Taking place centuries after the events of the original EverQuest, this second installment introduces fans to a very different Norrath: a planet that in 500 years has endured numerous catastrophes that have changed its nature and altered the destinies of its people. The planet's moon Luclin collided with Norrath, bringing about an entire "Age of Cataclysms" that included not only "The Shattering" (the collision of Luclin with Norrath), but also many other catastrophes such as world wars and divine interference. Now, during Norrath's "Time of Destiny," players will explore through the shadows of these events that Norrath has endured over the past 500 years.
At the beginning, players will start out on Atonica, the original continent of EverQuest. As a result of "The Shattering," Atonica has been broken into multiple, smaller continents. Though only the shattered Atonica is available to explore at first, players can look forward to many developments through live updates and planned expansion pack content. It should be noted, however, that there is plenty to explore here, with the cities Qeynos and Freeport each containing 17 zones.
Improved graphics rendering is apparent through the players' ability to customize their characters' appearances with various attributes: eye and eyebrow shape and color, ears, cheeks, chin, and lips are all customizable. The cycle of day turning to night is nothing new from the original to this latest version of EverQuest, however the visuals of a rotating sky, turning from daylight into a star- and nebula-filled night sky, is. Not just a graphical touch, this progression from day into night also affects gameplay, as certain spells become more or less powerful according to the time of day.
There are a total 16 playable races (four of which are new), along with 100 levels and 48 classes. As players advance and begin to define their characters, they may choose a class using a new branching system, ideal for first time players as it provides an easier understanding of the various abilities attributed to each class and race. An additional area of improvement lies in the player's ability to gradually develop their characters over time, rather than being faced with a number of abstruse or confusing choices from the beginning. To put it simply, starting players will pick a race, choose an appearance, and choose from one of five archetypes: fighter, mage, priest, scout, or artisan. From this point on, it is the player's in-game actions and decisions that will determine which class they eventually fall into. ~ Gracie Leach, All Game GuideMINIMUM REQUIRMENTS
56k Internet Connection
RECOMMENDED REQUIRMENTS
Broadband Internet ConnectionMINIMUM REQUIRMENTS
Windows 2000/ME/XP
1Ghz Itntel Pentium III
512MB RAM
DirectX 9
DirectX compatible 64MB Video Card
Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader compatible Hardware
DirectSound compatible Sound Card
16x CD-ROM
6GB Hard Drive Space
RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIRMENTS
Windows 2000/ME/XP
4Ghz Intel Pentium 4
1GB RAM
DirectX 9
DirectX compatible 128MB Video Card
Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader compatible Hardware
DirectSound compatible Sound Card
16x CD-ROM
MOVEMENT KEYS
A = turn left
D = turn right
W = move forward
S = move backward
Arrow Keys = move character
Q = strafe left
E = strafe right
Space Bar = jump
OTHER KEYS
J = quest journal
I = inventory
M = map
K = book of knowledge
L = skills
O = socials
Y = communtiy
Alt+O = options
H = hail
T = tell
G = group say
R = reply
Escape = clear target, close window
F1 = target self
F2-F6 = target group member
F7 = target nearest PC
F8 = target nearest NPC
F9 = toggles between first and third person view
~ = auto attack
Tab = cycle through visible targets
Print Screen = screenshot
Page Up = look up
Page Down = look down
F10 = toggle UI
0-9 = activate hotkey
- = activate hotkey
= = activate hotkey
IBM PC Compatible
IBM PC Compatible
