Average age of EQ players?Follow

Im 42 - been actively playing since 1999 in a few semi hardcore raiding guilds over the years. I got married in November 1999 and had two kids since I started - eldest is four now and will play my war or bard when he is ready - and if his mum lets him ;) My wife played to a lvl 10 warrior back in 1999 and never played again. Now she hates EQ but prefers me on it instead of down in the pub ;)I had no reason to stay in doors and play EQ but with kids its difficult to get out now so it suits us just fine. I keep Thursdays for my wife although lately we try to get out more often since we found some trustworthy babysitters. I was drawn to EQ by my love for D&D when we used to play as 16 year olds after school etc. My main character in EQ is an evolution from my D&D days - high elf wizard - same name.

Have seven accounts - most with tenth vet. I Took it easy when my kids were born - left the hardcore scene but now find time to raid three to four times a week. In real life, I'm an IT contractor working in the banking sector and I find EQ can be extremely frustrating but also amazing sense of achievement even though its all only pixels. Its a great escape. I play a wizard lvl 90 main 5k5 aa and I am mostly interested in DPS parse competitions with my fellow guildies. I have recently been tinkering with Legends of Norrath but the only reason I was drawn was the loot card rewards for in game items> - message to SOE marketing - its working ;)

45 here.

I've been playing on and off since..Ysheka?

1st was an Ikky monk. Happy to say I quested the Whistling Fists.

My main is now a 75 Pally but I've run up a druid and a cleric recently. Dabbled in other, but never played a WIZ or MAG.


I <3 questing. My brother has been playing since release and it was a great feeling when I got my Blade of the Stonehive Front and he said it was the first he'd seen on server. (Stromm)


I also spend a lot of time helping noobs with quests and gear, so I guess for me it's more the social aspect then the end-game.

Totally agree with you on both counts. Coming from a social text-only chat venue, for me EQ was, and to a large degree still is most enjoyable in a social context - and I'm not referring to raiding.

As for quests...oh YES!!! I recall camping Dyllin Starsine at Highhold to complete the Testament of Vanear Quest. I had my strategy in mind and was the only person there when I began what turned out to be something like an 8-hour camp. A few people came and went but one guy hung around and threatened to KS my mob. I was in guild chat the entire time and when I mentioned this, one of my guildies (another Druid) arrived to make sure that did not happen. (Go guildies!!!) I was soooo proud of that piece and keep it as one of my memories.

Most of you folks are younger than I am.

MWHAHAHA

It always surprises me how quickly people feel the need to ask this in game. I'm generally "in" the role of my character, so another character's puppet string controller's age is not something I'm going to ask any time soon. However, if I find that a friendship is building between puppet masters, then it certainly makes sense to wonder and ask.

What has surprised me, as an old fart (well not as old as Jonwin, thankfully!), is that it's often the young players that pleasantly surprise me. I've met, grouped, chatted with, and been friends with people young enough to be my children's children - teenagers or younger. Many of them have been just as mature, engaging, and entertaining to talk to as supposed 'adults'. Since we tend to discriminate on the basis of age (in both directions), I now rarely ask anyone how old they are since online it can be such a deceptive metric.

Jophiel, had to rate you down for your comments on my age. You need to respect your elders more.

I feel exactly the same way on every point in the above paragraph. Even in SecondLife one can be any age, any race, culture, animal, alien, etc. that they want to be. Age is not an issue until it needs to be and a deeper friendship forming is basically the only reason for me. From my experience, the people that immediately volunteer their age are the younger ones. No earthly idea why.

When I played EQ years ago, I tried to stay in character as much as possible and I wasn't even on the FV server. I had great fun with that. Example:

Random player approaching me: Will u sow me?
Me: *Looks quizzically at the person in front of me and tries to determine what language is being spoken*
Random player: Huh?
Me: *Tilts head to the side and runs through a mental checklist of possible languages this could be, although it is not one with which I'm familiar*
Random player: I'm speaking English!!!!
Me: English? Hmmmm, is that from a far-reaching continent of Norrath?
Random player: Wut?
Me: I shall have to journey to Erudin. Perhaps one of the scholars can be of assistance in deciphering this new tongue.
Random player: Are u going to sow me or wut?
Me: I wish I could help you but I am sorry I cannot understand your speech pattern. Good day.

I used variations of this; sometimes I "chastised" the person for not using "please" in a request for sow, bind, tp, etc. It provided me with amusement at least.

In SecondLife I was recently asked to dance and, after accepting and beginning to dance, next comment/question was:

Him: I'm 25, single and live in India. You?
Me: I'm immortal, single and live in the US.

He didn't blink at the "immortal" and we had a nice dance and conversation. (Files that one to use again.)



Very true and in EQ I've encountered teens that are quite mature and supposedly mature "adults" who act like children.

The younger players are often excellent at EQ (and other MMORPG's). They grew up with computers as a norm and got into online games at an early age. I know that's a bit of a broad brush statement, but overall I think that's the case.

For some of us who were of a "certain age" when we began playing EQ, this was a whole new thing. (I'm one of your peers, Jonwin, so no age remarks from me!) Heck, the IBM Personal Computer wasn't introduced until 1980 or 1981 and really wasn't in the average home until the clones began bringing the prices down. (I realize various Apple models predated the IBM PC, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.)

In my first guild, the guild leader's daughter was 13 and was also an excellent player. The only time I was REALLY glad to know someone's age was when I was asked to be some guy's gf, then followed up by asking how old I was and volunteered that he was 12. EQ wasn't created as a "dating game" but where there are people, certain situations will follow. Back in the day I attended my share of EQ weddings. I was briefly married myself in game. When I returned back in June I saw that relationship "intrigue" was still present. So, as I "think" Samatman said, age isn't really relevant UNLESS a closer relationship develops, and my caveat is ESPECIALLY in a "romantic" situation.

You got it! I'm the redheaded woodelf who will just mysteriously step out of the nearest foliage. *Thinks for a moment* Errr, which bar? *Has an image of traversing Norrath looking for a half orc - half neko catman in an undisclosed location.*

---------> 40


and here I thought *I* was old - comforting to see you all!

I haven't been in Runnyeye in....well, longer than I can recall. I can get into most cities with invis, it's just the pesky invis dropping at inopportune times that puts a crinkle into the best laid plans. Norrath is replete with undisclosed locations, though.



WOOT!

In that case, I'm the curvy green-eyed redhead who on any given day may be found in a 1920's Speakeasy, a number of 1940's jazz clubs, a 1950's diner complete with vintage cars, jukebox, and malts....or possibly in a Medieval Castle or on the well-manicured lawn of a Victorian estate. Just tell 'em "Czari sent you."