September 2012

Stop Telling Me I Can’t Go Home #EverQuest #EQ

stargrace September 20, 2012 1Comment

I’ve been spending a lot of time in EverQuest this week, satisfying my cravings for nostalgia and a game that doesn’t just hand me everything on a silver platter. At first I thought I would jump right back in with my level 90s because it wasn’t that long ago that I was playing regularly, but once I was actually in game (and after I had set my hotbars up, I had to re-install the game once I formatted my PC) I was at a complete loss on what to do.

Now, SOE actually addresses this issue for the majority of returning players. When you enter the game you receive a precious little book that belongs to a chain of quests that are a part of the ‘Hero’s Journey’. These quests will point you in the right direction from levels 1 to 85 – and there they stop. So it’s great for lower levels returning, or for making a new character, but for me at level 90 all it said was go play in House of Thule. I (thankfully) remembered where that was, but HoT is almost 2 expansions old now, and I was hoping to explore the latest expansion.

That didn’t mean there was absolutely nothing for me to do, there always is, in EverQuest. I took a look at my crafting skills and noticed that I was working on brewing previously. I’m 300/300 in Baking, Jewel crafting, and Tailoring, but only 250-270 in the other crafting disciplines. I headed to Abysmal Sea which is my crafting zone of choice, and set to work making a handful of drinks.

Crafting in EQ1 is just as annoying as it always has been. You lose materials whether you fail or succeed a combine and those skill ups are as rare as can be. With over 200 combines I managed to inch my crafting from 263 brewing to 272 and then I ran out of materials. I’ll have to head to Kaladim so I can gather more mushrooms before too long. The broker was in a sad state, but that also has to do with the fact that the game was down for 7 hours due to a patch. At this moment you’re still required to be online in order to perform sales, and a lot of people leave their characters up AFK while they’re at work. I suppose that’s one of the best changes coming in the 19th expansion due later this year.

Once I ran out of crafting materials I decided to take a peek at the new player experience. The Mines of Gloomingdeep have been remodeled, new players are given more explanation and story behind why they are trapped within. There are achievements for completing more than just the basics to the tutorial, and there are more NPC within the mines. You can hire a mercenary which is always a great idea especially since at those levels they are completely free of cost. I created a Vah Shir shaman, hired myself a tank, and was set. Forum posts indicate that any class combination is able to level up to around 60-65 with a tank mercenary, so I wanted to see if that theory was true.

I get tired of the comments that say you can never return to your ‘home’ MMO. Yes, games have changed and evolved over time, but so have we. Personally, EQ still scratches an itch that a lot of other games just don’t touch. I feel a sense of pride in leveling, in crafting, in pretty much everything. Some things are archaic, but I think there’s room for a game like that, perhaps even a niche demand.

If it’s any indication, EQ is still doing incredibly well for its age. There were over 400 people on my one server last night (and there are many servers still) and while it may not be the millions we see in some games, for a 13 year old MMO I’m just tickled that it’s still being developed, and not shutting down.

Rain Of Fear #EverQuest

stargrace September 17, 2012 1Comment

Cold weather is coming (slowly) and with it of course my usual fall Nostalgia. No matter what game I play, none compares to how much I loved EverQuest, and so I decided to dip back into game. It wasn’t that long ago that I was playing steadily, my enchanter and necromancer are both level 90, and while my houses have been repossessed, I still have my belongings in escrow.

SOE also announced the 19th EverQuest expansion, ‘Rain of Fear’ which I am looking forward to. This expansion will bring the level cap to 100 – wow. It also adds a whole bunch of other neat features, and also some features that have been a long time coming. I’ve highlighted some of the most exciting points for me personally.

• Level cap increase from 95 to 100 – Achieve a new max level of 100 and set a new standard of gameplay.
• Hunter System – Gain special rewards and titles for defeating large numbers of foes.
• Aggro Meter – A brand new tool to help better manage your aggro. You can now see your aggro level relative to your group.
• Collection System – Discover items throughout Norrath and collect sets for exciting rewards and titles.
• Improved Brokering System – Sell items in the Bazaar while being offline! More flexibility as a buyer to search and purchase from anywhere in the world.
• New Linear Item Progression – Stats on armor collected will increase as you move up from one tier to another.
• Customization with non-visible armor – All non-visible armor in Rain of Fear can be worn by all. You’ll be able to customize your stats for every encounter.
• Class-specific stat distribution – Collect items that are designed specifically for each classes’ abilities.
• More than 1800 New Spells (Ranks 1, 2 & 3) – Exponentially add to your spell arsenal.
• More than 550 AAs – Elevate your power and abilities like never before.
• More than 3500 New Items – Create your own identity with thousands of new items.
• More than 3000 New Tradeskill recipes – Increase your value across Norrath by creating items only available by your craftsmanship.
• More than 110 Quests – Challenge your skills and gather useful loot.
• 13 Raids – Collect valuable rewards from all new adventures.
• 9 Zones – Be the first to discover untouched lands of Norrath.
• 19 Missions – Experience intriguing lore and immersive Missions.
• Continued opportunity to kill off Halflings.
• Legends of Norrath™ – 5 Digital Booster Packs.