Scott posted on the EQ2 official forums with some information to clarify the recent expansion announcement. Full text here. Couple things to note:
A: The backstory and some of the features were clarified, and the new map system referred to in the original draft was removed as it is not intended to be an expansion-specific feature.
This makes sense…no reason for people to pay for an expansion to get a map feature that is loooong overdue.
Rise of Kunark overland zones aren’t directly comparable to what’s gone before.
Kunark’s overland areas are comprised of vast regions that are in some cases three or four times the size of previous expansions’ zones.
This is exciting and was elaborated more in Scott’s Allakhazam interview. So when the original announcement said “13 zones” – we’re talking huge ginormous ones here that are quadruple the size of normal zones in EQ2. Awesome.
There are two entry points to the expansion’s content: One for the new player, where neutral races may begin and play through the level 1-20 experience in Timorous Deep, where all Sarnak start. The other is for the existing EQ2 player, on the mainland of the continent of Kunark, which is home to level 66-80 content.
As I assumed from the first announcement, its not a 1-80 expansion which is something I am GLAD about. Echoes of Faydwer already released tons of content from 1-70, plus there is all the old world content in ADDITION to the adventure packs. There is tons of content already for the midlevel player.
In addition – there is information letting all bloggers know that there was a revised ‘feature set’ list that was updated on Allakhazam hours after it was posted. So any of those who were quick like myself and posted the first one, be sure to click this link and change it per Scott’s request. If yours mentions the map system its the wrong one.
Tami Baribeau is the Associate Producer for Metaplace, Inc, currently working on Island Life. She is also the Lead Editor of feminist gaming blog The Border House, and the National Facebook Games Examiner for Examiner.com. She can be reached on Twitter or by email.
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Dear Scott, I have alot of respect for you so I will keep this civil. I have to call you out housing. Where are the custom textures for the fae Acorns ? WHERE? Now your adding Neriak housing and theres no textures for those either ?
You wax on about how you would rather ship one perfect zone then 10 half finished ones (or whatever the direct quote is) yet you have one expansion pushed thats not finished (housing – EOF) your going to push a content update that is also unfinished, and then we have ROK coming end of the year.
If you guys have decided that only a single texture is going to be available for housing internally, then you need to come out and say that to us. If that is not the case, then you guys need to throw some resoruces at the above mentioned housing and get them fixes.
While on the housing subject, your kidding with the size of the neriak houses right ? The four room Neriak house on text is about the same quare footage as a 2 room quenos apartment. Surely thats an error or oversight amirite ?
I freely admit that housing is probably a minor concern in the great big scheme of things, but unfinished shit is unfinished shit, period.
Your talking the talk, now it’s time to walk it.