EverQuest Gold

Other products by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000069K5T
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 4, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,925 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review
This ultimate collector's edition is perfect for both new EverQuest players and serious EverQuest veterans. It includes EverQuest and the first four EverQuest expansions: Ruins of Kunark, Scars of Velious, Shadows of Luclin, and Planes of Power. Also included are a leatherette bound manual and new user strategy guide, a premium collector's edition pewter figurine, a DC EverQuest comic (only available in this box), and four exclusive cloth maps of the world of Norrath. Everything is contained within a beautiful metal tin. Each tin is numbered, one of a limited production run of only 35,000 units.

Taking the standard conventions of a Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game--such as character creation, monster combat, special abilities, and spells--and combining them with a persistent and always-changing online virtual world, Sony Interactive's EverQuest creates an experience like no single-player personal computer game. In fact, EverQuest features no solo or story-oriented game; EverQuest requires, and certainly encourages, interaction with the tens of thousands of other players online. (As an online-only game, EverQuest requires the use of your Internet connection.)

Players begin by creating their EverQuest alter ego. Elements such as race (over 12, including Dwarf, Ogre, Troll, Halfling, Gnome, Barbarian, Dark Elf, and Human) and class (over 14, including Bard, Magician, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard) determine your character's statistics and special abilities. For instance, the Warrior class of any race is inherently strong, though the Warriors of the Ogre race is much stronger than, say, the Warriors of the Halfling race. Other races and classes favor intelligence or dexterity. Players can also customize their character's clothing, face, and name to further personalize their alter ego.

Vibrant graphics (particularly spell effects) and crisp monster and player models bring the EverQuest world of Norrath to life. Gameplay consists primarily of combat against dozens of different creatures; defeating the varied beasts of EverQuest earns your character both coins (for the purchase of better equipment) and experience points (for improving skills, abilities, and power). There's plenty of satisfaction in watching your virtual alter ego gain experience, power, and wealth. Though it takes an enormous amount of time to improve your character, EverQuest's addictive, easy-to-learn gameplay makes the effort worthwhile.

EverQuest's sense of community shines in the quests and battles you'll partake with other players. Taking on the more powerful monsters alone is suicide. But team up with a Troll Shadowknight player in Chicago and a High Elf Enchanter player from Seattle, and you've got a monster-stomping gang sure to earn everyone fame, fortune, and friends. It's the sense of trust and teamwork that creates EverQuest's most endearing quality--and its most stressful: you never know if that Cleric you picked up in the local tavern is a talented healer or a worthless coward until you're mixing it up with a group of Minotaurs.

Most players find EverQuest's community atmosphere to be its best quality. Speaking with and questing alongside the thousands of players online provides good gaming, interesting conversation, and perhaps even real friendships. Verant Interactive listens to the community of gamers and constantly updates and changes the EverQuest world. Filled with monsters, dungeons, and fabulous treasure, and supported by an active developer and fan community, EverQuest is sure to live up to its name. Players will be adventuring in this rich online world for many years to come. --Doug Radcliffe

EverQuest is a multiplayer online game you play via the Internet. A stable Internet connection is required to play. Sony Online Entertainment charges a small monthly fee for this game, separate from your Internet service provider access charges. The first month of this fee is included in the purchase price of this package. You must provide a valid credit card to register and play. After your first month, you can use your credit card or a prepaid game card to continue to play.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EQ is what you make of it., January 17, 2003

By	Garrett LePage (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

Like many gamers, I have played Everquest on and off (mostly off) from the beginning. I enjoy EQ, but invariably Sony or another player does something to drive me away for another 6-12 months. Still, I return, and I enjoy myself each time. EQ offers some very entertaining game play. The mechanics of the game are solid enough to provide a good entertainment return on the time you invest in the game. However, like all MMORPG's, the game relies on its players to provide the overall level of entertainment value. When EQ became overly popular, this meant that it attracted a lot of players that I simply had no interest in sharing my time with. These would be the "I want everything for me and mine right now" crowd. Camping, killstealing, twinking, powerleveling in noob areas were the order of the day. Frankly, arguing with someone that has chosen to spend their lives inside the game for camping turns can be very tiresome (Yes, I realize that you got here first 7 hours ago. But, isn't 7 hours enough?). However, as EQ's popularity has waned and the expansions have opened many more zones, EQ has gained a comfortable feeling of vastness. You can be one of two people in many, many zones. The people you meet are more interested in working with you than working against you. You can make very constructive groups to hunt, or you can run off to more popluated ares for trading. In a way, it saddens me that the best gaming experience I have had in EQ has come after its decline in membership. But, other players are both the meat and the problem in this type of game. And right now, the balance is good.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reason why some don't like this game, December 14, 2003

By	"vitaee" (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Have no doubt, this is incredibly addicting. If you like computer games, there are 4 reasons why you might not like this game.

First, it takes a lot of time. To get the most out of Everquest, you have to put a lot of time and effort into it. Yes, I said effort. At times, it will feel like work. Some people feel a game just shouldn't take any significant effort. To those people I would say this game is more of a hobby than a game. Any hobby, if it's truly enjoyable, will take effort. In short, like many things in real life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Second, some people are pretty much ethically opposed to paying a monthly fee for a game. They feel, they paid once when they buy the game, therefore they shouldn't have to keep paying every month. I could mention how games of this type have operational costs (server maintenance, constant development, customer service, etc.) that other types of game just do not have which justify the monthly fee. But instead I'll mention this. The first month after I originally started playing Everquest was the first month I can remember where my credit card statement did not include any entry from CompUSA or Fry's. In other words, went an entire month without buying a new computer game. So, paying $12.95 per month for this game kept me from paying about $50 for an entirely new game. So, this is actually cheaper.

Third, some people are convinced that they, or rather their character, should be the center of the universe in any game they play. Since there are hundreds if not thousands of players in this game, no one single player can be the center of the universe. So, for people in this category, they shun this game because it doesn't make them feel important enough. (I call this the god syndrome)

Fourth, this game will have more lag than other online games such as Counter-Strike, Unreal, etc. But think about it, in that latter category,there will be maybe 1 dozen characters moving around. In EQ and similar games, there will be hundreds of characters moving around... to say nothing of all the NPCs and monsters. So, a dozen moving characters to keep track of versus hundreds to keep track of. How does anybody expect EQ type games to NOT have more lag?? I don't know, but a lot of people feel that way.

So, in summary, I'll say this. Do not come into this game having preconceptions of it being like any other game. It isn't. EQ and similar games are an entirely different breed. If you expect the same type of rewards and enjoyment as other games, you will not like this. But if you can accept that the reward for playing EQ are different and in many ways better than other games, then say good-bye to the rest of your life, and welcome to Everquest Addiction.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The real deal with this game, November 25, 2002

By	NaughtyGuy (Missouri USA) - See all my reviews

Okay, I have read the [bad] reviews of this game and have to say that new players should be aware that the ones who write those are the ones who are bitter and disillusioned. I have somewhere close to 200 days played in this game and seen the worst and some of the better things you can see (and do) in this game. I have been so mad I cancelled my account on the spot swearing to never come back and I have laughed so hard I came to tears.

The first thing new players should be aware of is that this game is not a computer version of roleplaying games. In fact roleplaying is almost nonexistant in this game (unless you choose to play on the roleplaying server). They have the traditional roleplaying classes but that is about as far as the similarities go.

You CAN solo in this game, there are classes that are better suited to it sure, but everyone has the ability to solo to some degree. This game is about grouping with friends and/or strangers for the most part though.

First thing your friends will say when they see you playing is that it doesn't look fun for them. Quite honestly thats what my roomate said when he saw it. The difference comes when they actually play the game though. My roomate is now an addict like the rest of us.

The second thing first time players should be aware of is that this game is about time invested. You can be dumber than a box of rocks but as long as you keep plugging away at it you can get the same things as everyone else. Sad but true. I have seen people with the brain capacity of a gerbil have better things in this game than I ever will simply because they spend 40+ hours a week at it. If that bothers you that bad then you may want to look elsewhere.

The third and last thing for new players to know would be that the learning curve is kind of steep for the first week or two. That sounds like a contradiction from my last paragraph but you don't actually have to learn anything to go places in this game. Just to make any friends. Groups don't like getting killed because you don't know how to control yourself and won't listen to advice (there are people like that in this game). For my last bit of advice if you are buying this game (and even if you are a vetran) is don't take all the whining at the message boards to heart; in fact don't listen to it at all. I quit everquest for 6 months because I thought my class was unfairly treated with regards to changes. Once I came back and ignored all the message boards I was amazed at the fun I had. While message boards are a wonderful tool for learning things about your class and the game in general, they are also where the whiners go to take the joy out of this game for everyone else.