Have never played EQ despite playing every other mmo, but I am kind bored of all of them and wanted to try something more old school. I just dont know if there will be anyone online to play with or ask for advice with (especially in the UK/EU regions) I know there are different servers, which give a different version of the game, so I dont know what is worth playing on. Cheers.
Playing with other people IS where EQ shines, but EQ players have been around a freaking long time and that can make them either a great resource full of helpful tips or a crochety old git that thinks you suck at everything you do including breathing. I would at the very least start off playing one class through the starter Tutorial on a live server, which you can do as a Free to Play player very easily, just to get a basic feel for the game & how your class works. Playing on a Live server you will not meet many if any low level players at all, the vast majority of players are over a hundred levels away. The next TLP launching on May 25th will be the easiest "jump in" point for a new player looking to find a lot of other players to group with, but they require a sub. I would recommend Yelinak which is a classic-start TLP rather than Vaniki which will be a very fast-paced server most suited to experienced players looking for a challenge. The other TLP, even the most recent, have been running for a year+ so you would be playing catch-up there. There is only one Live server located in Europe & that is Antonius Bayle, but most of the TLP will have at least one or two euro-guilds. If you opt to play on Mischief or Thornblade to try the Free Trade / Random Loot they have then be aware that those servers will eventually be merged with FV which has no EU population at all. So as a UK.EU player those servers are a dead-end for your character as you will not be allowed to transfer off to any other live server such as Antonius Bayle.
I've been playing EQ for a really long time, so I'm obviously biased. I would recommend it, but it's not for everyone. I don't play Pokemon, so that's not for everyone either . I would highly recommend that when, or if, you decide to play, create a free account. No reason to pay if you don't like it. Use the tutorial when you first start, it will walk you through a lot of EQ. The only real problem will be the UI, they will give you a lot of windows, (chat, spells, buffs,etc) and just put them anywhere. You can click and drag all these windows to where you want them, but if you've never played before, hard to tell where you may want them. A player who has played before usually knows where they want all these windows, a new play not so much, so that has a bit of a learning curb. Most of the live servers, and I'm assuming TLP's, have a pretty good social community that will answer questions you may have. The TLP's don't start with a tutorial, but you can always make a free character on a live server, go through it, and create a character on a TLP (must have a payed account to play on a TLP). Free characters can not post or receive chat on a general channel, but can on a Newbie channel. Many older players use the Newbie channel just to give advice if asked. If you're not sold on a character, or miss something in the tutorial, you can always delete that character and start a new one and try it again. Many servers have guilds that go above and beyond trying to help out new or returning players, Xegony comes to mind, though I'm not on that server. Antonius Bayle is a European server that may have a lot more people playing in your play times. I'm not on their server either, so can't speak from experience. There are not many low level characters on many of the live servers, so getting a group may not be easy. Finding a guild or people willing to help in chat would be a big plus. When and if you complete the tutorial, on all the live servers, and some of the TLP's, there is also a tutorial quest giver in Plane of Knowledge. They give more quests covering what you learned in the tutorial as well as some extra. Hope this answered some of your questions and good luck. Edit: Skuz got in before me and uberkingkong, just after. Good advice from both. Again, luck.
No don't recommend. If you do anyways, wait till the TLP comes out and play on Vaniki server. Live server will be pretty much you solo, if you join a guild you have people to play with but they'll eventually PL you and you'll be bored mid/end game. The fun in EQ is not from being PL'ed 100 levels or so. Its playing with others and on live server its pretty much dead. Won't be anyone showing up in LFG window. But on TLP server, people in LFG window all the time, especially fresh new ones. Also, unlike other MMO's, this one is very unfriendly to solo your way to max level. Other MMO's like ESO, easy peasy solo to max level. Also, its hard in a not a fun way too, its not like Elden Rings where you have fun while dying 50 times. 5 minutes to run there, 20 minutes of asking people for buffs or waiting for buffs. A lot of waiting time and if you die gotta go through it all again. So time consuming. No hand holding quests. No sense of direction of where to go. No one around to know what people do in these zones. On TLP you can basically follow the crowd and enjoy EQ as a fresh never played before player.
with current issues biggest problem is getting cought up in the Botting Suspend/Ban thats going on, i would wait until the next server thats going on so u can level up with everyone else
There IS a steep learning curve. Organizing the window is the first, as described above. But then, you want to talk to PEOPLE to understand what to do. There are many modes. The all start with a / and something. This is called a command. /say This is executed in white text and is heard by the players closely around you. (Also it is the only way of communicating with Non Playing Characters for quests, etc. You must have the NPC targeted and usually not be invisible.) /tell Playername This is executed in purple text to the receiver, white text to you. It is a message for just one person. I am understanding that in other games it may be called a whisper. /shout This is executed in red text to the whole zone. Do NOT do this as a general thing. It is frowned upon. /ooc (out of context) This is executed in forest green text to the whole zone. It is used to request buffs, announce loot that is available, etc. /gr (group) This is executed in blue to those with whom you are grouped. /gu (guild) This is executed in medium green to your guild members online.
EQ is a highly addictive game and offers YEARS of content that you could literally play without spending a dime although I would recommend subscribing to support the game if you enjoy it. That being said the EQ world is HUGE...gotta be one of the biggest of all online games with a gazillion different zones to play in. There is a bit of a steeper learning curve than newer online games that spoon feed players but if you stick with it you'll find it to be very rewarding. Many of the junkies on these forums have been around off and on for 20+ years so that should tell you something.
