How Level 2 and a Cracked Staff Changed My Life
A Cracked Staff: It's kind of a big deal.
It's no surprise that the most discussed topic on the forums over the last month has been the launch of the new Time Locked Progression Server Fippy Darkpaw, and people's plans and dreams for the server. For many of us, the launch of EverQuest in 1999 represented the start of something amazing and revolutionary, something we can revisit in spirit through playing on Fippy Darkpaw. For others, those who never got to experience EverQuest at launch, Fippy Darkpaw presents a chance for people to experience EverQuest in a way they never have before.
As someone who was present as a player on launch I was extremely curious about how I would react to playing on Fippy Darkpaw. While I have been in love with EverQuest ever since it launched in 1999, I wasn't sure I was ready to start completely over. I'm not the same gamer I was 12 years ago. Working in the gaming industry and with a family now, I certainly don't have the same sort of time to invest in a game as I did back then!
On launch day I was queued up waiting, just like everyone else. I logged in as soon as the servers opened, and by hunting the extreme sides of the zone (North Ro for me, I started in Freeport) I managed to make half a level of experience rather quickly. Unfortunately work waits for no man, so I had to log off. It wasn't until much later in the evening I was able to log back on and finish up the climb to level two.
I won't lie. While I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment just at reaching level 2, I was a little intimidated by the thought that I had 48 more to go. Just as I was about to log off, having reached the time when I told my fiancé I would come watch TV with her, I saw a Decaying Skeleton wander by holding in its hands a long wooden staff.
A quick cast of a spell and a few swings later, and I triumphantly held in my hands that prince amongst newbie weapons: a Cracked Staff. What followed was a triumphant blast of destruction the newbie grounds had never seen the like of before. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but with my newfound weapon and my recently gained level, suddenly I was the equal of anything in the newbie yard. Orc pawns fell before me like wheat facing the reaper's scythe. When the red mist cleared, I had reached level 3 and owed my fiancé an apology for missing TV night.
I've since put some play time on Fippy Darkpaw and I have to say that I'm pleased with how much fun it is to relive some EverQuest memories. While I'm not going to spend the majority of my playtime on Fippy (I still have characters on regular servers that I enjoy playing too much to abandon them for long) every time I log on Fippy I have fun.
Grouping at level 4 to lay waste to the common lands is an experience I haven't had in a while and I enjoy it quite a bit when the mood strikes me. The experience slowdown forces me to savor every level I make, and with a number of drops removed every new item I equip is significant. The people I group with now are people I'll be relying on in 20 levels for any advancement at all, and with the change in pace I have more time to get to know them. I think I might just stay logged in for one more skeleton after all…
