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''EverQuest II'' (commonly abbreviated as EQ2), the sequel to '' EverQuest '', is a Fantasy Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and shipped on November 8 , 2004 . It features graphics and Gameplay vastly updated from its predecessor as well as NPCs that use audio for speech. GAMEPLAY While the gameplay continues to focus greatly on killing creatures for Experience Point s and loot, there have been several significant changes from the original ''EverQuest''. One of the greatest efforts has gone into developing trade skills into a much more complex and viable character archetype. Many gameplay choices were made in order to stop old, sometimes undesirable, tactics that emerged in EQ. The most bold addition is the concept of "locked encounters". When a player (or group) attacked a creature, the encounter became locked to that player. To stop expansion. Players can now choose whether to risk giving up their claim to an encounter in exchange for outside help that might allow them to survive. To stop Kiting , players in combat lose all their movement speed enhancements except the special "sprint" ability, which costs a considerable amount of power to use, although some classes have speed debuffs that slow the enemy, thus making kiting a viable option. Likewise, many players have discovered another method of pseudo-kiting by running backwards and firing a missile weapon at the enemy. The enemy lands fewer attacks, but can take significant damage depending on the type of ammunition or missile weapon used, and the skill level of the user. Some have argued that this is not kiting at all, while others have referred to it as "pseudo-kiting". Everquest II, like the original EQ, has Guilds . Each guild exists only on its own server. Like players, guilds can gain experience and levels, partially from encounters and player experience, but primarily from guild-oriented quests and tasks called " Writs ". Higher guild levels open up special rewards unavailable to non-guilded characters, and cause certain other rewards to cost less. These rewards include housing options, horses, house items, clothing, and special titles. Like the original EQ, ''EverQuest II'' focuses on PvE ( Player Versus Environment ) encounters. No Player Versus Player combat was included at release; however Live Update 13 introduced closed arenas for consensual PvP and dueling. In February 2006 new servers were introduced with a player versus player ruleset. SETTING ''EverQuest II'' is set in Norrath like the original, but 500 years later in the "Age of Destiny". The game world has been drastically affected by several cataclysms since the original EQ. The planes have closed, the gods have gone, and the moon Luclin has been pulverized (and partially rained onto the face of Norrath). Remnants of the familiar vistas from EQ's Norrath can be found in the "Shattered Lands". Players arrive on one of two tutorial areas and then move to either of the towns, Qeynos (the good town, and if one notices closely, Qeynos is Sony-EQ spelled backwards) or Freeport (the evil town). All the other towns in the world were destroyed or rendered inaccessible in the cataclysms. Qeynos and Freeport are much larger than they were in the original EQ and they play an important role in the player's experience regardless of what level they are. The playable races each have their own special section of the cities. Players from one city are not welcome in the other city unless they choose to betray their city via an arduous quest. The game world is as varied as the original, featuring wide geographical and ecological variety. In EQ2, players can ride trained Griffons on predetermined routes over the Shattered Lands, or acquire a horse or flying carpet so that they can travel more swiftly throughout much of the game world. When the gods left the world, the druid rings and wizard spires ceased functioning and thus there are no teleportation spells (with the exception of the ability to return to one's hometown). However, "Mariner's Bells" are scattered across the land allowing instant transportation across various areas of the world. ''EverQuest II'' also includes instanced zones—copies of some zones are spawned in order to better handle player crowding. Instanced zones were introduced to ''EverQuest'' in the 2003 expansion '' Lost Dungeons Of Norrath ''. RACES AND CLASSES , one of the playable races, fighting a skeleton.]] All of the familiar races from EQ are playable except the cat-like Vah Shir (their home, Luclin, was destroyed), but SOE added the Kerra as a replacement. The new race is the Ratonga, a rat-like people of mysterious origin. The Froglok race was originally locked until a special server-wide quest was completed to make them playable. Some races are restricted to either Qeynos or Freeport, based on their Alignment , but can be betrayed to the opposing city.
There are four Classes —called "archetypes"—in EQ2 - Fighter, Scout, Priest and Mage. At launch, a player chose his/her archetype when he/she created a character and then chose sub-classes at levels 10 and 20. This system was changed in Live Update 19 in January 2006 so that a character's final class is chosen at creation. Some classes are only available in Freeport or Qeynos.
A character can also undertake a tradeskill profession, completely separate from his/her adventuring profession. The tradeskill professions branch at levels 10 and 20, just as adventuring classes used to.
VOICES One of the most interesting additions to the game is the use of actual voices for NPCs. The actors used for these parts included well-known in September 2005. BUSINESS and ''EverQuest II'' promotion.]] SOE is marketing ''EverQuest II'' not as a direct sequel, but as a "parallel universe" to the original ''EverQuest''. It is set in the future of the original game's setting. This allows both development teams to pursue whatever direction they want to take without impacting the other, and allows players of the original EverQuest to continue receiving updates without forcing players down a specific path. In that sense, they are two completely separate games bound together by name only. Players of the old EQ will find many familiar places and characters, as well as "heritage items" that are similar in name and function to items known from EQ and can be gained via heritage quests. Like the original and other commercial MMORPGs, EQ2 requires a monthly fee of US$ 14.99 to play the game. 30 days of free play are included with the purchase price of the game. Subscribers can opt to pay an additional monthly fee for extended services, such as an online item database or hosting of guild websites. Players can also download the free trial, Trial of the Isle, which allows players to experience the beginning steps of the game for free before dedicating themselves to a monthly subscription fee. {Link without Title} In Europe it is published by Ubisoft at a monthly fee of EUR 13,49. In February 2005, EverQuest II began allowing players to place an order for Pizza Delivery from within the game. {Link without Title} This promotion has since ended, but generated significant press for the game. In June 2005, SOE introduced Station Exchange to EverQuest II. Station Exchange is an official auction system—only on designated servers—allowing real money to be transferred for in-game money, items or characters. In March 2006, SOE announced that it is to end its Chinese operations for EverQuest II, which was being supported in the region by Gamania . The beta period for the game in China ended on March 1 , and on March 30 , all Chinese accounts will be moved to the US servers of the game. EXPANSIONS AND ADVENTURE PACKS
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