Why the original, 1999 version of EverQuest is still one of the best MMOs to play today
Why the original, 1999 version of EverQuest is still one of the best MMOs to play today
An assortment of servers run by passionate fans makes it all possible.
Josh Strife Hayes just did a video on classic Everquest:
And his conclusion is wildly different.
Thanks to fan projects, it's still possible to play EverQuest as it used to be. The latest fan-run classic EverQuest server, Project Quarm, launched on October 1. Like other unofficial fan servers the Al'Kabor Project and Project 1999 before it, Quarm strives to present the game as it existed back in the first couple years of the game's life—warts and all. Unlike Project 99, however, this server will progress through the classic era all the way through the 2002 Planes of Power expansion, seen by many to be the peak of the EQ experience.
Always cool to see fan projects like this. I know there are a few out there but I'm struggling to remember the names of them.
I thought there was one for Ultima Online I saw but that might have just been an article about its official online mode.
The article really seems to be for people who played EverQuest or similar MMOs a while back and are nostalgic about them though
UO has a super robust eco system of private shards and server software. It's kind of amazing. Pretty active development on things like ServUO or ModernUO servers. The client has been fully rewritten and actively developed with improvements on ClassicUO. All of these are open source as well.
For servers you have places that function entirely as different eras of UO like the Renaissance shard, or even entirely new content like what's in Outlands.
There's honestly a lot to be found out there and it's really neat.
UO has a super robust eco system of private shards and server software. It's kind of amazing. Pretty active development on things like
or
servers. The client has been fully rewritten and actively developed with improvements on
. All of these are open source as well.
For servers you have places that function entirely as different eras of UO like the
shard, or even entirely new content like what's in
.
There's honestly a lot to be found out there and it's really neat.
Unpopular opinion, but Dark Age of Camelot was exponentially better en every way than EverQuest.
Of course, but it was also the generation after EQ1 in a lot of ways. It was able to learn from EQ1's release and early months and quickly improve its own game as a result of that.
I actually jumped into the Imperium server recently and finally duo boxed. The real probably is that the down time that could be filled getting to know other players in your level range is slim.
I admit I've been having a lot of fun with New World following the first expansion. The artifact gear you can grind usually has a 6 minute timer (some are dungeon locked, and one spawn every 90 minutes according to server day/night schedule) and it's made me nostalgic. The mob has nothing to do but chat, and it's been really enjoyable so far.
That's my ramble done, but anything EQ related gets me nostalgic.
My wife and I used to play everquest back in the day and I've been trying to get her to try New World with me but we're just too busy nowadays.
It's tempting, but I know it would be too much of a time suck. Especially pre-Planes of Power era, after which time spent traveling drops dramatically.
I can't imagine anyone unfamiliar with the game dropping into one of these fan servers, though. Bit of a reputation for not everyone being the nicest people, especially towards new players.
Not only that, but the game has a steep and punishing learning curve.
For anyone who wants to get into this just know that A) it has aged VERY poorly. There are tons of aspects about the UX that are just terrible and frustrating. And B) it’s better with a group
But if you can get past all that then it’s really fun
I love that when Everquest first came out there was no map. You had to make your own hand drawn map to navigate in the game. I'd love that in a RPG today.
I have a nostalgic affection for making my own maps. I remember discovering hidden rooms based on unfilled squares of graph paper, and mapping mazes of twisty corridors, both all alike and all different. I think that translating the digital representation to physical added vividness to the imaginary worlds when they were presented as simple wireframes, 8-bit graphics, or even just text.
Today, I don't have time for it. I would almost certainly end up visiting the same - I'm guessing - half dozen places I could keep in a mental map, decide the game is boring, and play something else. Lazy. Jaded. Spoiled. Whatever - that phase of my development from reading static books, to reading interactive text, simple avatars, now near-photorealistic animations...the phase where I enjoyed the physical crutch for imagination is just gone.
This game was the best, I miss it tons.
Project Lazarus, the best of eq without most of the pain.
I got a monkey off my back I didn't even know I was carrying for 20 years.
Oh how I miss the days of Evercrack.
I played EQ in that era and I absolutely love playing Project 99... to a point. It ends up with the same problem that every older online game seems to have: all the veterans that never left act like they own the place, and take it way too seriously.
If I do go back to P99 it will just be to level a character up until I get bored. There's lots of essence to EQ that you just don't get in modern MMORPGs; mostly because content is difficult to solo, working with others makes your entire life easier, and everyone is struggling together. I've had so many good conversations with people while camping in Blackburrow and Guk and the Karanas and so many places. I recommend it to anyone for that.
Many fond memories with this one. But if I could go back and experience one game for the first time again, I'd have to go with Gemstone III.
Asheron’s call also still lives through third party servers. I always like it better.
There isn't any AC2 though is there?
Nahhh all yours
John Smedley is a piece of shit. Thanks for ruining multiple MMOs and staining the wonderful memories I shared with so many other adventurers.