Everquest 2 GU 61 now on Test Server

Next big game update on Everquest 2, is now on test server ready for everyone to join.

It's an extensive game update, so I'll just post it the major changes.

For a complete list you can just go here.

Game Update 61: “The War of Zek”

PLANE OF WAR

The time is near for the great Fortress of Drunder to reveal its true purpose to all. The very bedrock of the Eastern Wastes shudders and rocks as a massive planar portal rips itself open within the fortress walls. The sounds of war echo through its halls as the God of War himself prepares his innumerable armies to march across the frozen face of Velious and seize control of the lands of Norrath for all eternity.

The Plane of War is a normal and challenge mode raid.

Elements of War is a normal and challenge mode heroic experience.

Dynamic Dungeons

Two new dynamically scaling dungeons have opened up in the Sinking Sands.  These heroic dungeons automatically scale to your party from 60 to 90.  Their entrances can be found on the door to the Silent City and from a new portal next to the door.  These dungeons scale their difficulty and rewards to your group.

THE PALACE OF SABARON
Sabaron’s Palace is the home of a mad Djinn who believes that by using his power and the power of a newly discovered artifact, the Tear of Anashti, he can raise an army of Sul’Dal to march on the Plane of Air and take it over for Djinn to rule.  His palace is full of undead evils he has resurrected as well as his most trusted attendants.

SILENT CITY: THE DELVING DEAD
The dead within the halls of the Silent City are restless after lifetimes of slumber, as if roused by an unseen hand.  Ancient overseers crack whips as the undead hordes delve deep into hallowed soil.  They labor tirelessly, endlessly searching for an ancient artifact of great power.

Player Statistics Updates

• Many stats now provide additional benefits to other stats!  See below for details:
• Having parry skill over the level cap now gives a bonus to uncontested parry and uncontested riposte.
• Having defense skill over the level cap now gives a bonus to uncontested dodge.
• Having haste over the cap now gives a bonus to flurry.
• Having weapon skill over the cap now increases your minimum damage amount making it closer to the maximum amount.
• Having weapon skill over the cap now gives a bonus to riposte damage.
• Having spell and combat art skills over cap now increases the minimum damage of those spells and combat arts making it closer to the maximum amount.
• DPS is now a rating that translates into the actual increase to your melee damage with no cap. Mouse over the DPS stat in your persona window to see the actual percent increase to your damage.
• Having spell casting speed over the cap now gives you a slight bonus to double cast spells.
• Having a focus over the cap will allow you cast spells while moving.  It will be very slow movement, but will increase as your focus skill increases.
• Multi Attack is now a rating rather than a straight percent chance for additional attacks.  Mouse over the Multi Attack stat in your persona window to see how many extra attacks you get, and your chance for an additional attack on top of those.

Alternate Advancement Revamp

• Subclass Alternate Advancement trees have been reformatted. The connections have been removed and the tree is now formatted in rows. The first row contains four abilities and requires no points spent to access. The second row contains five abilities and requires five points spent in the Subclass Tree to access. The third row has six abilities and requires ten points spent in the Subclass tree to access. The fourth row has six abilities and requires 15 points spent in the Subclass tree to access. The fifth row is the endlines – now known as Expertise abilities. These abilities unlock every 20 points spent in the Subclass tree above them. At 20 points spent, you can select one Expertise ability. At 40, 60 and 80 points spent, additional Expertise abilities can be purchased.
• The Subclass Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 30.
• The Shadows Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 50.
• The Sentinel’s Fate Alternate Advancements now unlock at level 80.
• The Heroic Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 80.

TRADESKILLS

• Harvesting abilities can now only be modified by direct means, so only harvesting tools or racial abilities should affect them.  Casting speed will no longer modify them. Harvesting and tradeskill skills will no longer be modified when mentoring.
• There is now a Rare Harvest Chance stat for tradeskillers. This is the chance to get a bonus rare harvest in addition to the normal harvest rewards from a harvest node.
• Tradeskilled Battleground Jewelry and Armor bags can now be traded and sold on the broker.
• Carpenters can now make some stone textured room dividers, and a wider variety of floor tiles to match their room dividers. [Fan Faire Request]

Tradeskill Alternate Advancement Abilities

• Crafting classes now have their own alternate advancement tab to spend AA on.  This AA is earned through the normal course of gameplay when crafters do crafting quests.

Details:
There are three rows of abilities.
Each ability can have up to 5 points spent on it.
A maximum of 25 points can be spent in this tab.
Each row needs a minimum of 10 points in it to buy into the next level.
Level 1

Ample Harvest: Each rank bought increases your chance to harvest a second time by 3%.
Swift Creation: Each rank bought increases your progress gained each round by 2%.
High Quality Materials: Each rank bought increases your durability gained each round by 2%

Level 2

Rapid Manufacturing: Each rank bought increases your progress by 2.
Resilient Materials: Each rank bought increases your durability by 2.
Effective Method: Each rank bought increase your success chance by 2%.
Advantageous Practice: Each rank bought increases your critical success chance by 2%.

Level 3

Trim Reaver: Each rank bought increases your chance of harvesting a rare by 0.2%.
Conservation of Mass: Each rank bought increases your chance of not using materials when crafting an item.

ITEMS

• All group/raid dungeon items 20 to 90 have been reitemized except for Velious and SF raid/group dungeons.
• All overland zones have been reitemized.
• Brand new loot has been added to many named creatures in outdoor zones!
• Players who wish to procure the Scaleborn arena champion should seek out Ellywig Sprocketbaker in the Bonemire.
• The Lodizal shell shield house item now hangs properly on the wall.

AMENITIES

• The guildhall Adventure Writ Agent amenity now offers Odus and Velious writs in addition to its prior Kunark writs.
• Added tinkering and adorning recipes to the Guild Hall Tradeskill Recipe Salesman.
• Fixed a bug where you could get an invalid amenity listed in your guild hall amenity list.