What zone reminds you of "Home?"

[EnfinitiStarr8]

Hail all,

Many of us have been playing for a few years and have seen many many zones in that time. Some we had to play in for months, LoIO in my day, others we are stuck in now b/c of current XP grinds and such. But when you travel and come to one of the older zones, what one reminds you of your toons "Home?"

For me, my first toon is still my main, a Human Ranger, and yes, I spent much time in Qeynos, Surefall, Qeynos Hills and Blackburrow but it's the Karana's that really remind me of home. West Karana to say just one. Something about it just makes me feel like a newbe again.

So, I wanted to ask, what zone makes you feel like a newbe again, what is your "Home?"

[Delfontes]

Erudin...

My first character was a barb warrior, so when I am in Halas/EF/Blackburrow I have a few memories of poorly lit passageways and dying a lot.

But Delfontes was born a few weeks later in Erudin, and I still try to go back when I can to visit. It is a breathtaking city, and usually very empty as of late, but fun fun fun .

[munwin]

Lower Guk i have to say lower Guk was my home sweet home.

Munwin

[Sanna]

Freeport.
Especially the music.

For a while, my roommate and I called that opening music 'cult music' and made sure to quiet our speakers when we were signing on. I either ran the mp3 player in game (it skips a little, sometimes, when you're about to finish zoning; a nice 'warning' on sullon), or turned sound off entirely.

Then one day, I let the sound run again. The real, normal game sounds, and left the speakers on when the intro music played.

I was reminded, suddenly and forcefully, of the early days when EQ made me carsick when I played it... of my human monk's first fight with a rat (she died; I was unhappy; Roomie told me to get used to it, it happens a lot)... when Roomie commented on the difference in the Freeport music and Gfay music... when Gfay was a new term... when I had my favorite vendor man, just inside of where the Soulbinder is in EFP... and the now-humorous memory of getting CCed the second I dinged 6 (PKable age on Sullon) and thinking that a lvl 6 monk could rush a Baron who was in Urbanum Mordem (back when UM was still something to be feared, before Tides of Wrath cut a swath of blood across Norrath) and successfully get her body back. Realizing only later that at 6, I didn't have to loot my corpse yet, nor did I lose xp.

Sindeya, a friend in Roomie's guild, once said, 'After a while, no one plays EQ anymore because it's really fun; they play it because they have to.' Even now, when I wander around FP, I let the music play; it reminds me of a time when the game WAS still fun (tho I severely suspect Sullon has something to do with the callousing), 'a more innocent time', as it were.

Freeport, for all it's zones and confusion ("WHERE IS THE MONK GUILD! PLEASE?" "You're in the wrong zone." "AAAAH." That never really happened in game, just between Roomie and I) will always be a sort of home, even more than Kelethin ever will be.

Once, a long time ago, EQ was fun. Now it's a compulsion. Part of that is my personality: I 'have' to have 'mental addictions', and right now EQ is it. Part of that is Sullon; it callouses you, and anyone who says it doesn't has either never played there for very long, or is lying, or is in ToW.

But sometimes... it still is. Fun, I mean. Freeport music has a tendancy to do that to me.

Power to the music. Almost makes me want to be a bard.
Almost.
^_^

[Hibashira]

North Ro. Don't go there much now, but I level my first few toons there.

[Farnyr]

Thurg and Rivervale are in a tie for me. I just love Rivervale(Yes, even the music) and have spent alot of time there. But Thurg... Ive spent alot of time there too...

[Phabos]

Butcherblock is mine.


When I first created Phabos, I very rarely traveled outside of BB. I hunted skeletons, goblins, animals, and the chessboard. Every time I am there I remember the old days.


My second home is probably Crushbone. From my teens to about 20 and again whenever I wanted to twink a character, I slaughtered probably thousands of CB orcs from the little pawns to the Emperor and D'Vinn.



Phabos Aphsion
Drunken Paladin of Brell
Tarew Marr

[Verdandi]

Everfrost and Halas! I levelled from 1-21 almost exclusively there, June-November of 1999. I also came back every so often for icy orcs (they were added right about as I hit 20) and momma mammoths till they greened out around 30. Oh and then again in my 50s for a while when I could solo ice giants. It was so good to be home again. My friends would always give me grief but I saw no reason to leave when I was perfectly happy. I'm so glad I get to go back to do cultural smithing, both en route to the forge and to mine vendors.

Whenever I'm having a rough time and want to be logged in but don't want to hunt, I go to Everfrost and curl up at Bandl's feet. He's very comforting, the strong, silent type.

[Lothay]

No one believes me, but my first character was a Barbarian Shaman. Halas and Everfrost are HOME.

I played in the days when the clipiing distance wasn't something you could set, and after about 50 feet of space, the zone got hazy and gray. Then, they added that slider, and the beauty of the snowy mountains struck.

Ever since then, Everfrost feels like home.

I leveled there even with characters who rightfully should have been elsewhere. Even when the loot or exp was better somewhere else.

And I still go there for fun and memories.

~Lothay

[KyrosKrane]

East Commons and North Freeport.

Kyros is so far my one and only. I still remember creating him and finding myself standing outside (what I now know to be) the Temple of Marr, facing the female cleric trainer. I start hailing her. "H-A-" -- LOADING, PLEASE WAIT ... Ouch.

It took me three days real-time to figure out that my bind point wasn't in the same zone as the temple. Having said that, I eventually came to know both West and North Freeport really well, but given that I'm a paladin, I consider North Freeport my home.

As for hunting, definitely East Commons. I remember my first foray outside the West Freeport hunting grounds. I was around level 4, grouped with a level 5 or 6 monk. He kept complaining that the guards were KS'ing his grizzly bear pulls. I was confused; I thought the guards were the good guys.

I hunted in East Commons exclusively until level 14 or so. I remember finding the tunnel the first time when someone yelled "MGB Aego at tunnel!" I had no clue what MGB or Aego meant. I asked in OOC and got told, "It's good, makes you fight better. Come get it!" I remember being in shock at seeing my HP jump by an order of magnitude when Aego hit. I remember the caster repeatedly yelling, "Remember, you can STILL DIE!!!" I asked what was in the tunnel, and got told it's another zone -- the desert of Ro. Having never gone beyond Freeport and EC, I was in awe at the people who so blithely ran in and out of there.

I remember the first time I saw a person soloing the griffon in EC. I was in shock; I was sure he was foolishly throwing his life away. How could anyone take on the griffon, let alone solo it? I remember chatting with him afterwards, telling him how I had never left EC. He advised me to visit the Oasis of Marr, admonishing me, "It's a big world out there. You should go explore it."

No matter how much has happened since then, I still get an odd tingle of sadness and nostalgia every time I wander into Freeport or East Commons. The militia guards have gone from being my protectors to being my prey. No longer do I sit and med at their feet when I need to heal; now I kill the guards, then act as protector for the lowbies until the real guards respawn. The griffon was a challenge when first duo'ed with a druid around 35; now I kill the birdbrain for fun whenever I can. Sergeant Slate has gone from being a KS'ing nuisance to a murderous monster (I became KOS to the Militia at level 40) to a hunted fool whom I kill each time I pass through EC.

I miss using Freeport. No longer do I imagine the cheery smile on Pincia Brownloe's face when I walk into her bakery. Groflah doesn't look at me speculatively each time I purchase some smithing supplies any more, trying to decide whether I'm a customer or his competition. And the people at the Temple of Marr and the Hall of Truth are no longer my guild leaders, fearless men and women who bravely lead the fight against the corrupt militia. They are now skill dispensers with a coin slot.

Once lost, the innocence of youth can never be regained. But I still like to pretend I get a warm welcome when I walk into Freeport. And East Commons will always be my newbie hunting spot.

Oh, and if you ever see a Woodland Lion in EC -- kill him for me. I've been killing him over and over for that one time he jumped me at level 6.

[Larong_Alsou]

Home away from home

Even though Larong cut his teeth in the forests of Greater Fay (getting lost more times than I care to recall), I soon moved him to Freeport and the Commons.

He still banks in Freeport, and greatly enjoys the run from the druid rings, through West and East commons and then into Freeport.

Like Kyros posted above, watching someone solo the Griffon and Hill Giants for the first time filled Larong with awe. Always before, the sound of flapping wings or stomping feet filled him with dread. Now the tide has turned and its Larongs' spells that are sapping the life force from these once seemingly invincible foes.

Yes, Freeport is my home away from home.

[Twofury]

Aaaahh, swimming the murky depths of the Cabilis canals makes me feel all cosy.

Then i hurl some abuse at the SK guild (and FD before they can get to me, harhar)

Talking to Master Glox (not with)

Home = home for me

[sumamael]

Well it's hard to say, I was trying to move as much as I could and never spent too much time in one zone or area but I I have spent a lot of time in my early days in neriak-ec-freeport area of anatolica mostly because I was a dark elf smith making banded armor in neriak and freeport and trying to sell it in ec.

So I would say north-east anatolica is my home

[Zeralenn]

Even though I now run a certain number of lightie characters, my "homes" are Neriak, Nektulos, and Lavastorm.

EC less so -- while I hunt a great deal in EC with every character I have ever had, it doesn't have the same feel as the other zones.

Oddly enough, I also have a homey feel for Oggok -- maybe because I do a lot of tradeskilling there. It's so quiet.

...Zera

[Woodeckt]

My first toon was a half-elf ranger born in surefall and hunting in bb and qh but my druid is my all time favorite and his home will always be Rivervale.

Rivervale the best tradeskill town in all of norrath I think. only a couple of things i cannot get there I love it. We have good fishing too.