Moonlight Enchantments

Now I've been playing EQ2 on and off for a few years now, and I don't know when this was added - Moonlight Enchantment .  I just happened to notice the dot on my map a few weeks ago and promptly forgot about it until someone mentioned it in Level 1-9 chat (the equivalent of WoW trade at times).
So, I had to investigate. 

Ah ha! 

This is were the pricey house items (exotic plants, seashells and sand) for aquarium building comes from!  I did not know this before and I've been spending quite a bit of plat buying plants, etc.!

Needless to say the 20-21st will be booked on all characters for the foreseable future.

I did pick up the unicorn mounts on two of my characters - 20 charges each - to replace their regular mount and as an alternative to the dire bear.

 

Blizzard and Real ID

It's been talked to death on Twitter, Facebook and a myriad of gaming forums.  The diverse view I find interesting, as I'm in the Real ID is bad camp, so I'm having a hard time relating to the "it's a good thing" camp, including some of my real life friends.

The premise for Real ID, being able to contact your friends across the different Battle.net games, I don't have a problem with at all.  But what's so wrong with a user name like every other Forum (I don't care what it's about gaming, gardening, politics, etc.,) on the Internet.  In every other instance you have the option of how much of your real identity you CHOSE to share. You can decide if you want your real name, address, photo, whatever, or not.

That's what I have a problem with - no choice.

I want control.

Falling through the earth

Bithia fell through the acorn lift in Faydark.  

I expected her to crash to her death, but she floated down.

and right through the world. 

I've never seen this in EQ2, but have done this a few times in Wow.

Apparently transporting her to a safe zone was the start the Fae start area.

Return to EQ2

I'm an ardent fan of Everquest2 (EQ2 or EQII).  I've dabbled in other online games and PC and console RPG games (favorites being Baldur's Gate and Champions of Norrath) over the years, including playing EQ the original. But life, time commitment and my PC at the time, it wasn't a wonderful or long lasting experience.  (I did give WoW a try before EQ2, but that's a whole 'nother story - took three times to get hooked on WoW-crack!)

Qeynos viewed from Antonica

My official start date playing EQ2 is December 6, 2006 according to Sony.  It doesn't seem that long ago, considering I've still never max leveled a character (highest is right at 70 with 20 levels to go!), but I'm one of those that considers the journey more fun than the destination, i.e. raiding isn't my thing!  Casual raiding with the guild, yes I can do that. Hardcore, bleeding edge, have to be first in the new content has no appeal.  The years I've spent in EQ2, I've created, leveled to the 30-40ish range a few character then sent them along to toon heaven, which I'm sure is some sort of MMO ADD.  I like to jump around and have never considered one character my 'main' over the others.  The main is whichever I'm enjoying playing at that particular moment!

Freeport from the Commonlands

My adoration with EQ2, has been sporadic at best after the first year. New MMO's came out that I had to try - LoTRO, Warhammer, AoC, Free Realms, Dragonica, All Points Bulletin to name a few.  Along with a few F2P games, many other beta trials, Wrath in WoW; PC games, and adding another console (Xbox) to the mix.  That's just the gaming part of an already very busy life (married with children and running my own business).

During my wandering to new games, I've popped in an out of EQ2 when I could or felt the urge. I pay annually for my favorite, so its always there. An online security blanket, much your favorite well worn clothes that you always go back to when the new stuff loses it's newness!

Fortunately, I'm in a wonderful guild on the Blackburrow server that has patiently allowed me to exist in my flaky attendance. The teasing is always gentle, with my erradic playing. But it's wonderful to have such a welcoming and forgiving group to come back to.

Being back has been an adjustment.  The world has changed again with new zones (I've never completed all of Kunark, let alone Shadow Odyssey and now Sentinels Fate).

• More world events, - monthly city festivals, Tinkerfest coming up, lots of fun world things to do if you have a mind too.
• More new factions than I even know of at this point
• Changes to the AA (achievement abilities) - specing my characters has been a bit of guesswork and some Forum reading, I'm still not sure I've got them right, so we'll see! 
• New player housing - I love the housing in New Halas, but was surprised with the addition of housing in the mage tower and guild halls in Freeport - took forever to find that (no easy task on Qeynosians btw!). 
• Insta-travel with spires and druid rings everywhere, not to mention the World Bell.  It's much easier in many ways, although I don't want to be one of those "back in my day we had to walk all the way to ...".  I prefer to look at the new travel options as just that - options.  I can still chose to take the boat, griffon, or hike across Antonica/Commonlands - which I do often!
• Battlegrounds - w00t!  I do love PvP, and have a warden on one of the PvP servers, but BG's sound fun. Okay truth, I tried one, we won. I died once but hadn't a clue what I was doing - lol!

So, I'm re-learning Norrath, as well as my characters, Star the Kerra monk; Nixia, the Ratonga beserker; Bithia, Wood Elf warden; Sithi, Arasai brigand and Tazneem, Dark Elf conjurer.

To this day, I still wonder why my first two characters are tank class?  I'm more of a DPS/healer type, but I'm determined to get Star at least to level 90 before the end of the year!

The oldest, Star and youngest, Sithi 

(well she gets to be until the urge to roll a new one strikes)

 

King of the Fire Festival

In general, I'm heartily sick of most of the World Events in World of Warcraft.  The novelty has worn off, as I've done them enough on different characters.  Unless there is a new pet (admitted petaholic), a buff/stat item or PvP involved I generally pass.

A Thief's Reward quest, which involves stealing the flames from each of the oppositions cities is right up my alley!  Death, usually my own, attempting to take a few with me on the way is involved if you try to solo this on less than a max level character!  I have done this with a level 56, so it is doable, but definitely easier for some classes than others.

This year my Druid, Sidthr, is sitting at 71 so what a great opportunity.  Off he went,

First stop Orgrimmar.  This is always the most challenging for me, not because of the guards, but the number of Horde that are around.  First stop the gates.  As usual too many people dueling out front.  To the backgate we go.  Trying to sneak past the level 75 guards was a no go.  Next tactic, the death march.

Buff up, mount up and ride in pulling a train of guards. I wasn't dismounted until right near the back entrance to Ragefire Chasm, which would have been okay. If I could have made it to RC and rebuffed inside, but two level 80 Horde had other ideas.  Ghost run back from Razorhill.  A successful rez and rebuff, time to sneak up on the flame.

Too many Horde. So sneak up on the flame and attempt to escape.  Nope. Take the death and rez sickness while rezzing in Razorhill again. 

Time to head to Thunderbluff. 

The zep  is one of the quickest for Alliance as we have no close flight paths to TB. Either Ratchet or Theramore, but I didn't fancy a cross country ride.  Sneaking on the Zep is easier at max level I found out or with feign death ability (my hunter has done this a couple of times).  Basically if you can't get on the Zep, die as close as possible on the tower and rez on the Zep downstairs. (This an old tactic I've used with hunters chasing pets in far off places at level 11-18).

The Zep lands at the Spirit Bluff, conveniently located next to the Flame.  I just ran around until I lost aggro from the guards.  Waited until the one level 80 left and snuck back get the flame.  I chose to hearth versus de-flaming Mulgore, the goal was the four cities period.

Undercity was incredibly easy. I forget how little attention most people play even on a PvP server. So this was uneventful in the extreme. 

Silvermoon City is generally a ghost town on all but RP servers, getting there is the bigger headache.  The quickest Shattarath City to Sunwell Island and a quick flight to the Ghostlands.  Otherwise, Eastern Plaguelands to Ghostlands (pick up the flight path if you don't have it).

The number of guards is a guarantee of at least one death getting to the flame.  So rez next to the flame and the achievement is complete, all accept for the turnin.

Hearth out and turn in the quests to get the gorgeous level one crown (kidding), but it's a nice in your face to the opposition in BG's (at lower levels) if you're willing to give up your head stats, or if you're rich and you put a decent enchant.