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Very addictive, but...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: August 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I would not recommend buying this game if you at all have an addictive personality.

It's a good game, but very, very time consuming (and, eventually, very repetitious). Because there is no end, you never come to a time when you are finished.

I played for 1 year. I knew people (in the game) whose marriages ended because their wives walked out on them because they played so much. Personally, my wife felt quite neglected, and I did not play anywhere near as much as most people I knew. When you get to raiding, raids can go 4 or 6 or more hours, and it is really looked down on to leave before the raid is done. I get much more sleep since I quit EQ.

That's all--it really is the most addictive game I have ever played, so unless you really don't mind spending all your free time playing a game (at the expense of real world social interaction, chores, any other activities), be very careful. Seriously.

Don't bother

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: February 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I played EQ for about 6 months. This game has great potential, but is seriously flawed.

Its _NOT_ a ROLE playing game. There is no way to role play, no changes happen due to your actions. Indeed, since _most of the people on the servers do _not roleplay, you attempts to do so are doomed to failure. It is a leveling game, pure and simple.

Verant has the _the_ worst customer service I've seen, period. Problems with the game are not dealt with, long standing bugs and code flaws are ignored. A prime entire time the game has been in existance, despite _months_ of bug reports and feedback by _hundreds of customers. Verant couldn't duplicate the bug in testing, due to a flawed testing approach, and basically concluded that hundreds of customers were either lying or simply couldn't do the task properly.

Servers are grossly overcrowded, players will give detailed reasons why the servers should have an active number of players in the 1000 to 1200 range, yet the servers constantly run about 1800 to 2200. This overcrowding seriously hampers game enjoyment of any kind. Verant views this as acceptable, and has done little if anything to alleviate this problem. New servers pack to overflowing within days of their launch.

Verant's constant stream of changes and revisions to the game mean that you can't expect _anything_ to remain stable. Spells, abilities, treasure, creatures, skills, all these go through constant changes and modifications.

Overcrowding and farming of items (gathering items for sale either in or outside the game) mean that you will have to wait in line _hours_ realtime to get nice items and equipment. No, you can't avoid this, you will actually need ot constantly improve your gear as you advance, or weaken drastically. Verant's policy of putting valuable items on rare spawning creatures, and then only having a small percentage of that rare occuring creature drop the valued item means tht you will spend endless frustrating hours (yes, real hours) trying to gather the gear, and mostly failing. Oh, and that assumes someone more powerful than you simply doesn't 'killsteal' the creature, taking it and its loot from under you nose after you've waited hours.

This game has a lot of potential, but is too flawed to waste any time or money on. It will be remembered as the game that pushed the MMORPG (gah, its not a RPG, but that the acronym it has).

It will also be remembered as a the game run by a company making money hand over fist, but absolutely unwilling to spend it to give its customers the product they both expect and deserve.

Just don't.

Creators customer care needs "update"

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: March 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I love the concept. And I have played many hours. Inevitably, I will purchase Ruins of Kunark. However, considering the problems with Verant's so-called customer service, I will easily give up the game to something comparable like Shadowbane that I have heard much about. Everything I read "review" wise in this Amazon section, regarding EQ's failed customer SERVICE, is true. There is but a single GM that has ever handled a customer service issue of mine with care, and thoughtful resolute... if only they were all like him - alas, they are not. Obviously, these problems will not be dissimilar within RUINS OF KUNARK which is also a Verant product.

In the time that I have played, Verant has made numerous adjustments to hamper gameplayer efforts to level (I expect it to be time consuming, but requisite play time to level is ridiculous!). Also, as stated in other "reviews," there are too many important in-game items, that are all but impossible to get; thus the real-life auctions of certain items for hundreds of U.S. dollars. Why would anyone consider paying real money, except for many worthy, indeed required items for reasonable in-game progress - that are otherwise impossible to get.

Every other week or so, Verant tweaks the game. Though many issues are addressed in these updates for the betterment of the game, all too many also include alterations that ultimately put the player at a greater disadvantage than before the "update," by imposing a greater inability to gain EXPERIENCE, by which a player advances.

I give EQ RUINS OF KUNARK 5 STARS purely for the thrill of the game concept itself, along with the nothing less than INCREDIBLE graphics throughout. However, Verant strikes out in customer service, ensuring consumer displeasure. And for that, those otherwise 5 stars, drop to a TWO STAR.

YOu will love this game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: May 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Hands down this is one of the best games out there. It can be very addictive and you will want to buy all the expansions very soon after you purchase this starter package. Don't get frustrated with being new to the game, everyone is at some point. Once you have played for a while and get your character past lvl 5 or so you will really begin to enjoy your adventures. Start a player you don't like? Well try another one!! There are to many choices to pigeon hole yourself. Its a great game play it the way that is fun for you!!! )

EverQuest does it better!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: December 04, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This game is a very well made graphical interface that will have you calling in sick to work the next day! This game allows you to play a multitude of races (from elves to trolls) and alows you to choose your character's appearance, so you don't look like every other Tom, Dick or Harry adventurer. You are able to develop your trade skills (cooking, fletching, gemsmithing, etc.) to expert levels while at a low level, making the game easier for people wanting to buy the best in armor, weapons, spells and magic items.

Addictive Experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: April 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game rocks!

It's been out for two years now, and it's still adding players. The fact that Verant has to keep bringing new servers online to handle the load is an indication of the game's popularity and its continued robustness. The company is very committed to providing new features and functions to EQ, and has released two expansions (Kunark and Velious), with a third (Luclin) on its way shortly.

The setting is a medieval fantasy world, complete with the usual halfling, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and so on. Some races (dark elves, trolls, and ogres) are evil; the rest are not. Each race has its own attributes and drawbacks and advantages. For instance, the evil races are KOS (killed on sight) by good NPCs in most cities, and vice versa for the do-gooders when they go bumbling into dens of darkness. Some races are stronger than others, some are smarter or wiser or more charismatic. Some have nifty abilities like infravision or regeneration. Of course, some have annoying traits that balance out the good points--trolls and ogres, for example, have an irritating tendency to get stuck in doorways and tunnels in dungeons because they're so big (7 to 10 feet tall).

The game world is filled with numerous zones that are geared for a specific range of levels. Each race has its own starting point, and the zone right outside of each home city is typically a "newbie" zone, filled with trash monsters like rats and snakes and bats. These low-level monsters are the prey for the neophyte adventurer. As a PC accrues experience, he or she can venture out to tougher zones with higher-level monsters. Many of these are wilderness areas, but a good number are dungeons. The dungeons are usually quite terrifying, because the monsters are generally tougher and they won't hesitate to round up some of their buddies to join the fray. Also, because there's only one way out, a PC fleeing a battle can easily get lost while searching for the exit.

The world is also filled with NPCs, most of them merchants to whom PCs can sell loot and from whom they can buy gear. Many NPCs are in the cities, but a lot are in "gypsy camps" in the wilderness zones, making it easier for adventurers to dump those loads of scavenged swords and shields. Not all NPCs are friendly to every race, though! Several will attack races or classes of which they disapprove, and others will start talking smack. ("Yeah, I've got something for you, you dirty troll: the exit! Use it!")

There are several key points to keep in mind about EQ:

1) Except on specific servers, PCs cannot slaughter other PCs unless both parties agree to duel. This prevents high-level idiots from hanging about PC spawn points and killing newbies as soon as they materialize.

2) This is a social game by design, so most PCs will have to spend considerable portions of their playing time as part of a group of up to six players. If you hate cooperating with other people, then you may be in trouble. It's possible to go solo the whole way, but you'd almost certainly have to play a druid or necromancer. Even with these classes, it takes time and dedication to advance. Also, if you only play for a few hours a week, or you don't have friends, just getting into a group can be hard. Not all of the time, but there will be cases where you stand around in a zone for half an hour, shouting "Looking for group!"

3) You need to play a lot. For a good session, you should count on being logged in for at least two hours, and that's the bare minimum. Four or five would be better. Of course, when most people first start playing, they go for eight to twelve hours at a stretch, and call in a few bogus sick days to the office. It's been my experience that if you just play this game casually, it's great up through your PC's 20th level or so, but after that, it can get frustrating. The more hardcore people play so much that they have all of the cool items, while you're lucky to have a wooden stick.

4) You might want to consider getting into a guild. This will help later on when you get into the 40s and above (the current level cap is 60). Some zones are so ultra-tough that it takes entires guilds to crack them (30 or 40 players bumrushing the monster at one time, with hideous casualties).

5) The actual quests are okay, but not all that necessary. If you're lazy, just rack up platinum pieces and then buy the armor and weapons you need.

6) Actual role-playing is quite difficult, because the NPCs remain static (you kill Guard Bob, if that's your kinda gig, and he's back again in 5 minutes) and because sooner or later everyone has the same Wand of Omnithrax, but mostly because too many kewl doodz will spoil it for you.

Sony/Verant has done a good job creating and maintaining this game. They execute one or two patches each week to fix bugs, add items and spells, tweak monsters, and change class attributes. There is continual fine-tuning going on, although admittedly this is the subject of lots of rancorous debate.

There are many sites to which you can go to find additional information, including ones that are specific to classes, races, servers, guilds, and even specific PCs. You should hit some of these if you're stumped on how to complete a quest, or what zone would be appropriate for your new level, or what spells you should use. Just avoid the forums for the most part, because they're quite often full of complaints like "I've been paying $10 a month for two years and playing 40 hours a week and this game sucks". Most of the discussions just bring you down, so ignore them.

A great game, very addictive, loads of fun for a paltry ongoing price, and lots of upgrades and changes. Very definitely worth the investment.

EverCamp

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: February 04, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I spent many months playing this game and finally reached the ultimate goal - Level 50 and there was absolutely nothing left to do. Throughout my entire time to level 50 I spent hour after hour killing the same things over and over and at times sitting in the same spot for hours sometimes even days just to get one particular item.

I will admit the game is fun at times, but ultimately more frustrating than anything. I only recommend this game to extremely patient people with an insane amount of free time on their hands.

Amazingly wonderful game with so-so services.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: December 04, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Everquest is entirely online. This makes for a great game and the progression and excitement of the game are the best I have ever seen. But...as in all things, there is a catch. Since this is only played online, you are at the mercy of the Everquest network. Servers crash on a regular basis and some areas of the game are heavily lagged.

All in all though, I feel it is a great game when it is working. It is a addictive and fun. Just stay away from the "Nameless Server"!

Awesome, extremely addictive multiplayer online RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: July 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I cannot believe that someone out there does not believe this game deserves 5 stars. I would give it more but that is the highest it would go. EverQuest immerses the player into a massively multiplayer online world known as Norrath, where the player can create a character, having the authority to chose the sex, class (each having its advantages and disadvantages), race, face, and distribute ability points into the main statistics: Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Stamina, Wisdom, Intellegence, and Charisma. After you create your character, you start in one of the many different cities, depending on what race you pick. You can choose to start in the marble city of Felwithe, home to the High and Half Elves, or even the corrupted port city of Freeport, home of the humans and half elves. There are many other cities not mentioned. There are over 2,000 players on each server, enableing trade, and many other added resources. Players go out and kill beasts to acquire experience, and after acquiring a certain amount of experience, they raise a level. One way to get levels is to group with one or more other people that are trying to accomplish the same goal, and you still gain experience after splitting some with your group. For some classes this is an easier way to level. However other classes such as the Necromancer and druid, excell at hunting by themselves or solo. That doesn't mean they can't group though. EverQuest is constantly changing, and since the original has come out, 2 expansion packs have been released out to the market, including 2 more continents and another race. These expansions are called EverQuest:Ruins of Kunark, and EverQuest:Scars of Velious. The third expansion, EverQuest:Shadows of Luclin is on its way. EverQuest is an awesome, online game. I highly recommend this game to ANYONE!! If you ever find yourself needing help, send me a tell.. I'm Talise 19 Ranger on the Tribunal Server and I would love to help.

"You're in our world now"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: November 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

**note - if I were you, I would buy the EQ trilogy version **

And chances are excellent that you will be. I remember reading the manual (gosh, over two years ago) and at the end there's a bit about how to camp (log out of the game) that talks about realizing you haven't slept or eaten in what seems like days. There are honestly people out there who spent all their free time, if not their whole life, playing this game. I'm not "a gamer" but like most people who still play, I've gone through my stages of being completely addicted to the game.

EQ lets you chose any number of characters... tons of combinations, between picking a race, a class, a deity, and then concentrating points in one attribute (like intelligence of strength) or another. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses, but pick whatever strikes your fancy. Chances are excellent that you'll get a ways into playing your character and you'll wish you had done _something_ differently, but you can always start another character (up to 8 per server).

For me, the best part of this game has always been the people. If you've ever been playing a classic video or computer game and wished someone could pop in and help you with a little extra firepower, this is it. Fighting alongside characters with actual brains behind them is a lot more interesting... even if they don't always do the "right" thing. And several in-game chat options (player-to-player, group, guild, zone-wide shouting, and normal talking) make this a great game for a group of real life friends to play if local-area-network games aren't a possibility for you.

If you're looking for a cheap, fun game, go ahead and buy this version, but chances are excellent that if you get sucked in you will very much regret not having the expansions. You can buy the Trilogy (EQ, Ruins of Kunark and Scars of Velious) now. RoK means you have the option of an additional race when starting your character in addition to extra zones to explore. SoV is mainly more zones for the mid-high level characters. Of course you always have the options of adding expansions later. A third expansion, Shadows of Luclin, is due to be released in December and includes yet another race and a new class for the first time since the original, in addition to even more zones and nifty new graphics.

The first few levels _can_ get to be a bit tedious before you're a high enough level to travel safely, but after that there's more than enough variety in locations and things to hunt to keep people entertained and challenged without a whole lot of repetition. (...).

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