Qindaar spent a good part of the day yesterday working his way up the Hero’s Progression, he accomplished two more parts of it.  He was not able to join Valmantia and Vmalice last night to run daily’s, missed their test message that they were logged in, so he missed out on that.

Tonight is Halloween, se I have a party to attend and guests spending the night so I will not be able to play tonight as well.

Have a great Halloween!

Yesterday afternoon was a quiet time, Sony brought the servers back up a little late but not bad.  I downloaded the new interface that I use, AYATDSv1 from EQInterface, purchased the new expansion pack and logged into the game.  Once the new expansion was installed I unzipped the new interface into place and went on from there.

Qindaar visited his home at 108 Park Place and paid the mortgage for the next thirteen weeks and hung the new artwork from the expansion pack.  Still need to buy furniture, etc. because the house is total empty. From there he traveled back to the Guild Lobby and moved all his mounts to the new mount key ring so that freed up several slots in his bags which is great, saves on trips to the bank and vendors.

Hopefully will get some time this afternoon to do some more achievements and rack up some more experience.

The new expansion, “The Forbidden Sea” is currently being uploaded to the Sony Servers. Sony says it will be about 10 hours to update, which would make it 10am here on the West Coast, though I have never known them to be correct and it usually takes longer.

I have spent the morning downloading the new UI fixes for the custom UI I use from EQInterface and once the game is up, I am sure I will have to tweak that which will take some time.

Spent several hours yesterday working on achievements.  There was supposed to be some changes to achievement system in this patch but they were put off.  So far I have found that these achievements are not anything truly special.  They are usually a chain of quests that you would have done while you were leveling, that would be leveling and enjoying the content and not leveling by blowing through everything. So as I grind away on these I get to visit places I have not been, but the running back and forth on these chain quests is a bit tiresome.  Typically it takes about 45 – 60 minutes a quest, so at that rate it is going to take me 80 hours of game play to accomplish the Hero’s Adventure Achievement. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, it is something I want to do, but a warning that it is a slow progress that will take you away form serious leveling time.

New Updates

October 28, 2014

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“So where did Firiona say she was going, anyway?” Tivalin asked.

“She said she couldn’t tell us all, or else –,” Naissa replied,looking upwards and suddenly clamping her hands over her ears.”What is that sound?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, cocking his head. “I don’t hear a thing.”

“My ears are about to burst!”

“Calm down. You’ve always been sensitive to powerful magic; it’s probably a new experiment. Let me cast this shield over you. It should–”

Beams of light struck all around them, scorching the marble of the courtyard. Tivalin looked up, shielding his eyes against the blinding light that suddenly appeared at the top of the dome.

“By Tsaph’s heart! Run!” Tivalin screamed as he pulled the helpless Naissa into the temple. He took a deep breath to sound the alarm, but his cry only came out as a muffled grunt when a red-mailed fist sent him reeling into unconsciousness.

“Sit down, hero. I’m not here for you and I don’t have time to chat.”

The dark elven Mistress of Hate stepped over the pair as she stalked into the chamber where the legendary Combine ruler Tsaph Katta had resided since his poisoning. Behind her, water poured into the city.

*** EverQuest: The Darkened Sea ***

– SOE All Access members are now able to purchase and access EverQuest’s twenty-first expansion: The Darkened Sea!

– Gain level 105, and obtain upgraded spells, abilities, and AA powers!

– SOE All Access members who have chosen the option to have AAs auto-granted will now gain abilities from House of Thule.

– Explore new islands within the Buried Sea, and work with Firiona Vie to save the life of Tsaph Katta and keep the ancient power of the Combine Empire out of Lanys T’Vyl’s hands!

– Use the Mount Key Ring to store your mounts! You can choose to assign a “stat” mount to receive the stat bonus from but have the appearance of a different mount. Hot buttons can be made from the mounts in this window for easy access in a hot bar.

*** Highlights ***

– Top Tier items from Call of the Forsaken have had their focus effect caps extended to level 103.

– Dozens of new items are coming to the Marketplace! Be sure to have a look at the spookiest decorations for the season!

– Beam spells should no longer incorrectly count corpses in their total number of valid targets.

*** Items ***

– You can now loot a single item out of a no drop stack if you have no drop loot confirmations turned on.

– Using the bandolier to swap between a dual wield setup and a ranged weapon setup will no longer cause items to disappear if your inventory is full.

– Corrected an issue where bane damage on weapons was not properly applying to the proper races.

– Top Tier items from Call of the Forsaken have had their focus effect caps extended to level 103.

– Adjusted the way that the Melodious Befuddlement effect from Melodious Truncheon is resisted.

– Dozens of new items are coming to the Marketplace! Be sure to have a look at the spookiest decorations for the season!

*** Quests & Events ***

– Heroic Adventures now have a six hour lockout upon completion.

– A Cunning Plan – Looting a key in this raid should once again give you access to the areas where you can battle the Architect and the Monarch.

*** Spells ***

– Druid – Fixed an error that wasn’t allowing the spell Savage Spirit to be memorized or cast.

– Druid – Nurturing Growth can no longer have its duration extended by focus effects, but should still prevent itself from being cast again for its duration. Reduced the cast time to 3 seconds since this also can no longer be focused.

– Druid – Skin to Seedlings now works on incoming damage spells up to level 105.

– Enchanter – Baffler’s Aura, Arctender’s Aura/Echo, and Mastermind’s Aura/Echo will now increase endurance regeneration as intended.

– Necromancer – Extended the level cap of spells focused by Scent of Dread to 108.

– Paladin – Increased the level cap of Remorseful Effect, a killshot proc from Remorse for the Fallen, to 105.

– Shadowknight – Increased the level cap of Remorselessness, a killshot proc from Remorseless Demeanor, to 105.

– Shadowknight – Increased the level cap of Unholy Aura Discipline to 250.

– Increased the total number of spell book pages from 90 to 100.

– /tgb will now work with mercenaries.

– Beam spells should no longer incorrectly count corpses in their total number of valid targets.

*** AA ***

– Monk – Added modifiers to Dragon Punch and Eagle Strike to the Two-Fingered Wasp Touch ability. Reduced the damage debuff that is applied to targeted enemies.

– Warrior – Changed Phalanx of One to an activated but very long duration ability to resolve unintended stacking issues with other disciplines.

– Wizard – Removed the mana penalty from Arcane Fury to resolve a stacking issue with Prolonged Destruction.

– Added a new tab to the AA window for spell-specific focuses if your class has them.

*** Miscellaneous ***

– Increased the max buy line amount to 2,000,000 from 1,000,000 plat.

– Fixed an issue where petamorph or metamorph illusions were not properly scaling to the correct height.

*** UI ***

– Increased the maximum number of extended targets you can have. You must obtain new ranks of the Eyes Wide Open AAs to utilize them.

– Added an “Achievements” button to the inventory window.

– Removed the option to forward in-game e-mail to the out of game e-mail address on a player’s Station Account.

– Added many new drag item icons.

– Changed –

EQUI_AAWindow.xml

EQUI_Animations.xml

EQUI_DragItems.xml

EQUI_ExtendedTargetWindow.xml

EQUI_Inventory.xml

EQUI_ItemDisplay.xml

EQUI_OptionsWindow.xml

EQUI_SpellBookWnd.xml

*** Previously Updated ***

– Berserker – Savage Spirit has been returned to an activated discipline as intended.

– Bundle of the Ancient Gods will now correctly be removed from your inventory once it is opened.

– The EverQuest Team

Qindaar is well into working his Hero’s Achievements as noted by the picture.  Death all around.  Have put about five hours into working this large array of achievements and realized that there are so many that are linked together that I am going to have to rethink a strategy.  If Qindaar get to far ahead in one progression he leaves behind many other type of achievement goal so we may have to back up again and pick up some of these that overlap.

Just wanted to update everyone on the progression of achievements and discoveries.  Will keep everyone posted on the side effort.

Yesterday Qindaar set out to explore and do something other than Daily’s.  Daily’s are an important tool to leveling at a rapid pace, but it leaves much of the game behind.  If all your trying to do is reach that magic 100, then Daily’s are for you.  If you are truly wanting to immerse yourself into a another world, explore all the lands and visit all the weird places the game has to offer then you need to accomplish achievements and quests.

As I stated yesterday, Qindaar decided to go for the Hero of EverQuest Status.  This is an extremely long process and yes you need to accomplish things you should have done at level1, but you can breeze through those.  So far Qindaar has accomplished the first five of the 36 tasks in the Progression Portion.  So there is a long way to go.  Then there are three more major sections to do.  This is a long journey, but I am thinking of all the cool places I will be visiting and some I will be visiting again.

Vmalice and Qindaar started out yesterday afternoon on the daily’s, we died on the second set so we waited until the evening for Valmantia to join us and finish them up.  Happy to say Qindaar in now Level 89.  Time to dust off the spells that have been sitting in storage waiting for this day.

Now back to becoming a hero!

Joined up with our usual group last night to run Daily’s.  As I said yesterday, I was getting tired of them although the XP is still good, I am near level 89 now, could hit it tonight.  After doing Daily’s Valmantia asked if I would go along on the Tattoo Quest with her.  I wanted to but it was getting late and I had a bit too much to drink with dinner so I was falling asleep at the keyboard.  But that made me wonder, what could I do on my own that would be a change.  I found it!  Become an EQ Hero.  This is a four part Journey, starting with he Progression, then the Advancement, then Special tasks, then the conquest. See the adventure below:

Progression 1-5: Welcome to Crescent Reach 1-5: Ready for Combat 6-10: Important Errands 11-15: Making a Name For Yourself 16-20: Becoming a Hero 21-25: Welcome to the Moors 26-30: Battling Blightfire 31-35: Champion of the Moors 36-45: Welcome to Stone Hive 36-45: Short Sharp Sting 41-45: Welcome to the Mesa 46-50: Pranks and Research 51-55: Moving Up the Ranks 56-60: Ascending the Roost 61-70: Conquering the Steppes 65-75: Crusader of Scale 70-75: Disrupting the Mines 70-75: Exploring Vergalid 70-80: Monkey Island 70-80: Redfeather Isle 70-80: Maiden’s Grave 70-80: Jardel’s Hook 70-80: Deadbone Reef 70-80: Suncrest Ridge 70-80: Blacksail Folly 70-80: Assisting the Ak’Anon Strike Force V 76-83: Assistant to the Fangbreakers 76-83: Assistant Fangbreaker 80-85: Agent of Ak’Anon Strike Force V 75-80: Herald of Oceangreen Hills 75-80: Herald of Oceangreen Village 76-85: Champion of Blackburrow 80-85: The Army of Light 80-85: The Army of Obliteration 80-85: From the Fields to Kaesora 80-85: Storming Kaesora and Kurns

Advancement 1+: The Council of Six 1+: Love in the Air 1+: Boawb’s Jealousy 20+: Job Offers 20+: Two Gnolls With One Stone 20+: Stemming the Threat 30+: Battling the Bixies 30+: Makesn’s Plight 35+: Botanical Busywork 35+: Cooking With Honey 35+: Working for Warwing 40+: Dorina’s Love 40+: Madu’s Armor 45+: Ciodaru’s Love 45+: Bring Friends 50+: Ekaterina’s Lament 50+: Centaur’s Troubles 55+: Lucian’s Vengeance 55+: Adrian’s Calling 55+: While You’re Roosting 60+: Steppe Right Up 60+: Rebuilding the Portal 65+: Cleansing the Springs 65+: Rites of Passage 65+: Assisting the Crusaders 70+: Togswell’s Experiments 70+: The Depths of Vergalid 70+: Shield of the Otherworld 70+: Jonas Dagmire’s Skeletal Hand 75+: Challenges of Dragonscale 75+: Ladies of the Light 75+: Heirlooms and Loved Ones 75+: Cleansing the Loping Plains 75+: Vrald’s Lost Brother 75+: Purified Flawless Faycite 80+: Disrupting the Fortress 80+: Serving the Spymaster 80+: Initiate of Ak’Anon Stike Force V 80+: Gearing Up 75+: Curing the Corruption 75+: Defending Oceangreen Village 75+: Darkpaw Defender 75+: Cleansing the Temple 75+: Bayle’s Heraldic Crest 80+: Infiltrating the Armies 80+: Efforts of a Mercenary 80+: From East to West Commonlands 80+: Refugee Rescue 80+: Blood of the Fallen 80+: Phara Dar’s Grand Illusion 80+: Intercepted Messages 80+: Gain Audience with Jaled`Dar 80+: Jaled`Dar’s Request 80+: Baron Yosig’s Skeleton 20+: Wayfarer’s Brotherhood Adventurer’s Stone 45+: Choosing Sides 45+: Gift of the Keepers (only visible if started) 55+: Valor of the Keepers (only visible if started) 60+: Embrace of the Keepers (only visible if started) 65+: Power of the Keepers (only visible if started) 70+: Sanctity of the Keepers (only visible if started) 45+: Gift of the Dark Reign (only visible if started) 55+: Tenacity of the Dark Reign (only visible if started) 60+: Embrace of the Dark Reign (only visible if started) 65+: Power of the Dark Reign (only visible if started) 70+: Fervor of the Dark Reign (only visible if started)

Special 1-20: Graduate of Crescent Reach 21-35: Conqueror of Blightfire 36-45: Slayer of Stone Hive 41-55: Magnate of the Mesa 56-60: Raider of the Roost 61-70: Journeyman to the Steppes 65-75: Emissary of Sunderock 70-75: Spelunker of Vergalid Mines 70-80: Captain o’er the Buried Sea 70-80: Explorer of Dragonscale Hills 76-83: Champion of the Loping Plains 80-85: Strikeforce Insurgent in Mechanotus 75-85: Herald of Old Antonica 80-85: Tactician of Bloody Kithicor 80-85: Hero of the Field of Scale 65-70: Defender of Norrath

Conquest 85+: Hero of the Journey 75+: Reconstructed Werewolf Head 75+: Model XLII Spatial Temporal Oculus 1+: Serpent Seeker’s Charm of Lore 15+: Wanderlust Guild Loadstone 20+: Wayfarers Brotherhood Emblem 65+: Breakdown in Communication 65+: Tome of New Beginnings 65+: Assistant Researcher’s Symbol 70+: Trials of Mata Muram 70+: Slipgear’s Gem 70+: The Depths of Darkhollow 75+: Efreeti Death Visage 75+: Katta Castrum Portal Activation 75+: Tsaph Katta’s Urn of Rejuvination 70+: Arena Champion’s Badge 65+: Coldain Historical Seal 65+: Black Orb of Scrykin 65+: The Chalice of Life 75+: Ancient Faycite Bone Circum 75+: Blessed Celestine Faycite 75+: Cursed Obsidian Faycite 75+: Valthun’s Memory Shard 75+: Lantern O’ Wisps 75+: Rallosian Battle Figure 80+: Dark Soul Crystal 80+: Timeshear

Qindaar, Vmalice, Valmantia and their son Skanton Boy have all been doing Daily’s nightly.  We have explored Morrell’s Castle but have had only enough play time to tackle Daily’s.  I think it is time for EQ to change Daily’s, getting tired of killing the same things over and over.  I hope they address this soon.

On a brighter side, EQ has started their Halloween theme, “Nights of the Dead”  so Qindaar needs to jump in there and take advantage of the extra offerings:

This may look like a screen shot of a video game Candyland, but it is not.  This is a place filled with fun looking sweets that lead to death. Valmantia had this brilliant idea to head out to “what she called Candyland” aka Morell’s Castle.  It took us all Friday night just to get there and find it.  Of course we had to die several times on the way, but hey that is the name of the game.  We finally catch a slight glimpse from afar of the candy canes only to die upon seeing Candyland.  We died so many times that Vmalice had us all go back to the Guild Lobby and he summoned our corpses.

Saturday evening comes along, I was a bit late getting into the game since I had to attend a birthday dinner for our neighbors dog Maggie, she turned two.  It was a great meal at one of my Favorite restaurants – Jakes’s. I log in late, Valmantia and Vmalice are already in Candyland, alas to join them meant that I had to run from the Guild Lobby all the way there on my own.  I fired up my invisibility spell and set out.  I luckily remembered the way and believe it or not I made it to there sides only to die picking up the quest because some Gingerbread Man didn’t like me.  Once I was rezzed we fought for a while, but by then it was late so we called it a night.  Tomorrow we are heading back to finish the quest.

I did ask Valmantia on Friday night if a candy cane was worth dying for and we all had a big laugh, but this place is no laughing matter.  I am sure I will have more to write on this zone.

Qindaar teamed up again last night with Valmantia and Vmalice for mayhem through the House of Thule. We were fighting, we were dying, but having a good go at it.  We kept trying to take down the Named Treant Kijaemz that keeps killing us, but so far he has wiped us each time.  The XP was great and I thought I would make my next level last night, when disaster struck.  My mouse quit functioning properly, I almost had to camp right where we were fighting but I couldn’t even get my mouse to do that.  Finally I managed to get out of the game without dying.

This morning I started up the machine, no mouse. I plugged in a different mouse and it worked, so I launched the software for my gaming mouse, a Razor Mamba and the software would not load.  I went online and download the driver and reinstalled and now all is well.  Too bad though, Qindaar could have been level 88 today.

Thank you Vmalice and Valmantia for putting up with my issues last night!

Q-