Arguably EverQuest and its sequel, Everquest 2, are the best MMORPG games in their class. EverQuest seamlessly unites thousands of players playing in tandem within a virtual game world. It is a 3D fantasy MMORPG that was released on March 16, 1999.
The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost. It was developed by Verant Interactive, and Sony Online Entertainment currently runs and distributes EverQuest.
The sights and the sounds of EverQuest set it apart from any other MMORPG. In its excellent 3D graphics, its performance, its rich fantasy setting, and its propensity to force you to cooperate with your fellow players, EverQuest is surely the best game in its class.
From lofty mountains to deep dingy dungeons, a wide spectrum of landscapes is explored in EverQuest. The EverQuest universe is divided into nearly 400 zones.
These zones represent a wide variety of geographical features, including plains, oceans, cities, deserts, and other planes of existence. EverQuest has colorful, 3D-accelerated visuals that surpass even some first-person shooters in terms of quality and detail.
Most player categories, monsters, and locales of the world look spectacular. On the whole, EverQuest is scenic and realistic.
EverQuest has had its controversies. For example, it has been labeled ‘sexist’ because of the high oomph factor. Buxom femme Fatales abound and the game seems aimed at a male audience. This is not necessary as an MMORPG need not confine itself to only the alpha males.
EverQuest offers dozens of different race and class combinations, which is perhaps the most alluring feature in the game.
You can play a comparatively dull fantasy character – a dwarf warrior or a human cleric, or you can choose something more exotic, like a dark elf necromancer or a troll shadow knight.
The race you choose will gravely shape your experience of the game, since every race has a unique character.
EverQuest carries an internal language and culture of its own, including a plethora of esoteric abbreviations aiding communication between players.
One is the habit of calling monsters MOBs or mobs, which is a contraction of Mobile Objects. On the technical side, the gameplay is smooth and mostly lag-free even over a 56K modem. But EverQuest demands a huge time commitment.
Only some parts of game can be experienced alone, without the help of other players, but generally Everquest remains a very group-centric game.
A single character will be unable to complete many of the encounters in EverQuest. 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 require the cooperation of many players, possibly totaling 72 players.
While playing EverQuest you will befriend a good number of characters who will help you to deal with your problems. Fighting alongside someone makes combat much more interesting.
Chatting with that person passes the time while you recuperate, and working together, you’re much less liable to perish. EverQuest is loaded with features that promote, even demand, collaboration among players.
EverQuest promotes cooperation. It is an excellent interface for interaction between players, and in this and other respects, it is in a certain sense the best MMORPG.
