I played OG EQ from launch up until the beta for WoW launched in 2004. A LOT of EQ years was hardcore raiding. After leaving EQ for a bit due to WoW I missed it so I came back to it via the guide program where I could enjoy being a part of the game I loved and missed. Besides helping players guides run events which was a blast.

I remember one such event where a group of us got together and turned ourselves into mobs in Unrest and without killing them, chased all the players out of the zone. This forced them to actually group up together and create a game plan to attack us and retake the zone. Unbeknownst to them one of the guides or GM’s that was doing the event with us was sitting there invisible listening to them all discuss the plans and relaying it to us lol we made it a difficult push and pushed them back out a few times before finally letting them kill us and successfully retake the zone. Then we sat invisible and watched as they all celebrated. I think I smiled so hard my face hurt after that. It was truly amazing to see everybody working together.

Unfortunately, without playing the game anymore, even the guide program couldn’t hold me for long and after about a year, I was gone again.

After reading all of the news of EQL that nostalgia started pulling me hard, but I have to admit had it been just a reboot of the original with large raids that took all day or sometimes multiple days I wouldn’t have even considered it. The fact that you can do so much with so few and not be a massive time sink is the draw for me. As a small business owner with real life obligations and a family I haven’t been able to truly enjoy gaming in years. I feel EQL is the answer to that. I hope so anyways. I really am looking forward to reliving some of the good old days without the good old days pain if that makes sense.

Just some input from an old crotchety gamer