With all the recent buzz generated by Scott Hartsman's EverQuest II Producer's Letter, we thought we would take a moment to call out all the big changes in experience gain that have just occurred for soloists and small groups of adventurers. Yes, that's right, solo and small group experience gain has been boosted across the board. Loot drops have been increased for these soloers and small groups too! These changes went into effect after Wednesday's patch and immediately spurred a spirited discussion between player and developer alike. Here's a recap of yesterday's big news:
- For soloists and small groups, dozens of new quests and hundreds of new NPCs have been added all over the game world since launch. Expect the steady stream of additions like this to continue over the coming weeks and months.
- In yesterday's update, a significant boost in small group and solo experience across the board will allow for advancement that will be much more visible and feel much more satisfying.
- Brand new item rewards will be added for soloists and small-groupers. Additionally, some of the rewards that have been reserved solely for groups will also make their way, though more rarely, to the solo and small group encounters in the world.
- Group rewards have improved as well. The chances for some of the group-only ultra-rare drops have been increased.
- In the weeks following, expect new dungeon instances to be made available for those who solo, duo, and trio.
- Soloing and small grouping should be a way to advance at a satisfying rate. You should be able to earn good rewards that are exciting in their own right. Soloing and small grouping should also provide a chance at the great rewards that people might not expect in anything except the traditional six-person group.
- Grouping will still provide the fastest overall experience gain, but the advantage won't be as drastic as it is today. Grouping will also provide better chances at the spectacular ultra-rare rewards.