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Will the biggest competition for Quake 3: Arena come from a non-deathmatch game in the form of EverQuest.
by Joe Ewbank
(2/25/99)
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The Goods
Quick Peek:
A true-3D massively multiplayer online role playing game, sporting a first-person interface, 3D accelerated graphics, and
tons of class, race, and magic options. Quite possibly the best pay-for-play online RPG yet.
Release Date:
March 16, 1999
Developer:
Verant Interactive
Publisher:
Sony/989 Studios
Homepage:
EverQuest
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In 1997, Blizzard Entertainment hit it big in the role playing games market with Diablo. While Diablo's role playing
elements have been criticized heavily, and many people call it little more than a hack'n'slash game, it offered, for the
first time, an easily achievable multiplayer experience in a role playing game. Diablo allowed up to 4 players at once to
cooperate - or compete - in the same environment at the same time, fighting against each other or crusading against the
minions of hell as a group.
With Diablo's much-awaited (and record selling) release, several of the big boys in the gaming industry seemed to have
their own idea about how to do it better (even Blizzard North, who didn't take too much time to get to work on Diablo
II). Gamers have been treated to offerings such as Meridian 59 and Ultima Online, with other titles competing for the
same online role playing market still under development, such as Asheron's Call and The 4th Coming.
Being a long time player, immortal, and implementor of various MUDs (Multi User Dungeons: text-based online multiplayer
games. Think multiplayer Zork or NetHack with dozens or even hundreds of players online at once, interacting with plain
text.), I've taken a strong interest in the advances in online role playing games. Ultima Online proved to be a
disappointment for me, plagued with bugs and abuse from the beta on. Meridian 59 sported graphics that made me cringe and
crawl back to the safety of my text-based virtual world (and the fact that I possess deific powers there doesn't hurt any,
either). Other games such as Underlight and The Realm have failed to gain popularity for other reasons, and what fun is
it to play without lots of people to play WITH?
Coming in on the tails of the massive popularity of Baldur's Gate's (but limited multiplayer offering), is EverQuest, from Sony's
989 Studios and Verant Interactive. A true role playing experience, with 3D accelerated graphics, thousands of players
online at once, a whole mess of choices for race, class, religion, spells, abilities, and a huge world in which to
adventure. Not only does EverQuest have "Ultima Online Killer" written all over it, it may very well present a challenge
to the latest and greatest first person shooters coming to market in 1999.
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