New Expansion Announced: The Serpent's Spine

This is a press release issued by Sony Online Entertainment, outlining some details on the upcoming expansion, The Serpent's Spine:



SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE SERPENT’S SPINE™ EXPANSION FOR EVERQUEST®

Players Will be Introduced to the Drakkin, the First New Player Race in More Than Three Years


SAN DIEGO, CA – July 10, 2006 -Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced EverQuest® The Serpent’s Spine™, a new expansion for the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMOPRG), EverQuest. EverQuest The Serpent’s Spine will only be available via digital download beginning in September for the suggested price of U.S. $29.99.

“In an ongoing commitment to introducing new features into EverQuest, The Serpent’s Spine introduces the Drakkin, the first new player race since the Frogloks were added to the game seven expansions ago,” said Chris Sturr, Senior Brand Manager, Sony Online Entertainment. “In addition to the new race, players of all levels will benefit from this expansion, as we are including content for levels 1 to 75.”

Players will also be able to explore a new starting city, Crescent Reach, which contains merchants, quests and combat. As in the last expansion, there will be new dynamic features such as auras, traps and destructible terrain. Players will be able to reach level 75 with new spells, raids and abilities.


About EverQuest The Serpent’s Spine
Nestled in a great ravine in the Serpent Spine Mountains is an ancient abandoned ogre city now called Crescent Reach, which is home to a new race born to protect the future of dragon kind, the Drakkin. Six dragons defied the council of the ancient dragons of the Nest and chose to create a new race to protect their future. The Drakkin are borne of humans touched by a dragon's blood and their colors and appearance represent the dragon that created them. Rapidly aging and reaching maturity in only months, the Drakkin forget their human beginnings and make their pilgrimage to Crescent Reach, the home of their dragon creators and the rest of their kind. EverQuest The Serpent’s Spine features the following:

* New Player Race: The Drakkin have been created from both human and dragon blood to protect the future of all dragon kind. Several colors and customizations will be available to make each Drakkin character unique, such as elegant scale markings and horns.
* Level Cap Increase: Players can now reach level 75, complete with new spells, abilities, raids and quests for greater power.
* Content for Levels 1 to 75: Play through every level of the game without ever leaving the Serpent Spine Mountains.
* New Starting City: Crescent Reach is a fully functioning city with all that is required to learn and thrive in EverQuest, including merchant, quest, combat and tradeskill areas.
* Dynamic Features: New zones, NPCs, destructible and interactive objects.
* New AAs, Spells: Experience new spells and Alternative Advancement abilities.

The EverQuest base game is required for this expansion. For more information on EverQuest The Serpent’s Spine, please visit: http://www.everquest.com



For more screenshots, check out The Serpent's Spine screenshot gallery at eq.ogaming.com.

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to all whiners
# Aug 23 2006 at 12:00 PM Rating: Default
Some people go out and spend money on buying beer for the weekend or saveing up money to put down on the neighborhood gambling table every saturday night. Some people go out and spend money on concert tickets or buying junkfood or tanning salons or thousands of other things out there, that quite honestly doesnt show anything in the long run. Maybe gambling if u win a lot, but you know what i mean. To me 14 bucks a month (= to 2 meals at Mc Donalds or something) is really nothing to scoff at. They could make it more expensive. If you dont want to spend ur money and have fun. Then cancel ur accounts, save up ur money and become a lonely old miser. I play AND pay the game to have fun, talk to friends in other states and get away from the drama of real life for a while.... hell its refreshing. New race.... was kinda hopeing for dragorn wings.... the patches of scales on there body is kinda cool, this doesnt take away the individuality of iksars and still gives them a hint of dragonic features. People complaining about new content... This is TECHNICALLY new content to us players but if u read the lore. This isnt a new moon Norrath discovered or a alternate plane of existence. Says specifically abandoned ogre city. So they are paying attention to earlier content. People whine and complain when they dont even fully comprehend the dynamics of the game. Do some research sheesh.
I love eq
# Aug 21 2006 at 7:06 PM Rating: Decent
hello there i love this game i betta tested it and love it. however i am just a casual player and have fun on a dailey basis i dont' have cable a land line phone or anything like that. so when it is night and there is nothing to do i play EQ . but for once i agree i think they should have put more money into fixing the problems already in game. and catered a bit to the casual player we are their main money maker. we stay for years instead of blowing to the top and then getting board. so i am oposed to the new lvl cap and i wish to goodness they would give enough time to just catch up a tiny bit. and my opinion on the new race it is kinda ugly and sucky. imo i wanted a playable minotaur they are cool and it would have given a chance to revamp velious which i think should be done. a good expansion way back when. i really think that updating the already in place game is the way to go .
expansion
# Aug 06 2006 at 9:58 AM Rating: Decent
Instead of having to delete a character it would be nice to see a new player slot for this 1. Either way looking forward to the new expansion.
Fudge
# Aug 02 2006 at 1:06 PM Rating: Decent
I just cancelled my account, although I'm going to hate that I cannot see more of the zone featured in that left screenshot.
New Level Advantage
# Aug 01 2006 at 9:12 AM Rating: Decent
21 posts
My 70 druid is getting ready to turn 71 on the release date. For him it means being able to forage in zones where he might not have wanted to travel -- He'll be safer to wander amid level 70 mobs when he's a 75..
New Class Idea
# Jul 26 2006 at 9:18 PM Rating: Default
Any warriors out there ever wanted to throw a fireball at something? I think they should make a hybrid class that is Wizard-Warrior. Like the Paladin the class will have some wizard spells but not the best. Just an idea.
new class testers!
# Jul 25 2006 at 4:08 PM Rating: Decent
If ye can't decide to delete a char for the race go to test and check it there if ye don't play there often might take a bit of time but better than deletin a char then findin ye don't like em :)
a new place to hunt
# Jul 24 2006 at 1:37 AM Rating: Decent
HI everybody --- although i am new to EQ i have played many RPG before. i always welcome new toons an expantions this is what keeps the game interesting.it takes a lot of time and effert to to make a toon that is uber,but it is a game not your life.i play a craze dark elf necro and my time is spent soloing all of the old zones,it is nice not having to deal with upper lvl toons pulling the hole zone from me.the only complant i have is ,wish i was lvl 70 with some aa's .all i see , is that i still have a long row to hoe.and no im not flaged are keyed or even in a guild but having a blast playing the game.hope to see you all in the game people.
____________________________
I am the one man posse,of the under world.
Earned Vetran AA
# Jul 21 2006 at 2:22 AM Rating: Default
Doubt anyone will read this but i think it would be cool if any class could buy a perma illusion aa, kind of like an earned vetran AA if you have oh so many total AA's something like 1000AA. Just a thought cause its a pita to illusion and double shrink every so often if non bard/rogues like messing around with illusions. AoN and the DE mask along with fun potions would be a blast to play around with because after that much grinding making your toon look a little different makes it interesting, like races that your class cant be...especially Guktan :)
168th Character Slot
# Jul 19 2006 at 1:03 PM Rating: Decent
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173 posts
All this talk about having to dump a character to create a Drakkin...hmmm, here's a radical idea...what about starting the new character...on a new server...! If you are only playing on one server, that gives you like what, 168 more slots?

Ducking flames already...just an idea folks....just an idea...

(okay, so loyalty to friends and all makes this unpopular, but what if, just say what if, all your friends who don't have extra slots either all go to this new server and start fresh...)
GAH! not more levels
# Jul 18 2006 at 4:07 PM Rating: Decent
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62 posts
I was hoping there would not be a level increase, I like not having to level anymore. Its more fun to focus on spells, items and such. I am sure it is just a way to slow uber guilds from blowing through content. I hope SONY will add some Alt ways for some of us casual players to get spells and such from older expansions. Would love to see a gnome or something in DS (OOW) that you could trade say 10 minor runes in for a greater or glowing and maybe 10 murmite runes for a ancient. Would be nice to get all my spells from 2 expansions ago. Hard to find group thats are not boxers PLing alts. And forget trying to get your DoN teirs done, that boat has sailed.

SONY PLEASE allow us casual players to catch up to at least OOW. It stinks not to be able to get spells that define your class because your a casual player, and do not raid and have the items that come from raiding. Also stop making missions harder for us casual players because some players like to cheat and use exploits, ie kill requirements in mm and spell mission, and respawns in DoN missions etc. The cheaters and uber raiding folks had it easy why make it harder for the casual player with weaker gear, and spell power. By the time you fix it they are done exploiting and its just harder for us slower folks.

The way the expansions are going relative to what a casual player can group to get (spells/gear) its getting harder and harder. most casual players even at level 70 can not handle spell missions, MPG trials, etc. Most of us have not seen end game in any expansion, for no other reason than we have school, work, familes etc, and can not play 24/7. Please add the means to solo/small group 2-3 at least spells. Or put in more evolving weapons that can turn into end game like items after so much exp. That would be fair, let the uber guilds have the new stuff and gear/power and let us casual players atleast have a shot and some high end stuff through solo missions etc from older expasions. Why must everything good be raid based, and please no uber boring waiting for a mob to spawn camps, collection camp are way more fun go and kill X and bring me 10 of these, next go and kill X and bring me this, instead of killing some PH over and over and over and over and over hoping that it will spawn and hoping that it will drop what you need that sucks and is boring. Quest need to be more dynamic, or put more powerful items/runes on the mission NPC to be bought with crystals etc that would be fun.

Ok I will shut up now...

Flamers.....what ever

Peace

new expansion
# Jul 18 2006 at 11:29 AM Rating: Default
I"m all for new content, heck I've got a space ready for a Drakkin character (providing they have class choices that I'de be interested in playing lol). All in all I like the timing for the new expansions, because I'm so gimp there will always be new content for me to find and I never have to worry about waiting for the next expansion to do so. My one and only wish that SoE would do is make some new face models for the existing races, I know they did it with Luclin but IMO Half Elves are still ugly lol.

Nelbrin 66 Half Elf Rogue, Povar
for those complaining
# Jul 18 2006 at 6:53 AM Rating: Default
about not having the disc just buy a pen drive that costs anywhere between 10-50 bucks and can download all your files to it and if it doesnt hold them all spend 20 bucks and get the rest
Another SoEvil product I won't be buying
# Jul 17 2006 at 6:07 PM Rating: Decent
It'd be nice if they actually fixed and updated the countless problems already in EQ that need attention, rather than focusing completely on revenue-grabbing expansions every 6 months. Ah well, I'll stick with the progressions server until Luclin opens, probably in about a month or so. :/
Its all good stuff.
# Jul 17 2006 at 2:42 AM Rating: Default
why wont they tell u what they will be like a monk or somthing?
what race
# Jul 17 2006 at 2:41 AM Rating: Default
why wont they tell u what they will be like a monk or somthing?
what will they be?
# Jul 17 2006 at 2:41 AM Rating: Default
why wont they tell u what they will be like a monk or somthing?
I can't catch up
# Jul 16 2006 at 8:34 AM Rating: Decent
Well, another expansion. It sounds like a new cool character. My first problem is this, I haven't even explored half of what we got there now. I will never catch up, lol.
And secondly, everyone runs to the new expansion and abandons all the other zones, making it hard to get any groups in the older expansions.
I remember when there were always alot of people running around in Queynos, both parts, now I only see a few and some are farming effect loots. Most of the older expansions are almost deserted. Even with some of the new missions I have heard of that were put in some of them.
Vkanda
LVL70 Cleric
i like the new expansion
# Jul 15 2006 at 10:56 AM Rating: Decent
I like having new expansions come out cause it makes it so there is always something new to do. I believe the 6-8 month time frame fits well. For most of the guilds doing high end. And with higher levels and higher end spells make lower end zones easier for family friendly zones to get into. Though you have to still work at. EQ isn't made to be an easy game. Almost any classs can still solo in it. Maybe your not getting 3-4% like high end guild players soloing. I'm happy soloing 1 percent a kill with a 66 shaman with 3.5k hp and 40 aa's. If you gripe about money do DON's and sell the crystals. A creator will get you 40 which on bristlemane they sell for 40 ish pp in bazaar. And a good roll on a metallic drake scale can easily be bartred for 20k. Which will make the 66-68 spells easy to get. I won the roll on 1 scale and a dscordling scioria in 1 day bartered or 55k. Which payed for my 66 and 68 spells. Which was 1000 time faster than winning rolls on single runes in wos. And with newer expansions brings better cheaper gear. As the higher guilds get rid of their alt gear in the bazaar prices come down. I remember 50k-80k items i used to want selling now for 20k. I like the new race i hope they give them something quite interesting as a natural tribute. Being part dragon, they should at least have higher ac than most or at least better regen than the rest. As for the new levels and spells. There will be a level 75 in probably the first day maybe second. And i know it won't be me. But i'll still congratulate the guy that does it when ooc's it in pok. The spells will probably for the lower couple of levels will be remakes of dodh and pro spells like they did with god spells when oow came out. Which i'm hopefull about that since i been gone for a year and won't have to go through all that content to get a few spells. And a lot of upgrades to other ability's. Maybe hopefully a slow that does a full slow instead of partial for once. In most zones. Just my thoughts, but until i find a better game that i can enjoy as much as eq. Sony will still have my money.
i like the new expansion
# Jul 15 2006 at 10:31 PM Rating: Default
Ummmmm, have you tried to solo with a ranger in any of the higer zones?????? Unless you have an unlimited supply of plat to twink your char with the best equipment, it's almost impossible.



chuckande wrote:
I like having new expansions come out cause it makes it so there is always something new to do. I believe the 6-8 month time frame fits well. For most of the guilds doing high end. And with higher levels and higher end spells make lower end zones easier for family friendly zones to get into. Though you have to still work at. EQ isn't made to be an easy game. Almost any classs can still solo in it. Maybe your not getting 3-4% like high end guild players soloing. I'm happy soloing 1 percent a kill with a 66 shaman with 3.5k hp and 40 aa's. If you gripe about money do DON's and sell the crystals. A creator will get you 40 which on bristlemane they sell for 40 ish pp in bazaar. And a good roll on a metallic drake scale can easily be bartred for 20k. Which will make the 66-68 spells easy to get. I won the roll on 1 scale and a dscordling scioria in 1 day bartered or 55k. Which payed for my 66 and 68 spells. Which was 1000 time faster than winning rolls on single runes in wos. And with newer expansions brings better cheaper gear. As the higher guilds get rid of their alt gear in the bazaar prices come down. I remember 50k-80k items i used to want selling now for 20k. I like the new race i hope they give them something quite interesting as a natural tribute. Being part dragon, they should at least have higher ac than most or at least better regen than the rest. As for the new levels and spells. There will be a level 75 in probably the first day maybe second. And i know it won't be me. But i'll still congratulate the guy that does it when ooc's it in pok. The spells will probably for the lower couple of levels will be remakes of dodh and pro spells like they did with god spells when oow came out. Which i'm hopefull about that since i been gone for a year and won't have to go through all that content to get a few spells. And a lot of upgrades to other ability's. Maybe hopefully a slow that does a full slow instead of partial for once. In most zones. Just my thoughts, but until i find a better game that i can enjoy as much as eq. Sony will still have my money.
i like the new expansion
# Jul 15 2006 at 10:31 PM Rating: Default
Ummmmm, have you tried to solo with a ranger in any of the higer zones?????? Unless you have an unlimited supply of plat to twink your char with the best equipment, it's almost impossible.
i like the new expansion
# Jul 16 2006 at 3:31 AM Rating: Decent
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244 posts
uummm, yes I do and you don't need a unlimited supply of plat. heck I scrape by (barely). you don't have to twink out a toon, U just have to be cautious when soloing in some of the higher zones, I will agree alot of times I end up ....Loading Please Wait....... trying to learn the pathing and if a mob summons or not . Basicly What I am saying is it takes Time, Skill, Luck, and Wisdom to remember this is a game and have fun at it.
____________________________
Mulila Forestwarden
110th season RANGER

aaror-95th lvl cleric
tahnorma-110th lvl shammy
kutekittie 93rd lvl beastlord
darkmulila 81st lvl necromancer
and a few other classes like druid, enchanter, magician, and rogue
Torvonnilous forever =)


"never turn down a good fight and always help friends in need =)"
everquest
# Jul 14 2006 at 9:20 AM Rating: Default
Hello, all u EQ'ers just my 2 cents. Everquest is a good game but... what it really needs is to keep people playing especially in old zones and maybe even some newer zone's is to make some rare spawns or to upgrade the loot table thats what it used to be like think about it lower guk used to be the place to lvl and to find loots along with all the other older zones. also,seems to me the flagging to get into zones especially if your not in a good guild is almost next to impossible so that makes for bad game play when your close to 60 because it is hard to solo and if you cant get flagged then what are you going to do? seems that soe is catering more to high lvl's. well just my 2 cents. 53 shaman of the tribunal. note i did have a 65 shaman and started playing in 1999.
everquest
# Jul 14 2006 at 3:17 PM Rating: Decent
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56 posts
<<<also,seems to me the flagging to get into zones especially if your not in a good guild is almost next to impossible so that makes for bad game play when your close to 60 because it is hard to solo and if you cant get flagged then what are you going to do?>>>

Actually, a lot of the zones in the last two expansions that people would go to get experience in are able to gain access to with only a single group (and actually they require having a single group to do the various tasks). Dreadspire, The tower of sullon zek... both of those are very high end zones that require only a few single group tasks to gain access to. Other than that, there are tons of places that are still used in the high end game to get experience. When you're around 60ish, the new "hotzones" really let you get a group, or at least create a group in those spots. anyways, EQ is catering to high levels because well lets face it, most of the people playing EQ have been playing for years and ARE high levels. that's my 2cp,
--Faedarr / Athenya / Deltdeath
70ENC / 67DRU / 57SK
expansions
# Jul 14 2006 at 9:08 AM Rating: Decent
i am the guildleader of a family guild and as such worked my alts up on all 3 accounts to be able to make cultral gear, now comes a new race and to make the cultral gear i have to find a alt to deleate now this really sucks considering the years i put in to them , how about another character slot to go with it, as the guildleader that cares i cant abandon my guild to go to a higher one that raids or should i say i wont, but this means even though i am lvl 70 and it will take me about forever to get a new lvl 75 on my main spells at lvl 69 and 70 can not be gotten solo so i have about given up on them now we are going to have more spells i cant have, doesnt make me feel much better, sony has revamped the old zones like neriak, so now i cant logg into that zone on my older computer and even after following directions from there support 4 different times it wont fix,(crashes to destktop) so as much as new expansions are nice and all how about a fix for the family folks first on the old expansions then i can consider paying another over 100 dollars to get the new expansions on my 3 accounts , ie just my 2 cents
WHY THEY CANT GET NEW PLAYERS
# Jul 14 2006 at 12:30 AM Rating: Default
i can tell you from experience ij sut started playing again after a 4+ year break from EQ.
and the #1 reason you wont get very many completly new players is plain and simple the cost....

i lost all my CDs so had to rebuy everything digitally and it cost me just over $100.00 to get everything all the expansions and 6 months service and sign up for magelo premium and allah.

lets face it try talking to 1 of your average gaming friends who have never played a pay to play online game and talk them into paying over $100 to just play a game at night for fun...
WHY THEY CANT GET NEW PLAYERS
# Jul 16 2006 at 11:25 PM Rating: Default
My friend I think you are a little loopy.... why pay for all those digital downloads when they have a game set available with all but the last expansion for 30 bucks.... coulda spent 70 to 80 dollars instead of over 100... just my 2cp
WHY THEY CANT GET NEW PLAYERS
# Jul 14 2006 at 4:47 PM Rating: Default
As noted below, you can download ALL game content, whether you are flagged as owning the expansion or not.

All 11 CDs.

You just can't access it all, as in you can't zone into the zones you've just downloaded files for.

Also, jebus man. EQ Platinum is like the first 10 of 11 expansions and costs what, $19.99 on Amazon.com?? Sewiously.
WHY THEY CANT GET NEW PLAYERS
# Jul 14 2006 at 1:12 AM Rating: Decent
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All u need to load the cpmplete EQ is everquest.exe available at

http://help.station.sony.com/cgi-bin/soe.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=16165&p_created=1132345796&p_sid=9KYPQtci&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9Mjc0MiZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9c2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0xJnBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9RXZlclF1ZXN0IHBhdGNoZXI*&p_li=&p_topview=1

Put it in the folder u want EQ to be loaded and run it. It will download the basic EQ files .. go to advance options .. check mark the expansions u have .. and do complete file check then u will have everything without ever touching a CD. Since most of teh files on ths CDs are obsolete and willbe downlaoded anyways it really does not take that much longer.
For those worried about downloads
# Jul 13 2006 at 8:00 PM Rating: Decent
Just thought I'd give my two cents on the digital download format.

I've had to reload my games (yes, I have all 11 expansions so far) 3 times since I started playing EQ in 2001. All I've had to do is load my first game CDand the few expansions I have on CD, log in to the patcher and go to the area where I can select which expansions to auto download for. Anything I've gotten DD's for has always automatically downloaded all the necessary files and voila! I'm back up and running.

Yes, it can take a few hours to download 4 or 5 expansions plus all the patch files, even on high speed, but I've never had a problem with the redownloading digital purchases. Once your account is flagged for the expansion, you can DL the files...that's been my experience.
WooT!
# Jul 13 2006 at 6:28 PM Rating: Decent
Awright a new race, sweet!

I agree it would be even better with a new class but that's the way it goes, I can only imagine the coding nightmare involved with creating a new class.
I myself wont be starting a new toon of the new race unless it offers something my already established toons lack (which I doubt).

A new class, now that would be really big! I would consider making a spot available for a new class if it where interesting enough to warrent deleting a time vested toon.
I think to myslef tho, what could be offered in a new class that isnt already offered in the classes available?

New lvl 75 eh? Well it had to happen sooner or later, I would have preferred later but that is my humble opinion.

To the naysayer's and boohooers I say if you no longer care for EQ pack your bags and your opinions and move along, nothing to see here, go about your life citizen. I dont believe there is a single person who enjoy's playing EQ that cares about your negativity. Perhaps I'm wrong.

I have really enjoyed seeing the revamping of the old world zones but to what end? They were virtually deserted as of several expansion's ago and remain so even tho they now visually look much more interesting.

Thanks SOE for keeping them coming, I inturn will continue to purchase.

Sofurious - the Rathe



IT NEEDS TO BE AVALBLE TO BE BOUGHT IN A BOX SET
# Jul 13 2006 at 4:30 PM Rating: Decent
Not everyone has a credit card or on high speed internet. I know alot of people still use the EQ game cards to play, so why is it download only. For myself I do have a credit card and high speed internet, but for the ones on dial up I feel sorry for them.
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