i voted for GoD. Its the last expansion i can think of that offered a true challenge to end game players at time of release. Even today Uqua still challenges up and comming raid guilds with all level 75 toons. It also brought raiding to a whole new level with slightly smaller forces and largely scripted events/zones. Without the raiding changes in this expansion i think eq would be much worse off today. GoD let the raiders know who pulled their weight and who the slackers are within your guild. Second for me would be PoP, great expansion with huge amounts of raid content though it offered very little for the casual player at the time of release other then some easy xp. TSS would be my 3rd choice. Excellent expansion that gave casual players a huge boost. It would be up there as 1 or 2 except all the group content was beyond trivial even for a mid level raider at the time of release. As a monk who started after luclin release i have to give ldon some credit. This expansion single handedly taught me how to pull and i still think its probably the best places to learn pulling and cc at lower levels when your not overgeared/twinked to the max.
Edited, Aug 5th 2007 5:39pm by hazzah
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- Poll: Battle of the Expansions
Poll: Battle of the ExpansionsFollow
Scholar
29 posts
No expansion ever, EVER, touched or will touch the excitement and pure addictive sleepless thrill of the original Everquest.
I voted for Omens of War just because of how much it brought to the game. I started playing back when it came out, but now a couple years later I'm able to experience all it has to offer. Plus the feeling of killing OMM is one unlike I've felt in any other zone thus far.
I really like the Luclin zones too and have spent a ton of time in them, but OoW definately gets it for me.
I really like the Luclin zones too and have spent a ton of time in them, but OoW definately gets it for me.
PoK got my vote,though its not the zones i spend most time in. at that time it was a great expansion,and i think it still is.
i got 1 char i play as if PoK did not exist,in the way that i do not use any pok books. not easy once youre used to them,but great fun!! :)
i got 1 char i play as if PoK did not exist,in the way that i do not use any pok books. not easy once youre used to them,but great fun!! :)
I gotta say...nothing beats the original.
Starting out as a Dark Elf Enchanter, chatting and cooperating with your fellow brethren of The Spurned at Newbie Log in Nektulos. Moving to the Orc Camps in East Commonlands (while trying to not go LD on Saturdays, when the Bazaar was held in the EC Tunnel).
Then Derv camps in North Ro. The thrill of watching the Wood Elf Druid you've been Derv-hunting with for the past week finally hit Level 14, and passing out SoW for her first time ever.
Battling over caimans and crocs in Oasis, while simultaneously trying to avoid the ever-present Spectre trains, and sobbing with relief when a kindly Lvl 45+ who was just passing through stomped into the dunes that nasty Sand Giant that helped you leave 14 corpses at the docks.
Your first boat-ride (from FP to OoT), where you accidentally fall off the boat, only have a Swimming skill of (37), spend the next 3 hours swimming to the other side...and find out you can only zone on a boat. Spending the next 2 hours using the "/loc" command to painstakingly make your way back to the Sisters dock...only to find they have no love of Dark Elves, and whom proceed to give you a quick one-way ticket back to your Bind point (which is in Neriak, of course).
Avoiding the Dwarf patrols as you make your way to Unrest for the first time, only to have Invis drop and the 4 "adventurer" NPCs camped on the shore beat you into a bloody pulp. Running back to retrieve your body, being clever enough to use "Illusion: High Elf" this time, so you don't have to worry about invis at all. Finally making it inside Unrest, and getting trained to death 5 times in the first ten minutes. Swearing you'll never set foot on Faydwer ever again.
Successfully questing your first ever Stein of Moggok. Hoarding the 3 charges of Light Healing on it. Selling it for the mind-boggling price of 200pp once you've used them up. Doing the quest again, and finding out that killing the Barbarian's dog in West Karana for the fish corpse wasn't such a good idea after all. Making a mule to kill the koalindl fish for you, camping him out in the pool because you can't step out of it without being instantly killed by the Paladin guarding the fish, and logging back to your main...only to find the koalindl corpse gone, and someone /ooc'ing "So long, and thanks for all the fish!" Logging back to your mule to kill another one, and finding out the hard way that Rodcet Nife takes it personally when you try to whack him when he's in fish form...
Passing through Lake Rathetear at night, praying your SoW doesn't drop at the (now undead) Gnolls before you hit the zone-line to South Karana, and Aviak City; the tortured indecision over whether or not to tank your faction and trade hassle-free Druid ports for the easy XP offered by the Treant camp.
Staying up 3 days straight, waiting for your spot in Drelzna's Jboots camp in Najena to open up; falling asleep when it was your time to loot, and waking up just in time to grab it before it was automatically passed to the next in line. Dancing for joy, because you just got the last Jboots ever dropped before they became a quest-only item that no sub-50 will ever see again (until twinking caught on with everyone and his brother).
Entering the Forgotten Temple of Cazic-Thule, whose alligators make the saltwater crocs of Oasis look like fluffy bunnies. Endless trains in the CY, and hiding behind the tree in the corner praying a Templar didn't spot you. Grouping in the Maze, celebrating with your friends the first time you hit Level 29 and got CLARITY...oh, and Augmentation for the melees, too! Being able to trade that Clarity for a teleport anywhere a Wizard/Druid could go; or any buff a Cleric/Druid could cast.
Hitting Level 35, and celebrating with a bottle of Jack Daniels, because never again will you have to stare at that accursed Spell Book while medding, ears straining for the sound of approaching feet/hooves/wings. (Sitting with an open Spell Book is like ringing the dinner bell for every mob in the zone, whether a Level 1 Orc Pawn or a Level 46 Ice Giant.)
Moving through Upper Guk on your way to Lower Guk, hoping you didn't cross paths with a Shaman froggie that could See Invis, because you haven't yet killed enough of the Undead ones to become non-KoS with the Live froggies. Getting into a Lord camp at Lvl 36, because you're the only Enchanter in the zone; having your group wipe, and finding out the Cleric forgot to Bind herself nearby, and will be running back from Kaladim. Hands shaking the first time you were in an Archmage camp, and an SMR dropped; crying when you saw it go to yet another melee...so you trade him the SSoY you got from the Ghoul Lord group, which is what made him roll against you on that SMR in the first place. Learning a valuable lesson about how being greedy might benefit you in the short-term, but is harmful to you in the long-term, in the process.
Making Level 46, and venturing into PoFear for the first time, nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, praying the raid wouldn't end with you being Level 45, and your corpse (and equipment!) rotting in a Plane you can no longer get into. Later on, having a few more raids (and levels) under your belt, you see a God take a personal interest in you for the first time ever...
Cazic Thule shouts, 'JUDICUS'
LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
The opening of the Plane of Hate, and the feeling you are NOT welcome in a claustrophobic, high-fantasy version of "urban decay". Getting your first piece of Insidious armor (Halo). Discovering, to your unending horror, that Golems are completely immune to every kind of magic at your disposal. Watching the God who spawned your race, and whom you spurned, die by your hand...then trying to go through Kithicor Forest at night, and having the favor returned by half a hundred of his undead abominations, who all dog-pile you at the same time, as though you'd tied sausages onto your belt and tried running through a kennel of rabid dobermans.
Last, but by no means least...kicking back on a deserted island in the Ocean of Tears, chatting with a friend as you watch the sun set and the moon rise. Moonrise in OoT was always quite spectacular (almost as much so in North Ro), and always worth taking time to go see. Breaking out the fishing pole, and spilling your beer and losing your bait at the same time. Having a full Friends list, and an empty Ignore list.
Those are the memories I carry from the EverQuest I started playing in 1999. It's changed almost beyond recognition, since. I don't know what's missing, to tell you the truth. Maybe it's the fact that most of the role-players have fled, leaving us with just the power-gamers (who have the "numbers" mentality). Maybe it's the fact that you can't really get anywhere anymore with just 1 account and 1 toon; or that the numbers of people who play continue to decline, and SOE seems blind to the fact that "word of mouth" isn't cutting it as their sole advertising strategy. Could be it's just an ephemeral "something" that EQ had, because it was new and different, and everybody was learning everything at the same time, so you had the sense you were on a grand adventure in an unknown world.
All I know is that EQ has lost "it", whatever "it" was; and I don't know if "it" will ever come back. But I keep hoping. And playing. I'm a one-MMORPG kinda guy, and I'll play EQ until either I die, or the servers go down for the last time. And when that happens, I'll never play another one again. Because EQ was "it" for me; and once you've had a taste of the real thing, everything else is just "World of Warcraft".
Starting out as a Dark Elf Enchanter, chatting and cooperating with your fellow brethren of The Spurned at Newbie Log in Nektulos. Moving to the Orc Camps in East Commonlands (while trying to not go LD on Saturdays, when the Bazaar was held in the EC Tunnel).
Then Derv camps in North Ro. The thrill of watching the Wood Elf Druid you've been Derv-hunting with for the past week finally hit Level 14, and passing out SoW for her first time ever.
Battling over caimans and crocs in Oasis, while simultaneously trying to avoid the ever-present Spectre trains, and sobbing with relief when a kindly Lvl 45+ who was just passing through stomped into the dunes that nasty Sand Giant that helped you leave 14 corpses at the docks.
Your first boat-ride (from FP to OoT), where you accidentally fall off the boat, only have a Swimming skill of (37), spend the next 3 hours swimming to the other side...and find out you can only zone on a boat. Spending the next 2 hours using the "/loc" command to painstakingly make your way back to the Sisters dock...only to find they have no love of Dark Elves, and whom proceed to give you a quick one-way ticket back to your Bind point (which is in Neriak, of course).
Avoiding the Dwarf patrols as you make your way to Unrest for the first time, only to have Invis drop and the 4 "adventurer" NPCs camped on the shore beat you into a bloody pulp. Running back to retrieve your body, being clever enough to use "Illusion: High Elf" this time, so you don't have to worry about invis at all. Finally making it inside Unrest, and getting trained to death 5 times in the first ten minutes. Swearing you'll never set foot on Faydwer ever again.
Successfully questing your first ever Stein of Moggok. Hoarding the 3 charges of Light Healing on it. Selling it for the mind-boggling price of 200pp once you've used them up. Doing the quest again, and finding out that killing the Barbarian's dog in West Karana for the fish corpse wasn't such a good idea after all. Making a mule to kill the koalindl fish for you, camping him out in the pool because you can't step out of it without being instantly killed by the Paladin guarding the fish, and logging back to your main...only to find the koalindl corpse gone, and someone /ooc'ing "So long, and thanks for all the fish!" Logging back to your mule to kill another one, and finding out the hard way that Rodcet Nife takes it personally when you try to whack him when he's in fish form...
Passing through Lake Rathetear at night, praying your SoW doesn't drop at the (now undead) Gnolls before you hit the zone-line to South Karana, and Aviak City; the tortured indecision over whether or not to tank your faction and trade hassle-free Druid ports for the easy XP offered by the Treant camp.
Staying up 3 days straight, waiting for your spot in Drelzna's Jboots camp in Najena to open up; falling asleep when it was your time to loot, and waking up just in time to grab it before it was automatically passed to the next in line. Dancing for joy, because you just got the last Jboots ever dropped before they became a quest-only item that no sub-50 will ever see again (until twinking caught on with everyone and his brother).
Entering the Forgotten Temple of Cazic-Thule, whose alligators make the saltwater crocs of Oasis look like fluffy bunnies. Endless trains in the CY, and hiding behind the tree in the corner praying a Templar didn't spot you. Grouping in the Maze, celebrating with your friends the first time you hit Level 29 and got CLARITY...oh, and Augmentation for the melees, too! Being able to trade that Clarity for a teleport anywhere a Wizard/Druid could go; or any buff a Cleric/Druid could cast.
Hitting Level 35, and celebrating with a bottle of Jack Daniels, because never again will you have to stare at that accursed Spell Book while medding, ears straining for the sound of approaching feet/hooves/wings. (Sitting with an open Spell Book is like ringing the dinner bell for every mob in the zone, whether a Level 1 Orc Pawn or a Level 46 Ice Giant.)
Moving through Upper Guk on your way to Lower Guk, hoping you didn't cross paths with a Shaman froggie that could See Invis, because you haven't yet killed enough of the Undead ones to become non-KoS with the Live froggies. Getting into a Lord camp at Lvl 36, because you're the only Enchanter in the zone; having your group wipe, and finding out the Cleric forgot to Bind herself nearby, and will be running back from Kaladim. Hands shaking the first time you were in an Archmage camp, and an SMR dropped; crying when you saw it go to yet another melee...so you trade him the SSoY you got from the Ghoul Lord group, which is what made him roll against you on that SMR in the first place. Learning a valuable lesson about how being greedy might benefit you in the short-term, but is harmful to you in the long-term, in the process.
Making Level 46, and venturing into PoFear for the first time, nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, praying the raid wouldn't end with you being Level 45, and your corpse (and equipment!) rotting in a Plane you can no longer get into. Later on, having a few more raids (and levels) under your belt, you see a God take a personal interest in you for the first time ever...
Cazic Thule shouts, 'JUDICUS'
LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
The opening of the Plane of Hate, and the feeling you are NOT welcome in a claustrophobic, high-fantasy version of "urban decay". Getting your first piece of Insidious armor (Halo). Discovering, to your unending horror, that Golems are completely immune to every kind of magic at your disposal. Watching the God who spawned your race, and whom you spurned, die by your hand...then trying to go through Kithicor Forest at night, and having the favor returned by half a hundred of his undead abominations, who all dog-pile you at the same time, as though you'd tied sausages onto your belt and tried running through a kennel of rabid dobermans.
Last, but by no means least...kicking back on a deserted island in the Ocean of Tears, chatting with a friend as you watch the sun set and the moon rise. Moonrise in OoT was always quite spectacular (almost as much so in North Ro), and always worth taking time to go see. Breaking out the fishing pole, and spilling your beer and losing your bait at the same time. Having a full Friends list, and an empty Ignore list.
Those are the memories I carry from the EverQuest I started playing in 1999. It's changed almost beyond recognition, since. I don't know what's missing, to tell you the truth. Maybe it's the fact that most of the role-players have fled, leaving us with just the power-gamers (who have the "numbers" mentality). Maybe it's the fact that you can't really get anywhere anymore with just 1 account and 1 toon; or that the numbers of people who play continue to decline, and SOE seems blind to the fact that "word of mouth" isn't cutting it as their sole advertising strategy. Could be it's just an ephemeral "something" that EQ had, because it was new and different, and everybody was learning everything at the same time, so you had the sense you were on a grand adventure in an unknown world.
All I know is that EQ has lost "it", whatever "it" was; and I don't know if "it" will ever come back. But I keep hoping. And playing. I'm a one-MMORPG kinda guy, and I'll play EQ until either I die, or the servers go down for the last time. And when that happens, I'll never play another one again. Because EQ was "it" for me; and once you've had a taste of the real thing, everything else is just "World of Warcraft".
11 posts
Vesanus, I guess the reason is in 1999 EQ seemed something new. New world, new community, new kind of gameplay. Everything around was mystery and it drove players to solve them. Now you know everything and the thrill went away forever, though the game itself became better
One wise man said: "The beta and first weeks after release of MMORPG are the best experience"
One wise man said: "The beta and first weeks after release of MMORPG are the best experience"
3 posts
I picked LDoN because, as a very casual player, that was the one that I felt really had the most content for everyone (or at least for casuals). Not to mention it brought back dungeon crawling, which is insanely fun.
Hehehe! Wow, Vesanus, you sure did bring back memories (some I'd rather forget, but many that still make me LOL!). I lift my glass to you...thanks for that walk down memory lane! ;-)
Scholar
21 posts
Judging by the number of groups I had in an expansion I must say that Lost Dungeons of Norrath was the best expansion for me. Every night I got groups quickly that often lasted 3 or 4 adventures. Everyone wanted to group and there was lots of learning for each character type. The only problem with the expansion is that it was over-loved -- so everyone played out the same adventures night after night until there were no surprizes left. I believe if SOE revamped the dungeons and changed the missions that there would again be interest. One of the best aspects of the LDON missions was that the adventure set its difficulty level to match the ability of the players. The current instanced zones allow a level 10 to group with a level 75, any class mix. That is nice but does little to bind those players together so that they would seek each other in regular game play or guild membership. Once the mission is over the relationship ends. During LDONs haydays I found friends who were near my level and we went on to help each other in epics, joined each others guilds, grouped in planes, etc. That was one of the best things about LDON, that it brought teams together. The players class mattered because you couldn't survive a mission with casters alone, a group of warriors without a healer, or any other momotype grouping. In addition, the loot was good inside the dungeons and there was group splitting of the loot that made success more meaningful than just gaining another AA or some experience. All in all, I think LDON did allot to bring people together and have fun.
2 posts
The serpent spine just has so much to offer. Most of the recent expansions are for the highest lvls only. TSS is the first in a while that you never have to leave and you can get your character up in levels quick to catch up to guildies and such. there is also a great quest line with good to great rewards.
I don't remember if I voted for Kunark or Velious last time, but this time I voted for The Serpent's Spine. I've been having a blast in the TSS zones. There's a ton of quests for all levels and they don't depend on camping for days on end for stupidly rare drops, either. All in all, it's been a fun expansion.
You are so right Vesanus. I started my life in Norrath in 2002. Who from that time can ever forgot how absolutely DARK the nights were, and just how important that long forgotten item called a torch or lantern could be in keeping one alive to see the next sunrise? (Gamma correction was introduced sometime around then, but I guess I didnt know about it for a while...heh heh).
I remember the first time I jumped down the hidden well in Qeynos and found myself lost in the Qeynos Aquaducts, how I stumbled through the place by luck alone to find my way out, only to discover the guild location for all the shadow knights and such, and just how quickly one can die at the hands of a spectre.
How about the ruins just east from Surefall entrance, man, how many others had their corpses camped by the dread corpses there?
I remember the quest to deliver mail from Qeynos to HHP for the unbelieveable sum of 3 plats! No more cloth armor for me! And on the first run, I remember my first taste of how big a place the Karana zones are, and the lesson I learned about bandits, and how I died so quickly because I could have sworn they were just farmers standing next to the road.
And who can forget huddling together in bands in the guard tower in NK? Please oh please just let me heal up enough before that hill giant or a griffon shows up. The guards there did what they could, but it was never enough. I remember the joy of finding someone who could bind you to the gypsy camp there so when you died, you could at least find your body quickly and loot it to continue on. Those were the days when death hurt, it was something to be completely avoided at all costs, there was no resurrection, you died, you lost, you tried harder.
Oh yeah, and back then in the old world zones, temp, virt, conv, these weren't even in concept yet. You went with what you had and prayed for the best.
Back then you got from point A to point B by running or using the spires, and I've run the length of Antonica from west to east more than I can remember. Back then there were only a handful of horses (luclin) and NO BOOKS. I remember the first time I made it through the gnolls and orcs in HHP and was about to step into Kithicor when a level 50 uber enchanter stopped me dead in my tracks and asked me if I had any idea what happened in Kithicor at night. She made me sit there and wait till day break, huddled just at the zone line, praying that nothing would notice me while she hunted the dead.
Back then Find Direction skill was a must, and EQ Atlas was THE place to be, no ingame maps folks, you printed out the maps and made your notes, and hoped you knew what you were doing when you read the map.
Ah, and who can forget the original bazaar and how busy the East Commonlands were back in those days? Who can forget camping the gnoll brewer in BB, Guard Shister in NK, or good old Fippy?
Those were the days when endurance really did do something to you, when you went hungry or thirsty...you suffered, when you did something it was for pride. I quit the game for about 2 years and came back, and was totally taken aback when I told someone I was running to Freeport and she laughed, asking why I didnt just use the book in NQ to go to POK first.
I go back to the old world zones alot, they are ghosts now, images of their former glory, but are my home. I am a Qeynos noble, I have the badge to prove it (won with hard work and sweat, a gimp item to be sure but one I keep proudly). What that SOE would revive the glory of the old world, not with zone graphics redesigns, but with zone revitalizations, I would spend all my time in the old world, the original world of Norrath.
I had hoped when they opened up the Progression servers that this feeling would return, but alas, it did not. Most likely because the people playing there had already been tainted by the new and improved EQ, and instead of a world of exploration as it was before, it was a race to see who could unlock the zones first.
If you're ever in South Qeynos drop by the Lion's Mane Inn, we'll sit for a while around the fire in the common room. We'll sit till the early morning hours drinking flagons of ale and eating roasted pig and beef, all the while talking about our beloved Norrath and our countless tales, may it always hold its place in our heart.
I remember the first time I jumped down the hidden well in Qeynos and found myself lost in the Qeynos Aquaducts, how I stumbled through the place by luck alone to find my way out, only to discover the guild location for all the shadow knights and such, and just how quickly one can die at the hands of a spectre.
How about the ruins just east from Surefall entrance, man, how many others had their corpses camped by the dread corpses there?
I remember the quest to deliver mail from Qeynos to HHP for the unbelieveable sum of 3 plats! No more cloth armor for me! And on the first run, I remember my first taste of how big a place the Karana zones are, and the lesson I learned about bandits, and how I died so quickly because I could have sworn they were just farmers standing next to the road.
And who can forget huddling together in bands in the guard tower in NK? Please oh please just let me heal up enough before that hill giant or a griffon shows up. The guards there did what they could, but it was never enough. I remember the joy of finding someone who could bind you to the gypsy camp there so when you died, you could at least find your body quickly and loot it to continue on. Those were the days when death hurt, it was something to be completely avoided at all costs, there was no resurrection, you died, you lost, you tried harder.
Oh yeah, and back then in the old world zones, temp, virt, conv, these weren't even in concept yet. You went with what you had and prayed for the best.
Back then you got from point A to point B by running or using the spires, and I've run the length of Antonica from west to east more than I can remember. Back then there were only a handful of horses (luclin) and NO BOOKS. I remember the first time I made it through the gnolls and orcs in HHP and was about to step into Kithicor when a level 50 uber enchanter stopped me dead in my tracks and asked me if I had any idea what happened in Kithicor at night. She made me sit there and wait till day break, huddled just at the zone line, praying that nothing would notice me while she hunted the dead.
Back then Find Direction skill was a must, and EQ Atlas was THE place to be, no ingame maps folks, you printed out the maps and made your notes, and hoped you knew what you were doing when you read the map.
Ah, and who can forget the original bazaar and how busy the East Commonlands were back in those days? Who can forget camping the gnoll brewer in BB, Guard Shister in NK, or good old Fippy?
Those were the days when endurance really did do something to you, when you went hungry or thirsty...you suffered, when you did something it was for pride. I quit the game for about 2 years and came back, and was totally taken aback when I told someone I was running to Freeport and she laughed, asking why I didnt just use the book in NQ to go to POK first.
I go back to the old world zones alot, they are ghosts now, images of their former glory, but are my home. I am a Qeynos noble, I have the badge to prove it (won with hard work and sweat, a gimp item to be sure but one I keep proudly). What that SOE would revive the glory of the old world, not with zone graphics redesigns, but with zone revitalizations, I would spend all my time in the old world, the original world of Norrath.
I had hoped when they opened up the Progression servers that this feeling would return, but alas, it did not. Most likely because the people playing there had already been tainted by the new and improved EQ, and instead of a world of exploration as it was before, it was a race to see who could unlock the zones first.
If you're ever in South Qeynos drop by the Lion's Mane Inn, we'll sit for a while around the fire in the common room. We'll sit till the early morning hours drinking flagons of ale and eating roasted pig and beef, all the while talking about our beloved Norrath and our countless tales, may it always hold its place in our heart.
Scholar
21 posts
I'm an Anni Edition nublet. So guess which expansion makes the most sense to those latecomers of my ilk.
Yup. TSS. All day long baby.
And I know I'll never ever see 25% of the stuff you guys did.
But then again, swimming for 3 hours....life doesnt leave me alone long enough for that. From what I've seen so far, TSS offers a few things, and some of you will balk "its easier...its handed to you", but it has some things that attracts a great deal of gamers. Some of us arent into EQ for 6 hour raids and would prefer well plotted out quests with good rewards that also makes for shorter spurts of playtime - which is all some of us have.
So yes, TSS is slightly like Guild Wars, IMO, in that respect. Frankly, thats all I have time for.
Beauty is, when and if (and Ive been to a few old world zones like Qeynos--and yes, I'm creepily the ONLY one there) I need to, I can travel to another zone.
Indeed, Im an Anni Edition nub so I know a grain of sand about EQ compared to you guys, but you can probably see why someone of my noob-dom would choose TSS.
I actually applaud Sonys ability to take the series in the direction they did with TSS as it opens the experience to alot of people. Not to mention the $20 price tag on Anniversary Edition.
GF be damned!! I was tryin' Everquest!! And Im happy I did :)
Yup. TSS. All day long baby.
And I know I'll never ever see 25% of the stuff you guys did.
But then again, swimming for 3 hours....life doesnt leave me alone long enough for that. From what I've seen so far, TSS offers a few things, and some of you will balk "its easier...its handed to you", but it has some things that attracts a great deal of gamers. Some of us arent into EQ for 6 hour raids and would prefer well plotted out quests with good rewards that also makes for shorter spurts of playtime - which is all some of us have.
So yes, TSS is slightly like Guild Wars, IMO, in that respect. Frankly, thats all I have time for.
Beauty is, when and if (and Ive been to a few old world zones like Qeynos--and yes, I'm creepily the ONLY one there) I need to, I can travel to another zone.
Indeed, Im an Anni Edition nub so I know a grain of sand about EQ compared to you guys, but you can probably see why someone of my noob-dom would choose TSS.
I actually applaud Sonys ability to take the series in the direction they did with TSS as it opens the experience to alot of people. Not to mention the $20 price tag on Anniversary Edition.
GF be damned!! I was tryin' Everquest!! And Im happy I did :)
23 posts
I have played since RoK but I listed TSS as my favorite. All in all it has been the most enjoyable expansion to date. The group and raid content are very fun. I would have to list Velious as my second favorite expansion. No other expansions have brought us quests a complicated as the Dain ring or the Thurg Shawl. I completed the Shawl on my druid (now port ho) and he still wears it to this day even though I have a couple better ones banked. The 2 wars included with the Dain ring are unbelieveable. The one is GD and the one in EW are just awesome to watch.
10 posts
Can't really pick a favorite of all time. No matter how good an expansion is eventually you need something new. That's just a fact.
List of most enjoyed to least enjoyed with the following disclaimer: PoR, TSS and TBS will likely get moved up the list as I get further into the progression of each. For the most part I simply have no use for under max level content so that isn't part of my criteria for enjoying an expansion.
DoDH tops the list atm because Mayong is the last mob left to kill for me to finish this expansion. Learning and finally beating the end part of an expansion is always a blast. The group missions with the cursor loot are various and interesting and are great for getting newer/returning people up to speed. Demiplane backflagging is not a long, convoluted, ulcer inducing process. Thumbs up to the devs for putting backflag peices on Hatchet and Redfang, btw. Lots of different and varied encounters for all levels that the expansion was aimed at. Werewolf mask quest ftw.
Dragons of Norrath. Really liked the fact that you could do missions for the opposing side without hurting your own faction. Crystals being tradeable, being able to shop at the opposing vendor even when kos and rewards for progression were all a huge plus. Killing each dragon in turn and finally beating Vishimtar was just plain fun. Cultural armor ftw.
Omens of War. Again, lots of different and varied encounters. As a minus a lot of them were not instanced. The group and raid trials in MPG were great for the most part and are still enjoyable. Anguish itself wasn't quite what I expected for an end zone but the encounters had some new wrinkles. 1.5/2.0 epics ftw.
Gates of Discord. The end raids were just neat and unlike anything ever done in EQ before. It's too bad that many old school EQ players never got to see them necause they quit during the living nightmare known as Planes of Power. BiC aug, Assistant Researcher Symbol, Tome of New Beginnings ftw.
Ruins of Kunark. This expansion was a much needed breath of fresh air after being limited to the orignal EQ for so long. Exploring new zones, seeing new mobs and drops for the first time was great. Eventually killing Venril and Trakanon and working into Veeshan's Peak even better. While I can take or leave Iksars, the story and lore behind them and Cabalis, the whole expansion really, was great. Epic 1.0's ftw.
The Serpent's Spire. Lots of rewarding quests for all levels. Nice look and feel to it overall. The drakkin look good for the most part but the melee animations are painful to watch. Can't really say anything else until I've seen more of the raid half of this expansion. Artisan charm/Wanderlust aug/Charm of Lore ftw.
The Buried Sea. Really like what I've seen of it so far. Katta missions/gear are great for alts/new/returning people. Nice look and atmosphere to it. Solteris access missions with the ring that gets better as you complete each stage was a nice touch. Skeletal Hand aug ftw.
Prophecy of Ro. Working through the raid progression here now. While it is overly complicated it's still better then numbly camping yet another set of Anguish signets. Fights so far have been different and interesting. Will have to see more before making a final judgement. Spirit Tracker Cloak ftw.
Lost Dungeons of Norrath. Being able to work towards an end goal without having to rely on random drops/contested mobs was great. The timed missions had an element of excitement that just wasn't there for most of EQ. On the downside doing the missions over and over became really old really fast. Not being able to replace people after the fact was also a minus. Charm aug ftw.
Scars of Velious. Tough one to rate because while I enjoyed parts of it a lot, killing Tormax, AoW and clearing North ToV for the first times for instance, there was a lot about this expansion that was highly annoying. It was very enchanter unfriendly, which is what I play, and yo-yo'ing my Skyshrine faction over a dozen times from max ally to max kos got extremely tiresome. Perma-rooted dragons killed the suspension of disbelief factor for me. A dragon behind every tree in West Wastes was just too many also. Competition with other guilds for the spawns and spawns that were blown on a fail really became an issue for the first time in this expansion. 10th ring wars ftw.
Shadows of Luclin. Another half and half expansion for me. The graphics improved dramatically, the encounters really started to become more then just a tough mob, a tank and a complete heal chain, especially in Ssra Temple, and for the most part I liked the Luclin models better. Competition for weekly spawns became extemely intense during this one. Having to *share* week long spawns like Vex Thal with every other guild on the server nearly caused me to quit at this time. Earring of the Solstice ftw.
Legacy of Ykesha. Went there to get my spells and that's about it. More bank space ftw.
Planes of Power. Worked through the progression here before there was an 85% rule or means to backflag. Before many zones were opened to xx level and above. Before there was a seer and it required gm intervention or doing the raids over again to fix out of order/bugged flags. When you stood in line for hours to do a Plane of Justice trial. Competition for the flag mobs was intense, some spawns were failed, like Behemoth, and others perma-killed at the time to purposely prevent other guilds/people from progressing. Gear upgrades were very hard to come by until you were actually done with most of the flagging process, making that process even more difficult. Hugely complicated flag process combined with the above simply sucked everything resembling fun out of this expansion completely. Dropping Quarm for the first time was a brief flicker of enjoyment. But then farming Plane of Time for six months after getting there made me yearn for death.
I never have to go back ftw.
List of most enjoyed to least enjoyed with the following disclaimer: PoR, TSS and TBS will likely get moved up the list as I get further into the progression of each. For the most part I simply have no use for under max level content so that isn't part of my criteria for enjoying an expansion.
DoDH tops the list atm because Mayong is the last mob left to kill for me to finish this expansion. Learning and finally beating the end part of an expansion is always a blast. The group missions with the cursor loot are various and interesting and are great for getting newer/returning people up to speed. Demiplane backflagging is not a long, convoluted, ulcer inducing process. Thumbs up to the devs for putting backflag peices on Hatchet and Redfang, btw. Lots of different and varied encounters for all levels that the expansion was aimed at. Werewolf mask quest ftw.
Dragons of Norrath. Really liked the fact that you could do missions for the opposing side without hurting your own faction. Crystals being tradeable, being able to shop at the opposing vendor even when kos and rewards for progression were all a huge plus. Killing each dragon in turn and finally beating Vishimtar was just plain fun. Cultural armor ftw.
Omens of War. Again, lots of different and varied encounters. As a minus a lot of them were not instanced. The group and raid trials in MPG were great for the most part and are still enjoyable. Anguish itself wasn't quite what I expected for an end zone but the encounters had some new wrinkles. 1.5/2.0 epics ftw.
Gates of Discord. The end raids were just neat and unlike anything ever done in EQ before. It's too bad that many old school EQ players never got to see them necause they quit during the living nightmare known as Planes of Power. BiC aug, Assistant Researcher Symbol, Tome of New Beginnings ftw.
Ruins of Kunark. This expansion was a much needed breath of fresh air after being limited to the orignal EQ for so long. Exploring new zones, seeing new mobs and drops for the first time was great. Eventually killing Venril and Trakanon and working into Veeshan's Peak even better. While I can take or leave Iksars, the story and lore behind them and Cabalis, the whole expansion really, was great. Epic 1.0's ftw.
The Serpent's Spire. Lots of rewarding quests for all levels. Nice look and feel to it overall. The drakkin look good for the most part but the melee animations are painful to watch. Can't really say anything else until I've seen more of the raid half of this expansion. Artisan charm/Wanderlust aug/Charm of Lore ftw.
The Buried Sea. Really like what I've seen of it so far. Katta missions/gear are great for alts/new/returning people. Nice look and atmosphere to it. Solteris access missions with the ring that gets better as you complete each stage was a nice touch. Skeletal Hand aug ftw.
Prophecy of Ro. Working through the raid progression here now. While it is overly complicated it's still better then numbly camping yet another set of Anguish signets. Fights so far have been different and interesting. Will have to see more before making a final judgement. Spirit Tracker Cloak ftw.
Lost Dungeons of Norrath. Being able to work towards an end goal without having to rely on random drops/contested mobs was great. The timed missions had an element of excitement that just wasn't there for most of EQ. On the downside doing the missions over and over became really old really fast. Not being able to replace people after the fact was also a minus. Charm aug ftw.
Scars of Velious. Tough one to rate because while I enjoyed parts of it a lot, killing Tormax, AoW and clearing North ToV for the first times for instance, there was a lot about this expansion that was highly annoying. It was very enchanter unfriendly, which is what I play, and yo-yo'ing my Skyshrine faction over a dozen times from max ally to max kos got extremely tiresome. Perma-rooted dragons killed the suspension of disbelief factor for me. A dragon behind every tree in West Wastes was just too many also. Competition with other guilds for the spawns and spawns that were blown on a fail really became an issue for the first time in this expansion. 10th ring wars ftw.
Shadows of Luclin. Another half and half expansion for me. The graphics improved dramatically, the encounters really started to become more then just a tough mob, a tank and a complete heal chain, especially in Ssra Temple, and for the most part I liked the Luclin models better. Competition for weekly spawns became extemely intense during this one. Having to *share* week long spawns like Vex Thal with every other guild on the server nearly caused me to quit at this time. Earring of the Solstice ftw.
Legacy of Ykesha. Went there to get my spells and that's about it. More bank space ftw.
Planes of Power. Worked through the progression here before there was an 85% rule or means to backflag. Before many zones were opened to xx level and above. Before there was a seer and it required gm intervention or doing the raids over again to fix out of order/bugged flags. When you stood in line for hours to do a Plane of Justice trial. Competition for the flag mobs was intense, some spawns were failed, like Behemoth, and others perma-killed at the time to purposely prevent other guilds/people from progressing. Gear upgrades were very hard to come by until you were actually done with most of the flagging process, making that process even more difficult. Hugely complicated flag process combined with the above simply sucked everything resembling fun out of this expansion completely. Dropping Quarm for the first time was a brief flicker of enjoyment. But then farming Plane of Time for six months after getting there made me yearn for death.
I never have to go back ftw.
49 posts
The only good expansion is no expansion. Classic Everquest is the game that completely revolutionized the multiplayer gaming world and gave the whole genre a kick-start. Plus, I never had as much fun with any of the expansions as I did running around the old classic world with my high elf pally.
34 posts
I voted for Omens. The extremely challenging zones with the possibilities of death lingering around every corner made it by far my favorite expansion.
LDoN. This was the only expansion, as a casual player, that I was able to sink my teeth into. Exp was great, loot was great, groups were great. Classic dungeon crawls with a named or two thrown into the mix. Basically a mini raid with the potential for a great upgrade or aug to drop.
I voted
Nevermind them all! Here's to the old world.
I was a lot better then....now with Book ports and POK...ldon's....and what have ya...I do like WOS and Direwindcliffs and the advancement in aa's ....OLD WORLD WAS THE BEST
Nevermind them all! Here's to the old world.
I was a lot better then....now with Book ports and POK...ldon's....and what have ya...I do like WOS and Direwindcliffs and the advancement in aa's ....OLD WORLD WAS THE BEST
Kunark for first place, closely followed by Velious. Velious was great but Kunark had a depth to the lore which has gone unsurpassed and its dungeons were amazing. You couldn't go ten feet on Kunark without tripping over some rock left behind from the Sebilisan Empire and feeling like you were exploring a lost world.
Although the rest of the expansion (well, "extension") was pretty lacking, LoY's Crypt of Nadox was one of my favorite dungeons back in the day.
Although the rest of the expansion (well, "extension") was pretty lacking, LoY's Crypt of Nadox was one of my favorite dungeons back in the day.
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
agree with vesanus 100 percent.
in the origonal game, anyone could do anything. there was no "uber" gear. soloing twinks were rare. everyone was on the same playing field. it is the reason the first 20 levels in any new game are the best. everyone is in the same place, fighting the same monsters, at the same level as opposed to spread out all over the place to the point your lucky to find 10 people in any one place.
the minute they started launching expansions, and people started realizing the content was getting progressively more difficult to access, the game started to loose something vitle.
hope and anticipation.
the rewards were progressivly becoming more and more out of reach for the average player. so they started drifting away.
there was nothing like the origonal release. i remember going to unrest at level 22 and leaving at level 20. i remember the time i made level 12 and got bind affinity. went to crushbone as a noobie and bound myself inside the castle where i was fighting. took me 3 days and 2 levels to finnaly log on when there was a group in there so i could run out before getting killed again. hahahaha, was the best time i have had in any game.
you HAD to group. there were so many people in the same place, you had to group if you wanted to kill anything. but as soon as kunark launched, and people began to spread out, the grouping slowed and pretty soon, you had to start begging for more time than you played if you wanted to get in a group at all. as soon as the bone caster robe and the ebon mace was discovered in kunark, antonica turned into a ghoste town.
and by that time, the guilds had the game down and perma camped anything of value. i remember league of levity running into karnors castle and trining every one out to get the captain camp. or blood of the spider announcing to anyone entering the old planes that they could kill anything they wanted but the mobs for the epics was theirs and theirs alone.
casual guilds died, casual players started leaving, and more and more, EQ was transforming into a super guild game. you belonged to one or you didng get the rewards.
hope and anticipation transformed into the "grind" for levels and levels alone.
and you have what we have here today. EQ a tiny sliver of what it used to be, dominated still by a constantly shrinking pool of super guilds with little hope or anticipation for anyone else.
in the origonal game, anything and everything was possible. the second kunark launched, the "possible" was reserved to powergamers. it just took a while and a couple more expansions for the mainstream players to realize it. that while "class ballincing" war stuff wasnt so much about the classes as it was about the fustraition of the masses of mainstream players who were getting left further and further behind by game play they couldnt compete in. those months of hate spam that closed down the official web site was the wave of fustraition exploding from dedicated fans of EQ who found they were not included in its future.
you remember them, the 400,000 OTHER players that LEFT the game?
SOE bet on the wrong horse. Blizzard didnt.
in the origonal game, anyone could do anything. there was no "uber" gear. soloing twinks were rare. everyone was on the same playing field. it is the reason the first 20 levels in any new game are the best. everyone is in the same place, fighting the same monsters, at the same level as opposed to spread out all over the place to the point your lucky to find 10 people in any one place.
the minute they started launching expansions, and people started realizing the content was getting progressively more difficult to access, the game started to loose something vitle.
hope and anticipation.
the rewards were progressivly becoming more and more out of reach for the average player. so they started drifting away.
there was nothing like the origonal release. i remember going to unrest at level 22 and leaving at level 20. i remember the time i made level 12 and got bind affinity. went to crushbone as a noobie and bound myself inside the castle where i was fighting. took me 3 days and 2 levels to finnaly log on when there was a group in there so i could run out before getting killed again. hahahaha, was the best time i have had in any game.
you HAD to group. there were so many people in the same place, you had to group if you wanted to kill anything. but as soon as kunark launched, and people began to spread out, the grouping slowed and pretty soon, you had to start begging for more time than you played if you wanted to get in a group at all. as soon as the bone caster robe and the ebon mace was discovered in kunark, antonica turned into a ghoste town.
and by that time, the guilds had the game down and perma camped anything of value. i remember league of levity running into karnors castle and trining every one out to get the captain camp. or blood of the spider announcing to anyone entering the old planes that they could kill anything they wanted but the mobs for the epics was theirs and theirs alone.
casual guilds died, casual players started leaving, and more and more, EQ was transforming into a super guild game. you belonged to one or you didng get the rewards.
hope and anticipation transformed into the "grind" for levels and levels alone.
and you have what we have here today. EQ a tiny sliver of what it used to be, dominated still by a constantly shrinking pool of super guilds with little hope or anticipation for anyone else.
in the origonal game, anything and everything was possible. the second kunark launched, the "possible" was reserved to powergamers. it just took a while and a couple more expansions for the mainstream players to realize it. that while "class ballincing" war stuff wasnt so much about the classes as it was about the fustraition of the masses of mainstream players who were getting left further and further behind by game play they couldnt compete in. those months of hate spam that closed down the official web site was the wave of fustraition exploding from dedicated fans of EQ who found they were not included in its future.
you remember them, the 400,000 OTHER players that LEFT the game?
SOE bet on the wrong horse. Blizzard didnt.
Scholar
32 posts
While I can't honestly say I miss the 2 hour run across the karanas in the pre pop days, at least everyone learned the zones and how to get around them. If your little lvl 3 woodelf made it to Freeport from Kelethin you really felt like you had accomplished something. Now, with all the changes you see lvl 75 toons asking how to get to thurgadin, qeynos hills, rss, etc. I honestly think it's become too easy in many ways, especially with the abuse of the infamous Dain MMs. A lot of the challenge is gone for lower lvls.
I loved the Luclin expansion and I still travel those zones on foot whenever I go up there to farm or play my little guys, however I'd have to say TSS is my current favorite. Beautiful zones, lots of challenge for all lvls, and lots of fun quests. Also, the drakkins are wonderful pc models.
(I do miss the old EQ theme song "Has Anybody Seen My Corpse?)
I loved the Luclin expansion and I still travel those zones on foot whenever I go up there to farm or play my little guys, however I'd have to say TSS is my current favorite. Beautiful zones, lots of challenge for all lvls, and lots of fun quests. Also, the drakkins are wonderful pc models.
(I do miss the old EQ theme song "Has Anybody Seen My Corpse?)
All the ******** people did about TSS before and after it came out and now it's number one. Amazing.
Scholar
32 posts
lol Tarmuar you brought back so many good memories! Thank you! I still do a lot of running around the zones, just because I like to see the scenery. Yes I get a lot of gas from people asking why I don't just use the various portals but I don't care. I still love donning my tourist cap and going out to view new lands and meet strange creatures. Have you ever just sat and watched Norrathrise from the hill in Hollowshade? I've always loved that.
The Old World was something special. The rush of victory the first time Martar Icebear died to my hand is still one of the best memories I have. The first time I actually killed Fippy before he got to the guards. Making it through Blackburrow alive from Halas to Qeynos Hills without one of the trains taking me down halfway there. Finally making it to the big bazaar in the EC tunnel, only to have someone train it with skellies and then the long, painstaking run back to get my corpse. (at least I knew where it was. lol) Huddling in the guardtower in West Karana, waiting for sunrise, knowing that the werewolf was out there somewhere and that he ate guards for snacks. Making that horrible run through Kithcor praying you didnt get turned around and lost. Watching for landmarks because there was no compass or map and you could only cast true north so often before it started messing you up. lol.. I too got lost in Freeport and found my way down to the Necros and Shadowknights, only to learn that a barbarian shaman was KoS to them. Then finding a friendly necro to train them away so I could get to my corpse.
I loved Antonica, the Faydarks, the Karanas, all the wonderful cities (I adored Rivervale when I found it.. lol). Meeting an Iksar for the first time.. and dying. Droga and Nurga! Trying out the bars in Thurgadin and discovering Crystal Caverns. That cute little dollhouse at the end of the river and those hilarious mushrooms in Mischief! The first time I saw a dragon and then the first time I survived seeing a dragon! Tizmaks!! Getting caught up in teh sonic wolf/owlbear wars. The first venture into Plane of Knowledge, not knowing if the guards were friendly or not, and exploring each and every nook and cranny. The first time I saw a god die, then the unrepeatable thrill of actually defeating Quarm! Discovering the Gulf of Gunthak and freaking out about riding drogmars. The sheer fun of hunting Nadox.
LDON meh.
The first day in Nedaria's Landing when every creature in the zone took your presence there as a personal affront, and reacted accordingly. Watching a 72 man raid get eaten by the Cragbeast Queen! Not being able to summon your corpse to a zoneline even if you found a necro. Discovering that a Noc's bite is much worse than it's bark. Then falling in love with Dranik's Scar and working for days to get that uber aug the named Ukun dropped. The challenge of making it through Nobles' Causeway and actually reaching the Wall of Slaughter only to make the aquaintance of Shadow Hunter. lol The maze of MPG and the deadly beauty of Riftseekers.
So many good memories.
I loved the zones in DoN. Beautiful scenery, gorgeous mobs (Kirins!) but the guild lobby took a lot of challenge out. Now no worries about corpse recovery if your raid wiped, that thrill of running naked through deadly territory to find your corpse.. all gone.
I quit shortly after the introduction of Dragons of Norrath and came back to explore TSS and I'm here to stay. I don't like the Monster Missions and DoDH will never be one of my favorites, but Serpents Spine and Buried Sea make up for it.. in my opinion anyway.
Here's to fallen comrades and new memories!!
The Old World was something special. The rush of victory the first time Martar Icebear died to my hand is still one of the best memories I have. The first time I actually killed Fippy before he got to the guards. Making it through Blackburrow alive from Halas to Qeynos Hills without one of the trains taking me down halfway there. Finally making it to the big bazaar in the EC tunnel, only to have someone train it with skellies and then the long, painstaking run back to get my corpse. (at least I knew where it was. lol) Huddling in the guardtower in West Karana, waiting for sunrise, knowing that the werewolf was out there somewhere and that he ate guards for snacks. Making that horrible run through Kithcor praying you didnt get turned around and lost. Watching for landmarks because there was no compass or map and you could only cast true north so often before it started messing you up. lol.. I too got lost in Freeport and found my way down to the Necros and Shadowknights, only to learn that a barbarian shaman was KoS to them. Then finding a friendly necro to train them away so I could get to my corpse.
I loved Antonica, the Faydarks, the Karanas, all the wonderful cities (I adored Rivervale when I found it.. lol). Meeting an Iksar for the first time.. and dying. Droga and Nurga! Trying out the bars in Thurgadin and discovering Crystal Caverns. That cute little dollhouse at the end of the river and those hilarious mushrooms in Mischief! The first time I saw a dragon and then the first time I survived seeing a dragon! Tizmaks!! Getting caught up in teh sonic wolf/owlbear wars. The first venture into Plane of Knowledge, not knowing if the guards were friendly or not, and exploring each and every nook and cranny. The first time I saw a god die, then the unrepeatable thrill of actually defeating Quarm! Discovering the Gulf of Gunthak and freaking out about riding drogmars. The sheer fun of hunting Nadox.
LDON meh.
The first day in Nedaria's Landing when every creature in the zone took your presence there as a personal affront, and reacted accordingly. Watching a 72 man raid get eaten by the Cragbeast Queen! Not being able to summon your corpse to a zoneline even if you found a necro. Discovering that a Noc's bite is much worse than it's bark. Then falling in love with Dranik's Scar and working for days to get that uber aug the named Ukun dropped. The challenge of making it through Nobles' Causeway and actually reaching the Wall of Slaughter only to make the aquaintance of Shadow Hunter. lol The maze of MPG and the deadly beauty of Riftseekers.
So many good memories.
I loved the zones in DoN. Beautiful scenery, gorgeous mobs (Kirins!) but the guild lobby took a lot of challenge out. Now no worries about corpse recovery if your raid wiped, that thrill of running naked through deadly territory to find your corpse.. all gone.
I quit shortly after the introduction of Dragons of Norrath and came back to explore TSS and I'm here to stay. I don't like the Monster Missions and DoDH will never be one of my favorites, but Serpents Spine and Buried Sea make up for it.. in my opinion anyway.
Here's to fallen comrades and new memories!!
2 posts
I voted Planes of Power. I really liked all that it had to offer.
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