Anecdotes, Experiences, Advice for introducing complete newbs to EQ

[ryachart]

Wow this is a very thorough analysis and I agree with pretty much everything. =)

[Baa]

I have had more success getting people who have never played EQ back into than those who were new to it.

I found the time old tactic of roll a char new and start with them always helps, start up a voice chat and go from there. Agree with the above posters helping them get the game setup and UI configured is a big one and have found assisting them to be the best way to do it.

It took forever to learn what I needed to about the game, but that was half the fun - I try not to spoon feed them too much and let them have fun learning stuff out, sure they will make mistakes (binding at in dalnirs right under goblin spawn, falling asleep while grouped in unrest and deathlooping) - but these are the things you look back on and laugh about.

I just tell them if they are worried just let your groups know that you are new to EQ, most if not all would tell them what it expected and how to get the most out of their class.

[Sixpence]

I work in I.T (Firewalls) & our office is your typical Gamers haven of Nerdage.

Most of the guys here play/have played WOW/COD etc, but not One of them has played EQ.
Sure, they've heard of it from their Dad's neighbours Dog, but they give me the sceptical squinty eyes look when I mention it...
I showed them some of the Ragefire footage recently & they just didn't get it.

Eq really is about the Community (RnF may have you believe otherwise) & the Harsh, beautiful mistress Norrath. It always was.

Pixelcount be damned. Get them over & make a night of it.

[Portasaurus]

Tell them to go into their kitchen and get the dullest knife in the drawer and stab themselves in the hand while punching themselves in their private parts. It's hard to pull this off with only two hands (pro-tip: get a friend to help, this is a social game after all) but if they can do this for two minutes straight, then they'll know they are well prepared for the road ahead

[fiveeauxfour]

I tell friends that EQ is the methamphetamine equivalent of MMORPGs

[dafier]

Originally Posted by Swish [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If they can survive level 1-5 they might get into it [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I disagree.

More like:

When they die, will they be able to understand that a CR is part of the game?

[Danth]

I tried to introduce a few of my friends to P1999 who had "grown up" online with newer games. None of them stuck it out (and a couple made a fair effort of it, sticking with it into the mid/upper 20's). EQ's not perfect, and its newbie experience is utterly wretched. The graphics are dated, the interface is a mess at first, and some of the mechanics (meditate!) are a big turn-off to folks accustomed to newer games. The game play experience just isn't very consistent. The things EQ does well it does *really* well, but at the other end the bad is really frikking bad.

P1999 is a nice lifeboat for us folks who feel left behind by the newer online games, but it'll never grow past being a niche game for a small community. Perhaps that's allright.

Danth

[symbi0nt]

Originally Posted by tizznyres [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

EverQuest is a game that revolves around you as a player, and how you interact with the world, and the other players that inhabit it. It rewards players for their own ability, and very, very rarely holds your hand along the way.

Well said man! Great sentiment in every corner of that post.

[kaev]

Originally Posted by Danth [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

...
P1999 is a nice lifeboat for us folks who feel left behind by the newer online games, but it'll never grow past being a niche game for a small community. Perhaps that's allright.

Danth

^^ So incredibly very much this!

[captnamazing]

tell them it is the pinnacle of role playing atmosphere in an MMORPG setting. that always makes the panties soaked.