Why do players stay hardcore after this much time?

[Smellybuttface]

This is an honest inquiry, since I find the notion pretty interesting.

This game has been around for 20ish years. Likely, most of us played back in the day, and liked the game so much that nostalgia drew us back here. But after Blue/Red being out for so long, and then the new servers dropped, I’ve known or heard of many of the same people from Blue/Red’s hardcore player base (the determined raiders, playing more than 6 hours a day, fighting tooth and nail to get repeated raid spawns etc.) restarted on Green/Teal, and did ALL THE SAME THINGS completely over again. I’m just trying to understand, how does one have the motivation to spend 6-10 hours a day (or more) doing on Green the exact same thing they previously did on Blue/Red such a very short time ago?

I guess I’m trying to understand because I don’t think I could find the motivation to do that again (I wasn’t a Blue player, this is just from talking to a lot of folks in-game and on forums). How do you get excited camping the same things over again for days on end?

I’m not judging!

[El-Hefe]

I mean, I'm no hardcore raid goober. But with how the internet was, and the fact that I was a minor when EQ was in its classic phase: I didn't have a chance to go hard back in the day. So I definitely go harder than I did back then.

[RipVanFish]

Content is still pretty new to me

[Velerin]

One major difference I’ve found from modern eq vs classic eq is it’s so much easier to be on all the time now. Most people have their computer going all the time, are windowed out, probably bs’ing on discord, doing other shit and it’s so easy to tab in blow up a dragon and go back to whatever. Back in the day not so much. For modern EQ (both p99 and live/TLPs) a “hardcore” probably isn’t even looking at the EQ screen that often while a “casual” player is probably actually doing more in the game..

[Wallicker]

Work smarter not harder.

[CancerMage]

the content might not be fresh but the memories im making are all new, and i want to spend as much time doing that.

[Siege]

I've never been a raider, but I still put time into Classic EQ because it offers a unique experience. Its been 20 years and there still hasn't been a proper followup, and there likely never will be. I'm enjoying it while it lasts because there won't be a fresh crop of younger players who will keep the game alive 10 or 20 years from now.

[Naxy]

I think I could retire with maintaining an EQ server as a hobby. :)

[Kanuvan]

its because items in EQ1 are so valuable and coveted compared to other mmos where a upgrade can be replaced literally 5 minutes after you get it from a quest, geting a bis item in EQ is a feeling you dont get in other MMOs because its not something easy to come by and is going to last you and your alts a lifetime of value

no other mmo still can provide that feeling, loot in other mmos is just 20 gold vendor trash after a patch or 2 comes out, but a fbss or manastone is with you for a lifetime

[maxlaurent]

Easy answer : these people have just no lives (RL I mean...)

[nilzark]

Because I'm so casual that after 20+ years, I've only been to Fear, Nagafen, and Ice Giants once - and that's not even hardcore bro. I'm still trying to get that darkforge, na mean? No other game has held my interest as much. It's also designed in such a way as to hook you in like crack, hence the moniker EverCrack. They needed long term players to pay that subscription fee. We are what is left of that...

[Phaezed-Reality]

Cannot help that i been good at EQ for 20 years.

[Wrekt]

New releases are fun. Each one is different. P99 is special because the people in charge are competent and reliable. EQ reborn was fun with the regen. But the global ooc had the personality disorders like red.

[cd288]

Depends on what you mean by hardcore. Have I put a lot of hours into P99? Definitely. But I'm not a hardcore raider or hardcore camper of legacy/BIS items etc. Personally, I just enjoy the game and being in Norrath; it's just relaxing and fun to be in the world and it still feels so much more alive than other modern MMOs where the world and NPCs just feel so much like a basic video game that it's not enjoyable. On Blue I played classes that I never played back in the day on live. On Green, I'm playing classes I never played on Blue. So it's somewhat of a new experience in a way each time.

[BlackBellamy]

How do you get excited camping the same things over again for days on end?


Dude.

https://imgur.com/h9peGS0.gif

[eqravenprince]

Copied and pasted from a drug addiction website, but really it probably applies here too.

Substances produce a euphoric feeling by triggering large amounts of dopamine in certain regions of the brain responsible for the feeling of reward. Addiction occurs when the act of using a substance takes over these circuits and increases the urge to consume more and more of the substance in order to achieve the same rewarding effect.

A substance use disorder eventually no longer causes the same rewarding feelings that it once caused. However, if the person abstains from using the substance, they begin to feel symptoms of withdrawal, which can be extremely unpleasant.

[kjs86z]

addiction, autism, drugs, etc

[loramin]

Dude.

https://imgur.com/h9peGS0.gif

This,

I mean, really you answered your own question in your first post:

This game has been around for 20ish years.

...

How do you get excited camping the same things over again for days on end?

People keep doing the same thing over and over in a game for 20 years because it's a game that's so incredibly addictive that ... people are still playing (and running emulated servers for) it 20 years later.

I think most of us can't even remember 90% of the other 20+ year old computer games we've played :)

[waltjig]

Let’s be honest with ourselves, if you are playing EQ99 hardcore still to this day, and have been for 4+ years, you have real issues that need addressed. No one dedicates the time it takes to be hardcore to any virtual reality situation unless they are trying to escape their personal life. I mean cmon, graphics aren’t even good bros

[cd288]

Let’s be honest with ourselves, if you are playing EQ99 hardcore still to this day, and have been for 4+ years, you have real issues that need addressed. No one dedicates the time it takes to be hardcore to any virtual reality situation unless they are trying to escape their personal life. I mean cmon, graphics aren’t even good bros

Let's be honest with ourselves, if one of the things you do with your time is go on internet forums to tell people that they have issues they need to address, you have real issues you need to address. No one dedicates the time it takes to go to an internet forum, create an account, and post there about how other people have issues unless they have conscious issues that they're trying to escape/make themselves feel better about in their personal life and/or subconscious issues that they're not fully aware of.

[Doktoor]

Once again, hypocritical people who play the game, talking shit on people who also play the game...

It’s funny that people generalize people’s lives when they have no idea. Personally, I have a career, children, and spend 6 weeks a year in the wilderness bowhunting, yet I have a lvl 50 char on Green, had a char on blue, and played On live. I played too much 1999-2001, but I’ve learned to control my play time such as that it’s not disaffecting RL and made it through college and medical school during these 20 yrs.

As far as the OP, people still play it because it’s fun and a challenge.

[Evets]

The hardcores are the huge minority I think.... Most of us just like the game and the social aspect. I've made lifelong friends in this game and that hasn't happened in any other game I've played. I literally still talk to people on a daily basis that I met on eq 20 years ago!

[YendorLootmonkey]

How do you get excited camping the same things over again for days on end?

Clearly you have never strolled into a nightclub full of beautiful young ladies, shouted "Whaddup?! I got four manastones!", and heard all the splooshing from wet panties dropping on the floor.
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No one else has, either.

[aaezil]

Its because video games = fake accomplishments.

Human brain likes accomplishments and when you are a loser in real life whose brain suffers from lack of achievement you go and seek dopamine rewards in games.

Simple really

[urbanbo]

PFFT - EQ'ers, noobs! Ultima Online is still where it's at!

[Evets]

UO is a great game... just not AS great IMHO... Love Uo Outlands server it's the shit!

[cd288]

Its because video games = fake accomplishments.

Human brain likes accomplishments and when you are a loser in real life whose brain suffers from lack of achievement you go and seek dopamine rewards in games.

Simple really

Or it just likes accomplishments in general and has nothing to do with the state of your real life.

[waltjig]

Let's be honest with ourselves, if one of the things you do with your time is go on internet forums to tell people that they have issues they need to address, you have real issues you need to address. No one dedicates the time it takes to go to an internet forum, create an account, and post there about how other people have issues unless they have conscious issues that they're trying to escape/make themselves feel better about in their personal life and/or subconscious issues that they're not fully aware of.

I like what you did here. And I will be the first to admit that I had a personal problem with EverQuest, and part of getting over my own addiction is satisfying it by keeping up with the happenings on the forums. I apologize that I triggered you, obviously, but maybe you need some self reflection of your own. I face my demons ever day and overcome them, maybe you should go upstairs and ask mommy for some more lasagna.

[Wallicker]

Bro I’m eating spaghetti tonight not lasagna

[BlackBellamy]

I like what you did here. And I will be the first to admit that I had a personal problem with EverQuest, and part of getting over my own addiction is satisfying it by keeping up with the happenings on the forums. I apologize that I triggered you, obviously, but maybe you need some self reflection of your own. I face my demons ever day and overcome them, maybe you should go upstairs and ask mommy for some more lasagna.

*daemons

[charmcitysking]

I like what you did here. And I will be the first to admit that I had a personal problem with EverQuest, and part of getting over my own addiction is satisfying it by keeping up with the happenings on the forums. I apologize that I triggered you, obviously, but maybe you need some self reflection of your own. I face my demons ever day and overcome them, maybe you should go upstairs and ask mommy for some more lasagna.

MA!! MEATLOAF!!!

FUCK

[cd288]

I like what you did here. And I will be the first to admit that I had a personal problem with EverQuest, and part of getting over my own addiction is satisfying it by keeping up with the happenings on the forums. I apologize that I triggered you, obviously, but maybe you need some self reflection of your own. I face my demons ever day and overcome them, maybe you should go upstairs and ask mommy for some more lasagna.

I don't think anyone needs self reflection to realize it's a pretty asinine thing to come on a forum and tell other people they have issues lol

[Tethler]

Two simple words: Disability Benefits

[Smellybuttface]

Two simple words: Disability Benefits

Lol.

I get the addiction piece. I was definitely addicted back in the live days, and would feel the effects of a withdrawal even going a few days off the game. I’ve gotten addicted to other games since then too; I feel like certain personality’s lend themselves to a higher propensity towards addiction than others. Either nature, nurture, or some combination therein. I just know I have to really control myself playing certain games, or it could be easy to fall back down the rabbit hole. The dopamine cycle is very real.

When I read about some of these 4 day 100+ hour Manastone runs, I’m cringing inside. Reminds me of these kinds of stories:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2015/01/19/world/taiwan-gamer-death/index.html

[branamil]

95% of the ppl here have some crippling real life problems and come here as a mental crutch

[silo32]

[x] Drugs
[x] Fun-employment

[silo32]

Once again, hypocritical people who play the game, talking shit on people who also play the game...

It’s funny that people generalize people’s lives when they have no idea. Personally, I have a career, children, and spend 6 weeks a year in the wilderness bowhunting, yet I have a lvl 50 char on Green, had a char on blue, and played On live. I played too much 1999-2001, but I’ve learned to control my play time such as that it’s not disaffecting RL and made it through college and medical school during these 20 yrs.

As far as the OP, people still play it because it’s fun and a challenge.

I play 1 day a week and im lvl 50 on green, 2 60's on blue (since launch), geared out multiple 60's on red with epics. Its a marathon not a race.

don't let anyone ruin your immersion levels

[Smellybuttface]

I play 1 day a week and im lvl 50 on green, 2 60's on blue (since launch), geared out multiple 60's on red with epics. Its a marathon not a race.

don't let anyone ruin your immersion levels

Wait, you got all that with just one day a week?? How many hours do you play in that single day? Have you done a /played on your char? I’m curious what an accurate time estimate is to go from 1-50. I’d usually assume months, though I had a friend who got it in like a single month (he played a lot).

[waltjig]

I don't think anyone needs self reflection to realize it's a pretty asinine thing to come on a forum and tell other people they have issues lol

I’m gonna go ahead and edit because you’re not even worth it. All I’ll say is you obviously bombed the reading comprehension portion of the SATs

[Visual]

I don't think anyone needs self reflection to realize it's a pretty asinine thing to come on a forum and tell other people they have issues lol

^

If somebody wants to spend 20 hours a day playing eq and collecting manastones, so be it. In all likelihood, the people calling him/them out are just upset they are not able to put in the same time. They just feel it looks better presenting it as life advice, like every loser who posts motivational quotes all over their twitter & instagram to make themselves feel better.

[Tecmos Deception]

This is an honest inquiry, since I find the notion pretty interesting.

This game has been around for 20ish years. Likely, most of us played back in the day, and liked the game so much that nostalgia drew us back here. But after Blue/Red being out for so long, and then the new servers dropped, I’ve known or heard of many of the same people from Blue/Red’s hardcore player base (the determined raiders, playing more than 6 hours a day, fighting tooth and nail to get repeated raid spawns etc.) restarted on Green/Teal, and did ALL THE SAME THINGS completely over again. I’m just trying to understand, how does one have the motivation to spend 6-10 hours a day (or more) doing on Green the exact same thing they previously did on Blue/Red such a very short time ago?

I guess I’m trying to understand because I don’t think I could find the motivation to do that again (I wasn’t a Blue player, this is just from talking to a lot of folks in-game and on forums). How do you get excited camping the same things over again for days on end?

I’m not judging!

This seems like a silly question.

Why does anyone like anything for an extended period of time? Some folks in real life have houses full of model railroads or rare stamps or old baseball cards that they just like to look at. Some folks switch from hobby to hobby every month. Some people reread their favorite books once a year for decades, while others never read the same book twice. It's just the difference in people looking to entertain themselves.

[Rokkeb]

Because it's winter and the arthritis in my knees hurts too bad to play disc golf in the winter. So i stay inside and play with vidja games until the weather is nice again.

[sycopata666]

I play this game why i feel nice wen i ding after alot effort, or wen i win a roll after lose alot ones before, or wen i get a nice converstion with other player, or when some one help me, non expecting a reward, and this kind of thinks happens in everquest, and are not happening in other games.
And being hardore are just a contition to play a game were you need 1 hour to reach lvl 2, and you can lose your pixels if you dead in a wrong location.

I have played alot other MMOs, and i no rember any dungeon name or item name, include boss names are fadding...

But i cant never forget this kind of names: Cloack of flames, lower guk, Lady Vox... Just a 3 examples of a so much large number of names that are in my heard forever.

[gnomishfirework]

Ive only gotten more hardcore, but I think its because playing games like Rust taught me to grind like no other.