My favorite moment, if I had to pick one, would actually be a period of a few months in Vanilla WoW, when I was part of one of the top raiding guilds on my server and felt like king.
Seeing purple drops and knowing you were on priority list to receive them - when purples actually meant something - felt so rewarding. WoW was very addictive back then...
I also have too many to count but the ONE that will always jump to mind is:
UO 1998: I logged on my Bard and proceeded to recall to the Terathan Keep to bard some spiders outside and then work my way down into the bowels of the place as I frequently did for money and items to fund my PVP characters. My bard had a specific skill set that was targeted to making him effective for doing just that.
The outside of the keep started to get a little crowded with other people farming the spiders so I moved inside, using my stealth ability and taking my time to work my way in while forcing the creatures to fight one another on ocasion or calming them in the event my hiding skill failed to hide me.
Once I got just inside the dungeon of the keep, at the top of the stairs leading down, a ghost appeared next to me (in UO when you die you become a ghost right at your body) named Korath "OOooOoOoOo oOo oOOo oOo". I couldn't understand him but I knew he died somewhere down here either to monsters or to players. He led me around, it took a bit as I was still stealthing so I wouldn't be seen by monsters or any unsuspecting players waiting to jump me. Finally I saw his body laying on the ground just inside the balron room. His body appeared to be fully armored and clothed up and with weapon in hand. I got into the room with the 2 balrons (which were capable of killing you in just a couple swipes + they cast nasty offensive spells). I attempted to force the creatures to fight one another and failed ... causing them to anger and chase after me ... I ran and ran and ran until my skill cooldown ended and attempted to make them fight again. SUCCESS!
With the two creatures fighting each other I ran to the body to see what was left (monsters often looted the players corpse forcing you to either loose your stuff or kill the monster to get it back). The corpse was LOADED with gold, weapons, items needed to cast spells (reagents), armor, clothes and bags full of valuables. Korath appeared next to me again (when you talk as a ghost you become visible to others and you can choose to become invisible). "ooOoOOooooOO". At this moment I had a decision to make ... do I take this poor guys stuff and bank it or do I resurrect him and help him get it all back.
I took all of his stuff, it all (barely) fit in my pack and I ran out of the room and around the corner into a side room that I knew the monsters wouldn't find me in. Korath appeared next to me again ... standing there, saying nothing. I cast a spell ... "An Corp" ... and clicked on the ghost ... the spell succeeded and Korath was brought back to the land of the living in his death robe. "Thanks man! Can I have my stuff back?" he said. I dragged his stuff bag by bag and piece by piece and dropped it on his character, trading it back to him.
After getting all resituated we started talking and found that he was also a bard mage that did the same thing I did but had a provoke fail, got caught by the balrons and killed. He and I became really good friends from that day and played together nearly every single time we played all through the rest of our UO history until we both left the game around 2004.
I have only had anything close to that experience in two other games since then ... Shadowbane and EVE Online.
Asheron's call 2 around 2003 we had dungeon run with our clan(Arcanewarriors) it was all very carefully planned.
We where sure there where no spy's in our clan and nobody knew we would go run this dungeon on sunday morning.
Oh where we wrong when we enter the dungeon starting to attack mobs(these days dungeon's where not easy at all, hard as nails) suddenly enemy clan(Soul Claimers) starting to atatck us in back man this was awesome we fight mobs and enemy clan trying to survive it took us 3 hours to finally reach boss, but eventually it was to much and we could not kill the boss to many where death and could not reach us.
Was one of my best experience in mmo and i had plenty on Darktide chasing and interupting enemy clans great times.
Nobody whined or cried about enemy ruined our run we just geared up and went over to there clanhouse and attack them inside there own home.
I realy miss those days so much different from today.
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77 CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now)) MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB PSU:Corsair AX1200i OS:Windows 10 64bit
Shadowbane at its peak. I hadn't had much previous experience with online gaming. I remember the very first time I killed another player in the open world and took their stuff. It was an epiphany for me. Instead of killing computer programs I can kill other actual players? Yes please. That was the start of a dark journey down the path of PK. Player ran assassins guild fronted by a restaurant. Players looking to hire our services had to come in and know what to "order" from the menu. Built an underground labyrinth where we kept the "bull" (minotar player character). Had female characters lure unsuspecting players to their unknowing doom. I could go on and on. It was the best.
Vanilla WoW rerolling on a new server and building a guild up with a couple friends that eventually became one of the top guilds on the server.
FFXI and grinding mobs in an elite group. I miss that.
Originally posted by Icewhite The first time I took off in flight, no mount involved.
Which game was that? For me that magic moment was in City of Heroes, and the terribly slow "Hover" power
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse. - FARGIN_WAR
So many moments stand out, it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'll share my first: EverQuest, late 1999 or early 2000.
On a late Friday afternoon, a colleague had been looking at the old Allakhazam, reading some info about a song for his bard. I remember being so intrigued, I left early, picked up a copy of EQ, a new video card, and raced home. I think I got home a little before 5pm, updated my hardware & drivers, and maybe had the game updated by 630 or 7pm; these were the days of 56k modems, after all.
With all my lights out, a warm hot pocket in hand, the glow from my PC screen felt more like a movie screen than a video game. I rolled a Gnome Enchanter, and started in Ak'anon.
I couldn't tell you how many hours I wandered, awestruck at the depth of this new playground. I'd memorized my spells, had my trusty, rusty dagger in its sheath and yellow pajamas draped about my shoulders. I knew I was supposed to go talk to my guild master about some important task, but ... I just wandered! Though this was my home city, and every NPC was amiable and kind, I still explored with a minor sense of fear!
What happened if I swam in the lake near the king's castle? The water looked creepy, and green, and ... creepy; I jumped in, and discovered quickly that my Swimming skill (1) needed some work. I leapt out of the water in fear of my virtual life, but made a mental note to practice swimming, so I could later explore the lake more thoroughly.
What was in that cave up ahead? What was a skeleton doing guarding that door?! Uh-oh, don't want to start trouble, I'd better grow up some before I go check *THAT* out.
I'd wandered through some hallways, and I found the friendly captain of the city guards. He'd wanted to talk to me about something as well, and the dialogue indicated that the city was in trouble. I'd meant to talk to him, to say that I would "Quickly resolve the matter", but alas - was the default autoattack key, and I was as n00b as n00bs can be.
"You've ruined your own lands, you'll not ruin mine!!" Cried the city guards, and I was slain in under a second. Magically, I reappeared, but not inside the town; I was outside the main gate, in the Steamfont Mountains.
I was also naked! I remember experiencing mixed sensations of embarrassment and dread; what had I done? Was I now exiled? I changed the hotkeys so that I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
The guards still seemed kind to me, and allowed me back inside, but I wasn't quite sure where to go. I started to see [you are hungry], and [you are thirsty] on the screen... oh no! I'm now naked, penniless, *AND* hungry. I'd better go find my stuff! After some time of learning the passageways about the city, I found my gear, neatly folded up into a yellow square. How polite of the city guard to not attack me on sight. They'd given me a second chance, and I wasn't about to waste it.
I agreed to help the city; I swore allegiance to my guild. I hurried outside, back to the dangerous expanse of Steamfont, to rid my beloved city of the rat plague. I found an old backpack, which really helped to collect stacks and stacks of rat whiskers & fur. A friendly Elf Druid nearby bought these baubles, and after returning to the city to declare my resounding success against the rats, I had enough silver to buy more powerful spells.
I met other Gnome players in the guild hall: one Wizard, one Magician. We decided to face the next danger together: a camp of evil, Gnome-eating Kobolds, just beyond the rat-filled valley, far beyond the protection of the city guards.
We didn't expect to survive, but we went anyway.
Carefully, oh so carefully, we crept through the valley, down this way and that, past the rats, up the little slope. There ahead were the enemies' tents; wandering about were three or four snarling Kobolds. Little gnome bones littered the landscape. I was breathing heavy, literally on the edge of my seat.
Then it happened.
BANGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!
I just about jumped out of my socks. It was about 6am the next morning, I'd been playing all night, and the newspaper had just struck my front door.
So many moments stand out, it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'll share my first: EverQuest, late 1999 or early 2000.
On a late Friday afternoon, a colleague had been looking at the old Allakhazam, reading some info about a song for his bard. I remember being so intrigued, I left early, picked up a copy of EQ, a new video card, and raced home. I think I got home a little before 5pm, updated my hardware & drivers, and maybe had the game updated by 630 or 7pm; these were the days of 56k modems, after all.
With all my lights out, a warm hot pocket in hand, the glow from my PC screen felt more like a movie screen than a video game. I rolled a Gnome Enchanter, and started in Ak'anon.
I couldn't tell you how many hours I wandered, awestruck at the depth of this new playground. I'd memorized my spells, had my trusty, rusty dagger in its sheath and yellow pajamas draped about my shoulders. I knew I was supposed to go talk to my guild master about some important task, but ... I just wandered! Though this was my home city, and every NPC was amiable and kind, I still explored with a minor sense of fear!
What happened if I swam in the lake near the king's castle? The water looked creepy, and green, and ... creepy; I jumped in, and discovered quickly that my Swimming skill (1) needed some work. I leapt out of the water in fear of my virtual life, but made a mental note to practice swimming, so I could later explore the lake more thoroughly.
What was in that cave up ahead? What was a skeleton doing guarding that door?! Uh-oh, don't want to start trouble, I'd better grow up some before I go check *THAT* out.
I'd wandered through some hallways, and I found the friendly captain of the city guards. He'd wanted to talk to me about something as well, and the dialogue indicated that the city was in trouble. I'd meant to talk to him, to say that I would "Quickly resolve the matter", but alas - was the default autoattack key, and I was as n00b as n00bs can be.
"You've ruined your own lands, you'll not ruin mine!!" Cried the city guards, and I was slain in under a second. Magically, I reappeared, but not inside the town; I was outside the main gate, in the Steamfont Mountains.
I was also naked! I remember experiencing mixed sensations of embarrassment and dread; what had I done? Was I now exiled? I changed the hotkeys so that I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
The guards still seemed kind to me, and allowed me back inside, but I wasn't quite sure where to go. I started to see [you are hungry], and [you are thirsty] on the screen... oh no! I'm now naked, penniless, *AND* hungry. I'd better go find my stuff! After some time of learning the passageways about the city, I found my gear, neatly folded up into a yellow square. How polite of the city guard to not attack me on sight. They'd given me a second chance, and I wasn't about to waste it.
I agreed to help the city; I swore allegiance to my guild. I hurried outside, back to the dangerous expanse of Steamfont, to rid my beloved city of the rat plague. I found an old backpack, which really helped to collect stacks and stacks of rat whiskers & fur. A friendly Elf Druid nearby bought these baubles, and after returning to the city to declare my resounding success against the rats, I had enough silver to buy more powerful spells.
I met other Gnome players in the guild hall: one Wizard, one Magician. We decided to face the next danger together: a camp of evil, Gnome-eating Kobolds, just beyond the rat-filled valley, far beyond the protection of the city guards.
We didn't expect to survive, but we went anyway.
Carefully, oh so carefully, we crept through the valley, down this way and that, past the rats, up the little slope. There ahead were the enemies' tents; wandering about were three or four snarling Kobolds. Little gnome bones littered the landscape. I was breathing heavy, literally on the edge of my seat.
Then it happened.
BANGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!
I just about jumped out of my socks. It was about 6am the next morning, I'd been playing all night, and the newspaper had just struck my front door.
I hit Master Droid Engineer. Finished off Master Merchant. Bough a medium Naboo house. Setup my storefront. Got all my merchants looking just the way I liked. Stocked with every item I could make. Factories running. Harvesters producing. All lots taken.
I remember finally taking a step back and thinking "holy shit". I had never played a game this way before. I had created something unique and permanent in a persistent world. Other people bought from me and asked me questions about the trade. I was helping people out with whatever they were doing in this virtual world.
It was an epiphany for me of what a video game can do. To be a cog in the wheel, not the hero on a pedestal. To play a video game where I wasn't bathing in the blood of the countless foes I defeated. The feeling of accomplishment without a weapon in hand.
It was liberating. I've only played mmos that way ever since.
Originally posted by iJustWant <snipped for brevity's sake>Then it happened.BANGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!I just about jumped out of my socks. It was about 6am the next morning, I'd been playing all night, and the newspaper had just struck my front door.
That brought back memories. Thanks
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse. - FARGIN_WAR
Anything in a mmo pre wow. I had so many and all involved playing with real life friends. I had great moments in
Neocron 2
Anarchy online
Earth & Beyond
To me these games at the time were the most fun in gaming for me. A lot of late night weekends Playing with friends from all over the country. The best of times. I really miss those days.
There was an old game called Ferentus, it was great and unfinished because there was no end game or goals...so all everyone did was level to 20 and try and get the best gear then go into the pvp zone and kill eachother or just hangout, it was a small server and everyone knew everyone, guilds would have allies and enemies and joining a guild actually meant something because it automatically put you on a kill on sight list if the guild had enemies!
Anyways, I joined a reputable guild because I was good at pvp, had great gear (a staff that glows!) and knew about the glitch where you can hire a npc mercenary to fight for you where you controlled him like a pet in wow, but you can glitch his skills in a certain order so that he fires his bow at any distance...
One day me and a cleric friend (who has the ability to teleport and heal) decided it was time to rebel against our guild and everyone in the server so we both hired mercenaries, entered the pvp zone, went far out and set up our teleport safe area. Then we came back and killed our guild leader and as many people as we could, teleport back and heal up. We did this countless times for hours until practically the whole server was looking for us in the pvp zone! After 4 hours of fun they finally killed us, and when they did my cheeks hurt from so much laughter. We were put on everyones kill list, but everyone knew who we were...because of this memory, I always take the route of Infamy in games!
What a great topic for a forum thread! Nice one OP.
The moment that always comes to mind for me was starting my rogue out near Kelethin in EQ. I was killing bats grabbing wings and leveling up. I was in a room with the lights low and my headphones on. I had been at this for an hour or so, and had killed many bats. While I was doing this, I kept feeling something brush against my check. I simply brushed it away and continued to play, after the third or fourth time I took my attention away from the game for a second and looked around the room.
At that very moment a bat swooped out of the darkness and nearly ran into my face. I fell out of my chair and threw off my headphones and crawled toward the door of the room, luckily escaping the bat's repeated attempts to swoop in on me.
I closed the door behind me and ran downstairs to look for something to get the bat out of the room. A broom lay next to the wall, and my mission became clear. Armed with my broom I approached the door cautiously where the bat was sure to be lurking in some dark corner.
I opened to door to find the bat clinging to the back of my office chair. I yelled and charged the vile beast and beat it down with my broom, breaking the broom in the process. I then placed the bat in a bag, cleaned up the office chair, and took the remains out to the trash.
I sat back down in my chair to see my character dead, killed by bats.
There are others...
Watching the sunset in Tir when I was logging out of Anarchy Online for the first time with a large smile on my face.
Transferring items between my characters in EQ by dropping a bag on the ground in some secret location and running to it with my other character half expecting to see someone else there picking it up.
So many great times...
He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.
- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
OMG, sunsets in Anarchy online were really amazing. And if you had a yalm and went on the highest building in your faction's city, it was even better. Did that many times in that game. And the sound track of the game really fit the game world. God i miss that.
I remember my first MMO experience was a anti PK in UO. But I eventually led a guild on Great Lakes server called the Sisters of Enchantment. We did RPvP and participated in the seer events on the server. We had a house in Phoenix Rising and had a website. i just looked up out old site on archive.org and ITS STILL THERE. https://web.archive.org/web/20020823234558/http://www.sistersofenchantment.com/
Check it out. Lots of stories and pictures from the good old UO days on great lakes. Some of you might even remember.
Hmm, I wonder if this is my first post or not... Either way this is a special topic for me because my favorite moments have kept me in an almost 15 year relationship with MMOs o.O
My favorite moment was playing a text-based MUD called Dragon Realms (this was my first experience role playing with people). My character was a Prydaen Empath, a feline humanoid healer (a class I still prefer to play). There are tons of special experiences here for me in this MUD. From the time, a sneaky elf tried to coerce me in a little lesbian foreplay in the towers outside of Crossing. Or when I first met my thief boyfriend because I caught him stealing from my gem pouch. He eventually got so much better at stealing than I did at catching him that he would give gems back to me before I'd known they were missing (learned to seal up my pouch carefully when that happened). What I loved most was when a large group of players of all classes would gather telling stories, teaching lessons, or playing instruments while we Empaths healed the fighters and sometimes each other. As a novice healer, I was often rescued by more experienced healers when I took on more wounds than I could handle. Mostly, I miss the camaraderie and atmosphere that I have never experienced in any MMO since that time. I tried to return to DR once but the golden age of that game has long since passed. And I wonder if there will ever be another game that makes feel as immersed in a virtual society as that one.
Such a great topic. And you what i'm getting from it.. Alot of post are talking about social things that they remember. And that's what i find missing in mmo's today. No one hanging out or roleplaying. God i remember weekend night's in Anarchy online. The major cities were packed with players hanging out being social. The parks and night clubs would be full of players. I miss seeing and being involved in that. Going out and doing a few team missions then the whole team going to a club in the city after to just chat. I would glance at the clock and it was 3 or 4 in the morning. I started playing at 8 pm.
When i first started to play EverQuest, it was a M.U.D. persons dream. The moment that stands out the most was when my friends and I formed up a band of Dark Elves on the PVP team server and stormed the city of Freeport. We hid in the wall and waited from them to come out and attack our decoy and then 20 of ran out and killed most of those that came out. It was classic PVP...(before POP ruined all that fun).
That is one of many. EQ was so awesome when it first came out.
When my friend and I went on the quest to get my felhunter/felpup (hehe), it lasted from the middle of the day until dawn of the next (real life time). So we were probably playing for 12hrs or so. Of course we had to gank some horde along the way. But getting that puppy was the single greatest thing to ever happen to me for a couple of reasons.
1. The long journey with my friend.
Along the way we bonded, ganked lowbies, and just had a great time.
2. EARNING my felpuppy.
We went through hell and back to get that little guy and that made getting him all the better. I felt that I had EARNED him which made it about 1000x more fulfilling.
3. Community
The friend that I keep referring to I only knew in-game and even then we only dueled and chatted. So when she said she'd help me without me asking I was a bit surprised. I expected her to leave, but she stuck it out and stayed with me until the end and after we were done we both went off to bed. I couldnt thank her enough so after that day anytime she needed something I would go out of my way to see that she got it. Small acts of kindness and selflessness like that are nice. They make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside
Needless to say I was pretty pissed when Blizz just GAVE the felpuppy and every other demon to whoever decided to roll a lock. UTTER CRAP!
Originally posted by Scot If every a thread deserved a thread of the month(?) topic for the site video they do this is it.
It's got my vote As many others have said, great topic, Alasti
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse. - FARGIN_WAR
Comments
My favorite moment, if I had to pick one, would actually be a period of a few months in Vanilla WoW, when I was part of one of the top raiding guilds on my server and felt like king.
Seeing purple drops and knowing you were on priority list to receive them - when purples actually meant something - felt so rewarding. WoW was very addictive back then...
I also have too many to count but the ONE that will always jump to mind is:
UO 1998: I logged on my Bard and proceeded to recall to the Terathan Keep to bard some spiders outside and then work my way down into the bowels of the place as I frequently did for money and items to fund my PVP characters. My bard had a specific skill set that was targeted to making him effective for doing just that.
The outside of the keep started to get a little crowded with other people farming the spiders so I moved inside, using my stealth ability and taking my time to work my way in while forcing the creatures to fight one another on ocasion or calming them in the event my hiding skill failed to hide me.
Once I got just inside the dungeon of the keep, at the top of the stairs leading down, a ghost appeared next to me (in UO when you die you become a ghost right at your body) named Korath "OOooOoOoOo oOo oOOo oOo". I couldn't understand him but I knew he died somewhere down here either to monsters or to players. He led me around, it took a bit as I was still stealthing so I wouldn't be seen by monsters or any unsuspecting players waiting to jump me. Finally I saw his body laying on the ground just inside the balron room. His body appeared to be fully armored and clothed up and with weapon in hand. I got into the room with the 2 balrons (which were capable of killing you in just a couple swipes + they cast nasty offensive spells). I attempted to force the creatures to fight one another and failed ... causing them to anger and chase after me ... I ran and ran and ran until my skill cooldown ended and attempted to make them fight again. SUCCESS!
With the two creatures fighting each other I ran to the body to see what was left (monsters often looted the players corpse forcing you to either loose your stuff or kill the monster to get it back). The corpse was LOADED with gold, weapons, items needed to cast spells (reagents), armor, clothes and bags full of valuables. Korath appeared next to me again (when you talk as a ghost you become visible to others and you can choose to become invisible). "ooOoOOooooOO". At this moment I had a decision to make ... do I take this poor guys stuff and bank it or do I resurrect him and help him get it all back.
I took all of his stuff, it all (barely) fit in my pack and I ran out of the room and around the corner into a side room that I knew the monsters wouldn't find me in. Korath appeared next to me again ... standing there, saying nothing. I cast a spell ... "An Corp" ... and clicked on the ghost ... the spell succeeded and Korath was brought back to the land of the living in his death robe. "Thanks man! Can I have my stuff back?" he said. I dragged his stuff bag by bag and piece by piece and dropped it on his character, trading it back to him.
After getting all resituated we started talking and found that he was also a bard mage that did the same thing I did but had a provoke fail, got caught by the balrons and killed. He and I became really good friends from that day and played together nearly every single time we played all through the rest of our UO history until we both left the game around 2004.
I have only had anything close to that experience in two other games since then ... Shadowbane and EVE Online.
Asheron's call 2 around 2003 we had dungeon run with our clan(Arcanewarriors) it was all very carefully planned.
We where sure there where no spy's in our clan and nobody knew we would go run this dungeon on sunday morning.
Oh where we wrong when we enter the dungeon starting to attack mobs(these days dungeon's where not easy at all, hard as nails) suddenly enemy clan(Soul Claimers) starting to atatck us in back man this was awesome we fight mobs and enemy clan trying to survive it took us 3 hours to finally reach boss, but eventually it was to much and we could not kill the boss to many where death and could not reach us.
Was one of my best experience in mmo and i had plenty on Darktide chasing and interupting enemy clans great times.
Nobody whined or cried about enemy ruined our run we just geared up and went over to there clanhouse and attack them inside there own home.
I realy miss those days so much different from today.
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77
CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k
GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now))
MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB
PSU:Corsair AX1200i
OS:Windows 10 64bit
Shadowbane at its peak. I hadn't had much previous experience with online gaming. I remember the very first time I killed another player in the open world and took their stuff. It was an epiphany for me. Instead of killing computer programs I can kill other actual players? Yes please. That was the start of a dark journey down the path of PK. Player ran assassins guild fronted by a restaurant. Players looking to hire our services had to come in and know what to "order" from the menu. Built an underground labyrinth where we kept the "bull" (minotar player character). Had female characters lure unsuspecting players to their unknowing doom. I could go on and on. It was the best.
Vanilla WoW rerolling on a new server and building a guild up with a couple friends that eventually became one of the top guilds on the server.
FFXI and grinding mobs in an elite group. I miss that.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Going back to check out the message boards of an old game I hadn't played for a few years and seeing my name mentioned in a thread of "people I miss",
So many moments stand out, it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'll share my first: EverQuest, late 1999 or early 2000.
On a late Friday afternoon, a colleague had been looking at the old Allakhazam, reading some info about a song for his bard. I remember being so intrigued, I left early, picked up a copy of EQ, a new video card, and raced home. I think I got home a little before 5pm, updated my hardware & drivers, and maybe had the game updated by 630 or 7pm; these were the days of 56k modems, after all.
With all my lights out, a warm hot pocket in hand, the glow from my PC screen felt more like a movie screen than a video game. I rolled a Gnome Enchanter, and started in Ak'anon.
I couldn't tell you how many hours I wandered, awestruck at the depth of this new playground. I'd memorized my spells, had my trusty, rusty dagger in its sheath and yellow pajamas draped about my shoulders. I knew I was supposed to go talk to my guild master about some important task, but ... I just wandered! Though this was my home city, and every NPC was amiable and kind, I still explored with a minor sense of fear!
What happened if I swam in the lake near the king's castle? The water looked creepy, and green, and ... creepy; I jumped in, and discovered quickly that my Swimming skill (1) needed some work. I leapt out of the water in fear of my virtual life, but made a mental note to practice swimming, so I could later explore the lake more thoroughly.
What was in that cave up ahead? What was a skeleton doing guarding that door?! Uh-oh, don't want to start trouble, I'd better grow up some before I go check *THAT* out.
I'd wandered through some hallways, and I found the friendly captain of the city guards. He'd wanted to talk to me about something as well, and the dialogue indicated that the city was in trouble. I'd meant to talk to him, to say that I would "Quickly resolve the matter", but alas -
"You've ruined your own lands, you'll not ruin mine!!" Cried the city guards, and I was slain in under a second. Magically, I reappeared, but not inside the town; I was outside the main gate, in the Steamfont Mountains.
I was also naked! I remember experiencing mixed sensations of embarrassment and dread; what had I done? Was I now exiled? I changed the hotkeys so that I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
The guards still seemed kind to me, and allowed me back inside, but I wasn't quite sure where to go. I started to see [you are hungry], and [you are thirsty] on the screen... oh no! I'm now naked, penniless, *AND* hungry. I'd better go find my stuff! After some time of learning the passageways about the city, I found my gear, neatly folded up into a yellow square. How polite of the city guard to not attack me on sight. They'd given me a second chance, and I wasn't about to waste it.
I agreed to help the city; I swore allegiance to my guild. I hurried outside, back to the dangerous expanse of Steamfont, to rid my beloved city of the rat plague. I found an old backpack, which really helped to collect stacks and stacks of rat whiskers & fur. A friendly Elf Druid nearby bought these baubles, and after returning to the city to declare my resounding success against the rats, I had enough silver to buy more powerful spells.
I met other Gnome players in the guild hall: one Wizard, one Magician. We decided to face the next danger together: a camp of evil, Gnome-eating Kobolds, just beyond the rat-filled valley, far beyond the protection of the city guards.
We didn't expect to survive, but we went anyway.
Carefully, oh so carefully, we crept through the valley, down this way and that, past the rats, up the little slope. There ahead were the enemies' tents; wandering about were three or four snarling Kobolds. Little gnome bones littered the landscape. I was breathing heavy, literally on the edge of my seat.
Then it happened.
BANGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!
I just about jumped out of my socks. It was about 6am the next morning, I'd been playing all night, and the newspaper had just struck my front door.
This. is. awesome.
Star Wars Galaxies.
I hit Master Droid Engineer. Finished off Master Merchant. Bough a medium Naboo house. Setup my storefront. Got all my merchants looking just the way I liked. Stocked with every item I could make. Factories running. Harvesters producing. All lots taken.
I remember finally taking a step back and thinking "holy shit". I had never played a game this way before. I had created something unique and permanent in a persistent world. Other people bought from me and asked me questions about the trade. I was helping people out with whatever they were doing in this virtual world.
It was an epiphany for me of what a video game can do. To be a cog in the wheel, not the hero on a pedestal. To play a video game where I wasn't bathing in the blood of the countless foes I defeated. The feeling of accomplishment without a weapon in hand.
It was liberating. I've only played mmos that way ever since.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Anything in a mmo pre wow. I had so many and all involved playing with real life friends. I had great moments in
Neocron 2
Anarchy online
Earth & Beyond
To me these games at the time were the most fun in gaming for me. A lot of late night weekends Playing with friends from all over the country. The best of times. I really miss those days.
There was an old game called Ferentus, it was great and unfinished because there was no end game or goals...so all everyone did was level to 20 and try and get the best gear then go into the pvp zone and kill eachother or just hangout, it was a small server and everyone knew everyone, guilds would have allies and enemies and joining a guild actually meant something because it automatically put you on a kill on sight list if the guild had enemies!
Anyways, I joined a reputable guild because I was good at pvp, had great gear (a staff that glows!) and knew about the glitch where you can hire a npc mercenary to fight for you where you controlled him like a pet in wow, but you can glitch his skills in a certain order so that he fires his bow at any distance...
One day me and a cleric friend (who has the ability to teleport and heal) decided it was time to rebel against our guild and everyone in the server so we both hired mercenaries, entered the pvp zone, went far out and set up our teleport safe area. Then we came back and killed our guild leader and as many people as we could, teleport back and heal up. We did this countless times for hours until practically the whole server was looking for us in the pvp zone! After 4 hours of fun they finally killed us, and when they did my cheeks hurt from so much laughter. We were put on everyones kill list, but everyone knew who we were...because of this memory, I always take the route of Infamy in games!
What a great topic for a forum thread! Nice one OP.
The moment that always comes to mind for me was starting my rogue out near Kelethin in EQ. I was killing bats grabbing wings and leveling up. I was in a room with the lights low and my headphones on. I had been at this for an hour or so, and had killed many bats. While I was doing this, I kept feeling something brush against my check. I simply brushed it away and continued to play, after the third or fourth time I took my attention away from the game for a second and looked around the room.
At that very moment a bat swooped out of the darkness and nearly ran into my face. I fell out of my chair and threw off my headphones and crawled toward the door of the room, luckily escaping the bat's repeated attempts to swoop in on me.
I closed the door behind me and ran downstairs to look for something to get the bat out of the room. A broom lay next to the wall, and my mission became clear. Armed with my broom I approached the door cautiously where the bat was sure to be lurking in some dark corner.
I opened to door to find the bat clinging to the back of my office chair. I yelled and charged the vile beast and beat it down with my broom, breaking the broom in the process. I then placed the bat in a bag, cleaned up the office chair, and took the remains out to the trash.
I sat back down in my chair to see my character dead, killed by bats.
There are others...
Watching the sunset in Tir when I was logging out of Anarchy Online for the first time with a large smile on my face.
Transferring items between my characters in EQ by dropping a bag on the ground in some secret location and running to it with my other character half expecting to see someone else there picking it up.
So many great times...
He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.
- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I remember my first MMO experience was a anti PK in UO. But I eventually led a guild on Great Lakes server called the Sisters of Enchantment. We did RPvP and participated in the seer events on the server. We had a house in Phoenix Rising and had a website. i just looked up out old site on archive.org and ITS STILL THERE. https://web.archive.org/web/20020823234558/http://www.sistersofenchantment.com/
Check it out. Lots of stories and pictures from the good old UO days on great lakes. Some of you might even remember.
Hmm, I wonder if this is my first post or not... Either way this is a special topic for me because my favorite moments have kept me in an almost 15 year relationship with MMOs o.O
My favorite moment was playing a text-based MUD called Dragon Realms (this was my first experience role playing with people). My character was a Prydaen Empath, a feline humanoid healer (a class I still prefer to play). There are tons of special experiences here for me in this MUD. From the time, a sneaky elf tried to coerce me in a little lesbian foreplay in the towers outside of Crossing. Or when I first met my thief boyfriend because I caught him stealing from my gem pouch. He eventually got so much better at stealing than I did at catching him that he would give gems back to me before I'd known they were missing (learned to seal up my pouch carefully when that happened). What I loved most was when a large group of players of all classes would gather telling stories, teaching lessons, or playing instruments while we Empaths healed the fighters and sometimes each other. As a novice healer, I was often rescued by more experienced healers when I took on more wounds than I could handle. Mostly, I miss the camaraderie and atmosphere that I have never experienced in any MMO since that time. I tried to return to DR once but the golden age of that game has long since passed. And I wonder if there will ever be another game that makes feel as immersed in a virtual society as that one.
When i first started to play EverQuest, it was a M.U.D. persons dream. The moment that stands out the most was when my friends and I formed up a band of Dark Elves on the PVP team server and stormed the city of Freeport. We hid in the wall and waited from them to come out and attack our decoy and then 20 of ran out and killed most of those that came out. It was classic PVP...(before POP ruined all that fun).
That is one of many. EQ was so awesome when it first came out.
WoW WotLK
When my friend and I went on the quest to get my felhunter/felpup (hehe), it lasted from the middle of the day until dawn of the next (real life time). So we were probably playing for 12hrs or so. Of course we had to gank some horde along the way. But getting that puppy was the single greatest thing to ever happen to me for a couple of reasons.
1. The long journey with my friend.
Along the way we bonded, ganked lowbies, and just had a great time.
2. EARNING my felpuppy.
We went through hell and back to get that little guy and that made getting him all the better. I felt that I had EARNED him which made it about 1000x more fulfilling.
3. Community
The friend that I keep referring to I only knew in-game and even then we only dueled and chatted. So when she said she'd help me without me asking I was a bit surprised. I expected her to leave, but she stuck it out and stayed with me until the end and after we were done we both went off to bed. I couldnt thank her enough so after that day anytime she needed something I would go out of my way to see that she got it. Small acts of kindness and selflessness like that are nice. They make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside
Needless to say I was pretty pissed when Blizz just GAVE the felpuppy and every other demon to whoever decided to roll a lock. UTTER CRAP!
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I would say the first couple months of swg, or in LOTRO right before launch when they capped the level at 15.
When people aren't in a hurry, or in level up mode, the party is an amazing thing to experience.
"If the Damned gave you a roadmap, then you'd know just where to go"