EverQuest Franchise Holiday Contest! :: EverQuest :: ZAM

EverQuest Franchise Holiday Contest!Dec 20th, 2013 at 12:33 PM by Cyliena

SOE and ZAM team up to give the community some awesome prizes!

UPDATE: Winners have been announced!

Thank you everyone for your entries! It's definitely been a trip down memory lane reading so many wonderful stories. The contest has now ended and we'll be finalizing the list of all qualified names before randomly selecting winners in a blind drawing.

Winners will be announced by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Winners will also be notified via Private Messaging (PMs) on ZAM that they have won. We will update this article and post a new one as well informing everyone of the results!

This holiday season, Sony Online Entertainment and ZAM want to share the holiday spirit with the community with an epic contest! It doesn't matter if you play EverQuest, EverQuest II or want to dive into EverQuest Next Landmark, there is something for all Norrathians here. We have one grand prize and three Station Cash prizes from SOE, as well as a bonus for ten lucky people from ZAM!

GRAND PRIZE: One winner will receive codes to the collector's editions of the most recent EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions, Call of the Forsaken and Tears of Veeshan (a $90 value each), as well as a code for the EverQuest Next Landmark Trailblazer Founder's Pack (a $100 value; total prize value of $280)
Three more winners will each receive one $10 Station Cash code (worth 1000 SC)
Ten more winners will each receive three months premium on ZAM

Continue after the jump for details on how this contest will work!

How to Enter

Log in to your ZAM account (registering is free!)
Post a comment at least 3-5 sentences long (minimum) in the comments section of this article
The comment should focus on your favorite location in Norrath, in any EverQuest franchise title. Why is it your favorite place? Did something fun happen to you or your guild there? Do you just love the environment or lore of the location? Are you new to Norrath, but want to talk about a location you are excited to visit in-game?
You can supplement your comment by linking to a video or picture of this location! It's not required and won't affect your entry into the contest, but it's a lot more fun to share!
Deadline for entries is 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday, December 27, 2013... that means you have one week to enter!
Only one entry per person, please!

Due to the amount of entries we have, comments may take a bit of extra time to load... patience, grasshopper!

How We Judge

As long as your entry meets the contest guidelines above, you will be entered into a random blind drawing!
Winners will be announced by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Codes for the Grand Prize and Station Cash will be sent to the appropriate winners via private message on ZAM by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Winners of the three months of premium on ZAM will have it added to their account and will be notified of their win via private message on ZAM. This has to be done manually, so there may be additional delay.

Obligatory Information

No purchase necessary, but you need to register for a free account with ZAM if you haven't yet
You must have an account with SOE to be able to redeem the codes. They will not work for PSS1 account holders.
We don't care which country you're in as long as you have an SOE account
The contest begins whenever this article goes live on Friday, December 20, 2013 and ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday, December 27, 2013
One entry per person
ZAM staff and their immediate family are not eligible. Sorry, hubby!
SOE employees and their immediate family are not eligible. Sorry, Roshen!

That's everything! You can enter the contest for yourself, or to try and win an awesome gift for a friend or loved one -- either way, we can't wait to read everyone's stories!

Disclaimer: I'm aware that the picture above doesn't reflect the recent EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions... what it does reflect is my favorite locations in those games! =)

Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor

Follow me on Twitter: @Cyliena

Tags: contest, EverQuest, EverQuestII, News

Comments

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GFay Memories

# Dec 22 2013 at 12:37 PM Rating: Decent

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1 post

I spent many years in Norrath. Some of my fondest memories are of running around GFay when I had just started out and everything was still fresh and new. I will never forget the day my daughter, who was 7 at the time, wanted to play so I helped her make a female high elf paladin. She had only played maybe 15 minutes when she got jumped by an orc somewhere near Felwithe; she screamed and ran from the room. It was priceless!

My Favorite Zone

# Dec 22 2013 at 12:29 PM Rating: Good

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Scholar

37 posts

My favorite location in Norrath is Kelethin Forest. I had played various other online games, but nothing in the MMO genre before EverQuest. The first character I created was a Wood Elf Ranger named Styelth Xanozl. Starting in Kelethin was magical. I was taken in by the amazing graphics detail, the engaging music, and then the sudden death as I fell off the starting platform to the forest floor. I think I spent 5 minutes trying to figure out how to get back to where I was. For many months I played the game in first person view and this made it very difficult to see the ramps going up and down between the platforms.

Also, not being familiar with the idea of "training mobs" when people would shout, "Train to lift" "Orc Lift" I was picturing people bench pressing Orcs as part of some psycho strength training.

Fens wins!

# Dec 22 2013 at 12:27 PM Rating: Decent

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9 posts

Oh wow. This is really tough! Would be easier to ask my least favorite place! ^.^
I play eq2. My favorite place kinda changes depending on which one of my characters i'm playing.
I have a lot of good memories from Kylong Plains and especially Fens of Nathsar. \

Since I have to pick, I would say Fens was my favorite zone because there was so much to see and do. The zone is massive! And there are so many quests. It seems like there's always something else to do or work on. Plus the environment is really cool and varied. The mobs too! You have grassy green areas, smoggy swamps, creepy bone field, shorelines... Giants, skeles, spiders, goblins, ghosts, Burynai, Yha-lei ... Just lots of variety! Hope you got your sokokar!!

Oh and the Rime. Let's not forget the Rime. First of all, the whole Dragon's Rest Shallows area is amazing. And the little cut scene movie that plays, well it's really cool the first time you see it.

So anyway, you spent most of your time in Kylong killing Rime and destroying your faction. Now you get to build it back up! but it's fun! The illusions and sneaking into camps and such. That was tons of fun. I definitely remember being focused on that Ice Mare mount. And eventually, I was able to purchase it!
Good times!! xD

Dreadlands and Gorenaire

# Dec 22 2013 at 11:21 AM Rating: Decent

Scholar

37 posts

It's amazing to think that after all the adventures, all of the places we've been, the ones that stand out the most are the ones where we all came together to take down something HUGE for a single person. I had been keeping an eye out for one of the big ones, Ms Gorenaire by name, for several weeks. Had an idea of when she'd last been 'sighted' so sort of knew when she might make another appearance. I decided to scoot on out and see if she was lumbering around and sure enough, she was out and about. I put out a desperate call to all of my guild members online and we proceeded to 'procure' one of those lovely White Dragon scale for this guy I knew over in the Bard's Guild; unforgettable time and location.

Favorite moment in Everquest 2

# Dec 22 2013 at 11:17 AM Rating: Decent

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7 posts

When my wife and I started playing EQ2 we began our adventures on a PVP server; we had no expectations of what to expect and no real idea what PVP involved but we learned quickly. Originally we started on Venekor but that was eventually merged with Nagafen. My favorite place was always sneaking into opposing city guild halls (when it was still possible...) and waving at opposing players while they were doing their thing: checking the broker, depositing money in their bank, etc. My favorite was visiting during holiday events and sneaking a snack from their table decorations while briefly interrupting guild hall meetings or during raid gatherings. The look of surprise made it worth it and then the fun of them not being able to stop me made it priceless.

We have had many memorable moments playing Everquest 2, and made many new friends. It is still these moments that made us giggle the most.

Lots of memory, but one obvious favorite

# Dec 22 2013 at 10:30 AM Rating: Decent

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3 posts

My favorite is still the standard I judge all world events and holidays by: the first time time Everquest, a very long time ago, had a Halloween event. It was before questlines, claimable awards, and a couple of decades of changes hit the game. Instead, it was just chaos as a bunch of new MOBs showed up across multiple zones and laid waste to newbie players like me. It was still the most fun I've had in a holiday event, and the yardstick I judge all events by to this day.

EverQuest II Beginners Islands

# Dec 22 2013 at 10:20 AM Rating: Decent

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Scholar

22 posts

Didn't see where it has to be a current place, so forgive an old womanâ€¦

My favorite place in EverQuest II were the islands. Both of them. They were great places to try out different combinations of your character. Yes, it was quick to go through the islands. Many players got bored with them. I never tired of them myself. It was an easy place to meet new players too. I loved helping out when someone asked. I loved just making new characters to run through the island. See how fast or slow I could take to level one up to move on to the mainland. It was serene and peaceful to play there. I miss it very much.

I know I won't win. I never do. Too old I think, but I enjoyed sharing my favorite place in EQII.

Enjoy! Happy Christmas!

Safe journey...

Favorite EQ place.

# Dec 22 2013 at 10:18 AM Rating: Decent

4 posts

Looking back over the years to choose just one favorite location will be difficult. The EverQuest world was sure gigantic compared to any other game available. I joined the EverQuest world just prior to the release of Kunark. I would have to say that the entire continent of Kunark would be my favorite. First, it was difficult to leave Kunark, for example, one had to be high enough level to make it to the docks. Secondly, players could level from 1-60 on the single continent. Lastly, I thought the lore and development of the environment fit well in Kunark. You would walk through huge fallen statues, later you would stumble upon Combine spires, or the ruined Kurn's tower. Most of these fallen castles,cities, and towers would be relevant in the many additions to EverQuest.

GM event hooked me

# Dec 22 2013 at 10:07 AM Rating: Decent

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1 post

Long ago and far away, a young Woodelf Ranger, wandering through the familiar homeland of Greater Feydark, heard a commotion in the distance and decided to investigate. A large group of people, from every race and class imaginable, had gathered near the entrance to Felwithe. A familiar looking woman was speaking to the excited crowd, talking of a newly discovered land called Kunark, when suddenly a band of viscious reptilian attaked. Those of us gathered fought valiantly, and many died, trying to defend our beloved Firiona Vie from those vile creatures.

The early GM events of EQ hooked me on this wonderful game franchise. Though RL has sometimes kept me away, I am constantly drawn back to this vibrant land of Norrath.

Favorite EQ zone

# Dec 22 2013 at 9:48 AM Rating: Decent

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4 posts

If we are going for my favorite place in any of the Everquests.. Well I'm a die hard everquest fan. Places that I like all depend on my level like right now I'm playing with toons from 87-95 and I love the Erud Burning zone. Reasoning behind that is my group makeup is Pally, Ranger, Bard, Mage right now...So between headshot and cleansing the undead from my pally I am able to work on AA's and it be pretty efficent, without many people usually in the zone and if they are only sometimes are they at the very back of the zone. This allows me to level up my Alts and stack up an AA's. My main is 100 rog, 98 BST, and 98 Clr I usually box and my favorite zone for those guys is which ever zone they are needing for progression...Last I played them I was working T2 zones of expansion 19. I think most zones are fun to play depending on group makeup, with a true puller anywhere, but without one it can get a little more tricky on which zones you should play in.

Everquest was life changing...

# Dec 22 2013 at 9:45 AM Rating: Decent

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1 post

Oh man, where to start...
Everquest is one of those games that I put so much time into that every zone has a memory.

I could probably draw the layout of just about every zone in the game!
From Upper Guk to Najena to Erudin to Freeport (which is no easy task as a Troll).
I remember the spawn patterns of the crocs in oasis and I remember spending H O U R S trying to fear kite 'a sand giant' (and sometimes the rare spawn) but simply could not pull it off even 20 levels later.

Great Divide I spent many of hours trying to kite those giants and dragons just to get a Velium Weapon to sell for 10-15 gold.

Mountains of Rathe had those insanely giant skeletons that were perfect for collecting bone chips and great for being run over by an occasional 'a hill giant'.

Lake Rathetear was a very versatile zone that you could spend weeks in and get absolutely nothing accomplished which is why I loved that zone. From the undead gnolls that changed at night to the little casting goblins that sneak up on you in the water.

Kedge keep. I won't even go there...literally. lol

Splitpaw I often thought was designed as a tomb. You were meant to have shiny loot from there. Just a nice place to bury your corpse..over...and over...and over.....

There was no experience like having an evil character!
You had to watch EVERY turn you made.
There was no trip you could make and think.."Oh I'm in Innothule Swamp. They all like me here."
You would quickly find a Human Quest NPC just wandering waiting to slaughter your level 5 rump.

I could go on and on but to sum it up (I know it sounds corny) but Everquest changed my life.
Without Everquest I wouldn't have the friends I have today or have the deep seeded memories that I will never forget.

Edited, Dec 22nd 2013 10:46am by Ghoulander

So many great choices

# Dec 22 2013 at 9:38 AM Rating: Decent

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2 posts

EQ1 - My favorite area was Cazic-Thule. I loved the process of breaking the spawns, and working a group all the way to the Avatar of Fear to get that Ravenscale armor. And some of those trains to the zone-in when things went wrong, were simply, epic.

EQ2 - The Palace of Ferzhul was amazing for how difficult some of it's mechanics were to clear, and that just made me love it to death everytime I was in a group that succeeded in clearing. Pugs weren't as common in PoF, But when you cleared in one it really felt like an achievement.

Favorite Location

# Dec 22 2013 at 8:29 AM Rating: Decent

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1 post

I would have to say Stormhold.... I spent countless hours there on my two toons and never one had a dull moment. It was such a great design... the artwork, the mobs.... thsnks for al lthe fun !!

Hard to pick just one

# Dec 22 2013 at 5:21 AM Rating: Decent

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1 post

I had a hard time narrowing things down to one particular place, but I'd have to go back to the original EQ, when I'd make the run across the Karana's, about half way across North Karana, next to the river, there was a spot where the prettiest version of the EQ THeme song used to play

I often times used to find myself making that run just to kick that music off and listen to it, it also seemed like such a nice peaceful place, a wide open plain, quiet meandering river next to you, if I could find a place like that in real life I'd love to sit and meditate next to it.

Back in the day I had to make that run across the Karana's often and while it was a long scary run, that spot always brought a smile to my face and since it was relatively safe location I always took this as a breather space to sit and listen to the music.

I believe when they redid the music, they changed this, but it sbeen a long time since I've been in EQ1 now, making me think of logging in and seeing if its still there.

Favorite Moment / Place in EQ

# Dec 22 2013 at 3:51 AM Rating: Good

Scholar

20 posts

Plane of Nightmare. Friend and I were barely hunting single croc's off the wooden dock. He on his warrior, me on my shaman ( pre mercs). We aggroe'd two .. he did his best to keep them off me and I chain healed, and cannibalized like crazy to get more mana. At times he was below 5 percent health and I was almost out of mana. Amazingly we survived and killed both of them. I felt like I had just worked 8 hours digging a ditch. The thrill of surviving that battle has stuck with me all these years as my finest EQ moment.

Wileru 93 Barbarian Shaman, Emarr

So many...

# Dec 22 2013 at 1:30 AM Rating: Decent

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1 post

Woha, there are so many. As I first started the first month EQ hit the store, I made a dwarf paladin named Karthar, I adventured into butcherblock moutain, hunting skeleton for their bone chips, but the most awesoeme xperience, was when the orc messenger came on the road, leading me to greater Faydark. There, I heard the sweet music of the elf charming me to every fiber of my body. I advanced deeper in the dark forest, to find a city in the tree named Kelethin. From there, as I hailed the guard that welcomed to to their city, I used the lift up to the city, selling my goods from my hunts.

A memory that i will always remember, still today and I still laugh about it with my friend who was with em and saw this. As I went into one of the bridge of kelethin, i kind of moved too quickly thank to a druid who gave me the spirit of the wolf, which in the end made me lose fets and fall down kelethin. Surprisingly, I fell unconcious, seeing the red bar of my health at 0, dropping down near death, coming back up a little, dropping even more fatally, just to finally stand up on my own two feet again and fall down and get up. I finally could sit down and take a deep breath from this near death experience.

From there, I went to the orc hill, and hunted crushbone for dwarven axe dwarven ringmail, which was stolen from my fellow brother.

So as in all, my favorite zone is kelethin due to the ambiance music and the city itself :) From there, a half elf bard named Zarko has been born and is still kicking today :)

2 hated favorites

# Dec 22 2013 at 12:57 AM Rating: Decent

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3 posts

When I first started playing Everquest, I picked an Enchanter. My husband (now ex) thought I was crazy for "once again picking the hardest class to play. I really had no idea what I was doing, but I wanted to play a useful class. I had never heard of game guides etc and in 99, were there even any decent ones out? I put 5 of her initial points into strength. That's right, an Enchanter with a strength boost at level 1. Crazy!

My two favorite, yet hated zones, were Lake of Ill Omen and High Hold Keep. I leveled fast in LOIO, grouping with a few common names nearly every night. I quickly learned that the inside of my book was my best friend and that I had to leave meleeing the mobs to the dps and tanks. After LOIO, HHK was my next spot. I became quite skilled in de-railing the ever-to-common trains. All those levels and skills gained me nearly insta-group invites. The reason I say they were almost my most hated, I repeated levels several times in both locations.

Level 20ish in LOIO was just plain stupid. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong, maybe really bad groups or I was attempting to charm or something, but I just remember I died.. A lot. That naked run from FV to LOIO became very annoying. HHK was level 35. I ran out to get spells, died en route and back to bind point in the "safe" area of HHK. Don't remember how, just know that was a good portion of my buffer gone and, let's face it, any type of exp granting rez was a rarity. I get my spells, run back to HHK, and bam.. another death via zoning into a train. Back to bind. By this time, those spells I bought were completely useless. I think I managed whatever rez a level 40 cleric had and gained the level back in the next group.

Those are my two favorite and most hated zones. I apparently carried the nightmare of the HHK fiasco into real life when my husband woke me up to ask where our son's shoes were. Apparently my reply was HHK. I swore never again and headed for the next round of hunting grounds. I haven't even taken alts back to either location to level.

Vex Thal

# Dec 22 2013 at 12:09 AM Rating: Decent

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1 post

My favorite location in EverQuest is Vex Thal. It is a unique place, and inspired such a sense of wonder when I was first playing. I never got to raid it when it was the top tier, but found it to be just as entrancing once I got there. Although the level is too low now to draw a crowd, there are still some unique items available within its halls that cannot be found elsewhere.

To many to say just one

# Dec 21 2013 at 11:42 PM Rating: Decent

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1 post

My favorite game is EQ2. I have a lot of zones that are my favorite and many great memories. I play solo, in small groups and love to raid. Being that I am a healer I usually get agro and die but always have a lot of fun. It is hard for me to pick a favorite zone or spot. I really enjoy the holidays and all the fun events that Sony puts into the game. I am looking forward to EQ Next and Landmark. O finally get to make items in the game and share them with other players.

Only one spot...

# Dec 21 2013 at 11:37 PM Rating: Decent

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1 post

My Ranger (go ahead laugh) grew up in Greater Faydark. I started in 1999 after being told that it is just like D&D only with graphics!!! I was so lost and confused when I first started, but while I was confused I was completely amazed that a world such as this was invented. I love GFay to this day as one of my favorite places to start a character. Orc Hill scared me into palpitations. Then when you died (because it happened a lot) trying to get your body back so you didn't lose your precious cloth armor and rusty sword. I dream of those days being replicated again, but I am not that young anymore and I know it won't happen, but I loved the thrill the game gave me and all the people I met that I am still good friends with to this day, even though I have never met them in person.

EQ Next and Landmark does have me excited though.

~Amilu Dukkyslipperz
~Innoruuk Server

>.< so many favourites

# Dec 21 2013 at 11:31 PM Rating: Decent

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1 post

My favourite place in Everquest was prob Greater Faydark as it was my first zone ever :) Even though I fell out of Kelethin numerous times to my death! It's wasn't only beautiful it was also frightening and to a new player getting lost was pretty easy but that added to its charm! I just loved the fact that it contained two different cities and that traveling from one to the other felt like an epic journey on its own.

I also loved the creatures that lived in Greater Faydark, finding a faerie drake was always so exciting :P I spent so much time at the orc camps and the bandit camps and it was always so fun playing with different groups! Greater faydark was my druids home ^.^ and it will always be home to me too.

Favorite Starting Location

# Dec 21 2013 at 9:34 PM Rating: Decent

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1 post

Just like many others there are many diff locations that were/are great. If I had to pick one fav location I would say one of them is GFay. I liked the look of the zone but I really loved the city of Kelethin. The city being up in the trees was/is great. So being able to start of my very first character off here was amazing. Even today I go back now and then and just walk around the city for old time sake. hehe. :D

Hidden Horrors of Lesser Fay

# Dec 21 2013 at 8:34 PM Rating: Decent

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23 posts

"Welcome to the Lesser Fay! Oh look, little brownies!....Wait...WAIT! OH GOD NO!"

Favorite location

# Dec 21 2013 at 8:34 PM Rating: Good

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Scholar

285 posts

Not sure I have a specific favorite location... fond nostalgic memories of a lot of places. I'll go with one of my earliest.

It was when I was first introduced to EQ1 in early 2000. I spent a few days playing my Half Elf Bard running around Greater Feydark and into Crushbone... felt like a huge world with lots of variety. Then at one point the friend who had introduced me to the game led me to Butcherblock and I was just floored at how different things were. Anyway, that was the big moment of realizing just how enormous the world was. There are plenty of other places I have fond memories of, but that's the earliest.

Fond memories of commerce in Everquest

# Dec 21 2013 at 8:14 PM Rating: Decent

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Scholar

45 posts

My favorite place in EQ was the original bazaar. It was excessively crowded and very laggy, but it was alive with player interactions in a way that the new bazaar has never matched. It also supported more buying and selling than the EC tunnel and other makeshift gathering places ever could. As a tradeskill fanatic from my earliest days in the game, it was center around which all my other play-time revolved. The fact that its arrival came shortly before the introduction of the Protection of the Cabbage quest which led to mastering several tradeskills and the accumulation of my first 5 million plat just cements its place in my fond memories.

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