Here is the first of several articles on the game Everquest and its addicting qualities that I intend to share as part of my opinion column for this site. Remember, this is my view, as seen through my eyes. Atomm is considerate enough to let me post my opinion here. And Im sharing it with you. Watch out, I bite! For me, Everquest is the first of the Multi-Massive Online Role-playing Games I have ever experienced. It is also the most special, and the most intense. It is produced by Sony and by Verant Interactive. And for some 75, 000 people, a number that grows every day and is probably outdated as soon as I give it, Everquest is a whole new world. With new rules, new standards and new possibilities, Everquest is quickly becoming one of the most popular online games ever.

It is also becoming one of the biggest addictions on the net or in general to date.

I remember when I found the game. I was researching a book on goblins. I found Yahoo!s search engine, and put in the word “goblin”. I came up with a club dedicated to a guild or clan based on goblins, but slowly evolving to become something more. The guild was pre-Beta for Everquest, and anxiously waiting to enter the realm as a group, on the Cazic Thule server.

None of this was apparent when I first looked at the club. I had been an avid role-playing fan for some time, but found no table-top game that pleased my palette. Through this club, I found an outlet for role-play that took me to several new venues, and new Yahoo! clubs as well. Still, I came back to that first one. And finally, I realized these people were going to be doing something I could only dream about – role-playing real time with actual moving fantasy characters, AND doing it on the net, together – at one time and place!

I joined up, immediately. And with this guild at my back, I entered the realm of Norrath.

Youre in our world now! came the greeting from the Verant Interactive team.

They meant it.

Never has anything fulfilled my role-playing fantasy dreams like Everquest. Never has anything opened so many doors to creativity for me.

And never have I seen such sad and pathetic excuses for humanity as those that fall into that world like newborn babes and leave their good sense behind them.

Everquest is an addiction to so many. Not just to the people that play non-stop, all day long. Addiction isnt defined like that.

Shall we look at addiction then? Dictionary definition aside, please. To suffer an addiction is to not merely indulge in it constantly. It is the whys of your indulgence that define your addiction to something. Do you come home from work wound tight as a spring, and do you stay that way until you have that one drink? Do you actually study better when you are high? Do you really feel complete and whole only after you have been sexually satisfied?
Those are signs of addiction.

You walk into a room. You look around that room, at the people there. And you find yourself saying “I could duel any one of them, and whoop their n00b butts.” And you thus feel more confident and secure. “If they knew who I was, in Norrath, they sure would be trembling right about now!” And you thus feel smug and arrogant.

You are addicted.

I realized Everquest was an addiction when I was watching a wrestling program, and some guy in the audience stood up with his lil placard. It read:

I LOGGED OUT OF EVERQUEST FOR THIS!

At first, I thought that was neat. I felt a kinship with that man in the audience. I had left Everquest, too, to watch this particular match. Neat, we were part of the same community!

Then I met more people in the game. And I realized how much that meant to that one man, that he actually left his beloved game to watch this wrestling match.

And that was sad.

My name here is Bombastika. And know this, my fellow EQ Addicts. I watch you. I am always watching. I watch what you do, where you hunt, where you play, where you sit for hours at a time. I see who is doing /shout, /ooc. I knew people before by their duel messages, when EQ used to broadcast them server wide. I watch where you raid, I watch what you wear, I watch who you follow and who follows you.

And I watch who you are watching.

Given Atomms good blessings, Im going to finally have the chance to tell you what I have seen…

This is the first in a series of articles I will write and share with you here. Next time, watch for Chriss Story.