Launch Day / Year 1 stories

[m004yu]

Hey all, I was never around for Classic EQ but as a fan of old games I've really been enjoying the EQ experience. I've managed to spot some really interesting memory recollections in YT comments and throughout forums, so much so that I went back to usenet archives to look at the newsgroup on launch day. https://usenetarchives.com/threads.p...&y=0&r=0&p=188

To those that played Year 1, or have any interesting classic stories, share! I'd love to hear them.

What was launch day like?
How many players per server on launch? Throughout year 1?
How crowded were various zones?
How did people play the game then when nothing was known?
What was trading like before everyone agreed on EC Tunnel?
What was leveling like before people found all the 'best' spots like unrest?

Any stories, memories, or screenshots I'd love to hear about and see.

[magnetaress]

there where level 12 enchanters handing out ac buffs at newbie log in nektulous

ppl ran out to EK and lake rathe for groups

we had groups around the little camps around the lake for like lvl 12-18's ppl

the aviak chicks where a hot commodity even the one or two camps. i remember sitting out on an aviak spawn with 2 of the little guys with 3 ppl and we killed them [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] we just sat around chillin

I even duo'd the hermit out there

banded was like big boi armor

enchanters sucked so bad they grouped

[Allishia]

I remember playing my necro but I was on dial up. Everytime I got a good pet someone would call and kick me off the internet/nod

Same thing happened to my mage, I quit mage at lvl 16 cause was too dependant on pet lol.

[Encroaching Death]

Originally Posted by magnetaress [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

ppl ran out to EK and lake rathe for groups

we had groups around the little camps around the lake for like lvl 12-18's ppl

the aviak chicks where a hot commodity even the one or two camps. i remember sitting out on an aviak spawn with 2 of the little guys with 3 ppl and we killed them [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] we just sat around chillin

I envy this.

I wish Lake Rathe was more popular [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I do remember grouping at KFC back in the day. I remember because I got banned there.

[Encroaching Death]

Originally Posted by Allishia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I remember playing my necro but I was on dial up

I HATED this. Especially as the little brother in the family.

"You've had enough, let your sister call her boyfriend!"

They would of course be on the phone all night.

Fuck dial up.

[Evia]

I remember vividly Enchanters and bards were group classes. You never ever heard of either one soloing. I think within the first year bards started figuring out kiting but I remember being in luclin era and never hearing about solo charming enchanters. I'm sure it happened but it was rare not commonplace. Some servers chose to sell goods in gfay or North Freeport over the tunnel.

[Tongpow]

Originally Posted by m004yu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

To those that played Year 1, or have any interesting classic stories

i used to swap my SMR for a oracle robe and try to NBG a 2nd one if it dropped in lguk

i remember a GM killing me for exploiting freeport guard pathing by Gfluxing me off the wall and freezing me in place while the guard killed me

falling asleep at jboots camp in najena before the SolRo/Hole patch or whatever and ended up missing school the next morning and getting grounded.

i remember high pass orc camp being a FFA KS fest between multiple groups for the entire like week i spent xping there and my entire job as enchanter was just mem blurring shit, i remember HHK goblins being like 5 camps....

idk i remember having a whole bunch of fucking fun then kunark launched and it was new and i didn't like it and i really didn't like velious and bounced way before cats on the moon at like lvl 54 to shit like Anarchy online

[Danth]

Originally Posted by Encroaching Death [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Fuck dial up.

If it makes you feel any better, I had cable internet (it came available in my area early in '99) and it disconnected from EQ fairly often as well. Not as often as dial-up, admittedly, but it wasn't rock steady like we take for granted on P99, either. Quite a bit of the connectivity issues EQ had, especially in crowded zones, were in part cased by the game's compatible-with-dualup low rate data output. Doesn't matter how fast my fancy new cable ISP can receive if the host is only transmitting at a limited rate.

[Ooloo]

Very early on /consent allowed you to full loot other people's corpses. As a young barbarian rogue I would find corpses out in the tundra, talk the person into consenting me and then vendor all their stuff. Backpacks were big money!

Yes it was a dick move but I considered it roleplaying! Also I was coming from ultima online so stuff like that came naturally.

[azeth]

Op is an incarnation of a banned user trying to re establish themselves as a typical poster