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EQ is what you make of it.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: January 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Like many gamers, I have played Everquest on and off (mostly off) from the beginning. I enjoy EQ, but invariably Sony or another player does something to drive me away for another 6-12 months. Still, I return, and I enjoy myself each time. EQ offers some very entertaining game play. The mechanics of the game are solid enough to provide a good entertainment return on the time you invest in the game. However, like all MMORPG's, the game relies on its players to provide the overall level of entertainment value. When EQ became overly popular, this meant that it attracted a lot of players that I simply had no interest in sharing my time with. These would be the "I want everything for me and mine right now" crowd. Camping, killstealing, twinking, powerleveling in noob areas were the order of the day. Frankly, arguing with someone that has chosen to spend their lives inside the game for camping turns can be very tiresome (Yes, I realize that you got here first 7 hours ago. But, isn't 7 hours enough?). However, as EQ's popularity has waned and the expansions have opened many more zones, EQ has gained a comfortable feeling of vastness. You can be one of two people in many, many zones. The people you meet are more interested in working with you than working against you. You can make very constructive groups to hunt, or you can run off to more popluated ares for trading. In a way, it saddens me that the best gaming experience I have had in EQ has come after its decline in membership. But, other players are both the meat and the problem in this type of game. And right now, the balance is good.

Can be good, but only if...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: January 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

What you have to understand about everquest is that peoples opinions on it vary according to when they started and how long they have played.

Personally, I have played since the very start. The early part of the game was what it was meant to be when I started. People exploring and working together and helping each other. To start the game from scratch today, you will run in to a lot of "twinks". Its not uncommon to find people of low levels killing things that should be impossible for them, and killing whole areas of creatures leaving none for the less experienced new players. Don't be surprised to be running around almost naked, whilst the same level guy next to you is wearing equipment that wouldn't put a lv50 character to shame.

People who write about the early part of the game being fun, are remembering what it was like 3+ yrs ago or how it was to them playing as a twink. But, its not the same for someone starting the game for the first time.

If you manage to stick it out, you will find lots of high level characters being generous to you. Giving you items for free and casting protection spells on you. You need to realise that the vast majority of people that do this, are doing it because they are bored. Something you will inevitable become at some point as your level rises. The person that said everyone can solo, is slightly distorting the truth. Some classes can solo, but as your levels rise it eventually reaches the point where soloing is impossible at worst and risky at best.

If you are to have any fun in EQ these days, the most important thing is to get in to a guild as soon as possible and make great efforts to make as many friends as possible. At higher levels, who you know and your popularity with other players is as important as your equipment.

If you are thinking of starting EQ for the first time, I would not recommend it. Unless, you have a friend or friends that play already, as you will all benefit from playing together. They can help you through your early levels and it will give them something to do, as they are probably bored already :)

Forming friendships/relations with other players is how you will get the most fun out of this game. If you want to start from scratch alone, then wait for Verant to create a new server and start playing at that time. That way you can rise in level with all the other players as the game was originally meant to be played.

Raster of Guk... and more

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: December 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Today, I'd like to talk about one Raster of Guk. Yes, to those of you who are in the know, Raster is the self-proclaimed bane to every monk's existence, bar none. However, to those of you who are thinking of trying EverQuest for the first time and are unfamiliar with the man and the myth, I have for you a brief tale...

Your first departure from life into the virtual lands of EverQuest's Norrath and it's moon, Luclin, is earthshattering. There's no better way of putting it. Given the proper nurturing and effort, you can become completely indulged with your new character; giving it an attitude, personality, and an appearance that is all your own. You're exploring new lands, seeing many, many new faces, and adapting to one of the richest online communities there is to this date.

And then, be it a week or a month later, the learning curve wears off, and you subconsciously delve into the bread and butter of EverQuest's low-to-mid level lackeys: grouping and camping mobs. To "camp" a "mob" basically means to mark your territory for the time being, and kill everything that spawns in this area. This is fun the first handful of times, and the sense of enjoyment renews itself once you venture farther along the seasonal spectrum of experience and camp harder, bigger mobs.

So you've managed to scrounge together a group of culturally diverse new friends and are ready to go out and... well, kill. You'll be doing a lot of killing in EverQuest. Herein lies the problem. Once you've called a camp for your own, and killed all of its inhabitants, you are then entitled to the most beautiful part of EverQuest's adventurous offerings: respawn downtime. Yes, you get to sit and stare at a wall (or, if you're feeling ambitious, you can stand up and cast a few spells on your party and yourself) and laze through a grace period of what can be anywhere from six to thirty plus minutes. But wait, it gets better...

Raster of Guk. We'll skip the formal introductions and get to the facts: MANY (dozens!) of my good friends (in the world of EverQuest, mind you) have spent OVER TWO-HUNDRED REALTIME HOURS camping this single mob. Why, do you ask? Raster of Guk arguably NEVER SPAWNS. Many people, mostly monks, joke about how they believe that he doesn't really exist. Anyhow, killing this infamous Raster of Guk results in obtaining his loot, "The Idol" to be specific, which is used in the monk's epic quest. All monks strive to get this item. If there is an end-all to EverQuest, it is questing and finishing your epic. While the game doesn't "end" at this point (nor does it ever,) it certainly feels more completed.

You're probably still interested in trying EverQuest, while at the same time, staying as FAR away from the monk class as you possibly can. Bad news -- EVERY class in the game will experience something like this, guaranteed. In fact, there are SO MANY mobs in EverQuest that are so rare, that people are turning into cutthroats for the loot! Yes, my grievance for the game is this exact problem. See below.

The last 147 cumulative realtime hours I've spent in the world of Norrath have been in Lower Guk, camping Raster of Guk. I've been down here for over three weeks. One hour ago, Raster finally spawned, and it felt incredible to see him standing there... I couldn't believe my eyes. I stood up with a smile on my face, marched towards him, and laid down my flurry of fists and heels. All of a sudden, I start seeing some strange red particles that I'm sure didn't come out of MY fingertips -- a wizard had come along and nuked Raster three times. I failed to out-damage him, which resulted in me losing the kill. The wizard quickly runs forward, steals MY loot, and disappears; most likely off to the Bazaar (trading grounds in EverQuest) to sell it to some poor discouraged monk in the form of a multiquest for an outrageous price.

To conclude, the last 147 collective hours I have spent "playing" the "game" of EverQuest have been utterly wasted. I've gained nothing from camping Raster of Guk, and when I really think about it, I've gained nothing from this game at all. In fact, I was steadily losing $13 a month just to "play." Note the past tense: was. After my run-in with the wizard at the Raster camp, I promptly logged out, deleted my three characters, and cancelled my subscription. I just finished uninstalling the game, and my first thoughts were to come unveal the truth to those newcomers out there, thinking of buying this travesty of a game - DON'T DO IT! You'll lose money, time, your tan (optional,) few-to-many friends, your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse, impending social skills, and your ability to fit into pants that weren't tailored for "huskier" people. Raster of Guk exists to keep you hooked into the world of Norrath for as long as humanly possible, and you know why; EverQuest costs money to play. There are plenty of great role-playing (and non-role-playing) games out there asking for you to bring them home, that DON'T cost a monthly fee, and will more than likely leave you feeling much more rewarded once you complete them. Don't waste your hard-earned money on this travesty of a game. Charging up to $13 a month for this is a crime. I have explained only ONE of Sony's dirty methods of addiction to you as completely as I possibly can in this review. Feel free to read it again if you are still interested in this lifestealer.

Good way to get into EQ

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: October 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Ah, Everquest. Also called EverCrack by some, I must warn you...

The world of Norrath will captivate you.
The world of Norrath will be a constant challenge.
The world of Norrath is a dangerous place.

And you will not be able to easily leave the world of Norrath once you've settled in.

You'll start out weak, with little equipment, and some food and drink. Enough to get you started.

You'll give your introduction note to your guildmaster who will give you a piece of armor.

You'll go out and kill weak animals, and go up a few levels. Then you'll move on, and kill more.

Then you'll find you don't want to stop.

Maybe then you'll try out some tradeskills.

You'll either love them or hate them. Either way, you'll continue to go out and kill stuff.

Maybe you'll join a guild, maybe not.

And then, you'll get addicted, and you won't mind. Some people get TOO addicted... but for the rest of us, it's a great way to kill some time.

If you buy this - remember this one golden rule: EQ is not a replacement for "real life". If you properly manage your time, EQ can be a very fun way to spend your evenings... but don't neglect your own life.

And if you're ever on the Zebuxoruk server, and see an Enchanter named Shingen Takeshi - Feel free to say "Hi" to him.

Reason why some don't like this game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Have no doubt, this is incredibly addicting. If you like computer games, there are 4 reasons why you might not like this game.

First, it takes a lot of time. To get the most out of Everquest, you have to put a lot of time and effort into it. Yes, I said effort. At times, it will feel like work. Some people feel a game just shouldn't take any significant effort. To those people I would say this game is more of a hobby than a game. Any hobby, if it's truly enjoyable, will take effort. In short, like many things in real life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Second, some people are pretty much ethically opposed to paying a monthly fee for a game. They feel, they paid once when they buy the game, therefore they shouldn't have to keep paying every month. I could mention how games of this type have operational costs (server maintenance, constant development, customer service, etc.) that other types of game just do not have which justify the monthly fee. But instead I'll mention this. The first month after I originally started playing Everquest was the first month I can remember where my credit card statement did not include any entry from CompUSA or Fry's. In other words, went an entire month without buying a new computer game. So, paying $12.95 per month for this game kept me from paying about $50 for an entirely new game. So, this is actually cheaper.

Third, some people are convinced that they, or rather their character, should be the center of the universe in any game they play. Since there are hundreds if not thousands of players in this game, no one single player can be the center of the universe. So, for people in this category, they shun this game because it doesn't make them feel important enough. (I call this the god syndrome)

Fourth, this game will have more lag than other online games such as Counter-Strike, Unreal, etc. But think about it, in that latter category,there will be maybe 1 dozen characters moving around. In EQ and similar games, there will be hundreds of characters moving around... to say nothing of all the NPCs and monsters. So, a dozen moving characters to keep track of versus hundreds to keep track of. How does anybody expect EQ type games to NOT have more lag?? I don't know, but a lot of people feel that way.

So, in summary, I'll say this. Do not come into this game having preconceptions of it being like any other game. It isn't. EQ and similar games are an entirely different breed. If you expect the same type of rewards and enjoyment as other games, you will not like this. But if you can accept that the reward for playing EQ are different and in many ways better than other games, then say good-bye to the rest of your life, and welcome to Everquest Addiction.

finally got it

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Well after over a week after release amazon had still not shipped so I cancelled my order and got it cheaper at the store.
Now i see they dropped there price.
First off the box is over sized for what is in it.
Big piece of 2 inch foam inside.
The cloth maps are ok I guess but could be a little bigger so you can read the names that are printed on the contenents.
The comic book is about 4 inches by 6 inches and maybe a dozen pages. I have not read it yet but not very impresive.
The manuel seemed ok and the cover was made out of pleather.
5 discs in a cardboard container that folds out.
The pewter figurene is really cool and heavy but unfortunatley even though it comes in a bubble pack mine had a bent sword which really bummed me out.
I will have to contact them about a replacment since it is obvious that it was done at the factory.
The best part is if you don't already have the discs you save money.
If you are not a die hard EQ fan and have the discs don't waste the money.

I hope this helps.

The real deal with this game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: November 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Okay, I have read the [bad] reviews of this game and have to say that new players should be aware that the ones who write those are the ones who are bitter and disillusioned. I have somewhere close to 200 days played in this game and seen the worst and some of the better things you can see (and do) in this game. I have been so mad I cancelled my account on the spot swearing to never come back and I have laughed so hard I came to tears.

The first thing new players should be aware of is that this game is not a computer version of roleplaying games. In fact roleplaying is almost nonexistant in this game (unless you choose to play on the roleplaying server). They have the traditional roleplaying classes but that is about as far as the similarities go.

You CAN solo in this game, there are classes that are better suited to it sure, but everyone has the ability to solo to some degree. This game is about grouping with friends and/or strangers for the most part though.

First thing your friends will say when they see you playing is that it doesn't look fun for them. Quite honestly thats what my roomate said when he saw it. The difference comes when they actually play the game though. My roomate is now an addict like the rest of us.

The second thing first time players should be aware of is that this game is about time invested. You can be dumber than a box of rocks but as long as you keep plugging away at it you can get the same things as everyone else. Sad but true. I have seen people with the brain capacity of a gerbil have better things in this game than I ever will simply because they spend 40+ hours a week at it. If that bothers you that bad then you may want to look elsewhere.

The third and last thing for new players to know would be that the learning curve is kind of steep for the first week or two. That sounds like a contradiction from my last paragraph but you don't actually have to learn anything to go places in this game. Just to make any friends. Groups don't like getting killed because you don't know how to control yourself and won't listen to advice (there are people like that in this game). For my last bit of advice if you are buying this game (and even if you are a vetran) is don't take all the whining at the message boards to heart; in fact don't listen to it at all. I quit everquest for 6 months because I thought my class was unfairly treated with regards to changes. Once I came back and ignored all the message boards I was amazed at the fun I had. While message boards are a wonderful tool for learning things about your class and the game in general, they are also where the whiners go to take the joy out of this game for everyone else.

I like it...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I may have only been playing EverQuest for the past year. I may only play about ten hours a week. My highest level character may only be 20th level. But I have a tremendous amount of fun with this game. True, it's frustrating not being able to find a group. Or having to camp some mobs for days waiting for that certain item to drop. But when you accomplish what you were striving for, the feeling of reward is incredible. I'm not "hardcore" by any means. I play two or three hours every couple of days. But for the price of seeing a couple of bad movies a month, EverQuest is a heck of a lot more enjoyable.

SOLID TOTALLY SOLID

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is solid plain and simple. of course there are minor issues that come up now and then but think about it. Thousands upon thousands of people online at any given moment. The graphics, the sounds, the broken quest (that they say are fixed but we all know something else is broke) and maybe the most important part, the social aspect not many talk about. I now have friends and I mean good friends that I trust that live in England, and Germany. The game in all aspect is great. Looking forward to the next expansion.

(...) promotion

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: October 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I think the first guy to post here works for Sony.
Get real!
Watch the reviews after this comes out.
I will be getting it just cause I only have the downloaded version of EQ and this is a way to save money.
The few minor extras are just a bonus.
These will never have any collectors value and since they are making 45,000 as per the EQ site they will never be rare.
Funny there are still lots of the first gold ed. still for sale.
Good deal if you don't have all the games.

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