The Freeblood: More Information and Images

Sanati wrote:

Well I did not see them in the Station Market, but did fill the wallet waiting...

Anyone note this little tidbit on the Double SC ad page:
Coming Soon!
Freeblood Vampire Prestige Race and accessory pack which includes a Vampire Lair and Cloud of Bats Ability

Lodrelhai wrote:

Vampire Lair? BATS?

BRING IT ON!

*Streppoch, Queen of Bats*

If the Vampire Lair and Cloud of Bats Ability (how will that differ from the Necro spell?) are SC only will be disgusting (SOP for SOE lately but still disgusting)

DrkVsr wrote:

Of course it will be SC only. And probably $50 for the whole affair. Smedley has to pay his kids' WoW subs somehow.

Illiam@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Got an e-mail last night for the double SC weekend.. it ended up in spam but once I "saved" it I saw it had a bit of explanation for what the Cloud of Bats is:

Rancid@Unrest wrote:

Ya, feel free to laugh at my optimism. The pessimist in me knew not only that we wouldn't see them this week, but their price wouldn't be released until after the SC sale, because I'm sure everybody bought extra points to make sure they got enough to cover the mystery price. It's probably been an extremely successful tactic for SOE. I was just hoping the sale was more "hey let's be nice for the holidays" and less "let's make a bunch of money."

Sanati wrote:

I would like to meet the SOE that made you think that. The one I've been dealing with has been trying to milk me since EQ1 came out. ;P

Lodrelhai wrote:

I just came here having read this myself. First prestige housing. Now prestige races? That's a new topic all by itself isn't it?

Like I said in a post just a couple days ago. Soon we will have Prestige instances that we'll have to pay to be able to run, and they'll be super easy with tons of fabled loot. Just you watch.
(Maybe even a mythical item or two if you pay enough)

While the Freeblood Race is probably going to be pretty cool/fun to play & RP I had hoped Vampirism was going to be more an affliction on an existing character that Players could select. Had anticipated and envisioned the fun of infecting my Half Elf SK with vampirism and was looking forward to it. And even the thought of Hobbit or Gnome Vampires seemed like it would be a really neat idea and fun to play.
No disrepect for the Freeblood as a Race though, they have their place in game lore, and am sure a lot of folks will have great fun playing them. At release of Vellious Evil Races will outnumber Good 8 to 6... it is kind of a moot point as the over-arcing Factions of Good vs Evil where never fully actualized in game.
Othmir as a player race seemed just so blehhh to me too, but imho it'd be awesome to have Icepaw Gnoll introduced as a new Good player race with Vellious - part 2. Gnoll model and combat animations have been in game since launch, and them boys really need something better to do besides drinking Brell's and fishing all day methinks!!
And yeah, I know this idea is likely no more than a late Xmas wish, or maybe just nostalgia for me old Bounty Hunter, Dawg from SWG.. but playing an Icepaw, protecting me clan/tribe from them rabid Freeblooder bites would be great fun eh! lol

Shanak85 wrote:

They're called expansion packs. SOE's been pumping them out for over a decade now.
I honestly don't understand why people can't understand it's the same concept, except this way is probably better for the player as you get to pick and choose what you want instead of having to pay full price and only using half the stuff. Assuming they aren't charging as much for a single item as they do for a full expansion, which they are coming dangerously close to doing these days.
Znurf@Runnyeye wrote:

I'm actually really glad they didn't go that way. I know that's sort of the normal way it's added in the few games that have vampires, but I've always pictured vampirism as something much mroe than a simple affliction. It's more a transformation into a completely new creature. Also there's the whole deal of how it would effect different races, which could have become very messy and might have resulted in a really diluted experience, or one with too many limitations.
Znurf@Runnyeye wrote:

Have they said evil anywhere? I was under the impression vampires would be neutral.

Just an assumption on my part that the prodigy of Mayong, Tserrina, or wherever in Lore the Dev's have set the Freeblood they will necessarily be Evil vice Neutral. If not, sobeit but it seems a bit of a stretch that a 'Race' which propagates itself by infecting others with their affliction against their will could even possibly be anything but Evil.
No personal interest either way other than pursuing a Slayer or Destroyer of Vampires title of course!

My understanding of the released lore is the "Freeblood" are failed experiments by this person (Verilos?) trying to create an ultra powerful vampire. Instead of being powerful and subordinate they barely gain any strength and maintain freewill. I'm guessing in the next "letter" they escape or something and retreat to the cities where the leaders secretly* take them in and help them adjust. They aren't necessarily evil, and probably not "propagating" themselves, they are just normal people who died and were removed from their graves and altered without their consent. They return home and only wish to continue their normal lives. The good ones feed on cows* and other livestock, while the evil ones were already evil and have no problem killing people for food.

*These are the two big indicators that they are neutral to me. It's from the first lore release. If it was just the evil cities taking them in, they'd have no reason to hide it. Evil vampires wouldn't feed on cows either.

they can be neutral in the same way a race the Ratonga are. you underestimate I think the lure of immortality. I bet dozens woudl gladly be 'turned' if thier own volition. other then that thier violent actions or aggression can be used for the 'greater good' rather then evil making them a neutral race.

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

Freebloods aren't immortal, they are barely any stronger than normal humans and don't have any real regeneration. Essentially they are just humans that drink blood and don't like the sun, I don't think anybody would volunteer for that. They are (probably) neutral because they were human and humans are neutral.
I'll say right now though that I hope I'm wrong about pretty much everything I just said. I understand the gameplay limitations and balance issues, and why mechanically they can't be any more powerful than humans, but I'd really rather not see the lore warped to fit that. I mean ogres are obviously dozens of times as strong as gnomes, but not as far as gameplay is concerned, and yet we don't have some sort of crazy lore explaining why your ogre character is a ****. I want to play a powerful immortal vampire, not some weak zombie with pointy ears.

Found the male vamp model...

/sits down for vamp charades



ooo! scary mouth...scary...fear!...fear is the mind killer!... oo!... Dune!
Are you a sandworm?
What do I win?


I like the second one with the lightly altered fangs. They look natural. Any vamp worth his salt will spot this gal's chompers and know she's had an enhancement done.

(btw, I love that there's a belly with abs...and a belly button...and I'm amused that blue armor gal looks like Alice from Twilight, or maybe that's just me. Either way, fun!)

BAT MOUNTS????!!!?!??!!!
SOE, I officially love you forever. So says Streppoch, Queen of Bats. ^v^

Streppoch@Guk wrote:

You turn into a cloud of bats with a run speed, like the swarm of bats you had to fight in the haunted house in Loping Plains.