Why Everquest should return to Roleplaying

Mixxit · 01-28-2010, 06:01 AM

Hey all,

I wanted to share with you this nugget of gold from before the original everquest made beta phase 1. It's a site run by roleplayers, some even became staff like Osymandius and you get to see stories being written that eventually made it into EQLive lore in the long run. I believe around issue 30 they all start to get their invites to phase 1 beta and due to the lack of mechanics roleplay was a number 1 source of gameplay, specifically for those that had moved on from meridian and other MUDs. After a little while, power gamers start to emerge and we can see how Everquest has eventually become the game it is today. They despise the foreign 'leet dudes' and I can recall getting bashed quite alot for over using ooc in the early days when really if we had wanted to keep EQ what it should have been I should have stayed in character. (But i was young and didn't understand back then!)

Here is the archive of past issues, it's great to read from Episode 1 so you can see the gods and world lore being released slowly to the players. There are a few names that are worth reading articles from, Osymandius etc. There's a great one where he mentions how he has toiled in the world as it was being created around him which was a great in character view of a pre-beta world.

I'd love to see this site come back and the elements of the game that existed long before EQ1 was made gold. But I can dream!

Either way, enjoy!

http://web.archive.org/web/20001206....simplenet.com/

*originally posted on firiona vie champions board*

Rezikai · 01-28-2010, 02:58 PM

Mixxit@Nagafen wrote:

Hey all,
I wanted to share with you this nugget of gold from before the original everquest made beta phase 1. It's a site run by roleplayers, some even became staff like Osymandius and you get to see stories being written that eventually made it into EQLive lore in the long run. I believe around issue 30 they all start to get their invites to phase 1 beta and due to the lack of mechanics roleplay was a number 1 source of gameplay, specifically for those that had moved on from meridian and other MUDs. After a little while, power gamers start to emerge and we can see how Everquest has eventually become the game it is today. They despise the foreign 'leet dudes' and I can recall getting bashed quite alot for over using ooc in the early days when really if we had wanted to keep EQ what it should have been I should have stayed in character. (But i was young and didn't understand back then!)
Here is the archive of past issues, it's great to read from Episode 1 so you can see the gods and world lore being released slowly to the players. There are a few names that are worth reading articles from, Osymandius etc. There's a great one where he mentions how he has toiled in the world as it was being created around him which was a great in character view of a pre-beta world.
I'd love to see this site come back and the elements of the game that existed long before EQ1 was made gold. But I can dream!
Either way, enjoy!
http://web.archive.org/web/20001206....simplenet.com/
*originally posted on firiona vie champions board*

Excellent find,... reading EQX#7 where Brad Mcquaid replies to fansites critisms shows us how far things have come from a power perspective when you realize how much it would take for a Sr producer to do that with all the red tape and marketing department execs calling the shots in todays games.

I myself often had to refer back to old Silent Redemptions (Brell Server) website for the early old lore/beta lore they kept from the time they wrote their EQ Almanac from 1998-2000/current when looking up old story lines to see if they had connections to EQ2/EQoA. The lore there is rough but somewhat still solid, where the Old planes of Discord were talked about way back before they made an appearence in EQ1's timeline, even Nektropos Castle of that old EQ1 beta/early lore and the city of "Keynos"... which.. ahem well i assumed changed.

Subyman · 01-28-2010, 04:33 PM

A lot of the images are broken which makes it hard to find anything.

Mixxit · 01-28-2010, 06:19 PM

Mainly text based due to the nature of the internet and PC's back then! Text is far greater though in my opinion, I just really wish we could go back to the roots of the game on some of the things they talk about in regards to power gaming and roleplaying!

FireDragon · 02-06-2010, 04:32 AM

This is pretty cool.. nice read.

Vlahkmaak · 02-06-2010, 04:48 AM

So you want to force us all to RP even if we don't want to? Seems like a great way to loose subs IMO. There is a RP server for people that want to RP and there are many other servers for people who do not enjoy RP. What makes the EQ world great is it does not force people inot 1 play style or the other - there are options.

Jarnvargr · 02-06-2010, 11:31 AM

Vlahkmaak@Venekor wrote:

So you want to force us all to RP even if we don't want to? Seems like a great way to loose subs IMO. There is a RP server for people that want to RP and there are many other servers for people who do not enjoy RP. What makes the EQ world great is it does not force people inot 1 play style or the other - there are options.

I completely agree.

Now if we could only find a way to enforce the existing RP policies, that would be wonderful. Unfortunately, the RP servers often act as lodestones to those players who don't want to RP, and prefer to disrupt it whenever possible. Although that's an discussion for another thread

Cusashorn · 02-06-2010, 04:29 PM

If you want to roleplay, go play Achaea. You will be banned if you DONT roleplay, with a couple of out of character exceptions for being a newbie, as long as you politely ask a person through tells. (Yes, you have to roleplay through tells.)

Mixxit · 02-06-2010, 05:17 PM

I can't see how I could force you into roleplaying. I can see how my roleplaying could be disrupted by people who don't want me to roleplay though. Heck, even on AB there's only about 1% who roleplay and 45% who play casual and the rest are power gamers. Seems a bit of a shame for an mmo RP g.

Cusashorn · 02-06-2010, 05:23 PM

Don't get me wrong, I do see the point you're trying to make here. Parts of Everquest's development came from what the players themselves envisioned and imagined during alpha and beta. Some of that soon became established lore as certain players would even become developers.

However, since the world of Norrath is pretty heavily fleshed out, especially after 10-12 years. I don't think such a thing can ever happen again in such a large influencial detail.

Carthr · 02-06-2010, 05:27 PM

Mixxit@Nagafen wrote:

I can't see how I could force you into roleplaying. I can see how my roleplaying could be disrupted by people who don't want me to roleplay though. Heck, even on AB there's only about 1% who roleplay and 45% who play casual and the rest are power gamers. Seems a bit of a shame for an mmo RP g.

hahahaha!! You think 54% of AB is power gamers... That cracks me up.. Thanks for the chuckle

01-28-2010, 06:01 AM	#1
Mixxit Server: Nagafen Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 465	Hey all, I wanted to share with you this nugget of gold from before the original everquest made beta phase 1. It's a site run by roleplayers, some even became staff like Osymandius and you get to see stories being written that eventually made it into EQLive lore in the long run. I believe around issue 30 they all start to get their invites to phase 1 beta and due to the lack of mechanics roleplay was a number 1 source of gameplay, specifically for those that had moved on from meridian and other MUDs. After a little while, power gamers start to emerge and we can see how Everquest has eventually become the game it is today. They despise the foreign 'leet dudes' and I can recall getting bashed quite alot for over using ooc in the early days when really if we had wanted to keep EQ what it should have been I should have stayed in character. (But i was young and didn't understand back then!) Here is the archive of past issues, it's great to read from Episode 1 so you can see the gods and world lore being released slowly to the players. There are a few names that are worth reading articles from, Osymandius etc. There's a great one where he mentions how he has toiled in the world as it was being created around him which was a great in character view of a pre-beta world. I'd love to see this site come back and the elements of the game that existed long before EQ1 was made gold. But I can dream! Either way, enjoy! http://web.archive.org/web/20001206....simplenet.com/ originally posted on firiona vie champions board __________________ --------------- Alluvial, Order of Thunder @ Antonia Bayle Maintainer of Lore of Norrath Need lore? EQ Timeline

01-28-2010, 02:58 PM	#2
Rezikai Loremaster Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 561	Mixxit@Nagafen wrote: Hey all, I wanted to share with you this nugget of gold from before the original everquest made beta phase 1. It's a site run by roleplayers, some even became staff like Osymandius and you get to see stories being written that eventually made it into EQLive lore in the long run. I believe around issue 30 they all start to get their invites to phase 1 beta and due to the lack of mechanics roleplay was a number 1 source of gameplay, specifically for those that had moved on from meridian and other MUDs. After a little while, power gamers start to emerge and we can see how Everquest has eventually become the game it is today. They despise the foreign 'leet dudes' and I can recall getting bashed quite alot for over using ooc in the early days when really if we had wanted to keep EQ what it should have been I should have stayed in character. (But i was young and didn't understand back then!) Here is the archive of past issues, it's great to read from Episode 1 so you can see the gods and world lore being released slowly to the players. There are a few names that are worth reading articles from, Osymandius etc. There's a great one where he mentions how he has toiled in the world as it was being created around him which was a great in character view of a pre-beta world. I'd love to see this site come back and the elements of the game that existed long before EQ1 was made gold. But I can dream! Either way, enjoy! http://web.archive.org/web/20001206....simplenet.com/ originally posted on firiona vie champions board Excellent find,... reading EQX#7 where Brad Mcquaid replies to fansites critisms shows us how far things have come from a power perspective when you realize how much it would take for a Sr producer to do that with all the red tape and marketing department execs calling the shots in todays games. I myself often had to refer back to old Silent Redemptions (Brell Server) website for the early old lore/beta lore they kept from the time they wrote their EQ Almanac from 1998-2000/current when looking up old story lines to see if they had connections to EQ2/EQoA. The lore there is rough but somewhat still solid, where the Old planes of Discord were talked about way back before they made an appearence in EQ1's timeline, even Nektropos Castle of that old EQ1 beta/early lore and the city of "Keynos"... which.. ahem well i assumed changed. __________________

01-28-2010, 06:19 PM	#4
Mixxit Server: Nagafen Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 465	Mainly text based due to the nature of the internet and PC's back then! Text is far greater though in my opinion, I just really wish we could go back to the roots of the game on some of the things they talk about in regards to power gaming and roleplaying! __________________ --------------- Alluvial, Order of Thunder @ Antonia Bayle Maintainer of Lore of Norrath Need lore? EQ Timeline

02-06-2010, 04:48 AM	#6
Vlahkmaak Server: Venekor Guild: Opus Dei Rank: Captain Loremaster Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,213	So you want to force us all to RP even if we don't want to? Seems like a great way to loose subs IMO. There is a RP server for people that want to RP and there are many other servers for people who do not enjoy RP. What makes the EQ world great is it does not force people inot 1 play style or the other - there are options. __________________ Obin 92 Iksar Necro Opus Dei Nagafen Vlahkmaak 92 Troll Guardian Nagafen Dwyrm 92 Dwarf Paladin Nagafen Shoofaug 92 Iksar bruiser Nagafen Vlah 92 Troll Inqy Nagafen Vlahk 50 SK Nagafen Glavlahnus 92 Woodelf Ranger, betrayed and back again Cructik 92 TROLL BL Nagafen

02-06-2010, 05:17 PM	#9
Mixxit Server: Nagafen Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 465	I can't see how I could force you into roleplaying. I can see how my roleplaying could be disrupted by people who don't want me to roleplay though. Heck, even on AB there's only about 1% who roleplay and 45% who play casual and the rest are power gamers. Seems a bit of a shame for an mmo RP g. __________________ --------------- Alluvial, Order of Thunder @ Antonia Bayle Maintainer of Lore of Norrath Need lore? EQ Timeline

01-28-2010, 04:33 PM	#3
Subyman Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 12	A lot of the images are broken which makes it hard to find anything.

02-06-2010, 04:32 AM	#5
FireDragon Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 235	This is pretty cool.. nice read.

02-06-2010, 11:31 AM	#7
Jarnvargr Loremaster Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 19	Vlahkmaak@Venekor wrote: So you want to force us all to RP even if we don't want to? Seems like a great way to loose subs IMO. There is a RP server for people that want to RP and there are many other servers for people who do not enjoy RP. What makes the EQ world great is it does not force people inot 1 play style or the other - there are options. I completely agree. Now if we could only find a way to enforce the existing RP policies, that would be wonderful. Unfortunately, the RP servers often act as lodestones to those players who don't want to RP, and prefer to disrupt it whenever possible. Although that's an discussion for another thread

02-06-2010, 04:29 PM	#8
Cusashorn Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cheeseland, USA Posts: 14,919	If you want to roleplay, go play Achaea. You will be banned if you DONT roleplay, with a couple of out of character exceptions for being a newbie, as long as you politely ask a person through tells. (Yes, you have to roleplay through tells.)

02-06-2010, 05:23 PM	#10
Cusashorn Loremaster Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cheeseland, USA Posts: 14,919	Don't get me wrong, I do see the point you're trying to make here. Parts of Everquest's development came from what the players themselves envisioned and imagined during alpha and beta. Some of that soon became established lore as certain players would even become developers. However, since the world of Norrath is pretty heavily fleshed out, especially after 10-12 years. I don't think such a thing can ever happen again in such a large influencial detail.

02-06-2010, 05:27 PM	#11
Carthr General Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 561	Mixxit@Nagafen wrote: I can't see how I could force you into roleplaying. I can see how my roleplaying could be disrupted by people who don't want me to roleplay though. Heck, even on AB there's only about 1% who roleplay and 45% who play casual and the rest are power gamers. Seems a bit of a shame for an mmo RP g. hahahaha!! You think 54% of AB is power gamers... That cracks me up.. Thanks for the chuckle