Exploring even further around the city Sorgom

I grab a couple wands, some basic gear, and I hit the road! I'm ready to explore the lands around me. I don't plan on doing much major killing or looting, I just want to see what is out there. Exploring in DarkFall can be so much fun!


And I did find something really interesting! These statues are genuinely creepy and scary...



What an evil looking thing!

Coliseum/Fighting Dungeon, I Forget What It's Called

I just can't remember what this place is called. Is it the coliseum? There is already a coliseum in Lineage 2, that is where Hero's are made. This place is something different.

Well anyways, it's a place for high levels to teleport and duke it out. It's something different from your standard arena, but I forget how. You can earn some sort of points or something. I have never heard of anyone using it. (But then again I'm not high-level)

Anyways, this place is worth a quick look! It's got some great architecture and some neat things in it.


This is the center of the whole room, it's basically a big circle. You teleport down into it. The whole place has this great snake thing going on! It reminds me of some of the Conan books with their Egyptian temples (that worship that one snake god fellow).


I like the floors here. And you can see that this whole central structure floats above a big cavern below.


This snake guardian statue stand guard for eternity! There are a few of these around the dungeon. Notice, er, that they got a snake head.


Cool fountain. Snake themed, of course. I like it. Notice the snakes holding the lights in their mouths. Great attention to detail here! There is a big shield on the wall below this snake statue.


I look so cool and tough!

Explording Fantasy Island

I recently got the chance to take a tour of Lineage 2's new Fantasy Isle. Fantasy Isle doesn't have much in it right now, but there are plans to have mini-games here that will (hopefully) really add a lot of new gameplay and things to do in Lineage when you don't feel like PvP or killing monsters. As of now though, Fantasy Island is an empty interesting place.

Just touring it really makes you realize the potential of Lineage 2's graphics and the strength of it's programming. ('Cause almost every inch of the Fantasy Island look fantastic!)


This is the first thing you see on the Isle. I like how it is cheery and fun, but still manages to have that fantastic Lineage 2 art style!


This is the main entrance into the Fantasy Island square. Though of course you teleport into the island.


In one section of the island there is this wonderful sea-themed section. (I wonder what will be here? Anything?)


Behold! Your Queen!


As I make my way to check out something on the other end of the Isle, I see a mysterious temple in the distance. I'll have to check that out later on my way back.


I think this statue of a cat is sniffing it's tail. Cute.


A better view of the whole island.


OK time to check out this temple!


Inside the temple is very interesting. On the floor is the Mayan calendar! Look at that detail! See what I mean about the potential of Lineage 2? Really cool stuff.

Well that's Fantasy Island. There is nothing "real" there just yet, but its absolutely worth taking a look. Heck I might just come back here to show you what I missed taking a shot of! I wonder if anything else will ever be here? What games will be added? Will Fantasy Island ever become a gathering spot for the players of Lineage 2 to meet and socialize?

A return to EverQuest 2 (again)

Wow, no exclamation point in today's title! Oh wait, there it is again. Hehe... it does seem like I use a lot of exclamation points in my blog's titles. If you look at my history about half of them have a "!". A friend of mine even said over xfire that he didn't read the blog because it was "Too sappy and happy-go-lucky." Haha, what can I say? I am excited about the things I do in these MMOs and I love them all! I just have such a passion for these games, and this blog is a good example of how much I enjoy exploring them and seeing new things.

Well what new things have I been exploring and seeing? The world of Norrath!

I played EQ2 right when it was launched and have played it off and on since then. It's a great game with a wonderful world. It has it's flaws but also its pluses.

Well, I will be talking more about Norrath as I get deeper in. For now, lets take a look at the Isle of Refuge! This is the place where trial accounts have their fun, as well as the first place you start as a new character.

Some history on the Isle of Refuge: It used to have an instance where you are on this boat and you get attacked by a drake and the boat crashes and you end up on the Isle. Was this taken out? Perhaps I just had the tutorial disabled, as it is basically a tutorial. Also, the Island used to be for both Qeynos and Freeport and you would be able to talk to both sides and make a decision on where you wanted to go. Now you are either one or the other and the whole island is either Qeynos controlled or Freeport controlled (the monsters are a bit different depending on which side).
You can see the ship you start in in the background. In the foreground you can see my new character Cxaxukluth laying the smackdown on a crab! Well you can't see the crab but belive me he is there.
Around the corner from the docks are... The Tower of Something! OK I can't remember this towers name... but I bet it has one!

If you look up you can see the exploded moon of Lucin. When Lucin exploded much of the world of Norrath was ripped into chunks and destroyed. And that kids, is how you make an EverQuest 2!

A patrol of Freeport Guards. And a statue.

Because this is the Freeport side there is a statue of Lucin behind the Tower of Something. If this where a Qeynos character you would have a statue of Antonia Bayle. If this was that hybrid island back at launch... well I have no idea! Did there used to be both statues? A completely different statue?


There is a great painting at the top of the Tower of Something. I imagine that it is a painting of
the entrance to the Plane of Fear.

Here I am laying the smackdown like only I know how! One thing that bothers me, even with the interface turned off you can still see that big arrow. I'm going to have to figure out how to disable that.
Another great painting. I can't tell what it is though... a dungeon or city from EverQuest 1 definitly. I think the "painting" is actually an EQ1 picture. (And thinking in retrospect, perhaps that first painting is an EQ1 screen too)

Ahh yeah... love to watch that tent burn.

OK well that is all for the Isle of Refuge! I enjoyed it, did every quest there was to do, and I got some good shots in the process. Next stop.... Freeport!


In the center of every ghetto in Freeport there is some kind of special monument. In the center of the Scale Yard there is this statue. In my opinion it kind of sucks... I mean it's a great statue there is nothing wrong with it but in Freeport there are statues all over the place! What makes this one any different? Oh, and another interesting detail, in Freeport all the races are doubled up and separated into ghettos. Iksar and Barbarians, Dark Elfs and Trolls (I think) etc. etc.

I feel sorry for those Barbarians in the Iksar ghetto because Iksar are dedicated to the elimination of every other race... oh well. Perhaps the overlord thought they where the only race both smart enough to avoid the Iksar and strong enough to fight them if they did get into a tiff.

Here is what is in the center of the Dark Elf ghetto. Kind of nice don't you think? One thing to notice is the evil "dark" smoke coming out of some of the fire thingies. I wonder the lore behind this symbol... I'm positive there is background on it. There is so much lore in EverQuest 2 I could make a whole blog just talking about it.

OK well that is all for now, I can't wait to get back to it and see more! There is soooo much to show you in EverQuest 2.

Shipping off to Qalia

I have to say all the comments on the last blog have made me really really happy. Blogs are one of those things where you don't really know if anyone is reading. So thank you for commenting. I have seen some blogs where the writers just pour their heart out into huge essays and then give up because they just weren't getting the feedback, a sad sight. Rest assured this blog will not blogfade like so many others.

On a suggestion from a friend I went to go take a look at the dwarf city. It was night time so I didn't get to see it at its best, I bet it is beautiful in the sunlight.
I wanted to finish up some quests here in New Targonor before I headed off the Qalia to start on a popular quest everyone seems to be on. I investigated a fisherman's murder.
I took a picture of this statue. I think this might be the first good dark picture just because the guy is holding a lantern.
Once I finished my quests I head off to New Targonor.
It's time to say goodbye, I don't know how long I will be away from Thestra. Or when I will return to Kojan for that matter (that is something I would love to do).

Qalia is very different from the other two continents. I am not sure if I really like it. Here is the first thing I saw when I go off the boat from New Targonor.
And after I got myself some supplies I didn't waste any time getting out there into the thick of things. I met up with a new group of friends, found the quest I was told about, and got to work!

Starting to really have fun in Vanguard!

I sure have been having fun in the big VG! It's a very typical MMO. It hasn't done anything too crazy or too exciting if you are comparing it against other MMOs. The quests are the same, combat is the same, mobs are the same, even the lore is nothing special. And yet I am just having so much fun! Vanguard is exactly what I was looking for, and it is exactly what I wanted EverQuest 2 to be.

I always wanted to play EverQuest. When I was a little kid I bought the strategy guide (useless most likely) and I event dreamed about playing EQ! Yes, I was that nerdy. ^^ Well I never had a graphics card so I never did get a chance to play that EverQuest. So, instead I played Ultima Online and Asheron's Call, but thats a story for another time. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, Vanguard is what I wanted EverQuest to be when I was that little kid. It's finally rekindled "that feeling."

In-Game I had to do something horrible. It really affected me and I'm not kidding. The wife Brent over at Virgin Worlds (podcast, good one, listen!) said that the biggest problem she had with MMOs was killing the little animals like the wolfs and deer and stuff. I sensed that she was really serious about this! Well, I had to do a similar thing. I had to kill a sasquatch. *sob*
In other news, I made a new character! Her name is Gabi and she is really pretty. I like her strong face, and fierce will. She is a Ranger. One with the forest and a skilled hunter.
Big boobs too. Ahh, well anyways! I had fun exploring the starting area of the High Elfs. It's on the same continent as Greg (Thestra I belive it is called) but it looks much different from Halgarad and the surrounding area. This statue was the first cool thing I saw.
Allright, I know this frog looks a little cheesy but I like it. ^^
I like the design on this treant. A very old-school mob, but Vanguard did a nice job.
Exploring a temple/ruins/cemetary I found these crypts. I like the green.

That's it for today! Be sure to check back later for more pictures. I'm sorry if I talk too much, I try not too. XD