The Children of War (Game Update 60) went live earlier this week and is full of content for all playstyles. The Fortress of Drunder offered adventurers four new raids and three new heroic dungeons. Daily solo shard missions are being offered by the Coldain Agent Provocateur, Bas Darkfrost. Cheese-lovers were excited to see that the Ratongan race is now neutral and being welcomed with open arms into the cities of good.

A new Battlegrounds lobby, Champion's Respite, allows players a haven to group up cross-server prior to matches, purchase gear and pick up daily quests. One new game type, Vanquish, was added to Battlegrounds this season and its new map of The Frozen Tundra has been keeping adventurers on their toes.

Harvesting underwent a modest revamp, having its base time reduced and tools adjusted, including the allowance of Woodworker-crafted tools to stack with the Tinkered tools. Two new prestige homes have been added: the Luxurious Kromzek Keep, with a deed obtainable through raiding in Drunder and the Thurgadin Grand Hall, which will have its deed coming soon on the Marketplace. A new tradeskill quest series from Mira in Great Divide sends crafters to assist the Othmir of Nipik's Haven and ultimately lands them in the Fortress of Drunder.

Continue after the jump for our video of the new battleground, The Frozen Tundra!

Darkness surrounds you, perilous traps await you and spiders crawl all over your back. You’re in a dark cave somewhere in the Black Shroud, mindful that the slightest misstep could be your last. And you’re in this cave for one reason, and one reason only -- to find the mythical Golden Patch, the most coveted treasure in all the land.

After overcoming numerous obstacles -- including swinging on a whip across a spike-filled pit (good thing you brought your whip, because you can’t jump) -- you find yourself face to face with your gleaming bounty. The Golden Patch sits unguarded on an alter, ready to be taken if you dare to take it. You approach the pedestal, and then kneel down to behold the treasure's beauty. You reach for it, but you stop just short. Your hand is just a breath away.

And that’s when you ask yourself: “Do I believe in the Golden Patch?”

Discuss this in the ZAM forums!

The Endless Court has survived for ages because its members hide in plain sight, and now Alsbeth and the Endless Court have a plan to return Regulos to Telara.  Defiant players can aid the Faceless Man in eliminating this massive threat to Telara in their epic quest series.

ZAM staff and users have been documenting this epic series.  Please enjoy The Saga of the Endless at ZAM Rift!

Provocateur Bas Darkfrost is a loyal subject of the Dain and is known in Thurgadin as a Master Spy and Assassin. His work revolves around slowing down the Kromzek of Kael Drakkel on their own turf. This agent provocateur is willing to give trusted adventurers assignments for espionage missions.

The new solo missions will test the patience and cunning of any player. Avoid being spotted by the lumbering Kromzek as you poison, dehabilitate and distract them within Iceshard Keep. Dispatch their officers to aid in Kael's confusion. Bas has his own eyes within the keep and depending on your finesse your rewards can greatly vary.

Read more about the three new quests and their zone in our Coldain Daily Solo Missions guide!

Crafters who set foot on the continent of Velious several months ago were warmly greeted by the Othmir, but all too soon left them behind as they moved on to help out the Snowfang gnolls and the Coldain. In Game Update 60 the othmir are again seeking help from tradeskillers as they send you off to the more hazardous landscape of Eastern Wastes.

This series of quests has crafters assisting the Othmir of Nipik's Haven, a peaceful stretch of beach that their people first inhabited after the Shattering. The otters here fear for the destruction that the Kromzek giants and their minions are causing to the once bountiful land. Players will take part in dangerous missions to help remedy the situation before it is too late.

After assisting the Othmir, tradeskillers who have obtained their flying mount are able to access a continuation of the new series in the Fortress of Drunder. Brontis at the Great Forge of Drunder holds secrets of ages past but is bound in his servitude to Rallos Zek. Ingenuity and a whirlwind meeting of various new faces around the world will reward players with the ancient recipes of the Armies of War.

Check out our GU60 Tradeskill Quest Guide for more information on this series!

The upcoming Children of War update has many features and additions for every type of game play. Today we take a look at two additions that are sure to be a crowd-pleaser with decorators: two new prestige homes!

The deed to the Luxurious Kromzek Keep is expected to be obtained as a Fortress of Drunder raid drop. Players can access the keep through a portal in either South Freeport or South Qeynos. This home boasts grand statues, spacious rooms and soaring heights. Inside the keep decorators can enjoy filling eight rooms including a grand hall and a small treasury.

Entry to the Thurgadin Grand Hall is gained by passing through the massive door in the back of the Thurgadin Exchange. This prestige home is composed of wood, velium and rune-etched stone, showcasing the finest of the Coldain's architecture. An open room of waterfalls and a fountain can be found deeper inside the grand hall. The deed to this home is expected to be in the Marketplace in early June.

Continue after the jump for video tours of both prestige homes!

Game Update 60 is just around the corner with a release date of May 31st. Many exciting new additions will come with this update and this weekend ZAM is giving you a preview of some of this content.

The Battlegrounds pits players against each other in unique settings with various game types. The queue interface window is getting a facelift and players can team up in the new cross-server lobby, Champion's Respite. A new game type is being added: Vanquish. This type of match entails not only the Player versus Player aspect of the game but also Player versus Environment and interaction with objects in the zone.

An expansive stretch of ice and snow with two mighty keeps, The Frozen Tundra is the home of the Vanquish matches. This game type is a maximum of 18v18 with players being placed on either the Coldain (blue) or Kromzek (red) team. A team's ultimate goal is to destroy their opponent's Relic of Power to claim their victory.

Continue after the jump for a video featuring this new game type and check out our Frozen Tundra guide for more information!

Long ago Shyla Starhearth and Prince Hylas were engaged. Then Hylas abandoned the gods and betrayed his faith and his beloved. Guardians find out why as they explore the game-spanning Guardian Epic series.

ZAM staff and users have been documenting this epic series.  Please enjoy The Saga of the Aelfwar at ZAM Rift!

Registration for Sony Online Entertainment's 2011 Fan Faire has finally re-opened! The Fan Faire will run from July 7th - 9th at Bally's Las Vegas. Events include developer panels, tournaments, live quests and much more.

This year registrants have the choice between a Friday only, Saturday only or an All-Access pass for the entire weekend. The All-Access pass includes digital copies of EverQuest and EverQuest II's next expansion pack, special in-game items and access to special evening events at Fan Faire. All three types of passes include access to the showroom and developer panels, gift bags and daytime events.

Register for the All-Access pass by May 31st and get the Early Bird Special pricing of $119 USD! Head over to the official SOE Fan Faire website for more information on pricing and a preliminary schedule of events.

ZAM staff and members have been busy updating some of our popular guides.  Have a look!

Guilds Guide:  Everything you want to know about managing guilds in Rift, from slash commands to the interface to quests!

Puzzles Guide: We've got every zone puzzle listed and most puzzle pages include player-created video walkthroughs!

Titles Guide:  Where does the Sheriff of Rock Ridge title come from?  Can you still get the Soul Survivor title?  This guide catalogs every title we've run across.