Longing for the Old Days of P1999, Yet Grateful for the Journey

[IzHaN80]

There’s a part of me that would love to go back to the days when P1999 was my drug of choice. Exploring the Desert of Ro, one of my favorite places, watching people level up there — veterans and newcomers alike. Wandering through Karana, returning to the roots, seeing the server alive and full of people everywhere… but it’s hard now.

Since Quarm, it’s been especially difficult, and I understand why. On Quarm I was able to experience grouping in dungeons I never thought could be filled with so many players, witnessing loot drop for the first time that I never even imagined existed in those places. Raiding, making friends, camping valuable items — so many things without having to invest three sleepless weeks of your life, glued to the chair, waiting for a single mob to spawn with the hope it would finally drop what you were looking for… and not losing your mind after 14+ hours when it didn’t. Because, let’s face it — we all have lives now.

Things that might seem small — like not seeing the damage of your DoTs, mobs not taking full damage unless they hit you first and remain static, the clunky camera, the XP rate, even having rings that immediately tell you a mob’s difficulty instead of spamming /con nonstop — these are just a few of the many details that wear you down.

I don’t care much about Luclin, I don’t care much about PoP. All I wish is that P99 could adapt, just a little, to today’s players. That it wouldn’t only cater to those who can spend unhealthy amounts of time in front of a PC 24/7 chasing items. I’m not asking to be hand-held, I’m not asking for free rewards. But most of us here are adults now, with responsibilities. At least those of us who have loved this game since 1999.

And yet, I have nothing but gratitude. Thank you, Project 1999. You brought me back to my childhood. You allowed me to enjoy EverQuest again. I leveled many characters to 60. I raided — not endlessly, but enough to have fun in Kael, in Plane of Fear, and other events.

P1999, I wish you could be what you once were: with that classic soul, but just a little more adapted to what players need today. Quarm is wonderful, I enjoy it — it removes absurd barriers and unnecessary tedium at the start, giving us a smoother path — but… it will never be my P1999.

Disclaimer: I have used GPT to help me out traduce my thoughts, since English isn't my first language, so excuse me if you find a bit of ChatGPT in my text.