The downside for fancy screenshot programs is that it really doesn’t want to work with an emulated program of a game from 20 years ago. I know I have spared most of you the blocky, funny character textures but they do have a certain charm. I want to roll up a Troll just to see that butt-crack. Yes I said that out loud.
Regardless, I continue to play like it’s 1999 as well – hours a day. More than I normally spend on games. Progress goes back and forth (but mostly forth) and I find myself in the comfortable confines of the Gazebo in the Estate of Unrest at level 16, and will not move until I am level 20.
Fun thing for Enchanters at level 16 is the Breeze spell, which makes you instantly more popular with all the cool kids. And the not cool kids. Basically anyone with mana who wants to double their base regen. I also received Quicken, which is a melee haste spell at 28% – which gives a straight increase of melee damage at the same pace. All of a sudden groups are easier to find, and even if you don’t one, more people want to talk to you and see if you are giving out free buffs. Just this morning I logged into Unrest, knowing I couldn’t play, did a /who in the zone and saw there were no Enchanters. I /OOC’d (out of Character) “Free Breeze and Quicken at Zone entrance, I am only here for 5” and a train of players came to get them (sans mobs, the typical “train” there) and paid their respects for the kindness of a simple buff.
Yes, it’s that impactful to the game.
In 5 minutes I interacted with a dozen community members and made their daily fights just a bit better. The kindness Shown in EQ goes a long way. I know someday I’ll need a rez, or a corpse recovery, and people will remember that I would randomly buff them and help out if they can. Of course in modern day MMOs not only is there not a need to ever rely on
My next big milestone is level 29 when I get clarity proper which triples the power of Breeze. That is a long and (mainly painful) journey. Looking forward to seeing how far down the path I go.
The apogee of the Enchanter’s glory was KEI, of course. I remember the time when many players literally wouldn’t leave Plane of Knowledge without it. Enchanters made bank without ever leaving the zone.
I really liked that era. The whole culture that grew up around buffs for sale in a safe, neutral, central zone and especially the practice of MGBs, where a number of players would independently announce their intention to Mass Group Buff anyone and everyone, resulting in a firework display of open AE buffing at a designated location, often the Nexus Stone. It created the feeling of a market or a souk, together with a lively city square, all alive day and night. There’s really nothing like it today, anywhere in MMORPGs that I know of.
I never made it that far and either will this Server (stuck at Luclin), but glad I could stoke the old, fun memories. The whole culture of sharing buffs is great – and even better is that you can use higher level buffs on lower level toons to give them a shot in the arm for leveling. A rare show of unselfishness in a solo, selfish MMO world.