To understand the story I am about to tell, you must know that I am a gamer. I always have what I call “the game of the moment,” but there are some stand-by games that I always go back to. Ultima Online opened up new horizons for me in the world of gaming, and when EverQuest came along I was hooked. Some of my fondest memories are corpse recoveries in Hate, grinding in Chardok and playing until the early morning hours with a consistent group of family (sister, a couple brother-in-laws) and friends. We all still were able to hold jobs, make it through college and raise families. But gaming and EverQuest was a big time sink for what free time we had left.
A few months ago (right after the last EQ2 Expansion, Rise of Kunark) I started a new character (not for the first time) with my two sons (the first time with them). They both play on their own, and I do as well, but the idea behind this would be that we would only play these characters when we were grouped together. We started a well balanced group of three Sarnak’s and begin exploring the lands of Timorous Deep…watch out Norrath here we come.
Because of schedules (school for them, work for me), and their mom (my wife’s) household rules and regulations, our group play time is pretty much limited to Friday and Saturday nights once the mom takes the girls (their sisters, my daughters) out to a girly movie and we are left on our own.
It has been a fantastic experience and some good quality time spent with my sons in a different environment than the usual youth football and Little League Baseball that we usually enjoy. It is interesting to see their take on the game and the interaction with the game, they love the collection quests and attacking anything that moves just as long as it gets them experience, where as I am much more a linear player that wants to progress through a quest line to get my reward.
These are the same boys that grew up watching me play EverQuest and hiding when they saw the Cyclops in the Ocean of Tears, or a Giant Spider in West Karana. One of them once got a question wrong on a geography quiz when he was asked to name the continents on a world map and confused Antartica with Antonica. I couldn’t have been more proud, but “the Mom” didn’t think that was too funny.
A good 50% of the enjoyment from the game comes from the conversations that we have outside of the game in regards to where we can go next, or what do we want to do next, continually planning our next game night. Outside observers, like at baseball practice, when we are discussing strategies to complete the current Heritage Quest, or what zone we want to go to next, are amazed and confounded at the same time. They want to know what language we are talking and what country we are visiting.
Recently, my parents were in town visiting. As we were eating dinner one night, a side conversation erupted with the boys as to the events that occurred the night before while playing EQ2. I joined in the conversation as well, giving my insight and then trying to explain to the entire table what we were talking about. The explanation was lost on most, but my Mom just smiled and said that it was like déjà vu to her, as she used to sit there and hear the siblings talk about their gaming adventures and now a whole new generation is doing the same.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before, and she was right. My youngest son was only 4 months old when I rolled that first dwarf-cleric, (I know better now) and got lost in Butcherblock. My older son would have been 3 years old and more interested in hiding the mouse in his Tonka truck, then collection quests.
The fact that EQ recently celebrated its 9th Anniversary and still has such a strong community and presence is incredible, I wonder what game or games my sons will get to experience with their sons. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were EverQuest.
Brad “Mutato” Wilcox
Executive Director Global Customer Service
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