a Glowing Dream Fragment to get either of those two spells, please wait until the patch to do so. If you have already turned in dream fragments, CS is currently in the process of reimbursing you for the fragments you turned in. Please hold onto the new dream fragments to turn them in after the patch.

If you turned in fragments for either of these spells and have still not been reimbursed after next week's patch, please petition for replacement fragments. Please do not petition until after the update.

The EverQuest Team

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Halloween Quest and Group Mission To Be Fixed, Will Re-Occur Thanksgiving Week

Last week our patch person, Aristo, was on vacation.

I tried to muddle through a hotfix.

It seems I got old data hotfixed into Plane of Knowledge.

We are working on a hotfix to get the proper data in. I am trying to streamline it to a few hours, but it may be as late 4am 11/3 (about 12 hours from this post)

We are also going to have this even re-occur thankgiving week since it had so many issues during its normal time.

- Ngreth, EQ Developer

From this SOE forums thread.

UPDATE:

Greetings!

The Haunting of Norrath event will automatically end on November 7th. However, due to the issues experienced, the EQ team has decided to return the Haunting of Norrath over the period of November 22nd to November 30th.

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Hotfix - November 2, 2010

*** Hotfix ***

- Removed see-invis flags from NPCs in the upper floor of House of Thule as it is primarily a travel zone.
- Tick Tock - Corrected an issue that was causing the raid to hang before getting to the clock phase.

From this SOE forums post.
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Experience in HoT Instances Unintentionally Low

It was an oversight.

- Ngreth, EQ Developer

The full thread on the SOE forums is here.
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