Noob here! Why should I play Classic EQ?

[Haldiri]

Hey Everyone,
I’m a complete noob to EQ... well almost. The original EQ was released when I was in college. I didn’t really play a lot of games during this time of my life because I was just trying to make it on my own and get through school. I remember taking random jobs just to pay for school. But I do remember vividly one summer. It was July 1999. I was with my college room mate and we took a summer and stayed at a friends house in FL to earn some extra cash for school. I remember going into this guys room. He had a PC setup in his bedroom and there he was playing... yes, you guessed it, “Evercrack”.😀 At the time I didn’t know much about it. The game had only been out a few months. This was early morning and there I saw his character on screen wacking on a tree with a stick, or a club or something, IDK. There were a few others (in game) there with him. I picked up the box and was like, “ oh , cool game, Man.” Shorty after that, me and my roommate left for the day. We were running errands and it was nice to have a day off to relax. We got home that night around 10pm. We went in his room to see what he was up to, and there he was in the same place, wacking on this giant tree. Except now it looked like there where 20 other characters on screen (could be off there) all attacking this giant tree. I’m like, “Dude, you’ve been doing this for over 14 hrs! Maybe you should take a break?” We teased him a little about it. At the time, I just couldn’t understand what could be so compelling that he’d spent his entire Saturday in that same spot. I thought to myself, “well, that’s commitment.” Me and my roommate moved on and didn’t say much more about it. It’s not something I ever considered getting into bc we just didn’t have time for that kind of thing. Years later, around 2006-2007, I got more into gaming again and started trying out different MMO’s The genre was much more popular by this time and they were popping up everywhere. Over the years, I’ve tried quite a few of them and some of them are entertaining, but eventually, I lose interest and move on to something else.
Recently, I’d been thinking more about it and even texted that buddy of mine from years ago and asked him what he thought. He didn’t say much, just that it was a special time in his life and that there really isn’t anything quite like it.
Of course that intrigued me, so I looked into it some more and realized the game went free to play quite a few yrs ago. I downloaded it and I’m currently playing a Halfling Rogue. I’ve enjoyed it a bit. Haven’t gotten too far. Only level 8 and just figuring out the mechanics because it is very different from modern games. But the free to play game doesn’t seem like what I remembered seeing and the micro transactions are a bit annoying and I realized quickly this is not really the same game from 1999. I dug a little deeper and stumbled across project1999. So, here I am. Sorry for the long introduction, but I felt like it was important to explain how I got to this point. I’m intrigued by it all, and have enjoyed this fantasy world, but I’ve also been told how brutal it can be. So, my question now is, tell me why I should or should not play EQ Classic. Again, I’m very intrigued, but before I purchase a copy of the Titanium Edition, I thought I would post here, check out the player community, and go from there. Let me know your thoughts. I appreciate it.

~Haldiri

[Tunabros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fCvU5Jbipw&t=8s&ab_channel=MorrolanTV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Db3kpRor4&ab_channel=level1undercon

watch these

get inspired

play all day

ascend

[greenspectre]

While the nostalgia factor would be lost to you, there are still plenty of reasons one would pick up p99 in 2020. I, for one, like the challenge of this game. It's not on-rails like modern mmo's or modern games. For the same reason you'd play a platformer from the 90's because it wasn't like "HEY PRESS X TO JUMP OVER THIS PIT" you'd play EQ because it isn't like "HEY GO SEE THAT GNOME IN THE CITY FOR YOUR LEVEL 5-10 QUEST". You gotta find that shit out for yourself, or play WikiQuest. Half of the fun of this game is research and planning- where are you gonna go next? What quests are you gonna work on? This game does NOT hold your hand.

The roleplay aspect of your character really shines in this game too. Each class is so incredibly different than the others, that the typical "Tank/Healer/DPS" trinity sometimes doesn't even apply. Otherwise Enchanters and Bards wouldn't even be classes. I played WoW for a hot minute but when my girlfriend at the time was like "Yeah I play a druid because they can be Tank, Healer, or DPS" I was like "wait what?". Your class choice DEFINES your play experience in this game. You roll a different class and it's seriously like you're playing a different game altogether. There's also a surprising amount of depth to each class despite them being more specialized than other MMO's-

Playing an enchanter? Have you learned how to charm-solo? Manage a charm pet in a group? Fear-kite? Can you break a 4-spawn camp? You rolled a paladin? Ok, so you can tank, do you know BLIND is your best aggro magnet? Do you know how root affects aggro and spacing? Do you have Charisma gear so you can pacify and double as a puller? The list goes on. It sounds daunting, but you'll learn as you go and each new thing you learn makes you TRULY feel more powerful. Playing a character in Everquest means you WILL get immersed in that character in a way I simply haven't experienced elsewhere.

You will bite, scratch, and claw your way to every experience point. You will go on corpse runs, naked, dodging mobs that can one-shot you, with the hairs on the back of your neck standing up the entire way. The stakes are high, but nothing compares to that feeling when your knowledge pays off and you handle a situation with well-learned expertise and come out on top. You really feel like you earn your victories here.

[Donkey Hotay]

I’m like, “Dude, you’ve been doing this for over 14 hrs! Maybe you should take a break?” We teased him a little about it. At the time, I just couldn’t understand what could be so compelling that he’d spent his entire Saturday in that same spot.


You dodged a bullet a generation ago and now you're back peering down the barrel.
You were supposed to get wiser with age.

[Haldiri]

You dodged a bullet a generation ago and now you're back peering down the barrel.
You were supposed to get wiser with age.

Apparently, I did not get wiser😀

[Danth]

Whether EQ is "brutal" or not depends largely on when you grew up and how good you are at video games. It's rough if you mess up a lot, or if you grew up during the "level skip y/n" millennial easymode era. Otherwise EQ's no great difficulty compared to the norms of its era and it's a virtual safe-haven compared to games like Ultima.

It's a slow paced game. It is not always action-packed; there are a lot of slow areas appropriate for a game built during the 90's "world simulator" era. If you want constant activity like you get in a lot of the newer online role-playing games you'll be bored here. If you want a game where you can be playing it while also have time get away from the keyboard to do your laundry or make dinner without having to turn it off, it's a good game for that. You might camp something for four hours but in many cases you're only at the keyboard for a fraction of that time. The game can work around a middle age lifestyle that has a lot of distractions.

The graphics are outdated and in general the technology of the game is obsolescent. No getting around those--you either can tolerate it or you can't.

If you decide to give it a try, the community is usually quite helpful for newer players. Toxicity exists but it's mainly confined to the high-end and that small portion of the game can be wholly ignored if desired.

Danth

[Baler]

Everquest started the 3d mmo on a mass scale. Prior games like ultima online were successfull but not 3d at the time. Everything mmorpg you'll ever play has some roots in lessons learned during classic eq.

Don't give up, use the wiki and socialize! every single player character on p99 is a real life person.

[Haldiri]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fCvU5Jbipw&t=8s&ab_channel=MorrolanTV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Db3kpRor4&ab_channel=level1undercon

watch these

get inspired

play all day

ascend

Really good info. I watched the first video. I haven’t watched the second one, but I will. Thanks for the links!

[Haldiri]

While the nostalgia factor would be lost to you, there are still plenty of reasons one would pick up p99 in 2020. I, for one, like the challenge of this game. It's not on-rails like modern mmo's or modern games. For the same reason you'd play a platformer from the 90's because it wasn't like "HEY PRESS X TO JUMP OVER THIS PIT" you'd play EQ because it isn't like "HEY GO SEE THAT GNOME IN THE CITY FOR YOUR LEVEL 5-10 QUEST". You gotta find that shit out for yourself, or play WikiQuest. Half of the fun of this game is research and planning- where are you gonna go next? What quests are you gonna work on? This game does NOT hold your hand.

The roleplay aspect of your character really shines in this game too. Each class is so incredibly different than the others, that the typical "Tank/Healer/DPS" trinity sometimes doesn't even apply. Otherwise Enchanters and Bards wouldn't even be classes. I played WoW for a hot minute but when my girlfriend at the time was like "Yeah I play a druid because they can be Tank, Healer, or DPS" I was like "wait what?". Your class choice DEFINES your play experience in this game. You roll a different class and it's seriously like you're playing a different game altogether. There's also a surprising amount of depth to each class despite them being more specialized than other MMO's-

Playing an enchanter? Have you learned how to charm-solo? Manage a charm pet in a group? Fear-kite? Can you break a 4-spawn camp? You rolled a paladin? Ok, so you can tank, do you know BLIND is your best aggro magnet? Do you know how root affects aggro and spacing? Do you have Charisma gear so you can pacify and double as a puller? The list goes on. It sounds daunting, but you'll learn as you go and each new thing you learn makes you TRULY feel more powerful. Playing a character in Everquest means you WILL get immersed in that character in a way I simply haven't experienced elsewhere.

You will bite, scratch, and claw your way to every experience point. You will go on corpse runs, naked, dodging mobs that can one-shot you, with the hairs on the back of your neck standing up the entire way. The stakes are high, but nothing compares to that feeling when your knowledge pays off and you handle a situation with well-learned expertise and come out on top. You really feel like you earn your victories here.

Thank you for such a detailed response! Role playing and immersion appeals to me, but the higher learning curve is a little daunting. As I mentioned, I’ve been playing the FTP version of EQ, and although they hold your hand a bit more than Classic, it still has taken some time to figure out even basic things. The UI for one is just so different than modern games, it’s a bit to get used to. I’m lvl 10 and don’t really know what I’m doing. I am fine with taking some time to learn though, if it’s as rewarding as people are saying.

[Shourty]

Oh man, stay away. All you life you have been leveling up but it you start this mess you will de-level your real life and end up with a bald spot, wide hips, neck beard and poke out belly. Abandon all if you enter here.
seriously.

[Bardp1999]

If you don't get the nostalgia rush from remembering playing EQ back in 99/00 I HIGHLY doubt the game will be able to keep your attention. Compared to modern games, it's a fucking nightmare controls/UI wise - like bordering on unplayable.

I love people coming to p99 but unless you actually played EQ back in the day I can not recommend trying to get into now, there just isn't any way I think you would have fun with it.

EQ is a relic and p99 is a museum

[Bardp1999]

Also if you must play, there are ways to find a copy of Titanium w/o buying it

[enjchanter]

If you don't get the nostalgia rush from remembering playing EQ back in 99/00 I HIGHLY doubt the game will be able to keep your attention. Compared to modern games, it's a fucking nightmare controls/UI wise - like bordering on unplayable.

I love people coming to p99 but unless you actually played EQ back in the day I can not recommend trying to get into now, there just isn't any way I think you would have fun with it.

EQ is a relic and p99 is a museum

yeah, honestly, just dont lol

[Arvan]

You shouldn’t, that way you can’t say i didn’t warn you ;)

[Exard3k]

EQ is a very different kind of MMO compared to modern games. When it was launched, It was at the dawn between MUD, P&P like D&D and first era of 3D games. It very much retains a lot of 80s classic RPG genre that doesnt get much attention anymore.

If you like CRPGs that are redone and flavoured like the games of old (Baldurs Gate, D&D, etc.) and you like old school mechanics and unforgiving gameplay, EQ still has an edge over modern game design. Games in the 90s were designed as a challenge, not entertainment.

But it isn't only about EQ in general. P1999 has a very special community, very mature in general and very beginner-friendly. Most people played EQ as teenagers and now have kids and all things you got in your 30s. It's a different kind of company than your usual F2P audience. I don't say there's no drama, but there are almost certainly less hormones involved :)

EQ is a niche nowadays as most old RPGs are. If you fit into that niche, EQ is gold.

[Haldiri]

EQ is a very different kind of MMO compared to modern games. When it was launched, It was at the dawn between MUD, P&P like D&D and first era of 3D games. It very much retains a lot of 80s classic RPG genre that doesnt get much attention anymore.

If you like CRPGs that are redone and flavoured like the games of old (Baldurs Gate, D&D, etc.) and you like old school mechanics and unforgiving gameplay, EQ still has an edge over modern game design. Games in the 90s were designed as a challenge, not entertainment.

But it isn't only about EQ in general. P1999 has a very special community, very mature in general and very beginner-friendly. Most people played EQ as teenagers and now have kids and all things you got in your 30s. It's a different kind of company than your usual F2P audience. I don't say there's no drama, but there are almost certainly less hormones involved :)

EQ is a niche nowadays as most old RPGs are. If you fit into that niche, EQ is gold.
Very good points. It’s interesting that you mentioned the isometric games. I’ve been a D&D fan for many years so those old school games have always appealed to me. Over the past few yrs, I’ve purchased the remastered versions of Baldur’s Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, among others. I’ve played around with some of the modern ones as well like Pillars of Eternity. It’s one of the things that led me here. I ask myself, why are these old games as entertaining to me as any new triple A title, and in a lot of ways, filled with more depth. Even though they don’t have shiny new graphics and voice acting, I was having more fun than a lot of modern games. When I see clips of EQ, it kind of reminds me of The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind. (I know it’s a single player game), but the game is dated graphically, but imo it’s the best Elder scrolls game ever. EQ reminds me of that game because that game was a much slower pace than modern games, but there was so much mystery and exploration, it just felt alive to me. That game didn’t hold your hand. It didn’t mark your map (although there was one). The NPC gave you directions, so you had to pay attention, look for landmarks. If you got lost, it often led you on a new adventure that you may have never stumbled upon. That’s the feeling that is missing in most modern games.

[BlackBellamy]

He didn’t say much, just that it was a special time in his life and that there really isn’t anything quite like it.

You didn't listen to him, are you going to listen to us?

It's like Runescape. It's on version 3 I think? Yet some people play Old School Runescape which is Runescape 2007. Is it better? No it sucks. I have no nostalgia for the game having never played it so I tried them both and the new one was way better. Was OG more hardcore? Maybe, I couldn't tell through all the UI and graphic suck.

I'm not saying don't play, I'm just saying it's not magical. The UI and graphics and some old gameplay tropes are going to be real wearying if you don't have a secondary source of appeal.

[Sevrinax]

Put it this way.....in a modern MMO, you can log on for a couple of hours and make progress of some description.

In EQ, you can log on for that same time period and go backwards.

One of those options is more easily defined as fun and worthwhile, and one is not. Except by those of us on P99 :D

[Mblake81]

Hey Everyone,
I’m a complete noob to EQ...

~Haldiri

Artist: Rainbow (Dio)
Album: Rising
Song: Stargazer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6CjO0H2j0s)


“Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep on living.” -- Princess Mononoke (1997)

The roleplay aspect of your character really shines in this game too.

Whether EQ is "brutal" or not depends largely on when you grew up and how good you are at video games. It's rough if you mess up a lot, or if you grew up during the "level skip y/n" millennial easymode era.

If you decide to give it a try, the community is usually quite helpful for newer players. Toxicity exists but it's mainly confined to the high-end and that small portion of the game can be wholly ignored if desired.

Games in the 90s were designed as a challenge, not entertainment.

It very much retains a lot of 80s classic RPG genre that doesnt get much attention anymore.

EQ is a niche nowadays as most old RPGs are. If you fit into that niche, EQ is gold.

https://clydecaldwell.com/paintings/

https://i.imgur.com/Y5J0OXh.jpg

[Topgunben]

It’s a grindy game. Without nostalgia, you’ll likely burn out and quit before level 30.

[Jubal]

1) The classic EQ community in 1999 were a bunch of excited, fun loving, respectable, early adopter type, interesting people.

The Project99 community is not.

2) Ask any Classic EQ player the big things they remember and they will universally reply with tales of cool GM events and the unique items that were won.

Project99 GMs do not give out unique items or host GM events.

3) Classic EQ endgame was bad

Project99 endgame is horrendous. Certain people should be on trial at the Hague.

[Strifer]

Hey brother

So its a free game, id definitely say its worth a look. At worst you have a few hours of enjoyment and know it wasn't for you. Best case scenario you find your new favorite but more than likely prolly find something in the middle. Though I'd recommended as has been stated above and utilize the wiki, coming in fresh the game does not hold your hand, and even back then middle school me was online for hours trying to answer questions the game posed to me through discovery.

[Mblake81]

It’s a grindy game. Without nostalgia, you’ll likely burn out and quit before level 30.

It's the kind of game that you are not trying to beat in a weekend. It's something you keep loaded on your PC and play when you want. Yes, you can kick back and watch something on another monitor or television. Depends on where you are, of course, and what you are doing. It's not polite to be "netflixing" while busy in a dungeon. Exceptions are there for when a group has things on lock-down. Group wipes cost time to recover, sometimes discouraging others from playing. So be kind and think before being a total noob.

-This was only for OP's benefit, if he truly is new. ...You are not from Grobb, are you? OP

Note: There was a sense of urgency back in the day, mixed with things being new and paying per month. People were motivated to get out. Things are far more relaxed and permanent on P99.

[Topgunben]

It's the kind of game that you are not trying to beat in a weekend. It's something you keep loaded on your PC and play when you want. Yes, you can kick back and watch something on another monitor or television. Depends on where you are, of course, and what you are doing. It's not polite to be "netflixing" while busy in a dungeon. Exceptions are there for when a group has things on lock-down. Group wipes cost time to recover, sometimes discouraging others from playing. So be kind and think before being a total noob.

-This was only for OP's benefit, if he truly is new. ...You are not from Grobb, are you? OP

Note: There was a sense of urgency back in the day, mixed with things being new and paying per month. People were motivated to get out. Things are far more relaxed and permanent on P99.

I agree. It took me years to get my Necro to 55. I really enjoyed my time leveling him and never watched to clock or wished things would go by quicker. But the server was different back in 2014 to 2017. There were a lot more people playing in the mid levels, and there wasn’t nearly the amount of nerds at the top. Green really put a nail in my EQ coffin. I don’t have it in me to start all over again, and blues mid level community had dwindled below what I find acceptable.

With all that said, without nostalgia, I would have quit before I hit level 10.

[Naonak]

Great game. Worth putting in a few hours and see what you think. You will get hooked like the rest of us

[Haldiri]

Hey Everyone!
I appreciate all the opinions and good info. I started playing a halfling rogue on Green and enjoying it so far. It’s taking a while getting used to the UI and how things work. For example, still not sure how to accept a quest. I tried and nothing happened. I’m not in a hurry, just taking my time, but if anyone knows how to accept a quest, let me know.

[peterpal]

There's no real accepting a quest. It's usually more hints what the NPC might need. So you just hail the NPC and it will respond with a story including a bracketed [trigger] word. Most of the time it works if you form a sentence like 'what trigger?'. And they'll respond to you about the quest. Sometimes they also give you a container where you have to combine stuff.

[Haldiri]

There's no real accepting a quest. It's usually more hints what the NPC might need. So you just hail the NPC and it will respond with a story including a bracketed [trigger] word. Most of the time it works if you form a sentence like 'what trigger?'. And they'll respond to you about the quest. Sometimes they also give you a container where you have to combine stuff.

Thanks for the tip! I know in live EQ, you click on the word in the brackets to get the NPC to respond, so I was trying mouse clicks, then the NPC attacked me and one shot me into a shallow grave.😮 I wasn’t expecting that..... I’ve never seen that in any MMO I’ve ever played. Anyway, I’ll try some phrases and see if that will trigger a response.

[Shourty]

[QUOTE=Haldiri;3201868], so I was trying mouse clicks, then the NPC attacked me and one shot me into a shallow grave.😮 I wasn’t expecting that.....

I really burst out laughing at that. Still chuckling. Sorry.
oops, did it again, I'm not really sorry now, I'm grateful for the happy laughter.

Oh, that's rich. I remember being disappointed when my friend told me that you couldn't attack the NPCs in WoW. What a wimpy game I thought. I was right.

Thanks again for the good laugh.

[pivo]

Thanks for the tip! I know in live EQ, you click on the word in the brackets to get the NPC to respond, so I was trying mouse clicks, then the NPC attacked me and one shot me into a shallow grave.��

Yes, this happened to me as well. First month of playing I had (can't prove it, there is no statistic data), but I'm pretty sure I had the most deaths on the server. And I also found some really creative ways of dying. Brutal game for clumsy players like myself.

Anyway, about quests, it is a huge help to use wiki, here is one quest example for some Druid item:

http://wiki.project1999.com/Testament_of_Vanear_Quest

You can copy/paste text into the game. Copy text normal way, then paste it with: Ctrl+Shift+P

You chose toon that needs lots of grouping. You could also start with one, that is pretty decent at solo, such as Druid, Necro or Magician to see, which play style you prefer the best.

Oh and welcome to the game :)

[Mblake81]

Hey Everyone!
I appreciate all the opinions and good info. I started playing a halfling rogue on Green and enjoying it so far. It’s taking a while getting used to the UI and how things work. For example, still not sure how to accept a quest. I tried and nothing happened. I’m not in a hurry, just taking my time, but if anyone knows how to accept a quest, let me know.

If you have a few minutes this guy explains most of the issues you are having (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2UYQRCfYs&feature=youtu.be). You must target the NPC, get close, press the H key to Hail (hi,hello), the NPC will target you then look at you, a text response will pop up in your main chat box (if the NPC has a quest). Some words will [look like this] in the sentence. You type back a response that has "I have [looks like this]" and it will proceed from there.

It's a keyboard/mouse based computer game, jfyi

Edit note: Common noob mistake is to forget pressing enter to open up chat with the NPC, by default one of the games keys is bound to A or Q.. something like that. New players will press that key while typing a response and it will engage their characters Auto-Attack hotkey. Common to see naked corpses around some noob zone NPC's because of this. Check your binds in the options menu by pressing ALT Key + O.

[Baler]

Edit note: Common noob mistake is to forget pressing enter to open up chat with the NPC, by default one of the games keys is bound to A or Q.. something like that. New players will press that key while typing a response and it will engage their characters Auto-Attack hotkey. Common to see naked corpses around some noob zone NPC's because of this. Check your binds in the options menu by pressing ALT Key + O.

Yeah default binding for autoattack is Q, Options -> Keys -> Commands
Its the first bind I change. I make Q stafe left and E strafe right. Under Movement.

It now makes much more sense why there are corpses around the new character starting points. I never fully understood that. I guess the simplest answer is the best in this case.

[Haldiri]

[QUOTE=Haldiri;3201868], so I was trying mouse clicks, then the NPC attacked me and one shot me into a shallow grave.😮 I wasn’t expecting that.....

I really burst out laughing at that. Still chuckling. Sorry.
oops, did it again, I'm not really sorry now, I'm grateful for the happy laughter.

Oh, that's rich. I remember being disappointed when my friend told me that you couldn't attack the NPCs in WoW. What a wimpy game I thought. I was right.

Thanks again for the good laugh.

It’ funny now, in hind sight. This game keeps you on your toes. Death really could be just around the corner. Fortunately in this case, my corpse was easy to locate! 😀

[Haldiri]

You can copy/paste text into the game. Copy text normal way, then paste it with: Ctrl+Shift+P

You chose toon that needs lots of grouping. You could also start with one, that is pretty decent at solo, such as Druid, Necro or Magician to see, which play style you prefer the best.

Oh and welcome to the game :)
Thanks for the tip. I’ll def be trying out some of the other classes too.

[Haldiri]

If you have a few minutes this guy explains most of the issues you are having (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2UYQRCfYs&feature=youtu.be). You must target the NPC, get close, press the H key to Hail (hi,hello), the NPC will target you then look at you, a text response will pop up in your main chat box (if the NPC has a quest). Some words will [look like this] in the sentence. You type back a response that has "I have [looks like this]" and it will proceed from there.

It's a keyboard/mouse based computer game, jfyi

Edit note: Common noob mistake is to forget pressing enter to open up chat with the NPC, by default one of the games keys is bound to A or Q.. something like that. New players will press that key while typing a response and it will engage their characters Auto-Attack hotkey. Common to see naked corpses around some noob zone NPC's because of this. Check your binds in the options menu by pressing ALT Key + O.

Whoa! Really good info! I’ll have to check and see what the keys are mapped to. I never even thought of that. I’m pretty sure my auto attack was engaged. Lol

[Haldiri]

Yeah default binding for autoattack is Q, Options -> Keys -> Commands
Its the first bind I change. I make Q stafe left and E strafe right. Under Movement.

It now makes much more sense why there are corpses around the new character starting points. I never fully understood that. I guess the simplest answer is the best in this case.

😮😮😮 I def need to check those bindings!! This explains a lot!

[Haldiri]

Made lvl 8..... nevermind, de-leveled again.☹️

[Seducio]

EQ players on a newish server end up falling into a handful of different paths.

a. Play for a few hours and move on - Gave it a go.
b. Play for a few days and move on - Not for them.
c. Play for a few months until something new captures their attention. journey unfinished. -50% of folks
d. Play for a few years - Burn out after min/maxing or raiding seeing the end or giving up.
e. Play for a few decades - Nostalgia wins. New server options. The folks you are talking to on this thread.

[Haldiri]

EQ players on a newish server end up falling into a handful of different paths.

a. Play for a few hours and move on - Gave it a go.
b. Play for a few days and move on - Not for them.
c. Play for a few months until something new captures their attention. journey unfinished. -50% of folks
d. Play for a few years - Burn out after min/maxing or raiding seeing the end or giving up.
e. Play for a few decades - Nostalgia wins. New server options. The folks you are talking to on this thread.

Well, I made it past a and b. 😀

[Haldiri]

Still hanging in there, but the journey is becoming difficult. I am lvl 9 now, but just barely due to de-leveling. My corpse ended up in the bottom of the water in Blackburrow and no way to retrieve it. I died a couple times trying and gave up. Fortunately, a GM was nice enough to get it for me. Still, I’m finding it difficult to know where to go. I’ve read some guides, but not everyone can agree on the best path. I have yet to complete a quest. I have talked to NPC’s that have them, but for some reason, never able to trigger the dialog to move forward. I think I am still missing something. It’s a pretty slow grind without quests and I’ve been out killing things, but hard to find the balance of areas where enemies are either too weak to offer much xp, if any, or too strong for my level. Any advice?

[Seducio]

If solo then melee characters really struggle beyond level 10 without amazing gear.

So start to look for a Healer partner duo or a group of 3-4 folks or even a full group.

The zone of Unrest's population has gone down some since server start and it is most likely a good place to look starting with yard trash groups. If you flag down a wizard or druid you should be able to get a free port if you ask nicely. Get a sow and invis to get to Unrest safely.

If you do really want to stick to solo then leverage higher level buffs. Ask a Druid for Skin Like Nature, Chloro, and Thorns when you are near druid rings. Ask for Reso/Symbol from Clerics. Ask for Talisman from Shaman. As a young character most are willing to help if you ask.

Good luck

[Gustoo]

Use the wiki to look up information for quests to help you.

At level 9 it gets trickier. You should group. If you solo you are going to need to take it slow.

This is not a game where you are supposed to level up doing quests on repeat like some other games. It really is about killing monsters over and over again, and exploring dungeons. This happens in groups.

As a rogue, soloing for you is quite bad. Who brought you to blackburrow anyways? You would have had a better time leveling to level 8 in misty thicket, then going over to commonlands to find friends to adventure further. Mostly, qeynos side of the world is less full of players to group with.

Try to make it fun, adventure. Don't die! Look at maps

[Haldiri]

Use the wiki to look up information for quests to help you.

At level 9 it gets trickier. You should group. If you solo you are going to need to take it slow.

This is not a game where you are supposed to level up doing quests on repeat like some other games. It really is about killing monsters over and over again, and exploring dungeons. This happens in groups.

As a rogue, soloing for you is quite bad. Who brought you to blackburrow anyways? You would have had a better time leveling to level 8 in misty thicket, then going over to commonlands to find friends to adventure further. Mostly, qeynos side of the world is less full of players to group with.

Try to make it fun, adventure. Don't die! Look at maps
I have been using the Wiki to look up information, but am unable to trigger quests. I’m not sure how to activate quests. I have not completed a quest so far. I did quest in Misty Thicket to lvl 8, but was told to hit Black Burrow for the knoll fangs, said you can get a lot of XP doing it. Still am not sure who to hand these in to though. I guess I will try to get a ride to common lands then. I would like to group for sure, but I have noticed there aren’t as many players over here.

[Seducio]

Use the /who command to find appropriate level group mates.

Type /who 8 12

This would return players in your zone who are good to level with. Note their name and then send them a /tell asking to group.

It's a great way to meet people and make friends to level up together. If someone does not respond or says no then just ask others. Lots of friendly folks.

[Knuckle]

EQ players on a newish server end up falling into a handful of different paths.

a. Play for a few hours and move on - Gave it a go.
b. Play for a few days and move on - Not for them.
c. Play for a few months until something new captures their attention. journey unfinished. -50% of folks
d. Play for a few years - Burn out after min/maxing or raiding seeing the end or giving up.
e. Play for a few decades - Nostalgia wins. New server options. The folks you are talking to on this thread.

i've ended up in column d and e too many times :D:D:D

[Knuckle]

I have been using the Wiki to look up information, but am unable to trigger quests. I’m not sure how to activate quests. I have not completed a quest so far. I did quest in Misty Thicket to lvl 8, but was told to hit Black Burrow for the knoll fangs, said you can get a lot of XP doing it. Still am not sure who to hand these in to though. I guess I will try to get a ride to common lands then. I would like to group for sure, but I have noticed there aren’t as many players over here.

There's a temporary suspension on quest XP so don't spend any time on quests that don't yield an item reward you want. If you have items like gnoll fangs or belt turn-ins you should hold them for the next 4 weeks and then you can try to turn them all in if you are still in a good level range. If not, your next alt will be ready to rock and roll.

I don't super recommend Blackburrow for a few reasons:

1.) Gnoll Fang Quest nerfing to no XP right now = less people PLing/grouping there.
2.) Corpse Runs are slow and painful.
3.) Crushbone is superior even with the belt market temporarily destroyed.
4.) Might be a fun Adventure to make the Misty > Gfay run and get bound in Kelethin. Can easily do 8-16 in cCushbone and then start hitting up unrest for amazing dungeon xp and some good starter loot.

[Exard3k]

Rogue is one of the few classes that are very difficult as a first character, especially if you dont know what you are doing.

Warrior, Rogue and to some degree Clerics really rely on getting a group. Even a duo will be sufficient, rogues are awesome duoing partner for anyone that can generate aggro. Ask people. Send tells. Check wiki/forums for popular group spots (Everquest is huge). For rogue, it's more about groups but every groups wants them because they are so big in their role: melee dps in a group.

[aspomwell]

[QUOTE=Shourty;3201908]

It’ funny now, in hind sight. This game keeps you on your toes. Death really could be just around the corner. Fortunately in this case, my corpse was easy to locate! 😀

You're obviously not playing a dark elf. Accidentally attack the Priest of Discord where you are 'born' and you'll spawn two zones away with no clue how to get back!

[Exard3k]

[QUOTE=Haldiri;3202280]

You're obviously not playing a dark elf. Accidentally attack the Priest of Discord where you are 'born' and you'll spawn two zones away with no clue how to get back!

Learning how things work in Neriak the hard way. Totally classic. Especially funny as SK/Necro trying to find your guild. Even with maps available it's not that trivial.

[Haldiri]

Appreciate all the input. I got a little help and port to commons. Got attacked while porting, and game crashed, attacked by griffin twice while loggin in, I was almost lvl 10, but just de-leveled to 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:( :( :( :(

[Haldiri]

Appreciate all the input. I got a little help and port to commons. Got attacked while porting, and game crashed, attacked by griffin twice while loggin in, I was almost lvl 10, but just de-leveled to 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:( :( :( :(

Today is my birthday and had the day off work so I’ve basically spent my day off de-leveling.... it’s a little frustrating spending all this time seeing progress and now it’s all for nothing.

[pivo]

Today is my birthday and had the day off work so I’ve basically spent my day off de-leveling.... it’s a little frustrating spending all this time seeing progress and now it’s all for nothing.

First happy birthday!

You choose hard class to play, Rouge is duo/group class, not solo. But luckily you are at sub 10 level. Start a new one, you can always later continue with Rouge, start say Magician, you will have a pet (at lvl 4), it will be so much easier. Sometimes, if it gets too hot, you use pet to sacrifice for you, keeping NPC in fight while you start running toward guard or zone line...

If you want even faster & easier first few levels, start with Necromancer, you get pet at lvl 1 (as soon as you get enough gold to buy a spell). Gnome Necromancer is not that evil and not that complicated regarding faction, although I did died several times because of faction, forgot to use Invisibility spell you get at low levels)

Just give it a try, you may like pet class much better. I started with 3 easy toons (Druid, Magician & Necromancer) since I didn't know which one would be easiest for me to play. They are now at 35-40 lvl and I still play all three. :)

I would NEVER EVER play a Rouge. I'm too bad and clumsy player for it.

p.s.
What is your in-game name?

[Gustoo]

Rogue is hardest class in game to solo. They are the worst at it.

I don't know how you lost an entire level de-leveling though. Whatever you were doing when you were doing that, avoid it.

Find mobs that are good exp for how difficult they are. Don't kill monsters that can almost kill you. That gets to be impossible pretty quick where anything blue con can murder you fast. The game is designed for groups.

[Haldiri]

First happy birthday!

You choose hard class to play, Rouge is duo/group class, not solo. But luckily you are at sub 10 level. Start a new one, you can always later continue with Rouge, start say Magician, you will have a pet (at lvl 4), it will be so much easier. Sometimes, if it gets too hot, you use pet to sacrifice for you, keeping NPC in fight while you start running toward guard or zone line...

If you want even faster & easier first few levels, start with Necromancer, you get pet at lvl 1 (as soon as you get enough gold to buy a spell). Gnome Necromancer is not that evil and not that complicated regarding faction, although I did died several times because of faction, forgot to use Invisibility spell you get at low levels)

Just give it a try, you may like pet class much better. I started with 3 easy toons (Druid, Magician & Necromancer) since I didn't know which one would be easiest for me to play. They are now at 35-40 lvl and I still play all three. :)

I would NEVER EVER play a Rouge. I'm too bad and clumsy player for it.

p.s.
What is your in-game name?
Thanks for the advice. I still want to play the rogue, but I may roll some other toons to keep my frustration at bay. I’m Haldiri on Green.

[Haldiri]

Rogue is hardest class in game to solo. They are the worst at it.

I don't know how you lost an entire level de-leveling though. Whatever you were doing when you were doing that, avoid it.

Find mobs that are good exp for how difficult they are. Don't kill monsters that can almost kill you. That gets to be impossible pretty quick where anything blue con can murder you fast. The game is designed for groups.

UPDATE ON MY ROGUE ADVENTURE
I was bound in Qeynos and decided to make a run to East Karana. I never made it. I got halfway there and was ambushed by a Griffin and was dead within 2 seconds. I got a buff, and headed back to grab my corpse, but my buff wore off before I got there. I did bring in some help, recovered my gear, and was on my way to commons... so I thought. While I was getting a port, a lion attacked me so I had to run for it. while I was running, my game crashed. When I logged back in, I had died and I was back in quenos , where I was bound. Had a friend buff me again, this time close to my corpse, but then my game froze up.... died again..... went back to corpse with a few buffs and finally recovered my gear and got a buff, but just outside of commons another griffin attacked, my partner had cast a levitating spell on me and I must have gotten to close. I had no warning. Yes, lost a whole level within a couple hours. But fear not, I did not give up. I told my story to a lvl 40 and he ported me to some great places and pulled a bunch of mobs for massive XP! I am currently lvl 9 and only about a half bar away from level 10 so I’ve made back almost everything I lost. It’s been quite a ride! This game is def not boring!

[Neon Archie]

Travel tip. Try to run on the “walls” or edges of the zone. Preferably up higher when you can. Mobs tend to path there less frequently and it will be less dangerous. Study the wiki map before exploring too far.

Head on a swivel and right click consider EVERYTHING that moves or stands still.

Rogue is a tough first class. Maybe check a Druid for an easier learning curve. EQ can be a cruel and harsh mistress.

[Topgunben]

Here’s the thing. No matter what you have in your mind about classes prior to you playing EQ, just get rid of that. Class imbalances are enormous in this game. Real class balancing didn’t start until the expansions came out, but even then, it took several expansions beyond classic expansions to make the classes “equal”

So rogue is a cool class, but not a solo class and certainly not a class I would recommend for a new player. You could reroll as a Necromancer and be level 12 faster than it would take you to get your rogue from 9 to 12. It’s just how broken this game is.

The reason why I am telling you this is not to force my opinion on you, it’s to help you / keep you from getting frustrated and burned out from the difficulty of playing a melee class. Pack in 99 my first character was a barb warrior. I thought he would be such a bad ass, but in the end, after it took me months, maybe a year just to get to him to 46, I realized I had a really crappily geared warrior that really didn’t offer much utility and was a major PITA to level, find groups, etc.

So when I restarted on here about 6 years ago, I went Necro. It was a completely different experience this go around. I actually found myself exploring more, enjoying content, and actually gaining exp at a consistent rate

[Haldiri]

First happy birthday!

You choose hard class to play, Rouge is duo/group class, not solo. But luckily you are at sub 10 level. Start a new one, you can always later continue with Rouge, start say Magician, you will have a pet (at lvl 4), it will be so much easier. Sometimes, if it gets too hot, you use pet to sacrifice for you, keeping NPC in fight while you start running toward guard or zone line...

If you want even faster & easier first few levels, start with Necromancer, you get pet at lvl 1 (as soon as you get enough gold to buy a spell). Gnome Necromancer is not that evil and not that complicated regarding faction, although I did died several times because of faction, forgot to use Invisibility spell you get at low levels)

Just give it a try, you may like pet class much better. I started with 3 easy toons (Druid, Magician & Necromancer) since I didn't know which one would be easiest for me to play. They are now at 35-40 lvl and I still play all three. :)

I would NEVER EVER play a Rouge. I'm too bad and clumsy player for it.

p.s.
What is your in-game name?
Pivo,
Appreciate you jumping in game and helping me out. Things are going a lot better now. This is a pretty awesome community. I’ve never posted on a forum and literally that same day have someone jump into the game and help out without even being asked. Thanks again!