by Mike Shea on 25 October 2004
Everquest to arrives on November 8. This press release has some details.
I don't know how I feel about EQ2 yet. I played the beta for perhaps twelve hours total, not nearly enough but the Omens of War beta and release took most of my time. EQ2 scares me a little mainly because I don't know what it will do to EQ1. I see little that cannot be done in EQ1. There is a lot that SOE can do to improve Everquest, many described in my Evil Halloween Agenda that I deliver to SOE at the Fan Faire later this week.
I spent five years playing Everquest. My mother plays it. My girlfriend plays it. My best friend plays it. The game got me writing again. The game put me in touch with people with common interests and great personalities. I'm playing D&D twice a month now because of people I met in EQ. As shocking as this sounds to some people, Everquest improved my life over the past five years and I worry what EQ2 will do to EQ1's population and growth.
Only time will tell.
I listen to the Dark Tower 7 now on my iPod, read by George Gudell, and it may be the end of the best set of books I've ever read. In 2000 years this could be as powerful as the Odyssey is now. It could be a new bible for some people. It's a wonderful and powerful story that makes me not only love the story itself but books and writing in general.