For the ones who were there
Remember When…
Twelve moments from classic Norrath. Every fact links to its source; the chat lines are copied from a real 2001 player log.
Some games you play. This one you lived in, one zone line at a time.
The corpse run
You have been slain by Ry`Gorr Elite!
You died, and everything you carried stayed on your corpse. You woke at your bind point with nothing and had to get back — naked, and if you were human, nearly blind at night. Dying also cost experience, and could cost you a level.
Sources: Massively OP: Ten more facts of EverQuest life circa 1999 · Psychopomp: Death, Dying & EverQuest in 1999 · MMORPG.com: EverQuest review
“Train to zone!”
[a player] shouts, 'Train to Zone, Watch out'
Monsters chased you until you zoned, died, or killed them. Flee to the zone line and they lingered there, waiting for whoever zoned in next. The shout was a warning, and an apology.
Sources: Massively OP: Ten more facts of EverQuest life circa 1999 · Psychopomp: Death, Dying & EverQuest in 1999
Camping the spawn
Groups set up a camp and pulled the same spawns for hours. New groups called a “camp check” to find out which spots were taken, and popular camps had waiting lists.
Sources: Massively OP: Ten more facts of EverQuest life circa 1999
Lord Nagafen
The fire dragon at the back of Nagafen’s Lair, past the fire giants. One of classic EverQuest’s original three raid bosses, alongside Lady Vox and Phinigel Autropos, and pictured on the original box art. His respawn on Project 1999 is listed as seven days.
Sources: Project 1999 Wiki: Lord Nagafen
The Plane of Fear
An original-release raid zone in the Outer Planes, home of Cazic-Thule, reached through a portal in the Feerrott.
Sources: EverQuest Wiki: Plane of Fear · Wikipedia: EverQuest
Trading in the EC tunnel
[a player] says out of character, 'Try EC.'
The tunnel from East Commonlands to North Ro had no monsters and let good and evil races meet. It became the server’s marketplace: merchants said “see me at the second torch.” Luclin’s Bazaar later replaced it on live.
Sources: Project 1999 Wiki: East Commonlands · Castronova (2006), Games and Culture
LFG and /ooc
[a player] says out of character, '36 Rogue Lfg'
Out-of-character chat was where you begged for a group, sold loot, and asked for directions. Your level, your class, and three letters.
LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
Every zone line meant a wait — one 1999 player reported anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes, depending on your computer. You held your breath and hoped nothing was standing on the other side.
Sources: alt.games.everquest, April 1999 · A real EverQuest player chat log, May–Aug 2001
56k and the phone line
Many players were on dial-up. GameSpot’s 1999 review said the game ran mostly lag-free even over a 56K modem. One veteran won a Cloak of Flames off Nagafen at 4 a.m., then got disconnected when someone picked up the phone.
Sources: GameSpot: EverQuest review (1999) · Massively OP: Ten facts of EverQuest life circa 1999
No quest markers
No exclamation points, no quest log arrows. You talked to NPCs, remembered what they said, and typed the keyword back with /say. Some quests took players months to figure out.
Sources: Massively OP: Ten more facts of EverQuest life circa 1999
Your surname at level 20
At level 20 you petitioned for a surname, and a GM could appear in front of your group to grant it on the spot.
Sources: Massively OP: Ten more facts of EverQuest life circa 1999
Downtime made friends
Mana took minutes to come back, health far longer, and boats took their time. So you sat, and you talked, and some of those strangers became friends for years.
Sources: Massively OP: Ten facts of EverQuest life circa 1999 · Massively OP: Ten more facts of EverQuest life circa 1999
Illustrations are original fan art made for this site, not in-game screenshots.