So was talking to a friend and I cannot believe there isn't a BOOK I can buy that will give me some Lore from the game. Maybe even a readable, interesting book that would be FUN to read.
Yes no?
For the original EQ, they released a bound volume called EQ Atlas. I own a copy of it.
QuoteProduct Description
At last, the rich and mysterious world of EverQuest is opened to players in a full-color book that uncovers the wonders of Norrath in fantastic detail. Introducing the EverQuest Atlas: The Maps of Myrist, an invaluable reference for players of one of the most popular online game worlds ever created.
Compiled by Maelin Starpyre, the grand historian of Myrist in the Plane of Knowledge, the EverQuest Atlas reveals the world in encyclopedic detail through a wealth of never-released EverQuest lore and over 170 full-color maps--including information on the Planes of Power. New and seasoned players alike will discover excitement even in places they thought they knew well.
Can still be found on Amazon and such. http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-Atlas-Pc/dp/B000069K5R (http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-Atlas-Pc/dp/B000069K5R)
Also found this: EQ2 Atlas. Similar set up.
http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-II-Atlas-Primas-Official/dp/0761545050/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a (http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-II-Atlas-Primas-Official/dp/0761545050/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a)
Hm.
I was sorta hoping for an actual story. Might get that for EQ2 though.
My daughter is totally into the quests and I've never been able to piece them all together. Thought having some background lore would help me (and her.)
Never did play EQ1 much.
I would imagine the EQ I/II Atlases are nice in an encyclopaedic sort of way if you're interested in some assorted facts related to each mapped zone.
Quote from: Lyrima on February 09, 2010, 07:42:49 PM
My daughter is totally into the quests and I've never been able to piece them all together. Thought having some background lore would help me (and her.)
My preface: Not every quest is meant to be pieced together with other quests as they don't all necessarily tie back to major lore themes or plot points. At any rate, it's probably important to recognize that just about all of the in game lore is presented from the point of view of someone in the world. While presented as truth from that individual's perspective (perspective is reality...), the details may not actually be The Historically Accurate Truth (history written by the victors, etc...). The longer you play, the more dots you gather along the way, the more connections you are able to draw. That's generally been EQ's style. As such, there's no true book of Everquest Lore.
But you didn't pay the price of admission to read my soapbox speech...
There are 2 EQ novels of which I'm aware but haven't read. They'd basically be someone's fictional characters written into the fictionally historical context of someone else's fictional world (Norrath) a la what we as roleplayers do, or a la Jack and Rose in James Cameron's recounting of the Titanic tragedy.
I think the novels are set in EQ's timeline and not that of EQ2, but EQ (up to a certain point) is the history of the EQ2 universe and therefore would give you fantastic insight into things that may be happening in EQ2. They aren't necessarily canon to the EQ MMOs either, therefore elements of the novels may be incongrous with lore actually presented in the MMOs or of undetermined congruity if they have neither been confrimed nor denied through the MMO Lore. Maybe they'd still be enough of a vehicle to learning about some of the lore of EQ/EQ2.
Rogue's Hour (http://www.amazon.com/Rogues-Hour-Everquest-Scott-Ciencin/dp/1593152949/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265781857&sr=8-1)
QuoteProduct Description
Though he has no memory of anything before today, bloodthirsty assassins close in on him, targeting him for death. Armed with only his extraordinary blades, a cryptic note naming him "Rileigh", and apocalyptic dreams of the Dragon of World's End, the rogue embarks on a desperate quest to save himself by unraveling the tangled threads of his past. He and a ragtag band of so-called allies - the beautiful, murderous half-elf Bronwynn; Connor, the fiery barbarian; the wrathful dwarf Underfoote; and Uaeldayn, the mysterious Erudite - journey to the pirate-infested reaches of the Barren Coast and the necromantic city of Paineel to stop the resurrection of a creature bent on destroying Norrath. Though the rogue can trust no-one, his greatest foe may not be the Dragon...it may be the man he once was...
From the Publisher
Enter EverQuest, a world of startling imagination, where the excitement and adventure is never-ending.
Imagine finding yourself in a fantastic world that is not of your making. Elves, trolls, wizards and warriors look upon you with suspicion as they urgently pursue their quests. Monsters and maniacs attack in dark of night or bright of day. Adventurers you have never before laid eyes upon may seek your companionship—or your head. In the grand tradition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the EverQuest saga delivers breathless thrills and unbound wonders certain to satisfy fantasy readers the world over. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Ocean of Tears (http://www.amazon.com/Everquest-Ocean-Tears-Stewart-Wieck/dp/1593150296/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265781915&sr=8-1)
QuoteProduct Description
From Everquest's past comes the key to Norrath's future! The glory of the great elven city of Takish Hiz is no more, victim to the evil god Innoruuk's foul plot. A gruesome piece of Norrath's history, the elves' flight from the destructive wrath of the gods ended in disaster - and gave the Ocean of Tears its name. But one ageless being who witnessed the horror and survived that terrible journey swore an oath to exact revenge for this savage annihilation of an innocent people. He will assume many guises and wear many faces - orc shaman, human oracle, even emperor of the great Combine Empire itself - as he pursues his quest. Across the Ocean of Tears and beyond - for an eternity, if necessary - until he takes his vengeance upon Innoruuk.
There are two more EQ novels that were published later. I've never heard of them before but came across them while locating links for the ones above.
Truth and Steel (http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-Truth-Steel-Thomas-Reid/dp/159315223X/ref=pd_sim_b_1)
QuoteProduct Description
Khaniel Devlin, weapons master and mercenary, encounters a troupe of Paladins seeking the hidden refuge of a long-lost member of their order. Led by a devout and charismatic woman named Zethamy Demarro, the group is attacked by a horde of giant cyclopes and Khaniel accidentally cuts Zethamy down during the ferocious battle. Khaniel and his dwarven friend Bruigan are hauled back home to Freeport in irons where they are ultimately sold into slavery in the ogre city of Oggok.
In captivity Khaniel discovers that Zethamy did not perish that fateful day in the mountains, but lost her sight and is now also a slave among the ogres. Khaniel, Bruigan and their new shaman friend, Bhaobuk mount a rescue mission and soon are running for their lives in the wilds, with the blind but determined Zethamy in tow. Still intent upon finding the elusive hermit who is in possession of invaluable religious treasures, she persuades Khaniel to help her track down the recluse's lair. But danger awaits the small band as they soon discover that powerful foes are on the same quest...
About the Author
Thomas was born in a snowstorm in the Colorado mountains two days before the Christmas of 1966. He grew up in Texas, and he owns a cowboy hat and boots but no oil wells or accent. After earning a B.A. in History from the University of Texas in 1989, he promptly pursued a career in the exciting, fast-paced world of swing-set construction. Since then, he has held a variety of positions related to word-smithing. Today, Thomas lives on a sprawling, quarter-acre cat ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, which he shares with his lovely wife Teresa and three sons named Aidan, Galen, and Quinton-all four of whom are much smarter than he is. Truth and Steel is his eighth novel.
The Blood Red Harp (http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-Blood-Harp-Elaine-Cunningham/dp/1593152248/ref=pd_sim_b_2)
QuoteProduct Description
The dark elf vampire who rules Castle Mistmore is searching for a small red harp. Chanzoon Nexus, necromancer, wants to know why. He has the harp—now he needs a bard who can play it well enough to uncover its secrets. But Faydwer’s bards consider harps to be quaint folk instruments, unworthy of their attention.
Elizerain grew up with a harp in her hands. A merry, fun-loving wood elf, she collects ballads like other adventurers collect treasure. If these story-songs are entertaining, she doesn’t care if they’re accurate.
That was before a necromancer’s curse gave her a choice: learn the true stories behind her ballads, or die screaming.
One such ballad features her new red harp. Intent on her search, surrounded by deadly enemies and treacherous alliances, Elizerain doesn’t realize that the real danger may be the harp itself.
About the Author
Elaine Cunningham has written more than twenty fantasy novels, including the New York Times bestselling Star Wars book Dark Journey. A former music and history teacher, she approaches shared-world settings such as EverQuest, the Forgotten Realms, and Star Wars the same way she’d write historical fiction: by doing lots and lots of research. It doesn’t particularly matter to her whether the "history" in question is found in dusty old tomes, or related through games, movies, and other novels—it’s all good.
Don't know the author of Truth and Steel, but he probably lives an hour or two north of me.
Nice example of incongruity in write up for The Blood Red Harp above: Elizerain is officially the name of the prophetic former queen of the Koada'dal. According to one of the chapters of the Shadow Odyssey prelude lore, she encountered the Ethernauts while she was helping to shepard the last of her kin from the dying Elddar Forests (that would become the Deserts of Ro) to Faydwer.
There's also EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition (http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-Anniversary-Collectors-Rusel-DeMaria/dp/0744010683/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b), which might talk a bit about some original storyline concepts for EQ & EQ2 (I have no idea how much this book gets into it). I'm not certain you'd be interested in concept lore if you aren't already knowledgeable about officially released lore.
There have also been a number of EQ/EQ2 Pen and Paper RPG game books released (by White Wolf Sword & Sorcery?) over the years which detail lots about the history of the lands and races for the Pnp RPG. Again, can't stress enough that it's not canon as there are lots of details which aren't in the online game or haven't yet made it into the online game and therefore can be neither proven nor disproven. Still makes for a great read if you don't mind that.
I can't quite remember how, but I got my hands on the EQ2 PnP RPG Player's Guide (http://www.amazon.com/EverQuest-Players-Guide-Sword-Sorcery/dp/1588469999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265788659&sr=1-1-spell), and there's lots of stuff that was detailed in it years before any similar content actually made it into the online game via expansions (there was a Moors of Ykesha on the world map 4 years before it appeared in the MMO. However, on the other hand, there are also name changes and such, and lore concerning a dozen different Isles of Refuge. There's almost certainly some overlap in truths between the PnP books and the online game. Overall, it's more of a gee whiz factor for anyone who's already comfortable with the official lore since you'd be able to recoginize the difference between confirmed and unconfirmed lore.
Hopefully, something up there is helpful to you. If you want to know anything more about the EQ2 RPG book, you should probably PM me.
< just utterly loves Jasyn all over again >
:smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
Doesn't everyone?
He is adored far and wide, our Jasyn... :smitten:
And what does it say about us that our loremaster is a drunken ranger whose aim is questionable at best after he's had a few dozen ales before and during his adventures??
I STILL think he was responsible for this!!! (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/03/15/2009-03-15_bow_attack_in_the_bronx_woman_shot_in_st.html)
:o
LOL!
*snicker*
HEHE, Riverdale Street hmmmmm
Quote from: Anaris on February 10, 2010, 10:39:57 AM
I STILL think he was responsible for this!!! (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/03/15/2009-03-15_bow_attack_in_the_bronx_woman_shot_in_st.html)
:o
Those rumors are patently FALSE!
(http://sagafamily.org/gallery/18_10_02_10_10_16_51.jpg) (http://sagafamily.org/gallery/18_10_02_10_10_16_51.jpg)
You know... Rivervale just hasn't looked the same ever since The Void invasion...
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!! Awesome! :2funny:
:viking2: :smitten: :viking2:
Jasyn rocks!
Source: What is this Golden Path? (http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=0&topic_id=470776#5245779)
Quote from: Alan 'Brenlo' CrosbyI have been poking around ingame and on the forums and have noticed a lot of confusion regarding the "Golden Path" and what exactly it is. People are looking for specific NPCs or quest lines, and finding themselves stuck. So I wanted to take a moment to clarify a little and talk about what it is currently and where it is headed.
The golden path is the first step in a larger revamp of our new player experience. We took a look at the starting areas, other than Qeynos and Freeport as we plan to move away from those, and reworked content so that it had a better flow. We wanted the quests in Darklight, Timorous and Greater Fay, to give you a better progression path. What you will find, is that if you start a new character, or jump into any of the quest hubs in those areas, is a more guided experience through content. We have hundreds of zones and for non veteran players, it can be intimidating trying to figure out where to go next. We wanted to remove that intimidation and give them a better play experience. So phase one is the "Golden Path" of content. A better progression of quests through various hubs starting in the three new player areas above. If you go to any of the zones listed in the update notes and start questing at one of the hubs, you are now on the "Golden Path!"
Phase two, which is following in the upcoming months, will introduce the Storyteller window (which is a much better name than Golden Path) which will link quest lines together in an interface, providing the visual representation of the golden path. We want players to understand why they may be collecting 10 oranges or killing 15 Goblin Scouts and show how that evolves into a larger story. The Storyteller System will move players along through content that we feel will give them a fun and exciting experience. While also engaging them in the world, the story and their character.
So that's it in a nutshell, or three paragraphs anyway.
Thanks all!
The bit I highlighted in bold text above sounds kind of interesting, Lyrima. It might help you piece all those quests together in the future!
Yes! It is nice timing for my daughter too.
Only now we'll ALL be sitting around waiting for her ti finish reading :)
One of my troubles is that I don't have the patience to sit and read ig. I sorta wanted it out of the game so I could lay in bed and read, yanno?
Quote from: Lyrima on February 19, 2010, 04:53:56 AM
One of my troubles is that I don't have the patience to sit and read ig.
But that's the
best (IMO) part! :P
I'm just teasing you. With the more involved stuff, I always feel so pressured to get through the quest text quickly when others are waiting on me, yet I'm trying to soak in the details. If it's really
really involved and I'm with a group, I've had to force myself to skim and go back to read my logs later, but for me it steals away the "in the moment-ness" of it all.
A lot of people don't just lack the patience, though; they simply don't care. At least you care. :)
I'm one of those impatient ones that just wont' read the quests and click through them (hence why Grozmag kept sending me to do the first trial! ah!). BUT, I keep a separate window for NPC dialogue so during downtime I go back and read it. Some are meh, while others are pretty cool/funny. I especially enjoyed my epic quest dialogue and want to lvl up a Swashie just so I can do that too! Sentinel's Fate Erudian npc's so far are "research this" "research that" but there's been some pretty hilarious stuff too like the malfunctioning teleport that kills the Gnome and the LOLcat "I can has cheeseburger" Kerra...
Hm. Never dawned on me to go back and read npc text or that it might be funny/fun.
I think I"ll give Ana's trick a try. Plenty of down time gaming with my two, and since Kiaria is redoing plenty of quests with them, I'll be able to read from the 20's on up! :kia
I've got four windows up, and one of those windows has four tabs.
One window is combat spam, so i can ignore it if I want to.
One is for group and near spatial chat so that it's always visible or set to fade in/out to catch my attention.
My tabbed window compartmentalizes /guild, /tells, and player created channels so I have to toggle between those whenever the tab highlights due to activity.
And the remaining window is for NPC say, quest narrative, and flavor text stuff, wide area spatial (shout) and ooc.
You didn't hear this from me, but sometimes I'm scrolling back through my quest dialogue window to read the lengthier dialogue while we've already moved on to the next battle. If I die a lot from inattentiveness, I can blame it on being a ranger. :D
I used to have three windows up, ala Bahladar, but I can never remember what spells/abiities/etc are on the sides of the rotating hotkey bars that I can't see. Soooo, I have to have everything where I can see it. Makes for lots of hot key bars which now sit where my middle chat window used to be. On the left window, I keep group chat, npc text, shouts, say, etc. On a tab beneath that is chat channels. I have found that when I am in a group I don't need/want to keep an eye on chat channels so I only put that tab on top if I am soloing or wanting a group. That way I can see when someone is advertising for a character I have to go to a place that I'd like to go. On the right is guild chat, where I have guild chat (duh!), /sagaooc, and /saga. I have battlespam, but it just puts up numbers with no explanation for some reason. So I never look at those.
As for reading the NPC dialogues, I am a combination person. I usually read the first exchange and whether or not I read the rest depends on how interesting the first exchange is. Some days I am wanting to go slower and read everything and other days I just want to be off to kill stuff. Must be the Gemini in me. Bahladar rarely reads the quest text except to see what needs killing and, while he is patient with me, I am aware that he is ready to be off and running, so often when I am with him, I don't read at all. As for grouping with people like Jasyn and Njorn who like to read everything, I have no problem accomodating them and often use that time to RP in guild chat, etc. Njorn used to put Bahl or me on AF and read the NPC text while we were speeding to the next battle site.
Quote from: Boudeccai on March 02, 2010, 10:42:33 AM
I have battlespam, but it just puts up numbers with no explanation for some reason. So I never look at those.
You can change this if you want. Options > User Interface > Game Features > Hits Mode > Full, Medium, or Minimal
Yours is probably set to minimal.
Quote
As for grouping with people like Jasyn and Njorn who like to read everything, I have no problem accomodating them and often use that time to RP in guild chat, etc.
Have I ever thanked you for putting up with me? :smitten:
Quote
Njorn used to put Bahl or me on AF and read the NPC text while we were speeding to the next battle site.
Because Anaris may see this, I will neither confirm nor deny whether or not autofollowing while catching up on NPC text has or has not resulted in my or someone else's death or the lack thereof. ::)
Quote from: Jasyn on March 02, 2010, 11:42:29 PM
You can change this if you want. Options > User Interface > Game Features > Hits Mode > Full, Medium, or Minimal
Yours is probably set to minimal.
It was. I must have done that at some point and forgotten. Jasyn comes to the rescue again!
Quote from: Jasyn on March 02, 2010, 11:42:29 PM
Have I ever thanked you for putting up with me? :smitten:
*sigh* My cross to bear. ;D