EverQuest Online Adventures
| EverQuest Online Adventures | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sony Online Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Online Entertainment |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release | February 11, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
EverQuest Online Adventures (EQOA) is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for the PlayStation 2. EQOA is one of the few MMORPGs released on a video game console. It is part of the EverQuest franchise that is well established on the PC.
Popularity
Like other commercial MMORPGs, EQOA charges a monthly fee (currently $12.99) in addition to purchasing the game software. SOE had predicted 100,000 subscribers by March 2003, but they later reported having only 40,000 to 50,000 subscriptions. While the game's subscription numbers do not compare to Final Fantasy XI (another fantasy MMORPG available on the PS2), SOE has pledged that it will continue with updates and support as long as it is profitable.
Previously it was hard to find pre-paid game cards for EQOA from retailers which made paying for a subscription to the game difficult for many. Recently SOE made a new Game Card available to retailers that may be used to pay for one month on any of the games developed by the company, including EQOA. This new game card is widely available at most electronics retailers at a price of $14.99.
Setting and gameplay
EverQuest Online Adventures is set in Norrath 500 years prior to the original EQ in the "Age of Adventure". The world features many places familiar to fans of the original and most of the differences were explained in the lore of EverQuest.
The gameplay is similar to EverQuest in its focus on character development, player versus environment combat, quests, exploration, grouping, and socializing.
There are fifteen playable classes, and eleven races.
Classes include Cleric, Druid, Shaman, Enchanter, Wizard, Alchemist, Necromancer, Magician, Bard, Ranger, Rogue, Monk, Paladin, Shadowknight, and Warrior.
Races consist of Dwarves, Elves, Dark Elves, Human (Eastern and Western), Gnome, Troll, Ogre, Barbarian, Erudite, and Halfling.
Development
EQOA was developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and first released on February 11, 2003. A second edition, EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers, was launched later that year and replaced the original.
EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers, was launched on November 17, 2003. Frontiers added another playable race, the Ogre, and character class Alchemist, as well as many quests and items. The level cap was raised from 50 to 60. Also added was the continent of Odus and a newly-opened territory of Tunaria known as Rathe Mountains, as well as high-level raid-specific zones in other locations including Plane of Sky, Lavastorm Mountains, and a subset of the Plane of Disease known as Last Home. Certain portions of Tunaria itself that existed previous to the release of EQOA: Frontiers were also revamped for higher-level players given the increase in the level cap. Frontiers also added an alternate form of advancement by allowing players to dedicate a percentage of the experience points they received to obtaining Class Masteries (CMs). These CMs allow players to increase their power and gain new abilities. They also can purchase Master Classes with (CMs), further strengthening themselves in their area of combat.
In August 2004, Sony Online Entertainment introduced a new series of quests for players of various levels between 30 and 60 to partake in the ability to transform into lycanthropes (having a choice of becoming a werewolf, wererat, werelion, werebear, or weregator), or a lycanthrope hunter. In February 2005, the game was updated to allow players to redesign their character through Training Point and Class Mastery reallocation by Rehibilitator Anja in Muniel's Tea Garden. Items, such as the Rose of Renewal, can grant an additional reallocation. Since that time, many new quests and functionalities (including a new toolbar for switching out weapons) have been added. Most recently (July 2005), characters that have attained level 60 may complete new epic quests that will result in them obtaining high level weapons and new powerful abilities.
Game developers have brought class-balancing to live servers in April 2006. These changes were tested on the test server "Hagley", offering players the chance to help with the decisions of making the game "balanced". All players were reoffered a chance to be rehibilitated with training points and class mastery points to perfect their characters due to the several hundred changes in which class-balancing brought about.
"The Luck" quest, was also added to allow those who may have lost CMs in the class-balancing process to have, after completion of the quest, three charges of a group buff doubling experience (XP) gained for the following forty-eight hours online. This buff is lost, like all others following death.
The development team will be releasing a new zone for the game in the fall of 2006. The zone, Zaoran's Plateau, will also be known as the Plane of War and be home to one of the deities of the game, Rallos Zek. This will be the largest addition to the game since the Frontiers expansion was released.