I still don't know what happened to cause both sites to be down (the forums were still up, as they were on another server, etc.), but I'm hoping Ngreth heard from Racknine finally informing us of what went askew.

Meanwhile, the sites are back up just in time for an evening committment, so I'll just quickly point folks to this post on our forums, that contains an announcement regarding our new tradeskill dev. Wheeee!!

May 04, 2007 - Wow!

Have you ever had one of those weeks where, no matter what you do, the more you try to catch up, the further behind you get? For me, it has been one of those weeks, with a vengeance, and my motivation has been at a really low ebb because of it.

Luckily for all of you, the folks at SoE do NOT seem to be suffering from the same problem, and there is quite a bit of good news for you folks on the tradeskill front.

Firstly, Autenil has worked some major magic with the graphics engine to improve house load times, especially in the bigger homes. Check it out for yourself, then let him know how you feel about it over in this thread in the SoE forums. Thanks a ton, Josh! We've been badly needing this one for a long time, now.

Next, Gallenite invokes the power of a name, to bring us the tale of a land we thought was forever lost to the land of Norrath. NERIAK. Check out his most recent Producer's Letter on the SoE forums for more details on that and the story of the new race, the Arasai. (That's the infamous dark fae we've been hearing rumors about, for those who weren't familiar with the race name.). Thanks, Scott!

But wait, there's more! Order now and ...

... sorry, wrong spiel, genre, etc! There is more yummy goodness! The Test server was patched with alllll sorts of great stuff in prep for Game Update 35. Not only the above-mentioned Neriak, and the Arasai, and an adventuring zone for them, but a recipe with chocolate in the name can be obtained there? Sign me up!

Still not enough yet, for some folks, so, how about a house moving service while we're asking for the moon? Maybe one that will let us pack everything at the click of a button, crate it up, and ship it over to the new home, where we can unpack and decorate at our leisure? Sound too good to be true?

{raises hand solemnly} I kid you not. It is being tested on the Test server now. Expect a fun little article about it in the next few days, once I can find where my Muse hid. In the meantime, check out the full Test Server Patch Notes for May 4.

May 01, 2007 - The End of An Era, the Start of a New One

Back in 2001, Mum challenged the EQ community to help her battle a mob more deadly than any raid mob they had, or would, encounter in the game. When EQ2 was launched, she invited that community to also join her in this ongoing epic battle. While the "zone" in which they assisted with this battle closed down on April 27, 2007, there are still more battlefields and more "mobs" to attack! ...

Read more about the grid.org project and the efforts of "Team EQTC" here

April 25, 2007 - GU34 Has Arrived!

Mum massively overslept this m*rning, so of course there was a game update today! They were more than a tad hard to read on the patcher when she checked it ou, and the jury is still out if she just needed more caffeine, or if someone needed to add a few linebreaks to it here and there. Regardless, a more readable version of the full patch notes can be found here. There isn't a lot here that is huge or earth-shattering (other than the new quested mount), but there are several nice little fixes and enhancements here and there, including a fix for lost materials due to linkdeath during a commission.

Edit: sowwy, Mum needs a caffeine IV. Link fixed to point to the right article.

April 10, 2007 - Site Updates

Are you considering a profession as a tailor? Or perhaps you already are a tailor, and you are still having troubles figuring out what you can and cannot craft? The next guide in the Essentials series is now available in our Tradeskill Guides section. Untangle those threads and check out The Essential Tailor for a closer look at the tailoring profession.

Other new and noteworthy additions to the site also include the addition of tier 7 crafted leathers to our Crafted Leather Armor Fashion Gallery, with images kindly provided by Keisha.

Last but not least, the neverending work continues on our crafting recipe and item database, with several hundred more items and recipes having been added and/or updated in the past few weeks. (This includes several essentials and advanced books, updates to the Apprentice Blueprints to reflect GU33 changes, and some of the new Deathfist Citadel armor items and recipes.)

Edit: Of course, after I posted this, I checked my PMs over on the SOE forums and found more prezzies! The tailored leather armor fashion gallery now has an image of the Mossy Blood Hide set made from Deathfist Citadel recipes, and the Tailored Cloth Armor fashion gallery now has images of the T7 common cloth armor. Wheeee!

April 05, 2007 - Operation Home Renovation 2007

SOE has a new contest going, for those whose homes are in dire need of a makeover.

Embarrassed to have company over? Jealous of the Dark Elf next door with the pimped out pad? We thought so! That is why our professional team of designers is scouring the depths of Norrath in search of a home just begging for a makeover! Help us help you -- tell us why you deserve a home makeover!

March 28, 2007 - Game Update 33

GU 33 is live today. It includes quite a few things, including the eagerly-awaited changes to the number of resources needed for tinkering recipes, (recipes are not yet updated on the site, but I'll be working on that shortly), tinkering adornments (Gnort Fizzlebottom the Gnomeland Security Headquarters has some of them available), and a recharge recipe for the Overclocked Gnomish Hovering Device. You can find the full patch notes here.

March 16, 2007 - Hotfix Notes

*** Brewday Festival Begins ***

*** The Estate of Unrest ***

March 16, 2007 - Tinkering Skillup Issue Found

After some folks on our forums reported problems with tinkering skillups in the low levels, especially since GU32 changed the difficulty on some stuff in the first set of blueprints, I did a bit of digging, and then a bit of questioning overnight. Ilucide responded to me this afternoon saying that he found the problem(s) and that there will be a fix going in. He has also confirmed this in a post on the SOE forums, for any who want to read his explanation. My suggestion to folks until the hotfix goes in is to put away your tinkering tools for the weekend and go have fun with the Brew Day celebrations!

March 14, 2007 - Progress in The War Against Spam

The below is a post taken from the official SOE forums by Grimwell regarding upcoming changes to Buddy Key accounts.

Specifically, Buddy Key accounts will soon be under a set of restrictions similar to Trial accounts.

For those who do not know, a Buddy Key account for EQII has been a way for players to invite their friends to try the game out. If you purchased the Echoes of Faydwer expansion, you may remember finding a postcard in the box with a 7-day buddy key to share with a friend. The goal behind these Buddy Keys has always been to provide a means for you to invite your friends to share the fun of the game with you; as such the keys offered unrestricted access to the game during the trial period.

The platinum-sellers have abused these buddy keys as a means of having a second account to advertise their wares with at no extra cost when the account is banned. To remedy this, the following changes are coming.

Users of Buddy Key accounts will no longer be able to:

• Join or create a guild
• Send mail or receive mail from other players
• Use /auction
• Speak in chat channels
• Group or raid invite players in other zones
• Purchase items from player sales displays or the broker
• List items on the broker
• /claim rewards
• Exceed level 10 (adventure or tradeskill)
• Trade with players
• Do tradeskill commission work
• Purchase, visit or tour a house
• Send tells to other players (unless the trial player is on the other player's friend list)

People who use a Buddy Key for legitimate purposes will also be under these restrictions during the 'try out' phase, but can upgrade to a full game account with purchase as they always could.

March 08, 2007 - Tinkering Love Incoming

Ilucide posted to the official SOE forums this evening with an announcement regarding tinkering changes that will happen with GU33. Firstly, resource costs for tinkering recipes will be cut in half across the board. (Fuel changes will stay the same.) Secondly, there will be some tinkering adornment recipes added, such as bow cams and the like. You can find the thread on the SOE forums discussing it here or, for those who prefer to avoid the SOE forums, I've started a thread here on the EQ2TC forums to discuss it.

March 07, 2007 - Tradeskill Bonus Guide

I finally put together a small guide on various tradeskill bonuses obtained from quests, crafting and drops. Check out Tradeskill Bonuses and You for more details.

March 01, 2007 - Brew Day Sneak Peek

Those who participated in last year's Brew Day event likey have fond memories of ale, ale and more ale, as alcoholic drinks that actually raised your alcohol tolerance were introduced to the game. Let us not forget the wonderful Everlasting Keg house item and the unlimited and very strong alcohol it provides us to this day.

This year will see a return of Brew Day celebrations on March 16 (the day before St. Patrick's Day), so mark your calendar and don't miss out! From the looks of the SOE press release (quoted below) it looks to be another note-worthy event.

What do Pink elephants, talking cabbage and pounding headaches all have in common...? Give up?

EQII Brew Day of course!

The second annual Brew Day festivities commence March 16th with enough ale to convince even the straightest Erudite that pigs can fly! Just look for the magical appearance of portals in Commonlands, Antonica, Greater Faydark and Haven that will take you to the Bar of Brell. Quest to brew the best and you’ll quickly become the life of the party. Collect a cure for the hangover, and not only will you be a hurlin’ human’s best friend, but you will be handsomely rewarded with your own flying Party Keg! Cheers has nothing on this pub!

February 28, 2007 - GU32 Is Here - And HUGE!

Game Update 32 hit the servers this m*rning. I strongly recommend that you take the time to read carefully through the notes for yourself, instead of relying on a summary from someone else, as there is quite a bit going on in it, including tons and tons of tradeskill fixes, ammo changes, achievement changes and a partial reset, a new zone opening, and so on. You can find a copy of the complete patch notes here.

February 22, 2007 - Book Your 2007 Fan Faire Room Now!

The 2007 SOE Fan Faire is going to be held August 2-5 in Las Vegas, at the Rio. While additional information, and tickets to the Fan Faire itself are not yet available, the rooms at the Rio can be booked now, using a special discount code. If this is like past years, the rooms are booked very quickly, so book yours soon! Keep an eye on the SOE Fan Faire page for more details in the coming months!

February 10, 2007 - Important Note on SOE Forums and Station Names

As some of you may have noticed, the SOE forums are transitioning over to new software. Barring any further issues, the work continue go through Monday. Once the new forums are in place, however, some folks may have problems with their forum handles. (Again, this is the SOE forums we are talking about NOT the EQ2TC forums.)

Our Community Relations Manager, Grimwell, has this to say about it:

Example of what will not work:

• Station Name: Grimwell
• Forum Handle: Grimwell

Example of what will work:

• Station Name: Grimwell
• Forum Handle: Grimwell_SOE (or Chet, or Steve, or Nancy, you get the point)

Should you have problems with your name in the new forums, let me know. There is no work-around for this Station Name/Forum Handle twist, but I'll do what I can to help you get a name you like if you are affected (that is not a promise or guarantee of anything -- though I do take bribes. )

To prevent the statements of the obvious -- yes this is something that should have came to you sooner under ideal circumstances. It is what it is though and I can't change that. At least we get 3 days to plan those new forum names.

Also, keep in mind that anyone who jacks the forum name of another poster will have their handle force changed to something of my own choosing. Do not try to be mean to your neighbors.

February 09, 2007 - Erollisi Day Approaches!

Love is in the air. Critters carry odd love notes, or candies with messages engraved upon them. Your mailbox has a single red rose (house item!) and a message from a secret admirer.

Erollisi Marr, goddess of love, may not have been seen in the lands in a very long time, but her worship still goes on during this special holiday. Check your in-game mailbox for information on where to find the NPC to begin your love-struck questing! In addition, check out this thread in the SOE forums for details on the other Erollisi Day festivities and items.

Stuck somewhere, unable to play, looking for some light reading? Mum is at it again with a humorous tradeskill article for Ten Ton Hammer - Memoirs of the Mad Munger. Enjoy!

January 31, 2007 - GU31 - Chock Full of Tradeskill Goodness

GU31 has arrived, complete with a large number of tweaks and fixes for some longstanding tradeskill bugs. There are also new carpenter recipes for the fireplaces, lots of broker tweaks, etc. You can find a full copy of the patch notes here.

Also note that the new guide offerings outlining the level 10 crafting choices have been linked into the Tradeskill Guides section of the site. Check out The Essential Craftsman, The Essential Outfitter, and The Essential Scholar today!

January 29, 2007 - Crafted Armor Charts!

Unsure if you need brigandine, reverent, devout, melodic, or just plain old "chainmail" armor, much less which sets are available for what slots in which tier? Do you get that quintissential "deer in headlights" look when your tailor asks you to clarify whether you want broadcloth, tranquil broadcloth or tradesman's for your new robe?

If so, these handy crafted armor charts for cloth, leather, chain and plate armor sets might help adventurers and crafters alike figure out what sets they want in which armor slots.

January 27, 2007 - A Small Weekend Snack

While I am letting the other guides percolate and get community feedback over the weekend, I have put together a small offering for tailors and their customers that use bandoliers and the like for their throwing weapons, displaying the differences between their four ranged slot options. You can find it here.

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