The Shadows of Luclin

The Shadows of Luclin (SoL, Luclin, or simply the Luclin expansion) is the third expansion released for EverQuest — a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The expansion focused on high-level content, providing a number of zones meant to be used by large groups of players, and many extremely powerful monsters to fight.

General information

The expansion takes place on a moon of Norrath called Luclin and introduced the Vah Shir, a cat-like playble race, and the beastlord character class. Notable non-player character races that were added to the EverQuest universe are the Shissar, a snake-like race, the Akhevans. The Shadows of Luclin also incorporated a new graphics engine, new character models, and gave players the ability to design graphical user interfaces.

Controversy

The expansion is also notable for introducing the Vex Thal zone, which led to a great deal of controversy due to complaints that the zone did not work properly, that its design created too many conflicts between players, that the quest to access the zone was a time sink (requiring weeks), and that the zone was designed with encounters requiring long periods of playing (more than 6 hours, for example).

The Shadows of Luclin had a poor release that prevented many players from experiencing the new content immediately. As per new requirements, many players were unable to play the game for weeks, regardless if they met the game's requirements or not, or if they even bought the expansion. A few zones were released unfinished, the servers were highly unstable during the first week of release, and many players disliked the new character models. By the time that Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) released their next expansion, a handful of players had quit the game, while the ones that remained were reluctant about trusting SOE with new content.

Additionally, the Bazaar, a zone that was listed in the expansion's features, was not ready on the expansion's release date. Months passed until it was released and accessible to those that bought The Shadows of Luclin.

In the end, the expansion was described as an unfinished product: time sinks, unfinished and broken content, unfinished and broken software, and very little in the way of role playing and lore.

Zones

• Acrylia Caverns
• Akheva Ruins
• Dawnshroud Peaks
• Echo Caverns
• Fungus Grove
• Grieg's End
• Grimling Forest
• Hollowshade Moor
• Katta Castellum
• Marus Seru
• Mons Letalis
• Netherbian Lair
• Paludal Caverns
• Sanctus Seru
• Shadeweaver's Thicket
• Shadow Haven
• Shar Vahl
• Ssraeshza Temple
• The Bazaar
• The Deep
• The Grey
• The Maiden's Eye
• The Nexus
• The Scarlet Desert
• The Tenebrous Mountains
• The Twilight Sea
• The Umbral Plains
• Vex Thal