Shadows of Luclin

As some Everquest players and former players know... Verant just released a third expansion pack for Everquest called Shadows of Luclin, on Tuesday. After work on Tuesday I rushed to the nearest Best Buy and saw there were still a few copies left, so I bought one. I figured maybe the new expansion wasn't so popular this time around, especially since they increased their minimum and suggested system requirements. Now, to enjoy the new character models in the game, the minimum amount of memory you need is 256 megs, which is what I have on my system, but the SUGGESTED amount is 512 megs! Yipes!

So, I went ahead and enabled that expansion for one of my accounts and then realized I should have done it for my other account instead, so the next day (Wednesday), I decided to go back to the store and buy a second copy for my other account. NO, I'm not being stupid here... you can technically install the game on two different computers, but you cannot use the expansion features unless you activate it for your account with an Account/CD Key. You cannot use the same Account/CD Key for more than 1 account. Basically that means, for each account you have with Everquest, you have to actually buy a copy of Everquest and its expansions if you wish to use them.

Anyway... so I went back to the Best Buy that I went to the night before, and looked all over for the game, only to find out from an employee (who happened to also play EQ) that they sold out on them today. Then I decided to rush to another Best Buy on the other side of town and look for the game. I didn't exactly know where the Best Buy was and the area that it was in is one of those really confusing ones where there are a bunch of highway overpasses and roads that point every which way... eventually I got to a shopping area where a Barnes and Noble/Gamestop was located. I dropped by the Gamestop and asked if they had any copies of Luclin left... and AGAIN I got to hear... they were sold out. I asked the guy where the Best Buy was and he told me... so after driving around again a little bit, I found it. I rushed into that Best Buy... about 10 min before they closed... and looked for the game... no sign of it.. So I asked the employee (another EQ player) if they had any left... and he said they were sold out, too! They had 67 copies and they all went out the door... even before he could buy his own copy. And he even told me that some customer came in and told him that she bought the last two copies at some CompUSA (which told me that they weren't going to have it until Thursday). Arf... I was frustrated. Maybe something was just telling me to wait... I don't know where else I'm going to be able to find a copy... but I don't think I can wait that long.

I didn't really think the new expansion pack would be that popular, even with all the new features like horses, character models, retextured zones... and it's not like you ever actually SEE someone buying the Everquest expansion packs when you're at the store looking for them. It's like people come in... they see it, they grab it, they buy it, and they run out the door.. all in probably 5 minutes. That's probably why you never see other Everquest players in a store with you.. on release days! Of course, Everquest players that are employees of the store are usually the only ones you see there, heh.

Now I feel like hitting myself on the head for not just buying a copy for both of my accounts the day the game came out. DUH. I guess I'm going to wait for this weekend to get it and also a stick o' RAM for my faster machine.

By the way... I took a few screenshots of my NEW self and some gnome pictures for Julie, who has taken a leave of absence from EQ for the time being. If you want to check them out.. go to /luclin. I might add some more screenshots later, but I figure you will probably find LOTS of Luclin screenshots all over the web right now. And YES... I know in the jeniduck.gif picture, when Jeni ducks, it looks like she's... you know... squatting or something... umm right. :)