''EverQuest'' is a
3D fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving 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 literature and d ...
-themed
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) originally developed by
Verant Interactive
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 i ...
and
989 Studios for
Windows PCs. It was released 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 ...
in March 1999 in North America, and by
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', ...
in Europe in April 2000. A dedicated version for
macOS
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
was released in June 2003, which operated for ten years before being shut down in November 2013. In June 2000, Verant Interactive was absorbed into Sony Online Entertainment, who took over full development and publishing duties of the title. Later, in February 2015, SOE's parent corporation,
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
, sold the studio to investment company Columbus Nova and it was rebranded as
Daybreak Game Company
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 i ...
, which continues to develop and publish ''EverQuest''.
It was the first commercially successful MMORPG to employ a 3D game engine, and its success was on an unprecedented scale. ''EverQuest'' has had a wide influence on subsequent releases within the market, and holds an important position in the
history of massively multiplayer online games
The history of massively multiplayer online games spans over thirty years and hundreds of massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) titles. The origin and influence on MMO games stems from MUDs, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D) and earlier social ga ...
.
The game surpassed early
subscription expectations and increased in popularity for many years after its release. It is now considered one of the
greatest video games ever made
This is a list of video games that multiple reputable video game journalists or magazines have considered to be among the best of all time. The games listed here are included on at least six separate "best/greatest of all time" lists from diff ...
. It has received numerous awards, including the 1999
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
Game of the Year
Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year.
Events and ceremonies
British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards)
...
and a 2007
Technology & Engineering Emmy Award
The Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards, or Technology and Engineering Emmys, are one of two sets of Emmy Awards that are presented for outstanding achievement in engineering development in the television industry. The Technology and Enginee ...
. While dozens of similar games have come and gone over the years, ''EverQuest'' still endures as a viable commercial enterprise with new expansions still being released on a regular basis, over twenty years after its initial launch. It has spawned a number of
spin-off media, including books and video games, as well as a sequel, ''
EverQuest II
''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
'', which launched in 2004.
Gameplay
Many of the elements in ''EverQuest'' have been drawn from text-based
MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) games, particularly
DikuMUD
DikuMUD is a multiplayer text-based role-playing game, which is a type of multi-user domain ( MUD). It was written in 1990 and 1991 by Sebastian Hammer, Tom Madsen, Katja Nyboe, Michael Seifert, and Hans Henrik Stærfeldt at DIKU (''Datalogisk ...
s, which in turn were inspired by traditional
role-playing games such as ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...
''.
In ''EverQuest'', players create a character (also known as an
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
, or colloquially as a ''char'' or ''toon'') by selecting one of twelve races in the game, which were humans, high-elves, wood-elves, half-elves, dark-elves, erudites, barbarians, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, ogres, and trolls. In the first expansion, lizard-people (Iksar) were introduced. Cat-people (Vah Shir), frog-people (Froglok), and dragon-people (Drakkin) were all introduced in later expansions. At creation, players select each character's adventuring occupation (such as a wizard, ranger, or cleric — called a ''class'' —
see below for particulars), a patron deity, and starting city. Customization of the character facial appearance is available at creation (hair, hair color, face style, facial hair, facial hair color, eye color, etc.).
Players move their character throughout the medieval fantasy world of Norrath, often fighting monsters and enemies for treasure and
experience points, and optionally mastering trade skills. As they progress, players advance in level, gaining power, prestige, spells, and abilities through valorous deeds such as entering overrun castles and keeps, defeating worthy opponents found within, and
looting their remains. Experience and prestigious equipment can also be obtained by completing quests given out by
non-player characters found throughout the land.
''EverQuest'' allows players to interact with other people through
role-play
Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...
, joining player
guilds, and dueling other players (in restricted situations – ''EverQuest'' only allows
player versus player
Player versus player (PvP) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between human players. This is often compared to player versus environment (PvE), in which the game itself controls its players' opponents. The terms are mos ...
(PVP) combat on the PvP-specific server, specified arena zones and through agreed upon dueling).
The game-world of ''EverQuest'' consists of over five hundred zones.
Multiple instances of the world exist on various servers. In the past, game server populations were visible during log-in, and showed peaks of more than 3000 players per server. The design of ''EverQuest'', like other
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 ...
s, makes it highly amenable to cooperative play, with each player having a specific role within a given group.
Classes
''EverQuest'' featured fourteen playable character classes upon release in 1999, with two others - Beastlord and Berzerker - added in the ''
Shadows of Luclin'' (2001) and ''
Gates of Discord'' (2004) expansions, respectively. Each class falls within one of four general categories based on playstyle and the type of abilities they use, with certain classes being restricted to particular races.
Melee classes are those which fight at close quarters and often use direct physical attacks as opposed to magic. These include the
Warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have be ...
, a
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
-based character which wears heavy armor and is designed to take damage for its group using a
taunt
A taunt is a battle cry, sarcastic remark, gesture, or insult intended to demoralize the recipient, or to anger them and encourage reactionary behaviors without thinking. Taunting can exist as a form of social competition to gain control of the tar ...
ability; the
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
, a character which uses a combination of
martial arts and barehanded fighting techniques; the
Rogue, a combination of
thief
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
and
assassin
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
classes which can sneak and hide in the shadows as well as steal from enemies; and the Berserker, a strong fighter who specialize in two-handed weapons such as axes and are able to enter a state of increased fury and power.
Priest classes are primarily healers who learn magic that can heal their allies or themselves. The Priest classes are made up of the
Cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
, a heavily specialized support class that wears heavy armor and is adept at healing and strengthening their allies; the
Druid, a magic-user who draws power from nature which can restore the vitality and magic power of their teammates; and the
Shaman
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spir ...
, tribal warriors who draw upon the spirit realm to heal, empower those around them, and weaken their enemies.
Casters are magic-users and sorcerers which wear light armor but command powerful spells. Those among them include the
Wizard, a specialized damage-dealing class which uses the power of fire, ice, and pure magic energy for devastating effect as well as teleportation abilities; the Magician, a summoner who is able to call upon elemental servants which aid them in dealing damage; the Necromancer, a dark caster who uses the power of disease and poison to wither away their opponents while commanding undead allies to aid them;
and the Enchanter, an illusionist who can take on many forms, support allies with strengthening spells, and pacify enemies with mesmerizing abilities.
Hybrid classes are those which can perform multiple roles or have abilities of various types. These include
Paladins
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...
, knights who possess the ability to take damage or heal with magic or
laying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious practice. In Judaism ''semikhah'' ( he, סמיכה, "leaning f the hands) accompanies the conferring of a blessing or authority.
In Christian churches, this practice is used as both a symbolic and formal met ...
; Shadowknights, dark warriors who use a combination of melee attacks and disease/poison abilities to damage foes as well as take damage for the party; the
Bard, a
minstrel
A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...
who is able to use magical songs for a number of effects - including damaging enemies, strengthening allies, and improving the movement speed of themselves and others;
Rangers, protectors of nature who learn healing and support magic in addition to being able to damage enemies in close combat or at a distance with bows and arrows; and Beastlords, primal fighters who are constantly joined by their animal wards which help them deal damage, and can assist their teammates with healing and support skills.
Deities
There are several deities in ''EverQuest'' who each have a certain area of responsibility and play a role in the backstory of the game setting. A wide array of armor and weapons are tied to certain deities, making it only possible for those who worship that specific deity to wear/equip them. Additionally, deities determine, to some extent, where characters may and may not go without being attacked on sight by the deity's minions and devoted followers.
Zones
The ''EverQuest'' universe is divided into more than five hundred zones.
These zones represent a wide variety of geographical features, including plains, oceans, cities, deserts, and other planes of existence. One of the most popular zones in the game is the Plane of Knowledge, one of the few zones in which all races and classes can coexist harmoniously without interference. The Plane of Knowledge is also home to portals to many other zones, including portals to other planes and to the outskirts of nearly every starting city.
History
Development
''EverQuest'' began as a concept by
John Smedley in 1996. The original design is credited to
Brad McQuaid
Brad McQuaid (April 25, 1969 – November 18, 2019) was an American video game designer who was the key designer of ''EverQuest'', a highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 1999. He later co-founded S ...
, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost. It was
developed by Sony's
989 Studios and its early-1999 spin-off
Verant Interactive
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 i ...
, and
published
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, news ...
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).
Since its acquisition of Verant in late 1999, EverQuest was developed by Sony Online Entertainment.
The design and concept of ''EverQuest'' is heavily indebted to
text-based MUDs, in particular
DikuMUD
DikuMUD is a multiplayer text-based role-playing game, which is a type of multi-user domain ( MUD). It was written in 1990 and 1991 by Sebastian Hammer, Tom Madsen, Katja Nyboe, Michael Seifert, and Hans Henrik Stærfeldt at DIKU (''Datalogisk ...
, and as such ''EverQuest'' is considered a 3D evolution of the text MUD genre like some of the MMOs that preceded it, such as ''
Meridian 59
''Meridian 59'' was a 1996 video game developed by Archetype Interactive and published by The 3DO Company. It was the first 3D graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) and one of the longest running original online role-p ...
'' and ''
The Realm Online
''The Realm Online'', originally known as ''The Realm'', is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) launched in December 1996 for Windows PC. It was designed in the tradition of graphical MUDs, before the usage of the terms "m ...
''. John Smedley, Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover and Bill Trost, who jointly are credited with creating the world of ''EverQuest'', have repeatedly pointed to their shared experiences playing MUDs such as ''
Sojourn'' and ''
TorilMUD
''TorilMUD'' is a MUD, a text-based online role-playing game, and is one of the oldest and largest of its kind.
Game characteristics
''TorilMUD'' is set in the Forgotten Realms ''Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign setting. (Toril is the name of the ...
'' as the inspiration for the game.
Famed book cover illustrator
Keith Parkinson
Keith A. Parkinson (October 22, 1958 – October 26, 2005) was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book covers and artwork for games such as ''EverQuest'', '' Guardians'', '' Magic: The Gathering'', and '' Vanguard: Saga of Hero ...
created the box covers for earlier installments of ''EverQuest''.
Development of ''EverQuest'' began in 1996 when
Sony Interactive Studios America
989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) that developed games for PlayStation consoles and Windows personal computers. Their games include ''EverQuest'', ''Twisted Metal III'', ''Twisted Metal 4'', ''Syphon Filter' ...
(SISA) executive John Smedley secured funding for a 3D game like text-based MUDs following the successful launch of ''
Meridian 59
''Meridian 59'' was a 1996 video game developed by Archetype Interactive and published by The 3DO Company. It was the first 3D graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) and one of the longest running original online role-p ...
'' the previous year. To implement the design, Smedley hired programmers Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover, who had come to Smedley's attention through their work on the single player RPG ''Warwizard''. McQuaid soon rose through the ranks to become executive producer for the ''EverQuest'' franchise and emerged during development of ''EverQuest'' as a popular figure among the fan community through his in-game avatar, Aradune. Other key members of the development team included Bill Trost, who created the history, lore and major characters of Norrath (including ''EverQuest'' protagonist Firiona Vie), Geoffrey "GZ" Zatkin, who implemented the spell system, and artist Milo D. Cooper, who did the original character modeling in the game.
The start of
beta testing was announced by Brad McQuaid in November 1997.
Release
''EverQuest'' launched with modest expectations from Sony on 16 March 1999 under its
Verant Interactive
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 i ...
brand and quickly became successful. By the end of the year, it had surpassed competitor ''
Ultima Online
''Ultima Online'' (''UO'') is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released on September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems.
Set in the '' Ultima'' universe, it is known for its extensive player versus player combat system. ...
'' in number of subscriptions. Numbers continued rising rapidly until mid-2001 when growth slowed. The game initially launched with volunteer "Guides" who would act as basic customer service/support via 'petitions'. Issues could be forwarded to the Game Master assigned to the server or resolved by the volunteer. Other guides would serve in administrative functions within the program or assisting the Quest Troupe with dynamic and persistent live events throughout the individual servers. Volunteers were compensated with free subscription and expansions to the game. In 2003 the program changed for the volunteer guides taking them away from the customer service focus and placing them into their current roles as roving 'persistent characters' role-playing with the players.
In anticipation of
PlayStation's launch, Sony Interactive Studios America made the decision to focus primarily on console titles under the banner
989 Studios, while spinning off its sole computer title, ''EverQuest'', which was ready to launch, to a new computer game division named Redeye (renamed Verant Interactive). Executives initially had very low expectations for ''EverQuest'', but in 2000, following the surprising continued success and unparalleled profits of ''EverQuest'', Sony reorganized Verant Interactive into
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) with Smedley retaining control of the company. Many of the original ''EverQuest'' team, including Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover left SOE by 2002.
Growth and sequels
The first four expansions were released in traditional physical boxes at roughly one-year intervals. These were highly ambitious and offered huge new landmasses, new playable races and new classes. The expansion ''
Shadows of Luclin'' (2001) gave a significant facelift to player character models, bringing the dated 1999 graphics up to modern standards. However, non-player characters which do not correspond to any playable race-gender-class combination (such as vendors) were not updated, leading to the coexistence of 1999-era and 2001-era graphics in many locations. The expansion ''
Planes of Power'' (2002) introduced The Plane of Knowledge, a hub zone from which players could quickly teleport to many other destinations. This made the pre-existing roads and ships largely redundant, and long-distance overland travel is now virtually unheard of.
''EverQuest'' made a push to enter the European market in 2002 with the ''New Dawn'' promotional campaign, which not only established local servers in Germany, France and Great Britain but also offered localized versions of the game in German and French to accommodate players who prefer those languages to English. In the following year the game also moved beyond the PC market with a
Mac OS X
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and la ...
version.
In 2003 experiments began with digital distribution of expansions, starting with the ''
Legacy of Ykesha''. From this point on expansions would be less ambitious in scope than the original four, but on the other hand the production rate increased to two expansions a year instead of one.
This year the franchise also ventured into the console market with ''
EverQuest Online Adventures'', released for Sony's internet-capable
PlayStation 2. It was the second MMORPG for this console, after ''
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 Fantas ...
''. Story-wise it was a prequel, with the events taking place 500 years before the original ''EverQuest''. Other spin-off projects were the PC strategy game ''
Lords of EverQuest'' (2003) and the co-op ''
Champions of Norrath'' (2004) for the PlayStation 2.
After these side projects, the first proper sequel was released in late
2004, titled simply ''
EverQuest II
''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
'' .
The game is set 500 years after the original. ''EverQuest II'' faced severe competition from Blizzard's ''
World of Warcraft
''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
'', which was released at virtually the same time and quickly grew to dominate the MMORPG genre.
Decline
Since the release of ''
World of Warcraft
''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
'' and other modern MMORPGs, there have been a number of signs that the ''EverQuest'' population is shrinking. The national ''New Dawn'' servers were discontinued in 2005 and merged into a general (English-language) European server.
The 2006 expansion ''
The Serpent's Spine'' introduced the "adventure-friendly" city of Crescent Reach in which all races and classes are able (and encouraged) to start. Crescent Reach is supposed to provide a more pedagogic starting environment than the original 1999 cities, where players were given almost no guidance on what to do. The common starting city also concentrates the dwindling number of new players in a single location, making grouping easier. 2008's ''
Seeds of Destruction'' expansion introduced computer controlled companions called "mercenaries" that can join groups in place of human players; a response to the increasing difficulty of finding other players of appropriate level for group activities. As of ''Seeds'' the production rate also returned to one expansion a year instead of two.
In March 2012 EverQuest departed from the traditional monthly subscription business model by introducing three tiers of commitment: a completely
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
Bronze Level, a one-time fee Silver Level, and a subscription Gold Level.
The same month saw the closure of
EverQuest Online Adventures. Just a few months earlier
EverQuest II
''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
had gone free-to-play and SOE flagship
Star Wars Galaxies
''Star Wars Galaxies'' was a ''Star Wars'' themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts.
Released on June 26, 2003, to much critical ac ...
also closed.
In June of the same year SOE removed the ability to buy game subscription time with Station Cash without any warning to players. SOE apologized for this abrupt change in policy and reinstated the option for an additional week, after which it was removed permanently.
November 18, 2013 saw the closure of the sole Mac OS server Al'Kabor.
In February 2015 Sony sold its online entertainment division to private equity group
Columbus Nova, with Sony Online Entertainment subsequently renamed
Daybreak Game Company
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 i ...
(DBG). An initial period of uncertainty followed, with all projects such as expansions and sequels put on hold and staff laid off. The situation stabilized around the game's 16th anniversary celebrations, and a new expansion was released in November 2015.
Expansions
There have been twenty-nine expansions to the original game since release. Expansions are purchased separately and provide additional content to the game (for example: raising the maximum character level; adding new races, classes, zones, continents, quests, equipment, game features). When you purchase the latest expansion you receive all previous expansions you may not have previously purchased. Additionally, the game is updated through downloaded patches. The ''EverQuest'' expansions are as follows:
Servers
The game runs on multiple game servers, each with a unique name for identification. These names were originally the deities of the world of Norrath. In technical terms, each game server is actually a
cluster
may refer to:
Science and technology Astronomy
* Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft
* Asteroid cluster, a small asteroid family
* Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study t ...
of server machines. Once a character is created, it can be played only on that server unless the character is transferred to a new server by the customer service staff, generally for a fee. Each server often has a unique community and people often include the server name when identifying their character outside of the game.
There is an official EverQuest server list, as well as unofficial 3rd-party servers. For example, the Project 1999 EverQuest servers are intended to recreate EverQuest in the state it existed in the year it launched and the two subsequent expansions. Referred to as the “Classic Trilogy”.
OS X
SOE devoted one server (Al'Kabor) to an OS X version of the game, which opened for beta testing in early 2003, and officially released on June 24, 2003. The game was never developed beyond the Planes of Power expansion, and contained multiple features and bugs not seen on PC servers, as a side-effect of the codebase having been split from an early Planes of Power date but not updated with the PC codebase. In January 2012, SOE announced plans to shut down the server, but based on the passionate response of the player base, rescinded the decision and changed Al'Kabor to a free-to-play subscription model. At about the same time, SOE revised the Macintosh client software to run natively on Intel processors. Players running on older,
PowerPC-based systems lost access to the game at that point. Finally in November 2013, SOE closed Al'Kabor.
European
Two SOE servers were set up to better support players in and around Europe: Antonius Bayle and Kane Bayle. Kane Bayle was merged into Antonius Bayle.
With the advent of the ''New Dawn'' promotion, three additional servers were set up and maintained by Ubisoft: Venril Sathir (British), Sebilis (French) and Kael Drakkal (German). The downside of the servers was that while it was possible to transfer to them, it was impossible to transfer off.
The servers were subsequently acquired by SOE and all three were merged into Antonius Bayle server.
Reception
Reviews of ''Everquest'' were mostly positive upon release in 1999, earning an 85 out of 100 score from aggregate review website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
.
[ Comparing it to other online role-playing titles at the time, critics called it "the best game in its class,"][ and the "most immersive and most addictive online RPG to date."][ Dan Amrich of '' GamePro'' magazine declared that "the bar for online gaming has not so much been raised as obliterated," and that the game's developers had "created the first true online ]killer app
In marketing terminology, a killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is any computer program or software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as computer hardware, a video game ...
."[ The reviewer would find fault with its repetitive gameplay in the early levels and lack of sufficient documentation to help new players, urging them to turn to ]fansite
A fansite, fan site, fan blog or fan page is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee about a celebrity, thing, or particular cultural phenomenon.
Fansites may offer specialized information on the subject (e.g., episode listings, bi ...
s for help instead.[ Greg Kasavin of ]GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
similarly felt that the game's combat was "uninteresting" but did note that, unlike earlier games in the genre, ''EverQuest'' offered the opportunity to play on servers that wouldn't allow players to fight each other unless they chose to, and that it heavily promoted cooperation.[ Ultimately, the reviewer would declare that "the combat may be a little boring, the manual may be horrible, the quest system half-baked, and the game not without its small share of miscellaneous bugs. But all you need is to find a like-minded adventurer or two, and all of a sudden ''EverQuest'' stands to become one of the most memorable gaming experiences you've ever had."][ Baldric of Game Revolution likewise stated that the game was more co-operative than '']Ultima Online
''Ultima Online'' (''UO'') is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released on September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems.
Set in the '' Ultima'' universe, it is known for its extensive player versus player combat system. ...
'', but that there was less interaction with the environment, calling it more "player oriented" instead of "'world' oriented."[
Despite server issues during the initial launch, reviewers felt that the game played well even on lower-end network cards, with Tal Blevins of ]IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
remarking that it "rarely suffered from major lag issues, even on a 28.8k modem."[ The reviewer did feel that the title suffered from a lack of player customization aside from different face types, meaning all characters of the same race looked mostly the same, but its visual quality on the whole was "excellent" with "particularly impressive" spell, lighting, and particle effects.][ '' Next Generation'' stated that "''EverQuest'' is one of the rare games that gives back increasingly as you play it, and it is the newest high watermark by which all future persistent online worlds will be judged."] '' Computer Games Magazine'' would also commend the game's three-dimensional graphics and environments, remarking that "With its 3D graphics, first-person perspective, and elegantly simple combat system, ''EverQuest'' has finally given us the first step towards a true virtual world. Internet gaming will never be the same."[
]
Accolades
''Everquest'' was named GameSpot's 1999 Game of the Year in its Best & Worst of 1999 awards, remarking that "Following EverQuest's release in March, the whole gaming industry effectively ground to a halt ..At least one prominent game developer blamed ''EverQuest'' for product delays, and for several weeks GameSpot's editors were spending more time exploring Norrath than they were doing their jobs." The website would also include the game in their list of the Greatest Games of All Time in 2004. GameSpot UK would also rank the title 14th on its list of the 100 Best Computer Games of the Millennium in 2000, calling it "a technological tour de force" and "the first online RPG to bring the production values of single-player games to the online masses." The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...
named ''EverQuest'' their Online Game of the Year for 1999, while Game Revolution named it the Best PC RPG of 1999. It was included in ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine's Best of 1999 in the "Tech" category, and ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' would include the game in their Top Ten Hall of Fame Video Games of the '90s, calling its virtual world "the nearest you could get to being on a '' Star Trek'' holodeck
The Holodeck is a fictional device from the television franchise ''Star Trek'' which uses "holograms" (projected light and electromagnetic energy which create the illusion of solid objects) to create a realistic 3D simulation of a real or imag ...
." In 2007, Sony Online Entertainment received a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award
The Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards, or Technology and Engineering Emmys, are one of two sets of Emmy Awards that are presented for outstanding achievement in engineering development in the television industry. The Technology and Enginee ...
for ''EverQuest'' under the category of "Development of Massively Multiplayer Online Graphical Role Playing Games". During the 2nd annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards in 2011, ''EverQuest'' received a Hall of Fame award for its long-term advancement of online gaming, such as being the first MMORPG to feature a guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
system and raiding.
Editors of '' Computer Gaming World'' and GameSpot each nominated ''EverQuest'' for their 1999 "Role-Playing Game of the Year" awards, both of which ultimately went to '' Planescape: Torment''. CNET Gamecenter
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
likewise nominated it in this category, but gave the award to ''Asheron's Call
''Asheron's Call'' (AC) was a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows PCs, developed and published by Turbine Entertainment Software. Though it was developed by the Turbine team (with Microsoft's ex ...
''. GameSpot would also nominate the title for Best Multiplayer Game of 1999, but would give the award to ''Quake III Arena
''Quake III Arena'' is a 1999 multiplayer-focused first-person shooter developed by id Software. The third installment of the ''Quake'' series, ''Arena'' differs from previous games by excluding a story-based single-player mode and focusing prima ...
''. In 2012, 1UP.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
ranked ''EverQuest'' 57th on its list of the Top 100 Essential Games. Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
placed the game 33rd on their top 100 video games of all time in 2009.
Sales and subscriptions
''EverQuest'' was the most pre-ordered PC title on EBGames.com prior to its release in March 1999. The game had 10,000 active subscribers 24 hours after launch, making it the high-selling online role-playing game up until that point.[ It achieved 60,000 subscribers by April 1999.] Six months later, around 225,000 copies of the game had been sold in total, with 150,000 active subscribers.[ By early 2000, the game's domestic sales alone reached 231,093 copies, which drew revenues of $10.6 million.] NPD Techworld
The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
, a firm that tracked sales the United States, reported 559,948 units sold of ''EverQuest'' by December 2002. Subscription numbers would rise to over 500,000 active accounts four years after release in 2003.[ By the end of 2004 the title's lifetime sales exceeded 3 million copies worldwide and reached an active subscriber peak of 550,000. As of September 30, 2020, ''EverQuest'' had 66,000 subscribers and 82,000 monthly active players.
]
Controversies
Sale of in-game objects/real world economics
The sale of in-game objects for real currency is a controversial and lucrative industry with topics concerning issues practices of hacking/stealing accounts for profit. Critics often cite how it affects the virtual economy inside the game. In 2001, the sales of in-game items for real life currency was banned on eBay.
A practice in the real-world trade economy is of companies creating characters, powerleveling them to make them powerful, and then reselling the characters for large sums of money or in-game items of other games.
Sony discourages the payment of real-world money for online goods, except on certain "Station Exchange" servers in ''EverQuest II
''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
'', launched in July 2005. The program facilitates buying in-game items for real money from fellow players for a nominal fee. At this point this system only applies to select ''EverQuest II'' servers; none of the pre-''Station Exchange'' ''EverQuest II'' or ''EverQuest'' servers are affected.
In 2012, Sony added an in-game item called a "Krono", which adds 30 days of game membership throughout ''EverQuest'' and ''EverQuest II''. The item can be initially bought starting at US$17.99. Up to 25 "Kronos" can be bought for US$424.99. Krono can be resold via player trading, which has allowed Krono to be frequently used in the real-world trade economy due to its inherent value.
Intellectual property and role-playing
Mystere incident
On October 2000, Verant banned a player by the name of Mystere, allegedly for creating controversial fan fiction, causing outrage among some ''EverQuest'' players and sparking a debate about players' rights and the line between roleplaying and intellectual property infringement. The case was used by several academics in discussing such rights in the digital age.
Addiction
Some argue the game has addictive qualities. Many players refer to it as "EverCrack" (a comparison to crack cocaine). There was one well-publicized suicide of an ''EverQuest'' user named Shawn Woolley, that inspired his mother, Liz, to found Online Gamers Anonymous. In November 2001, Shawn Woolley committed suicide. Although he had been diagnosed with depression and schizoid personality disorder,[ Shawn's mother said the suicide was due to a rejection or betrayal in the game from a character Shawn called "iluvyou".
]
Sociological aspects of MMORPGs
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 ...
s (MMORPGs) are described by some players as "chat rooms with a graphical interface". The sociological aspects of ''EverQuest'' (and other MMORPGs) are explored in a series of online studies on a site known as "the HUB". The studies make use of data gathered from player surveys and discuss topics like virtual relationships, player personalities, gender issues, and more.
Organized protests
In May 2004, Woody Hearn of GU Comics
''GU Comics'' is a single panel webcomic written, drawn, and colored by William "Woody" Hearn. Established July 10, 2000 called for all ''EverQuest'' gamers to boycott the ''Omens of War'' expansion in an effort to force SOE to address existing issues with the game rather than release another "quick-fire" expansion. The call to boycott was rescinded after SOE held a summit to address player concerns, improve (internal and external) communication, and correct specific issues within the game.
Prohibition in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
On 17 January 2008, the Judge of the 17th Federal Court of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
State forbade the sales of the game in that Brazilian territory. The reason was that "the game leads the players to a loss of moral virtue and takes them into 'heavy' psychological conflicts because of the game quests".
''EverQuest'' franchise
Since ''EverQuest''s release, Sony Online Entertainment has added several ''EverQuest''-related games. These include:
*'' EverQuest Hero's Call'' ( Pocket PC, January 2003)
*'' EverQuest Online Adventures'' ( PlayStation 2, February 2003)
*'' EverQuest Online Adventures Frontiers'' ( PlayStation 2, November 2003)
*'' Lords of EverQuest'' (PC, December 2003)
*'' Champions of Norrath'' (PlayStation 2, February 2004)
*'' EverQuest Hero's Call 2'' (Pocket PC, April 2004)
*'' EverQuest War On Faydwer'' (Pocket PC, April 2004)
*''EverQuest II
''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
'' ( PC, November 2004)
*'' Champions: Return to Arms'', sequel to ''Champions of Norrath'' (PlayStation 2, February 2005)
*'' EverQuest Role-Playing Game'' (a role-playing game produced in collaboration with White Wolf
A white wolf or Arctic wolf is a mammal of the ''Canidae'' family and a subspecies of the gray wolf.
It may also refer to:
Organizations
* White Wolf (band), a Canadian heavy metal band
* White Wolf (band), white power oi band from the USA
* Whi ...
which uses the d20 system).
*'' Legends of Norrath'' (a virtual card game which launched sometime in 2007 or early 2008 which also awards EverQuest and EverQuest II players with in-game items).
*''EverQuest Next
''EverQuest Next'' was a planned massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), meant to be the successor to ''EverQuest'', ''EverQuest Online Adventures'' and ''EverQuest II''. The game was in development by the Daybreak Game Company, ...
'', newest story-based ''EverQuest'' game (cancelled)
*'' EverQuest Next Landmark'', only world-building ''EverQuest'' game (cancelled)
A line of novels have been published in the world of ''EverQuest'', including:
*''Rogue's Hour'', by Scott Ciencin
Malcolm Scott Ciencin (September 1, 1962 – August 5, 2014) was an American author of adult and children's fiction. He co-authored several books with his wife Denise Ciencin.
Biography
Malcolm Scott Ciencin was born in 1962. He was a New ...
(October 2004)
*''Ocean of Tears'', by Stewart Wieck (October 2005)
*''Truth and Steel'', by Thomas M. Reid (September 2006)
*''The Blood Red Harp'', by Elaine Cunningham (October 2006)
Citations
General and cited references
*
External links
*
''EverQuest''
at MobyGames
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