| EverQuest | Verant Interactive / 989 Studios | 1999 | |
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This is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)
which became the most popular game of its kind for many years and even became known
to non-gamers as well though with some controversy for its addicteveness (even leading
to suicide) in several well publicized cases. Sony Online Entertainment
currently runs and distributes this persistent online game world whose story continues
even when you log out. To play, one must initially pay for the game
software and then pay a recurring monthly fee. In the game, players explore a fantasy
world of sword and sorcery, fighting monsters and enemies for treasure and experience
points and interacting with other players. As they progress, players advance in level,
gaining power, prestige and abilities. Players can also procure powerful items for
their characters in a variety of ways: through slaying monsters (and then looting the
remains), doing "quests" (tasks and adventures given by non-player characters ( NPCs )
in which a reward is given upon success), or by gathering raw materials and then
fashioning them, via numerous trade skills such as tailoring or blacksmithing, into
useful (or not-so-useful, but nevertheless fun) items. In structure and rules, the
game is almost a direct descendant of the famed Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
Many of the elements from EverQuest have also been drawn from text-based MUD
(multi-user dungeon) games. The game features a 3D environment set in the fictional
world of Norrath, its moon Luclin and alternate planes of reality. The geography of
the EverQuest universe is vast—few have visited all of the nearly 400 zones. Multiple
instances of the world exist on various servers, each one hosting between 1000 and
3000 simultaneous players online during peak times. After selecting a server, a player
can create multiple characters by choosing from a variety of classes and races (e.g.,
humans, gnomes, trolls, halflings, elves, etc.). The main aspect of gameplay involves
grouping with fellow players to kill monsters for experience and gear. Beyond that,
a player can explore the large world, socialize, role-play, join player guilds, master
trade skills, and duel other players (in restricted situations — EQ only allows Player
versus Player (PvP) combat on the PvP-specific server, in designated arenas, or in a
consensual duel in a limited number of locations). Most parts of the game can be
completed with small groups of up to six or so people, but the most challenging (and
rewarding) encounters (called "raids") require the cooperation of many players,
possibly totalling 72 players, although the trend in recent expansions tends towards 54 as a maximum. In March/2012, a new free-to-play system was made available for Everquest with all 18 expansion packs. It includes options for Free, Silver ($5.00 USD) and Gold ($14.99 USD/month) memberships.
See also: The Ruins of Kunark, The Scars of Velious, The Shadows of Luclin, Planes of Power, The Legacy of Ykesha, Lost Dungeons of Norrath, Gates of Discord, Omens of War, Dragons of Norrath, Depths of Darkhollow, Prophecy of Ro, The Serpent's Spine |
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