ニュース/200709 - Legends of Norrath Codex

Legends of Norrath Tournament Testing Resumes!
http://forums.station.sony.com/strategygames/posts/list.m?topic_id=4745

Join us this Saturday and Sunday (September 29th – 30th) for the second weekend of major Legends of Norrath tournaments! We will be loading up the tournament queues this weekend and would appreciate your help. We'll be giving out rewards to those that place well and some even for just participating. Please join us at the two following times this weekend!*

 

Saturday, September 29th
Legends of Norrath Constructed Stress Test Tournament
11:00 AM Pacific Time (server time)
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Create your best deck using the cards in your collection and bring it to the tournament.
1st place wins a loot card of their choice!
2nd – 4th place will each receive 3 booster packs
5th – 16th place will each receive 1 booster pack
One random participant out of every ten participants who complete the tournament will also receive a Legends of Norrath booster pack.

Sunday, September 30th
Legends of Norrath Constructed Stress Test Tournament
11:00 AM Pacific Time (server time)
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Create your best deck using the cards in your collection and bring it to the tournament.
1st place wins a loot card of their choice!
2nd – 4th place will each receive 3 booster packs
5th – 16th place will each receive 1 booster pack
One random participant out of every ten participants who complete the tournament will also receive a Legends of Norrath booster pack.

 

*You must be registered to play in tournaments. To do this you must purchase at least one booster pack or starter deck in the Legends of Norrath Store.


PLAYER RUN LON TOURNAMENT 18:00 LON (PST) SATURDAY 29 SEPT 2007
http://forums.station.sony.com/strategygames/posts/list.m?topic_id=4622

Darrkelf:
Volunteers to help out as observers are welcome and go into a bonus prize draw.

START TIME:  18:00 LON (PST) on Saturday 29 September 2007   (type /time in LON to get the current time)

LOCATION:  Tunare Casual Lobby

ENTRY FEE:  1 x Legends of Norrath Event Pass (purchasable from SOE store)

REGISTRATION:  Players must register and have traded the entry fee to Scarrs by 17:00 LON (PST) on Saturday 29 September 2007. 

HOW TO REGISTER:  Players can register interest through PM to Darrkelf on this forum, posting interest in this forum or sending a tell to Scarrs in LON with their LON player name.  Registrations will only be valid if the player has paid the entry fee by 17:00 LON (PST) Saturday 29 September 2007.

PRIZES:  Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place

BONUS PRIZE:  Players that either volunteer as observers, or that are knocked out of the tournament but stay on as observers to help monitor matches will be placed in a draw for a bonus prize.

Details of all prizes will be updated at 17:00 LON (PST) once all entry fees have been received and registrations finalised.

STRUCTURE:  The tournament will be double elimination. 

A double-elimination tournament is broken into two sets of brackets, the Upper Bracket and Lower Bracket. After the first round, the winners proceed into the Upper Bracket and the losers proceed into the Lower Bracket. The Upper Bracket is conducted in the same manner as a single-elimination tournament, except of course that the losers of each round "drop down" into the Lower Bracket.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RULES

All players will need to be logged on and present in the Tunare lobby at the start time - any players not in the lobby by 18:00 LON (PST) will be disqualified. 

DECKS:  Players can use custom decks if they wish, and may alter or change decks between matches.

MATCH TIMER:  Play of matches will be on a 30 minute timer.

MATCH TITLES:  All matches are to be titled ‘T - [Player1] vs [Player2]'

MATCH PASSWORDS:  All matches are to be setup with the password ‘tournament'

MATCHES:  Player matches will be announced in lobby chat for each round.  Announced will be Player1 vs Player2.  The first player must create the match. Players without an observer will need to take a screenshot of the winner screen in case there are any disputes.

OBSERVERS:  Players that wish to volunteer and players that have been knocked out of the tournament are encouraged to help observe other matches.  To qualify to enter the draw for the bonus prize, players volunteering or staying on as observers once they have been knocked out need to send a tell to Scarrs in the LON lobby to have their name added to the draw.

LADDER SLOTS:  A /rand number (using EQ2 - Najena server near QH docks) will be generated for each player to determine which slot they will start in.  The numbers will be generated between 17:00 and 18:00 - an announcement will be made in the lobby prior to the draw for anyone that wishes to come to EQ2 to watch the draw.

LADDER:  The tournament ladder will be posted in this thread and updated at the end of each round.

REPORTING:  The winning player of each match is to report the results in the lobby through a /tell to Scarrs - Scarrs will then repeat the result publicly in the lobby to ensure that all results are received.  If there is a dispute regarding the winner of a match then the observer will be consulted or screenshot will be viewed to resolve.  If you dispute the outcome of a match you must contact Scarrs as soon as the announcement has been made, prior to the next round being announced.

DELAYS:  If a player is afk when they are due to have started a match or during a match then it should be reported to Scarrs by their opponent or observer.  Scarrs will then post ‘[PLAYER 1] report immediately for your match - timer started XX:XX' in the lobby and send a tell to the player.  If the player does not return within 10 minutes then they are disqualified.

LINKDEATHS:  If a player goes LD during the tournament the same 10 minute timer applies.  If the player was already in a match and the match timer ran out then the loss stands and their opponent wins.

SERVER WIDE CRASH:  In case of a server wide crash, the tournament will be delayed until the server is back up.  If the servers are down for more than 1 hour then the tournament will be cancelled and entry fees refunded.

DISPUTES:  Any disputes between players or regarding tournament rules are to be resolved through tells between Scarrs and the players involved.

PRIZES:  After the tournament has been completed winners will receive their prizes through the Trade lobby in LON.

BEHAVIOUR:  Any players that are deliberately abusive toward other players during the tournament will be disqualified and forfeit all remaining matches.  If this happens during a match take a screenshot and report to Scarrs.

Legends of Norrath Promotion Weekend Sept. 28-30
Article - 9/25/2007 Article - 9/25/2007
Calling all EverQuest® and EverQuest® II players!  What's more fun than defeating opponents in your game and picking up Legends of Norrath booster packs, starter decks, and combo packs?  Well, how about the opportunity to get even more of them?

Introducing the Legends of Norrath Promotion Weekend beginning at 2PM (PDT) Friday, September 28th and concluding at 11:59PM (PDT) on Sunday, September 30th.  During this special weekend, EQ and EQII players will not only enjoy a significantly increased rate of card pack drops, but will have the opportunity to obtain two brand new cards, Hatred (1P1) and Switch (1P2):

For now, these two new cards will only be available during this three-day promotional weekend, so don't miss out on the chance to get them!

It's not only a great time for current Legends of Norrath players to score big, but the perfect opportunity for EQ and EQII players to come see what all the buzz is about with this great new addition to the universe of Norrath. It will be a blast – especially with such an increased opportunity to win cards!

So combat those EQ and EQII enemies this weekend and loot, loot, loot!  Then use your card bounty to continue on your way to becoming the ultimate Legends of Norrath player! 
LoNのプロモーションについて：
9/28 14:00~9/30 11:59(日本時間 9/29 6:00～10/1 15:59）の間、カードパックのDrop率が向上します！
また、この期間内のみ、Promotional CardのHatred(1P1)とSwitch(1P2)がDropします！
※HatredおよびSwitchは、個別のカードとしてDropします。
（編集者補足：期間内、一般のフィールドは混雑が予想されるので、四風の塔の試練（ソロ）失敗オンラインあたりがオススメです。）


LoN Guide Site Cup 開催予定のお知らせ
http://www.guide-site.jp/modules/wordpress/index.php?p=320

以下引用：
・開催日時：9月27日（木） 21時（JST）～（予定）
・参加定員：16名
・Deck制限：特になし
・対戦形式：トーナメント、1回勝負
　（勝ち進むと全4回戦）

・賞品
　1位：ブースターパック3個
　2位：ブースターパック2個
　3位：ブースターパック1個×2名分

・その他
　参加者の中から抽選で3名様に、ブースターパックを
　1個プレゼント！（1位～3位以外の方、対象）

・参加方法
　この記事にコメントを頂けるか、Game内の私（Oraclei）までTellを
　頂けると助かります。必要事項は、LoNで使用しているお名前と、参加
　表明です。（参加に、Event Passは必要ありません。）

Sebilis初のトーナメントです！
トーナメントシステムは未実装ですが、腕試しに是非どうぞー

Tournament FAQ
http://forums.station.sony.com/strategygames/posts/list.m?topic_id=4652
公式のトーナメントFAQです。
Q.When do tournaments happen?
A. Right now we are only doing select test tournaments and will launch the full program in the near future. Tournaments will be run according to different criteria, with several “queue” tournaments being started by players (when enough players join a specific queue the tournament will start), and major events started by SOE staff. The queue events will be able to start 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The major events will start at specified times that will be listed on the Legends of Norrath web site and broadcast in-game. Stay tuned for dates and times. 

Q.トーナメントはいつ開催されますか？
A.現在は、限定的なテストトーナメントを開催していますが、近日にも完全なプログラムを立ち上げます。
トーナメントは異なる規則で動作し、それぞれの"キュー"を持つトーナメントがプレイヤーによって立ち上げられます（特定のキューに十分なプレイヤーが参加したとき、トーナメントは開始します）、また、SOEスタッフによってメジャーなイベントが立ち上げられます。
このキュー・イベントは、いつでも開始することが可能です。メジャーイベントは特定の時間に立ち上げられ、Legends of Norrathのウェブサイトに記載され、ゲーム内でもブロードキャストされます。日時が決定し次第お知らせいたします。

Q. When do the tournament queues open for a scheduled event?
A. Queues for scheduled events are usually opened about 30 minutes before the start of the event.

Q.定期的なトーナメントのキューはいつ開放されますか？
A.定期的なイベントのキューは、普通、開始時間の30分前に開放されます。

Q. How do I become registered to play in tournaments?
A. To become a registered player, you need to have purchased at least one booster pack or starter deck at some point on the account you are attempting to use in the tournament. Once you have done this you will not need to do it again, you are registered from that point on. To purchase a booster or starter head over to the Legends of Norrath store.

Q.トーナメントをプレイするために、"登録済み"になるにはどうすればいいですか？
A.登録済みプレイヤーになるためには、参加を希望するアカウントで、少なくとも1つのブースターパックかスターターデッキを購入する必要があります。一度この手続きを済ませれば、以降そうする必要はありません。ブースターおよびスターターを購入するためには、Legend of Norrath storeを利用してください。

Q. How do I join a tournament?
A. When you are in the tournament lobby, you will see a selection of tournaments in the “Tournament Queues” area. You can join the tournament you want by double-clicking or right-clicking on the specific event. Make sure you have the proper amount of Event Passes and a valid deck ready to go for the event you want to join.

Q.トーナメントに参加するにはどうすればいいですか？
A.もしあなたがトーナメントロビーにいるならば、"Tournament Queue"エリアで選択可能なトーナメントを確認することが出来ます。あなたは、このイベントをダブルクリックするか、右クリックすることでトーナメントに参加できます。イベント参加の準備として、十分な量のEvent Passと、正しいデッキを用意しておいてください。

Q. Where do I get Event Passes?
A. You can buy Event Passes up in the Legends of Norrath store.

Q.Event Passはどこで手に入りますか？
A.Event PassはLegends of Norrath storeで購入することが出来ます。
（編集者注：TradeおよびPosted Tradeでも入手可能です。）

Q. How many Event Passes does it take to enter a tournament?
A. This will vary from event to event and will be posted with each event’s details.

Q.トーナメントに参加するには、何枚のEvent Passを用意する必要がありますか？
A.これは開催されるイベント次第で、イベントの条件として提示されています。

Q. When do I select my deck for the tournament?
A. When you first join the tournament queue is when you have the opportunity to select to use any deck you have previously created in the Deck Builder. Any valid decks for the tournament will be marked with a green check mark and any invalid decks will be marked with a red “X”.

Q.トーナメントに使用するデッキはいつ選択できますか？
A.あなたがトーナメントのキューに参加するときに、デッキビルダーで作成したものから、希望するデッキを選択することが出来ます。使用可能なデッキは緑のチェックマークで、使用不可能なデッキは赤いXで示されています。

Q. How do I know if I am in the tournament?
A. If you have the tournament dialog box up on your screen and your name is in green, then you are in the tournament and ready to go.

Q.自分がトーナメントに参加していることをどうやって確認できますか？
A.スクリーン上にトーナメントダイアログが表示されていて、あなたの名前が緑色になっていれば、あなたはトーナメントに参加していて、開始準備を完了しているということです。

Q. Can I change my deck during the tournament?
A. You cannot change your deck between rounds in a constructed tournament, this would give players an unfair advantage by adapting to the specific tournament environment. However, in a sealed deck or draft tournament you will be able to change cards in your deck with the other cards you received in the tournament, not from cards in your collection.

Q.トーナメントの途中でデッキの交換は可能ですか？
A.状況によってデッキを交換することは、プレイヤーに不公平な格差を与えるため、constructed（標準の）トーナメントの途中では、デッキの交換は行えません。しかし、sealed deckやdraftによるトーナメントでは、あなたのコレクションではなく、トーナメント中に提供されたカードの中で交換を行うことは可能です。

Q. Can we watch tournament games?
A. No, you cannot watch a tournament game in progress. Watching potential opponent’s games could give you an unfair advantage if you become paired up with them.

Q.トーナメントゲームの観戦は可能ですか？
A.いいえ、進行中のトーナメントは観戦できません。これは、観戦者とプレイヤーが協力した場合、不公平な格差を与えてしまうためです。

Q. Can I join a tournament late?
A. No, the tournament becomes locked after it begins and new players are not allowed.

Q.トーナメントに遅れて参加することは可能ですか？
A.いいえ、トーナメント開始後はロックされ、新たなプレイヤーの参加は認められません。

Q. How long does a single round last?
A. This could vary from tournament to tournament, but the standard is a 30 minute chess clock, meaning that each player has 15 minutes total to make all their game play decisions in a single match.

Q.1ラウンドあたりどのくらいの時間がかかりますか？
A.これはトーナメントの設定次第ですが、標準設定は30分のチェスクロックで、これは、双方が個々のゲームプレイにおいて、トータル15分の時間を持っていることを表します。

Q. Can a round begin early if all players in a round are finished before the 30 minute time is up?
A. Yes, the time clock is the maximum time the current round can last, but it can start earlier than the maximum time.

Q.全てのプレイヤーが30分経過前に試合を終わらせた場合、次のラウンドの開始は早まりますか？
A.はい、タイマーは現在のラウンドが継続する最長の時間を示しますが、それよりも早く開始できます。

Q. What happens if my timer runs out in my match?
A. You lose the game, even if you were ahead on health and quests completed.

Q.試合において、自分のタイマーが時間切れになった場合どうなりますか？
A.あなたがHealthを残していて、クエストを完了していたとしても、あなたの負けになります。

Q. Once my game is done, what should I do?
A. There are several things you can do between rounds. You can stay in the Tournaments Lobby or you can go to other lobbies and chat with players, you can play skirmish and scenario games, and you can work on other decks. You cannot play casual game lobby matches, as it would be unfair to your opponent if you suddenly left mid-game. The tournament will automatically pull you back to the tournament lobby 10 seconds before the next round starts. You can always keep track of how much time you have by looking at the tournament timer in the lower left corner of your Legends of Norrath client.

Q.試合が終了したらどうすればいいのでしょうか？
A.ラウンドの合間にあなたが出来ることがいくつかあります。あなたは、トーナメントロビーに残るか、他のロビーに行って他のプレイヤーとチャットを行ったり、スカーミッシュやシナリオをプレイしたり、他のデッキを使用することが可能です。対戦相手にとって、あなたが試合の途中で抜けてしまうことはよくないため、casual gameロビーでの試合を行うことは出来ません。トーナメントは、次のラウンド開始10秒前には、あなたを自動的にトーナメントロビーに引き戻します。Legends of Norrathのクライアント左下の角にあるトーナメントタイマーで、いつでも残り時間を確認することができます。

Q. Can I restart or change from the MMO client to the stand-alone client during the tournament, or vice-versa?
A. Yes, however, if you do this too close to when a new round begins, you run the risk of getting a game-loss. We don’t recommend doing this.

Q.トーナメント中にクライアントを再起動したり、MMOクライアント（ゲーム付属のもの）からスタンドアローン版クライアントに変更することは可能ですか？
A.はい、しかし、次のラウンド開始まで時間が無いときは、不戦敗となる危険性もあるため、あまりお勧めできるわけではありません。

Q. What happens if I lose connection during a game in the tournament?
A. You have 10 minutes to get back in the game, but you should try to connect as fast as you can because your tournament timer will be counting down.

Q.トーナメント参加中に接続が切れてしまった場合はどうなりますか？
A.10分以内なら戻ることが可能ですが、タイマーはそのまま動いているため、出来るだけ早く戻るようにしてください。

Q. If I lose a game am I out of the tournament?
A. There are several different types of tournaments, but the most common type we will have are “Swiss” style tournaments. In Swiss tournaments each player will play in every round of the tournament, if you lose a game you are not eliminated from the event. Players will be seeded with other players in each round with similar win/loss records. In an “elimination” style tournament you will be eliminated by losing a specified number of matches. Each tournament will clearly state which style of event it is so you know beforehand what to expect.

Q.試合に負けた場合、私はトーナメントから追い出されますか？
A.トーナメントにはいくつかのタイプがありますが、多く催されるのは"Swiss"タイプのトーナメントです。Swissトーナメントでは、全てのプレイヤーがトーナメントの全てのラウンドに参加し、敗北しても追い出されることはありません。プレイヤーは、勝敗の等しいほかのプレイヤーとシードされます。
"elimination"スタイルのトーナメントでは、あなたが特定の回数の試合に敗北した時点で排除されます。
どちらのトーナメントも、それがどちらのスタイルであるか明記してあり、事前にそれを把握することが可能です。

Q. How are standings determined?
A. In each round of a Swiss tournament players will be given 3 points for a victory and 1 point for a defeat. These points will accrue throughout the tournament and help pair players of similar point values against each other. The higher your point value, the better you will place in the tournament. There are no points awarded in an elimination tournament as you are out of the tournament if you are defeated. The final players in the tournament will have the highest standing.

Q.順位はどのように決定されますか？
A.Swissタイプのトーナメントでは、全てのラウンドで、勝利すれば3ポイント、敗北すれば1ポイントを得ます。
このポイントは、トーナメントにおいて、ポイントの近いプレイヤーを組み分けするために使用されます。
ポイントが高いほど、あなたはトーナメントにおける上位に位置されます。
eliminationトーナメントではポイントは得られませんが、敗北した時点でトーナメントから排除されます。最後に残ったプレイヤーが1位ということになります。

Q. What is a “bye”?
A. A Bye is when there is an odd number of players for a given round. The lowest placing player that has not already received a Bye will be given one. That person does not have an opponent for that round and will be given a 3 point win for subsequent round standings. Please note that your points will not be updated until the beginning of the next round.

Q.byeとは何ですか？
A.Byeはラウンドにおいて、端数として残ってしまったプレイヤーを指します。いままでByeを受けていない最下位のプレイヤーがByeを与えられます。
そのラウンドにおいて、対戦相手がいないプレイヤーは3ポイントを得て、次のラウンドに進出します。次のラウンド開始時までポイントは更新されませんので、その点に注意してください。

Q. How do I drop from a tournament?
A. The command to drop a tournament is “/drop <tournament ID> confirm”. For example: If the tournament ID is 34526, then the command to drop from that tournament would be/drop 34526 confirm

Q.トーナメントから抜けることは出来ますか？
A.トーナメントを抜けるためのコマンドは、"/drop <トーナメントID> confirm"です。
例：トーナメントIDが34526であったばあい、そのトーナメントを抜けるためのコマンドは/drop 34526 confirmです。

Q. If I drop from a tournament will I still get prizes?
A. No, you have to be there at the conclusion of the tournament to receive any rewards.

Q.トーナメントを抜けた場合でも賞品を受け取れますか？
A.いいえ、賞品を受け取るにはトーナメントの最後までそこに残っている必要があります。


Tournament Tests Today!
http://forums.station.sony.com/strategygames/posts/list.m?topic_id=4653
We're running two test tournaments today and need your help. We'll be starting the first test at 1:00PM (PDT) and the second at 6:00PM (PDT). Come to the Tournaments Lobby and join the tournament queue. We'll open the queues about 30 minutes beforehand. In the event that the tournaments complete successfully, 3 booster packs each will be rewarded to the top 5 finishers. There are no entry fees for these tournaments, however you must be registered to participate in tournaments.

Check out the newTournament FAQ!（FAQは↑参照）

いつの間にか、公式でもトーナメントテストが再開していたようです。
第1回　27日 5:00（日本時間）
第2回　27日 10:00（日本時間）
今後もこういった突発テストがあるかも？（時間的には無理がありそうですが…）

Extended Service Downtime Update
Article - 9/24/2007
Article - 9/24/2007
Beginning at 11:30 p.m. PDT on Monday, September 24th, all SOE services will be unavailable so that we can perform significant upgrades to our authentication and account management systems.

Currently we expect this maintenance to take approximately 14 hours. As first indicated, it could extend to as long as 24 hours. Customer service, chat, and support will also be unavailable at this time. Phone support will still be accessible. SOE websites will continually be updated throughout the day as to the progress of the maintenance.

We apologize for this interruption, however when service is resumed you will have an enhanced user experience to manage your accounts at Station.com.
※SOEのアカウントマネージメントシステムのメンテナンスとして、（日本時間で）9/25PM3:30～14時間（最長24時間）の間、各種サービスが使用できません。
（LoNもプレイできません。あしからず。）

Designer Chat this Thursday!
Article - 9/24/2007
Article - 9/24/2007
Designer Chat this Thursday!

Join Legends of Norrath game designer, Paul Dennen (a.k.a. Merakon), in the Developer's Corner of the forums on Thursday, September 27th from 3:30pm-4:30pm (PDT). Post your questions and read Paul's answers - LIVE!
LoNのゲームデザイナー、Paul Dennenがフォーラム上、Developer's Cornerにやってきます！
9/27 15:30-16:30(日本時間 9/28 7:30-8:30)、リアルタイムでの質疑応答が行えます。

Legends of Norrath Tournament Testing Begins!
Article - 9/20/2007
Article - 9/20/2007
Legends of Norrath Tournament Testing Begins!

Join us this Saturday and Sunday (September 22nd – 23rd) for the first ever Legends of Norrath tournaments! We will be loading up the tournament queues this weekend and would appreciate your help. We'll be giving out rewards to those that place well and some even for just participating. Please join us at the two following times this weekend!*

Saturday, September 22nd
Legends of Norrath Constructed Test Tournament
12:00 noon PDT (server time)
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Create your best deck using the cards in your collection and bring it to the tournament.
1st place wins a loot card of their choice!
2nd – 4th place will each receive 3 booster packs
5th – 16th place will each receive 1 booster pack
One random participant out of every ten participants who complete the tournament will also receive a Legends of Norrath booster pack.

 

Sunday, September 23rd
Legends of Norrath Constructed Test Tournament
12:00 noon PDT (server time)
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Create your best deck using the cards in your collection and bring it to the tournament.
1st place wins a loot card of their choice!
2nd – 4th place will each receive 3 booster packs
5th – 16th place will each receive 1 booster pack
One random participant out of every ten participants who complete the tournament will also receive a Legends of Norrath booster pack.

*You must be registered to play in tournaments. To do this just purchase at least one booster pack in the Legends of Norrath store.

View this announcement in the Legends of Norrath forums.


LEGENDS OF NORRATH™ NOW AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE!
Article - 9/12/2007
Article - 9/12/2007

Sony Online Entertainment is proud to introduce the free stand-alone version of the client for Legends of Norrath™, the online trading card game based on its well-known and popular EverQuest Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game franchises.

 

Now, everyone can play alongside EQ and EQII players experiencing the fantasy and majestic allure of this tactical and intensive card game!

Oathbound is the first release in the Legends of Norrath storyline and features more than 375 digital cards available in both 55-card digital starter decks and 15-card digital booster packs. In this first release, players become part of a clandestine, secret war between the forces of Order and Chaos. Once jailed on the Plane of Justice, a mysterious tribunal offers them a chance for freedom and redemption. In swearing allegiance to the side of Order, players become Oathbound , and fight against the forces of Chaos to prevent Norrath from being plunged into a bloody and eternal war.

 

In addition to player vs. player combat, Legends of Norrath provides several modes of gameplay and a variety of activities, including a sophisticated, re-playable AI system for single-player campaigns, easy to use management tools and numerous Casual and Tournament game lobbies. Dominance can be achieved by completing quests or defeating your opponents avatar, enabling players to employ their own unique strategies for victory. The game also features a robust loot system; more than 30 loot items each for EQ and EQII are available, including player mounts, potions, clothing and spells.

 

How can you get access to Legends of Norrath?

Try out the game for FREE by visitingwww.legendsofnorrath.com, creating a Station ID and downloading the complimentary, stand-alone game client.

You can download a starter deck and test your skills against a sophisticated re-playable AI or challenge players in online game lobbies where you can find scores of worthy opponents.

The digital starter decks (55 cards) are available for $9.99 (plus any applicable taxes), with digital booster packs (15 cards) selling for $2.99 (plus any applicable taxes). For more information on Legends of Norrath , visit the website atwww.legendsofnorrath.com.

The Legendary Lore of Norrath
Article - 9/07/2007 5:00 PDT
Article - 9/07/2007 5:00 PDT
The Legendary Lore of Norrath
by Devin Monnens, Game Design Intern

Norrath is full of fascinating characters and legendary places. Some days it seems as if every single blade of grass and rock and tree could have a story to tell. Players who are interested in learning more about the characters of the EverQuest games and their world will be pleased to know that we have included special lore on every single card.

Lore is text that describes some element of the world of EverQuest related to the image and context of the card. Ranging from the serious to the comical to the bizarre, there is plenty of interesting information, some of which was specifically created for Legends of Norrath. There are descriptions of items, quotes from famous characters, and accounts of important events. And in case they thought we've forgotten about them, long-time EverQuest and EverQuest II fans will recognize several direct quotes from the original games and remember their experiences!

Though every single card in Legends of Norrath contains lore, some cards won't immediately display it. To see the lore on these cards, you will have to click the scroll icon in the lower left-hand corner of the card. Clicking the scroll icon again will close the lore and allow you to view the card's gametext.

With over 350 cards in Legends of Norrath, there's a lot of lore! As part of the Legends of Norrath design team, I helped write a lot of lore. It may seem pretty simple at first as there is only a little bit of text per card, but when you have to do over 350 cards, the amount of effort required becomes quite significant. Thankfully, we split the work. We also had help from the EverQuest team who not only helped ensure that all our lore was as accurate as possible and fit the feel of the original games, but also provided their own unique lore. Some of my favorite lore is on cards like Battle Cry, Disarming Thrust, Fortune, and Gouge.

Keen-eyed players will also recognize that even the special cards used by the AI opponents in the single-player scenarios also have unique lore text, so if you're interested, be sure to right-click on their avatars to view their cards!

While lore probably won't help you win a game, it will provide you with some interesting information on the denizens of Norrath and the world they inhabit. With every bit of lore that you read, you'll learn a little bit more about the world of your favorite games!

Discuss this design article in the forums.

Sony Online Entertainment and Habitat for Humanity
Article - 9/07/2007
Article - 9/07/2007
Sony Online Entertainment and Habitat for Humanity

At a cocktail reception during the Austin Game Developers Conference, Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) Austin studio presented the local Habitat for Humanity (HfH) with a $10,000 donation to their efforts to end poverty housing in the area. The funds were raised as part of an in-game event for the company's Star Wars Galaxies Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) video game, where players were allowed to demolish abandoned or unoccupied player-created houses and buildings. Fighters from the Galactic Demolitions Crew swooped down from the stars and bombed the buildings.

A crowd of more than 150 was on hand at the Speakeasy in Austin to see SOE Austin VP of Development John Blakely present Austin HfH Executive Director Michael Willard with an oversized photo check for the donation.

 

In addition to the donation, SOE Austin staff members will also engage in volunteer work to help create affordable housing for those in need in the Austin community.

Welcome to Legends of Norrath™: Oathbound! - 9/05/07
Article - 9/05/2007
Article - 9/05/2007
Welcome to Legends of Norrath™: Oathbound !

Legends of Norrath™: Oathbound is now live in EverQuest ® and EverQuest II ®!

Legends of Norrath is an online-only trading card game, based on the richly-detailed sword-and-sorcery world of Norrath from the massively multiplayer online role-playing games EverQuest and EverQuest II . Playable from within the two MMOs, Oathbound , the first set for Legends of Norrath features over 375 digital cards and is available in both a 55-card digital starter deck and 15-card digital booster packs. Play as one of many Oathbound avatars and decide your own fate as you choose between the paths of good or evil.

In the first three card sets, players become part of a clandestine war between the forces of Order and Chaos. Jailed on the Plane of Justice, a mysterious tribunal offers you a chance for freedom and redemption by fighting against the forces of Chaos. By swearing allegiance to the cause of Order, you become Oathbound , and fight secretly to prevent Norrath from plunging into a bloody war.

Every player in EverQuest and EverQuest II has one random Oathbound Digital Starter Deck. Just click on the Casual Games Lounge (found on the Play icon of the Navigation bar.), pick a server and find an open game or, if none are available, start one yourself. In either instance, the play options presented will ask you to select a deck. Just click on the arrow and your deck should be there for you to use and act as the foundation upon which you can build a winning deck strategy.

Getting Started:

To start up Legends of Norrath in EverQuest and EverQuest II simply type /TCG and the interface will open. You can also navigate to it from the EQ or EQII Icon on your screen. It's a good idea to make sure you are in a safe spot before launching the game.

Before jumping into playing a game, you may want to go through the in-game Tutorial to learn how to play. The tutorials are a series of mini-games designed to teach you the Legends of Norrath interface and the basic rules of the game. If you're new to the game, these tutorials are a great way to get started.

When you click Tutorials, a menu will appear listing the different tutorial scenarios. You may play them in any order you wish. Click on one of the scenarios to select it, then click the Begin button to enter the tutorial.

You can start playing Legends of Norrath right away using any starter deck. Most players, however, enjoy the deeper strategy of personalizing their own decks. Using the Deck Builder, you may build a deck using any of the cards in your collection.

The Main Lobby:

After logging in, you will be taken to the Main Lobby. From here, you can access any of the game's various lobbies and features.

Tutorials/Scenarios accesses a series of guided tutorials explaining the basics of Legends of Norrath . Also provided are fifteen single-player scenarios, which you can play to receive reward cards against sophisticated AI opponents.
Casual takes you to the Casual Lobby, where you can create and join casual matches, chat with players, or observe matches in progress. If you're new to the game, you can go here and try a match or two with your starter deck (though you should first go to your Collection to open your deck).
Trade takes you to the Trade Lobby, where you can arrange one-on-one trade sessions with other players. This lets you examine their collections and offer up trade proposals.
Tournaments takes you to the Tournament Lobby, where you can join rated tournaments. There are scheduled events happening most days of the week, plus on-demand tournaments that kick off whenever enough players join.
Collection takes you to the Collection Manager screen, where you can view your cards and decide which ones you'd like visible during trade sessions with other players. You can also open starter decks and booster packs here. If this is your first time online, you will want to go here first to open your starter deck. (Though if you wish to dive right into tournament play, you may wish to keep your starter deck unopened for use in a Sealed Tournament.)
Deck Builder takes you to the Deck Builder screen, where you can assemble decks for casual games and constructed deck tournaments, or just view your cards to learn more about them.
Store opens the Online Store in your default web browser, where you can purchase starter decks, booster packs, event tickets, and other Legends of Norrath products.
Exit will quit the game.
Help opens a window in your default web browser to the online version of this rulebook.
Preferences opens the Preferences dialog box. Here you can enter personal information for other players to view (like your contact info), change your sound and display settings, and more.
Navigator:

Along the left edge of your screen is a handy Navigator menu that pulls out to show button options to help you navigate throughout all the parts of the game. It neatly stores away when you're done using it.

The icons have tooltips describing where they'll take you. From top to bottom, they are: Home, Play, Cards, Community, Miscellaneous, Legends of Norrath Store, and Logout

Player Tips:

The first time you start the game, you'll see handy Player Tips to help you learn the different parts of the game interface. When you're done with these tips, click the box in the lower left. You can see them again by adjusting your Preferences for "Display Player Tips."

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you easily toggle in and out of the card game?

It's as easy as opening and closing your inventory window. You can play this while you are out questing, though you may not want to be playing the LON during more intensive game situations such as a raid.

Will the game affect performance or frame rate on the MMO?

Not on higher end machines and on less dynamic hardware the impact is minimal. You may not want to be running the LON client while on the more challenging game situations.

How long does it take to play a game?

We design games to play between 10 and 20 minutes. The first time through it will take you longer, but as you become more familiar with your cards abilities and the more powerful card combinations, the game-time will decrease.

Will there be promotional or limited edition cards available? Yes we are interested in doing that.

If you adjourn a game can you play against a different opponent?

Yes, you can play as many opponents in unfinished games as you like.

Player Spamming is a big problem in MMOs. Is there an ignore function?

Yes there is an ignore function.

What are the guidelines for trading unneeded loot cards, cards and packs?

You can get packs and promo cards from global drops in both EverQuest and EverQuest II.
You can trade any individual Legends of Norrath card or pack in the LON client.
You can trade any UNREDEEMED Loot card in the LON client.
You can trade any UNREDEEMED Legends of Norrath item (pack/promo) that you get as a drop on the broker equivalent in EQII/EQ.
You CANNOT trade any redeemed or /claimed loot item.
 

Visit the Legends of Norrath website for more information about rewards, features, and gameplay!