The Glade 4.0

I remember it too, because it was just LORE and NO DROP was already in the game. If NO DROP was added after launch it was within only a few weeks.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

http://www.project1999.org/index.php

It isn't perfect but about as close as you are going to get for free.

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Raell Kromwell

I can't look at pre-Luclin models without feeling nauseas, so I'll pass on Project1999.

Also, the original interface was changed and updated for a reason.

Man that game really was terrible early on.

What? The original models are lightyears better than the Luclin ones. Especially the armor textures. Luclin models homogenized the game's armor.

We'll have to agree to disagree then. Luclin models were a vast improvement -- more realistic.

One of many fond EQ memories for me, was the first time I killed Kizdean Gix. Damn, I hated that son-of-a-darkelf. This is the kind of thing that (for me) made EQ great. No other game has ever left lasting memories like this. Even things at low level... like the Trueshot/Raincaller bow quests... gah.. I could go on and on and on.... :p

Did anyone else have to play in the shitty "windowed" mode at first?

I agree on armor textures, but the actual luclin character models were better.

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

I'm with Raltar. The original armor textures had a lot of character and variety.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Lore was added a couple months after the game, but they gave you a heads up on the "Lore Pending" tag. At the time I was borrowing a pair of PGT's from my higher level friend, and it was insane for that point in the game.

I have been thinking about this, and I don't recall any no-drop items until after Hate/Fear. The first items I know I had that were no drop were my pair of EBWs, but I didn't get those until after the quest had been moved to Mistmoore and redone, and that was after Fear and Hate were opened, and originally, those two zones were not level restricted, but the armor from the mobs was flagged no drop (and Incardine was as good as it got, but instead of being War only, all 4 "tanks" could wear it). That was part of the issue behind the move to level restrictions... people were taking their twinks into the planes and looting the end game armour (no level restrictions on gear back then either).

No drop was obviously in the game after the Planes, and was widely used for quest pieces from there forward, but I just don't recall anything, in any zone that played in, as having no drop items... nothing from Mistmoore, Sol B, Nagafen, Cazic (the zone), LGuk, etc.

Even the artifact items from the game back then were tradeable... Petrified Bark Legs, that pal/cler hammer from the GM event in Cauldron/BB.

You can change it in the options...lol

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Raell Kromwell

It was there. I know for sure, because I was playing the PVP server, and we were collecting the items to have a "travel" armor set for when we weren't all assembled together; that way you were less likely to lose a good piece of gear to a robber or a group of them, but you weren't totally naked.

You probably don't remember them because prior to the Planes, most of the NO DROP gear was shitty. It was stuff we'd never have worn for any other reason; if you weren't on RZ you'd have had no reason to go for it. A lot of it came from weird places too. A lot of the actual items people are more familiar with were introduced later, like the stuff for the class armors when they took Rubicite out. The selection of items was really weird too, like that Obsidian Flamberge I mentioned; it was deep in Sol A in a place people rarely went to. It wasn't any better than any other 2-hander but it was NO DROP.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I wont disagree that they are more realistic. That said, EQ was the first cartoony MMO. It didn't need to be realistic. The characters no longer made sense in the world they had been placed in. Also, the original model's animations were far above the quality of Luclin model animations.

I didn't really dislike the Luclin models in and of themselves, but I really thought the effort could ahve been better spent elsewhere. I also thought it was an unnecessary added burden on the computer. The computer I used at that time I had to upgrade RAM on and still couldn't use all the models at one time.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I'm kinda indifferent about the graphics models. There were good and bad aspects to both, but I definitely preferred the pre-luclin animations.

The kick animation in particular was better pre-Luclin. They seems to all get rather spastic after that. I also missed the Ogres and Trolls.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I suppose it's good news for me that I can't get the Luclin models to load on my computer. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Windows 7, DX 11, and/or just having a computer too powerful. I really have no idea and tech support can't figure it out. It doesn't bother me that much though.

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I'll take your word for it. I remember the Obsidian Flamberge... I spent a lot of time in Sol A when we weren't in Mistmore, but I don't recall when I was there (in the 30s) compared to the release of the planes. I spent a lot of time in the upper 20s to low 30s messing around and losing exp more than earning... I know I was in the low to 20s when they cut the death penalty in half... I remember when the first player on Bertox hit 50th level (wizard that then promptly quit the game, since he thought he was done with it) and I was in the high 20s.

Did we get starter swords and tunics (first quest, turn in the note?) or was that added later? Because now that I think about it, those were both no drop?

I remember turning in the note, but I don't remember if that gave you just the tunic, or both the sword and the tunic. I think the tunics became ND because of the PVP server where killing newbies for their tunic and selling it was something of a going concern. Apparently, like the Cracked Staff, they sold for an inexplicably large amount of money.

As for that Flamberge, I wanted that thing in the worst way since the folks I played with and I spent a lot of time grinding in Sol A, but not only did I never get it, I don't think I ever saw anyone that had one in my entire time playing. It was exceedingly obscure for some reason; I guess because everyone was going for the BIBS or the Mithril 2hander that had haste.. or the Dark Reaver for SKs.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

God. I miss everquest. Jonesing.

No ****, right? I want to play again.

Maybe I'll reactivate for a month and go solo some dragons in Western Wastes. That was my favorite pass-time. Lenas happens to have his bank filled with every. single. one. of the dragon talismans. Even the rare ones like Myga.

What level range do you have to be in order to solo these dragons?

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A couple of them are possible at 65 with some form of slow. With EQ in it's current form, though, anyone ~65 could kill most of them with a healer mercenary. Also, I'm sure the caliber of gear at 65 these days is much higher than what I had at the time.

I seem to recall soloing Harla Dar (lvl 66) when I was level 65. Took about an hour of bow kiting to get done. Then she gated. Then another half-hour kiting around her bind point so she wouldn't gate again. I was pretty proud of that.

I'd be game for starting up some alts and leveling old school on a server, if anyone's interested.

I've also got chars parked (for the time) at 65, 75 and 80 on FV.

I'll probably be leveling the 80, but leaving the 65 and 75 (war and SK) where they are for the time being.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Heh, I bought at level 9 a Shiny Brass Halberd and used that until 28th level. I camped that 2H'er in Befallen forever, as well as the BIBS, but I never had any luck with those.

I finally ditched the Shiny Brass Halberd when I with some of my guild in EC messing around. I dueled another ranger friend toe to toe.. he had a BiBS, I had the Shiny, but he was 6 levels lower than me. It was a draw. We switched weapons and it wasn't even close. I still had over half health when he was knocked unconcious.

I had some bladed thulian claws at one point too... forgot what was paired with those... maybe my first EBW while I was camping teeth for the second. I also had a set of EBs, but didn't use those much due to the root problem (though they saved my bacon when I tried to solo the Ghoul Messenger for the SSoM).

Great times.