Do you remember why you played EQ?

[Knuckle]

I saw some vintage G4 game reviews recently, and it reminded me that the very first time I got hooked on the idea of playing EQ was from their ZDTV days of what was then called either xtended-play or another earlier variation of a games review program. When they did the review on everquest I remember watching them show a troll wandering around and find a hidden wall into a tunnel, and describing how vast the world was and all the cities. Watching the various cutscenes to different action and dungeons, and felt like I was going to have to get that game.

My birthday rolls around a few months after Kunark's launch and I unexpectedly received a copy, with an awkward scene of a high elf in bondage to a lizardman for all the immediate family to see and question.

Anyway, I am also stealthily asking if anyone remembers that review on Gamespot TV / ZDTV / G4 where they did the review on Everquest and found a video clip, as my searches have yielded nothing.

Also how did you first hear about/want to play EQ.

[Jibartik]

I was going to reawrd myself for getting good grades so I bought a game magazine to see what was new. There was this big advertisement for eq and it said it was coming out the very next day so I was like, "well this is destiny!", gathered my meager savings, and promptly did very bad in school for the rest of the year.

I'd love to find that advert again one day too, it was a big 2 page spread.

[BiG SiP]

couple of side IRLFs got the rest of the main MTG group into it

[Jibartik]

Side note, it's apparent they taught spelling during the year I was in kelethin.

[White_knight]

My older brother played it.

We shared an account for ages, then I got my own.

I was maybe 13 at the time?

[douglas1999]

I played UO and when EQ came out a bunch of people from my guild went to EQ so I tried it and got addicted like a huge nerd.

Also fun fact in highschool I was of course relegated to the loser nerd caste, but then I found out this one popular douchebag jock guy played EQ so it gave me a pathway into the cool jock douchebag caste, and I started dating a friend of the douchebag jock's hot girlfriend. So everquest actually made me cooler in highschool, against all odds.

[imperiouskitten]

my school friend Aaron had it. I plaeyd it at his house, rolled a halfling. Asked him "ok there's the auto attack, where's the manual attack?" Then told him it was dumb and stupid. Then i begged my parents for it and played it on dialup to UNLV til i almost failed middleskool.

My bestie really really wanted to play, but his parents believed D&D was devil worship. And were SUPER upset that your character had to worship a deity other than Jesus Christ lol

[Thulian]

Because i saw the box at walmart and it stood out more then the others

it said internet connection required and said massive multiplayer on it, my mind was fucking blown

[Kimmie]

My brother got it for Christmas when I was like 12. I watched him play and made fun of him the whole time. One day he made me try it....20 years later, here we are :(

[BiG SiP]

:p

[indiscriminate_hater]

Was looking for the new fix after slaying deer on Ultima Online

[Tunabros]

it looked cool

[Mblake81]

Friend talked about it. Purchased my first computer w/ Geforce 256 & SoundBlaster Live!. Got these three games to go with it. Also a Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick for the Janes flight sim (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KckLAmcgQ8). Later used for Mechwarrior 4: Vengeance.

https://i.imgur.com/i6gjXgu.jpg

[imperiouskitten]

i used my sidewinder for Motocross Madness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIzR-Rwiqg8). I used to do exactly what this guy in the video is doing, lol. The sound effects are burned into my brain. soo good.

[douglas1999]

Oh man 989 studios logo on that eq disc. Maximum nostalgia levels

[Tunabros]

Friend talked about it. Purchased my first computer w/ Geforce 256 & SoundBlaster Live!. Got these three games to go with it. Also a Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick for the Janes flight sim (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KckLAmcgQ8). Later used for Mechwarrior 4: Vengeance.

https://i.imgur.com/i6gjXgu.jpg

unreal tournament was the shit

I remember playing against bots for hours on end

[Ret.SaxonAlex]

My friend was playing an iksar shaman. He showed me how he made a banded helmet and was walking through field of bone towards ramp. I thought it was revolutionary at the time that he was in a 3d world. Let me first say I don't support RMT. And I hope GMs don't forever hate me for talking about something that happened 20 years or so ago. I may have had artificially induced autism, which may have lead to me "finding other ways" of getting some platinum. But once I started playing I could feel the magic of the world pierce into me and I've been hooked ever since. Please don't ban me from EQ classic I would be bummed.

I had to edit that. Sorry if that sounded offensive. I mean't I may have had artificially induced autism. And then a new sentence.

[Bardp1999]

In the UO community EQs development was a big deal so I followed it and played when it was released.

[imperiouskitten]

My friend was playing an iksar shaman. He showed me how he made a banded helmet and was walking through field of bone towards ramp. I thought it was revolutionary at the time that he was in a 3d world. Let me first say I don't support RMT. And I hope GMs don't forever hate me for talking about something that happened 20 years or so ago. I may have had artificially induced autism, which may have lead to me "finding other ways" of getting some platinum. But once I started playing I could feel the magic of the world pierce into me and I've been hooked ever since. Please don't ban me from EQ classic I would be bummed.

I had to edit that. Sorry if that sounded offensive. I mean't I may have had artificially induced autism. And then a new sentence.

guards, arrest this sinner

[magnetaress]

My DnD grp IRL were all legendary hackers and we all had amazing computers. The DM was in the beta and he would constantly brag about it at dinner outings and in the ticket line @ the movies.

[Lune]

My older brother found it somehow, and he let me try it one day while he was doing something. I made a half elf paladin in Freeport named Keltin, and was immediately addicted to what seemed like the endless possibilities of this universe.

I was smart enough to still excel in school while pouring all my time into EQ, but while all my friends were out chasing girls I was playing elf sim. The girl who sat at the table next to me in 8th grade science class came onto me hard but I had no social skills and had no idea until I got made fun of on the bus for being aloof. I had elfs on the mind. She was hot af but ended up having a baby right out of high school and turned into trailer trash. Oh Brittany

[Thulian]

back then you had to buy a sound card to have sound anyone remember? Lol

see you on turtle beach

[imperiouskitten]

My older brother found it somehow, and he let me try it one day while he was doing something. I made a half elf paladin in Freeport named Keltin, and was immediately addicted to what seemed like the endless possibilities of this universe.

I was smart enough to still excel in school while pouring all my time into EQ, but while all my friends were out chasing girls I was playing elf sim. The girl who sat at the table next to me in 8th grade science class came onto me hard but I had no social skills and had no idea until I got made fun of on the bus for being aloof. I had elfs on the mind. She was hot af but ended up having a baby right out of high school and turned into trailer trash. Oh Brittany

hey I feel like this is a dig at me. I almost failed middle school, yes, but we had standardized testing in the middle of my EQ-and-bad-grades period and i scored in the 99th percentile. In fact, I got thru middleschool while skipping an awful lot of homework for elven cyb0r and I was valedictorian in high school afterward so I think I won the game.

THANKS.

[Gaxx]

I broke my arm jumping dirt ramps on my BMX bike when I was a kid. I had my arm in a cast and was bummed out so my parents let me buy a new computer game. I had seen EQ in PC Gamer magazine and thought it sounded amazing having so many players all in the same virtual world. I had no idea how MMORPGs worked at all. I saw it on the shelf at Electronic Boutique at the mall, thought the cover art with FV was awesome, and brought it home. Had to beg my parents to let me use the credit card for an account and hog the phone line. I was hooked instantly. I had just bought Nine Inch Nails The Fragile and was listening to it on my cd player while I ran around Greater Faydark as a Wood Elf druid. This was right before Kunark came out I think.

I was hooked. I'll seriously never forget. Ended up playing a Dark Elf SK on The Tribunal in <Legendary>. Any time I listen to The Fragile I can remember it vividly.

[Knuckle]

One step closer, I know this isn’t the exact review but still a funny Everquest tv segment by the same https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlhUWqNze80&feature=share. 4:45:00
I will find that original review.

Another gem: EQ at its peak, g4 interviewing medley and others on EQ.
https://youtu.be/ubokT1_AZWo

[Swish]

I walked into the equivalent of Gamestop one day, saw the box and thought it looked cool. I'd met a bunch of good people in chat rooms across the internet and thought to have that in the form of the game as a principle sounded fun.

Never expected to be playing it a year later let alone 20 years :D

[Tethler]

Saw a dude playing it at a local LAN shop when it released. 4 or 5 people were gathered around him in chairs just watching for like 2 hours. It was so different than the starcraft/counter-strike that everyone else was playing at the time. Shortly after that, bunch of us were doing all-nighters at the LAN shop groupin up for leveling. Good times.

[imperiouskitten]

EQ at a lan center ... the future sux.

I started training for counterstrike as a teen planning to hang at the LAN center by UNLV. got my drivers license and it was like 5 years closed.

We did do a "teambuilding" lan event once when I was employed, tho, and I stomped beautifully (was a pro at the time). Wound up 1vEveryone, as CS gets when you're genuinely good. It got me worship at the office and i got promoted to management soon after, lol. There's nothing like demonstrating your IQ with something martial and competitive, it feels better than anything. So I guess it did paid off. But still, I thought my adulthood would be like Hackers with LAN center weekends at mixed LAN/BDSM venues in the local akihabara district, lots of chains and leather pants, and instead it sux and everyone is frightened of cyborg wives. Brain drain is the most tragic feature of our society.

[Tethler]

EQ at a lan center ... the future sux.



It was glorious. I was buddies with the manager, so he'd lock up for the night and a bunch of us would order some pizzas and soda and stay there playing as a group until morning. Shop owner was in on it as well, he'd group with us from home. Did it Friday night or Saturday night most every week for almost 2 years. Had some great adventures in guk, camping freeti, later on in Seb, velks, WW dragons, good times, all.

Place ended up going out of business around Luclin, and it all came to an end.

My nostalgia for that place and those guys is probably stronger than for EQ itself.

[imperiouskitten]

It was glorious. I was buddies with the manager, so he'd lock up for the night and a bunch of us would order some pizzas and soda and stay there playing as a group until morning. Shop owner was in on it as well, he'd group with us from home. Did it Friday night or Saturday night most every week for almost 2 years. Had some great adventures in guk, camping freeti, later on in Seb, velks, WW dragons, good times, all.

Place ended up going out of business around Luclin, and it all came to an end.

My nostalgia for that place and those guys is probably stronger than for EQ itself.

That does honestly sound like a childhood dream. Something like heaven. Very jealous

[Arvan]

Used to watch my big brother play and he let me make a character. Instantly amazed by the game until they ruined it around PoP so i quit. P99 aint perfect or classic really at all but it kinda feels like home.

[Mblake81]

I know this isn’t the exact review but still a funny Everquest tv segment by the same https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlhUWqNze80&feature=share. 4:45:00

The Sessler

Brings me back to my EQ start. ZDTV/Tech on in the background.

[kaluppo]

I remember back in 2000 I worked for a computer refurbish center. We were a small company with only about 10 employees so we all knew each other well. One of my co-workers told me I had to check out this game called Everquest. He had created a dark elf shadow knight and wanted me to make a Druid so we could duo together. Then we got a third co-worker to join us and he played a Shaman.

So between us we had a tank, two healers, snares, DS's, buffs galore, ports, slows, haste. I remember once I got animal charm spells, we would hit outdoor zones like karanas and LoiO so I could charm a pet for added DPS. We would rip shit up. It was soooo much fun. I had hoped to re-create that excitement here when I discovered P99, but it wasn't the same. I already knew all the zones, the popular group spots on P99 are different then they were on live and my two friends are not here playing P99.

But man those were the days.

[Mblake81]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ap-o7l1wg

small mmorpg segment on techtv

[Evia]

Used to watch my big brother play and he let me make a character. Instantly amazed by the game until they ruined it around PoP so i quit. P99 aint perfect or classic really at all but it kinda feels like home.

Pretty similar here except it was my little brother who played.

[BiG SiP]

until they ruined it around PoP so i quit. P99 aint perfect or classic really at all but it kinda feels like home.

https://i.imgur.com/ck7Sjh0.gif

[imperiouskitten]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ap-o7l1wg

small mmorpg segment on techtv

woah awesome

this one came up next lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR57JKjtX4U

are Sims conscious?!?

[Knuckle]

I wish I could find the game review episode but there are some gems in there. "does it metabolize or consume food". Man that lady was stretching to get some seconds on TV.

[Nachtsuchen]

My old man got me into EverQuest when I was a small human bean, when EQ first came out. We left around the time of GoD. When I got a bit older to genuinely understand and appreciate the game, I came back in 2014 on Blue on and off. Still playing to this day on Green.

That said, my reasoning for it? Immersion. The RPG of the MMORPG has been lost and forgotten by most vidya these days. People rush to endgame for the very best of the best through min-max strategies, but to me, gaining levels is a happy consequence to a good adventure. Nothing quite sates it, plus the graphics and world is very charming to me. This and City of Heroes are my absolute favorite games of all time, hands down. Perhaps Asheron's Call might do it right, but who knows. At least EQ will always be here, and that's okay.

[kjs86z]

November 2015

MMOs are dead. Not playing anything aside from an occasional ARAM in League.

RL friends: "Hey dude you really should come check out P99. We started characters there its super fun."

Me: "Hmm, I had always heard about Everquest when I was playing Asheron's Call in 99-04 but we always laughed at it because AC was clearly the superior game."

RL friends: "Man c'mon just try it. It will be like an ode to another old school MMO."

Me: "Ok, what is the most difficult class to play that we need in our composition?"

RL friends: "Enchanter."

Over five years later, I'm still here.

[NPC]

When Ultima Online introduced Renaissance in March-April 2000 an essentially turned it into an really crappy looking 2-D version of everquest, I figured I'd try the better looking one. Before the Renaissance patch, Ultima Online was pretty much like a red Everquest server, only you could kill anyone at anytime an loot everything off peoples corpses. Ultima Online was the reason they made red servers. Only towns were safe in Ultima, if someone attacked you in a town you could call guards, the guards would instantly teleport an instantly kill anyone openly attacking another person. Best game ever made.

[Gustoo]

My neighbor had it first. He had a friend in middle school that also had it that was the only person in real life I knew that hit 50, and then 60.

He played on E-Marr so thats the first server I played on. He told me the red server was evil and bad and not to click on it. I eventually did when E-marr was down for some reason and I couldn't log there.

Played at his house for a while. He was really tolerant of me playing at his house for way more hours than he did. I owe him for not punching me in the face and telling me to GTFO. Damn if I could remember my very first toon on his accounts name. If I could remember that name it would be my guy forever. My first ranger on my own account is one of my permanent names though. My first character on my BROTHERS account (we got him Kunark for his birthday) was a dwarf paladin named Nield or Neild a name stolen from the star wars jedi apprentice series of the time :D Super cool guy right here.

[douglas1999]

When Ultima Online introduced Renaissance in March-April 2000 an essentially turned it into an really crappy looking 2-D version of everquest, I figured I'd try the better looking one. Before the Renaissance patch, Ultima Online was pretty much like a red Everquest server, only you could kill anyone at anytime an loot everything off peoples corpses. Ultima Online was the reason they made red servers. Only towns were safe in Ultima, if someone attacked you in a town you could call guards, the guards would instantly teleport an instantly kill anyone openly attacking another person. Best game ever made.

UO really was special. The item\loot system was perfect because there were no fundamental must-have items. A vanq halbard was awesome, but you didn't *have* to have one to win in PVP. You could recover quickly after a devastating loss. God I miss it.

Not to mention the housing system which no modern MMO has ever replicated. EQ2's instanced housing was so god damn lame by comparison.

[Ret.SaxonAlex]

if I was a billionaire I would love to pour some money into a UO project but it might rival with diablo 2. And if I am stuck here forever I need to have a crappy easy fun game like diablo 2. But I can't play video games these days, due to paranoia. Its video game character names and I am mostly afraid I will think I made the name on purpose to offend my ex-boss, even though I didn't and never have. It started from being afraid of offending sjws with names like "VikingKingofRomeandWesternEurope."

[Evia]

if I was a billionaire I would love to pour some money into a UO project but it might rival with diablo 2. And if I am stuck here forever I need to have a crappy easy fun game like diablo 2. But I can't play video games these days, due to paranoia. Its video game character names and I am mostly afraid I will think I made the name on purpose to offend my ex-boss, even though I didn't and never have. It started from being afraid of offending sjws with names like "VikingKingofRomeandWesternEurope."

https://youtu.be/_LuBldU733Y

Tomdelonge.gif

[Ret.SaxonAlex]

its also annoying they stomp on my ceiling to the rhythm of my breathing. When I visited my dad my lungs wouldn't inhale because the autopilot system in my brain had been shut down. I have had to deal with stuff like this for 14 and a half years though so no use in whatevering about it. Also conversations in life are too complex for the average person.