EQBeta Patch History

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Beta 3 CD "revision.txt"

July 07, 1998 4:18PM

07/7/98 4:18PM
---------------
There is now a text file called "revision.txt", where you will find a more extensive list of changes that were made.  There has also been a large addition/update to the manual (Everquest_Manual.txt), check it out.

July 13, 1998 5:00pm

07/13/98 5:00pm
----------------
Be careful! NPCs now use their skills properly if they have them, so you might just get
kicked or bashed.  Only humanoid type NPCs (like Gnolls) use skills.

Changes:
  Bash no longer guarantees that something will be stunned, which means it is more
            difficult to keep an NPC bashed, but the NPCs will also have a harder time keeping
            YOU bashed.

  The "N" key (Target nearest NPC) will no longer target NPC corpses, only living NPCs.

Two new commands were added:
  /split - Split a specified amount of money amongst your group members.
              Format: /split <plat> <gold> <silver> <copper>
             Example: /split 0 0 0 15 would split 15 copper amongst your group members.
              which means split 0 plat, 0 gold, 0 silver, 15 copper. /split 1 5
               would split 1 platinum, 5 gold, so trailing zeros are  not necessary,
              but the preceeding zeros ARE necessary.
  /autosplit - Toggle automatic splitting of money looted with your group ON and OFF.

A few bugs were fixed:
   Arrows will no longer become "supercharged" in damage over time.
  "Shield of Brambles" type spells will no longer damage the thing they are protecting.
  Spells like "Disease Cloud" no longer have unlimited range.

July 07, 1998 5:02PM

7/7/98 5:02PM
-------------
New keyboard shortcuts: (These work when the chatbar is NOT up, just like "Z" now)

"T" = Target nearest entity (Player or NPC),
"N" = Target nearest NPC,
"U" = Use center of view, which is just like a double-left click at the center
             of the 3dview.  Which has many uses, such as opening a door, starting a
             transaction with a merchant or guildmaster, target and consider someone,
             begin looting a corpse, and more...
"1" - "6"                = Activate the six "Hotboxes" currently showing on your screen.
"+" and "-" = Cycle up and down through the banks of "Hotboxes".
CTRL + PGUP = Scroll the text window up one page.
CTRL + PGDOWN = Scroll the text window down one page.

Beware! You will now move slower when you have less than 1/3 of your total hitpoints
left.  This change does not affect any characters below level 4 in order to give
newbies a short grace period, but all characters over level 3 had best be wary.

There has been a fair amount of tweaking done, especially to the Monk class, so be
more careful than usual until you "feel out" the changes.

Throwing weapons and bows should now be viable.  Arrows and thrown weapons will fall
to the ground after they hit something/someone, and can be picked up.  Give them a try.

A few bugs were fixed:
  - Languages should now completely work, give them a try.
  - Your corpses should still be where you left them, even after a crash now.
  - The "Who" button was fixed, and should now show a list of who is in your zone.
  - Many more small interfaces problems...

July 15, 1998 7:32pm

7/15/98 7:32pm
--------------
Added Halas (the Barbarian hometown) to the patch server -- new barbarians will start there within the next few days.

July 16, 1998 6:16pm

7/16/98 6:16pm
--------------
Barbarians now start in Halas.  Neriak, Freeport, and Rivervale will be online soon.

July 17, 1998 11:55am

7/17/98 11:55am
----------------
There will be a player wipe tonight.  IF and only if you talk to Generyk the GM before the wipe, you will be reimbursed your level on ONE character, and you will be given 7 gold per level.  No other GM will help you in this matter, and this is not something negotiable.  PWipes are an unfortunate aspect of beta testing -- we do them as infrequently as possible -- please hang tough and bear with it.

July 17, 1998 6:17pm

7/17/98 6:17pm
-------------
The player wipe is done.  IMPORTANT: When you create your new characters, either choose a fantasy sounding name or use the name generator -- if you are caught with a non-compliant name, you will be warned.  Lastly, one or more noticible changes we've made is that spell scrolls now cost more money, depending on their level.  Other more minor, albeit numerous, changes were made to weapon and spell damages.

July 20, 1998 5:46pm

7/20/98 5:46pm
--------------
That nasty and evil download was brought to you by the dark elves (ie. Neriak is up!).  Within the next day or two dark elves, ogres, and trolls will start in Neriak, while dwarves, gnomes, and halflings will start in Rivervale (until all home towns are online).  Also, considering an NPC is now more accurate and clear -- descriptions are better and the text is now color coded such that green means no exp. for the kill, blue means the NPC is lower lvl than you, black the same level, yellow higher, and red...stay away from red :)

July 22, 1998 1:37pm

7/22/98 1:37pm
--------------
Should be more faces in the game, as well as some updated characters -- that's the big file you just received.  Also, Glide support is now in the game.  Glide is an API from 3dfx that works with their Voodoo cards -- note that EQ uses Glide 3.0, which currently only works on Voodoo 2s, but should soon work on Voodoo 1s.  800x600 support is in with the Voodoo 2s under Glide.  Make sure you have the most recent drivers from www.3dfx.com.

July 30, 1998 5:30pm

7/30/98 5:30pm
---------------
We've hopefully fixed a nasty bug that was causing a spell casting to crash -- let us know if you are still getting any crash bugs.  Also, the newbie zones adjacent to the newer cities are being turned -- both more and a better range of NPCs should be appearing in them over the next week.  Also, slowly but surely, more and more NPCs will talk and even give quests -- a good way to begin a conversation is to target the NPC, and /say hello <npc's name>.

August 3, 1998 5:34pm

8/3/98 5:34pm
-------------
There is a bug we've discovered in the latest reference drivers for Voodoo 1 based cards in D3D mode.  If you are having severe video problems in-game, we reccomend you revert to either an earlier reference driver or use the card's manufacturer's driver (for example, the Diamond Monster drivers v.1.10 work fine).

August 3, 1998 9:00pm

8/3/98 9:00pm
-------------
East Freeport is finally up -- the entire city of Freeport is online now.  Also, several of the crash bugs we've had should be fixed now -- let us know if you encounter any more and please attempt to make note of the circumstances and events immediately prior to the crash.  Lastly, an assist command has been added -- target a player, type /assist, and you should then target whoever he is currently fighting at that moment.

August 4, 1998 4:44pm

8/4/98 4:44pm
------------
Note the changes to the previous entry regarding the assist command.

August 4, 1998 5:55pm

8/4/98 5:55pm
------------
Hopefully the Voodoo 1 D3D bug has a workaround -- please let us know if you experience any additional problems.  Also, you can start a character (human, half-elf, wood elf, high elf) in Freeport now (in addition to Qeynos) -- give it a try.

Beta 3 CD "eqnews.txt"

August 5, 1998 7:34pm

8/5/98 7:34pm
-------------
Additional information is now provided when you consider (double-click on) an NPC that will
undoubtedly prove useful in the game.

August 6, 1998 8:17pm

8/6/98 8:17pm
-------------
We've implemented a new anti-vulch, anti-twink experience system -- he who does the most
damage to an NPC gets the exp upon its death (or the group he's in).  Let us know how it
works.  Also, expect some larger downloads short term -- the world of Norrath expandeth.

August 11, 1998 5:15pm

8/11/98 5:15pm
--------------
South Ro and Oasis are online now -- please do not try to go further south than South Ro,
in that that zone isn't up yet.  The world will continue to expand in that general direction
(south of Freeport), and soon Trolls and Ogres will have their hometowns.

August 22, 1998 8:00pm

8/22/98 8:00pm
--------------
Grobb, Oggok, Rathe Mountains, and Lake Rathetear are online now.  We will be starting
Trolls and Ogres in their respective hometowns shortly, as well as relocating existing
Trolls and Ogres there (ie. Neriak will no longer be your hometown).  Also, we've
added a new warrior skill called Taunt -- this skill, when successful, will re-focus
target NPC to attack you (ie. he will switch from his current target to you).  This is
useful, for example, when an NPC targets a spellcaster or healer in your party, and
you'd like him instead to beat on you.

August 31, 1998 12:41pm

8/31/98 12:41pm
---------------
We've added a new command, /feedback.  Please use /feedback to leave us feedback and comments
and only use /bug for bugs.  They are written to two separate files now, which will make it
easier for us to get the information to the appropriate people.  Thanks.

September 1, 1998 5:03pm

9/1/98 5:03pm (IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ)
----------------------------------------
We are starting to build up the Game Master (GM) infrastructure for EverQuest.  If you require assistance in-game, use the /petition <msg> command -- all GMs online will receive your message
and you will be helped as soon as possible -- using the /tell command to solicit help from a GM is no longer legal.  Note that there are serveral kinds of GMs you might encounter in-game, but
there are only two kinds responsible for helping testers -- GUIDES, and GM-Admin GMs.  Other GMs (coders, areas, etc.) are development team members and are not there to help you (sorry -- but
they need to finish the game).  GUIDES are external (non-Sony) GMs who are there to help you and answer questions, but their power is limited (meaning they will often refer you to a GM-Admin).
Our plan is to have GM-Admins in-game most of the time, all week, but it may take some time for this coverage to become complete.

SOME NEW POLICIES:
-- NO reimbursals of lost items, money, or experience will be made (sorry, but this is a BETA).
-- Using the /tell command to solicit help from a GM is no longer legal -- use the /petition command.
-- Using 'safe' areas (ie. areas where NPCs can't or won't go, even though it makes sense they could) is illegal.  Fighting NPCs, or using those areas to rest and heal, is not allowed.  An example would
be areas near zone transition sections.  These problem areas are being fixed as quickly as possible, but in the meantime, testers caught abusing these areas won't be testers for long.  

September 4, 1998 6:35PM

9/4/98 6:35pm
-------------
There will be a player wipe (pwipe) Tuesday morning at approximately 10am pacific.  This is in preperation for Phase 2 of the EverQuest beta test, which begins early next week.  
You may have ONE character's level re-imbursed, and you will be given some gold based upon that character's level.  
To register one of your characters, use the /feedback command, and begin the message with REGISTER.  Make sure you
are logged on as the character you want to save (we are recording your name, race, class, and level).  Once the
pwipe is complete, we will post a message here explaining how to get re-imbursed.  Note that artificially 'buffed'
characters are not eligible for restoration.  If possible, we reccomend using the /feedback command late Monday or so such that if you level over the weekend, it will be recorded.

September 8, 1998 1:00pm

9/8/98 1:00pm
-------------
As you may well know, the player wipe (pwipe) has been performed.  There will be no reimbursment of items, weapons,
or armor.  Character level and gold will be reimbursed to those who registered via the "/feedback" command, as stated in the
previous announcement.  For those of you that did register your character, use the "/petition" command to notify a GM and you
will be reimbursed.

September 15, 1998 1:26am

9/15/98 1:26am
--------------
Good morning citizens of Norrath!  The world will be expanding over the next few days.  Beginning this afternoon, we will be adding two new zones per day, everyday.  
It would be wise for modem users to connect and patch at least once a day.  The majority of the zones which make up Faydwer will be added so elves, dwarves, and gnomes may begin in their
respective homelands.  Shortly after this batch of zones are up, we will begin moving characters to the new continent.  We apologize for the large amount of data that will be required to download,
but once complete the downloads will of course be kept to a minimum.

September 28, 1998 4:00pm

9/28/98 4:00pm
--------------
We have recently added a bug discussion and entry forum, which can be found at "www.sonyinteractive.com/eqbugs/".  This forum can be accessed by using your EverQuest login ID and password.
Team members will frequent this board often to post responses and updates regarding posted bugs as well as asking for assistance with specific bug and balance issues.  Also, in-depth game
information, such as the "faction" explanation which was posted this weekend, will be available through the site.

September 30, 1998 5:17pm

9/30/98 5:17pm
--------------
The "Bind Wounds"/Bandage skill will now only work on people who have fifty hitpoints or less remaining.
The "Meditate" skill has been improved in regards to Mana regeneration times.

October 1, 1998 2:00pm

10/1/98 2:00pm
--------------
A new command has been added:
/Random <#> <#>  - This will give you a random number from # to # (i.g. "/Random 1 10" would give you a random number from 1 to 10 inclusive). If you only specify one number (i.e. "/Random 5") it assumes 0 to the number you supplied.
The "/Who" command now has an additional option: "corpse" (i.e. "/Who corpse") allows you to see if any of your corpses are in your current zone.

October 6, 1998 2:21pm

10/6/98 2:21pm
--------------
Anyone playing the game with a Diamond Viper V330 videocard should go to Diamond's webpage (www.diamondmm.com) and get the latest drivers.  Their newest drivers fix some crash bugs (like walking from one zone to another, and some random crashes) and should make EverQuest much more stable.
With perhaps a few exceptions, it is generally a good idea to update to the latest release drivers for any videocard, or any other piece of hardware for that matter.

October 17, 1998 7:23pm

10/17/98 7:23pm
---------------
Bards should now be able to sing their songs and fight at the same time (Bards are the only ones though).

The beta era lasted from mid '98 until March 1999. It was divided into phases 1,2,3 and 4. Some limited patch notes from this time are available.

Phase 3

November 4, 1998 Phase 3 Start

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20001005195341/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-11-1.htm)

4/11/98

Phase3 start - Official

Official website updated for Phase3 beta:

This week, Phase 3 will start with 4,000 new testers. Beta testers should read the news at login. It contains important information about upcoming events.

December 1, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012904/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-12-1.htm)

In the latest patch, Neriak (* place name) fixed the problem that the character can not move (stack). 

The "/consider" command works normally again.

December 2, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012904/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-12-1.htm)

The latest patch includes a new version of Greater Faydark. The frame rate and performance within that zone will improve overall. 

I am sorry to have downloaded a fairly large file. And of course, keep big patches to a minimum.

December 3, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012904/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-12-1.htm)

The last downloadable patch was promulgated. This includes South Qeynos. Also, the world server will be down during 3 am-5am PST on December 3.

December 10, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012904/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-12-1.htm)

What's fixed in the latest patch: 

Loading time has been reduced, memory usage issues have been noticed to improve performance, Magic / Fear magic bugs have been resolved, and initial items (Newbie Items) have been poisoned Even if the character dies in the meantime, it remains on the corpse. 

We have integrated the EverQuest Manual, Troubleshooting Guide, and Known Bug List into a single document, "EverQuest_Manual.txt". This manual is updated from time to time, so please refer to it if you have a hardware problem.

December 11, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012904/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-12-1.htm)

Some key changes:

* Shift-PageUp and Shift-PageDown will only scroll up / down the text in the chat box when the chat bar (where you typed) is up / visible (eg typing mode).
* The following key changes only apply from the 3rd person camera perspective:
* To look up or down using PageUp and PageDown, you must hold down the "Camera Control" key (Shift by default).
* With PageUp and PageDown only (without pressing Shift), you can ascend / dive while underwater.

December 16, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20001006000352/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/98-12-16.htm)

* Characters below level 25 lost significantly less experience points due to death. However, from level 25, the amount lost is unchanged.
* Fixed Dodge, Parry, Riposte (* counterattack) and Block skill gains . The fact that 1H / 2H Slashing (* one-handed / two-handed tearing weapon) does not rise even when Warrior and Paladin use it is a fiction and grows as usual.
* All numeric key functions are displayed. Use the NUM LOCK key (by default) to lock the keypad function.

PK change
* There are 4 types of PK level restrictions. A level 20 PK cannot attack a level 15 PK (and vice versa), but an lvl20PK can attack an lvl16PK.
* Also, the PK route can be restricted, and what can be stolen is not a single item. As a result, you can't plunder all of your opponent's belongings, nor can you rob a container or all of its contents.
* PKs can now group with non-PKs and share experience points, but they can't cast magic on each other, including support magic.

The use of underground "Rain" magic is considered a bug for the time being and will remain until it is announced in the future. For more information on magic bugs, see "EverQuest_Manual", section 3 "Known Bugs".

December 31, 1998

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012606/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-1.htm)

As a test, the range effect magic damage has been reduced by half. This is done to measure the effectiveness and potential advantages, depending on the surgeon's class. Please understand that this is just a test and that this change is not a final decision at all.

January 5, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012606/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-1.htm)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

 1/05/99 12:30pm
 ----------------
 The follow changes and bug fixes have been made with the new patch;
 
 - Increased chance to be stunned when being pursued.
 - Modification to the effectivness of area effect spells.
 - Inctreased chance to be hit while sitting.
 - NPC speed has been increased in dungeons.
 - Character collisions with ceilings have been modified to reduce the chance of getting stuck.
 - Bug fixes related to character file corruption have been made.
 - The "stacking of spells" bug has been fixed.
 - Bard songs should not replace other effects.
 - NPC AI reactions to spell damage have been changed.
 - Spells which were intended to be outdoor only should now be so.
 - Corrected the bug which allowed spellcasting and other actions while stunned.
 
 1/05/99 8:45pm
 ----------------
 Sounnd effects will not be in the game until phase 4, unless you perform an optional download.  The location and availability of these files will be announced shortly.  
 Guild functionality has been implemented and tested.  The process of forming and maintaining will be announced shortly.
 
 After patching, if you cannot successfully log into the game, disable your sound device and try again.  Please e-mail your system configuration, especially sound device to "sclover@sonyinteractive.com".

January 8, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012606/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-1.htm)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

 1/8/99 7:30pm
 --------------
 This patch includes:
 -Various keyboard and button fixes.
 -Bard songs should auto-loop again.
 -Creature footspeed in dungeons has been corrected so that they are only faster when actively attacking or pursuing.
 -Some problems with PCs under AI control, ie charm, have been addressed.
 -Being stunned in midspell should NOT disable your buttons and spell gems, but should interrupt your casting.
 -Casting related skills should increase with use again. However, you will be temporary unable to train in these skills with your Guildmaster.
 -Lost attacks in melee has been addressed.
 -Another "spell-stacking" bug has been addressed.
 -Spell timing has been reworked.
 -The extra "invisible" mana has been corrected. Hope you enjoyed it!
 
 IMPORTANT:
 We have identified a problem that may be the root of the character corruption that has been occurring. We have found many characters with duplicate names. In order to correct this we have had to programmatically rename these characters.  We realize that a name means a lot, but we had to do this to correct the problem. You may petition to have these new names changed, but you will not be able to obtain the former name of these characters.
 
 GUILD FORMATION:
 In order to form a guild the following process must be followed:
 1. The leader of the guild must email  Eqguilds@sonyinteractive.com. The header of the email must contain the NAME of the guild. In this email the leader will include a short Charter that includes the guild's role in Norrath. In addition, the leader needs to list at least 9 other characters that have agreed to form this guild.
 2. The leader and 9 other players need to email Eqguilds@sonyinteractive.com with the NAME of the guild as the header. The body of this email must include the name of the character that will be joining the guild and the ACCOUNT on which that character exists.
 3. Once the 10 prospective members (including the leader) have completed the above steps, the charter and name of the guild will be reviewed by 989. If both are approved, the leader of the guild will be notified of approval via email and told to approach a GM for formation of the guild. If 989 has any reservations about either the name or the charter, the guild leader will receive an email listing these concerns and be offered an opportunity to modify the charter or name as required.
 
 1/9/99 3:30pm
 --------------
 This patch includes:
 -Guild notes can be given to Guildmasters again
 -Spamming of you "You cannot attack when stunned" messages should be eliminated.
 -Bard casting related skills, ie singing, should advance.
 -Standing corpses should be eliminated.
 -Lay Hands and Harm Touch should work. This may not occur until your character has been in-game for a full game day.
 
 Spells:
 -When you first memorize spells you must wait until the recast time on a spell has elapsed before you can use the spell. The slot will remain gray until this time has elapsed.
 -The problem with spells never recovering should be corrected in this patch.
 -Some spells do have long recast times and will be unavailable for use for up to 15 minutes, ie Divine Aura

January 11, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012606/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-1.htm)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

1/11/99 4:30pm
----------------

This patch includes:
-Lay Hands and Harm Touch have been fixed.
-Spell and song related skills should advance and save properly.
 
Sound Effects:
This version includes the part of the new sound engine dealing with sound effects. In order to hear these sounds you will need to manually ftp approximately 25megs worth of sound files via anonymous ftp from flint.sonyinteractive.com/pub/everquest. In this directory, there are seven files. Download them all and place them into the directory on your hard drive from which you run EQ.
It is NOT required that you have these files in order to play EQ, but without them you will continue to have no sound.

1/11/99 8pm
The new sound engine is having problems initializing certain sound devices. If you are crashing upon attempting to enter the game, please email your dbg.txt from your EQ directory to sclover@sonyinteractive.com.  Then disable you card and attempt to enter again.

January 12, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012606/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-1.htm)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

 1/12/99 7pm
 -------------
 Sound:
 This patch includes sound effects for spells, and ambient sounds for South Qeynos.
 PLEASE READ: All users must upgrade to Microsofts Directx6. These drivers are available from www.download.com. Search for directx and download and install the correct version. (Win95 and Win98 versions are not compatible) This should correct most sound related crash problems.

January 14, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012708/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-16)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

 1/14/99 12:30pm
 -----------------
 Additional tweaks to the spell system.
 The spell Eye of Zomm should now work.
 Items that were intended to randomly generate a spell effect, ie the Screaming Mace and Yaulp, should now work as originally intended.
 More fixes in the sound system.
 It is recommended that all users delete aweman32.dll from the directory from which they run EverQuest
 
 1/14/99 4pm
 -------------
 ATTENTION: Do not delete any other awe*.dll's besides the one that resides in your EverQuest directory.
 
 1/14/99 5:30pm
 ----------------
 All sound code has been disabled. It will return soon.

January 18, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012708/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-16)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

 1/18/99 5pm
 -------------
 Phase 3.5 will begin tomorrow. Phase 3.5 will require a download of an entire set of new EverQuest files. This Phase is optional, a Phase 3.0 server will be in operation for some time after Phase 3.5 begins. The Phase 3.0 server will not be updated once the 3.5 server is in operation. Instructions on how to obtain the Phase 3.5 files will be posted once 3.5 is ready to go.
 
 Fixes:
 Problems with NPC saving throws have been addressed.
 Weather effects crashing entire zones have been fixed.
 The spell: Reclaim Energy has been fixed.
 Odd effects from enspelled items have been fixed.
 The resolution of death by drowning has been fixed.
 Bard songs that are group oriented should be working  correctly again.
 Autosplit and split have returned. Autosplit will cause all monetary treasure you acquire to be split evenly amongst all of your party members. Autosplit can be turned on in your options menu. Split will cause a specified amount of money to be split amongst your party. The syntax for split is /split <plat> <gold> <silver> <copper>. For example to split 10 gold, 3 silver and 5 copper you would type /split 0 10 3 5.
 
 Sound:
 ALL USERS MUST DELETE ALL .PFS FILES IN THERE EVERQUEST DIRECTORY.  A new set of .pfs files is available via anonymous ftp at flint.sonyinteractive.com/pub/everquest.   You MUST have either no .pfs files in your EQ directory or have these updated ones in order to have sound function correctly.
 
 1/18/99 7:30pm
 -----------------
 Bind affinity can ONLY be cast on people that are in the same group as the caster.

January 20, 1999 Phase 3.5 start

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012708/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-16)

(NOTE: found English version on Phase4 Beta CD in eqnews.txt!)

 1/20/99 2:30am
 ----------------
 Guilds:
   Guilds who have met the 10 member limit and whose charters have been approved will begin to be contacted for initial set up on 1/20/99.  The following guilds have been approved: Vale Patrol, Underground Warlords, The Risen, The Crimson Rose, Tal-Kor, Mystical Order of the Brotherhood, Asu-Tru, The Covetous Crew, and Clan Delaf.  This list will be updated as more guilds are approved. If your guild is not listed above, please DO NOT petition with questions. 
   If your Guild is listed above, the leader of the guild should petition for a RedEye GM to assist you in setting up the guild.
   Guild Commands:
   /guildinvite <name> <rank> - Invite a person to join the guild, if this person is to be an officer, include the argument <O> (as in oscar) for the rank. Usable by Guild Leader and Officers, but only the Guild Leader can make officers.  You would also use this function to promote a member to an officer.
   /guildremove <name> - Remove a member from the guild. Only the Guild Leader may remove Officers
   /guilddelete - Disband your entire guild. Only the Guild Leader may use this command.
   /guildstatus <name> - Will return information on whether the named person is a member, an Officer, or the Guild Leader.
   /guildleader <name> - Transfer guild leadership to <name>
   /guildsay - Sends a message to all guild members
   /guildwar <name> <duration> - Initiates a guild war against the guild of Guild Leader which appears in the <name> field. <Duration> sets the duration in real days of the guild war. This defaults to one real day if left blank. The opposing Guild Leader must send the same command with the <name> of the other Guild Leader to fully initiate the conflict.
   /guildpeace <name> - Ends a guild war before the duration has expired. <name> is the name of the opposing Guild Leader. Both sides must send this command to end the war prematurely.
 
 Sounds:
   Those of you continuing to have problems with sound, should verify that the .pfs files are good. The total size of all 7 files should be approximately 17.5 megs. If they are not, or if they are and you continue to have trouble, we recommend that you obtain a fresh copy of the files from our anonymous ftp site at flint.sonyinteractive.com/pub/everquest. We can not vouch for files obtained from mirror sites.
 
 Phase 3.5:
   In order to begin participation in Phase 3.5 you will need to download an entirely new set of EverQuest files. Please note, a 3.0 server will remain in operation until Phase 4.0. However, the 3.0 server will receive no further updates to its code. Character data will initially be mirrored on the 3.5 and 3.0 servers, but it will begin to diverge as you test on either server. 
   In this patch you should have received patch35.exe. You may now do one of the following:
 a. Place the patch35.exe in a clean directory and run it from there. This will allow you to have both a 3.0 version and a 3.5 version from which to test. Version 3.5 and 3.0 ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. 
 b. Delete all files except patch35.exe from your current EQ directory. Run patch35.exe.  WARNING: You will not be able to test on the 3.0 server, and you will not be able to resume testing until you have downloaded all of the 3.5 files.
   Connections to the patch server are limited in both number and bandwidth, so it may take several days before you are able to access the files for Phase3.5. Your patience in this matter is appreciated. In addition, Phase 3.5 will be "patch-heavy" as we finalize files, so you should expect large patches on the 3.5 server.
   THE 3.5 DOWNLOAD WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 300 MEGS

January 28/28, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312012708/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-1-16)

1/28/99 1:00 pm
-------------
This patch fixes a zone crash bug and probably other random crash bugs. If you crash on the desktop after patching (without returning to chat), please send "dbg.txt" in the everquest directory to sclover@redeyeinteractive.com by email.

1/28/99 5:45 pm
-------------
Characters that have become “stuck” in an unstable state can now enter the game. If you have a character that you can't play recently, please try again.

February 1, 1999 First level 50 character in EQ

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312011630/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-1.htm)

Level 50 character - EQVault

A character that reached 50, the highest level, appeared. The name is Asmonius. Brad character Aradune's comment on that:

Congratulations to Asmonius, who first reached level 50 in the EQ. Even more balance and adjustment will take longer than he took until level 50, but his perseverance deserves praise.

February 2, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312011630/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-1.htm)

2/1/99 5:30 pm
------------ 
* Items that cannot be traded can be routed from the corpse only to the character to which the corpse belongs.
* Change the keyboard layout. See the everquest_manual.txt / .doc file in the EQ directory.
* Pets may taunt the attacking enemy to protect their Lord.

February 3, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312011630/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-1.htm)

2/3/99 8:00 pm
-------------
Phase4 player wipe (* initialization)

* Player wipe is performed prior to Phase4. This wipe takes place at midnight on 7 February Central Time.
* In exchange, all players can register a character and retrieve it later. This base character can be from a 3.0 server or a 3.5 server. But one person per account, not one per server.
* To register a character, you must use the / feedback command with the character you want to keep. In the feedback form, enter the word "RESTORE" and your favorite "codeword". This "codeword" can be anything, but it is essential to get the character back after wiping. If you use this codeword, you can get it back even if your account name changes. Please do not include any other information in this / feedback. All character information is automatically recorded.
* When it's time to get back, GM asks for the account name and the selected codeword when registering the character. This character can only be recovered by the selected server.
* The maximum level of the character is 35. More characters return to level 35. Gold is returned as appropriate for the level.

Server downtime:

* In preparation for Phaes4, the EQ server will go down from midnight on February 7th to the start of Phase4 on February 10th.

February 4, 1999 Phase 4 transfer instructions

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312011630/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-1.htm)

2/4/99 12:30 pm
-------------
The character transfer procedure to Phase 4 has been changed so that testing in the high level zone will proceed.

* 3.5 All characters are automatically transferred from the server to the Phase4 Test server. Registration is not required.
* Players who want to move all characters from the -3.0 server to the Phase4 Test server need to register from / feedback. Simply hit RESTORE and the word to Fordback when the character is online. This will move all characters from the 3.0 server to the Phase4 Test server.
* To use those characters in Phase 4, you must use the same account name that you used in Phase 3.0 / 3.5.
* All other Phase4 servers start with a blank page. Initially, characters cannot be moved between servers in Phase4.

February 5, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312011630/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-1.htm)

2/5/99 2:13 pm
------------ 
* The ladder has been modified. Using it, going up and down no longer caused problems. Remember to adjust the branch up and down each time you go up and down the ladder.
* Added new features to the ladder.
* When you hit the ladder, you can left-click it and face it completely to the ladder. Thus, it can be confirmed that the slide does not slide left and right while going up and down the ladder.
* If you stand near the top of the ladder, you can cling to the ladder by left-clicking on it. This should reduce the risk of falling from ladders that are particularly high.

Phase 4

NEEDED: Source/date of the following:

Welcome to Phase 4 of the EverQuest BETA Test!

You are connecting to the EverQuest test server. The test server is where code and data will be tested first, and is more prone to problems and bugs than the other servers. PLAY HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK. The chances  of a bug or other error affecting your character and/or gameplay is significantly higher here.

Because we will be updating code and data to this server often, connecting will be PATCH HEAVY. If you do not have either a lot of bandwidth or a lot of patience (or both), we don't reccomend playing on the test  server.

Phase 3.0 and 3.5 testers wishing their accounts restored MUST play on this server. Please read the instructions below. The GMs will be overwhelmed with this process at first -- IT COULD TAKE UP TO ONE WEEK TO  GET YOUR ACCOUNT RESTORED. We will expedite this process as best as we are able, but please be patient. Thank you.

-Brad McQuaid Producer, EverQuest

ATTENTION! Phase 3.0/3.5 Players PLEASE READ

3.0 and 3.5 Server Character Restoration Procedure.

After you have successfully created a Station account, please logon and enter the Test server. You will find that all slots in the Character Selection Screen are empty. Create a character (any race/class) and  enter the game. From in game, please petition to have your characters restored. A GM will ask you to provide you Phase 3.0/3.5 account name and password. After the GM has accepted and confirmed your account name and password, please log off from the test server. Copying the files may take some time, so we ask that you bear with us in the process. We will make every effort to expedite the restoration of characters so that you may return to the test.

*NOTE: This is a special version that will only work with the EverQuest Test Server. You must run "EverQuest.exe" if you want to connect to one of the regular servers.

February 10, 1999 Start of Phase 4

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010312011630/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-1.htm)

99/2/10 10:41 am
--------------
Welcome to EverQuest Phase4β Test! Thank you for participating in the final stage of EverQuestβ. Remember that this is still β. Bugs and problems will occur. In a few days you will enter the game of 25,000 people  and you will definitely have a problem. We will try to resolve it as soon as possible, but we ask for your patience and cooperation, especially during this period. Expectations are high, and I don't think you will  be disappointed, but remember that this is still a test and we are all here to do it. And welcome to our world--you can meet in the game :)

-EverQuest producer Brad McQuaid

Note:

If you want Phase 3.0 and 3.5 testers to recover your account, you need to use a test server. If you want to connect to EverQuest Test Server, you must start "testEverQuest.exe" instead of "EverQuest.exe".

February 15, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010410221655/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-16.htm)

(NOTE: found English version on the EQ release cd in eqnews.txt!)

 EverQuest Phase 4 Beta News
 ----------
 2/15/99 12:30am
 
 We have added the EverQuest tutorial, which is recommended for new players getting started in the world of Norrath.  To patch the tutorial, you will need to patch using the 
 "testeverquest.exe" to receive all of the required files, then run "tutorial.exe".  Please give us any feedback that you may have for improvments that should be made.  All of the 
 character restorations from phases 3 and 3.5 to the "Test" server should be completed by the end of the day.  Also, please note that the "News" window will only contain information regarding the current additions and bug fixes, all past news can be read from the "revision.txt" file located in your EverQuest directory.
 
 
 Bug Fixes
 
* The "Backstab" and "Bind Wound" skills should be working as intended.
 
* We believe we have solved one of the problems that occurs when people
  would get booted at the EverQuest loading screen (with the Elf woman on it).
 
* We should very shortly have fixed all of the registration problems. Try back
  later tonight if you haven't successfully registered.
 
* Zones should be MUCH, MUCH more stable now. We fixed a major crash problem with them.
 
* New Banshee drivers should be up on www.everquest.com - These are EverQuest specific.
  Thanks to 3dfx for giving us these drivers before they are generally released.
 
* If you have a Voodoo2 and you have THE latest drivers from 3dfx, you will have
  a problem switching resolutions. Please use the drivers off of www.everquest.com, as they
  work properly.
 
 
 ***** If you are having account problems, please direct e-mail to everquest@989studios.com *******
 ****** If this is your first time playing, read everquest_manual.txt FIRST! *******
 ****** If this is your first time playing, read everquest_manual.txt FIRST! *******
 -----------

2/16/99 11:40am

This patch fixes some server bugs, which should make zones much more stable. We also added more debug information to the client to help us track down the remaining lockup problems that some people are having.

***** If you are having account problems, please direct e-mail to everquest@989studios.com *****
***** If this is your first time playing, read everquest_manual.txt FIRST! *****
***** If this is your first time playing, read everquest_manual.txt FIRST! *****

February 18/19, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010410221655/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-16.htm)

99/2/18 6:30 pm
--------------
The deadline for application for character revival (from Phase 3) is 6pm on 2/2/99 (Sunday). A resurrection beyond this cannot be done. There are no exceptions. 

* Fixed a big bug to prevent the character selection and EQ title screen from getting stuck. 

99/2/19 9:00 pm
--------------
Important items for success as a merchant: 

* All the materials needed to make an item are available from the merchant is not. They don't want players to sell cheaper than themselves.
* Merchants usually don't put retail prices on products they want to sell. They also want to make money.
* Merchants usually charge items that are only available from a PC at a higher price than material costs.
* Merchants usually charge high for trade items. This will make PC merchants make more money by selling to players.
* Trade items are usually better in quality than those sold by merchants at the same price.

February 22, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010410221655/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-16.htm)

Patch server messages:

The following players were expelled from the Phase4EQ beta test. On the Rallos Zek server, they are fraudsters and PvP + players who did not follow repeated warnings.

Chat handle / character name:

* Tweed / Tweed
* Bendoggius / Smizzurf
* Lucenthawk / Lucenthawk
* DustyAirs / Amoush
* lou76 / Llan

The following players were expelled for chatting on religions and ethnicities on chat servers and ignoring repeated warnings:

* Moonrings

February 23, 1999 New patch on Test Server

The patch on the Test Server includes the following fixes: 

1) Problem with people unable to enter the game after getting disconnected - We found this problem and we believe we have completely corrected it.

2) Seeing your own Hit Point bug - We corrected several problems in this area. You shouldn't have any more problems seeing your own Hit Points any more. In addition, you shouldn't have any more problems seeing the Hit Points of your own party or monsters you target. This should fix the Paladin - Lay Hands on problem as well.

3) Charm Spell problems - We should have fixed all the problems related to this spell, particularly regarding Hit Points and other associated problems.

4) Problems with falling thru the World while zoning - We believe this problem has been fixed. If anyone still encounters this problem, please email us immediately.

5) All Bards should now get Dual Wield.

6) Rangers, Shadow Knights and Paladins should all get channelling.

7) Several Crash Bugs have been fixed on both the zone and world servers.

8) Several Combat bugs have been fixed regarding damage.

9) You should now be able to target translucent creatures (also see note below).

10) You can no longer trade with NPC's from any height.

11) If you zone while anonymous, you will still be anonymous when you reach the new zone.

12) Sound - We have finally activated music. You will only get music if you have a Sound Font capable sound card. These cards include - Awe 64 Gold and Value, Awe32, SB Live - In the next few days we will be activating the music on ALL sound cards. As this is code hasn't been in before, please let us know of any problems you encounter.

In order to run on the Test Server, run TestEverQuest.exe. If the above fixes are stable, we will be releasing them to the other servers tomorrow morning around 10am pst. Other Notes: We are currently working on the following problems:
1) Boats - We will be fixing the problems regarding boats very quickly. This is a HIGH priority item.

2) Targeting - We are working on major improvements to the targeting system. We have listened to our playerbase and are making many of the changes you have all reccomended.

3) Losing Newbie Guild Tunics upon death.

4) Invisible Players/Monsters/Corpses

5) General NPC Pathing problems

6) Various NPC's in the world that appear as humans.

7) Various NPC's in the world that have the "can't open textfile.txt" problem.

We believe the above items should all be taken care of pretty quickly (we are hoping this week). We are also aware of other problems, and are working hard on many things. The above items represent what we feel  are the major problems.

February 24/25, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010410221655/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-16.htm)

2/24/99 4:12 pm
-------------
Substantial bug fixes

1) This fix fixes a lockup bug. If you have trouble getting into the game, try again.

2) Fixed some long-lasting magic. Magics such as "Sprit of Wolf" now continue beyond the zone.

3) Fixed the transparency bug. After the magic of Invisibility has expired, I can see the figure properly.

4) Fixed some music code bugs. This makes it more stable than before.

13) Fixed client-side bugs such as lock-up (hardening) and crashes.

14) Ship--The ship is very stable. Enjoy the voyage!

15) Targeting--The targeting method is greatly improved. Please tell me what to do.

16) The first Guild Tunic will not be lost even if it dies. 

17) The chat server is now optional.

18) Banshee temporarily disables Glide. Found a deadly problem lurking and working with 3Dfx to fix it.

February 27, 1999

(NOTE: auto-translated from Japanese and taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010410221655/http://www3.jcss.net/~rpg/eqi/news/99-2-16.htm)

1999/2/27
This patch is promulgated to all servers including the Test server.

* You can listen to music again on SB Live. If you can't hear it for some reason, set the sound font in the control panel of SB Live. Increase cash to 3 mega. For now, you can hear music on all cards that support  sound fonts.
* Frame rate--Fixed the problem. Therefore, the frame rate has returned to normal. If something goes wrong with the frame rate, set Sound Realism all the way to the left. This disables 3D sound. 3D sound is for SB Live and A3D compatible cards, or for fast CPUs because it puts a burden on the CPU. There are also options to turn the sky off or single layer. This is under Display Settings in the game. There are many other things that can be done to improve performance.
* Server side patches fix non-functional quests and strange NPC issues. Some previous problems (especially quests) have been fixed and now function correctly.
* Zone crash fix--zone server crash fix.
* Ships--Find and fix some ship issues.
* High packet loss--especially a problem involving the magician--in some cases, the connection was lost while the magic was active. This has been fixed.

March 5, 1999

Patch server message:

With March 16 approaching, the EQ team is fixing various bugs and improving the game with fire cars throughout the night. A new "/corpse" command has been introduced to recover your items from corpses. You can use this command with a  radius of 50' for your corpse to attract the corpse. However, the /corpse command cannot recover corpses from lava. In addition, we added a friends list and random number commands. Both of EverQuest_Manual.txt described in the file. The bugs that have been fixed are as follows:

* Minor Illusion magic now works normally. It becomes visible as the object that the person changed his appearance.
* Various modifications to boat travel.
* You will need food and drinks to recover From Stamina.

March 6, 1999

Patch server message:

Several Test server bugs have been fixed in this update:

* The bow pulls a line on the interface and sometimes crashes occur.
* The line goes down when using the "/corpse" command.
* Mesmerize's effect on Beard and Enchanter has been fixed and works as planned.
* When you go out of the character or server selection screen and press the "Play EverQuest" button, an illegal process occurs.
* If the HomePoint is down when the character dies, the user crashes. This time, you can now return to the character selection screen instead of crashing until HomePoint is back online.
* The equipped flying gear cannot be seen on the character's appearance until you set it up.
* Texts could spam a user's chat bar when giving instructions to a pet.
* If you jump into the water with Torch and remove it and have it again, the torch will not disappear even underwater.
* When using the magic of "Eye of Zomm", the eyes (*summoned by magic) turn only in a certain direction.
* If you receive a message that the Fishing pole is broken while fishing, it will not actually be damaged.
* If you buy more than one of the same magic scrolls, inventory will show only one scroll.
* When you give other players the right to secure their inventory from their corpses in the /content, they will be asked to use the "You are given permission to loop corp." I get a message.
* When I get on the boat, I can't hear the sound effects of the sea.
* Display mode settings are not saved.
* Text overlaps when the Spell book and options menu are open.
* Hotkeys cannot be used during Meditation.
* When a player has an option menu open in Anonymous (anonymous mode), the character is not actually anonymous.
* When using the Autosplit feature, when a party member recovers his or her items from his or her corpse, the money in the corpse is distributed.
* Various grammatic changes to the description of the race and class in the character selection screen.
* When you place an item that is "stacked" on the trade screen, the number of items is not displayed correctly on the screen on the receiving side.

March 8, 1999

Patch server message:

The following fixes are in the latest patch:

* Fixed an issue where a Dwarf man would look unusually large when holding a weapon in his left hand.
* Gamma settings have been fixed and tested, and the in-game options menu can now be set again.
* Fixed an issue where keys (Combat, Social, etc.) on the right side of the screen would sometimes crash.
* Fixed an issue where accessing the options menu and dragging the mouse icon over it would appear in the graphic.
* If you leave it in inventory, certain items that appear on your corpse will now disappear from Inventory.
* Fixed an issue where the fruit would look the same as a Muffin.
* Fixed an issue where an item would disappear when placed on the ground.
* Various "safe zones" are gone.

March 9, 1999

Patch server message:

Ladies and gentlemen of Norrath, it's coming to an end!

EverQust Phase 4 beta testing ends Friday, Friday 12th at midnight.

Last night's patch lag and line disconnection are likely to have been mitigated in this patch. Here are some fixes:

* Players can now change the direction of the empty while root is no longer working.    
* Fixed an issue where the wizard could not see the magic on the target in a message.
* Fixed an issue where eye of zomm magic would disappear when entering the water.
* Fixed an issue where players who received the message would see extra characters when executing the /shout, /tell, /group command and typing 16 characters in a row (without spaces).
* Fixed an issue where the food raised could not be stacked.
* Fixed an issue where "Opal Sycthe" could not be caught from NPC corpses.
* Fixed a dark issue with Diamond Viper V550 when the screen brightness changed to gamma settings.
* Fixed an issue where stunned characters could be in that state forever.
* Fixed an issue where players could not move when minor illustrator magic was hanging.

March 11, 1999

Thursday, March 11
------------
 
Fixed some major bugs related to sound and crashes. In addition, changes have been made to the decay system of corpses, which are described below;

The next patch will be introduced immediately. It includes changes to the decay of corpses, and all corpses on the Test server are erased. This makes it much longer for corpses to rot if the player's account is not logged into North. If you don't  mind losing a body due to this change, don't log out or let your character head to a place where you're at risk of dying. When you get a new patch, sacrifice your newly created and current characters to test this change.

The fix is as follows;

* Level 1 corpses remain for an hour if they are not logged in with that account.
* Level 2-5 corpses remain for only 8 hours if they are not logged in with that account.
* Level 6 or higher corpses remain for only 7 days if they are not logged in with that account.

The numbers above are related to the corpse and the items that remain, and do not include the item as needed. While the corpse's account is logged in, the decay time is as before.

Other bug fixes:

* Fixed a bug where the connection would be lost after death and return to the character selection screen.
* Fixed a crash when switching zones.
* Fixed a lot of issues related to quests and NPC words.
* Fixed an issue where removing items from the trade window would not disappear.
* Fixed an issue where new characters could not get guild tunics for a class.
* Fixed an issue where creatures jumping over water would swim on the ground.
* Fixed an issue where characters would fly somewhere if they lost their mind when There was no food or water in Inventory.