''EverQuest Online Adventures'' (EQOA) was a 2003 3D

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

massively multiplayer online role-playing game A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...

(MMORPG) for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

. The game was part of the ''

EverQuest ''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows PCs. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North Americ ...

'' franchise before being shut down on March 29, 2012, after nine years of operation. An expansion pack was launched on November 17, 2003, titled ''EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers;'' it added a playable

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

—the Ogre—and

character class In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters. In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate several abilities and aptitudes, ...

—Alchemist—as well as many quests and items.

Setting and gameplay

''EverQuest Online Adventures'' was set in the fictional world of Norrath 500 years prior to the original ''EverQuest'', in the "Age of Adventure". The world featured many places familiar to fans of the original and most of the differences were explained in the lore of ''EverQuest''. The gameplay focused on character advancement, environment combat, quests, exploration, grouping, and socializing. It also contained a simple PVP system that allowed two players to fight one another. There were fifteen playable classes, and ten races.

Development

''EverQuest Online Adventures'' was developed and published by

Sony Online Entertainment Daybreak Game Company LLC is an American video game developer based in San Diego. The company was founded in December 1997 as Sony Online Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment, but was spun off to an independent investor in ...

(SOE), and first released on February 11, 2003, in North America. The game was developed so that it did not require a hard disk drive (HDD) like ''

Final Fantasy XI also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantasy ...

'' did. Since no HDD for the system was ever released in

PAL territories The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used in ...

, EQOA remained the only MMORPG there. ''EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers'' was launched on November 17, 2003. ''Frontiers'' added a playable

—the Ogre—and

—Alchemist—as well as many quests and items. The continued development of content after the first expansion was introduced as free content updates instead of additional expansion packs. The end of ''EverQuest Online Adventures'' was announced on the game's site on February 29, 2012. The shut down date was Thursday, March 29, 2012.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2003 video games Massively multiplayer online role-playing games Products and services discontinued in 2012 EverQuest Inactive massively multiplayer online games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation 2-only games Video games developed in the United States