I have been playing EQ for many years now, including the year I have
taken off. I love the game, it is my "break" from the
real-world, as
I am sure it is for many others. I have been a loyal fan
and "faithful" to it, like a marriage of sorts. I cannot
imagine the
world
without EQ, well at least my world. Even in the past year without
it, I have spent countless hours perusing the EQ sites, reading and
posting in this forum, and chatting with others who still play.

My mind is relatively fresh to the game, though when I return I
still will feel like a newb again (and to many I am sure it will
seem like my toons are "E-BAYED"). But that doesn't
bother me so
much, I am informed and a very quick learner, mostly because EQ is
in fact so easy to learn and easyperiod.

There is speculation that EQ will end in a few years. Personally,
whenever it does shutdown, I think it will be painfully bad, much
like a death in the family. However, I don't think EQ will close
anytime soon. I agree that SOE will not give up their main cash
cow, that would be like cutting off your nose in spite of your face.
Even with the amount of subscribers being down, I don't think it
is
yet low enough for them to worry or discuss bailing on the project.

But, let me say this: I WILL BE THE LAST "MAN" STANDING ON
NORRATH
WHEN IT ENDS. If the decision ever comes to end EQ, I will be there
when they pull that ugly,white, 8-foot extension cord from the wall.

I am sure I am not the first person to say that EQ has its problems,
and that SOE should fix these problems. I don't think they will
fix
all of them, but they fix problems all the time ( just not the ones
we always want..lol) There are many "improvements" that they
could
make to make the gamebetter, like improving the graphics engine.
But if not, the one that exists is good enough, afterall it is the
one that I started with and come to love

There are some who say that the in-game content is limited. I am not
clear exactly what that means, but for the sake of this scribing, I
will deem it means "the stuff in game..the lore, the legend, the
mobs, etc"those things that you deal with everyday. I have
played
EQ for a few years, and as such, there is still a whole s@*tload of
things that I have not seen or places I have been or things I
haven't killed. I have 16 toons to play with, my highest being a
57
wizard. ( LOL I think he was 57 for a year before I took my
break..lol)

If you take away the last 2 expansions (which I do not have) and
perhaps even "GoD", there is still a lot of things to do in
EQmuch
too many to do in any good amount of time. I have always been the
fan of the idea of SOE going back and slowly "fixing" the
stuff that
was originally thereand making it better..making some of these
things that I haven't done, more desirable to do.

I do think that SOE needs to make new expansions and deliver new
content. However, I think that the rate they have been pushing them
out as of late, is a bit ridiculous if you ask me. It seems they put
them out faster than I can get them, lol. As a business decision,
perhaps its good they put out "new" stuff and the thinking
that "new" is better and will bring back people to the game.
While
true it may be, I feel that "tuning-up" what already exists
is the
far wiser option. But I am not SOE, I am just me.

As far as other games, as far as I am concerned, there ARE no other
games. I have my blinders in place. I do not have the "mental
prowess" or "attention-span" to play another game. I
would feel like
it was cheating on my wife. As I said, there are so many things I
have not done that I want to, I would feel like I left something
unfinished..and I hate that feeling.

In my EQ Journal ( I have one, doesn't everyone?) I have a very
comprehensive list of the things I am going to do when I return, and
the list grows longer every day or so. This list is what I will be
doing when I returnat last count..I have 150 must do's on
the list
So I will be busyBut enough on that.

Ok, to make the long story short.EQ will be around for a long
time
( /em crosses fingers) and there I will stay. It is like that little
vacation spot that I have been going to and loved forever.

EQ FOREVEREQ FOREVER..EQ FOREVEREQ FOREVER

Sorry this was so long..

As always..Greg