I played EQ near launch and thought it was dated back then compared to all the single player games I was playing at the time. I decided to give the game another go and tbh I have never had a more buggy trash of a experience in a mmorpg even worse than that Dark and Light game I tried at beta awhile back.

Ok So I decided to make a Lizardman type thing and then started at some city which has very dated graphics and lots of rivers then exits out onto omen lake 3 or whatever it said. Anyways I got stuck in the river things and frigging couldn't find anyway out but the ladders but the only problem is the ladders didn't work! You kept trying to go up it and it would just chuck you off and then no matter what I did my character just wanted to slowly sick and I eventually worked out you have to keep tapping space to stay afloat which I found very strange and annoying.

I'm trying to ask for help of what to do and I'm just called a noob under the new player chat which it's like :S Yeah I am a new player so your point being? The place is ssooooo barren and empty because noones playing the game anymore or something and it's the most barren mmorpg I have ever seen and honestly I never found one player while I tried lots of servers. I eventually got out by using a ladder and I'd always get stuck just as your about to have all your body out of the water and then all of a sudden it just suddenly teleported me onto the surface......... as I was crossing the wooden bridge I fell straight back through and just gave up with that character,

I'm not one to configure controls because normally if you do that then you fuck everything up and have to set it to default cause something isn't working. What I hated is theres no WASD movement from default and I found that soooo weird and I thought they would have patched that in and made it default by now atleast. I hate the way you can't right click and auto combat but you have to select and then press the button because I always do stuff in games via the mouse as it's alot nicer to play like that I kept trying to click away but ended up targetting myself more often that not. Omg the graphics and the sound I understand is bad because it's old but the controls are still old and clunky. What I don't get is the point of the map which looks like some kid drew it because you have this nicely detailed coloureful world map and then each area is like a kid drew aload of lines and it's like wtf is going on? It doesn't even tell you where you are on the world map so I had NO idea what so ever.

I just found the game sooooooooo BAD I just quit in disgust that people are still playing it and if the Vanguard dev's wanted to make a game like that then I think they succeeded at making a much better game lol!

I don't really like being stuck in a river thing and not being able to get out.

Your thread is incorrectly named. I guess it just isn't for you. I tried it again after 5 years and was reminded of a lot a places and things I had all but forgotten. MMO's have come a long way, good or bad I guess. I won't be playing it because I'm used to all the conveniences we see in mmos now, but I found your post entertaining. LOL

Everquest helped to pioneer a whole new era in online gaming.

I remember playing when it first came out. Sure, there were some annoying issues, and features that may be considered primitive by today's standards, yet it was still the first popular 3D MMO out there, and king of the hill until WoW came along.

Not worst by a stretch, but you're right about some of the bugs in it and very frustrating at times. The game IS dated, but it also is going is nearly 10 years old so that is expected.

EQ gfx and game play dated by todays standards? hmmm

I tried it for the first time like 2 weeks ago.  Uninstalled it within 2 hrs lol.

Was too dated for me to even play.  I guess I would have been able to bear it ~5-7 yrs ago, but not now.  It was painful to even look at.

I know that is to be expected, I'm just stating my thoughts :P

Originally posted by JustBe

I just found the game sooooooooo BAD I just quit in disgust that people are still playing it and if the Vanguard dev's wanted to make a game like that then I think they succeeded at making a much better game lol!

I am really tempted right now to say: "Go continue your incessant whining elsewhere, probably in graphically-intense yet design/fun-shallow games like AoC," but I won't. I think most of the ranting centered around the graphics (What would you expect from an 11 year-old game?) and the control layout. I kind of laughed at the whole "I don't change my key settings" comment, since it took me about a total of 10 seconds to configure the WASD movement in EQ when I wanted to. It's pretty imperious to put down a game that obviously was not meant for you, and automatically assume that your ravings have some sort of credit when they are really only based off of playing through the first hour or so of EQ. It indeed was a pioneering game that essentially (I know there are probably a few other games to claim this) was the first critically acclaimed MMO.

Originally posted by xephonics

I tried it for the first time like 2 weeks ago.  Uninstalled it within 2 hrs lol.

 

Was too dated for me to even play.  I guess I would have been able to bear it ~5-7 yrs ago, but not now.  It was painful to even look at.

 

I know that is to be expected, I'm just stating my thoughts :P

Believe me, 10 years ago, when EQ first came out it was revolutionary. Noone, and I mean NOONE, had anything like it at all and it was a huge undertaking. New territory that no other company had tried and it was a big risk. Obviously, it worked out as it was a big hit and stood number 1 for 5 or 6 years. Even other MMO's that came out years later came under the realization how daunting it was and it showed companies just how much they'd have to invest into a good mmo.

Yes I realize that, but in 2008, it is nothing special (to me) - infact it was rather horrid.

Sure the first car was awsome and revolutionary, but if you want a good ride, would you take a model-T over a Viper?

I know the vantage point of new players playing EQ today because I tried AC some time ago and that was seriously ugly, and dated. New people playing EQ will see it the same way and unfortunately any good aspects Everquest might have people won't see. The only way they'll consider such a game now is if it were free, like Anarchy Online.

Yeah I played AO back in 2003.  Came back last year and was almost horrified lol.  I played it for a bit, but SL ruined it for me.

Originally posted by JustBe

I played EQ near launch and thought it was dated back then compared to all the single player games I was playing at the time. I decided to give the game another go and tbh I have never had a more buggy trash of a experience in a mmorpg even worse than that Dark and Light game I tried at beta awhile back.

Ok So I decided to make a Lizardman type thing and then started at some city which has very dated graphics and lots of rivers then exits out onto omen lake 3 or whatever it said. Anyways I got stuck in the river things and frigging couldn't find anyway out but the ladders but the only problem is the ladders didn't work! You kept trying to go up it and it would just chuck you off and then no matter what I did my character just wanted to slowly sick and I eventually worked out you have to keep tapping space to stay afloat which I found very strange and annoying.

I'm trying to ask for help of what to do and I'm just called a noob under the new player chat which it's like :S Yeah I am a new player so your point being? The place is ssooooo barren and empty because noones playing the game anymore or something and it's the most barren mmorpg I have ever seen and honestly I never found one player while I tried lots of servers. I eventually got out by using a ladder and I'd always get stuck just as your about to have all your body out of the water and then all of a sudden it just suddenly teleported me onto the surface......... as I was crossing the wooden bridge I fell straight back through and just gave up with that character,

I'm not one to configure controls because normally if you do that then you fuck everything up and have to set it to default cause something isn't working. What I hated is theres no WASD movement from default and I found that soooo weird and I thought they would have patched that in and made it default by now atleast. I hate the way you can't right click and auto combat but you have to select and then press the button because I always do stuff in games via the mouse as it's alot nicer to play like that I kept trying to click away but ended up targetting myself more often that not. Omg the graphics and the sound I understand is bad because it's old but the controls are still old and clunky. What I don't get is the point of the map which looks like some kid drew it because you have this nicely detailed coloureful world map and then each area is like a kid drew aload of lines and it's like wtf is going on? It doesn't even tell you where you are on the world map so I had NO idea what so ever.

 

I just found the game sooooooooo BAD I just quit in disgust that people are still playing it and if the Vanguard dev's wanted to make a game like that then I think they succeeded at making a much better game lol!

I don't really like being stuck in a river thing and not being able to get out.

Sounds like you started in Cabilis.  That was your first mistake. There is only ONE newbie city now (Crescent Reach), which you can stay in until level 20. Then you go to Blightfire.  You will NEVER see anyone in any of the starting racial cities. Your whole experience would have been different if you'd gone with the current EQ instead of being stuck in some dead old zone.

Yes, Cabilis does contain some special challenges. And it is a dated zone, since it came out with Kunark and hasn't been revamped yet. You should have gone into the tutorial and then out into Crescent Reach, which are the DEFAULT options for character creation.
 

EQ has a lot of problems, but it sounds like your problems were mainly your own fault.

Graphics

I like EQ's graphics, believe it or not. 

Population

I have been mostly playing Combine lately, and the population is increasing, especially among new players and returners.  The promotion has helped a lot.

Community

It is important to develop an in-game, or real-life, network.  The game still requires help from a group of friends to accomplish a lot such as completing mission, acquiring gear, and progressing through levels or AA-points.  Network.

Amusement - Challenge - Entertainment

I thought it was funny how you got out by using a ladder and then fell straight through again. See, I love this sort-of stuff about Everquest. 

Start in the new player zones. 

Combat

I hate mashing buttons.  Carpal tunnel syndrome is a fairly serious medical disorder.  I prefer EQ's combat system because everyone has a role, an important role, and it is not too mixed.  In other games, I can do DPS, heal, tank, buff, and so forth all in one class.  It is a bit over-the-top.  I like EQ's simple, yet complex, combat system. 

(I really have to get back to work.  I make these posts to give me a break, but it just delays the inevitable.)

EQ isn't ment for wow bears, and now the people that are playing are mostly people that still like whats going on in the world. I will admit I've found myself wanting to play it time and time again (i'm playing it now since its free along with some eq2), however the game is not what I remember and sadly thats what I miss, I miss my old guild, my old server(tallon zek) , my old friends , the old zones (these new ones like lavastorm and freeport and nice upgrades but hey I loved the originals). I bet the OP has found memories of his first MMO and thats what this is to many people and I can't remember who said it but you didn't really read much before you made a character iksar are probably the worst choice to start as , you should of been a human or something far less hated , and you also sound like you got spoiled by modern MMO's. Plus you weren't around for the days of greater faydark/ Commonlands auctions or train to (input zone here) or HELP! DVinn!, or (this always happened to me) getting stuck in najena. EQ had everything you want in an MMO if you take the time to learn it and be patient, it had the pvp (well TZ did I hate this all against all I prefer teams) adventure/exploration (I still remember my first kael raid or better et my first fear wipe). An above all the epic quests. Oh well i'm ranting now but if you're going to give a game a try consider how old it is, be willing to want to play it and if your stuck ask for help (they had general chat there im sure)

You're talking about a MMO that's like 9 years old.  MMOs are the newest genre in gaming, therefore the youngest, making them the least developed.  You're talking about one of the originals, of course it's going to be the worst.  You're playing it in 2008!

EQ is still IMO one of the best mmo's out there to this day,  Even now how many years latter people still play.  If the population hadnt gone down so much i would still be playing that game, and am thinking of giving the free time a go jsut to get back into Norrath as it was before one last time.

This is the granddady of the mmo game scene, and some of the stuff i still consider the best there was.

EQ wasnt a game where you could start playing and get to max level in a week all on your own, Leveling actually meant something back then, it was hard, and most times once you got to a certian part, you needed help. Now with the way WOW has spoilied everyone , people think that makes for a bad game.

But it kept the community close, you didnt have the childish WOW mentality to deal with on a daily basis, 

You playing this game FOR THE FIRST TIME today, and saying its the worst.  You are either young, or stupid to think that a game as old as EQ is will be as fun to you as the new stuff thats out now.

You actually had to be able to think in EQ, and had to konw how to play your class. you didnt get to know the level of the mob you were fighting, you only knew if it was lower , same or higher then you.  But higher could have been 4 levels, or 40.  And these mobs could be in the same zone, you had to know what your getting into and not just rush in WOWish and start hacking away at everything in your path.

Ask anyone who has tried to run through kithcor forest at night as a low level and they will agree  :)

Sorry i just saw you played it near launch, and compared it to single player games?!  So did you really expect that all these years latter that the game magicly changed and they redid the entier graphics and game play?

EQ is not a difficult game, rather its the easiest MMO I've ever played.   The pacing is so slow, people have to play multiple accounts just to stay occupied.   The AI is non-existent and the NPCs vastly overpowered in  comparison to the players order to give the illusion of difficulty and force grouping. 

The only difficulty involved is conquering the massive time sinks which are simply a cheap developer ploy that is used to extent content in their game.   This keeps the basement dwellers continuing to pay while normal people left long ago to experience fun in their MMO experience.  

EQ is all that is wrong with the MMO industry.   It succeeded by being revolutionary, but that revolution occurred ten years ago.   Today it is a dated, unenjoyable, train wreck of an excuse for a game.

missposted

Originally posted by tfox2k1

EQ is not a difficult game, rather its the easiest MMO I've ever played.   The pacing is so slow, people have to play multiple accounts just to stay occupied.   The AI is non-existent and the NPCs vastly overpowered in  comparison to the players order to give the illusion of difficulty and force grouping. 

The only difficulty involved is conquering the massive time sinks which are simply a cheap developer ploy that is used to extent content in their game.   This keeps the basement dwellers continuing to pay while normal people left long ago to experience fun in their MMO experience.  

 

EQ is all that is wrong with the MMO industry.   It succeeded by being revolutionary, but that revolution occurred ten years ago.   Today it is a dated, unenjoyable, train wreck of an excuse for a game.

On the contrary.  You call the game "revolutionary" when the timesinks were the most aggressive;  when the community was more "elitist" (which is a term I am never comfortable using when referring to people who play 20+ a week playing video games); and when the "illusion" of difficulty and "forced grouping" were the most prominent features. 

In many respects, I enjoy EQ more today than I did when I first started playing it, which was at its release.

It comes down to a few things. People who need eye-candy and have no sense of depth, the instant gratification crowd ( wow crowd or aoc crowd) and the ones who know that depth of the game is more valuable than a little eyecandy(eq,eq2,ao,eve,uo crowd), because after you've been playing it for months, the eye-candy games suddenly become shallow :).

With older games the amount of content to keep you busy is there, if it doesn't scare you off.