From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark (RoK, Kunark,
or simply the Kunark expansion) is the first
expansion to EverQuest, a
massive multiplayer
online role-playing game (MMORPG). It introduced a new land area to the
game, the continent of
Kunark, which had been previously
unexplored. Through a mix of in-game events and fiction published on the web by
Verant Interactive, the storyline of the
discovery of Kunark was established.
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General information
In terms of the game, The Ruins of Kunark had a very different visual
feel compared to the original
zones in EverQuest:
the color palette was more vibrant and many of the models used for the monsters
were more detailed. This detail was most evident in the Iksar, a new playable
race of lizard people introduced with the expansion. The Iksar had a number of
racial advantages, including the ability to stay underwater for longer periods
of time, additional regenerative powers, and an armor bonus. This was balanced
by the fact that they were hated by all of the other races in the game and that
there were very few places they could go without being attacked. They also could
not wear plate armor.
The Kunark expansion also increased the maximum
level a character could attain from 50 to 60,
and introduced a substantial number of new and powerful monsters for characters
above level 50 to fight. The most notable of these was Veeshan's Peak, a zone
populated by dragons that was, at its release, declared to be the hardest zone
that would be put into EverQuest. In reality, the zone quickly was
surpassed by other zones released in further expansions, and is in fact not used
often by players.
Another notable and deep dungeon is Sebilis, the lair of the undead dragon
Trakanon, which required players to level past the previous limit and obtain
improved gear introduced in the expansion.
The Ruins of Kunark was also the focus of 'epic quests', or quests for
powerful weapons for each character class, which were introduced between
the Kunark and Velious expansions as a source of further high-end content.
The Kunark expansion was unique in its method of distribution. A player would
order the expansion from Verant's online store, and it was then shipped directly
to the player's home. Unforeseen shipping delays caused many players to miss the
expansion's official opening date. Thereafter, most EverQuest expansions were
either available in local stores, or downloaded directly from Verant, many weeks
before the official opening date.