*** New Interface Available *** The new EverQuest user interface is now available for use on Live servers. Many of you will find that it runs faster than the old interface. It is extremely customizable, and offers all sorts of features including resizable windows, fading windows, a pet control window, and flexibility through the XML files. We decided to offer it for optional use as a sort of Beta II for folks on the Live servers that haven't had the chance to try it out on the Test server. To activate the new interface: * Log into the game. * Type /newui into the chat bar and hit enter. * Log out and exit to your desktop and then log back in. or * Before you log in: * Open the EQclient.ini file in your EverQuest folder with a text editor (notepad works fine) * Find the [Defaults] section of the file * Add a line that reads: NewUI=TRUE * Log in We want to thank all the folks that have helped us test the interface and have offered a wide variety of useful ideas. Enjoy the interface! *** Bazaar Now Available *** Those of you that own Shadows of Luclin now have access to the /bazaar and /trader functions. These functions only work in the Bazaar. You can find the Bazaar on Luclin, adjacent to the Nexus and Shadowhaven. /bazaar opens up the Bazaar Search Window, which allows you to easily locate specific items for sale by Traders in the Bazaar. /trader opens up the Bazaar Vendor window, which allows you to make items available for sale to others in the Bazaar. You can only use the Bazaar if you have the new interface turned on. See the message above for details. Again we'd like to thank the folks that helped us test this feature. And we'd like to apologize for the delay in delivery of the Bazaar. We think that you'll find the finished product to be a good one. ** ViewPort ** One of the new commands available only with the new interface is /viewport. You can use this command to change the size of the gameplay area. /viewport [distance from left, distance from top, width, height] All of the distances and numbers for the viewport command are in the same measure as your screen resolution numbers. For Example: Let's say you are running in 800 x 600 video mode and you want to create view the game only in the top half of your screen (not that you would). You would type: /viewport 0 0 800 300 The top left of your screen is 0 and 0. 800 is the width of your screen, and the 300 is one half of the height of the screen. /viewport reset - will reset the viewport to the default setting. ** New Vah Shir Models ** We have developed new models for the Vah Shir for use with the old world. You may now choose to turn off the Luclin version of the Vah Shir models and use these new models if you wish. These new Vah Shir models require less memory and you may want to use them in place of the Luclin models to improve system performance. ** Spells ** - Fixed a bug with the bard songs Warsong and Battlecry of the Vah Shir that caused them to slow you down when used without other haste components. - Fixed a bug with bolt spells that caused double hits due to elevation. Sorry Mages. - Removed the "Ahhh... I feel much better now!" message from certain spells when the caster is over level 35. -Removed the reduction in damage to Damage over Time spells when used on NPCs that are moving. - Mind Wrack will now consider the z-axis when calculating the maximum distance group members can receive the beneficial affects of the spell. - Song of Sustenance should prevent unnecessary hungry and thirsty messages. - Bind Affinity can no longer be cast on any ungrouped player in arenas. - The caster of Voice Graft will once again see what is being said. - Spells that transfer hit points over time from the caster to a target will no longer take effect on the target (the hit point gainer) if the caster (the hit point giver) isn't also affected by the spell. - Added a spell effect message to Magician epic. - Beastlords now get Endure Disease at level 24 and Resist Disease at 51 ** Pets ** - Pet Resistance Changes: Pets will now use their master's level and resistances when saving against spells cast by NPCs (against PCs pets will use their own resistances and level as they always have) - unless the pet has special resistances, in which case it will use that resistance. - Altered pet summoning spells so that they always summon the most powerful pet possible, instead of pets within a 5 level range. - /pet report health now uses the same user defined color as spell text. - /pet report health will now display a list of the effects on the pet. - Mage fire pets should now cast their damage shields more often. - Wizard, Druid and Cleric pets and familiars can now be buffed by characters other than their owner. ** PvP ** - Fixed a bug on Tallon and Vallon Zek that made player characters in non-human illusions immune to ranged attacks. - It is no longer possible for PC's to fear other PC's at all on any server. The same was also done for charm. - Pets can no longer be affected by charm spells. This should fix the issue that caused charm spells to make pets disappear. - NPCs who are pets of players and call for help from other NPCs will have their cries fall on deaf ears. ** Alternate Advancement ** - Dire Charm will now send a message to inform the caster that the charm has broken by Feign Death. - Spell Casting Subtlety should work properly for all levels of the ability. ** Zone Specific ** - Corrected a problem with a treasure table in Marus Seru. - The drakes in SkyShrine should no longer be dropping cloth caps. They should now be producing Drake Eggs. The drakes are very happy about this. - The mountain lions in Steamfont now have jawbones. They are happier about this than the Drakes are about their eggs. - Hoshkar should no longer appear as a bag, qualifying him as the happiest of them all. ** Horses ** - Fixed a bug that was allowing characters to change into illegal forms while on horseback, causing some unusual displacement problems. Characters will no longer be able to turn into those illegal forms (elementals, for example) while on a horse. ** Quests ** - Corrected an issue with the Proudfoot Greaves recipe. - The Vex Thal key quest has been changed slightly. Celestial Rifts will no longer be used to create the key - a new item replaces them called a Planar Rift. Planar Rifts are acquired by defeating the same creature as before, however all future Rifts are going to be No-Drop. A Celestial Rift can be placed in a forge by itself and 'combined' to create a Planar Rift. Please be aware that the new Planar Rifts are No-Drop, and should only be converted in a forge by the intended owner. Old-style Celestial Rifts may be converted into the new Planar Rifts for a period of one month from this patch. If you have any rifts currently, be sure to convert them to the new style within 30 days. This change is not intended to make it more difficult or time consuming to acquire your Vex Thal key. Many players had brought forth concerns regarding the ability to hoard Celestial Rifts, which had the potential of causing some long-term issues. This fix addresses those concerns, and does not add any difficulty for players currently working on this quest. ** Items ** - Shissar-bane bows should be working. - Irontoes Tipped Beer Stein should now look like a stein rather than a bag when equipped. - The Intricate Shield can now be used by Dwarves, High Elves, Iksar, Vah Shir, Barbarians and Half Elves. - Imbued Steelsilk Helms now have plate graphics. - Large Fine Plate Boots can now be worn by Bards. - Crustacean Shell Helm now has a graphic. - Pickbringer's Chainmail Boots are now wearable by Gnomes. - Forged Firebrand Halberd now has a halberd graphic rather than an axe graphic. Also, because it is a two-handed slashing weapon, it can no longer be used by Bards. ** Dialogues ** There were a few NPCs that were not responding properly to their quest text. This has been fixed for the following NPCs: Wizard Schrock, Seamey Whirewhisker, Oglard, Morgalanth Tal`Raeloen, Verona Rankin, Gunex, Waltor Felligan, Nallar Q`Tentu, Lord Nethryn and Cilin Spellsinger. ** Miscellaneous ** - NPCs no longer have a chance to break root when being healed or buffed. - /split no longer has a chance to cause a loss of coins if done while a group member is gating. ** Grouping ** We have revamped the grouping system. This is a major rewrite of the system that should have little effect on gameplay, with the exception of removing the bugs with the old system. Players should no longer have issues with their group due to the link-death of any member (including the leader), zoning and other such issues. There is also a new command available. /makeleader - The leader of the group can now reassign who the leader of the group is by use of this command. *** News from Faydwer *** It is rumored that the major cities of Faydwer have announced a call to arms for all young adventurers. News of mysterious bloodthirsty goblins to the west setting up encampments has prompted all residents of Kaladim, Kelethin and Felwithe to all begin preparing themselves for what they think may be a momentous battle. Intelligence originating from the Scouts of Kaladim and Kelethin has informed their respective leaders of a possible alliance between a mysterious aqua goblin tribe and the Orcs of Clan Crushbone. Due to the possibility of an attack by either or both of these powerful tribes, guildmasters of all cities have begun the training of young soldiers brave enough to heed the call to defend their homeland against all unknown creatures and new inhabitants. *** Call to Arms *** Tarlain moved along through the tunnel at a brisk pace, a wistful smile painting his weathered features. His arm reached out from under his travel stained greatcloak so that his hand could traced the side wall of granite while his mind recalled the many times he had passed through this tunnel in his youth. It had been many years since and the memories of his training in the woodland ways within the environs of Surefall glade filled him with a peaceful nostalgia. This nostalgia all but vanished as Tarlain rounded the final curve and broke into the tree filtered sunlight of Surefall Glade and beheld a most unexpected sight - a line of Qeynos foot soldiers marching past the Ranger hall and on toward the far end of the Glade. What could bring the forces of Qeynos here? Knowing this could not bode well, Tarlain strode quickly to the Ranger hall, his eyes on the receding backs of the footmen. Reaching the main hall entrance, Tarlain's sight latched on to a proclamation inked in the flowing hand of a Qeynos scribe and bearing the seal of Antonius IV. It outlined the rising threat of Blackburrow Gnolls invading and despoiling the previously sequestered Jaggedpine Forest. Because of this danger Antonius has lifted his father's ruling to protect those forests and now calls for able-bodied men and militia to join in quelling the expansion of the vile Gnolls. Gritting his teeth at the thought of Gnolls invading the pristine woodlands, Tarlain turned and with a hand on his longsword, set off to catch up with the guardsmen and throw in his lot against the dogs of Blackburrow. (Note: Jaggedpine Forest is only available by using the optional files download option in the advanced section of the EverQuest patcher. Be aware that the download required for this new zone is relatively large.)