Scars of Destruction Beta

Update Nov 8:

• DarqUI Premium
  Updated Sodden Archipelago, Sodden Islands and Western Wastes definitions in main Map window (DarqUI version only)

Update Oct 26:

• DarqUI Premium
  Added Western Wastes map definition to main Map window (DarqUI version only)

Update Oct 21:

• DarqUI Premium
  Added SoD Mercenaries to Battalion Seasons display in Character window

• ProfitUI CE
  Added Keyring page to Character window
  Added SoD rare harvests to Market Presets

October 9

The next EverQuest II expansion, Scars of Destruction, is in Beta! Players who preorder can get into Beta immediately and get a nifty, loyal Iceclad Tundra Fox pet.

Some interesting UI developments are in store for us, and you can already download some Beta-enabled files. Here's what we have so far. Be sure to come back and see what's new in this post as Beta continues!

If you're not sure how to get into Beta, or how to use DarqUI Premium in Beta, take a look at this video. There is some good basic installation info around the five-minute mark, and a discussion of the convenient Beta Tools utility tab around the nine-minute mark. Check it out!

Reforging -> Auras

Remember reforging? If you've visited a reforging NPC lately, you've discovered the only thing you can still do is add particle effect decorations to your weapons. If you have a favorite sword or dagger on Live that needs a little extra spice, you can still apply very cool permanent effects like Greater Essence of Electricity and Minor Essence of Acid.

On Beta the entire reforging apparatus has been replaced with the simple and streamlined Apply Aura window (Image #1). Same idea as before, but now all the auras in your possession are listed, you can preview them much more easily, and you don't have to drag-drop anything to use one. The window can be resized to show the aura-imbued weapon in great detail.

To simplify updating, I'm publishing this window as a two-in-one sandwich for Large and X-Large component sizes: It defaults to the new Auras frame, but if you're on a Live server and you want to add a decoration, you can click a button up top to toggle between Live and Beta surfaces (see image). As soon as Scars of Destruction goes live we'll convert the window to Auras-only.

Keychains

Here's another intriguing surprise. On the Character window you'll find a new Keychains tab with some Petamorph transmog slots (Image #2). Okay, that's pretty cool -- now you can accumulate all those wands here instead of clogging up inventory bags with them. A welcome feature, not unlike the tabs for Wardrobe, Mounts, Familiars, etc.

But the real discovery is that lone Petamorphs tab at the top. When one tab gets added to the UI, there's room in the future for... more tabs! We can be 99% sure that's what the game designers are thinking about here. Wonder what other unwieldy collections of things might find their way into their own tab on the Keychains page. Any ideas?

Market Presets

With every expansion we get another tier of rare and common materials to harvest, buy and sell on the Broker. Thanks to Forestchild we already have the newest tier of rare harvests listed as Presets (Image #3). As Beta continues we'll see more top-tier materials and other categories of tier-based supplies appearing in the lists to aid with Broker purchases. Thank you, Forestchild!