So I am an OLD player, I started in Beta in 1998 and was thinking it would be cool to step back into the world and remember how awesome it was. I downloaded all the files and started playing again and popped into the world in a cave... Where is the old world? What happened to running through the snow mountains as a Barbarian? Exploring Paw and escaping to Quenos Hills? Where is Oasis and the Desert of Freeport? Where is the Feerott and GUK? Are all these old areas gone? I have spent 6 levels in this cave and it is nothing like how it should be.
You are likely in the tutorial. All of the old zones are still there and you can leave the tutorial anytime ( or never enter it at all by unselecting the Tutorial button on the Character Select screen )
Thank you, I appreciate your reply. I did uncheck the Tutorial button then it stuck me in Crescent Reach. I tried to select my home city at the character select but it gave no option for Halas. (Which should be my home city for a Barbarian.)
Oasis doesn't exist anymore (merged with South Ro I think) and EC and WC have been merged. Stay out of Freeport - what they did to it will make you cry.
Any free characters made now get Cresent Reach as home city and if you bring back an old char chances are it will default to Cresent Reach also. To leave tutorial you can go under the waterfall or go up to Arias and say "ready to leave". Either will port you to Plane of Knowledge. Most folks do suggest going thru the tutorial not only for the armor, weapon, aug, free merc etc but it will help you relearn the game. Then if you want to follow the Heros Journey (which is under your achievement button on char screen) it will give you a list of tasks. Or you can play the old style, all the old quests are still in the old zones.
As CatsPaws mentioned, if you're playing without a subscription, new characters have no option but to begin in Crescent Reach. If you have a subscription, you can select your starting city.
You may be in for a shock. It's going to be an empty and lonely experience going through the old zones that you're familiar with. Things are different on the Progression servers (subscription only), but the normal servers offer a lot more overall. It will just take a few weeks to get going and make it to 65+ where you should begin to see groups on a more regular basis. (A level 75 can get experience in a group with a max level - 105 - character.)
If you want that old world experience, roll on the progression servers, like Phinny, or better yet if you want to really feel nostalgic, go and play the severer P1999 which is like 95% what it was back in like 2000.
Hello Spryrit. I hear you that's why I came back to EQ after so many years. What SomeEQGuy says is true unfortunately - I loved those old zones and I started back in 2001. I since moved onto Project 2002 which has a nice community, 300 or so online with all files hosted and the zones just like they used to be in this time period. An easy download/install I found it enjoyable and is busy on the weekends. Lots of old timers.
Go here: https://help.daybreakgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/217481518-How-do-I-recover-my-account- You may have to make a new free account to communicate with them and that is suggested in the ticket info to do that.