Dickie over at Rainbow MMO has come up with a laundry list of questions for all you MMO’ers out there. Think back to your first MMO and how it’s changed your gaming life for better or worse. If you want to play along, feel free to answer the following questions on your own blog, or over at his.

What was your first MMO?

The same first as many a veteran MMOer; Everquest.

When did you start playing that game?

About two months after its release. I had actually just gotten into PC gaming about a year before when Half Life was released.

What drew you to that game?

The people I worked with. I worked at an Electronics Boutique and nearly everyone ther started talking about the game right after it released. I heard all these stories of dungeons they were going through, loot they were obtaining, and experiences that eventually led me to be curious about the game. I honestly had no prior knowledge of the game. I wasn’t hyped for it, I had never even touched Ultima Online before, and didn’t play a crapton of PC role playing games.

What class did you play and why?

I went with a Ranger at first. I enjoyed the idea that I would stand in the back firing away arrows but still being able to wear chain armor and cast spells. It was a jack of all trades class, which is what I still lean towards to this day. Little did I know that the Ranger would end up being more of a melee DPS class. So I eventually switched to a Druid so I could both heal and do massive damage. Towards the end of my play time, I started toying with the Shadow Knight and loved it. Too bad Dark Age of Camelot was just around the corner by that time.

What level did you get your “main” up to?

I had my Druid at 60 when it was the max level. They eventually raised the cap again to 65, and around the time when I got 62, DAoC came out and I quit.

Did you play solo, have a steady group, or did you have a guild/team/linkshell/whatever-it-was-called in that game?

I knew some people that played, but were more hardcore than me. I couldn’t keep up, so I would end up grouping with pugs in dungeons, or soloing. The Druid was one of the few classes that could solo well in that game, so it was a viable way to level, but not really any fun.

What was your first “holy wow” moment?

There was a dungeon near Qeynos that was filled with Kobolds (I can’t remember its name, I want to say Splitpaw?). One night, a GM spawned a Kobold the size of a giant and set it outside of the dungeon’s entrance. For about a half hour, around fifty people went nuts on this giant Kobold. I died twice, but had a blast going at this once in a blue moon spawn with a large group of people. It was the first time that I had ever experienced a large scale fight in an online game.

When did it sink in that you were playing a game with hundreds/thousands of other players?

The previous answer might have been sufficient for this question as well. But really, I think the first time I ever felt like I was a small part of the huge EQ world, was when I first went to the Greater Faydark. Running through that zone and reading line after line of chat go by from people selling their goods or asking for assistance felt great. It really made me feel like the game had a community atmosphere about it.

What about that game hooked you into the genre?

That idea of playing with so many people. The fact that I not only was building a character who was an extension of myself, but being able to show that extension to thousands of players was an awesome thing. Sadly, I think that feeling is gone away a bit over the years. The “newness” of it is gone. But I still enjoy being part of a games community, advancing my character, and most of all, proving my abilities in a PvP setting. The downside is that I’m still looking for that perfect PvP MMO.

Do you still actively play that game, or have you moved on to another title, and why?

EQ is just a series of memories now. I moved to Dark Age of Camelot the day it was released. The look of the game and its three realms was hyperappealing to me. And the promise of hot player on player combat was droolworthy.

What lessons did you learn from that first game that you’ve carried into others?

I found out from my time in Everquest what kind of player I am, and what classes I should stick to. It was also a huge step in my involvement in this great big internet thing. Also: if it’s a female character, assume it’s a guy. A friend of mine had an in-game marriage…let’s just say the honeymoon was surprising.

What was your biggest noob moment in your first MMO?

That whole game was noob moments for me. Picking one would be like choosing which of my two kids my favorite is. I could do it, but then the other would be jealous.

What aspects or mechanics of that game do you wish other games would implement?

More of a difficulty to solo. The great thing about EQ to me, was that the game was filled with dungeons which needed to be done with groups. There’s so much focus now on if a game can be completed solo, that we seem to be losing the point of these games.

What was the worst part of that game?

The lack of PvP. While I’m not sure it would have really helped the game in any way, I really wanted something that had a structured PvP setting. Dark Age ended up being just what the doctor ordered.

What is your fondest memory from your first MMO?

Probably when I camped a spot with my Druid for 8 hours one day for a book that gave him some crazy stat bonus (like +8 to Wisdom or something). Finally seeing the mob spawn sent my heart racing and looting the book was amazing. But now looking back I just cringe at the thought of doing that again. I enjoy that memory though, because it reminds me of how I’ve changed as a gamer, and that even though I can’t devote hours upon hours to playing games, I feel like I have grown a greater appreciation for gaming and the craft of a well made game.