I think there are better games to play now...That SoE haven't got their grimey mitts on.

Winterbringer

Begging...

Like a lover you just dumped, pleading for a second chance...

Eltigro

This works for Everquest 2, as well. Granted, EQ2 is something of a sinking ship these days too.

nekura

I really liked the little bits of EQ2 I played. The zones felt alive and like the inhabitants interacted with each other, unlike most MMOs. Unfortunately, after 2 years of FFXI and 1 year of WoW, I was burnt out on the whole genre when I finally tried EQ2.

Blind_Evil

I'm with Spiderbait on this one.

I didn't play EQ from the start, but I've had my account for 6 or 7 years now and a lot of the core basics of the game are outdated - the biggest problem being that it's heavily text-based and these days people don't want to read that much.

The other problem of course is that it has no support. There are only a handful of mods to cover all of the servers and the GM events are all the same rehashed thing.

It's dying. It's been dying for a long time. When an MMO starts combining servers you know it's in trouble. Population is holding steady right now, but there's nobody new coming on board.

That said, EQ was 1999 - when MMOs were unheard of. It was a trailblazer and deserves respect for that. Without it and games like it around that time (I can only think of Ultima), 10 million Warbrats would have to leave the house or set up Xbox Live accounts.

Dajmin

@WiglyWorm: I fortunately haven't played EverQuest in years. It's probably the best to leave it that way. The same goes for Ultima Online.

Mara

I dumped EQ after about 3 months of virtually nightly crashes, glitches or downtime associated with an enforced upgrade because of some expansion pack. The constant disruption snapped me out of my delusion that EQ was actually "fun". It hadn't been fun for a long time and I was just playing out of a compulsion. Furthermore, I hated the arrogance of Verant in using paying customers as beta testers for their bug ridden updates.

I'm glad I dumped it. On top of that my time with EQ has equipped me to recognize the grind that most other MMOs employ. Grind is usually not as brazen as EQ but its still there, whether it be travelling long distances, weapon upkeep, crafting, waiting for a raid to form or whatever. I've played plenty of MMOs but rarely for more than a few months before I've hit the same grind.

I can't be bothered much with MMOs these days, unless its something casual like Puzzle Pirates.

DrXym

@Channing: *shrug* yeah. I dunno, I'm a roleplayer at heart, so I like it when the world my character is inhabiting feels as real and fleshed out as any world allowing people to shoot fireballs from their fingertips at rampaging hill giants can be.

Now, don't get me wrong, I definately am a fan of summoning and teleportation, but in EQ you don't even explore the zones anymore you just run to the nearest campsite and sit around waiting for mobs to spawn. At least in WoW I've seen most of every zone I've been to. I can't say the same of any of the EQ zones since about the luclin expansion.

WiglyWorm

This is sort of like offering to sodomize people with broken glass for free.

James in Dupont

If I just wasn't busy with Age of Conan.

Mara

You couldn't PAY me $15.00/mo to play Everquest.

argh

Sounds to me like a desperate cry from an underwhelmed MMO...

I think I'll pass, natural selection, so to speak, is important in the game industry. When an old franchise has run its course it only hurts the industry to keep on beating a dead horse.

Spiderbait

@WiglyWorm:
Really? That's one reason why I disliked WoW. Going anywhere took too long. The commute to and from other daily activities is long enough, I don't want to commute in game as well. =|

Channing

@parad0x360:"Why would anyone want to? EQ is so archaic compared to modern day mmo's"

haha! you make it sound like things have gotten better!

[Dextr]

eh... EQ will always hold a special place in my heart.

I remember the first time I left the newbie zone of nektulos forest for the orc camps of the common lands. I remember venturing slowly further out and reaching the common lands, nervously taking on the undead there. I remember the first (and only) time I strayed too close to the druid rings there. I remember my first trip through Kithikor forest... no one ever warned me to stay out of the woods at night.

But, yeah... with the plane of knowledge, nowhere is more than 15 minutes away. The world is not as epic as it once was.

With the flood of expansion packs and not enough people to fill the server, so many of the zones in EQ are ghost-towns. That and their business model of shoving expansion packs down people's throats as fast as possible really irked me too.

That's why I'm such a fan of WoW. The world still has that epic feel to it, the biggest shortcut you can find is to use a flying mount, and it's been out for several years and the seconds expansion pack isn't even out yet.

WiglyWorm

ah, free to all returning players. except for the ones who _died_ playing it.

for them it's a bit more expensive, innit

nutmilk

You know, maybe if I could return and play for free forever, I might consider it. But -no, no that's ok I'll just keep playing Guild Wars, thanks.

Atheist Jew

Heh, I played EQ for about 2 months back in 2000. Might be funny to try it again, and to see if they managed to save an 8 year old character that only got to level 21 or so.

lawnmowerdeth

Maybe if the 360 starts stealing fanbase from Sony, they'll start giving away free games~

That's win-win-win for both sides!

everybest

Why would anyone want to? EQ is so archaic compared to modern day mmo's

parad0x360

Free MMORPGS = Free drugs. Sorry, but no thanks Sony, Ill stick to my first life.

Shiryu

i'll pass

Mohican

@Ultima Online: OMG I have no idea how I ever thought this game was fun.

WiglyWorm

It's a trick. Don't do it. You'll wake up one day and be pooping into a sock next to your computer before you know it.

muppetsausages

Lots of fond memories in EQ.

I won't ever go back though, those days are long gone. To me now, it just looks like a huge grindfest.

J449

This is great! I was just thinking of going out and buying Rise of the Kunark, but now I don't have to. 2 months free? Holy shit, this is a great deal. Downloading now...

Dragon_Warrior

@Zunnoab: I had over 2 years /played on my character, too. Granted, these were 2 of my most uncomfortable, hormone ridden teenage years. I probably wouldn't have wanted to live through them anyway, or so I used to think.

But not now.

muppetsausages

Last time I played EQ:

I logged in to find my character missing/deleted/gone.

I logged into the game w/ a n00b character - put in a GM request to help recover it and waited for 5 nights, 3 hours a night.

Caalro

my "fond" memories of EQ consist of totally failing a semester of school. So even though I'm done with school now I'll pass.

rf switch

@Zunnoab: Thats an interesting fact!

Playstation

Ah everquest. Fond memories. I got my MMO addiction out on that for years starting back in 1999. Modern MMO's like WoW and Conan are technically superior now of course but I don't think any new MMO will fill me with that sense of wonder the way EQ originally did back then.

RidleyTJN

Maybe after I'm done with AoC, and LOTRO.

Playstation

I still play EQ regularly, and my posting name here is actually my EQ character's name. I canceled my EQII subscription though, so I'd love to revisit my character who I haven't played in two years.

People talking about addiction are right though. As a raid leader, I feel obligated to my guild. If I miss a day of raiding, I am worried about my guild, because I'm not there to help keep things moving along.

While I love the guild and the people I've met, and have no intention of quitting any time soon barring real life issues, I think it's a dangerous way to engineer games. Needing 54 or nearly 54 real life people to accomplish goals in a game is a unique thing... but it can easily become a dangerous addiction, and in Everquest accomplishing raid goals requires massive coordination of real life schedules.

I have a ton of fond memories of my time in Everquest, and I hope to create many more. All good things must come to an end some day though, so some day in the future I don't think I'd play an MMORPG again, or at least not one so taxing on real life as Everquest. I wouldn't give up the time I've played, and I don't want to quit now, but I'm smart enough to know I spend way more time on Everquest than I should, and play video games more than I ever did before starting... and play any other video games less than I ever did.

It's a very scary thing when your main character's played time reaches over 365 days... and you have an alt that has over 30 played days.

With the success of World of Warcraft and the demise of Vanguard that old style of MMORPG is going to be a thing of the past. For now, I'll enjoy it while it lasts though, despite the real life commitment it takes of me (some 30+ hours a week as a raid leader in my guild).

Zunnoab

I love everquest. I was just playing it actually and not but like 10 minutes ago i made a post saying "everquest ftw"

NessD12

@RidleyTJN:

I agree completely. EQ was amazing back in the 1999-2001 time frame. There was nothing as immersive back then.

I can barely play MMOs now. I think if you get addicted to one you will have all your best memories playing that game and any following game will feel derivative. That is how it has been for me. Even though WoW is obviously a very well made game I just can't get into it... it still feels like EQ again.

Then again, that could just be that almost every MMO is a variation on the exact same core concept that has been around since MUDs.

Guile0

I'm seriously considering taking this offer, if I read it right I get two free months play, as well as all expansions free if I choose to continue. Very tempting.

As to why they bother? I know I'm not the only ex-EQ player who has been having a hard time finding an MMO to fit me. :)

Fudce

If EQ1 opened up a server with no expansions enabled and then added 1 expansion every year...... I would resubscribe.

La Sepultura

@Fudce:

You should try AoC, I've played pretty much every MMO on the market since I quit EQ1 for EQ2 (and quit EQ2 for it not actually being EQ2), and AoC is the first MMO since EQ1 to keep me hooked enough to keep me playing until I lose track of time.
The other night I was playing and I noticed light coming in through my window and thought to myself "since when is the sun out at midnight?" I looked at the clock and it was 6am.

ChadWardenn

NEVERMIND!

Seems as though it's hard to remember your login name after not using it for 8 years :P

I was using a newer one that I never subscribed with, but I've remembered my old one so it seems to be working now.

Moosebox

I'm confused... How can you be subscribed to EQ yet have an inactive account...?

I tried to log in to play for free to EQ, but it says I don't have an EQ subscription? Someone explain this too me...what am I doing wrong?

All I see on the SOE site is that Inactive EQ subscribers get access to Secrets of Faydwer for free...

Moosebox

EQ was fantastic, EQII is fantastic

I jump in from time to time... just to see the stuff I don't have time to do.

Back in "my day" I was a pretty fantastic puller, and server drama creator which led to a big change in the Cleric epic. My claim to fame was the kill-steal that made the BBC - [news.bbc.co.uk]

Jabbertrack

I loved EQ, and I wish MMO's would go back to a more laid-back and text-driven adventure.

Hell, I played it when it was EQ, and nothing else, well maybe one pack was out.

Running for 20 minutes to meet a friend at a brief clearing between two forested areas and have him equip my weak half-elf with gear I wouldn't normally see for another 5 levels. Good times....

Or, you know, being DESTROYED in one hit by SHARKS because I got drunk and fell off a ship.

laughingmangits

@La Sepultura: "If EQ1 opened up a server with no expansions enabled and then added 1 expansion every year...... I would resubscribe."

Either you're being sarcastic or you really don't know that they did that a while back with the Legacy server ;p

discordkitty

6 hours to update...oh the good old days are coming back to me hahaha.

Well, my 360 is in for repairs for the next 3 weeks for a broken DVD drive...so I guess it's the perfect excuse to spend some time in Norrath. Oh I feel so cool.

Moosebox

@RidleyTJN: "I don't think any new MMO will fill me with that sense of wonder the way EQ originally did back then."

That's exactly how I feel. I've played many MMO's and have yet to find one that I enjoy as much that I can get lost in as much or that I can play as long. Heck, I haven't played an MMO since I quit EQ for the second time in 2006.

discordkitty

@ChadWardenn: canceled my age of conan account tonight and went back to wow only.

reasons: many.

Mohican

@ChadWardenn: I've looked several times at Age of Conan, but a couple of factors stop me from getting it. For one, everything I read about it tells me "PVP! PVP! PVP!". I am not a PvP gamer. It's one of the things that put me off WoW in the end, and a game designed for PvP isn't going to be my cup of tea.

The second one is the cardinal sin of MMOs, one that seems to be overlooked by most developers. Its system requirements are high for an MMOG. They don't compare to the real pinacle of PC gaming, but even so, I only just barely scrape past the minimum specs. In a game like that I'd be lagging like hell, and I'll hazard quite a few others are too. MMOGs need lower system specs than other games, since they're less about shiny graphics and more about flow of gameplay. Look at WoW, the graphics weren't as good as EQ2, but it wiped the floor since they were more polished. Vanguard focussed too much on graphics and fell flat with an unfinished world.

Fudce

Not that I have time for this in between Age of Conan and WoW, not to mention everything else that isn't second through eigth jobs, but two months free is good enough I'm downloading it now.

@Fudce: As far as PVP goes at least so far it's there if you want it but hardly mandatory. Playing on a PVP server (which the norm is FFA) I only have 20 total kills/killed so far on my main. Now how that'll turn out the road we'll see since it's all kind of up in the air what we're doing once we're all 80. Though every MMO is like that when it comes out.

I will say though that I wish I could run it better, but even on low the game still looks pretty darn good.

ShineyBlueShoes

Shiryu

for you info its not FREE at all.Its free till end of July.oh and MMOs are not even close to drugs.Only a retard would have made that kind of comment.Drugs means DEATH.

dekaneas

@discordkitty: Not all true. The Legacy "progression" servers were flawed. Expansions being opened up when a guild completes an expansion made the game once again, a "race for the top." ...and the fact that they forgot to remove "hot zones" from the game ruined the normal flows of zones. Everyone just swarmed the bonus XP areas and the rest of the game went untouched (much like a regular server).

Check out [www.eqclassic.org] for a group of members trying to find their old glory. For me, no MMO will come close to EQ- and I'd rather leave it that way. Logging in now is just a painful memory of wasted time, amazing wasted time, and old past technology.

aveneyer

@aveneyer: Gotcha, that makes sense. They were bringing the legacy servers in around the same time I was quitting the game again. I missed the aftermath, thought it was a good idea in theory ... but yeah, the original idea DOES sound a lot better.

"For me, no MMO will come close to EQ- and I'd rather leave it that way."

I should probably take that attitude as well. I quit EQ in 2004, sold out to player auctions and made off like a bandit. Was a GREAT christmas that year!

Started playing again for a few months in 2006 and then quit because it didn't live up to what I remembered. Still haven't found another MMO, maybe it's time to stop looking.

discordkitty