New Look for Highpass Hold

Highpass Hold is one of three old-world zones which will be on the receiving end of new looks in The Serpent's Spine expansion. Here is a small peak at the new Highpass. A look at the Drakkin should be on the way at the end of the month:





 






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NPCs
# Aug 20 2006 at 5:01 AM Rating: Default
Looks like the same HH and the NPCs are no different looking.
Heh...
# Aug 15 2006 at 8:37 AM Rating: Default
Shiny new landscape, same old lame-*** guard models. I'm sure they're still fun to kill.

Bring back the small Nektulos!!!
Lag and Revamping
# Aug 12 2006 at 1:40 PM Rating: Default
I my self love the revamping of the zones. And as for LAG get a better PC. Im running a AMD 2400+ with 1gig of ram 128mb Vid and play 2 account at once on the same PC and no LAG even in PoK. I admit i lag when i first zone in. But after a few seconds im good.
I love new Expansion, keeps the game new. I have a End Char and to be honest it gets boring so im playing 2 new Chars at once and the Game is as fun as the first day again for its all new.
grapics
# Aug 09 2006 at 5:21 AM Rating: Decent
BAH if they want to re do the zones then make it so i can run my puter to its full
i cant run my dual cpu or my dual vid cards. So Sony if u want to mess up mean revamp the zones then make it to where we can run SLI and 64 bit dual cpu's at least and make the mana stone work once agin


Easier to click a rez than burn mana to heal a mage






Looks nice...
# Aug 04 2006 at 10:45 AM Rating: Decent
New version of this looks nice as long as it's not like Freeport-where i get lost WITH the map sometimes now-or Nek Forest then it's fine. It's a shame i killed those guards for exp when i was lower...... Smiley: cry
Revamp
# Jul 30 2006 at 2:04 PM Rating: Decent
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57 posts
So, they are changing how Highpass Hold is looking. Long as the layout remains identical or similar to the old Highpass Hold, I will have no real objection. And I think I can name another zone that is getting the revamp. Highpass Keep. Course, that leaves open the question of what the third zone is. I would bet Kithicor. But that is only my guess. Again, long as they keep the layout, the graphics artists can make it look as spiffy as they want to. Just do not do any major changes, like they did with Lavastorm, Nektulos (before they fixed it) and (GAG) FREEPORT!

Gawd,I hate the new Freeport. Yea, I am getting used to it, and am starting to know where everything is, but I still hate it. And they still have not fixed the guards. Guards I used to be able to kill pre-update now still slaughter me, and I have better armor than before. ALL HAIL THE GODS OF SONY FOR THESE STUPIDITIES!

Now that I have finished my rant -- I must admit that I think it will be good to be able to name your pet. That, I think, will be a cool feature.
Pets
# Jul 28 2006 at 2:25 PM Rating: Decent
All interesting comments above. The revamp of Highhold looks great.

The comment of naming our pet permanently would make things easier and add more fun. Perhaps when we summon the pet's name could be random at first and then remain that name for the entire time of play for that day? I personally send Goner away if I get him.

I like the way the PC's look even though my char Beyba is bugged and has been BALD for the past 2 months <thank goodness for elemental form!>

Any chance of getting more slots added to the guild bank? Is tough holding onto those spells, pages & runes for guildies on so many alts. Maybe a banker just for that alone? <lol>

The other thing is the vet rewards. Would be nice if we did not loose them when we zone. /sigh


All the teams that work on this game do the best they can in my opinion and do take our comments into consideration.

Beyba
Legends of Madcap
Tunare Server
Hm
# Jul 26 2006 at 4:32 PM Rating: Default
Well, as long as it looks better than some Nektulous forest revamp, I'm satisfied.
Guess I'll go kill some gnolls right away so I can go there without invis. ><
meh
# Jul 24 2006 at 3:42 PM Rating: Decent
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86 posts
looks nice. of course, ill never go there, until one day, months from now, i have cause to run through. then, my map will be all messed up since hadnt updated it, wont be able to fnd my way through, and 2 hours later, ll still be shouting and cussing at the kobolds. sounds like a fun tme.
Eyecandy
# Jul 24 2006 at 2:00 PM Rating: Good
Im not against making a zone look...nicer, however I dont play the game for the sceenery ( Though I loved sitting in SK for hours camping Fabled Quill, the sun over the plains looked very cool )I see it and ignore it in search of EXP.

The zones, older ones, need a loot revamp, with eq as old of a game as it is, and with the introduction of the bazaar, better gear is easily available and there is just no reason to go to these zones anymore, save for quest drops.

Id rather see PC model revamps more than anything, I mean how many wood elves are there running around with long white hair?

furthermore, Id would love to see a random rare loot dropps off NPCs, not just loot for that zone, more like loot for that level, meaning that say a Bracer with 10ac 5to all stats, and some saves, maybe an effect that can drop in any 30ish level zones. better gear for higher zones, and these items could be randomly generated and therefore unique, something very lacking in eq. perhaps we could have the power to name said item..hmmmm thats good, when we attune it.

That being said, I still love this " dinosaur " of a game, running through some old zone feels alot like drivin through the old neighborhood.

Oh yeah, we should be able to permanently name our pets.

Safe hunts and rare drops!
Hrmph...
# Jul 24 2006 at 11:03 AM Rating: Default
[i][/i] Aight, I gotta admit... I'm not really big on them bringing Draconian's into the game... Especially with the current artwork. Eventually they will revamp all zones, and that I am looking forward to... I love the guys suggestions about HHK (Goblin City) And the other guys suggestion about Freeport... It only makes sense IMHO... C'mon look at New York... You won't see some cops go down some streets... Why not have more NPC's in Freeport since it is considered a major human city, the connection to Faydwer... I'm pissed about PoP, always have been. But hopefully, in all due time, the programmers will get off their asses and do some good. TAKE YOUR TIME ON THE EXPANSION. FFS!!!! I get pissed when you have four expansions a year... Brell! Hopefully they will get the dung outta the streets or at least make it like an alleyway or something where beggars live... c'mon open your eyes... You've got ten's of thousands of people here who constantly play this game... We have some grand suggetsions. On a other note, I'm completely happy they brought Progression servers into EQ... though I wish they would make it at LEAST a two month wait before re-releasing expansions... This was just me ranting and fuming... But all for the better I hope. Progression brought me back from a two or three year retirement...


~Combine~
Fliint Fireforge
Hate Revamps
# Jul 24 2006 at 5:25 AM Rating: Decent
One reason to hate revamps is every zone that has been been revamped lags me to hell
Hate Revamps
# Jul 24 2006 at 8:57 AM Rating: Decent
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77 posts
If you lag in every revamped zone, AND you have all the latest drivers and such... you need to turn down your graphics or upgade your system. There is no way to avoid the future.
Hate Revamps
# Aug 13 2006 at 5:43 AM Rating: Default
stfu and die, amd athalon 1ghz 512 ram 256 fsb 128 graphics card FTW
looks cool but......
# Jul 23 2006 at 1:46 PM Rating: Decent
i like the idea of redoing the zones but as an iksar ,,what would i be doing there any who ?,it my be fun to kill the guards just my 2 cp's worth
looks cool but......
# Jul 24 2006 at 8:47 AM Rating: Decent
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77 posts
Highpass Hold is the on-foot entrance to the new expansion zones. THAT is why it made sense to revamp it at this time, and why you will be going through this zone.
Redesign
# Jul 23 2006 at 7:21 AM Rating: Decent
If they are redoing the zone, one would think they are going to put a reason for you to come to this zone. (ie Freeport redesign)
Redesign
# Jul 24 2006 at 8:48 AM Rating: Decent
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77 posts
Highpass Hold is the on-foot entrance to the new expansion zones. THAT is why it made sense to revamp it at this time, and why you will be going through this zone.
hmm
# Jul 22 2006 at 3:59 PM Rating: Decent
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Imagine the reason the zone is getting a remake is because it will probably be connecting to the new expansion? So more then likely the other 2 zones will be connected to highpass?

I don't mind the updated zones when the layout is left alone (IE nek 3.0, desert of ro). However I absolutely hate the new freeport because I have to stare at the map to get around in it.

And when will they update the ugly old world guard graphcis. They take all this time to redo old zones. However they don't bother updating the npc's in them.
____________________________
Hi
hmm
# Jul 22 2006 at 9:23 PM Rating: Default
I disagree with everything you are saying. I dont think that they should touch the old zones and I definitely think they should not change the old world NPCs. I loved classic eq and I wish Everquest would have never gotten all these new expansions and fancy graphics. Sony is ruining one of the greatest games of all time with all their "updating".
hmm
# Jul 23 2006 at 1:04 PM Rating: Decent
I think your a moron, no one would play the same crap over and over without any updating.
Nice change
# Jul 22 2006 at 2:24 PM Rating: Decent
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429 posts
I too wonder what other zones are getting changed as well. I do hope they keep the same basic layout the same, remember the Nektulos forest 2.0 debacle? =P

The 4 Karana could use some change. Right now it's huge and usually empty zones except for when someone farms silk in EK. Also East/West commonlands should get changed because honestly I often find no one in west and when I do, it's someone running between HHK or Rivervale to Freeport and vice versa as there is no PoK shortcut closer to HHK than either freeport or Rivervale.

As for the new race, while no classes are revealed yet it is likely the classes they can use are the same as human since they have human attributes. New monk maybe?
I Like
# Jul 22 2006 at 1:14 AM Rating: Decent
I Really like how after people are asking about the drakkin and what not that they actually say "A look at the Drakkin should be on the way at the end of the month:
" its really helpful so we know if we wanna make a char or not..... thank you and finally sony did something helpful Lol.... i like the look of highpass but i think they shouldnt do just like one random zone. They should do Zones at a time. Like The karanas then the Commandlands... just like they Did the North And South Ro Zones and FP.... ETC u know what i mean
I Like
# Jul 22 2006 at 3:11 AM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
I Really like how after people are asking about the drakkin and what not that they actually say "A look at the Drakkin should be on the way at the end of the month:
" its really helpful so we know if we wanna make a char or not.....


Here's a look of what they will look like, they are human after all and will have mostly the physical attributes of a human but will have added traits of the dragonkind that created them.... male and female facial features(white dragonkind) shown here
http://eqforums.station.sony.com/eq/board/message?board.id=Veterans&message.id=255484

Vahlar-Dev wrote:

Good day folks!

There's a lot of speculation on the drakkin, so I thought I'd give you their background here and show a couple of concepts. The drakkins are dragon-touched humans. They retain most of the their human physical attributes and take on traits of the dragon that created them -- like unique runic patterns of scales on their faces, chests, arms, and legs. Some vulnerable parts of their bodies take on some scale qualities but they are subtle and difficult to distinguish from normal skin. The drakkin also get small horns on their foreheads in a variety of arrangements. No tails, no wings. They have created amazing armor for themselves as well. Because their skin is scaled in some areas, like their sides and ribs, their armor is built around it, revealing their scale patterns underneath. We'll get some of that concept art up soon.

There are six dragon parents that create six types of drakkin, identified by color -- blue, black, red, green, white, gold. Each drakkin reflects their parentage in the color of their hair, draconic scale patterns, and horns. As you can see, they are more human than dragon with a regal beauty.

Here is the drakkin background:

After Venril Sathir's curse was released into the Nest and destroyed the dragon eggs, it was clear that the future of dragonkind was in danger. With the next generation of dragons lost forever, Veeshan's bloodline was in jeopardy. Six dragons who were children of the Nest proposed a plan to their elders -- the creation of a race to protect dragons and the Wyrmqueen's bloodline, something they had seen done once before.

The six dragons were scoffed at by the elders of the Nest, but they were so adamant with the idea that the elder dragons ordered their exile so their ideas would not gain a foothold. To the elders, it was unthinkable. The six left the Nest and ignored the decree of the elders. They settled in the nearby Serpent Spine Mountains to carry out their plan to create a new race to protect the existence of Veeshan's bloodline on Norrath. They would create a race of dragon-touched humans and call them Drakkin which means “Dragon Child” in the language of the elders.

They called themselves the Circle of the Crystalwing, defining themselves as the future of dragonkind. The six dragons in the Circle: Venesh the Greenblood; Draton`ra, Master of the Void; Keikolin, Bringer of Enlightenment; Mysaphar, Seeker of All; Atathus the Red Lord; and Osh`vir the Windspirit.

In human form, the dragons traveled to Freeport and combed through the taverns and inns, looking for the right humans to suit this new race. The honorable dragons found many who sympathized with their plight and plans and agreed to help right the wrongs that mortals inflicted on dragons of the Nest by unleashing Venril's curse. Many humans considered it a great honor. The darker dragons were not so willing to negotiate and simply took the human subjects they desired. Each human taken was touched by the magic of a single drop of dragon’s blood across their cheek.

In only a matter of months, the dragon-touched humans began to experience changes, a coming-of-age that became known as the Awakening. It is then that the latent strengths they inherit from their dragon bloodline surface and they have a burning desire to better understand them. Their hair takes on new texture and color – the same color as the dragon who touched them. Parts of their skin show small, toughened scales, and runic patterns representing their new race began to show on their face, torsos and legs – all in the color of their dragon progenitor. Delicate horns appear in patterns on their foreheads. They are the essence of beauty to most who see them.

As their new traits develop, the drakkins yearn to meet their parents. They find themselves on a pilgrimage into the Serpent Spine Mountains. Their final destination is the ancient abandoned ogre city of Nokk, now alive with drakkin who call it Crescent Reach.

As they enter the Dragon’s Grove of the great stone city where their parents await them, their human past is lost forever. It is from their parents that the drakkin learn their purpose – to live and grow stronger to protect the future of Veeshan's bloodline on Norrath. With their new identity affirmed, their drakkin life truly begins.

I Like
# Aug 03 2006 at 7:20 AM Rating: Decent
This was excellent... Dragons are a must, and I can't wait to see these 1/2 breeds...excellent post
Is this just a graphic change?
# Jul 21 2006 at 11:44 PM Rating: Decent
I hope they have only updated the graphics and left the rest of the zone alone. If they change the path through the zone, I hope they make the main path much easier to follow. About the only reason to go through Highpass is to travel between Kithicor and East Karana, though there is the monster mission that starts in Highpass.
What are the others?
# Jul 21 2006 at 11:23 PM Rating: Default
If Highhold Pass is ONE of the three old world zones getting a revamp, what are the other two? Morbidly curious here...
Cool
# Jul 21 2006 at 10:46 PM Rating: Default
Making Highpass look better is great, its a awesome zone.
Pointless
# Jul 21 2006 at 10:10 PM Rating: Decent
36 posts
Making Highpass have a new look will not bring people back to the zone. Why not spend the developers time on fixing what's in the game instead of making it pretty?
Pointless
# Jul 24 2006 at 8:55 AM Rating: Decent
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77 posts
The graphic artists are not the programmers.

These two different groups of people work on different tasks, and the graphic artists must be kept on the payroll for upcoming expansions etc. They might as well spend their time between projects upgrading the old-world areas with modern graphics and models to help keep eye-candy players from running off to the newest games.

That said, Highpass Hold was graphically upgaded because it is the entrance to the expansion zones and so it made sense to do so once the artists had the new zones done. You can be assured that the world-builder graphic artists will be working on another old-world zone upgrade as soon as they take their accrued time off from the TSS project.
Pointless
# Jul 22 2006 at 2:45 PM Rating: Decent
Whats wrong with making it look good. Certainly you don't think the same people who are programmers are the ones designing the zones. If the graphics people want to make old zones, which I have played in for years look 'pretty' then by all means.
Pointless
# Jul 22 2006 at 7:33 PM Rating: Decent
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50 posts
One issue with a zone changing is that it is 1 less place the Manastone will work in.
IT BETTER NOT BE!
# Jul 21 2006 at 8:55 PM Rating: Default
WHAT EVER THEY DO TEHY BETTER NOT EVER RE DO HALS?EVERFROST. I SWEAR IF THEY REDO HALAS/EVERFROST I WILL FREAK!!!!!
IT BETTER NOT BE!
# Jul 22 2006 at 1:59 PM Rating: Decent
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276 posts
[rant]
You, sir, need to press "caps lock" button one more time, then remove it from your keyboard, along with your shift key. Then you need to accept that fact that, in time, all zones in everquest will be redone to keep up with what is now considered "good". I didnt like the fact they changed Nektulos the first time, I complained alot about it, not much on boards, but to people.. the only reason they changed Nektulos to version 3.0 is because old school players were outraged by the fact they didnt even pay attention to what the actual layout of the zone used to be. Trust me, if they revamp Halas and Everfrost.. it will not be a Nektulos 2.0...I dont think they'll change the layout of highpass much either... they have no reason to. Im surprised they're doing highpass, not highkeep myself, seeing as they found goblins when they were digging, why not say they went digging more and found say a whole new city? Its true that alot of older zones have alot of room to expand, and its nice to know they're finally catching up with what they forgot.
[/rant]

Edited, Jul 22nd 2006 at 3:03pm EDT by Paylin
IT BETTER NOT BE!
# Jul 24 2006 at 10:02 AM Rating: Default
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349 posts
I'm waiting for a fix for that accident they call freeport now. It's excessively huge. The location of the Coalition of Tradefolk Illegal and Dismal Rage i.e. the rogues guild and the necro/sk guild is terrible, they should have been in the Freeport aquaducts/tunnels. Why not have more of the dwellings that are so excessive be for just regular freeport citizens, maybe add some street urchins running around stealing stuff. Let the players be surprised at the social aggro of the urchins and the sheer number that would show up to avenge their own, so many tiny hands on you so fast that not even an instant gate item would work since it would "disappear" momentarily at that time of need. The street urchin npc's could even provide "protection" to get through certain areas that you wouldn't even see the city guard wander into on a good day. Actually I am starting to scare myself....
Eek!
# Jul 21 2006 at 6:33 PM Rating: Decent
36 posts
Somehow i managed to double post replying to myself.. Sorry.

Edited, Jul 21st 2006 at 7:35pm EDT by wildeone
Eek!
# Jul 21 2006 at 6:34 PM Rating: Decent
36 posts
Nooo! I just finished memorizing the old one. :-(
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