EverQuest
Developer(s)	Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sony Online Entertainment
Platform(s)	Windows, Mac OS X
Release date	March 16, 1999
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen)
Media	CD-ROM,DVD-ROM, download
Input methods	Keyboard, Mouse

EverQuest, often called EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was released on March 16, 1999. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Mac OS X (mæk oʊ ɛs tɛn is a line of computer Operating systems developed marketed and sold by Apple Inc, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of Video games into suitability-related groups The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, Advertising guidelines and Digital media (as opposed to analog media) usually refers to Electronic media that work on digital Codes. CD-ROM (an initialism of "Compact Disc Read-Only Memory " is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains data accessible to but not writable DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys In Computing, a mouse (plural mice, mouse devices, or mouses) Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost. Brad McQuaid is an American Computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest, a highly successful Massively multiplayer online It was developed by Sony's 989 Studios and its early-1999 spin-off Verant Interactive. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video 989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA that developed games for the PlayStation consoles and Windows Personal computers Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer ^[1] It was published by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). A video game publisher is a company that publishes Video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a Video game developer Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer Since its acquisition of Verant in late 1999, SOE develops, runs and distributes EverQuest. ^[2].

EverQuest has earned many awards, including 1999 GameSpot Game of the Year and a 2008 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award. GameSpot is a video gaming Website that provides News, Reviews Previews Downloads and other information A Technology and Engineering Emmy Award is given by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS for outstanding achievement in technical or

EverQuest II was released in late 2004^[3]. EverQuest II ( EQ2) based upon the popular EverQuest, is a Fantasy Massively multiplayer online role-playing game "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Set in an alternate universe similar to that of the original EverQuest, this "sequel" takes place 500 years after the awakening of The Sleeper. A sequel is a work in Literature, Film, or other media that portrays events following those of a previous work The game has also inspired a number of other spinoffs.

Business Model

The game's business model includes:

• Sale of an account key which allows a new account to be created, or a trial account to be made permanent.
• Sale of keys which allow accounts to be upgraded to access the content in expansions. Some keys allow access to only an individual expansion. Others to all expansions up to a certain point in time. The newest expansion, Secrets of Faydwer, includes access to all current content including the original game. EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer is the 14th expansion to the MMORPG EverQuest.
• Subscription (by the month, quarter, single year, or 2-years) that allow a specific account to be active.

A software package is installed (by download or from CD/DVD) on the player's computer which allows any player with an active membership to connect to the game content and other players on the game servers of SOE.

As of December 2007, SOE offers free 14-day trial accounts which do not require a credit card.

Gameplay

Many of the elements from EverQuest have been drawn from text-based MUD (multi-user dungeon) games,^[4] which in turn were inspired by traditional role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. In computer gaming, a MUD ( Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension) is a multi-player computer game that combines elements of A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a Fantasy Role-playing game (RPG originally designed by

In EverQuest, players create a character (also known as an avatar, or colloquially as char, charrie or toon) by selecting one of 16 "races" in the game, which range from elves, dwarves and ogres of fantasy, to humans, to cat-people (Vah Shir) and lizard-people (Iksar). An avatar is a computer user's representation of himself/herself or alter ego whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games a two-dimensional Icon Players also select each character's adventuring occupation (such as a wizard, ranger, or cleric - called a class—see below for particulars), and patron deity. EverQuest, often called EQ, is a 3D fantasy -themed Massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) that was released

A Sand Giant engaging a group in a desert-themed zone, Oasis of Marr.

Players use their character to explore the fantasy world of Norrath, fight monsters and enemies for treasure and experience points, and master trade skills. As they progress, players advance in level, gaining power, prestige, spells, and abilities through actions such as looting the remains of defeated enemies and doing quests (tasks and adventures given by non-player characters (NPCs) in which a reward is given upon success). Looting in a gaming context specifically in Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs is the process by which a Player character obtains items (or A non-player character, often shortened to NPC, is a character that is controlled by the Gamemaster in Role-playing games or one that is not

EverQuest also allows players to interact with other players through role-play, joining player guilds, and dueling other players (in restricted situations—EQ only allows Player versus Player (PVP) combat on the PvP-specific server). In roleplaying, participants adopt and act out the Role of characters, or parts that may have personalities motivations and backgrounds different from In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games Player vs player, PvP, or Player Killing is competitive interaction within a game between two or more live participants

The geography of the game universe consists of nearly four 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.

Classes

The fourteen classes of the original 1999 version of EverQuest were later expanded to include the Beastlord and Berserker classes with the Shadows of Luclin (2001) and Gates of Discord (2004) expansions, respectively. EverQuest The Shadows of Luclin (also called SoL, or Luclin) is the third expansion released for EverQuest EverQuest Gates of Discord ( GoD, GOD, Gates, or simply the Gates expansion) is the

The classes can be grouped into those that share similar characteristics that allow them to play certain types of roles within the game when grouped with others. One way of grouping classes is described below.

Tank classes

"Tank" classes are those that have high numbers of "health points" for their level and can wear heavy armor. They also have the ability to taunt enemies into focusing on them, rather than other party members who may be more susceptible to damage and death. A taunt is a Battle cry, a method in hand-to-hand combat sarcastic remark or insult intended to make the other feel miserable and powerless

• Warrior: the prototypical tank class, able to avoid and mitigate more damage than any other class. In gaming jargon a tank is a player or unit designated to protect weaker players or units in combat by drawing enemy attacks and absorbing damage In a way, this is offset by their inability to cast spells.

• Shadow Knight: a durable tank class; this Warrior/Necromancer hybrid has vampiric and damage-over-time spells. In Computer games and Wargames damage over time ( DoT) is a type of effect that causes damage in regular increments (or at a steady rate for a limited amount Shadow Knights also have the unique ability to Harm Touch (do direct damage) every 72 minutes, the power of which increases in absolute terms but decreases relative to enemies' hit points as a player levels up. At higher levels, Shadow Knights are able to summon a weak pet, summon players' corpses who are in the same zone as them, and are able to feign death. The feign death ability allows the Shadow Knight to function as a "puller" for a group.

• Paladin: the "good" counterpart to the Shadow Knight, a Paladin is a hybrid Warrior-Cleric. Paladin is a Character class in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D and later Role-playing games many of which were influenced by D&D They are able to Lay on Hands (heal themselves or another player) once every 72 minutes. The laying on of hands is a religious practice found throughout the world in varying forms At higher levels, paladins also receive some resurrection spells. Paladins are tough in melee, with some healing, protective, and stun spells. At mid-range levels, they have a "pacify" line of spells that allows them to function as a "puller" for a group.

Damage dealers

The following classes are able to produce large quantities of damage to the enemy in a short period of time. Within the game, these classes are often referred to as 'DPS' standing for Damage Per Second.

The melee damage dealers have a medium number of hit points per level, but cannot wear the heaviest armors and are less likely than a "tank" class to be able to survive direct attacks for a sustained period of time.

• Beastlord: The Beastlord is a unique class which combines some powers from the Monk and Shaman classes along with a powerful pet. Beastlords can imbue their pets with powers and combat enemies with hand-to-hand skills or with weapons. They can also "de-buff" enemies with spells, and possess modest healing abilities. This diverse array of skills allows Beastlords to be effective solo adventurers at many levels as well as handy in a group setting.

• Berserker: A specialist form of the melee type, the Berserker is primarily a medium-armored, high-damage dealer that uses two-handed weapons and who can hurl axes and other thrown objects.

• Monk: As masters of martial arts, Monks are the hand-to-hand fighting experts and are a powerful melee damage-dealer. The Monk is a character class in a number of table-top roleplaying and computer games Monks have the ability to feign death with a high degree of reliability and other skills that enable them to be a strong "pulling" class.

• Ranger: A versatile hybrid class combining some of a Warrior's ability with a Druid's spells, Rangers are able to deal large amounts of damage both from a ranged distance and in melee. A ranger is a type of Warrior appearing in Fantasy Fiction and Role-playing games Rangers are usually associated with the wisdom of Their most unusual ability is to track unseen NPCs, for which they can be used as "pullers" in outdoor zones. Tracking in Hunting and Ecology is the science and art of observing a place through animal footprints and other signs including tracks, beds Rangers also have the ability to "taunt" and in casual play can sometimes play the role of "tank".

• Rogue: With their backstab ability, Rogues are able to inflict the highest rate of damage of any of the classes, if they are in a party that can keep the opponent facing away from the Rogue. The Thief or Rogue is a Character class in many Role-playing games including Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy Rogues also have the ability to make poisons, pick pockets, and pick locks. Their abilities to sneak and hide allow them to walk past both living and undead mobs without being seen. Undead is a collective name for fictional beings that are deceased yet behave as if alive A mob or MOB is a Non-player character (NPC or monster in a computer game for example a Role-playing video game or MMORPG or

The "caster" classes have the lowest hit points per level and can only utilize the lightest of armors.

• Wizard: The primary nuking class; these casters are able to deal catastrophic damage to enemies over a very short time, particularly with their Manaburn skill. In many online Video games (especially MMORPGs and Real-time strategy games the term nuke Wizards also have transportation spells that facilitate group travel to particular locations. One of four classes able to make spells using the spell research trade skill.

• Magician: Usually referred to as Mages, Magicians are similar to the Wizard class but with somewhat less power. They are able to summon strong elemental pets (which they rely heavily upon), pet armor and weapons, food, drink, and mod rods, which allow players to convert their health into mana. Mana is the concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people animals and inanimate objects Magicians can also summon party members to different parts of a zone with the Call of the Hero spell, which can be helpful in raid zones. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss One of four classes able to make spells using the spell research trade skill.

• Necromancer: These masters of death are able to summon powerful undead pets and use a large variety of poison and disease-based damage-over-time spells. In Computer games and Wargames damage over time ( DoT) is a type of effect that causes damage in regular increments (or at a steady rate for a limited amount Necromancers are able to feign death, snare enemies, and summon players' corpses in-zone. They have a combination of skills and abilities, most notably the ability to snare (make an enemy run slowly) and fear (run in the opposite direction) that allows them to function as an effective solo class. One of four classes able to make spells using the spell research trade skill.

Crowd control / utility

These classes share the ability to restrain multiple enemies from attacking the party and also have the ability to increase party members' ability to regenerate mana at a faster rate.

• Enchanter: A caster class that has few hit points per level and can wear only the lightest forms of armor, Enchanters are crowd control experts and are the most proficient class at Charming, Stunning, and Mesmerizing enemies. They have the ability to Memory Blur an opponent (causing them to forget they were being attacked) or Pacify an opponent (making them oblivious to antagonists in the area), both of which may be extremely useful in avoiding unwanted skirmishes. Enchanters also have a wide range of utility spells, including the Clarity (AKA "crack") line of spells, which when cast on a player allows them to regenerate mana at an improved rate. In addition to being able to both increase players' rate of attack (with the Haste line of spells), and Slowing that of enemies, Enchanters may also cast Illusions on themselves and others, which may have no real benefit (other than conferring a new look) or may grant tangible benefits such as underwater breathing, flight, or a vampiric touch. Lastly, Enchanters possess the unique Rune line of spells, which creates a magical protective buffer against all forms of damage until it is has worn down. This class is also uniquely suited for the jewelcraft trade, because it is the only class able to enchant metals. It is also one of the four classes able to make spells using the spell research trade skill.

• Bard: a jack-of-all-trades class with fair melee ability, good armor, and the ability to play songs that benefit all nearby comrades, such as "crowd control" effects as well as mana and health regeneration. " Jack of all trades master of none " is a Figure of speech used in reference to a person who is competent with many skills but is not outstanding in any one Bards do possess the unique ability to 'fade' from their enemies memories. This makes the bard an excellent pulling class. Bards possess a lesser version of many of the special abilities of other classes. They are known for their ability to increase the movement speed of their party faster than any mount or movement buff. Bards can weave the effects of up to four songs at once to confer the greatest advantage to their group. Bards themselves often do not receive the full benefit of their songs, but they can still be an effective solo class at many levels, especially with their strong "kiting" proficiency.

Healers

The "priest" classes have medium level of hit points per level and have access to healing and "buff" spells.

• Cleric: The most powerful healer in the game, and for the first few years of EverQuest, the only class capable of resurrection and the powerful spell Complete Heal. The cleric is a Character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other Fantasy Role-playing games. Clerics can wear the heaviest plate-mail type armors.

• Druid: A priest class that can cast healing spells, teleport, snare (slow down) enemies, and cast moderately powerful nuking and damage-over-time spells. In Role-playing games a druid is a Character class that is generally portrayed as using nature-based magical abilities who strive to protect nature The range of abilities allows druids to play multiple roles in a group or to solo effectively. Druids may only wear "leather class" armors. Druids also have a number of transportation spells that allow speedy movement throughout much of the gaming world. Their combined tracking and foraging skills make them excellent trade-skillers, in terms of finding various components necessary for baking, tailoring, brewing, tailoring and the like.

• Shaman: As a priest class, they have access to healing and many lines of "buff" spells. In Role-playing games a Shaman is a Character class that is generally portrayed as using spirit-based magical abilities that involve healing and enhancing Shaman possess strong damage-over-time spells, and are able to slow an enemy's rate of attack. Shamans, or "Shammies" may cannibalize their health to restore mana and may wear "chain mail" levels of armor. Because of the range of Shaman's spells, they are sometimes considered a "utility" class. Shamans are the only class able to make potions with the Alchemy skill.

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 also deity-tied, making it possible for only those who worship that deity to wear/equip them. Additionally, deities determine, to some extent, where characters may and may not go without being killed on sight.

Zones

The EverQuest universe is divided into "more than 375" . ^[5] 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.

Social dynamics

Powerful enemies such as this named genie, Lord Doljonijiarnimorinar, require players working together as a group.

Generally speaking, gameplay in EverQuest can be divided loosely into: adventuring - questing or gaining experience and loot, trading with other players, social interaction with other players, and tradeskilling - making game items using tradeskills.

Adventuring can be done alone (soloing); by forming or joining a group (grouping) with 1 to 5 other characters; or by forming or joining a raid (raiding) with as many characters as a zone can support. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss

At low levels, all classes have the capacity to solo. At higher levels only certain classes are widely popular for gaining experience by soloing. While some parts of EverQuest can be experienced without the help of other players, much of EQ has been designed to strongly encourage or require grouping. In these cases, a single character within the "design intent" level range for the encounter must often be twinked with equipment or have spell enhancements (buffs) to succeed easily, or at all. Buff is a term used in many MMORPGs to describe an effect (usually cast as a spell) that temporarily enhances a player.

A group (or "party") may form to adventure, trade, or simply socialize. While any combination of classes can form a group, an adventuring group will often consist of a "tank", a "healer", one or more "damage dealers", someone to do "crowd control" and someone to bring the mobs to the group. A mob or MOB is a Non-player character (NPC or monster in a computer game for example a Role-playing video game or MMORPG or The last role is called "pulling", and is a tactic used quite often when it is more effective to place the bulk of the group in a "safe", or at least "controlled", location. While a character of any class may "pull", this role is frequently held by a Monk, Shadow Knight or Paladin. A Ranger or Druid using the tracking ability is sometimes especially effective, particularly outdoors. Other groupings can also be effective. Especially popular is Duoing with healer/tank (or at least healer/melee) tandems.

Most parts of the game can be completed with a single group, but some of the most challenging and rewarding (especially in terms of loot) encounters require players to raid. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss Any number of characters may take part in a raid. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss EQ's "Raid Window" will only allow 72 participants to directly share in raid experience and automatic raid loot rules. The upper limit for a given raid may be imposed by: the maximum number allowed in the "Raid Window", the maximum number of characters allowed in certain instanced zones, the maximum number the raid leaders can manage, or the maximum number that can be present without causing the zone or the players' computers to crash. In MMORPGs an instance dungeon is a special area typically a dungeon, that generates a new copy or instance of the dungeon map for each group that enters the area The design of encounters in expansions have changed resulting in raid tactics that have become more and more involved. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss

While "groups" and "raids" are temporary gatherings of players, "guilds" are associations that last beyond a single play session. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games Guilds are initially formed via an application process to SOE. In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games Guilds may have widely varying goals. In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games Each guild member can communicate with all (and only) other members at once using the GUILD chat channel. In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games A character's guild affiliation appears with the character name when viewed in game. In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games In some instances they are little more than a loose configuration of players who wish to be able to communicate easily. At the other end of the spectrum are Guilds that concentrate on tackling challenging raid dungeons and boss monsters. In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss Such "Raid Guilds" may require members to commit up to five to eight hours per day to the game, up to seven days a week. In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular (or various different Multiplayer games

Gameplay jargon

As shown above (grouping, soloing, raiding, pulling, etc. ), EverQuest has its own jargon.

Abbreviations and acronyms also aid, or at least shorten, communication among players. Examples include SoW ("Spirit of Wolf" -a popular spell which accelerates run or walk speed), KEI (an acronym for "Koadic's Endless Intellect" - another popular spell which accelerates mana regeneration), PoK (Plane of Knowledge - a major "crossroads" zone for travelers), and "rez" (Resurrect - any of several spells or abilities cast on a corpse to summon the player to it, often restoring lost experience points).

EQ also has its own slang. "Crack" or "mind candy" refers to mana regeneration spells such as Clarity or KEI. Another such term, used as a verb or noun, is nerf. In Computer gaming, a nerf is a change to a game that reduces the desirability or effectiveness of a particular game element This may be a reference to Nerf-brand swords being harmless, or to a Nerf-brand bat hurting but doing no damage. NERF (or sometimes Nerf) is a type of toy created for safe indoor play that either shoots or is made of foam-like material NERF (or sometimes Nerf) is a type of toy created for safe indoor play that either shoots or is made of foam-like material Players use the term to refer to a skill, spell, or piece of equipment that had its game-play utility reduced dramatically by game changes, or to the act of making the change. Nerf has also been used to refer to a zone, quest or encounter that has been made easier, or to a piece of gear that has been made easier to get or more common. In Computer gaming, a nerf is a change to a game that reduces the desirability or effectiveness of a particular game element The term was backronymed to mean "New Enhancement Reduces Fun" or "Not Even Remotely Fair" or "Never Ending Reduction of Functionality". A backronym (or bacronym) is a Phrase that is constructed "after the fact" from a previously existing word or Abbreviation, the abbreviation

A number of terms have been popularized by players of EverQuest and passed to other MMORPGs. One is the habit of calling monsters MOBs or mobs and stems from old text-based MUDs' use of the term rather than from the normal English definition (a disorderly crowd). A mob or MOB is a Non-player character (NPC or monster in a computer game for example a Role-playing video game or MMORPG or A mob or MOB is a Non-player character (NPC or monster in a computer game for example a Role-playing video game or MMORPG or Other terms, while coined in EverQuest, have also migrated to other MMORPGs. Two examples Proc and Farm are credited as coming to WoW from EQ. ^[6] Other terms have made their way into EQ from other games, such as the term Zerging from the computer game StarCraft—used when a raid's main strategy is to overwhelm an enemy by sheer force of numbers. StarCraft is a Military science fiction Real-time strategy Video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss

While mostly consistent throughout the entire EQ community, there are also some differences in jargon between servers, and between the Asian, European and American gaming communities. For example, KEI is known on some servers as C3 (it is the third version of Clarity). In-game chat may prove quite impenetrable to anyone who has not played EQ extensively.

Development

From John Smedley's initial concept in 1996, throughout various corporate restructurings, Sony has directly or indirectly been responsible for, and John Smedley has guided, the development of EverQuest. ^[1]

History

The design and concept of EverQuest is heavily indebted to text-based MUDs, in particular DikuMUD, 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 and The Realm Online. DikuMUD is a multiplayer text-based adventure game (a type of MUD) written in 1990 and 1991 by Sebastian Hammer Tom Madsen Katja Nyboe Michael Seifert Meridian 59 is an online Computer role-playing game first published by the now defunct 3DO Company and now run by Near Death Studios. The Realm Online, originally known simply as The Realm, was among the first MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games for 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 DIKU and TorilMUD as the inspiration for the game. John Smedley is a computer Game programmer, now President of Sony Online Entertainment as of 2007 Brad McQuaid is an American Computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest, a highly successful Massively multiplayer online About TorilMUD is one of the oldest and largest free Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs. ^[4]

Development of EverQuest began in 1996 when Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA) executive John Smedley secured funding for a 3D game much like text-based MUDs following the successful launch of Meridian 59 the previous year. 989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA that developed games for the PlayStation consoles and Windows Personal computers 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. Brad McQuaid is an American Computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest, a highly successful Massively multiplayer online 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.

EverQuest launched with modest expectations from Sony on March 16, 1999 under its Verant Interactive brand and quickly became successful. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer By the end of the year, it had surpassed competitor Ultima Online in number of subscriptions. Numbers continued rising rapidly until mid-2001 when growth slowed. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Sony's last reported subscription numbers were given as "more than 430,000 players" on Jan 14, 2004. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with ^[7] SOE released a Mac OS X version of EverQuest in 2003, incorporating all expansions through Planes of Power. Mac OS X (mæk oʊ ɛs tɛn is a line of computer Operating systems developed marketed and sold by Apple Inc, the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently Development of the OS X version has languished since then, but the server remains up and running, supporting a small but enthusiastic user community.

In anticipation of PlayStation's launch Sony Interactive Studios America had 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). The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console 989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA that developed games for the PlayStation consoles and Windows Personal computers 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 (SOE) with Smedley retaining control of the company. Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer

Many of the original EverQuest team, including Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover and Geoffrey Zatkin had left SOE by 2002.

Subscription history

Verant from 1999 to 2001 and SOE from 2001 to January 14, 2004 issued formal statements giving some indications of the number of EQ subscriptions and peak numbers of players online at any given moment. ^[7] However, most of these announcements have been archived and are available only by seeking historical copies through online "internet archives" or other sources.

Accepting both Sony's press releases and the internet archives available today as accurate, these records show a rapid rise in subscriptions to ". . . more than 225,000. . . " on November 1, 1999. Sony announced the achievement of 300,000 subscriptions on October 30, 2000. By October 2, 2001, Sony stated that there were ". . . over 410,000. . . ". On July 29, 2002, Sony announced that there were ". . . over 430,000. . . " and that for the 1st time 100,000 had played simultaneously. In preparation for the Fan Faire of 2003, Sony announced on September 25, 2003, that there were ". . . more than 450,000. . . " subscriptions.

With that single exception, from March 13, 2003 until the final reference on January 14, 2004^[7], Sony releases that contained numbers referred only to more than 430,000 subscriptions, and/or more than 118,000 simultaneous logins. This leaves the peak and current number of subscriptions for EQ to secondary sources.

Expansions

There have been fourteen 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, continents, quests, and equipment; or adding additional game features). Additionally, the game is updated regularly through downloadable patches. The EQ expansions to date:

1. The Ruins of Kunark (March 2000)
2. The Scars of Velious (December 2000)
3. The Shadows of Luclin (December 2001)
4. The Planes of Power (October 2002)
5. The Legacy of Ykesha (February 2003)
6. Lost Dungeons of Norrath (September 2003)
7. Gates of Discord (February 2004)
8. Omens of War (September 2004)
9. Dragons of Norrath (February 2005)
10. Depths of Darkhollow (September 2005)
11. Prophecy of Ro (February 2006)
12. The Serpent's Spine (September 2006)
13. The Buried Sea (February 2007)
14. Secrets of Faydwer (November 2007)

Servers

The game runs multiple servers, each with a unique name for identification; these names were originally the deities of the world of Norrath. EverQuest The Ruins of Kunark ( RoK, Kunark, or simply the Kunark expansion) is the first expansion EverQuest The Scars of Velious ( SoV, Velious, or simply the Velious expansion) is the second expansion EverQuest The Shadows of Luclin (also called SoL, or Luclin) is the third expansion released for EverQuest EverQuest The Planes of Power ( PoP, POP, or Planes of Power) is the fourth expansion to EverQuest The Legacy of Ykesha (also known as LoY or Ykesha) was the fifth expansion for the EverQuest EverQuest Lost Dungeons of Norrath (also known as LDoN) was the sixth Expansion pack for the EverQuest MMORPG EverQuest Gates of Discord ( GoD, GOD, Gates, or simply the Gates expansion) is the EverQuest Omens of War, often abbreviated as OOW or Omens, is the eighth expansion released for EverQuest EverQuest Dragons of Norrath ( DoN) is the ninth Expansion pack released for EverQuest, a Massively multiplayer online EverQuest Depths of Darkhollow ( DoD) is the tenth Expansion pack released for EverQuest, a Massively multiplayer EverQuest Prophecy of Ro ( PoR) is the 11th Expansion pack for EverQuest, a Massively multiplayer online role-playing EverQuest The Serpent's Spine is the 12th expansion to EverQuest, released September 17, 2006. EverQuest The Buried Sea ( TBS) is the 13th Expansion pack released for EverQuest, a Massively multiplayer online EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer is the 14th expansion to the MMORPG EverQuest. In technical terms, each "game server" is actually a cluster of server machines. Each individual machine is fairly powerful. The server machines are regularly upgraded to handle the world as it is expanded.

Once a character is created, it can only be played on that server unless the character is transferred to a new server by the customer service staff.

Each server often has a unique community and people often include the server name when identifying their character outside of the game.

Special Rules Servers

Some EverQuest special servers have or had different rule sets than the "standard" EQ servers:

• Zek - The PvP server. Players can attack each other with fewer restrictions than there are on the standard servers. All PvP servers were merged to populate Zek [need date], which follows the PvP ruleset of the original PvP server.
• Firiona Vie (FV) - The "Roleplaying Preferred" server. FV has a set of rules more friendly to role-playing. Some rules, make it attractive to non-role-players. Some argue this defeats the purpose of having a "Roleplaying Preferred" server.
• Stormhammer - The Legends server. For a higher fee this server provided a greater level of in-game customer service. Many players saw this as a way to charge players more money for a level of service which should have existed without the fee. In December 2005 Sony announced it was closing the Legends server.
• The Sleeper and The Combine - The Progression Servers. Initially these only offered access to the original continents of Norrath: Odus, Antonica, and Faydwer. There are differences, however: Odus includes the Warrens and Antonica includes Jaggedpine Forest, though these zones were added long after the start of the game. The expansion content available is determined by the progress of the players on those servers. The completion of designated tasks; such as defeating specific characters, completing particular quests, crafting of certain items; triggers the addition of later expansions. The Sleeper was eventually merged into The Combine, which is opened up through the Buried Sea expansion as of 14 February 2008^[8].

European Servers

Two servers were set up to better support players in (or simply closer to) Europe: Antonius Bayle and Kane Bayle. Kane Bayle was merged into Antonius Bayle.

Controversies, social issues, and game problems

Sale of in-game objects/real world economics

EverQuest has been the subject of various criticisms. One example involves the sale of in-game objects for real currency (often through eBay). eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and The developers of EQ have always forbidden the practice and in January 2001 asked eBay to stop listing such auctions. For a time, such auctions were immediately removed, which changed market conditions and allowed a number of specialized auction sites to specialize in this new virtual economy.

Because items can be traded within the game and also because of illegal online trading on websites, virtual currency to real currency exchange rates have been calculated. In Finance, the exchange rates (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how The BBC reported that in 2002 work done by Edward Castronova showed that Everquest was the 77th richest country in the world, sandwiched between Russia and Bulgaria and its GDP per capita was higher than that of the People's Republic of China and India. Edward Castronova is Associate Professor of Telecommunications at Indiana University Bloomington as of fall 2004 previously Associate Professor of Economics in the College of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country By 2004, a follow-up analysis showed that the average GDP of each of the two million players was $2,000 (£1,087) which was approximately the same as the GDP of Namibia. Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast ^[9][10]

The East Commonlands tunnel was a commonly used area for trading. The original tunnel shown has since been replaced with a new layout and new graphics due to an extensive zone-wide update.

Companies created characters, leveled them to make them powerful, and then resold the characters or specialized in exchanging money between games. A player could exchange a house in The Sims Online for EverQuest platinum pieces, depending solely on market laws of supply and demand. Supply and demand is an Economic model describing effects on price and quantity in a Market.

Sony officially discourages the payment of real-world money for online goods, except on certain "Station Exchange" servers in EQ2, 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. EverQuest II ( EQ2) based upon the popular EverQuest, is a Fantasy Massively multiplayer online role-playing game ^[11]

Due to the difficulty in learning the role a specific class plays within a group, and of learning the best way to fulfill this role, individuals who purchase high level characters without prior playing experience are stereotypically sub-par to those who have developed characters normally. Referring to a character in EverQuest as an eBay character or to an individual as an "eBayer" are derogatory comments used to suggest both that an individual did not develop his own character and that he does not know how to play it.

The 14-day, no-credit-card-required trial accounts have produced a new set of problems in this area. Since the sellers of in-game items and platinum can create new accounts at will, without cost, the quantity of in-game spam from some sellers has become a widely discussed source of annoyance.

Intellectual property and role-playing

Another well-publicized incident from October 2000, usually referred to as the "Mystere incident", involved Verant banning a player for creating controversial fan fiction, causing outrage among Everquest players and sparking a major industry-wide debate about players' rights and the line between roleplaying and intellectual property infringement. The Mystere incident was an EverQuest controversy revolving around a virtual player named "Mystere" banned from the game by Verant, (EverQuest's developer Fan fiction (alternately referred to as fanfiction, fanfic, FF or fic) is a broadly defined term for Fiction about characters or settings The case was used by several academics in discussing such rights in the digital age^[12].

Fans have created the open source server emulator EQEmu, allowing users to run their own servers with custom rules. Open source is a development methodology which offers practical accessibility to a product's source (goods and knowledge Server emulator is a term that is used to refer to an internet server that mimics the behavior of another server that is usually more well known EQEmulator (or EQEmu) is a GNU GPL Open source Server emulator for the MMORPG EverQuest. Running such an emulator is a violation of EQ's end user license agreement and could result in a player being banned from Sony's EverQuest servers if caught doing so. It has not gained the same popularity as server emulators for Ultima Online. Ultima Online ( UO) is a graphical Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG released on September 25 1997 As of

Addiction

The game is renowned and berated (by some psychologists specializing in computer addiction) for its addictive qualities. Mental health professional A psychologist is a practitioner of Psychology, the systematic investigation of the mind including Behavior, Cognition, Computer addiction is an obsessive Addiction to computer use sometimes known as Dependency Many refer to it half-jokingly as "NeverRest" and "EverCrack" (a reference to crack cocaine). Crack cocaine or crack is a solid smokable form of Cocaine. It is a freebase form of cocaine that can be made using baking soda ( Sodium bicarbonate ^[13] EQ is very time-consuming for many people, and there have been some well-publicized suicides of EverQuest users, such as that of Shawn Woolley. Shawn Woolley ( February 12, 1980 - November 20, 2001) of Wisconsin, was an avid player of the Computer game Relationships broken because of obsessive playing resulted in the creation of an online support group called EverQuest Widows and sites like GamerWidow. com. An infamous rant titled "EQ: What You Really Get From An Online Game" appeared on Slashdot in 2002,^[14] and brought this issue of EverQuest addiction to the forefront of many message boards across the Internet. Slashdot, often abbreviated as /, is a technology-related news Website owned by SourceForge Inc The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks ^[15]

"EverQuest for Macintosh" Forum Issues

For several years, a "Everquest for Macintosh" subscription did not allow the subscriber to create posts on the official Sony "EverQuest for Macintosh" forums. Out-of-game discussions thus took root at another location that became an on-line source of information for technical issues as well as for the various gameplay and sociological aspects that are unique to "EverQuest for Macintosh". ^[16]

Complexity

The complexity and popularity of the game led to the creation of third party information sites, such as Allakhazam where players could gain information to play the game more effectively or more enjoyably. Allakhazam's Magical Realm, part of the Zam Network is a website providing forums a wikibase and lookup services for several online RPGs, including EVE Online

Sociological aspects of MMORPGs

See also: emergent gameplay

MMORPGs are described by some players as "chat rooms with a graphical interface". Emergent gameplay is the creative use of a Videogame in ways unexpected by the Game designer 's original intent A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with The sociological aspects of EverQuest (and other MMORPGs) are explored in a series of online studies on a site known as "the HUB". A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with ^[17] 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 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. GU Comics is a single panel Webcomic written drawn and colored by William "Woody" Hearn ^[18] 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 Brazil

On January 17th of 2008, the Juízo da 17ª Vara Federal da Seção Judiciária do Estado de Minas Gerais forbade the sales of the game in the whole Brazilian territory. The reason was that the game leads the players to a loss of virtuousness and takes them into "heavy" psychological conflicts, because of the game quests, that can be bad or good. ^[19]

Characters in the EverQuest storyline

Kerafyrm - The Sleeper

Sleeper at 14%

Kerafyrm, "The Sleeper", is a dragon boss in the original "The Sleeper's Tomb" zone. A boss is a computer-controlled opponent which is found in Video games Their purpose is to test the skills that the player has accumulated over the course of a game

While sleeping, Kerafyrm is guarded by four ancient dragons (warders) in "The Sleeper's Tomb". When all four dragons are defeated by players and are dead at the same time, The Sleeper awakes, triggering a rampage of death. Kerafyrm travels through and into multiple zones from The Sleeper's Tomb to Skyshrine, killing every player and NPC in his path. This event is unique in EverQuest, because it can only occur once on each game server. A game server is a remotely or locally run server used by Game clients to play multiplayer games. Once The Sleeper awakes, neither he nor the original guardians will ever appear again on that server, unless the event is reset by SOE.

As of 14 April 2008, Kerafyrm remains asleep only on the Al'Kabor (Macintosh) server.

Originally intended to be unkillable, SOE prevented a group from potentially killing him because of a potential bug. Sony Online Entertainment ( SOE) is a Game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating Massively multiplayer SOE later apologized for interfering^[20], and allowed the players to retry the encounter.

"Kerafyrm The Awakened" appears in the expansion Secrets of Faydwer as part of a raid event "Crystallos, Lair of the Awakened" in the instanced zone of "Crystallos. EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer is the 14th expansion to the MMORPG EverQuest. A raid is a type of mission in a Video game, where the objective is to use a very large number of people relative to a normal team size set by the game to defeat a boss "

EverQuest universe

Since Everquest's release, Sony Online Entertainment has added several EverQuest-related games. These include:

• Champions of Norrath (PS2—February 2004)
• its sequel Champions: Return to Arms (PS2, February 2005)
• EverQuest II (PC, MMORPG sequel to EverQuest—November 2004)
• EverQuest Online Adventures (PS2, February 2003)
• Lords of EverQuest (PC real-time strategy, December 2003)
• EverQuest Role-Playing Game (a role-playing game produced in collaboration with White Wolf which uses the d20 system). Champions of Norrath (CoN is an online -capable action role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, set in the EverQuest February 2004 was the second month of 2004 in the Gregorian calendar. Champions Return to Arms is a Action RPG set in the EverQuest universe February 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August EverQuest II ( EQ2) based upon the popular EverQuest, is a Fantasy Massively multiplayer online role-playing game IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. A massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) is a genre of Computer role-playing games (CRPGs in which a large number of players interact with November 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September EverQuest Online Adventures (EQOA is a Fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game ( MMORPG) for the PlayStation 2. February 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Lords of EverQuest ( LOEQ) is a 3D fantasy Real-Time Strategy game released in December 2003. A real-time strategy ( RTS) Video game is a strategic game that is distinctly not turn-based. December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - The EverQuest Role-Playing Game is a Role-playing game based on the EverQuest Fantasy MMORPG. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. The d20 System is a Role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons

A line of novels have been published in the world of Everquest, including:

• Rogue's Hour, by Scott Ciencin (Oct. 2004)
• Ocean of Tears, by Stewart Wieck (Oct. 2005)
• Truth and Steel, by Thomas M. Reid (Sept. 2006)
• The Blood Red Harp, by Elaine Cunningham (Oct. 2006)

Film

Sony Pictures and former Marvel Comics chief creative officer Avi Arad plan to adapt the game to the big screen with potential release in 2009 or 2010. Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc ( SPE) is the television and Film production/distribution unit of Japanese Media conglomerate Sony Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc Avi Arad (אבי ארד is an Israeli American Businessman. He became the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s and Sony has verified that they are uncertain of when the film will be released and that 300 writer Michael Gordon was hired to write the script. PLEASE SEE THE DISCUSSION PAGE BEFORE MAKING A MAJOR EDIT*** The topic of the article is controversial which may be under dispute ^[21]

In other media

• In The Simpsons Game, there is a level called Neverquest where Bart and Marge play in a world similar to EverQuest. The Simpsons Game is a Video game based on the animated Television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation Bartholomew J "Bart" Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons Marjorie "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a Fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons

References

External links

• EverQuest Live (now called EQPlayers): Official EverQuest News
• EQ @ CastersRealm.com: A site with plentiful EverQuest information
• EverQuest @ Allakhazam: A site with plentiful EverQuest information
• Lucy: A portion of the Allakhazam site with detailed EverQuest spell and item information, both "live" and "test"