It was the summer I graduated high school when I first saw the huge game box on the sheld of Babbages Software. Looked cool so I picked up my copy and the strat guide, but when I got home I discovered that my crapy HP computer couldn't play it since I had no 3D graphics card.
Spent the next couple of months saving money up to get a new PC and read the strat guide in the mean time until I finally got the money together to put together a nice gaming rig together.
Played the hell out of it until moving on to DAoC in '01.
Sometime around when UO was out, or coming out, PC Gamer had a run-down on other MMORPG's that were in the works. The only ones I remember (there was about 7 I'd guess) were Furcadia, Asheron's Call and Everquest. I remember it showing a dragon breathing fire (who actually wasn't in the game at release) and saying something like "Ultima Online dragons are as big as a bus. Everquest dragons are the size of olympic swimming pools". That got it on my radar and I started following it, registered and got a beta disc (they actually mailed out discs!) and started playing it about a month before it was released.
I described it to my brother as playing D&D online.
I went to the store back around 2002 to buy my first "MMORPG." I had finally gotten a cable modem and felt I was ready to join the online world. (although the idea of playing games with random strangers wasn't terrirbly appealing)
They had 2 trials on the counter, EQ1 and Lineage 1, so instead of buying anything I took both demo's home.
Had heard more about EQ1 (besides, the chick on the box was begging me to play) so I loaded that first. Well I didn't realize it at the time, but back then these games only ran on certain video cards, and I had an incompatible one (Hercules as I recall) so when I entered the game world, the performance was hideous, and I could hardly move or function. I quickly blamed the crap game and uninstalled.
Then I loaded up Lineage 1 which being far more simple graphically ran perfectly fine, so I spent the next 6 months playing it instead.
I then gave DAOC a try and ran into the same poor video performance, but called support this time and they pointed me to the 10 or 12 approved video cards that worked with the game, so once I installed one, everything was great.
I did reconsider playing EQ1 after that, but was listening to a co-worker excitedly describe how her guild camped some world boss for days or weeks at a time hoping for it to spawn was to reminicent of Lineage 1 boss mob camping (15 hours one time I waited, only to lose it to another group who walked up within 2 hrs of the spawn) so I decided to pass. (DAOC had nothing really like that)
I regret not playing EQ1 however, same with AC1, SWG, and UO back in their prime. I suspect all were pretty enjoyable titles that I would have liked, but there just wasn't enough time to try them all.
Trust a Kyleran post to prompt me to come out of MMORPG retirement (still retired from playing) to comment. No surprise that it should be an EQ reply
I absolutely agree that I would have been (most probably) satisfied with playing any out of UO or AC1. I don't include AO, DAoC or SWG because I was playing EQ a few years before they were released (in the case of AO, before it was in a fit state to actually play).
I was 27 when I first started playing in Spring 2001. In part due to a break-up, the other part due to a former friend, whom was horrendously addicted to an online multiplayer game. I distinctly remember going round to watch him and a friend's ex-girlfriend play EQ (seperate Pcs) and just stitting there watching them play for over 6 hours straight.
Prior to EQ, we were all MUD players in the early (me) to mid-nineties. My lack of a Bachelor's degree is testament!
Right from the get-go, EQ felt alive - my first graphical MMORPG - with other players and NPCs, floods of chat texts, the swoop of a bat; the grunt of an Orc Pawn; the air alight with magical spells; not to mention, all the different clothing, armours and appearances of characters (once you got past that most characters of your race looked exactly like you).
As a High-Elf Enchanter, I found myself outside of Felwithe, without the foggiest idea of what to do next. Hence, I did what came naturally and explored and learned by trial and error - even though the learning curve was extremely high (as the amount of corpse runs in those early days was testament).
I loved that there was precious little hand-holding, and that a number of different playing styles were catered for and were valid. Leaving the (relative) safety of Greater Faydark and heading into Butcherblock Mountains was an adventure and created a real sense of wonder. Even waiting for the boat from Faydwer to Antonica, and chatting with other players to pass the time (30 minute trip in REAL time!) was a pleasure.
My pleasure started to wane and slowly dissipiate from the release of the Shadows of Luclin expansion. The most notable change was (relative) quick travel and global chat channels which overnight, killed trade in EC Tunnel. Instead of zoning into hundreds of players, there were maybe a handful. The game felt more atomised and isolated. Also, itemization and gear inflation became a lot more noticeable, as did the 'recruit and level' mentality.
I eventually quit a couple of months before the PoP [Planes of Power] expansion. I never regretted that decision.
I have played a number of other MMORPGs inc Eve Online (on 4 seperate occasions), AO, GW, EQ2, LoTR and Ryzom. Only LoTR captured an echo of what I felt whilst playing EQ. Sadly, that died after a few months because any remaining challenge in the game started being dialled right back i.e. group story quests made easier; solo play introduced for group quests.
I'm retired from MMORPGs for a mixture of reasons inc. lack of time, lack of interest, no longer Pc game (Xbox 360 and iOS), and MMORPGs have barely progressed from their infancy. Heck, one could argue that developers - and gamers - have suffered collective amnesia. When Smedley arrived at his Damascus moment and starts sprouting comments that make him the sanest amongst the developers, it makes you stop and realise at how stale and stagnant MMORPG gaming has become (save for a few titles).
Whilst I am retired, and mostly likely will remain retired from MMORPG gaming, there is still an ember flickering awaiting to be rekindled.
"If you think I'm plucky and scrappy and all I need is love, you're in way over your head. I don't have a heart of gold or get nice. There are a lot nicer people coming up. We call them losers."
I was 18 or 19. I was introduced by a magazine that had a spread on it. It sounded interesting, so I bought the game. Played for quite a while on Torvonnilous and Cazic-Thule. I was in 3 guilds for the most part.
Torvonnilous: Blood of the Phoenix and New Dawn Rising
Cazic Thule: Praxium
I did a lot of raiding and generally just played to kill time and talk with friends (both RL and in-game).
Raquelis in various games Played: Everything Playing: Nioh 2, Civ6 Wants: The World Anticipating:Everquest NextCrowfall, Pantheon, Elden Ring
I was 23 at the time when I was first introduced to the game. My roommate played it and he told me "You can go anywhere and do anything in this game!" I'd watch him play his barbarian shaman and I thought it looked stupid until I got my own account and tried it for myself. At the time I was a console gamer but I gave that up to switch to the world of online gaming.
I started just after the Kunark expansion, so I was around 23. A friend of mine who I used to play DnD with introduced it to me. I remember how cool it was to be "playing DnD" with people across the country. We were on a PvP server and my friend was showing me around introducing me to his guild members. Little did I know it was impolite to inspect people. Needless to say I was the butt of several jokes as I learned the ropes, but I learned from other helpful players, not internet guides. And that helpfulness was passed along tenfold when I met new players.
Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.
Lets see it was Early in 1999 I was 18 and I got a PC gaming mag I think the name was PC Xtreem. They had a review and I had to try it. I went and bought it and installed it that day..... I played probably 12 hours a day for 3 or 4 months and was only level 40 on my main a Ranger.
I remember around level 14 all my spells fizzled every time and someone showed me that I can train them at my trainer.
Then I remember I was in BB and a level 20ish SK Oger was there and he would pay me to buy him supplies or sell stuff for him in town and I got enough money to buy banded armor that sold for 1pp per AC on a piece.
The first time I saw a Pally with the flaming 2hander I though that was so amazing.
I remember the player names in my original guild in EQ because you became so close in that game.
Getting your first crit hit.
I remember getting Ivy Armor on my Ranger and thinking I was a god.
The funniest memory was killing Orc outside Freeport and a shammy one casted blind on my and my whole screen went blank and for about 15 seconds I thought my computer monitor broke. I freaked.
Comments
It was the summer I graduated high school when I first saw the huge game box on the sheld of Babbages Software. Looked cool so I picked up my copy and the strat guide, but when I got home I discovered that my crapy HP computer couldn't play it since I had no 3D graphics card.
Spent the next couple of months saving money up to get a new PC and read the strat guide in the mean time until I finally got the money together to put together a nice gaming rig together.
Played the hell out of it until moving on to DAoC in '01.
Sometime around when UO was out, or coming out, PC Gamer had a run-down on other MMORPG's that were in the works. The only ones I remember (there was about 7 I'd guess) were Furcadia, Asheron's Call and Everquest. I remember it showing a dragon breathing fire (who actually wasn't in the game at release) and saying something like "Ultima Online dragons are as big as a bus. Everquest dragons are the size of olympic swimming pools". That got it on my radar and I started following it, registered and got a beta disc (they actually mailed out discs!) and started playing it about a month before it was released.
I described it to my brother as playing D&D online.
Trust a Kyleran post to prompt me to come out of MMORPG retirement (still retired from playing) to comment. No surprise that it should be an EQ reply
I absolutely agree that I would have been (most probably) satisfied with playing any out of UO or AC1. I don't include AO, DAoC or SWG because I was playing EQ a few years before they were released (in the case of AO, before it was in a fit state to actually play).
I was 27 when I first started playing in Spring 2001. In part due to a break-up, the other part due to a former friend, whom was horrendously addicted to an online multiplayer game. I distinctly remember going round to watch him and a friend's ex-girlfriend play EQ (seperate Pcs) and just stitting there watching them play for over 6 hours straight.
Prior to EQ, we were all MUD players in the early (me) to mid-nineties. My lack of a Bachelor's degree is testament!
Right from the get-go, EQ felt alive - my first graphical MMORPG - with other players and NPCs, floods of chat texts, the swoop of a bat; the grunt of an Orc Pawn; the air alight with magical spells; not to mention, all the different clothing, armours and appearances of characters (once you got past that most characters of your race looked exactly like you).
As a High-Elf Enchanter, I found myself outside of Felwithe, without the foggiest idea of what to do next. Hence, I did what came naturally and explored and learned by trial and error - even though the learning curve was extremely high (as the amount of corpse runs in those early days was testament).
I loved that there was precious little hand-holding, and that a number of different playing styles were catered for and were valid. Leaving the (relative) safety of Greater Faydark and heading into Butcherblock Mountains was an adventure and created a real sense of wonder. Even waiting for the boat from Faydwer to Antonica, and chatting with other players to pass the time (30 minute trip in REAL time!) was a pleasure.
My pleasure started to wane and slowly dissipiate from the release of the Shadows of Luclin expansion. The most notable change was (relative) quick travel and global chat channels which overnight, killed trade in EC Tunnel. Instead of zoning into hundreds of players, there were maybe a handful. The game felt more atomised and isolated. Also, itemization and gear inflation became a lot more noticeable, as did the 'recruit and level' mentality.
I eventually quit a couple of months before the PoP [Planes of Power] expansion. I never regretted that decision.
I have played a number of other MMORPGs inc Eve Online (on 4 seperate occasions), AO, GW, EQ2, LoTR and Ryzom. Only LoTR captured an echo of what I felt whilst playing EQ. Sadly, that died after a few months because any remaining challenge in the game started being dialled right back i.e. group story quests made easier; solo play introduced for group quests.
I'm retired from MMORPGs for a mixture of reasons inc. lack of time, lack of interest, no longer Pc game (Xbox 360 and iOS), and MMORPGs have barely progressed from their infancy. Heck, one could argue that developers - and gamers - have suffered collective amnesia. When Smedley arrived at his Damascus moment and starts sprouting comments that make him the sanest amongst the developers, it makes you stop and realise at how stale and stagnant MMORPG gaming has become (save for a few titles).
Whilst I am retired, and mostly likely will remain retired from MMORPG gaming, there is still an ember flickering awaiting to be rekindled.
"If you think I'm plucky and scrappy and all I need is love, you're in way over your head. I don't have a heart of gold or get nice. There are a lot nicer people coming up. We call them losers."
I was 18 or 19. I was introduced by a magazine that had a spread on it. It sounded interesting, so I bought the game. Played for quite a while on Torvonnilous and Cazic-Thule. I was in 3 guilds for the most part.
Torvonnilous: Blood of the Phoenix and New Dawn Rising
Cazic Thule: Praxium
I did a lot of raiding and generally just played to kill time and talk with friends (both RL and in-game).
Raquelis in various games
Played: Everything
Playing: Nioh 2, Civ6
Wants: The World
Anticipating: Everquest Next Crowfall, Pantheon, Elden Ring
Played: EQ, EQ2, Vanguard, WAR, WoW, LoTRO, CoX, CO, GW2, FFXIV: ARR, AoC, Rift, TSW, SWTOR, TERA, BnS, ESO
Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.
Lets see it was Early in 1999 I was 18 and I got a PC gaming mag I think the name was PC Xtreem. They had a review and I had to try it. I went and bought it and installed it that day..... I played probably 12 hours a day for 3 or 4 months and was only level 40 on my main a Ranger.
I remember around level 14 all my spells fizzled every time and someone showed me that I can train them at my trainer.
Then I remember I was in BB and a level 20ish SK Oger was there and he would pay me to buy him supplies or sell stuff for him in town and I got enough money to buy banded armor that sold for 1pp per AC on a piece.
The first time I saw a Pally with the flaming 2hander I though that was so amazing.
I remember the player names in my original guild in EQ because you became so close in that game.
Getting your first crit hit.
I remember getting Ivy Armor on my Ranger and thinking I was a god.
The funniest memory was killing Orc outside Freeport and a shammy one casted blind on my and my whole screen went blank and for about 15 seconds I thought my computer monitor broke. I freaked.