SOE talks
EverQuest II updates on GameSpot has advance word on an upcoming
announcement of plans for an Adventure Pack for EverQuest II, a hybrid free/paid
expansion for the MMORPG sequel:
The first part of the adventure pack will
come as a free download. All of the game's subscribers will be able to sink
their swords into a new zone, fight new enemies, and so on. There will also be
some new quests in this area for all players. Some of these quests will flesh
out the lore behind the game's dark elf race and at least partially explain what
has transpired in the 500 years that lie between the original EverQuest and
EverQuest II. If players want to continue down this story path, they will have
to pay what's been described as a "small fee" to download the rest of the
adventure pack's content and continue on. Players that choose not to participate
will still be allowed to adventure in this new zone and experience at least some
of the new content. If the idea's a hit, SOE will likely follow with more
adventure packs in the same vein. Some may continue where an existing adventure
pack leaves off, though it's also possible that future content offerings may
tell an entirely different story. If the price is right, EQII's adventure packs
could be a cool solution to provide small chunks of more involving content on a
more regular basis than you'd expect from the previous model of occasional
expansion packs. That said, SOE certainly hasn't completely eliminated the
concept of a retail expansion for EQII, either.