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How did EQ survive this long.Follow
42 posts
hehe after absence of 8 yrs and 8 yrs ago i revisited 4 one day, can understand the frustration, but i left just after 5th anniversary, and am enjoying bringing up my sk, which i started 8 yrs ago and got to end tutorial and then left game till 2 days ago. Lot of the things are still here that made me leave, I suppose with time, its made me feel nostalgia for early part of game, part reason i am here, but am on f2p I cannot imagine wanting to pay for frustration and camps, I actually remember the epic 1.00 , and having a real long camp time, same with earring of solstice, sow boots, fishbone earring, but, now I here camp times are minmal for same reason, there are few newcomers to game, its mostly people been here a long time. I will bide my time, and get a main toon to cap along way, on which i find fastest lvler:-) nn all enjoy have fun
physic 67th priest of tunare, 7 other chars on AB and mains on TM wiz aurei 65, and various others on MT and live for today as tomorrrow u may die
#28aurei,
Posted: Feb 05 2015 at 6:30 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) hehe after absence of 8 yrs and 8 yrs ago i revisited 4 one day, can understand the frustration, but i left just after 5th anniversary, and am enjoying bringing up my sk, which i started 8 yrs ago and got to end tutorial and then left game till 2 days ago. Lot of the things are still here that made me leave, I suppose with time, its made me feel nostalgia for early part of game, part reason i am here, but am on f2p I cannot imagine wanting to pay for frustration and camps, I actually remember the epic 1.00 , and having a real long camp time, same with earring of solstice, sow boots, fishbone earring, but, now I here camp times are minmal for same reason, there are few newcomers to game, its mostly people been here a long time. I will bide my time, and get a main toon to cap along way, on which i find fastest lvler:-) nn all enjoy have fun
#29aurei,
Posted: Feb 05 2015 at 6:30 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) hehe after absence of 8 yrs and 8 yrs ago i revisited 4 one day, can understand the frustration, but i left just after 5th anniversary, and am enjoying bringing up my sk, which i started 8 yrs ago and got to end tutorial and then left game till 2 days ago. Lot of the things are still here that made me leave, I suppose with time, its made me feel nostalgia for early part of game, part reason i am here, but am on f2p I cannot imagine wanting to pay for frustration and camps, I actually remember the epic 1.00 , and having a real long camp time, same with earring of solstice, sow boots, fishbone earring, but, now I here camp times are minmal for same reason, there are few newcomers to game, its mostly people been here a long time. I will bide my time, and get a main toon to cap along way, on which i find fastest lvler:-) nn all enjoy have fun
Scholar
24 posts
Folks have said most of what I would say, as far as the relationships made and the newness of early EQ. When my son and I first attempted to venture to LoIO, and died several times to those damn spiders, the fear of being ambushed and the adrenalin pumping runs were a great shared experience. We never had that with WoW or it's clones, although he did spend a good portion of time in DAoC loving the PvP aspect. Learning the new zones, sharing the adventures with new found friends and also finding that jerks existed in this world as well as RL (ninja-looters, trainers, etc.) made this game a great place to escape to when time allowed. We did not have all the walk-throughs available yet for epics and assorted quests, and had to piece info together from whatever sources we could find. It was challenging.
When they introduced the freebie level 85 char, I made a Shaman and using the walk-throughs and tips shared by others on ZAM here I completed the Epic 1.0 in a few hours, and then over the next couple days I got the 1.5 and the quest for the ornamentation (I love that lion-headed look for a 1HB). All a Shaman needs do now is loot the Child's Tear from PoF and they can complete the epic in a matter of hours, as opposed to the months of questing I recall some back in the day having to spend. This is how the game has changed, both due to levels and information passed along from others. And yet, it is still fun.
With Mercenaries, the grouping/social aspect has been greatly impacted. A Ranger/Mage/Necro can play the game solo/molo all the way to level 100. It might take longer than someone grouping, but it can be done. The game has changed, but it still offers challenges. While the pace of new content being released may not be fast enough for some, the fact it is still coming is a good sign. There are enough zones and quests (and class options) to keep someone busy and entertained, providing they did not start their gaming experience on the WoW platform, and expect everything to be given to them or have paths laid out to follow every step of the way on their journey.
EQ will last as long as the company is seeing profit, and folks will keep playing as long as it is available.
When they introduced the freebie level 85 char, I made a Shaman and using the walk-throughs and tips shared by others on ZAM here I completed the Epic 1.0 in a few hours, and then over the next couple days I got the 1.5 and the quest for the ornamentation (I love that lion-headed look for a 1HB). All a Shaman needs do now is loot the Child's Tear from PoF and they can complete the epic in a matter of hours, as opposed to the months of questing I recall some back in the day having to spend. This is how the game has changed, both due to levels and information passed along from others. And yet, it is still fun.
With Mercenaries, the grouping/social aspect has been greatly impacted. A Ranger/Mage/Necro can play the game solo/molo all the way to level 100. It might take longer than someone grouping, but it can be done. The game has changed, but it still offers challenges. While the pace of new content being released may not be fast enough for some, the fact it is still coming is a good sign. There are enough zones and quests (and class options) to keep someone busy and entertained, providing they did not start their gaming experience on the WoW platform, and expect everything to be given to them or have paths laid out to follow every step of the way on their journey.
EQ will last as long as the company is seeing profit, and folks will keep playing as long as it is available.
9 posts
I'm a newbie here, but not to EQ. I started my first character maybe 10 years ago. I can't remember exactly. I know Vox was top of the list and the foreman's tunic was uber gear for druids. I started as a warrior, but because I played and hour or two here and there, switched to a druid. Since then, I've leveled an enchanter and warrior up to level caps at the time. I think one was 60 and the other 65. I currently have an 83 druid and the wife plays an 83 warrior. We're pretty much at the point where I was with the other characters, where the fun is fading and the grind is increasing. What that means is we'll probably drop off for a while, and given the server populations, maybe forever if EQ goes away.
From my perspective, there are really two distinct and separate EQ worlds. For me, the first 55-60 levels are an absolute blast. You can log on and play for an hour and accomplish something. Your gear doesn't have to carry raid level designations and conquering a mob, even what might be an ordinary mob, can generate a lot of fun. I spent about a year in a raiding guild years ago. My last raid, I decided then, I'd never do that again. It just wasn't fun for me.
I think that's where the development has failed. Casual players really have no end-game. We just play until the grind turns it into something akin to pulling teeth with a pair of pliers after you bust them apart. Then we move on or start over. Eventually, we just move on and like now, come back for an occasional romp through the fun levels and fun zones.
Which are most dead. I may have seen a dozen players in 50 levels. 99 percent of the time, I'm the only person in a zone. It seems such a monstrous waste. And it really seems like a monstrous waste to keep going the way they're going and leaving half or better of the content empty. I don't know how to fix it but server populations are pitiful compared to what they used to be.
From my perspective, there are really two distinct and separate EQ worlds. For me, the first 55-60 levels are an absolute blast. You can log on and play for an hour and accomplish something. Your gear doesn't have to carry raid level designations and conquering a mob, even what might be an ordinary mob, can generate a lot of fun. I spent about a year in a raiding guild years ago. My last raid, I decided then, I'd never do that again. It just wasn't fun for me.
I think that's where the development has failed. Casual players really have no end-game. We just play until the grind turns it into something akin to pulling teeth with a pair of pliers after you bust them apart. Then we move on or start over. Eventually, we just move on and like now, come back for an occasional romp through the fun levels and fun zones.
Which are most dead. I may have seen a dozen players in 50 levels. 99 percent of the time, I'm the only person in a zone. It seems such a monstrous waste. And it really seems like a monstrous waste to keep going the way they're going and leaving half or better of the content empty. I don't know how to fix it but server populations are pitiful compared to what they used to be.
Why I Love EverQuest.
I remember as a nine year old my father and his friends from his band used to play Dungeons & Dragons. I was never the same again. The imagination and influence those years had on me , dreaming one day I would slay dragons,and claim my share of treasure. I played everything from Atari , Intellivision, Collecovision etc... Till finally getting my own PC for gaming. I remember walking through Comp USA and seeing Ruins of Kunark. I picked up the box and read about playing with others online
adventures , kinda looked like D&D. I immediately wipped out my cash smacked it down on the counter and with the biggest smile ran out, collected my wife and ran home to load it in my comp. From that day February 12th 2000 till now I have "Lived" in Norrath. I have recruited my father and many of my friends, as newer games came out I would try them but in every case within a hour of playing something I would always say "This sucks" always comparing it to EQ. In most cases I would think to myself, wow the graphics are real pretty or I would say I wish EQ had this style of PvP in their game. But in the end I would always run back to EQ.
This game lets you make a character that is unique rather than lets say WoW were everyone has the same gear. I enjoy working Factions with many cities, too working up my tradeskills to their max. I enjoy raiding with 30+ people all working together for a common goal LOOT. Do I think the best years of EQ are behind me now .. Ya I would have to say the initial experience of those first expansions were the best, Scars of Velious and Planes of Powers are my favorite of all time. Derek the Vindicator will forever be a name I wont forget. When EQ came out with the progressive server in 2006 I was very happy, it gave me the chance to relive EQ , to do content I might have missed and to start out in a guild bred for hard core raiding. RiP Wrathful Inquisition. Well to sum this up I would hope EverQuest will last another 16 years, I don't think EQ Next is going to be as successful as the original. In fact if Sony or Daybreak were smart , they would just fix the original. Maybe update the graphics, like days of the past they gave you the option to run old models or new ones. Offer players the option of a server that only plays content to certain expansions, or a server that caps levels. When you reach the capped level or expansion offer a free or paid service that lets you continue to the next server.
I remember as a nine year old my father and his friends from his band used to play Dungeons & Dragons. I was never the same again. The imagination and influence those years had on me , dreaming one day I would slay dragons,and claim my share of treasure. I played everything from Atari , Intellivision, Collecovision etc... Till finally getting my own PC for gaming. I remember walking through Comp USA and seeing Ruins of Kunark. I picked up the box and read about playing with others online
adventures , kinda looked like D&D. I immediately wipped out my cash smacked it down on the counter and with the biggest smile ran out, collected my wife and ran home to load it in my comp. From that day February 12th 2000 till now I have "Lived" in Norrath. I have recruited my father and many of my friends, as newer games came out I would try them but in every case within a hour of playing something I would always say "This sucks" always comparing it to EQ. In most cases I would think to myself, wow the graphics are real pretty or I would say I wish EQ had this style of PvP in their game. But in the end I would always run back to EQ.
This game lets you make a character that is unique rather than lets say WoW were everyone has the same gear. I enjoy working Factions with many cities, too working up my tradeskills to their max. I enjoy raiding with 30+ people all working together for a common goal LOOT. Do I think the best years of EQ are behind me now .. Ya I would have to say the initial experience of those first expansions were the best, Scars of Velious and Planes of Powers are my favorite of all time. Derek the Vindicator will forever be a name I wont forget. When EQ came out with the progressive server in 2006 I was very happy, it gave me the chance to relive EQ , to do content I might have missed and to start out in a guild bred for hard core raiding. RiP Wrathful Inquisition. Well to sum this up I would hope EverQuest will last another 16 years, I don't think EQ Next is going to be as successful as the original. In fact if Sony or Daybreak were smart , they would just fix the original. Maybe update the graphics, like days of the past they gave you the option to run old models or new ones. Offer players the option of a server that only plays content to certain expansions, or a server that caps levels. When you reach the capped level or expansion offer a free or paid service that lets you continue to the next server.
There's always something to do.
My EQ day goes something like this:
1. Log in to (offline) trader. Drop cash and refill the bags
2. Log in to toon camping the Iksar Berzerker's Club in Kurn's Tower. High value baz item and great gift for n00bz (see below)
3. Log into cleric (Taterkuk on every server but Stromm). Buff n00bz, give away some gifts and answer questions/give advice. This is some of the most fun I have while playing, BTW.
4. Log in my Rogue. I've played on and off (mostly on) since Ykesha and this is my 1st Rogue. To have some focus, I've decided he's going to do the entire Hero's Journey. He hit lvl 50 the other day and is doing the 1st line of the Mesa section. I'll go back and kill that mean ol' Bixie Queen in a few levels.
5. Repeat 2/3/4 until I'm done and then reset the Offline trader.
Occasionally I'll port folk or help with an assassination as needed/requested. And there's always the exciting world of tradeskilling!!
I don't get bored with EQ because there's always something to do. You can always do your epics!
EDIT: Ykesha, not Ysheka.
Edited, Mar 2nd 2015 2:05am by Bijou
My EQ day goes something like this:
1. Log in to (offline) trader. Drop cash and refill the bags
2. Log in to toon camping the Iksar Berzerker's Club in Kurn's Tower. High value baz item and great gift for n00bz (see below)
3. Log into cleric (Taterkuk on every server but Stromm). Buff n00bz, give away some gifts and answer questions/give advice. This is some of the most fun I have while playing, BTW.
4. Log in my Rogue. I've played on and off (mostly on) since Ykesha and this is my 1st Rogue. To have some focus, I've decided he's going to do the entire Hero's Journey. He hit lvl 50 the other day and is doing the 1st line of the Mesa section. I'll go back and kill that mean ol' Bixie Queen in a few levels.
5. Repeat 2/3/4 until I'm done and then reset the Offline trader.
Occasionally I'll port folk or help with an assassination as needed/requested. And there's always the exciting world of tradeskilling!!
I don't get bored with EQ because there's always something to do. You can always do your epics!
EDIT: Ykesha, not Ysheka.
Edited, Mar 2nd 2015 2:05am by Bijou
remorajunbao wrote:
One day I'm going to fly to Canada and open the curtains in your office.
My EQ day consists of logging in one of the two or three characters I play semi-regularly. I rebuff as needed (sometimes I log off and forget to rebuff first). Run out and grab 2-3 dailies from Teek. Then run and do them. Then, I find a hunting spot and burn LoD for 30 minutes. Then decide if I'm having fun with said character and want to just keep killing stuff, or log in with another character and do dailies/LoD on that one. Or just log off.
As I go along, I drop any bazaar sellable stuff into shared bank. Final step is logging in trade mule character, noting how much I made since last time, grabbing anything dropped in bank, putting on mule, then going offline.
There are some other things I'll do as well. I run through KC every time I log on my wiz on the silly unlikely off chance that VS is up and I can pick up that last stupid piece for epic 1.0 I need. I've also been using my wiz to bite the bullet and faction in Katta for power sources, and that's taking some time. It's also horrific exp (but it's at least *some* exp). I've also noticed that I seriously need to find a good grind spot for my wiz. My paladin so ridiculously out gains him in exp (despite being like 8 levels higher), that it's not even funny. Although, I suspect it's not really that he's gaining exp faster, but that the wiz has far more AA abilities for his given level that even though both are on the same ratio 50/50, the wiz gets fewer for the same relative exp (and I tend to judge relative exp gain rate by how fast AAs are gained over time, which in hindsight is not a great way to do this between different character classes and levels).
I honestly wish that the auto-grant AA thing allowed you to select the AAs you wanted to get "free", rather than automatically giving them to you. The problem with it is that it artificially bumps up the total AA count at any given level compared to what you'd have purchased at that level (the "necessary" ones). What this means is that the actual AA gain rate at a given level is lower than it would have been otherwise, so AAs that aren't auto-granted (due to level or exclusion like spell casting subtlety) take a lot more time to get than other wise. Yes, it's still a massive reduction in total time cost, but it does skew the perception of gain over time. Still though, it's strange that when burning LoD, my paladin is racking up AAs like a madman, while my wiz might gain 2 or 3 in the same time period. Somethings a bit off.
As I go along, I drop any bazaar sellable stuff into shared bank. Final step is logging in trade mule character, noting how much I made since last time, grabbing anything dropped in bank, putting on mule, then going offline.
There are some other things I'll do as well. I run through KC every time I log on my wiz on the silly unlikely off chance that VS is up and I can pick up that last stupid piece for epic 1.0 I need. I've also been using my wiz to bite the bullet and faction in Katta for power sources, and that's taking some time. It's also horrific exp (but it's at least *some* exp). I've also noticed that I seriously need to find a good grind spot for my wiz. My paladin so ridiculously out gains him in exp (despite being like 8 levels higher), that it's not even funny. Although, I suspect it's not really that he's gaining exp faster, but that the wiz has far more AA abilities for his given level that even though both are on the same ratio 50/50, the wiz gets fewer for the same relative exp (and I tend to judge relative exp gain rate by how fast AAs are gained over time, which in hindsight is not a great way to do this between different character classes and levels).
I honestly wish that the auto-grant AA thing allowed you to select the AAs you wanted to get "free", rather than automatically giving them to you. The problem with it is that it artificially bumps up the total AA count at any given level compared to what you'd have purchased at that level (the "necessary" ones). What this means is that the actual AA gain rate at a given level is lower than it would have been otherwise, so AAs that aren't auto-granted (due to level or exclusion like spell casting subtlety) take a lot more time to get than other wise. Yes, it's still a massive reduction in total time cost, but it does skew the perception of gain over time. Still though, it's strange that when burning LoD, my paladin is racking up AAs like a madman, while my wiz might gain 2 or 3 in the same time period. Somethings a bit off.
King Nobby wrote:
More words please
What server are you on, gbaji?
I want toannoy you..chat and stuff.
I want to
remorajunbao wrote:
One day I'm going to fly to Canada and open the curtains in your office.
Hah! Wouldn't you like to know?
It's CT. Used to be Fro, but got consolidated at some point.
It's CT. Used to be Fro, but got consolidated at some point.
King Nobby wrote:
More words please
Friar Bijou wrote:
There's always something to do.
2. Log in to toon camping the Iksar Berzerker's Club in Kurn's Tower. High value baz item and great gift for n00bz (see below)
2. Log in to toon camping the Iksar Berzerker's Club in Kurn's Tower. High value baz item and great gift for n00bz (see below)
hehe, fond memories. When I started on EQ, my first couple months, every camp I chose to do was a total nightmare (some my fault, some others' fault, some just nasty RNG, etc).
Then I decided to camp the IBC. Told them in guild chat, see you in a week, most likely. Got to the spawn spot, re-cast invis, sat down, and BAM! He popped on top of me, in less than 2 seconds camp time!
I still have a screen shot of me screaming in guild chat "I'm the luckiest EQ player there is!" :)
Tat
Tatanka Wolfdancer, 115 Wood Elf Druid, 9 x 300+ Master Artisan, 7 maxed trophies (dang research! :)
Michone, 115 Troll Shadowknight
Anaceup Mysleeves, 115 Erudite Mage, 2 x 300 Master Artisan
Snookims Whinslow, 112 Erudite Enchanter, 2 x 300 Master Artisan
<Inisfree>, Tunare (Seventh Hammer!)
Michone, 115 Troll Shadowknight
Anaceup Mysleeves, 115 Erudite Mage, 2 x 300 Master Artisan
Snookims Whinslow, 112 Erudite Enchanter, 2 x 300 Master Artisan
<Inisfree>, Tunare (Seventh Hammer!)
The one I always remember from the early days is Bilge Farfathom in Dagnor's Cauldron, a very rare spawn who drops two nice +wisdom items. Dagnor's was a decent zone to XP in for a tracker and you always had a chance for Bilge to spawn. I remember one time I was low on mana from killing trash and wouldn't you know it Bilge spawns on track. I'm chasing him down knowing that I probably didn't have sufficient mana to kill him! These were the days when mana regen was SLOOOOW especially during a fight. Through perseverance I was able to kill him and loot the Pearl Kedge Totem, which was ubah in its day.
Wouldn't you know he spawned again a few minutes later and dropped the Reed Belt, his other nice item.
I never did figure out his spawn pattern altho some people claim to, including posts on the NPCs page right here.
Wouldn't you know he spawned again a few minutes later and dropped the Reed Belt, his other nice item.
I never did figure out his spawn pattern altho some people claim to, including posts on the NPCs page right here.
Sippin 115 DRU **** Firiona Vie ****Agnarr
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
4 posts
Everquest is a good game, was a FANTASTIC game back in the day, when people hung out at the newbie log in Nek forest, I have come and gone through the years, Unfortunately I see the game continues to get more stupid, waaaaaay to easy to play, I loved the extreme challenge back then. Thats what made EQ Unique, it was tough. These new expansions have no good content and just more grind zones. I do give all you vets two thumbs up for still playing. I personally am enjoying Project1999 more. I still have my old screenshots from so many years ago, that plus my memories are what put a smile on my face when I think about this game. I do however see this game eventually coming to an end. Sony is dumping a lot of money into EQ next and landmark. With that being said, hacking and Macroquest continue to be on the rise which ruins the game =/ I hope one day a game developer will see how awesome EQ was and may be make a decent version for today instead of making sorry WoW clones.
Macroquest is still around? Hunh. I guess playing MMOs from all those years ago when it was truly grinding toughened me up so that it feels like a breeze to make plat nowadays.
As an aside, I think the flattening of the MMO world with WoW opened doors to the true casual player, who, demanded low risk high rewards -- and once the corporate balance sheet showed more subs and RTM trades, the decision was far too easy to make to turn MMOs in remedial playgrounds. Seems the super casuals are finally falling off leaving it to the hardcore.
As an aside, I think the flattening of the MMO world with WoW opened doors to the true casual player, who, demanded low risk high rewards -- and once the corporate balance sheet showed more subs and RTM trades, the decision was far too easy to make to turn MMOs in remedial playgrounds. Seems the super casuals are finally falling off leaving it to the hardcore.
--
Savage Lady Nekokirei of Drinal
Predator Nekokirei of Stromm
Savage Lady Nekokirei of Drinal
Predator Nekokirei of Stromm
Scholar
17 posts
I started playing EQ in 99ish (a couple weeks before Kunark came out, EQ's first expac as we know). I played for a few years on an almost daily basis since I was a jobless teen back then. The game was fantastic to me because it was the first game I had ever played that had no ending! The appeal of building my character further and further, grouping with my real life friends as well as in-game friends, and my love for swords and magic and all things fantasy was what kept me playing.
I quit against my will in 05 when the game became too much for my old computer to handle, and I didn't have the money to buy a new one. 5 years, another mmo, and a college degree later, I came back to EQ at Christmas of 2010. Why? Because after a year of playing another mmo, I realized that I was always comparing it to EQ, and it donned on me that I should just go back to EQ since I always think about it...
Once I came back, I was disappointed to find that all my years of hard work to get the gear I had meant nothing. My gear was old and it was stuff that people could barely even give away. I had a lot of catching up to do! Within a few weeks I had relearned all the fun little basics of playing the game, and had caught up with my new guildmates thanks to some advice, and lots of solo work because I don't like handouts, I'd rather earn my stuff and I still do.
I've even passed on my knowledge of my class via the building of my own warrior based website known as The Warrior's Handbook. EQ has tons of loyal and hardcore players that actually enjoy playing the game as it was intended. I'm one of them... I don't like taking shortcuts, I don't like cheating, and I love to experience as much of the game as I can. I help others when I can, but I prefer to do things on my own as much as possible because that's how you truly get good and learn. I like to see how powerful I can become without help and how much I can accomplish (not in an antisocial kind of way though).
I've thought to myself many times, how is this game still around? The graphics are outdated and I know many people who won't play it because of the graphics despite the amount of content it has. But I came to the conclusion that it's the challenge of the game, the time involved to complete things properly, the amount of content, and most importantly the unmatched appeal that only EQ can provide. No other game will ever come close to that aspect of fun that only the real EQ players will ever understand.
I've seen many people say there's no challenge to this game, complain about how boring some things are, and many other things that all make me laugh. They'll never get it, the boringness of some quests ARE the challenge. Doing the quests as intended without taking shortcuts IS the challenge. Getting the best gear for your class and level without buying it from the bazaar IS the challenge. Taking your time to experience everything the game has to offer when you start at level 1 instead of trying to get to 105 in a week IS the challenge. There's so much more!
Here's a challenge for those who say the game isn't challenging. Make a level 1 character, do not go buying plat from websites or other players, do not twink your character, do not transfer stuff to that character from your alts or mains. Just take your rusty sword and your cloth tunic and start killing! Do all the quests you can find as you level up. Equip gear as it drops from mobs if it's an upgrade and do not accept handouts from other players who feel sorry for you because you're starting from scratch and think you're a true noobie. See where I'm going with this? Play the game as it was intended! Therein lies your challenge! And THAT my friends is why I still play EQ and how it has survived this long...
When I started, we didn't have mercs, we didn't have acheesements, we didn't have all those noobie quests that are easily found in your quest log these days and give good exp when you complete them, and we had to search for our quest mobs not knowing where they were and all that. We didn't have pathing to show us where to go and all that stuff they added to make the game easier for the not so hardcore players that want things handed to them instead of challenging themselves.
If you play the game the new school way, it's easy. But if you play it the old school way, I give you my 100% guarantee that you will get challenged, get angry, get bored, and want to give up. But you will also appreciate the true essence of EQ and the work you had to do to build your character the right way.
That is all... :D
I quit against my will in 05 when the game became too much for my old computer to handle, and I didn't have the money to buy a new one. 5 years, another mmo, and a college degree later, I came back to EQ at Christmas of 2010. Why? Because after a year of playing another mmo, I realized that I was always comparing it to EQ, and it donned on me that I should just go back to EQ since I always think about it...
Once I came back, I was disappointed to find that all my years of hard work to get the gear I had meant nothing. My gear was old and it was stuff that people could barely even give away. I had a lot of catching up to do! Within a few weeks I had relearned all the fun little basics of playing the game, and had caught up with my new guildmates thanks to some advice, and lots of solo work because I don't like handouts, I'd rather earn my stuff and I still do.
I've even passed on my knowledge of my class via the building of my own warrior based website known as The Warrior's Handbook. EQ has tons of loyal and hardcore players that actually enjoy playing the game as it was intended. I'm one of them... I don't like taking shortcuts, I don't like cheating, and I love to experience as much of the game as I can. I help others when I can, but I prefer to do things on my own as much as possible because that's how you truly get good and learn. I like to see how powerful I can become without help and how much I can accomplish (not in an antisocial kind of way though).
I've thought to myself many times, how is this game still around? The graphics are outdated and I know many people who won't play it because of the graphics despite the amount of content it has. But I came to the conclusion that it's the challenge of the game, the time involved to complete things properly, the amount of content, and most importantly the unmatched appeal that only EQ can provide. No other game will ever come close to that aspect of fun that only the real EQ players will ever understand.
I've seen many people say there's no challenge to this game, complain about how boring some things are, and many other things that all make me laugh. They'll never get it, the boringness of some quests ARE the challenge. Doing the quests as intended without taking shortcuts IS the challenge. Getting the best gear for your class and level without buying it from the bazaar IS the challenge. Taking your time to experience everything the game has to offer when you start at level 1 instead of trying to get to 105 in a week IS the challenge. There's so much more!
Here's a challenge for those who say the game isn't challenging. Make a level 1 character, do not go buying plat from websites or other players, do not twink your character, do not transfer stuff to that character from your alts or mains. Just take your rusty sword and your cloth tunic and start killing! Do all the quests you can find as you level up. Equip gear as it drops from mobs if it's an upgrade and do not accept handouts from other players who feel sorry for you because you're starting from scratch and think you're a true noobie. See where I'm going with this? Play the game as it was intended! Therein lies your challenge! And THAT my friends is why I still play EQ and how it has survived this long...
When I started, we didn't have mercs, we didn't have acheesements, we didn't have all those noobie quests that are easily found in your quest log these days and give good exp when you complete them, and we had to search for our quest mobs not knowing where they were and all that. We didn't have pathing to show us where to go and all that stuff they added to make the game easier for the not so hardcore players that want things handed to them instead of challenging themselves.
If you play the game the new school way, it's easy. But if you play it the old school way, I give you my 100% guarantee that you will get challenged, get angry, get bored, and want to give up. But you will also appreciate the true essence of EQ and the work you had to do to build your character the right way.
That is all... :D
angeli wrote:
(some snippage for length)
Here's a challenge... Make a level 1 character, do not go buying plat from websites or other players, do not twink your character, do not transfer stuff to that character from your alts or mains. Just take your rusty sword and your cloth tunic and start killing! Do all the quests you can find as you level up. Equip gear as it drops from mobs if it's an upgrade and do not accept handouts from other players who feel sorry for you because you're starting from scratch and think you're a true noobie. See where I'm going with this? Play the game as it was intended! Therein lies your challenge! And THAT my friends is why I still play EQ and how it has survived this long...
That is all... :D
Here's a challenge... Make a level 1 character, do not go buying plat from websites or other players, do not twink your character, do not transfer stuff to that character from your alts or mains. Just take your rusty sword and your cloth tunic and start killing! Do all the quests you can find as you level up. Equip gear as it drops from mobs if it's an upgrade and do not accept handouts from other players who feel sorry for you because you're starting from scratch and think you're a true noobie. See where I'm going with this? Play the game as it was intended! Therein lies your challenge! And THAT my friends is why I still play EQ and how it has survived this long...
That is all... :D
Well said!
I've done this multiple times. I usually add some conditions:
-plan to explore zones I haven't done much. It's amazing that after 10+ years of playing there are still pre-OoW zones that I haven't really "beaten", especially at the level that yields proper experience. Killing in Najena at level 15 is entirely different than level 65.
-no agnostic unless that is the only option for the combo (makes you more hated in the old world). If there is an odd-fit option take it. Do your starting guild quests as they point your factions how you are supposed to play... unless you want a real challenge (i.e., wood elf allied with Crushbone).
-no fast travel unless it's a spell you have. Last time I did this on a Troll I was amazed at how long it took me to be able to safely leave my starter area. Running around zones in their natural pathing/order makes the game way harder.
-progressive so limited to expacs... after a while I got tired of original zones/starts so I did Kunark (as a non-iksar that is really hard, never yet stuck with it. As Iksar it's fun to do the home-city chains and get the story). Last time I played I adopted Shar Val as my start and "grew up" in Luclin. Fun as a non-vah Shir class.
-sometimes I cheat on spells and use PoK library... the newer spell system I hate (learned it up pretty high skill on one character and swore never again), and soloing up spells that were meant to be player-sold drops in content no one is killing for the spell drops is far more sadistic than original design intentions. Granted only getting spells as they were originally offered is quite the challenge (i.e., enchanters had vendor all over the place for specific spells). I suppose the "compromise" would be buying the spell from modern vendor once you got both the old drop pages (last I played they still dropped in the old zones).
-roll the character on a quiet server (Trakanon worked great for this) as there is minimal temptation to cheat your own rules as there is no baz economy or numerous nearly defunct guilds with years worth of stuff banked.
Snailish, you're a bit of a m*sochist, eh, and I say that with all due respect! 
You don't mention grouping, maybe because it's hard to find other players willing to group at low levels, and even harder if you restrict yourself as you suggest, unless you get into a guild designed for this purpose. That turns the game basically into a solo FPS game, which is definitely NOT what the original developers intended. Not much to do around that, short of finding an emu or progression server designed as close to your requirements as possible, where other players can be found who share your antideluvian sentiments.
Don't get me wrong, I share your liking for this kind of play, altho it's more fun---and more "classic"---with friends. Aye, there's the rub.
(It's beyond me why the bad word filter originally asterisked out the entire word in my first line. That's a clinical term! LOL)
Edited, Mar 19th 2015 7:05am by Sippin
You don't mention grouping, maybe because it's hard to find other players willing to group at low levels, and even harder if you restrict yourself as you suggest, unless you get into a guild designed for this purpose. That turns the game basically into a solo FPS game, which is definitely NOT what the original developers intended. Not much to do around that, short of finding an emu or progression server designed as close to your requirements as possible, where other players can be found who share your antideluvian sentiments.
Don't get me wrong, I share your liking for this kind of play, altho it's more fun---and more "classic"---with friends. Aye, there's the rub.
(It's beyond me why the bad word filter originally asterisked out the entire word in my first line. That's a clinical term! LOL)
Edited, Mar 19th 2015 7:05am by Sippin
Sippin 115 DRU **** Firiona Vie ****Agnarr
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
in reply to Sippin's comment above:
yeah, it's only interesting for so long when you have to do it all solo. I generally lose interest around level 51. Keeping in mind I did this more often before the AA xp boosts came in so it was a long haul to progress after 51 in the crummy gear with no help.
When we had the Lunar Mutants rolling Luclin content it was fun for a couple of months. The real challenge with maintaining a group going in something like this is maintaining momentum without losing people along the way (Lunar Mutants lost members every time the more-active players hit the next level bracket of zones it seemed).
A locked progression server offered by Daybreak (oy... not used to that yet) would work for me. I'm the person that would get a lot of mileage out of a Velious lock, but could live with Luclin, PoP-Ldon, or even GoD or OoW but I'd rather not creep that far ahead in modernity.
yeah, it's only interesting for so long when you have to do it all solo. I generally lose interest around level 51. Keeping in mind I did this more often before the AA xp boosts came in so it was a long haul to progress after 51 in the crummy gear with no help.
When we had the Lunar Mutants rolling Luclin content it was fun for a couple of months. The real challenge with maintaining a group going in something like this is maintaining momentum without losing people along the way (Lunar Mutants lost members every time the more-active players hit the next level bracket of zones it seemed).
A locked progression server offered by Daybreak (oy... not used to that yet) would work for me. I'm the person that would get a lot of mileage out of a Velious lock, but could live with Luclin, PoP-Ldon, or even GoD or OoW but I'd rather not creep that far ahead in modernity.
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