Thanks to fan projects, it’s still possible to play EverQuest as it used to be. The latest fan-run classic EverQuest server, Project Quarm, launched on October 1. Like other unofficial fan servers the Al’Kabor Project and Project 1999 before it, Quarm strives to present the game as it existed back in the first couple years of the game’s life—warts and all. Unlike Project 99, however, this server will progress through the classic era all the way through the 2002 Planes of Power expansion, seen by many to be the peak of the EQ experience.
Always cool to see fan projects like this. I know there are a few out there but I’m struggling to remember the names of them.
I thought there was one for Ultima Online I saw but that might have just been an article about its official online mode.
The article really seems to be for people who played EverQuest or similar MMOs a while back and are nostalgic about them though
UO has a super robust eco system of private shards and server software. It’s kind of amazing. Pretty active development on things like ServUO or ModernUO servers. The client has been fully rewritten and actively developed with improvements on ClassicUO. All of these are open source as well.
For servers you have places that function entirely as different eras of UO like the Renaissance shard, or even entirely new content like what’s in Outlands.
There’s honestly a lot to be found out there and it’s really neat.
Does it still present the classic UO experience where as soon as you walk five steps into the wilderness, PKs descend on you, kill you in a few hits, and take all your stuff?
Ahh. the terror of walking into a cave and seeing nothing but inky black darkness and four lines of text pop up all at once
Corp Por
Corp Por
Corp Por
Corp Por
Always reminds me of this little ditty –
…on regs and runes I drift in the night
any place it gates is right
gate far
gate near
by a dungeon I reappear
well
you don’t know
what
we can find
why don’t you die for me little newb
on a magic Corp Por ride…
Credit where credit is due – http://www.digiphobia.com/ultimasongs/html/magic.html
Josh Strife Hayes just did a video on classic Everquest:
Many fond memories with this one. But if I could go back and experience one game for the first time again, I’d have to go with Gemstone III.
I played EQ in that era and I absolutely love playing Project 99… to a point. It ends up with the same problem that every older online game seems to have: all the veterans that never left act like they own the place, and take it way too seriously.
If I do go back to P99 it will just be to level a character up until I get bored. There’s lots of essence to EQ that you just don’t get in modern MMORPGs; mostly because content is difficult to solo, working with others makes your entire life easier, and everyone is struggling together. I’ve had so many good conversations with people while camping in Blackburrow and Guk and the Karanas and so many places. I recommend it to anyone for that.
Asheron’s call also still lives through third party servers. I always like it better.
