Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

If you start a character, and play just that character, the system above is not just a great idea; it's a stroke of genius. When that same player starts another character and has to play through all of the same content again without a choice though, that begins to become a problem. Forcing a person to play through the same content over and over any time they want to create an alt is never a wise idea. Sure, a player could always have a whole new experience on the other side, but I know I'm not the only person in the world that doesn't play on the good side of games, so that content essentially doesn’t exist.

Fortunately for all of us, the EverQuest II team has made some radical (and completely awesome) changes over the last few years. At the end of last month, I talked briefly about how players could now start the game as the class of their choice and also had a choice of cities to start in, depending on their race. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

Getting the Lay of the Land

From the moment I hit level 3, I had options available to me. I could remain in Darklight Wood, or take a very accessible tunnel and go to The Commonlands to sneak my way to Freeport. Darklight Wood also had access points that led not only to The Commonlands, but Nektulos Forest as well. The real gem of all encompassing freedom was found within the dark underground tunnels of the Dockside Markets in Neriak. From there, I discovered I could travel the world.

The docks in Neriak will lead players to those in Nektulos Forest (which is far different from being dumped in the upper reaches of the forest), the docks in Thundering Steppes, or The Sinking Sands. From those three points, virtually every zone in the game can be reached. This doesn't mean you won't have to do some exploring and question asking to figure out how to get somewhere, but it's worth the effort.

If you wait at either the end of the docks in Nektulos Forest or Thundering Steppes, a boat will eventually show up to carry you on a journey of the seas. As a tip of the hat to the glory days of EverQuest, "The Boat" has been added and unless you travel by Druid Grove, it remains the only way to get to Butcherblock, where a myriad of new adventures await you. Unlike the days of yore, the boat shows up on the docks every four minutes or so. The ocean voyage also only takes a couple of minutes. There are no more hour-long corpse runs because you're waiting on the docks for your ship to arrive.

Being able to travel to various lands in search of new discoveries or elves to slaughter is important to the dark elf in me. Even more so, it's important to players in general, especially those of the explorer variety. Just as the early EverQuest slowly added more and more lands to conquer, EverQuest II is following the same path. It's taken some time to get there, but I no longer feel as though I'm on a roller coaster barreling down a specific destined path that I have to follow. I have the choice to go out and explore the lands I want, not those I have to. It's these kinds of choices that make all the difference.

My reintroduction to EverQuest II has been both daunting and exhilarating at the same time. Everything about it is both familiar and completely new. The game really has changed since I've been gone. As such, I still feel as though I haven't begun to scratch the surface of all there is to offer. It's amazing how much the continued dedication of a passionate development team and a few years can make. My journey continues, but in the meantime, if you have any suggestions or want to see a specific guide created, be sure to post a message in our forums or send me an email!