MMO's Aren't Dead: Everquest

Despite popular opinion that for years has declared the MMO genre dead, I disagree. I want to spotlight some of the stalwart games of the genre, some old, like Everquest, some newer like Final Fantasy XIV and even Lost Ark that demonstrate the genre isn't dead, not by a long shot.
While we may not be seeing triple AAA MMORPGs with as much frequency, that doesn't mean there's necessarily a lack of investment in the genre either. Upcoming MMOs from NCSOFT and Riot show that there's still appetite and that doesn't even begin to cover crowd-funded gems like Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen and Ashes of Creation.
0:00 MMOs aren’t dead
0:32 Everquest History
4:35 Why It’s not dead
14:11 Everquest’s future
15:11 outro
MMO's Aren't Dead: Guild Wars 2 • MMO's Aren't Dead: Gui...
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[@edzkymunoz3837]

I dont know what it is but I always come back to EQ... greatest MMO ever hands down

[@Redbeardflynn]

There's a strong connection that brings us back time and time again.

[@voldem0rt]

Be me, senior high school 2000. Late nights EQ guild runs. I miss those days getting drunk in game and drinking vodka irl at the same time. e

[@Znagol]

It's like flying a plane, you start to care when you figure it out.

[@toonarmy8524]

i concur.

[@Znagol]

@@toonarmy8524 Indubitably.

[@fightingfortruth9806]

7:06. I can't stop watching the dude in the front rocking out with the boombox.

[@IonBlaze1]

Hell yeah Redbeardflynn! I can see this style doing well for ya. Happy for you :)

[@errollleggo447]

My other fave EQ channel!

[@Lisselle.]

Awesome, thanks! It was 1999 and my then boyfriend and I went to EB games to buy a game. He chose Heroes of Might and Magic, I chose EQ... I won. Little did I know that 23 years late I'd still be playing MMOs! (EQ 1999-2004, WoW 2004-now!) Wood Elf Ranger, to Night Elf Hunter, who became a Blood Elf Hunter in 2009, and remains so! EQ was just wonderful.

[@jamesskyway6746]

i started EQ two weeks after launch. I have played many other MMO but EQ is the only one that i still have fond memories. The long journey from Freeport to Lake Ratheteer. I liked being able to do almost anything. Back when "fine steel" was good money. As a higher level, i used to go outside Crushbone to Orc hill and give various Orcs fine steel. The glee of noobies when they found that on a corpse. and i wasnt always nice to noobs :) A few times i would go into Crushbone on my L56 Druid. Invis / Spirit of Eagles. Pop onto top of castle when throne room full. Float to window ledge. Pop off invis. Throne room and everything aggro. Run around long way to zone. Massive train. Zone out / and back in and watch the mayhem. And that reminds me. No other MMO has that. The insane trains that happened in many zones. I forget the zone now, but when "J-boots" were ungodly epic to have. It was luck to even get a chance to get to camp for them. I got in the camp with two friends. We started at like 0600. By 2200 was still 3rd in line. They finally had to camp so that put me next in line. Next spawn that person got them. I was next. By even greater luck. The next spawn they dropped!! Mine at last. Loved EQ2 as well. Loved the role play. My fave race were Trolls. I was there when Grobb was invaded by the Froluk (EQ). Part of my EQ2 story was a seething hatred of Froluk. I even spent weeks killing Frogluks just so i could get the title "Destroyer of Froglok" I think you had to kill like 5000 of them for that.

[@erikboman6569]

Loved this video, love your other content especially EverQuest stuff. Please keep it coming, you’ve rapidly grown to be one of my favorite KZbinrs. Thanks!

[@Redbeardflynn]

Thank you so much! Very kind of you to say! I'm floored to be considered one of anyone's favorite youtubers but I really appreciate that and will do my best to continue to put out content you enjoy.

[@burnedraventales6030]

I dont think mmos are dead yet but I am worried what they will turn into after our generation is no longer around to push for the older style of mmos.

[@bequakynskagroupie3751]

Same

[@vincenthamel3420]

what do you mean.... It's been decade since a "old style" MMO has had any kind of success. and by success I have a very very very low bar with stuff like Vanguard... who still closed in less than a year?... or P99, who have less population than a single new world server ( also a dying game). the future of MMO is a faster paced game that reward skill instead of rewarding camping a mob for 10+ hour. Dynamic encounters with complex mechanic, variable in them who require quick adaptation instead of hiding behind a corner doing CH rotation while jousting AoE for 5 effin expensions in a row. the future have classes with actual interesting abilities instead of having 6 pure DPS class with no relevant difference, while most raid encounter are completely immune to 90% of the arsenal of the one "utility" class.... For the older playerbase, with waning reflexes and trouble adapting to new stuff I understand why you would worry : the only thing you have to do to be "good" in older game is have no life and pour countless hour in it. but in modern games there's a 15 years old kid who will crush you with 1/100 of the time spent... because he's just good at game and young.

[@zarroth]

@@vincenthamel3420 and what MMO rewards this skill you describe? Outside of raiding, none of them do. Skill based games are not MMORPG and probably never will be.

[@vincenthamel3420]

@@zarroth so... PvP is not fast paced and reward skill? nevermind the WoW juggernaut, look at smaller one too like new world. single-group content like M+ / FF new savage dungeon / mutation doesn't fit? Sorry but you'll have to get with the time.... or reroll on Everquest 25th generation of TLP server, again.

[@jansenbrown3435]

I played Everquest from launch, and up to vellious... I had a human warrior that was level 50 and still wearing crasfted amour... thank god i had jboots but omg.. getting the silk sash 24 hours in frenzy. It would be nice to log in and see how my char is and if i can finally find some better armour

[@Redbeardflynn]

I love that after so many years I know all of these items and how important they were. Items that really had their own identity. And the jboots spam was real.

[@GES1985]

"Better" gear is essentially forced down your throat ("defiant" armor). In my opinion.. defiant gear was one of the things that ruined the game.. they should have just been augments.. not gear.. because they made 90% of old content 100%obsolete unless you're *just* a collector or wanting to only use vanilla stuff.

[@mattcarlson6901]

Sell your wares in the EC tunnel ?

[@jansenbrown3435]

@@mattcarlson6901 oh yeah EC tunnel was the stock market of all stock markets... my mate used to make so much pp just buying and selling.. he got caught playing EQ at work.. and got fired.. he only quit when his gf threatened him!!! lol

[@jansenbrown3435]

@@Redbeardflynn jboots was the only thing that saved me.. and OMG corpse runs, and begging clerics and shammies for a rez.. to die at 3am and take 2 hours to corpse loot when your working the next day.. only eq people will know just how much of a desert madman i looked at work the next day

[@jonathanhughes8679]

Rift was great. The release time right before SWG and when people decide it was a bust they went to cataclysm hoping to get that tbc or WoTLK revival. Could have been MOP but I can’t remember

[@terr281]

Months late to this video, but thank you for the update on what was my first MMO. Played from Vanilla... through DoN (by the wiki for the game, expansion 9). But, most of my play was in Vanilla, Kunark, Luclin, & PoP... with limited LDoN. My departure from the game had two reasons. The first, alluded to by you, was the "waiting" game combined with my graduation from college and beginning of work. (I no longer had the time to play.) The second was much more important, though. This... was other games, friends moving on. (DAoC, SWG, Matrix Online, ... but the big one was World of Warcraft.) Began there in Vanilla, and spouse & I continue to play it every couple of expansions, at least until recently where we have begun playing FF14. I have very fond memories of many hours grouping, ... solo'ing, and raiding. But... the hours is the problem. I would definitely return to the world if time was infinitely available, if I could spend considerable time reaching max level, high numbers of AAs, etc, to raid again. It simply isn't the case, though. I'm glad to know some people keep the game alive, so it may still be there in 10-20 years when time is available. A return to simple fight mechanics and skills would be a blessing. Especially in a game designed to be PVE FIRST.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Thank you so much for watching and for sharing your story! Time is definitely a huge issue for people returning to Everquest. I managed to make it work for a few years while I was in my Master's largely because I almost always had a group being in an active guild with raiding being more accessible with Agents of Change but it was still a big timesink. Probably 8-16 hours per week which is a ton.

[@danmolina2724]

Nice video - I'm 52 and still go back to EQ a couple times a year at least - just good stuff for me anyways 8)

[@kristhebard]

Please keep with the EQ/EQ2 content! Love hearing the love letters from a superfan about their passions, you hit a similar excitedness that I feel a lot when playing myself

[@Redbeardflynn]

Absolutely! Everquest is my most played MMO by far and I have plans for a great deal more EQ content. EQ2 I played for several years and there's a part of me wanting to jump back into the TLE at some point. The Kunark expansion in EQ2 was amazing.

[@hizzlemobizzle]

@@Redbeardflynn I will never forget what it was like to first play EQ in beta. It was beyond amazing.

[@ruehs99]

Love this video. I recently went back to EQ2 and am having a blast. You should do a video on the SWG Emu servers.

[@bullitthead7853]

Agreed, I just started playing on the SWGemu Finalizer server recently and it is fantastic. Never thought I'd be playing SWG pre NGE/CU again but here I am haha. I played the original game from release until the NGE and was one village cycle away from unlocking Jedi when the NGE happened. Damn that pissed me off, I'm still not over it!

[@moofree]

I played EQ for like a month back in 2001 or so, and came back to it a couple years ago on Project 1999. It's been a lot of fun. I tried the Mischief TLP server too but i was turned off by Nektulos and Innothule zones being the revamped zones despite being a TLP ostensibly emulating the classic era.

[@speddspretten]

whats the song at like 7.5ish minutes?

[@Complication84]

LOL the New World swimming comment. When I first started playing New World I had just done a big harvesting run and was weighted down pretty significantly. I was walking back to town and cut through a small lake to save time thinking I would just slowly swim across. But I sank to the bottom and walked on the floor of the lake, and ended up drowning. I was shocked. I thought "HOLY SHIT, do they have a weight system in the water too?! If I'm encumbered will I sink like a stone like in the real world?!" Then I went back to the water after I banked everything to find out. Nope! They just didn't bother coding swimming at all. It was such a massive let down. One of the many let downs to come from that game.

[@Redbeardflynn]

New World remains this anomaly of a game where some things are great (lighting and sound design for example) and some things just left you questioning if what you were seeing was real. Even the recent music system, it's really cool...and then you go hop in your nearest body of water to complete a fishing quest and it's pirates of the Caribbean.

[@Complication84]

@@Redbeardflynn Yeah, the sound design for New World was some of the best I've ever seen in any MMO. The echo of musket shots off canyon walls, the falling trees in the distance of somebody cutting them down. Really incredible. Then get perma staggered by a group of mobs and die, or drown walking through a puddle.

[@chewiegaming5134]

As far as other MMO's, I'd say another great one is yet another game brought to us by John Smedley; Planetside 2 also has the distinction for the World Record for Most Players Online in a single FPS battle.

[@TheDevian]

The only other MMO I enjoyed, other than EQ, was City of Heroes/Villains. That was where I went in 2004, and stayed until it was closed down. While that game is dead, there are some others trying to bring back the joy from it.

[@rong4733]

I have tried going back multiple times. The UI being completely screwed with a 4k monitor makes it impossible. Changing my monitor's resolution so I can actually read the hotbars screwed up my computer when I'm not playing the game. How hard would it be for the devs to make things bigger than a gnats nutsack when people have high-res monitors?

[@Redbeardflynn]

Hopefully this will happen in 2023. I've highlighted the UI as one of their biggest issues for a while now.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

I am a raider and soloer. This makes for a struggling main tank, but a excellent raid saving utility class. would love a video talking about your time management between acitvities.

[@shawnlajambe4206]

Having played mostly on and sometimes off since 1999, and still playing today (2023), I think it's something akin to a second home for me in the online world. It's always there and always ready for my return. I've tried many mmorpg's, and it doesn't take long to realize that they are geared to be easy, and easy, isn't entertaining. It maintains its challenges however debatable that may be now, but also, always has a secret sense of nostalgia, that is inescapable for those who know. This is a game where you can check in at anytime, chat to your guild mates and online friends, and jump out for real life, while still knowing that your return is awaited and welcome. I feel few games these days offer that sense of community, and it's this kind of community that keeps my return imminent.

[@aspektx]

I really loved EQ2. I tried EQ but couldn't get into it. I also adored Vanguard. I still have the deluxe box that was released. It had the single best Bard class I have ever played. And their diplomacy system using card battles and collection made npc interactions engaging. I'll leave the Smedley debacle known as SWG alone.

[@pattersons2474]

have you checked out the Vanguard EMU? Small community still (just over 100 a couple weeks ago), but they are actively working on the rebuild.

[@sandpiper9288]

Blasphemy

[@tflynnmn]

I had some of my best MMO game playing with EQ. I played some UO before, but EQ was just the best. This brought back many memories, thanks.

[@nataranja3030]

Is it a bad time for me to join a tlp server or should I wait until the next one comes online? I played planes of power but left in gates of discord

[@Redbeardflynn]

It's still fairly early in the lifespan of Yelinak and Vaniki, the two newest servers which launched in May. Vaniki is a very different server, but Yelinak I think isn't quite to Velious yet.

[@nataranja3030]

@@Redbeardflynn ah, thanks for that info. When these tlp servers catch up to the “main” servers, do they merge or stay separate?

[@Redbeardflynn]

@@nataranja3030 They will eventually merge if the population drops. I think my former server, Phinigel, merged within a year of catching up to live but it takes years. I recommend taking a look at the calendar put together by Zam over here: everquest.allakhazam.com/wiki/EQ:Progression_Servers_Yelinak It'll show you what expansion the servers are currently on, the rulesets, and when new expansions launch.

[@nataranja3030]

@@Redbeardflynn cool thank you 🙏

[@Vaclav]

@@Redbeardflynn We're currently at the halfway point (roughly) in Kunark (believe technically week 3 as of today)

[@jonathanhughes8679]

Rift had great classes with souls that had tree’s and roots.

[@johnathanthemachinist9747]

not really class 100% does not matter… anyone can do anything it was fun but… i found a real lack of everything

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

Would love to see a video about your impressions on why past game mechanics fell out of use. -> How past features could be expanded -> and some sentiments that might need to be addressed. Basically constructive mood rather than suggesting its dead and gone forever because-bad. Fellowships specifically i hope to encourage to be woven into any tribute development. My first attempt to learn about the camp fires was overwelming so i only use the base version. However that base version allows my alts and my brother to adventure together in ways we just would give up and go play a different game. Not to mention it aids in questing by teleporting. Shouds i couldnt make sense of until finally i tried it on a low level alt. Surprise surprise its a really cool game feature... but not adjusted for higher lvls. The in game info is nearly useless at high levels yet its free game coding just sitting there waiting for devs to re-release.

[@Redbeardflynn]

This is an excellent idea. There are so many throughout the various expansions that eventually get abandoned. Even popular features like Heroic Adventures for example.

[@vincenthamel3420]

@@Redbeardflynn shroud are a abandonned project, basically. campfire are a bandaid for having trouble moving your 6 character at once. heroic adventure are instances. it a baseline feature of every dungeon ( and their raid version) since 2004.

[@Lokipower]

Did you ever play Ultima Online:Outlands?

[@Redbeardflynn]

Not yet, but I plan to in the coming months and do a first impressions on it.

[@michaelb5299]

I played EQ from 1999 until 2005ish when my guild disbanded and all quit. Since, I've played I think every MMO out there, but always hold everything to EQ standards. I still log on to EQ for nostalgia every now and then, and there are still a few people I know who have played straight through from 99-present without ever quitting.

[@justindadswell8610]

Fun stuff, won my COF with a roll of 989. To this day still wonder if that was planned. GM was on site for this Naggy raid. 989 being the roll out of 1000 made me wonder (my roll being 989, and I was the raid planner), pre- plane of air. And better haste items. I also was the raid leader. So interesting roll. Old school raids, put a bard and cleric in each group (if you have them, then shamans and druids after - if you have them). And then send them in waves. Dial up didn't handle raids so well, so one group at a time was about the only way. Figure should explain more. You see in dial up days, on a raid - if you sent everyone they all would lose connection. Back then, we would send on group of 6 at a time, to keep them from losing connection. As dial up was a B. You would literally lag out if more than 6 went (and even sometimes then). Also this was a pick up raid, where you advertise to the server and hope people show up. Back then Naggy was on a 7 day respawn timer (may still be today, just saying what I know). Found out that Hoss had killed Naggy (the guild hoss, why I hate project 1999 - Europa exists - but not hoss. Hoss created the guild rot for Plane of time, and Plane of Hate - Europa, my favorite guild that exists today Thundercats /\/\30W - and if you do not get that, FML old school players no longer exist), so made a pick up raid to do the next one. Then somehow we won, and somehow I rolled 989. And a GM was present. Basically the story. Side note, back then people were not D heads. There was a COF and a Treasure bag on Naggy. And 63 other people that could have taken that before I put it up for a roll. We use to loot others corpses (your body, after you died - Like WoW, but no rez - simply you die and trust friends to take all your stuff/gear and return it to you after you give them permission - How does one explain this? You die, they take your stuff. You hope they give it back?) and hope the person who looted gave you your stuff back (not once was I screwed - why EQ is still lore, we were good people. Yes, you would take the items of another and return them - Imagine dying in a game today and asking another to take your stuff and return it - that was EQ). Rez as we see it today didn't exist, anyone else remember begging a necro to rez you with a coffin? Last note, is this David or Knight? Llain being a last quess. You sound like my old friends. (If you are David, dude sup - and yes, long stretch here, just hoping - think he is still active after 20+ years - sue me if you wouldn't take the same shot in the dark to reconnect with an old friend) My once employee was Vinere. He was one of my favorite players early game(met years after playing EQ), so not so far fetched to expect to see an old friend.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Ok that 989 roll is fantastic.

[@Mclearmountain]

Nice video. You might have convinced me to sub to Daybreak for the Yelinak TLP server. I got to Level 35 in P99 and loved it. However, I have had my eyes on EVE Online and might give that game a try first instead. In fact, I would love to see you do a video on Eve. Cheers!

[@voir-dire]

I don't think EQ will ever truly die. P99 has been stable in population for years and even they get brand new players to the game.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

Thanks! The best info breakdown of EverQuest ever.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Incredibly generous of you and such a nice comment! Thank you so much! I tried to be fair in my assessment.

[@fyr7343]

I started playing LOTRO not so long ago, playing a lvl75 red line burglar and honestly I really enjoy the game. It returned me back into the times when I was just a little kid, enjoying a new MMORPG, waking up early in the morning just to level up and explore the games world more. Wish I tried the game out earlier but it gave me hope that the genre is still alive, I still see people playing it and there are still updates and expansions coming out for it. At some point I'm planning to try out Everquest, the game interests me a lot. But for now, I'm enjoying the Middle Earth :)

[@mariovillella7154]

i like your take here, very refreshing most definitely earned my sub!

[@Redbeardflynn]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed and welcome!

[@pugpug1953]

I am waiting for another Progression server for EQ. I have played it and like you I have gone back to it many times. I have also noticed (this is MY Observation) that a lot of the successful MMO's are TAB Target. EQ, WOW, FF14. Those are the ones that have longevity. Was wondering what happened to DAOC? I played that game because it was the BEST PVP at its time. Fun Times .

[@BerraLJ]

Biggest issue for me with EQ these days is the UI i love takes some finagling to get somewhat right each patch, with so many accounts it is a tedium even when using the copy layout. Game is still great and i have so many fond memories from it. Anarchy online is another game that been around since 2001, bit on life support today but still has an active community, and it is still a special one of a kind game i would say. Vanguard sadly closed i loved that game, the crafting and the diplomacy was something else.

[@Redbeardflynn]

The UI is a big reason why I struggle to recommend it to people who've never played. Both EQ and UO suffer from a UI that *can* be fixed but needs fixing. Hopefully the revamp for 2023 changes that for EQ!

[@BerraLJ]

@@Redbeardflynn Yeah hope so, i love the Aya UI or the updates to it, shows a lot of info almost to a point it is to much, but can see % readout of xp/aa xp and such

[@lordcorgi6481]

I still play Everquest. I really enjoy the TLP servers they have, and the new content is more of the stuff that the players love. Really my only complaint about Everquest is they need to make Heroic Characters level 100.

[@alstud1]

Keep these vids coming. You are a very good narrator. I dare say, as charismatic as my DM from 30 years ago😃

[@ekurisona663]

any word on the new ui?

[@Redbeardflynn]

Still waiting on an update. Hoping we get a roadmap in early 2023. I'll cover it if we do.

[@denisemasters1933]

Everquest 2 - still there, still playing The UI was the thing that got me hooked -- a lot easier -- UI update ? Wow

[@duanecantwell8730]

I loved EQ back in the day. It was and is the most immersive of any moo have ever played. My sole complaint is the graphics are simply too outdated. I would be back in a heart beat if it was remastered.

[@Redbeardflynn]

A remastered client might breathe some new life into the game. We can hope that this might be something they consider. Perhaps if the lotro remaster does well eg7 might consider it for eq

[@sinestra81]

Dark Age of Camelot, hands down one of my most favorite games and there is still an active community out there. I like it for the same reasons you like EQ is that it is slowed down combat that you have to think and react, even in RvR.

[@Wolf462]

Whoa nuts. This game is still around? I played EQ for years when I came out. Damn I barely remember that game now tho. I started as a monk on a PvP server and it was brutal. I switched to an Iksar Shaman when that expansion came out and played that guy til endgame. I remember basically being used for slows & debuffs on the tanks main target and the stacking several HoT’s then standing around endlessly cannabalizing my HP for mana. But it was cool cuz I never ran out of mana being an Iksar Shaman I was the most efficient caster. Other casters had to constantly beg Enchanters for their clarity buff and sit on their ass if I recall correctly. Oh and SoW! Omfg I forgot about that speed buff. Shiiiiiiit that was probably one of the main reasons I picked that class. I remember solo kiting giants in one area and I’d always end up fighting either a Druid or a bard. Was always a wild kite fest. People would train you on purpose lmao Thanks for the memories. Not sure why this popped on my feed. Is this game gonna make a comeback?

[@Redbeardflynn]

I wouldn't say a "comeback" is in the cards for EQ unless it gets serious investment which at the time looks to be geared toward LOTRO instead based on investor documents from EG7 but it'll keep chugging along. Love that you still have memories like that!

[@Wolf462]

@@Redbeardflynn Yea bro that game was crazy fun back then. The world was a different place. There weren’t any cell phones really. No social media etc so the social aspect and working together was so cool. Another thing, no coms! There wasn’t discord, or teamspeak, or ventrilo yet so it was all really bad short hand typing during the middle of fight if you were trying to coordinate strategies. I laugh now at the memory of all the caster constantly typing oom (out of mana) in chat jahahahh. I would totally dive back in except 2 problems. 1) time. Or lack thereof. 2) my built PC is at this point, old as dirt. But maybe someday I’ll get to relive the glory days LOL Have a good one man and thanks for covering EQ. Like I said, I didn’t even know this was still a thing. Glad y’all keeping her on life support🤘🏻

[@TheQxx]

EverQuest is incredible and I'll shout it from the rooftops for the rest of my life.

[@DontMindMeImAnIdiot]

I miss Asheron's Call. It had the best character customization out of any mmo ever made. It also had the most ruthless pvp servers where you could take players loot if you killed them. Also there was no restriction on who you could kill.

[@shawnwalden2669]

5 accounts and all the expansions... still enjoy eq, would love to get back into raiding

[@O.M.JaYY3]

Man THANK YOU for making videos like this!!!

[@Redbeardflynn]

Of course! Thank you for watching!

[@O.M.JaYY3]

@@Redbeardflynn you got it!

[@XSXGhostXSX]

I just recently went back to EQ after playing FFXIV, WoW, Wildstar, Guild wars, Guild Wars 2, New World, Eve Online, Elder Scrolls, Starwars Galaxies, Everquest 2, yeah I’ve….gone around. But, in the end, the appeal of an old game of like Everquest even on progression servers. The game is fun and shows how much the genre has come along. People sit and judge it based off the graphics and it’s history but won’t dare touch it, but from the minute you click “play” to “enter world”, I assure you, you will find what all of us MMO players are looking for. Even at low levels despite the barren feel, you’ll find yourself wanting to bang out that next level.

[@SlackerTWolf]

Final Fantasy 11 is still around kicking and might be worth a look into

[@DantesTyphoon]

I really enjoy Conan Unchained (Previously Age of Conan) and I still log in to see groups and raids forming constantly. Unfortunately there is no new content on the way to my knowledge so it is on its way out but while it may not be an MMO you will want to sink years into it is still very deserving of your time to experience it. Especially for the first 20 levels which are amazing and the raids which are very unique and fun. Just a thought.

[@shanecallaghan1284]

I also was on phini and ragefire during that same time. Was great to come back to the game and do everything i wished I could have done when I was a kid. Did everything first and was the best which was my best EQ days with Darkwind Gaming. I even came back for randomized loot server Mischief which was really fun with 3 computers 😂

[@Redbeardflynn]

I wish I would have had time to just try raiding on mischief! I bet it was amazing

[@KT-xp1ze]

I play WoW, got into hardcore raiding. its fun but that fun doesnt last. Its a rush to kill the new thing, then its seeing how long you can afk before being kicked from the world. I find myself always coming back to EQ to get that accomplishment feeling

[@Tamalain]

I recall one night back in 2000, the GM's announced that 500,000 were online at once. Party night.

[@martinalther6661]

I really want to give Everquest a fair play, but I have some reservations:: 1. Between having a career, a wife, non-gaming hobbies, and not-to-mention a number of other games I like to play, I’d probably only be able to devote maybe a few hours per week to the game. 2. Related to #1: Given that there are three different ways to play it, there’s the question of which one is right for me (if any). Like: could I play the game for a few hours a week, put it down after a couple months, come back to it a few months later, etc?

[@Redbeardflynn]

I think it depends on if you're willing to play solo or if you really need groups. Progression servers are pretty great if you can keep up with the leveling curve because they're active, especially around expansion launches every few weeks/months. P99 is hard-capped and I know a few different groups that are currently running through it. It takes much longer to level than the other two options. Live is probably the most casual friendly if you are willing to at times solo. Live everquest has access to mercenaries which will allow you to do a lot by yourself. I tried to cover the three types in more detail here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHPEg6eEf5p5oMk I hope you can find a version of the game you enjoy! If you want to wait for new progression servers they tend to launch each year at the end of Spring beginning of Summer. Happy to help if you have any other questions! Thank you for watching.

[@boythatis1]

Would love to see you do SWTOR sometime

[@Redbeardflynn]

Don't you worry. It's on the list! I played quite a bit of SWTOR.

[@jimjones9631]

It's exciting. I never got into EQ1 with in its heyday but it's nice to have that old school MMO trucking alone. I've been happy adventuring in EQ1. I certainly do miss FF11 but man the mood in EQ is much less doom and gloom than FF11

[@shiny6hero995]

I am still sour that eqoa was shut down and not given a new expansion or the next game smh I could go into that game and spend hours and chat with people it was and still is my favorite game I can free roam now but I just didn’t understand why they wouldn’t try some different marketing or pricing smh

[@ferakpsi]

Redbeardflynn makes a video, I like it. Proceed to nod my head in agreement. Are you my red-headed doppelganger?!

[@classified5790]

Pearl Jam - Something from the 90's that some folks think is dead, but has been putting out music all these years. :) They are my EQ of music.

[@TechGamer64960]

do you still play the game?

[@Redbeardflynn]

I do! Currently play on Thornblade a bit, waiting for the next batch of progression servers.

[@udaaz]

MMOs will never die I believe that. I played eq2 for 12 years and took a five year break but I’m about to just buy a max lvl char and do some tourism

[@markdavenportjr5129]

I'm enjoying my nice break from mmo's eventually I will get back into it. :)

[@Redbeardflynn]

It's good to take a break! There's so many excellent single-player games out there as well...and other hobbies!

[@markdavenportjr5129]

@@Redbeardflynn Yep yep Marvel's Spider Man that's coming out to Steam this coming Friday I'm REALLY looking forward to that one. Since I have never played it when it launched on the PS4. :)

[@Nevir202]

Damn you! If I go back to triple boxing EQ AGAIN, it will be ALL YOUR FAULT!

[@Redbeardflynn]

Haha! Sorry not sorry?

[@Keithers_]

Great video, ty!

[@Redbeardflynn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AntiCommunistMarine]

As a lover of EQ and 2 I also love galaxies. But EQ will always be what me and my dad still play

[@thunderleg6605]

Just finished up a recurring stint in ESO after getting around to doing all the dungeons on Vet, both DPS and healing with some HM tossed in. My wife loves the housing in ESO. I am currently playing a Beorning in LotRO and I do see other players running around and talking in world chat. Since WoW Appears to be ditching the stacking of systems as high as they can go, I will give the new class a whirl. EQ is just too old for me to go back to. (And ya, LotRO is like playing fetch with a tortoise...) MMO's are alive and will continue to draw breath. My eye is firmly fixed on the IMMINENT, err, the not-so-imminent approach of Pantheon in a playable alpha state.

[@Redbeardflynn]

One I will be covering again later this year is Throne and Liberty. It's looking more and more like a PvE focused Black Desert Online and will probably be the last triple A MMO we get for some time. If it does well and we get Alpha 2 for Ashes of Creation and some positive Pre-Alpha testing from Pantheon over the next few months there will be a lot to look forward to!

[@tommyv5866]

*only thing keeping EQ 1 alive , is the fact it's free to play & nostalgia* ..if the brand wasn't apart of video game history. They probably would had pulled the plug on it by now.

[@Redbeardflynn]

The subscription numbers to free to play players tell a bit of a different story with players of the game overwhelmingly being subscribed, not free to play, but I agree about the nostalgia. One other key factor, though, is the gameplay. It still has it's niche as a social mmo where grouping/raiding is the key to content. Other games have single-player narratives or pvp, different features that draw attention away from pve oriented grouping.

[@kalebclemons]

i still raid live 3 times a week. love my guild family. never played another game like EQ. never been drawn to any other mmo at all. only ever played one character in 23+ years of EQ career. much love to ur channel bro !!

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

Landmark needed copy paste functionality up front not as something that you unlock at high level. I think that did a lot to kill its popularity by removing obviously critical tools for truly creative exercises. The point shouldn't be mindless upsetting grinds but addictive acts of creation

[@Redbeardflynn]

Very good point, I had forgotten about that. I'm a horrific builder so my creations were always more monstrosities than anything else but I remember thoroughly enjoying digging as deep into the ground as I could. So deep the voxels respawned behind me.

[@mikekgasda]

I wish daybreak would release a TLP that goes slower. I know early xpacs have less to do but still 8 weeks is tight

[@Redbeardflynn]

It's been a while since Ragefire, the last slow TLP. The complaints back then were that it was too slow but it was complicated because it was much slower + you had to vote to advance which then triggered another time unlock if the vote passed or refractory period when you waited for the new vote.

[@planexshifter]

Guild Wars is still out there and AWESOME.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Guild Wars 1 or 2? I had planned on doing a video on 2 because I invested a lot more time in that one than 1.

[@planexshifter]

@@Redbeardflynn 1- 1 is still out there

[@planexshifter]

1 was WAY superior to 2.

[@kheldaregaming339]

Love the video!! not from 1999... but still relevent to me :) the NINJA TURTLES !!!

[@Redbeardflynn]

Haha! Definitely still relevant. Thank you for the kind words.

[@rammur]

i just came back to eq after a 15 year break annnndddd holy hell i need a new progression server so can start from scratch too haha

[@Redbeardflynn]

You probably don't have to wait *too* long, they open yearly like clockwork in the first half of the year. That said, Yelinak is still pretty new if you want a newer experience. I believe they're in Velious.

[@markfalkingham590]

I regret buying a Macintosh every time I see one of your videos I’m so pissed off that I can’t play EverQuest I’m just fucked up about it but through your videos I can relive at least some of it.

[@veeshan222]

TBH for a game to survive this day and age (for new releases) is that it needs to be either difficult or Social or just insane development speed Difficult allows devs more time to add content as people consume it (to day gamers are content locuses and quickly get bored when they run out of thing to do atleast for PvE games PvP people make up there content alot of the time Social gives a game more sticking power as u explain in this video that once u know people in a game it very hard to leave. New world had none of these which is one reason it failed so fast (Along with many bugs didnt help it)

[@Redbeardflynn]

Well said

[@adamnunya3924]

i still pick up eq from time to time. that being said i think you're gonna have a hard time proving your point to me, ill edit if my mind has been changed by the end *edit* i agree with you about EQ. But i thought your main point of arguing MMO's are dead was referring how they cant make any good MMO's that people stick with. they for the most part all seem like trash, at least to me. New World was close and i liked alotta things about it, so maybe if they polish that design it could get good. but i think the reason MMO's are mostly "dead" meaning they dont last/ all the same, is cause they've gotten away from EQ's design of being more social and letting players govern the game. Anyway great vid, progression servers are great and i go back to new ones when they open up while the noobie player base is booming.

[@Yenkin]

I'd actually play EQ again if they updated the awful models/animations.

[@scarbunker]

I loved the video as my wife played EverQuest for years. But comparing New Worlds max concurrent players versus EQ’s MAUs are not comparable. NW likely has 250k MAUs based on industry calculations. New World lost 3/4 of it MAUs because that 900k was when everyone logged in at one time at launch lol.

[@jamesquinn8558]

THATS my problem. I have no desire to be social. I want bigger worlds than RPG’s offer but am not looking for friends to socialize with. I’m not hostile towards others I just am soooooo not a team player.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Completely fair! In this series I'm going to cover some other games like FFXIV, GW2, and ESO which are much more suited to that playstyle.

[@Stetsonhatman]

I'm playing P99 as I type this. Where does/did Brad McQuaid's Patheon fit in the list? This was the only game that I helped crowd fund but I became disenfranchised with it quickly. I got in on early alpha and did not believe that they had the resources to complete the game then he up and died. Forgive my speaking poorly of the deceased but Brad did log on make a bit of arse of himself but I guess that is no surprise to anyone. Look how much money WoW has made? I wonder why a reboot of EQ with modern graphics has not been done?

[@judgeparker2767]

I have forced 4 boxes on the new TLP due lack of groups at low ok levels. I'm not going to wait around hours LFG.

[@Redbeardflynn]

The herd movement of leveling in EQ in it's current life-span is a major problem. A wasteland on live, and an eventual wasteland on progression servers if you can't keep up or miss the timing.

[@jonathanhughes8679]

Played Evercrack from day one..

[@errollleggo447]

I was about 2 months behind.

[@turinhorse]

Abercrombie & Fitch are VERY relevant to me today! On Ebay. I can finally afford it ;)

[@douglaswilliams6834]

People have been declaring EQ dead for at least 15 years now, and yet it just keeps chugging along.

[@Redbeardflynn]

^^^^ this

[@redscrypto6151]

There are some new greats coming I feel. I think BigTime will be one of those.

[@Redbeardflynn]

I don't think I've ever heard of BigTime, I'll have to look it up! I'm definitely excited about Pantheon and Ashes, looking with interest at Fractured and keeping my hopes in check for Throne and Liberty.

[@Ralizer]

Rift was great at release, the first big content patch that added the second raid tier is was ruined it for me

[@Saiku]

honeymoon phase ended and the true mediocrity of the game settled in.

[@vaporfreedom]

DAOC is alive and kicking in the Eden player server/super fun!!!

[@tymemclight2756]

Same love the game

[@gnobainos]

Worst shit they did was make eq2. Killed so many servers guilds in eq. Then eq2 was a fail.

[@blahlbinoa]

The rumors of money going towards "in-house" projects sounds interesting. Hopefully they make a new Everquest, hell make an EQ CRPG like Baldur's Gate/Pathfinder! It doesn't need to be a new MMO, just make a new game that expands the lore!

[@StageCoachMedia3656]

Daybreak needs to inject some new life into EQ ... UI updates, better graphics, content for EVERYONE, just not people who RAID RAID and RAID and RAID and ya RAID.

[@Vaclav]

To some degree it is up to the player as well though, like my wife was starting to fall into a routine with the grouping/raiding side of things and started finding it being a "doldrums" thing - but recently has come into the discovery of the entire "farming/marketing" side of things after all these years (and yes, we were March 1999 folks - at least for my copy, can't recall when we got her a separate account for 100% sure though). And of course socializing with NEW PEOPLE is a huge part too, while I do appreciate my old friends (like this Redbeardflynn fellow, even though I knew him by other names usually - since he and I both had a habit of name changing (Vaclav - Demetri - Aszuth -- among others for myself [think those three cover all the names I stuck with for over a year though] every time we bumped into each other again across the epochs of EQ we've shared) - not increasing your size of social pool in any type of game will inherently fall to attrition over the years. And for every "lifelong" friend you meet from things like EQ socially, there's another dozen that are long-term acquaintances, and probably a hundred that are soon just distant memories. (For those from Phinigel - I could use a scale of a "Certain Necro (or a Mage, who unfortunately has passed on since)" (among others) for the lifelong nadir while there are countless forgotten others at the other nadir - with a reasonable number of the interim, including immediately most of the Druids falling into that sphere) Ultimately it's a pallet for finding what you want out of it which does include some personal responsibility to use it as a tool best to achieve your needs. Now this might sound like I'm disagreeing with you, I absolutely do not, I just want to make sure that folks aren't ignoring the ability to explore new avenues that might renew interest.. More content IS great and a huge thing, especially for those like myself with few crannies unexplored - but most people even 20+ years down the road, still have avenues left unexplored.

[@Redbeardflynn]

I'm not holding my breath for the 29th expansion, but I'm hoping for the 30th they may consider another expansion like Serpent's Spine. It's been far too long since there was a lvl 1 to Max expansion that would cater to more than just raiding and high end grouping. At least we should get a long-overdue new UI in 2023 per the roadmap.

[@StageCoachMedia3656]

@@Vaclav great post, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with disagreeing ever. Especially when articulated so well, as you did!

[@gnobudygnows]

I think they would need a whole other client to update the graphics and it's hard to create content for new players when most of the community is people boxing.. I been playing live for 3 weeks now and havnt grouped with anyone and spoken 3 times with random people 😅 much different than my experience on p99

[@Saiku]

Or just... you know.. make a new game. You can only update such an old engine for so long. There are a LOT of things you just cannot do with EQ no matter how much effort and spaghetti code you shove into it to try to make it work. It hits a point where its such a convoluted pain in the ass you have to make a new game. UI is one of those things thats notoriously finnicky for old games.

[@Ethan7s]

Shit, am I going to have to play on the next progression server? Will I let it ruin my life one more time?

[@Nozfirato]

New world and swimming, that part made me bust out laughin and continue my journey thru Norrath

[@koryk5740]

Well done sir.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Thank you!

[@Chris-zg7ty]

I think when people say "MMO's are dead" they are referring to where modern MMOs are currently and what is coming in the future. Modern MMOs don't really reflect the vast sense of possibility, wonder and community that MMOs once did. I know many including myself wondered often where the MMO genre may go in the future considering how expansive and amazing games like EQ were. Sadly, the MMO genre didn't really broaden out the possibilities but rather have become narrow, short-sighted, corporate greed driven cash grabs. So when someone says the MMO genre is "dead" I think that's what they mean. The fact that your MMO "proof of life" is highlighting an MMO dinosaur (albeit great) is only further proof that the genre is dead. If it wasn't dead people would have naturally migrated from EQ to the next "EQ" but sadly there is no modern day equivalent to EQ and I doubt there ever will be thanks to F2P and other modern day garbage.

[@Redbeardflynn]

A very wise and fair comment. In this series I plan to highlight some newer games as well, but there is I think a certain type of MMO that could be considered in stasis and that's kind of what Everquest represents. That social friction driven MMO. That said, both Monsters and Memories (very early stages) and Pantheon (still a ways off) are social-friction driven mmo's under development.

[@Chris-zg7ty]

​@@Redbeardflynn I have never heard the term "social friction" before but I guess that sort of makes sense. EQ created a sort of paradox that other MMOs (and even EQ to some extent) had to either embrace or "fix". As one example think about EQ "trains". Something maybe they didn't fully comprehend during design. At the time it was the bane of people's existence and MMOs since have implemented mob "leashing" as a way to "fix" this problem but by doing so MMOs have become ever more homogenous and predictable. At the time trains were a nuisance but players found a way to "fix" the problem of trains by communicating in game to warn other players (the infamous KC train shout message: train left side!) or in the case of deliberate trains players would get bad reputations and get blackballed from all reputable guilds. Reputation on a server mattered. At the time I never would have thought trains were good but they indirectly contributed to the EQ sense of community and that is mostly lost in modern MMOs. EQ let players figure it out to a large degree. It wasn't a perfect solution but it was far more interesting because the players, their actions and their reputations became part of the game itself. I pledged to Pantheon back during the Kickstarter but I have mostly given up that it will ever release or release in a good state. It's just been too long with too little progress for me to have any hope (especially with Brad gone). I have some hope about Ashes of Creation but that's about it. Never heard of Monsters and Memories..will have to look into that.

[@EsrohNchainS]

Dark ages of Camelot and asherons call!!!!

[@Redbeardflynn]

I still remember being blown away that DAOC had capes.

[@EsrohNchainS]

@@Redbeardflynn haha yeah capes were bad ass

[@sweatter8213]

Try Project 1999! its amazing!

[@Surfbogie07]

MMO's aren't dead, but if it isn't obvious. The game industry is driven by "profits" and "board of directors". MMO's are incredibly expensive to just maintain let a lone develop. Games in 1999 cost to develop in the range of 2-3 million, with increasing development costs inflation etc raising the cost on average to develop a newer/more modern game to 100-300 million depending on quality. Then you have server costs/ISP's/Server Facility/AC etc. You could spend 30k a month or more depending on how many players you have. So if you clear a million a month on an older engine that's been reused a lot it's a lot more cost effective to keep going. But new MMO's are a thing of the past when it comes to AAA companies wanting to jump in. Maintaining is very different then building something new, Pantheon only works because it's mostly crowd funded. AAA board of directors want to chase what's "hot" that's why if you look at the trend when WoW was "hot" MMO's were everywhere. Now they have lessened significantly, that being said I still have fond memories of EQ and I am personally looking forward to playing Pantheon.

[@paulbitgood2117]

I never understood why "endgame" was so great. I always enjoyed low and mid game more. May have to do with my preference for solo play.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

Left field MMO to bring up but Clash of Clans. This game exploits the word reliability. Multiplayer functions are quick, you get the feeling you could quit the game for 5 years and not only will it be there but so will objectives that you were interested in. I think the word consistency gets overused. Trust consistency reliability and the ability to make personal goals and objectives is what makes a long-lasting MMO.

[@Redbeardflynn]

Well said. And Clash of Clans has been around for about a decade now, hasn't it?

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

@@Redbeardflynn they are having their 10-year celebration right now. They introduced a arcade machine as well as creating like Capital villages. The content is not consistent, but it is reliable.

[@rePAULsion]

To say that Clash of Clans is a MMO is deplorable. I've played it for 8 years and it is not an MMO. It is a multiplayer, instanced, time-gated, mobile game.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

@@rePAULsion Deplorable.. okay Hilary... I guess the appropriate response would be to tell you. Wrong.