Beta testers are the first players to experience a new game, and it is from the beta testers that we developers hear the honest and helpful feedback that makes our games the best they can be.

We asked several participants from the beta test of EverQuest® Online Adventures™ to describe experiences of their own that stood out in their minds as fun and exciting, ones that would give players who are new to online fantasy gaming some glimpses of what the game is all about and why EverQuest has fascinated and thrilled hundreds of thousands of players the world over.

Learning to Play EQOA
"Being new to the EverQuest universe, I stumbled through the first levels, but quickly grasped the controls and feeling of the game. For me, the user-friendly interface and gradual, yet forgiving rise in quest difficulty truly brought me into the game almost immediately. The variation, complexity and seamless transition through each of the quests made me care about my character and compelled me to venture forth and make him the best I could. This is easily the most enveloping console game I have ever played."

--Shidoshi

Sunrise in Another World
"I'll never forget the first time I really saw the sunrise in this game. I was running back to the Elven city of Fayspires after a botched attempt to solo a Mindwhipper hive and barely escaping with my life. My eye was caught by a shooting star overhead, and I stopped, transfixed. A gorgeous full moon was slowly sinking into the hillside, and quite soon the sky was afire with blazing purples, oranges and reds. I must have sat there for ten minutes gazing at the sky."

--Joby

The Fun and Folly of Dancing with Giants
"Once, while searching for another [coachman], I stumbled across a place filled with Hill Giants. These guys were huge! As they walked, it sounded like thunder...I kept running back and forth between the monster's legs, until finally I was smooshed. I wish Invisibility was an option in real life."

--Merma

EQ Veterans Play EQOA
"As a player of EverQuest on the PC, one of the things that's really great about EQOA is how the two worlds are similar but different. Many landmarks I've come to know from EQPC are present here in EQOA. Running through the EQOA equivalent of North Karana and finding the combine wizard spires (with a town next to it!) is a great example of the combination of elements of the Norrath I'm familiar with are nicely blended into a new world to explore."

--Jerrith

Making Friends and Saving Lives
"You haven't lived until you've saved your first group from certain death. Ok, I realize that most people who play games like EverQuest Online Adventures dream of slaying humongous fire-breathing dragons or massive frost giants. They revel in the discovery of rare magical weapons and armor. They shout a big ol' 'WooT' at the discovery of some hidden cave or dungeon that no one has seen before. But I am a cleric, a healing elven priestess of Tunare, and I got a huge rush of joy-bubbles the first time I saved my comrades.

"It happened my first day in the game. I was to kill a powerful orc thief for a quest. As I searched for people to group with, I saw a paladin, a ranger and a wizard being mauled by a whole gang of orcs. Considering that the ranger and wizard were about dead with the pally not far behind, I started casting a round of healing spells on the lot of them. Glowing blue mist transferred from my hands to their bodies. With just a few casts of minor healing, the tide of the battle had changed 100%. The orcs that were moments from celebrating victory were now depositing their carcasses on the wet grass.

"When the battle was won, I was flooded with messages of gratitude from the three victors--even to the point of them bowing in front of me as a group in 'Wayne's World' fashion. I was filled with the warm-fuzzy feeling of being openly appreciated. They asked me to join their group, and together we killed the orc thief several times over. All three of them invited me to join their buddy lists and we all remained friends throughout the entire beta test. By simply healing a few people that needed help, I made some wonderful friends and allies."

--Mikaela