This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to TAMUGeo2 for supplying this week's winning caption!

The air is turning crisp and the leaves are falling so pull up a chair and rake in the loot in the October Loot Tournament weekend October 31-November 1, 2009 in Legends of Norrath!

For just ten (10) event passes, each participant will receive a Hill Giant (8P8) promotional card and either an EverQuest® Razor's Edge (8EQP5) or EverQuest® II Blessing of Light (8EQIIP5) loot card, depending on each player's system settings, three (3) Travelers booster packs and entry into the October Loot Tournament Weekend to compete for additional prizes! Tournament queues begin filling at 7:00AM PT on Saturday and continue through Sunday at 9:00PM PT.

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont. 

 

For details, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!

This weekend, October 24th and 25th, is the first Tournament of the Gods event in Legends of Norrath! The Tournament of the Gods is an all-new event that allows players to become "Travelers" and interact with the Gods of Norrath!

The Tournament of the Gods Event will work like this:

• Entry is FREE!
  
• This event is open to our international players as well!
  
• Format/Deck: Standard Constructed Swiss Tournament
  
• 256-player event
  
• 5-8 rounds
  
• Everyone who participates in the event will automatically receive a non-tradable "Choose a Promo" card which can be redeemed for one of the non-tradable "Gods" promo cards available in Travelers. The available "Gods" promo cards are:
  
  -Innoruuk (8P4)
  -Karana (8P5)
  -Solusek Ro (8P6)
  -Tunare (8P7)

• A player who wins two or more games during the course of a given tournament will receive a second "Choose a Promo" card which can be redeemed for one of the non-tradable "Gods" promo cards available in Travelers.

   

   

Don't miss it!

For complete details on the Travelers Tournament of the Gods events, visit the Events Calendar!

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to WarSheol for supplying this week's winning caption!

Travelers, the eighth Legends of Norrath release, is now available and SOE is throwing you right into the melee with the Travelers Release Weekend Events! This will be your first opportunity to try out the new cards in tournament combat, plus see the fantastic new Legends of Norrath card art!

Scheduled to run at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT on Friday, October 16; 10 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, October 17, 2009; and 10 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT on Sunday, October 18, 2009, SOE will host six special Travelers sealed deck tournaments.

For twenty (20) event passes, you will receive:

• One (1) of four (4) Travelers tournament sealed decks
  
• Four (4) Travelers booster packs*
  
• One (1) exclusive Trainee's Bokken (8P3) digital promotional card
  
• Plus, entry into a Travelers Release Weekend Event to compete for brand-new Legends of Norrath Travelers booster packs!

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Format/Deck:

• Single Game Sealed Deck Swiss Tournament
  
• 256 – Player Event
  
• 5-8 Rounds

1st Place: Ten (10) Legends of Norrath Travelers booster packs
2nd Place: Seven (7) Legends of Norrath Travelers booster packs
3rd Place: Five (5) Legends of Norrath Travelers booster packs
4th Place: Three (3) Legends of Norrath Travelers booster packs
5th - 32nd Place: One (1) Legends of Norrath Travelers booster pack

*Use one (1) Travelers tournament sealed deck and three (3) booster packs to construct your tournament deck. The Travelers tournament sealed deck is a single avatar deck.

For complete details on the Travelers release weekend events, visit the Events Calendar!

Help the Halflings of Rivervale avoid becoming light snacks for a horde of zombies in Legends of Norrath! The Brraaaaaainss! scenario will be offered in Legends of Norrath through Wednesday, November 11, 2009, at 2 p.m. PT. The first time you win the scenario, you'll win the Zombie's Guide to Procreation (8P2) promo card AND either the Unscribed Glyph (8EQP4) loot card for EverQuest® or the Draught of the Brilliant (8EQIIP4) loot card for EverQuest® II, depending on your in-game settings. You can receive additional copies of the Zombie's Guide to Procreation promo card each time you defeat the scenario with a different avatar archetype (limit 4 per account).

   

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to Misive for supplying this week's winning caption!

Two thousand years after the Ethernauts' sacrifice, threats from the Void are still surfacing. Learning lessons from their past defeats, the Voidmen have turned to a more nefarious scheme; destroy Norrath by cutting the people off from their Gods. When both are weak, the Voidmen will strike. Join the Travelers and walk the Planes to restore peace to Gods and man alike.

Legends of Norrath: Travelers features 180 beautifully illustrated cards, 16 new loot cards each for EverQuest and EverQuest II, an all-new 220 card Travelers Legendary Starter deck available in the Station Store, new gameplay, new units, and a new created avatar race, Kerra.

Check out all the details here!

A Shift in Focus
By Evan Lorentz ("Heimlich"), Game Designer

There are plenty of new things coming out with the release of Travelers, and we've only scratched the surface so far. We recently talked about the new influence and conquest mechanics, and now you'll get to see another new piece of the set: shifting.

Many cards in Legends of Norrath are designed to "tell a story." From unit cards of important characters like Firiona Vie to telling "snapshots" like Subterfuge, you can say quite a lot with a little lore and great piece of art. And now, cards can use shifting to paint an even more complete tale:

 

A shifting card is two cards in one. The first card is what you'll find when you open booster packs, what you stock in your deck when you build it, and what you'll draw during the game. In this example, Young Trailblazer is a naïve adventurer that doesn't know nearly enough of the world around him.

Once you've played a shifting card, its game text explains how it can be shifted into something different – undergoing a promotion, a transformation… whatever fits its particular case. The trigger to shift such a card depends on the story being told. In this case, the Young Trailblazer needs some skill acquired through battle (and a working knowledge of the terrain, in the form of a level token at his quest) to grow into an experienced, Grizzled Mountaineer. All four of his attributes get a boost, reflecting his advanced skill.

There are some interesting interactions with shifting that clever players will find ways to use to their advantage. When a card shifts, it changes right there on the spot; you're not "playing" a new card, but rather the old card is changing forms. For example, if a unit shifts in the middle of combat, it continues fighting that combat in its new form. But the new version of the card does get a "fresh start." If the Young Trailblazer has taken a point of damage, then shifts into the Grizzled Mountaineer, that damage is immediately "healed"; he starts anew with 3 health.

Another important point to consider in planning your strategies: once a card has shifted, it remains in its shifted form until the end of the game. Imagine you follow all the steps needed to shift your Young Trailblazer into a Grizzled Mountaineer, but then the Mountaineer is destroyed by your opponent. If you look in your discard pile, you'll find the Mountaineer there, not the Trailblazer. And if you should play a card to retrieve him, you can play him again without having to "start over again" by playing the Young Trailblazer.

Most shifting cards provide more than a simple boost. Take a look at another example for the Fighter archetype:

 

This card is another tale of a person gaining experience, but with a military slant. When your Inexperienced Officer wins a combat against an opposing avatar, he shifts into an Exalted Captain. And the Captain not only picks up a few boosted attributes, but a new text that allows a second raid each turn. You only need to invest 2 power for the Inexperienced Officer, and a little effort getting him to shift.

You may also have noticed something else new and different about this card. It's a Fighter-specific unit that isn't a Legend. For seven sets now, units in Legends of Norrath have been almost exclusively generic – the only exceptions have been important Legend characters, Mage pets, and Scout warders. That's all changing in Travelers.

The four different archetypes in the game are all designed to feel differently when you play them. Even when you pursue the same victory condition, two different archetypes won't play exactly the same way; a Fighter avatar attack deck (or AvA deck) has a flavor different from a Scout AvA deck. If units as a card type can also be part of defining those differences, it will be more interesting for the players, more useful for the designers, and more authentic for the flavor of the game. There will still be plenty of generic units in the game. (In fact, Travelers has more than twice as many of them than units for any single archetype.) But now players who enjoy making units a key element in their decks will be able to better explore how the choice of archetype can impact their strategies.

Shifting, archetyped units, and more. Get ready for Travelers.

The New Standard for Legends of Norrath
By Evan Lorentz ("Heimlich"), Game Designer

If you've read our first Travelers preview article, Influence and the Art of Conquest, you've already seen some of the new gameplay coming up. But another thing this new set brings to Legends of Norrath is its 2,100th playable card. And its 2,200nd. And 2,300rd. Yes, the game has come a long way since its launch just over two years ago.

On the one hand, all those cards means there's great potential for variety. On the other hand, it can be an intimidating number for some to deal with when you're trying to build a deck, particularly if you're new to the game. As that number continues to grow, it's not hard to imagine it becoming "too much" for even veteran players, and to anyone who wants to sample Legends of Norrath for the first time.

This is one of the reasons why we're enacting a change to the Standard play format as we release Travelers. With this eighth set we will begin removing the game's oldest cards from the Standard format. We feel this is a good thing for Legends of Norrath in the long run – and we intend to keep bringing exciting new sets for a long time to come.

Along with this change to Standard, we will also be introducing an "Open" format to the game. In the Open format, all cards from all sets will be playable. When players create matches in the Casual Games Lobby, they'll be able to choose whether their games will follow the Standard format or Open format. On the tournament side of things, many tournaments will adopt the new Standard environment (though some Open events will still be offered).

We're working toward the Standard format always containing around 1,700 to 1,800 different cards at any given time. It's a good number that strikes a balance between offering lots of variety to explore different strategies, without offering too many to realistically analyze. Upon the release of Travelers (set 8), Oathbound (set 1) will be removed from the Standard environment. As we move forward into the Travelers Block and beyond,the release of each new set will also mark the removal of the oldest Legends of Norrath set from the Standard format. But as there were four sets in the original Oathbound Block (sets 1-4), rather than the three sets of the Ethernauts Block (sets 5-7), the changes to the Standard format are going to be a little different this first time out. Prior to the release of set 9, we plan to remove Forsworn (set 2) from Standard.

Legends of Norrath has unique and challenging issues that the new Standard format helps to address. New MMO content can be designed for characters of different levels, raid groups of different sizes, or even for a newly raised level cap should that occur. But in a trading card game, all content in the game interacts with all other content at the same time. Cards can't be written for "higher levels" than other cards, or they won't be balanced fairly. And if a new set "raises the level cap" by introducing new material that is simply better than what's come before, that escalates the overall speed and strength of the strategies in the game – players simply won't want to use the older cards anymore. (And an even bigger problem comes the next time a set is released, when the cards would have to get even better to capture any interest.)

Separating Standard from Open is a way that we can still preserve that earlier content for players who want to enjoy it, while offering new content in a way that makes it the most fun it can be. Standard will become an exciting and ever-changing format in which different strategies will rise and fall as cards come and go to support them. And each new card won't have to compete with more than 2,000 others for a spot in your deck.

We've done a lot of playtesting for the new Standard format as we've developed Travelers, and we think you'll really enjoy the new strategic possibilities it creates. Some players have commented on our forums and in the game lobbies that many games of Legends of Norrath feel too fast and short, with strategies not always getting enough time to fully develop. If you agree, you'll definitely want to check out Standard.

Many of the speediest, over-effective cards in the game were released in the earliest sets of the game (particularly Oathbound). Despite the playtesting that went into those first sets (and that goes into the new products we release today), it's not always easy to determine what gameplay will be most valued by players, or exactly how good certain card combos can be. But we do learn from our missteps. It's no coincidence that Oathbound cards like Cannibalize, Wind Walk, and Assail still routinely find their way into players' decks 2,000 cards later.

The new Standard format begins a grand new chapter for the game, one that the players will get to write and rewrite themselves with new strategies every time the Standard card pool changes. We hope you are as excited about the possibilities as we are! And if you're looking for even more details about the Standard format and what it will mean for Legends of Norrath, read on:

• Eventually, scenarios and raids will "prefer" Standard decks. Players may choose to play any scenario or raid with any deck, Standard or Open. But if you have not yet obtained a reward card for that scenario or raid, you must complete it with a deck that is Standard legal to receive that reward.
  
• As new sets are released, they may contain a few cards being reprinted from earlier sets. This will essentially "update" those cards to remain playable in Standard. (Travelers, for example, includes just over a dozen cards reappearing from Oathbound or Forsworn.)
  
• Player-created avatars are considered to be "part of the set" in which the text was first added to the Avatar Creator. All options will remain available in the Open format, but as the Standard format changes over time, so will the avatars you can use there. When Oathbound leaves Standard, for example, six races will be affected: Human, Dark Elf, Wood Elf, Gnome, Dwarf, and Ogre. (Two more, Iksar and High Elf, leave with Forsworn.)
  
• Some avatar texts have effectively been reprinted already in other sets. For example, the Bayle avatar in the Ethernauts Legendary Starter Pack reprinted one of the Human avatar texts for set 5. A promo version of Bayle (5P3) reprinted a second Human text option. Because of these reprints, both of those Human texts will remain playable in Standard until late 2010, when the entire Ethernauts set is removed.
  
• If you're a fan of one of the avatar races that's leaving Standard, don't worry – they may not be gone for long. Beginning with Travelers, we'll be releasing only one new avatar race per set rather than two. In place of the three new game text choices that would normally apply to the second new avatar race, we'll be adding one new option to three different races that have already appeared in Legends of Norrath. In Travelers, for example, you'll get a "fourth" option for Gnome, High Elf, and Barbarian. Going forward, we'll be watching to make sure that as many player races from EverQuest and EverQuest II as possible will have at least one avatar option available in Legends of Norrath.

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to Frelance for supplying this week's winning caption!

SOE is giving you a chance to get an all-new Legends of Norrath promo card, Kerran Warden (8P1), prior to the launch of the upcoming expansion, Travelers!

For every three (3) Legends of Norrath booster packs you purchase in a single transaction between Monday, October 5, 2009, at 12 a.m. PT and Monday, October 12, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. PT, you will receive one (1) Kerran Warden promotional card with your purchase! Don't miss your chance to add this ferocious feline to your Legends of Norrath collection while the promotion lasts!

Influence and the Art of Conquest
By Joe "Palejo" Alread, Game Designer

A new saga begins for Legends of Norrath with its eighth set, Travelers. Two thousand years after the sacrifice of the Ethernauts, new threats from the Void are undertaking a more nefarious scheme: to destroy Norrath by cutting the people off from their Gods. The five Travelers must venture across the Planes to thwart the Voidmen's plot and restore peace to God and Man alike.

Along with this first chapter in an exciting story, players can explore the compelling gameplay on hundreds of new cards. Several concepts are appearing for the first time in Travelers, opening up new strategies and expanding many existing ones. Look for more articles in the weeks ahead for a taste of what's to come. But your first sample is right here.

Influencing Everyone Around You

The first mechanic I want to talk about is called Influence, and I'd like to start by telling a story that took place many months ago when we first began designing Travelers. Whenever we begin designing a new set, we aim to design mechanics that make players think in ways that they've never thought before. We're always looking to keep you on your toes, so what could we do in Travelers to accomplish this?

One of the things that we focused on early in the process was the level number on abilities, and its importance in game. It's important to complete of level 2 quest early in the game if I need to, or if my deck utilizes level tokens they might matter to me, but a majority of the time, how much do you care if your ability has 2 levels or 3 levels on it? Not much. We began to ask each other, "What can we do to have levels matter more?" After a lot of brainstorming, discussion and debate, Influence was born. The definition of Influence is as follows:

Now the levels on all your abilities actually have value. Here is a basic example of an ability card with influence on it:

Aegolism already has two levels on it, so if you can manage to get two more additional levels on abilities into play, you'll end up generating additional power on your next turn. Good deal, right? Here's another example of influence on a tactic:

One power for two total attack isn't anything to write home about, but once you have Influence it's a whole new ball game, as this card all of a sudden becomes better than Roaring Flames.

The Art of Conquest

Conquest was a bit of a riff off of Influence, and it's a funny story to talk about how it actually came up. One of the designers on the team proposed an initial idea about giving players a benefit for winning a combat during a turn. The initial response to this in the studio was the concern that lots of decks win combat (especially raids!) all the time, and that to reward a player for such a trivial feat wouldn't be all that interesting. It was then proposed that we reward players for winning combats with their avatar only, and not via raids. We played around with this a little more and eventually discovered that this idea actually worked great in tandem with influence, since if you are playing with abilities in order to gain influence, you're going to end up questing with those abilities and fighting with your avatar anyways. As a result of all this, we landed on the following definition of Conquest:

So now, while you're questing with all these abilities in your deck, you have other cards you can include that you can play at a discount. Here's a simple example of a card using Conquest:

Here's an example of a card that snowballs well with the rest of your Influence cards. Play this card on the cheap after you quest, and then continue to quest with other cards and let the damage fly. You could consider using this in a unit-based deck to clear out opposing units in your quest phase. And in case you were wondering, yes there are unit cards that take advantage of influence as well, so keep a lookout for those!

Look for two great new Legends of Norrath promo cards dropping this weekend in EverQuest® and EverQuest® II!

Blabbering Zombie (7P17) and Wandering Zombie (7P18) are this month's two Legends of Norrath promo cards!

 

The October Legends of Norrath Promo Weekend is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (PT) Friday, October 2, 2009, and conclude at 9 a.m. (PT) on Monday, October 5, 2009.

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to WarSheol for supplying this week's winning caption!

Two thousand years after the sacrifice of the Ethernauts, the Voidmen have learned their lesson. This time they will strike at Norrath's very heart and life, separating the people from their Gods. Once the people of Norrath and their Gods are weakened by this division, the Voidmen will attack and take it all. But there is hope. Hope in the form of Five Travelers, who will walk the very Planes themselves to stop this new menace and save Norrath. You are one of them. Do you have the courage?

SOE is proud to announce Travelers, the eighth release for Legends of Norrath! This new set will feature an all-new storyline with new characters and situations that will send you to the Planes themselves, some incredible new loot cards that will lead you into exclusive EverQuest® and EverQuest® II in-game adventures, a 200 card starter that can be used to create four different starter decks using the four new avatars, and of course, breathtaking new Legends of Norrath card art!

The journey begins October 2009!

Artist Interview

First, please tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Tomasz Jedruszek. I'm 32 years old, born in small town in a huge country. I was educated as an architect but devoted to life as an artist. My last name is very difficult to spell for foreigners, so almost from the beginning I used the nickname, "Morano."

How long have you been an artist?
About 9 years.

How did you get started?
I started as a very young boy really, but never even dreamed about being an artist like Rosinsky or being able to draw my own comic album like Thorgal. Then I got fascinated in software and almost went to study that subject but I lost that idea and followed my heart. Art academy seemed to be both unreachable (for an ex-computer programmer with a small portfolio) and full of big heads (which might turn me into some freak modern artist painting boxes and triangles and getting creepy excitement watching that stuff) so I lost that idea too.

I started with architecture then, so that I had a "normal " job when I grew up - but after the

first two years of quite fun sculpting and lots of drawing, it become a dead end, simply boring. In the meantime I had grown up and realized I might need more money than just my social help from university, and earlier than I would finish those studies. So I looked for a job. One thing I could do that time was drawing . My first job was with a Polish RPG game publisher. It was small money but I quickly realized the opportunities are simply endless. Soon I started my first freelance job for a foreign publisher - Mongoose Publishing. One year later, I was working for Fantasy Flight Games and White Wolf Studios.

I didn't have much time to learn how to paint really. From job to job I just got better and better I guess, and the list of my clients has grown rapidly. Recently I won a Computer Graphics Society challenge. After all those years, I feel like had a good warm up and now it is starting to do something really awesome.

Have you had any professional schooling in art?
Not really, not that I wanted to have at least. I finished architecture and it gave me some sense of perspective, proportions, composition. We had sculpting lessons etc., but I always felt like I was missing some hard teaching in painting, with some great master perhaps.

What media do you work in and what is your favorite?
Right now it is digital only. Previously I've been through almost everything: oils, pastel, acrylics, charcoal, pencil, ink, etc., etc. From traditional techniques I liked acrylics most; they remain bright when dry and dry fast, not like oils do. But right now, digital is my favorite. It is fast, clean and effective. Sometimes I draw with my old (automatic) pencil which I've had for almost 12 years and I really like those moments.

What or who inspires you?
Life inspires me most. I like to observe it as it moves lives and changes. I am surprised how complicated it is and how simple the same time. When I look at some shape, I used to think, "It is obvious - that's supposed to look like that and if I had created the world, it would look like that - it is perfect," then another thought, "It is impossible to be so perfect just because of a few thousands of evolution." My greatest pleasure of being an artist are those moments when I paint a woman, for example, and trying to figure out that leg shape. When I finally get it, I am happy how close I get to the real shape.

I take lot of inspiration from older masters too, like Gimenez, Malczewski, Frazetta or Manara. I have learned a lot just staring for hours on their works; their skills are brilliant and even with today's level of CG graphics, they still are hard to beat.

What do you use for references? Do you use real models?
When I need fast reference sure, I take my camera and make few snap shots of me (hands or face mimic) or my wife. When I have to paint some difficult angle or light setting, it gives me a quick answer and I can continue my work. But as I said, I like to figure out those by myself. Other references are photos too, sometimes when I have art description and I can't imagine that scene, I just type some key words in Google, and get random sorts of images as a result. It usually gives me enough clues to start sketching my scene. I do a lot of photos of clouds or landscapes- my wife even used to complain about this when we are on vacation or travel, "Always getting materials, huh?" It is true that when we come back, half of our memory card from our holidays are photos of rock textures, clouds or frame after frame of a moving cat or some other creature which might be useful someday. Usually I just need one look at the photo, a very particular photo. Sometimes it needs me to watch couple hundreds of them, but finally when I find it - that's it! I already have my head full of ideas - the mood and palette is everything as soon as I feel that - the scene is almost ready.

Who is your favorite character to render in LoN?
I do not have favorite one - I just love my work whatever it is in the art description: the more surprising and more challenging, the better.

Could you explain the process you go through when creating card art for LoN?
When I have an art description I read it once and act as normal human being for couple days but in my mind I start creating those scenes. I always have some vision first, then I look for references, mostly to find some unique color palette end mood as mentioned. When I finally have those, I start sketching - I try to do it fast not to lose that "first touch." When the sketch is ready, I can add some details or elements but it is different work than that first touch flow when capturing ideas directly from my imagination - very important.

When sketches return from approval I starts the finishing stage. Making this initial sketch more accurate, the scene is more clear now and readable - adding details might be boring but it is always pays the effort at the end when you see your sketch nicely polished and crystal clear.

Any tips or tricks for aspiring artists out there?
Be a patient observer - each hour spent on a grassy field watching nature pays off when you're finalizing your artwork. Your creativity in that moment depends a lot on what you have seen in your life and it doesn't mean you have to travel a lot, just watch your nearest area. Look up, look down, note everything: color, shape, structure and material. It is better then hundreds of hours of watching video tutorials or hours in school for eye training.

To have awesome skills, you would need some hand training too - draw, larger format, greater paper space; the harder the task the better the results. Try to do very simple exercises like drawing parallel or perpendicular lines or freehand circles, ellipses. You don't have to limit yourself to drawing - do anything that requires manual skills - cooking, helping mom with a broken locker, etc.

Anything else you think is important?
Some people can tell you, "Cut your hair, get a real job." If you feel like you NEED to be a painter, artist, or freelancer, just do that fantasy art - DO IT. To hell with everything, it is your life. Skills are just a matter of training. Motivation is 80% of your success. Good luck!

• One (1) Mountain Giant Prospector (7P15) Legends of Norrath promo card
• Either the EverQuest® Nimbus of the Inquisition (7EQP11) or EverQuest® II Painting: Deep Thoughts(7EQIIP11) loot card*
• Three (3) Legends of Norrath™ Storm Break booster packs

The Mountain Giant Prospector Tournament Pack will only be available Friday, September 25, 2009 at 2:00pm PDT through Friday, October 2, 2009 at 2:00pm PDT, so don’t miss out!

* Loot card received is based on the game you selected, EverQuest or EverQuest II, when you logged in to Legends of Norrath for the first time.

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to Occam for supplying this week's winning caption!

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to WarSheol for supplying this week's winning caption!

Get your prospector's pick out and go mining for some great loot in the September Loot Tournament weekend September 19-20, 2009, in Legends of Norrath!

For just ten (10) event passes, each participant will receive a Mountain Giant Prospector (7P15) promotional card and either an EverQuest® Nimbus of the Inquisition (7EQP11) or EverQuest® II Painting:Deep Thoughts (7EQIIP11) loot card, depending on each player's system settings, three (3) Storm Break booster packs and entry into the September Loot Tournament Weekend to compete for additional prizes! Tournament queues begin filling at 7:00AM PT on Saturday and continue through Sunday at 9:00PM PT.

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont. 

 

For details, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!

It is difficult to believe that 8 years has passed since we heard those first unbelievable reports that two planes had crashed into the buildings of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and yet another in a Pennsylvania field.

The anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, offers an opportunity to remember this unforgettable moment in history, and to reflect upon the impact that the events of September 11 have had on the United States and the world as a whole. Let's all take a moment today to remember all those who were affected by these events and to reflect on what was learned that day about patriotism and tolerance.

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to Snayven for supplying this week's winning caption!

It's a melding of the minds in the Sporali Mind Meld scenario in Legends of Norrath™! The Sporali Mind Meld scenario is available now in Legends of Norrath, and will be offered through Thursday, October 15, 2009, at 2 p.m. PT.

The first time you win the scenario, you'll win the Mindspore Thrall (7P14) promo card AND either the Combine Arming Sword Ornamentation (7EQP10) loot card for EverQuest® or the Painting: Arabesque (7EQIIP10) loot card for EverQuest® II, depending on your in-game settings. You can receive additional copies of the Mindspore Thrall promo card each time you defeat the scenario with a different avatar archetype (limit 4 per account).

 

Greetings!

There will be maintenance on the Session databases across all games on Wednesday September 9, 2009.  It will begin at 12AM PDT and is estimated to last until 12PM PDT.  All game worlds will be unavailable for the estimated 12 hour maintenance, as well as the Station Store and all commerce avenues.  This may affect the performance of the forums and any or all accounts' abilities to log in.

We apologize for the inconvenience and will update the information as we are able.

The Community team will provide updates via twitter for anyone who follows us:

• Grimwell
• Naylie
• Kiara
• Virrago
• Zatozia
• Soffrina
• Momochii
• Ashlanne
• Gnobrin
• Amnerys
• Raijinn
• MinervaSOE
• Draakull

You can also follow game twitters for updates:

• Free_Realms
• everquest
  
• everquestii
  
• eqoa
  
• vanguardsoh
  
• planetside
  
• poxnora

We apologize again for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Labor Day marks the end of summer for those of us in the United States.  SOE would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

Customer Support will be operating normally on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2009.

Look for two great new Legends of Norrath promo cards dropping this weekend in EverQuest® and EverQuest® II!

Qeynos Captain (7P6) and Freeport Captain (7P7) are this month's two Legends of Norrath promo cards!

 

The September Legends of Norrath Promo Weekend is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (PT) Friday, September 4, 2009, and conclude at 9 a.m. (PT) on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

Artist Interview

First, please tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a self-taught artist, born and raised in the Australian coastal city of Darwin. I crossed the Pacific Ocean at the age of 20 to pursue my dreams in the land of opportunity - The United States of America. With some hard work and many a sleepless night I have amassed a broad client base from around the world and have produced creative works for a number of leading entertainment companies.

I currently work as a full time freelance artist for a variety of clientele at my studio in Seattle, Washington.

How long have you been an artist?
I've been a professional illustrator from about 2000, so 9 years or so.

Depravity - …was a favorite, just because of the extreme emotion in the shot and you know he's not gonna be doin' too well.

How did you get started? Could you tell us how your talent has progressed since the beginning?
I got my first break by illustrating zombies for EdenStudios on the tabletop RPG, All Flesh Must Be Eaten. I've changed quite a bit from that first job, medium and style. It's rare for me to do black and white illustration, most of the work I produce is full color and all my work is digital. I've learnt a lot more about composition, method, 3d, photography... I sponge up as much as I can.

Have you had any professional schooling/training?
No, besides classes in high school and a couple weeks' stint at a University in Australia, I'm self taught. I do owe a lot of what I know and do to friends past and present in the industry.

Seblis Spirits - I just like how the color and brush strokes came out, it feels creamy like you want to run your fingers through the colors.

What media do you work in and what is your favorite?
I work completely digital but have a love of black and white ink work. I'd also like to learn how to paint with oils; it's something I'll pick up over the next few years I think. Just need to make some time.

What or who inspires you?
Different entertainments inspire me, movies, games, comics, but even going hiking or taking a walk down a back alley in Seattle can be inspiring. Problem is reining in and focusing that inspiration. As for who? That's something that changes over time and with projects. I always seem to go back to classic fantasy illustrators associated with TSR (the original publisher of Dungeons & Dragons) Jeff Easley, Keith Parkinson and the newer blood from the 'old days' Brom and Diterlizzi. I've been looking at a lot of Gil Elvgren recently. Many projects will associate with a style of artists so I'll tend to pull inspiration from that also.

Wood Elf Scout - It's awesome when models get really into the shoot and go nuts, I think this one was spot on.

What do you use for references? Do you use real models?
I'll use anything that gets the job done and in a timely manner. That may mean a real model or a computer model or something purely from memory or the imagination. Anything goes. There is NO CHEATING. Clients do not care how you do the work, they care about what it looks like in the end, and if it's on time. If they want something that looks like a baroque illustration and you can use a 3d program, some filters and a photo overlay to do so, and it's quick? DO THAT. Go the route that efficiently produces the best results. I see too many artists complaining about lack of work or not being paid enough for a piece that takes weeks to paint, refusing to modify their methods or medium and then whining about being broke. Your role in a project is to produce a visual representation of an art brief handed to you by your client. If you are more concerned about following a romantic idea of the art world or the entertainment industry, then you are in the wrong profession or should be prepared to sacrifice quality of life for your art ideals. Blunt, but realistic.

Thorny Trap - I like the flow of this piece and the use of contrast... it was an amusing photo shoot with the model also "move forward like you're brushing away spiky vines... but in slow motion"…

Who is your favorite character to render in LoN?
Hmm, not sure if you mean character class/type or character? I like magic users the most. I like the ability to think outside the box and work from a reaction or emotional state. Spells can look like a realistic interpretation or some crazy randomized spray of color. It allows me to explore.

Could you explain the process you go through when creating card art for LoN?
Depending on what I'm illustrating, I'll go one of two routes. Either using photography and matte painting techniques to build a base graphic and combine it with illustration or an over-paint for an end result or just building the illustration from scratch. When doing that, I tend to build from generalized shapes, silhouettes and colors. Then do refinement passes, essentially refining the shapes more and more until they become features or elements of the illustration.

Abasement - I tried for a minimalist feel to get across motion with a limited palette and less strokes and more strong shapes.

My friend Mattias has a good tutorial on this method

http://www.mattiassnygg.com/tutorials/tut2.htm - it's essentially the route I take if producing an illustration from scratch.

Tell us the truth; do you laugh out loud when you get photos of the SOE-Denver team or of players to be made into cards? (or, alternatively, say "What the heck?")
All of the above. It's a real pleasant surprise when I get a really good shot and the person has gotten into character. One of the most powerful things about using a real life model is the emotion you can feed off. They become your muse. Nothing worse than relying on a model that has taken a nonchalant attitude. It winds up being depressing. Actually your shot (Minerva's Wood Elf Scout) was one where you really got into taking on that character, and it paid off.

Battery and Assault - Simply using silhouettes can put forth a strong statement. There are very soft changes in light within the silhouettes but you know exactly what's going on and really don't want to be a part of it…

Any tips or tricks for aspiring artists out there?
It's a long, difficult road but it's achievable. Be realistic in your aspirations and study the business side of the industry. Surround yourself in talent, online or offline. Listen to people that have more experience than you. Appreciate constructive criticism. Throw your ego out the door (some of the things I've heard artists say about themselves... ugh). Keep learning, nothing is taboo and everything will help.

Anything else you think is important?
No, I think I ranted enough ;-)

PlanAhead - Creamy colors and strokes... I also started implementing a scratchy effect.   TsunamiElemental - Probably my most favorite I really wanted a retroesque feel, something that you could see in an older arabian knights movie if they had believable cg. Tim has posed for many pieces through LON and SWG, he liked this one also, probably because it shows off his chest... yes he really looks like Superman. I actually shrank his arms...

Celebrate Labor Day with a long Holiday Weekend Promotional Tournament September 4-7, 2009, in Legends of Norrath!

For just five (5) event passes, each participant will receive one (1) random foil promotional card from the list detailed in the Events Calendar, plus entry into a Holiday Weekend Promotional Tournament to compete for additional prizes!

• 1st Place – 4 Storm Break Booster Packs
  
• 2nd-4th Place – 2 Storm Break Booster Packs
  
• 5th-8th Place – 1 Storm Break Booster Packs

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont.

For details and the promotional card list, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to WarSheol for supplying this week's winning caption!

• One (1) Mountain Giant Patriarch (7P9) Legends of Norrath promo card
• Either the EverQuest® Aspect of the Bloodstone (7EQP9) or EverQuest® II Roadyle Terethe's Cloak(7EQIIP9) loot card*
• Three (3) Legends of Norrath™ Storm Break booster packs

The Mountain Giant Patriarch Tournament Pack will only be available Friday, August 28, 2009 at 2:00pm PDT through Friday, September 4, 2009 at 2:00pm PDT, so don’t miss out!

* Loot card received is based on the game you selected, EverQuest or EverQuest II, when you logged in to Legends of Norrath for the first time.

Got arachnophobia? Defeat the Spider Queen and take home some great loot! Don't be afraid of the legs! The Spider Queen scenario will be offered in Legends of Norrath through Wednesday, September 9, 2009, at 2 p.m. PT.

The first time you win the scenario, you'll win the Eye of Chalandria (7P8) promo card AND either the Chalandria's Fang (7EQP8) loot card for EverQuest® or the Cloak of the Arachnid (7EQIIP8) loot card for EverQuest® II, depending on your in-game settings. You can receive additional copies of the Eye of Chalandria promo card each time you defeat the scenario with a different avatar archetype (limit 4 per account).

   

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to azurebond for supplying this week's winning caption!

Get a mountain of loot in the August Loot Tournament weekend August 22-23, 2009 in Legends of Norrath!

For just ten (10) event passes, each participant will receive a Mountain Giant Patriarch (7P9) promotional card and either an EverQuest® Aspect of the Bloodstone (7EQP9) or EverQuest® II Roadyle Terethe's Cloak (7EQIIP9) loot card, depending on each player's system settings, three (3) Storm Break booster packs and entry into the August Loot Tournament Weekend to compete for additional prizes! Tournament queues begin filling at 7:00AM PT on Saturday and continue through Sunday at 9:00PM PT.

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont. 

 

For details, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!

It's a special weekend in Legends of Norrath, and we're celebrating with a special weekend tournament event! For just five (5) event passes, each participant will receive a promotional pack from a past LoN scenario, plus entry into the Celebration Tournament Weekend to compete for additional prizes! 8-player tournament queues begin filling at 7:00AM PT on Saturday and continue through Sunday at 9:00PM PT.

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee, and Vermont.

For details, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!

SOE is giving up to 32 of the best Legends of Norrath players a chance to compete in the second-annual Legends of Norrath Championship Tournament for their share of the $25,000 prize purse this August in Indianapolis, IN.

For those who have not yet qualified for the final event, SOE has scheduled Championship Qualifier events on Thursday and Friday, August 13 and 14 at Gen Con Indy 2009. The top two players from each event will win a seat in the Swiss-style gameplay Championship event on Saturday, August 15.

The Gen Con Indy events will qualify up to 23 players to round out the finals. Last year's champion, Tang Leong, returns to the top 32 along with fellow 2008 finalists Mark Dombrowski, Nicky Wu, So Leong, Philip Schaust, Alexander Horton, Matthew Paul Blumenfeld, Bo Li and Colin Wu. Each player earned a spot by winning a monthly Championship Qualifier between May and August.

See the Legends of Norrath website for the exciting details! We'll see you at Gen Con!

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to Lornick for supplying this week's winning caption!

Look for two great new Legends of Norrath promo cards dropping this weekend in EverQuest® and EverQuest® II!

Raking Strike (7P6) and Wall of Feathers (7P7) are this month's two Legends of Norrath promo cards!

 

The August Legends of Norrath Promo Weekend is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (PT) Friday, August 7, 2009, and conclude at 10 a.m. (PT) on Monday, August 10, 2009.

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to WarSheol for supplying this week's winning caption!

Gen Con Indy and the 2009 Legends of Norrath Championship is less than a month away but there's still time for you to qualify for the big event! Your next chance to win big in a Championship Qualifier is on Saturday, August 1st!

The top two players of this next Championship Qualifier event will earn a trip to Gen Con Indy 2009 to compete for the title and their share of the $25,000 prize purse! But that's not all as there are lots of great prizes to be won! Check out the Legends of Norrath Championship site for the full listing!

For more details and Official Rules, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!

• One (1) Forest Giant Verdant (7P4) Legends of Norrath promo card
• Either the EverQuest® Combine Shield Ornament (7EQP7) or EverQuest® II Tapestry of the Frozen Treat(7EQIIP7) loot card*
• Three (3) Legends of Norrath™ Storm Break booster packs

The Forest Giant Verdant Tournament Pack will only be available Friday, July 24, 2009 at 2:00pm PDT through Friday, July 31, 2009 at 2:00pm PDT, so don’t miss out!

* Loot card received is based on the game you selected, EverQuest or EverQuest II, when you logged in to Legends of Norrath for the first time.

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to TAMUGeo2 for supplying this week's winning caption!

This week's winning Caption of the Week:

Thanks and congratulations to Maynot for supplying this week's winning caption!

Hunting for loot? We have you covered in Legends of Norrath with the Big Game Hunt! The Big Game Hunt scenario is available now in Legends of Norrath, and will be offered through Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at 2 p.m. PT.

The first time you win the scenario, you'll win the Nathsarian Ring of the Mighty (7P3) promo card AND either the Moonsfang's Cub (7EQP6) loot card for EverQuest® or the A Tames Stag (7EQIIP6) loot card for EverQuest® II, depending on your in-game settings. You can receive additional copies of the Nathsarian Ring of the Mighty promo card each time you defeat the scenario with a different avatar archetype (limit 4 per account).

 

Grab some great loot in the July Loot Tournament weekend July 18-19, 2009 in Legends of Norrath!

For just ten (10) event passes, each participant will receive a Forest Giant Verdant (7P4) promotional card and either an EverQuest® Combine Shield Ornament (7EQP7) or EverQuest® II Tapestry of the Frozen Treat (7EQIIP7) loot card, depending on each player's system settings, three (3) Storm Break booster packs and entry into the July Loot Tournament Weekend to compete for additional prizes! Tournament queues begin filling at 7:00AM PT on Saturday and continue through Sunday at 9:00PM PT.

Please note that participation is limited to U.S. residents only. Void in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee and Vermont. 

 

For details, visit the Legends of Norrath Events Calendar!