Back to the Grindstone

Everquest has been described as an "Endurance Test". This is true. Levelling up can be very hard work, and extremely time consuming. In fact, it is for this reason, that I have abstained from EQ for a number of months. My EQ gaming was also put on hold due to the arrival of Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast.

Well, I am desperately trying to find reasons for me to continue with Everquest. The characters I have are all level 20 or lower. I would like to get them higher - but this involves vast amounts of playing time - and without new places to go and explore or new mobs to kill - it just becomes tedious.

The worst of it is that you have to battle for the mobs that do spawn. Most of them are camped, particularly when playing at peak times. This is not fun. Not only is it painfully slow to make progress with a character, but now your progress is made even slower due to the sheer numbers of people online.

I enjoyed Everquest because it gave you a 3d environment in a fantasy setting to explore worlds and battle creatures in a team. The pioneer spirit that once spurred me to put in 3 and 4 hours at a time, has dwindled. In fact the game is so slow in making progress that 3 to 4 hours are just not enough! The higher your character the more difficult the progression becomes. Now verant might argue that this is to make the game suitably challenging and gives a dedicated player something to aim for. The truth is probably to keep your monthly paying userbase from completing the game and moving on. Apart from the *real* die-hards, most people just haven't got the time necessary to invest in their characters to gain high levels.

Perhaps I will go back and find the servers have quitened down enough for my character to progress. Perhaps the new expansions planned will draw characters away to new lands whilst those long-sufferers of camped mobs can get a sword or arrow in edge-ways. Perhaps I'll deliberate about playing the game again for another month and Verant can have some more of my money, for free, just to keep my characters alive.