Want to get into the Everquest Next Landmark alpha? You now can, but it will set you back $60. Sony Online Entertainment announced that the official alpha for the game has begun, and the non-disclosure agreement has been dropped. The easiest and cheapest way to gain access to the Everquest Next Landmark alpha is to purchase the Explorer Pack, which costs $60. It’s not limited to alpha access though, as the pack also rewards players with a unique outfit, more inventory storage space, a bonus on gathering rewards (10%) and all the goodies in the $20 Settler Pack.
If you’re interested in the Settler Pack, know that it will not give you alpha access, but instead will be limited to access into the game’s 31st of March beta. If you’re wallet is too heavy and you feel a need to unburden yourself, you can also go for the $100 Trailblazer Pack, which includes everything the other packs have, as well as provide you with 4 beta keys (that you can give out to friends) and a crafting bonus.
Now, should you be willing to purchase a pack and enter the Everquest Next Landmark alpha, you need to be prepared for some major issues. Severs are currently limited, and a lot of people have been complaining by gamebreaking issues, such as memory leaks that cause the game to crash after 30-40 minutes. Not that such issues are unexpected with any alpha release, but be prepared for all the downsides of an alpha testing. Sony Online Entertainment is pushing employees to the limits in order to stabilize things though, and there have been reports of key employees working 30 hours straight during this period. John Smedley, president of SEO commented on some of these issues:
@KirbyA89 yes and no. This hardware can handle a lot more. It's set artificially low right now while we debug. More servers otw though
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) February 3, 2014
@vader0010 they haven't had time to deal with many client issues due to server focus. That changes tmw
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) February 3, 2014
In any case, if you’re thinking about giving Everquest Next Landmark a go, you should be prepared with an iron will, or be a huge Everquest fan. If you aren’t, perhaps it’s wiser to wait for the beta launch at the end of March, as the game will most likely be a lot more stable. And, of course, take a look at this video below to see what Everquest Next Landmark is all about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjvYIV4B5jg