Is it all it's EverCrack-ed up to be?

Not many people know that I was once a faithful follower of the Druid ways in a game called EverQuest. When I went to LSU, I got a job writing code and setting up computer networks with a friend I met through 4-H in High School. He was an avid computer gamer and was one of those guys who would disect games like Quake, fiddle with its guts and then mod it out and serve up games of his unique flavor to the masses.

Now this is all well and good. A healthy interest in gaming is fine with me and I liked playing team and single player games of this ILK. I was even a member of several Quake 2 clans. We had practices and matches. All still fine. Right?

Then my friend found out about this massively multiplayer online roleplaying game called EverQuest. He was always a big D & D fan and had participated in online MUDS before. But this was different. It was the first really well developed and maintained MMORPG. Thousands of people interacted simultaneously to create a virtual world, replete with economy, housing, families, cities and all. For a lot of users, the game gave them an opportunity to make a name for themselves in this virtual world and reap benefits of their achievements unlike anywhere else in the real world. My friend quickly advanced in level of experience and gained prestige and wealth. However, I was not immediately interested. I had never really experienced the whole "Roleplaying" thing and I certainly didn't like the idea of a subscription fee (then it was $10 per month) to play a game that I still had to buy at the store.

Eventually, my wife (then girlfriend) bought me a copy for my birthday. This was still relatively early in EverQuest history, but the box sat unopened in my apartment for a good week or two. But I buckled afterwards and installed the game. It took forever and over a modem (56K) the updates that were available for download (and mandatory to play the game) brought the enjoyment of a new game to a slug's pace.

Having conquered this task, I began my life as Bradyn D'Bruce.



I joined the same server that my friend was already on and we set out to "power level" me so that I could reach the same level as he was and thus embark on the same adventures. Normally, a new player must work for hours and hours to gain experience and "level." My friend simply speeded this process (yeah - it's like cheating - but at the time it wasn't nearly as frowned-upon.)

I'll spare you the details of growing up as a half-elf druid and endless raids upon various planes of existence.


Suffice it to say, I skipped classes sometimes just to sit in front of my computer, scared that I would miss an opportunity to get the shiny-bladed-rare whatever it was or get loot dropped off of a dragon in an Icy cavern.



In the end, I had spent 53 days of my life in a world that only exists inside a computer (that's not 53 calendar days; that's 53 periods of 24 hours.) It destroyed my relationship with Michelle. It caused me to alienate most of my family. And it cost me a boat-load of money to boot!

So what, you ask? Well, during law school, I had no time for such diversion, but all the while, EverQuest 2 sat looming in the horizon. And sure enough, on the very day it launched, I get the call. My friend was wondering what server I would be playing on. I told him I wasn't playing. He balked at this notion, but I assured him I was too busy. He bought that for a while, but it didn't stop him from calling me at various times to explain why I was missing out. EverQuest 2 apparently fixed all the mistakes with EverQuest and made the game much less like EverCrack and more like what EverQuest should be.

Nonetheless, no matter how much he coaxed, I couldn't bring myself to buy the game. I wanted to at times, but I just couldn't. His relationship with his wife seemed to be strengthened by EQ (they both play) and he can somehow juggle work and a baby and gaming without getting sucked into oblivion. But I've seen it happen before. I know what EverQuest is capable of. But there is still that part of me that misses the game; that misses the constant questing and raiding and fighting; that misses the community aspect (which was arguably the best thing about the game); that misses being connected to my friends.

Now I'm finished taking the Bar, so I am expecting the call once again. This time I can't think of any really good excuses though, so I suppose the battle will once again ensue. Oh, guide me Tunare!

What should this lowly druid do?