EverQuest Franchise Holiday Contest!

SOE and ZAM team up to give the community some awesome prizes!

UPDATE: Winners have been announced!


Thank you everyone for your entries! It's definitely been a trip down memory lane reading so many wonderful stories. The contest has now ended and we'll be finalizing the list of all qualified names before randomly selecting winners in a blind drawing.

Winners will be announced by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Winners will also be notified via Private Messaging (PMs) on ZAM that they have won. We will update this article and post a new one as well informing everyone of the results!


This holiday season, Sony Online Entertainment and ZAM want to share the holiday spirit with the community with an epic contest! It doesn't matter if you play EverQuest, EverQuest II or want to dive into EverQuest Next Landmark, there is something for all Norrathians here. We have one grand prize and three Station Cash prizes from SOE, as well as a bonus for ten lucky people from ZAM!

  • GRAND PRIZE: One winner will receive codes to the collector's editions of the most recent EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions, Call of the Forsaken and Tears of Veeshan (a $90 value each), as well as a code for the EverQuest Next Landmark Trailblazer Founder's Pack (a $100 value; total prize value of $280)
  • Three more winners will each receive one $10 Station Cash code (worth 1000 SC)
  • Ten more winners will each receive three months premium on ZAM

Continue after the jump for details on how this contest will work!


How to Enter

  • Log in to your ZAM account (registering is free!)
  • Post a comment at least 3-5 sentences long (minimum) in the comments section of this article
  • The comment should focus on your favorite location in Norrath, in any EverQuest franchise title. Why is it your favorite place? Did something fun happen to you or your guild there? Do you just love the environment or lore of the location? Are you new to Norrath, but want to talk about a location you are excited to visit in-game?
  • You can supplement your comment by linking to a video or picture of this location! It's not required and won't affect your entry into the contest, but it's a lot more fun to share!
  • Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday, December 27, 2013... that means you have one week to enter!
  • Only one entry per person, please!

Due to the amount of entries we have, comments may take a bit of extra time to load... patience, grasshopper!

How We Judge

  • As long as your entry meets the contest guidelines above, you will be entered into a random blind drawing!
  • Winners will be announced by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2013
  • Codes for the Grand Prize and Station Cash will be sent to the appropriate winners via private message on ZAM by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2013
  • Winners of the three months of premium on ZAM will have it added to their account and will be notified of their win via private message on ZAM. This has to be done manually, so there may be additional delay.

Obligatory Information

  • No purchase necessary, but you need to register for a free account with ZAM if you haven't yet
  • You must have an account with SOE to be able to redeem the codes. They will not work for PSS1 account holders.
  • We don't care which country you're in as long as you have an SOE account
  • The contest begins whenever this article goes live on Friday, December 20, 2013 and ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday, December 27, 2013
  • One entry per person
  • ZAM staff and their immediate family are not eligible. Sorry, hubby!
  • SOE employees and their immediate family are not eligible. Sorry, Roshen!

That's everything! You can enter the contest for yourself, or to try and win an awesome gift for a friend or loved one -- either way, we can't wait to read everyone's stories!


Disclaimer: I'm aware that the picture above doesn't reflect the recent EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions... what it does reflect is my favorite locations in those games! =)

 Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor

Follow me on Twitter: @Cyliena

Comments

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Echo Caverns
# Dec 26 2013 at 12:37 PM Rating: Good
17 posts
Out of all of them I have to choose Echo Caverns.
There is a needlite cave where The Needlite Queen spawns that I used to exp in. Always had company from a friend of mine that I loved playing with. Unfortunately back when we actually farmed for exp there we would get caught up talking to each other and wouldn't notice the needlites spawning around us. Always going to remember that zone as being my favorite because that's where I spent the best times with a great friend of mine that I've now known for almost 10 years =)
Not to mention it's cool that it's 1 zone but in a way still 2 zones
Games these days....
# Dec 26 2013 at 12:35 PM Rating: Decent
EverQuest was my first online MMO. You never forget your first. I started playing around the end of 2000, and was a dedicated, daily player until the untimely demise of my video card around 2004. Huge shout out to the people who played on Morell-Thule ! Anyhoo, back on track, I don't think I could ever choose just one favorite location. I was from the start, and always will be, completely in love with the world of Norrath, be it EQ1 or the changed landscape of EQ2. I think one of my most favorite locations was the waterfall outside of Thurgadin in the Great Divide. It's so hard to narrow it down tho. I know everyone who ever played the original EQ from back in the day understands.
As a side note, I have yet to find one game where I haven't met other players who would reminisce for hours about the EQ old days. Am I the only one who gets it in the feels when you meet another gamer who remembers how it was ?

Sugarbritches Punkinpie of Morell-Thule !


Edited, Dec 26th 2013 1:39pm by harliequinn
favorite location
# Dec 26 2013 at 12:25 PM Rating: Decent
In Everquest 2 Kunark was my favorite area ...it just had so many different kinds of terrain from jungles to lava to snow and so many different mobs....loved all the quest and factions.. the mastercraft quest line that was in the done in that area was a blast...trying to run your level 10 thru it was always a exciting challenge..I was sad when I had to move on to another area.

Edited, Dec 26th 2013 1:31pm by whatevervp
Old Sebilis
# Dec 26 2013 at 11:45 AM Rating: Excellent
Liberal Conspiracy
*******
TILT
My favorite location has always been the ruins of old Sebilis. Such a well designed location, the whole place drips with lost history. Back in the day, the risk vs reward was exceptional and it still stands as a model for what a great zone can be. Massive, dangerous, riches to be plundered and seeped in the lore of the lands including its amazing "boss" in Trakanon.
____________________________
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
My favourite zone
# Dec 26 2013 at 10:24 AM Rating: Decent
8 posts
For me I guess it would have to be The Overthere. When I first started playing in 2006 I made a human paladin named Leifen. At that time there were of course no mercs and I was soloing trying to lvl my poor pally. A very kind player invited me to their guild and explained what that would do for me. The idea of people grouping and playing together intrigued me so I said I would like that. In order to join I had to go to the overthere because the guild leader was grouped there.

I went to the overthere and was actually kind of scared due to the level of the mobs there and the fact that you could lose your gear at that time if you didn't rez/loot your corpse. Vlayn the DE Shad from True Brotherhood of Knights offered me a place with them and invited me to his group after. I gained 5 levels that day and it changed the way I viewed this amazing game.

I miss him and the guild but we all move on and things change. I still get the same sense of wonder and excitement though when a new expansion comes out and I start to explore.
Starting Out
# Dec 26 2013 at 8:10 AM Rating: Decent
6 posts
I started playing in 2001. My real life brother convinced me I should play a shaman. I think his motive was self serving as he was an High Elf Pally and wanted my buffs. My first toon was a Barbarian Shaman. I didn't have a clue how to play and swimming was especially hard to learn. I drowned several times in the lake between Halas and Everfrost. Just when I thought I had it mastered I hit the wrong direction arrow and backed up into a well. I tried to get out and after a number of futile attempts I drowned once more. Now I had a problem, it was 2am I wasn't sure which well I fell into and no one I knew was on. I ended up calling my brother who called another friend and between them they were able to locate my corpse and bring me back to life. To this day my brothers wife reminds me of that night when I woke him up in the middle of the night to play "that stupid game".

Of course after I learned to swim I had great fun killing skellies in Everfrost where the vengeful soloist had its way with me more often than not. Brings back great memories.
Black Burrow #1
# Dec 26 2013 at 7:01 AM Rating: Decent
I love Black Burrow even tot his day I'll visit all the blue gnolls in their snake skin pants. One of the best newbie zones hands down. I would run my rogue Loopie in there and pass out velium weapons to the gnolls to give them an edge on the newbies. One I saw King Tranxx and even saw the Splitpaw Commander. I really enjoy the gnolls and even found the gnoll bathroom full of gnoll poo. So many good times playing with gnolls and doing the quests. Some of old school EQ people remember when you died in Black Burrow and had to have a torch to get there because it was so dark and spooky and the GNOLL TRAINS LOL. Black Burrow to this day is still my favorite zone hands down.
Plane of Nightmare
# Dec 26 2013 at 7:01 AM Rating: Decent
It's hard to pick just one but...

I will never forget the nights I spent in Plane of Nightmare in Everquest 1. I spent so much time there - either in a group trying to kite epic mobs we shouldn't have been able to do, or petting the animals with my druid and dot kiting the werewolves for blue diamonds. It was one of the things I loved most about EQ1 - the diversity of play styles you could use in just a single zone.

I spent a lot of time making friends in that zone - some of which I'm still in contact with all these years later.
my favorites
# Dec 26 2013 at 6:30 AM Rating: Decent
I can't say there is a specific zone that screams out this is my favorite but if forced to choose I would have to say House of Thule rates right up top. the secret passages, the mix of mob types and versatility of play made that very enjoyable to play. I hated the place when I first went there the mobs hit hard and i didn't have maps to tell me that this wall slid up, but with the help of friends I trudged into a very unique zone. I have played a bit in Shard's Landing but have yet to get the new expansion and truthfully I am curious as I have seen each expansion bring new content and better looking zones.
Midnitebow, Midnitemist, Midnitemagic, Azuremidnite, Midnitemoon,Midnitedragon, Midnitesky, pretty much any toon with "midnite" in the name except Midnitewulf ( my wife just had to have a toon with midnite in it ) and Midnitestar ( a very sweet person who I tease that she stole my Midnite moniker) Smiley: nod
My favorite place literally.
# Dec 26 2013 at 2:31 AM Rating: Decent
I am new to everquest so I haven't much to say about places I have been. I am excited about everquest landmark and the places I will be creating. I am also excited for seeing the underground of eqn and how I will be able to destroy the environment. Kudos to soe for a great game and I look forward to becoming part of this community.
My Favorite Place
# Dec 25 2013 at 11:26 PM Rating: Default
15 posts
My Favorite place was Paludal Caverns. I loved exploring all the caves, running into the sensate, trying to avoid the plerg phlarg fiend's and there Spreading crud (loss of 10 stamina, and 3 HP a tick was a lot back then). Can't wait to explore new areas in EQNext!
Favorite zone
# Dec 25 2013 at 10:53 PM Rating: Decent
My favorite zone is Mountains of Rathe. Great zone just to go into and kill and have a good time. I started playing in 2002, when it was just a trilogy. An aspect of my job made me quit for a year in 2003, but I came back to it once I was able to. No matter what level I am, I always seem to go here to clear my head and just have fun. It reminds me of days when the game was just starting and simple.
Everquest
# Dec 25 2013 at 10:41 PM Rating: Decent
There is so much zone i love too, i can't pick one, i think the best experience i had was when i went to the Ssra temple ( not sure how to spell it, it's been several years), a guildmate asked someone to come for 1k plat, i went instead :D, it was my first time going to a raid ( i was only level 30 ish), it was awesome :D, so many zone with great memories :) in the commonlands, and the paludal caverns, i can't wai tto go back to all those old zones once more :D, merry christmas everyone :)
Eastern Wastes
# Dec 25 2013 at 9:31 PM Rating: Decent
This is hands down my favorite zone in Everquest 1. I spent more time in EW than all other zones combined, whether I was farming for rep or farming for MQ's of the ring quest I was almost always in EW. Not to mentioned the hours and hours I spent leveling there. Whether I was fear kiting animals (I was a ranger) or Farming the Dwarves at the huts I probably got more than 20 levels in that zone. Plus I love snowy zones and I wish more games had more of them.
Pre and Post Return Favorite Places
# Dec 25 2013 at 7:48 PM Rating: Decent
So I have left EQ and come back about 1.5 years ago. I started playing in 2001, and soon was in an awesome guild on the Rathe server. My favorite grouping zone has to have been Highpass Keep. You learned skills there as a group member, and plenty of times how to die with grace. Since I have come back, I think that the new heroic dungeon series is amazing, and definitely part of the greatness that is EQ.
Why I love All of Norrath
# Dec 25 2013 at 7:13 PM Rating: Decent
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82 posts
I love all of Norrath because there are so many things to do that you never truly can finish it all. I'm one of those people that likes to go for the full achievements and rack up those nerd points. Like or instance today I gathered up some adventurers and we took down the final dragon in the DoN xpack on the Dark Reign side of the faction scale gaining me both my resist boost and my dragonshade mask with the awesome clickie for my rogue. Anyway hope I win.
Most memorable Location
# Dec 25 2013 at 7:03 PM Rating: Decent
I would have to say one of my most memorable locations in EQ was Kithicor Forest. I remember being just a little halfling and having to check the time of day in game anytime I needed to travel towards Commonlands. Nighttime was a real threat and multiple corpse runs would ensue whenever you did choose the wrong time to make the run. The fact you couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of you never helped the situation either. Oh the memories :)
Favorite Place - Everquest
# Dec 25 2013 at 5:10 PM Rating: Decent
Ah, good old, and I really mean OLD, Felwithe. I remember back in beta, it was my home city. At the end of beta, I and some friends figured out how to climb up to one of the ledges and jump down. We did it over and over again since if you jumped just right, you could land in the water and NOT die. We figured we were being reset anyway, why not. It's one of the few zones that hasn't really changed that much since the beginning either.
Of all places-- Overthere.
# Dec 25 2013 at 5:01 PM Rating: Decent
**
331 posts
I started playing EQ up when SOE offered their "Free trilogy for 3 months" back in 2004-ish. Soon after, there were server merges and I moved to Stromm to start a new character-- a berserker. I spent a massive amount of time soloing in Overthere (when people would swear that a berserker couldn't solo). I would pull a mob out of general pathing patterns, snare it, and use throwing axes to wear it down a bit. Then, I would stun the mob, swing around the back side of it, and take some cheap shots. I learned how to easy each and every ability a berserker had to offer by soloing and simply accepted the resulting med time. I still go back to the Overthere from time to time and wonder "How in the world did I do this un-twinked, not max buffed, without all of today's Defiant gear, and without a guild to chat with?"

It was great having EQ to burn those extra brain processes after a boring day. I'm hoping EQ Next will affect me the same way.
My early memories of Everquest
# Dec 25 2013 at 4:59 PM Rating: Decent
I have a couple of wonderful memories of Everquest from the early days of its release. The first one was from when I very first started playing, I rolled a Dark Elf wizard and my home city was of course Neriak and I remember very timidly adventuring out (but not very far!) into the forest in search of snakes to kill and gain xp. I learned very early on that following the 'zone walls' was the best way to travel so after about an hour or so I decided to venture out along the zone wall and suddenly found myself zoning into the most terrifying place up until that time I think I had ever been. I had zoned into Lavastorm Mountains.with its blood red sky and red con mobs everywhere, and I was absolutely petrified, I'll never forget it. I ran back to the safety of Neriak as quickly as I could.
My second and equally favorite memory is of relaxing in the water outside the 'Fish Barrel' I think was the name, it was a restaurant in Neriak 3rd Gate I believe and the music that played when you were in the water was so relaxing and will forever remind me of the magic and mystery that Everquest embodied. It is truly a wonderful game.
Favorite location in Norrath
# Dec 25 2013 at 4:18 PM Rating: Decent
I started playing EQ1 regularly in 2001. My favorite place then was Paludal Caverns. It was just so much fun meeting up with people and killing the camps.I meet a lot of people there. I also got to participate in a guide quest to help a lost Vah Shir get back home. Fighting my way through the tunnels was a kick. Especially with the guide fully role playing the part of a scared lost kitty. When we finally arrived at Shar Vahl the guide gave me a couple of pieces of armor (a ring and a necklace). If i recall right. All my toons have past through here and all have had a great time leveling there. So for me it has to be Paludal Caverns!!!!
Charasis from the original Everquest
# Dec 25 2013 at 4:13 PM Rating: Excellent
Guru
Avatar
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117 posts
I really despised this ruined city, it used to be just an obstacle for my monk on quest to get the whistling fists. I didn't really experience what this place was until I came back with a shadow knight who was attempting to obtain Greenmist.

I remember feeling extremely nervous the moment we entered, since the first thing you see is golems staring at you from all directions, and the fact that this is a zone were you can't just walk back and exit made me feel even worse. We went down with a full party and started clearing everything.

We go through one of the doors that was guarded by the golems, behind them there are hallways full of skeletons, we kill them to keep moving forward, but at some point my party disappeared from my sight and I started panicking, they tell me that they went through a fake wall in the room, so I start running into walls until I finally go through one, and almost had a heart attack when I saw what was on the other side.

I immediately feigned death and kept yelling (typing like a madman) "WHY IS VENRIL SATHIR HERE!?". This was back in the Kunark era when Venril was considered a big boss guy. Anyways, my party just started laughing at my reaction, and made me realize that what I was looking at was just a picture on a wall.

I felt so embarrassed after that, and they just kept making jokes about it throughout the run. As we keep going we realize that we might be a bit undermanned, because things are starting to hit harder and die slower. We eventually get to Drusella Sathir's room and decide to just keep everything crowd controlled, kill her as fast as possible and run out.

And we did just that, except for the running away part... We killed her, the shadowknight looted what he needed, we died to a bunch of golems, and then we payed like 500 platinum each for corpse summons and resurrections.

It was a really exciting experience that made me fall in love with the zone, and to this day that low res picture of Venril scares me...

Damn whoever put it there!
The Nexus
# Dec 25 2013 at 1:58 PM Rating: Decent
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218 posts
One of my favorite zones was The Nexus. I took part in the GM event that discovered The Nexus and received a special title (Of the Nexus) and a clicky gate to Nexus item. Both titles and clicky port items were very rare at the time.

The Nexus had a brief time of increased population as people used the new portal spires to find their way around Norrath quickly before the invention of PoK stones.
re: favorite zone in EQ
# Dec 25 2013 at 12:38 PM Rating: Good
-REDACTED-
Sage
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76 posts
My first character in EQ was a Dorf paly...it took me ages to get her leveled up enough to go to Nro, and then on to oasis...orc Highway, and Specs to Docks...the SGs, and swimming out to T1 to med to avoid seated agro...Oasis has to be one of my all time favorites zones...sadly it's gone now...of the zones currently in game...Blightfire Moors, hands down, for low level characters...it offers such a wide variety of things to do...Smiley: cool

Edited, Dec 25th 2013 12:52pm by Kinderslye
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