EverQuest players want 'a hard game' because 'the challenge leads to a sense of accomplishment,' says designer

Shadow of the Erdtree is upon us, and with it the latest round of discussion about difficulty in videogames. But as much as I'm looking forward to traversing the Land of Shadow, I've instead spent the last couple weeks exploring the history of another difficult game, EverQuest.

Last week, developer Daybreak Games flew me out to San Diego to observe Fippy Fest, a celebration of EverQuest's 25th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of its sequel, EverQuest 2. That both games are still going strong is a testament to the ongoing legacy of a genre-defining game and the tenacity of its players and developers. One of the main reasons design manager Adam Bell thinks EverQuest has such a hold on players' hearts, a reason I heartily agree with, is that the game is tough as hell.

«When we try to bring in new players it's more about quality of life changes,» said Bell, «things that'll make the game a little easier without getting rid of the core of EverQuest—the fact that EverQuest 1 is a hard game, and we don't want to make it an easier game because that's what our players want. Our players want that harder game, that Dark Souls experience. If they wanted the easier experience they would go elsewhere.»

When I first started playing EQ in 1999, everything was hard. The world was huge, even basic monsters were deadly, dying meant you lost XP and maybe your stuff, the list goes on and on. After 25 years and 30 (yes, 30) expansions, some of the rough edges have been filed off, but the game still has teeth. 

«You need to plan to kill even the basic NPCs, you can't just walk up to them and kill them,» said Bell. «If you don't check your surroundings, or have a plan to kite it instead of tanking it if you need to, you'll find yourself in trouble.»

Soloing is a major challenge, for some classes more than others (RIP rogues). So for most of your time in Norrath, you'll want to find a friend. Mercenaries, powerful NPC minions that can come along for the ride, help out particularly at