I remember it well.
It was early October 1999, and I was a freshman in college. I had played several MMO's before EQ, starting with "The Realm", followed by Ultima Online, so I knew a bit about the structure and thought I knew what I was in for. So I rolled over to Best Buy, picked up a shiny new copy of EQ, rushed back to the dorm, and installed it. I guess I knew I was in for a different experience when I saw the elaborate CGI intro for the game, but it didnt really sink in at the time.
So, I rolled a barbarian shaman and journeyed out into the snow drifts of Everfrost Peaks. I found myself blinded by the snow and dark, and wandered, lost, far into the canyons around Halas (only to die to a malicious skeleton). The 3D and atmosphere was amazing, and unlike anything I had ever seen before.
So I rolled an Erudite Wizard next, and made my way to Qeynos to meet up with some friends. Eventually I found myself sitting in a group, in the Qeynos catacombs, with 4 other casters and thats when it sank in - this is something different.
Fast Forward almost 11 years, and I have played many, many MMO's over the years. Yet always, EQ has been there, lingering and beckoning me to come back and relive the challenges of early EQ. Project 1999 has given us all precisly that opportunity, and I can honestly not thank the devs and administrators enough. Thanks for all that you do guys.
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