In many genres, the announcement of a purchasable option to skip the majority of content could be seen as a negative, but this is MMO country. In it, EverQuest 2 is one of the older residents, but that doesn't mean it can't occasionally surprise its younger peers. It's now offering "Heroic Characters", which, for a price, give players a direct shortcut to Level 85. Just think how many things you'll no longer have to kill for entirely arbitrary reasons.

According to EQ2's senior producer Holly Longdale , these new Heroic Characters were created in response to fan feedback. "Former players don't want to play catch-up to Level 95, existing players don't want to start over at Level 1 with their friends, and some players just want to get into high-end guilds and raids because that's what they love to do."

Personally, I can see the appeal. Certain MMOs heavily favour their endgame, and in such cases the journey to that point is often a thankless chore - one that can sour you against ever reaching the part you wanted to play in the first place.

Over the next two weeks, the game is holding its "Hero's Call", which lets new and existing players secure a free Level 85 character or character upgrade. That offer ends on October 15th.