Everquest

Gave EQ a chance, again, and truthfully its just too painful to play even for free.    MMOs have advance way too far to go back to the old style EQ game play.   Just too painful.  Some memories are best left as memories.

I also started it up again.  Decided to start from scratch, save for the plat on my Bazaar alt.  Not twinking too much, but have been buying my guys better weapons (all sub 100 plat) and buying spells as soon as they are useable.

I'm trying to give it a fair shake, but I have to admit I'm not enjoying it too much so far.  The game is fugly, and the combat is slow and monotonous at low levels.  One of my guys currently has no attacks other than auto attack (level 6 Beastlord).  I'm hoping they pick up at higher levels.  Going to at least get some guys into the teens before I give up completely. 

 Well atleast SOE did open all accounts and it cost you nothing other than some download time probly.I still would probly play eq1 with its outdated graphics and sytem then i would throw down 50 bucks for AoC .

Originally posted by rznkain

 Well atleast SOE did open all accounts and it cost you nothing other than some download time probly.I still would probly play eq1 with its outdated graphics and sytem then i would throw down 50 bucks for AoC .

Agreed, I would certainly play EQ before I'd buy a new PC for AoC.  I actually highly recommend that any former players check it out. You might dig it more than I am.

I've started back. I would enjoy it if there were groups around, but it seems the only groups are people who box. Dunno, why the expansions even focus on group content.

Originally posted by brostyn

I've started back. I would enjoy it if there were groups around, but it seems the only groups are people who box. Dunno, why the expansions even focus on group content.

Grouping pretty much requires a guild these days.

If you come to the Stromm server, join Legends and Legacies, 1K+ member family guild, groups forming up every night.

Originally posted by Yeebo

I also started it up again.  Decided to start from scratch, save for the plat on my Bazaar alt.  Not twinking too much, but have been buying my guys better weapons (all sub 100 plat) and buying spells as soon as they are useable.

I'm trying to give it a fair shake, but I have to admit I'm not enjoying it too much so far.  The game is fugly, and the combat is slow and monotonous at low levels.  One of my guys currently has no attacks other than auto attack (level 6 Beastlord).  I'm hoping they pick up at higher levels.  Going to at least get some guys into the teens before I give up completely. 

In the next 2 - 3 levels your beastlord will have a pet and start picking up basic dots and nukes, you should already have a small heal and a few utility spells.

The best zones for you are either the tutorial or the Cresent Reach newbie yard, either one will get you basic gear and money quickly and it takes only a few hours of gameplay to hit level 10. Stay in Cresent reach until 17 - 20 then do the rats / snakes at the entrance to Blightfire. The two named mobs, Plaguebringer and Mossback drop your level 20 armor patterns for class specific armor that is better than most bazaar gear.

Blightfire is a good zone up to the mid 40's if your just interested in leveling fast and gearing up, or you could go elsewhere if you want to travel and level at a more relaxed pace.

Originally posted by tfox2k1

Gave EQ a chance, again, and truthfully its just too painful to play even for free.    MMOs have advance way too far to go back to the old style EQ game play.   Just too painful.  Some memories are best left as memories. 

You know, I was going to start a long-winded, "returning player" experience thread, but this just sums up my experience so far, so I'll do it here     I'm a veteran player, last logged in around 2004, and I have to say that it really is painful to play this game now...and that is painful in itself to say.

This game gave me some of the best MMO experiences ever!  Such very fond memories.  However, now, as Yeebo said, the game looks ugly, and the combat is unbelievably slow and monotonous. 

I actually hooked up with a group playing one of my lower characters (my 49th cleric).  The really funny thing was, that the sounds were the things that I got the most enjoyment out of.  I remember the big DING as I just hit level 50.  I remember all sounds of the different spell effects, etc.  They were fun to listen to again.  However, I also remember where the term "EverMed" came from, because it was...cast a heal (mostly Celestial Heal), then sit and meditate.  Stand up, cast another heal , sit and meditate, etc etc etc.

I hate to say this, but WoW really did take the bad things out of EQ and made more of an "upbeat" and fun game.  It certainly did spoil me for other games.  In retrospect, maybe that's why once WoW came out, I never even missed EQ, which is surprising considering how long I played it (since 1999) and how addicted I was to it.  Maybe the only reason I played it so long is that it simply was the best thing around at the time.

As my momma always said, you can't go back.  The memories are best left as just that...memories.

It kind of felt like when I visited the place where I grew up when I was a child.  I haven't seen it in probably 20+ years, and I thought it would be a good experience.  However, the reality is, things that looked like a slice of heaven as a child, now look drab, worn out, and run down.  That's kind of how it felt playing EQ again.

I'm sure people are still playing it and having fun...more power to them.  I however may log back in a couple more times over the summer as we get our chance to relive the experience again, but so far, unfortunately it feels like a chore to play this game again. 

Its not surprising that some people miss the ideology and principles as to why EQ was the paced game that it was. The slower pace as its being identified here was so that people would interact more, which adds to the immersion. EQ was about interdependency and social structure. "Newer" games are designed around constant action, no down time and solo capability. I can understand both schools of thought, but to suggest that EQ's mechanics are dated is really more about personal preference and not antiquated methodology.

EQ was a fun game because you get more out of earning something than having things given to you.

Centhen, I am almost certain you have one or more console games. Which is it? Because I'm frankly shocked you could play EQ since launch and say you prefer WoW over it. I think you've just gotten used to console-gameplay and now prefer it. Ok I can see that.

Hearing on other threads that people went from 55 to 58 in two hours in current day EQ pushes me away. If I want that kind of gameplay, I'll go play WoW, AoC, POBS, etc.

EQMac is the one for me. Though I really hesitate at the idea of buying a Mac SOLELY for playing old EQ.