Enjoying the game as a vet, while playing with a beginner.
 

Hi all,

Looking for suggestions on how to best to enjoy playing Project 1999 with my wife. She's a fantastic gamer, from classic Runescape, to TES:2 and 3, to ESO, SWTOR, and a lot more. One thing she had never tried was EQ, either in it's heyday or the current game. While I did get her to play live, and we got a couple of chars to 60ish and epic 1.0, it's not the same. I love Project 1999, but I feel like I am hampering her.

Part of it is my own nostalgia, and how I learned to play the game, starting on Tholuxe Paells in 2000 ( I think?). I want her to be able to develop that same appreciation, but since I know like 20 years worth of EQ lore, shortcuts, and just how to play the game in general, I almost feel like she's being rushed and just following me from good questing/grinding area to the next.

We had got an enchanter (me) and a druid (her) to 15, doing some bandits in WK, collecting sashes, etc. I decided however that playing like this is never going to develop a love and deep appreciate for EQ the way it did for me at 20 years old, fucking up and just blundering about and learning the hard way.

We made new chars last night, an Erudite necro for her, a mage for me (human, in Qeynos, although I'd prefer a dark elf, just can't figure out the logistics of playing one while allowing her to enjoy doing some quests and exploring Paineel). I'd love some input, from someone who has played with a beginner as well as how to quest together, train, buy spells etc when you and said beginner are on opposite sides of the world. I do have a 39 druid, which would help with getting her to where I would start if I play a DE, and about 1k plat, but I dont want to twink (other than maybe a decent robe for each for looks).

Thanks for any help!!

Quick Edit: She is great at the game so far, also. No problem figuring out how to make hotbuttons, bind sense heading to a movement key, cast spells, snaring, harmony on the druid to single pull, any of that. We both keep the Wiki open to alt/tab to also.

Why would any of us know how to enjoy the game with your wife?

best way IMO is to join groups, dont DUO only. The groups is where you get to see true mistakes and hijinks, maybe join that guild that only allows for self found stuff and no twink groups. I havent been on the server in a while but i think thats the way to go as someone who also tried to instill some interest in the game to another by duoing and power leveling.. it didnt work.

Yeah, join some groups.

It's a great aspect of EQ.

You have to let her take the lead.

Why not make a Cler/Tank duo and use it to get groups going easily.
Try cool dungeouns, wipe, sucky CR and interact with others. 1999 all over again!

A lot of it is communication. She needs to tell you what she likes and what she doesn't like. Every woman is different in this regard. It takes a lot of practice and experimentation to figure out what works best for both of you.

For instance, you might want to plunge right into The Hole, but she may prefer you take the entrance with the tighter squeeze around in back of Paineel.

If you are doing something like farming plat over and over again, and it feels good to her, she needs to let you know. On the other hand, if you're really going all out trying to please her with some outdoors XP and it's just not getting the job done for her, sometimes she just needs to guide you a little bit or give you some encouragement and take things all the way into a dungeon.

If you are doing it right, then you will both build up that XP together with harder mobs and faster pulls until neither of you can stand it anymore and you both ding and level up.

You are almost certainly not as good at this game as you think you are, so just play normally and dont feel like your cheating anyone of a more "real experience". As a player, you are average at best (doubtful) and the experience you offer will be as well



NEXT

Let her independently level to like mid-20's, then rejoin her.

So my first try playing with my GF she hated. I guess i did not explain things enough and just did stuff. So letting her choose how to do some stuff and how to handle some encounters should help.
Also another thing is that she made a 2nd char and plays that when we are not together. Now she wants to play more than me lol.