EverQuest released all the way back in 1999, but despite that it’s still one of my favorite MMOs to play today. I’m not really talking about the live game though, which incredibly is about to receive its 30th expansion, Laurion’s Song, in December. I’m talking about classic EverQuest, where meditating for mana took forever, a lull resist could wipe your whole group, and there was no such thing as a microtransaction.
Thanks to fan projects, it’s still possible to play EverQuest as it used to be. The latest fan-run classic EverQuest server, Project Quarm, launched on October 1. Like other unofficial fan servers the Al’Kabor Project and Project 1999 before it, Quarm strives to present the game as it existed back in the first couple years of the game’s life—warts and all. Unlike Project 99, however, this server will progress through the classic era all the way through the 2002 Planes of Power expansion, seen by many to be the peak of the EQ experience.
Its developer and lead administrator, Secrets, has been working on this for a long time. They had the same experience I did in 2001 when the Shadows of Luclin expansion came out. Even though the expansion was great, it featured a graphics overhaul with new character models that a lot of us thought were a substantial downgrade—mushy potato figures that all kinda looked the same and lacked some of the unique flavor from the originals (why weren’t the trolls scratching their butts any more?!?). We wanted to go back, and we couldn’t. It was my first brush with thinking about game preservation.
The code for Project Quarm is taken from the Al’Kabor Project, a longstanding (and painstaking) effort to reverse engineer all the content from classic through Planes of Power as it existed back then. It’s also open source, which is really important to Secrets. They not only want to preserve EverQuest as it was, they want to make sure Project Quarm will remain a place to enjoy it, come what may. “Let’s say I was to get hit by a bus,” Secrets mused to me in an interview. “I want to make sure that in the future we all have access to this. It’s a preservation effort. I’d like for someone’s grandkids who played EverQuest to be able to play the same game they did to understand how games used to be.”
Game preservation is especially tricky with live service games and MMOs. The developers are interested in moving forward, not backward, and sometimes the way the game was is lost to time entirely. Things are patched, changes made, bugs fixed, graphics updated. I may never get to experience the same thrill I did the first time I dropped into the Vault of Glass in the first Destiny or smash leets again with a pre nerf sledgehammer in Anarchy Online, but thanks to lots and lots of hard work by fans, EverQuest’s history is safe for now.
Why EverQuest is worth playing now
And it’s a history worth saving! You may wonder why I would play an MMO from a hundred years ago when there are so many other options, but there’s really something special about the original. Some of my favorite things about classic EverQuest include:
- Cooperation: Monsters are tough, and soloing is challenging. You can certainly still do it, especially on a pet class, but Everquest incentivizes players to work together. Whether it’s a duo partner to kill monsters, a Druid to teleport you to another continent, or a Rogue to pull your sorry carcass out of the depths of a dungeon, the systems in EQ push players together and create bonding moments.
- Competition: There are no instances in classic EverQuest—if you want loot and experience from mobs or camps, you have to go take it, which means another player can’t have it. It’s important to note that the best servers are not the wild west (although I would love to see a no holds barred server at some point if only for the train wrecks), and Project Quarm definitely isn’t—they have a robust ruleset to keep things civilized overseen by the co-administrator, Ailia. But competition is integral to the experience.
- Not every group is the same: In most MMOs, you settle into the same formula of a tank, a healer, and a few dps hustling through encounters with safe, but boring strategies. It’s not like that in EQ, though. Sometimes your group will have a swarm of pets, or use a Necromancer to fear things while Rogues stab it in the back. There are dedicated team members just for pulling things into camp or crowd controlling adds. There’s so much more variety to the group compositions, and all these years later I’m still learning new ways to get things done.
- No cash, no cosmetics, no nonsense: Thanks in part to the grey legal status of fan servers, PQ is totally free. Unlike the official time-locked progression (TLP) servers run by Daybreak, there is no cash shop, no Kronos, and no cosmetics. It’s a pure old-school experience.
- Stuff takes forever: I know, I know, this isn’t really upside. But Brad McQuaid (rest well, Aradune) famously said he wanted meditating for health and mana to take a long time to foster social relationships between players, and it works. You can go get a cup of coffee, answer an email, or have a chat with your Warrior about their cat. You just don’t get this kind of lull in modern games, and I can’t tell you how many real conversations I’ve had with real humans because we had to wait a minute or two on a mana bar.
EverQuest certainly isn’t for everyone: It’s dated, the gameplay is kinda clunky, and as much fun as I had waking the Sleeper on Project 1999’s Green server, the raiding in EverQuest can be a toxic morass of degenerates and elf lawyers (ever read a 30-page report with headers, evidence screenshots and videos, reference to established server case law, and footnotes with GM comments about a contested dragon? Cause I have). I’m really glad these classic servers exist though, and it’s nice to see the game in the hands of stewards who take it seriously.
That sort of engaged, hands-on management of servers will be especially important for ensuring a healthy raid scene. Currently, Project Quarm is rotating raid mobs with guilds taking turns, but other systems will be tried out as well. They’ve even considered adding more spawns if the assembled guild leaders (all of whom are in contact with Secrets on the PQ Discord) request it, with Secrets arguing that “while that will alter the game, it would also help sustain a server with more people than what players are generally used to.”
Changing the respawn of mobs is typically taboo on classic servers, with their focus on an “authentic” classic EverQuest experience, but being pragmatic about these QoL issues, especially with backing from the community, has me optimistic about the server’s prospects for attracting and retaining players.
It’s a great time to check out classic EverQuest if you’ve ever been curious—Project Quarm in its first few weeks has been a delight. Prominent EverQuest community member, LevelUpLarry, put out a quick start video that helps smooth out what can be a fussy installation, as did streamer CohhCarnage. If you have any questions beyond that, the PQ Discord is super active and has lots of helpful adventurers who can help you out.
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Scroll on down and take a look at our freshly written hint for today’s Wordle, ready and waiting just in case you need a little extra help with today’s game. And if you need a lot of extra help with today’s Wordle you’re in luck: the answer to the October 28 (861) game’s here too.
After too many win-streak worrying days in a row, it felt great to finally have a nice, straightforward victory again. Yellows, greens, answer—done. Thank goodness for that. Not exactly a Wordle for the history books, but today’s game did my blood pressure no end of good.
Today’s Wordle hint
Wordle today: A hint for Saturday, October 28
Today’s answer refers to a skilled professional known for their ability to prepare, cut, and then create buildings or other objects from stone. You’ll need to find two different vowels to solve today’s Wordle.
Is there a double letter in Wordle today?
No letters are used twice in today’s puzzle.
Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day
If there’s one thing better than playing Wordle, it’s playing Wordle well, which is why I’m going to share a few quick tips to help set you on the path to success:
- A good opener contains a balanced mix of unique vowels and consonants.
- A tactical second guess helps to narrow down the pool of letters quickly.
- The solution may contain repeat letters.
There’s no time pressure beyond making sure it’s done by midnight. So there’s no reason not to treat the game like a casual newspaper crossword and come back to it later if you’re coming up blank.
Today’s Wordle answer
What is today’s Wordle answer?
Kick off your Wordle weekend with a win. The answer to the October 28 (861) Wordle is MASON.
Previous answers
The last 10 Wordle answers
The more past Wordle answers you can cram into your memory banks, the better your chances of guessing today’s Wordle answer without accidentally picking a solution that’s already been used. Past Wordle answers can also give you some excellent ideas for fun starting words that keep your daily puzzle solving fresh.
Here are some recent Wordle solutions:
- October 27: NOBLE
- October 26: PIQUE
- October 25: RETRY
- October 24: CAUSE
- October 23: TEMPO
- October 22: GIVEN
- October 21: SMIRK
- October 20: OCCUR
- October 19: SPLAT
- October 18: MERCY
Learn more about Wordle
Every day Wordle presents you with six rows of five boxes, and it’s up to you to work out which secret five-letter word is hiding inside them.
You’ll want to start with a strong word like ALERT—something containing multiple vowels, common consonants, and no repeat letters. Hit Enter and the boxes will show you which letters you’ve got right or wrong. If a box turns ⬛️, it means that letter isn’t in the secret word at all. 🟨 means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 🟩 means you’ve got the right letter in the right spot.
You’ll want your second go to compliment the first, using another “good” word to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn’t present in today’s answer.
After that it’s just a case of using what you’ve learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there’s an E). Don’t forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS).
If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you’d like to find out which words have already been used you can scroll to the relevant section above.
Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn’t long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it’s only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes.
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It’s not quite the leviathan of TV satire it once was, but there must still be some thrill in seeing South Park reference something you’ve made. No one needed the rude cartoon boys to confirm that Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a huge success, but a joke about cross-dimensional BG3 save files in the latest South Park special does underscore how wildly mainstream the D&D RPG has gone. You’ve definitely made it when South Park mentions you.
But like a good, stern DM who doesn’t let the rules go out the window just because the players are joking around, Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios was quick to log an objection to the gag. Greeting the show with a wonderfully dry “Hello @SouthPark,” the studio pointed out that the joke misrepresents BG3’s cross-save capabilities.
The special, called South Park: Joining the Panderverse, premiered on Paramount+ today, and based mostly on the trailer, has to do with an alternate South Park universe influenced by the show’s take on ‘diverse casting.’ All you need to know in this context is that it involves a multiverse, which is where Baldur’s Gate 3 comes in.
In a scene posted on X, alternate reality Cartman (played by Janeshia Adams-Ginyard) complains that she’s “already like 50 hours into Baldur’s Gate 3” but has to start a new game. “Do save games not cross between multiple universes?” she asks.
Stan responds: “Save games don’t even cross between PCs and PS5s, why would they cross between multiple universes?”
As Larian pointed out in its response, however, Baldur’s Gate 3 save games can be shared between PCs and PS5s.
“While Baldur’s Gate 3 saves can’t cross multiversal barriers, we can confirm they do actually transfer between PC and PS5,” the studio wrote.
Hello @SouthParkWhile Baldur’s Gate 3 saves can’t cross multiversal barriers, we can confirm they do actually transfer between PC and PS5! https://t.co/yR5YQrLwcfOctober 27, 2023
It would’ve been a decent gag otherwise, but so it goes. The larger joke driving the scene (the clip above isn’t the entirely of BG3’s cameo) is better, but I’ll leave it unspoiled.
There’s no word on whether Larian plans to support cross-universe saves in the future, but we’ll ask the next time we’re in touch with their director of multiversal communications. If you want to use Baldur’s Gate 3’s cross-platform saving feature in this universe, you can do so with a Larian account.
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Bem vindos a Valhalla!
Depois de terminar AC Odyssey a 100% trago aqui o objetivo de deixar AC Valhalla da mesma forma
Acompanha os próximos episódios de AC Valhalla AQUI 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDowRCnCZ6UICNtMhndmxwW6Yjy5FjUXj
Espero que gostem, deixem o like, subscrevam, partilhem e ativem as notificações para não perder nenhum episódio!!!
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Looking for charms in Alan Wake 2? These little ornaments offer bonuses to help you survive your time in Bright Falls and the surrounding areas. You won’t find them just lying around though: you need to complete Nursery Rhyme puzzles which reward you with a charm if you manage to solve their riddle.
The bonuses you get from the charms aren’t overly powerful but they can help you out in certain situations. You can switch them in and out easily, too, so you don’t need to trek back to a safe room or upgrade station to change the ones you have equipped. With that in mind, here are the Alan Wake 2 charms I’ve found so far.
Alan Wake 2 charms list
You have three charm slots in your inventory so you can have multiple charm bonuses running at the same time. Aside from the Coffee Mug charm, of which you can find multiple, each charm is unique. You can switch them out from your inventory at any time, though just be aware that the game doesn’t pause while you do this, so it’s best to make sure you’re out of immediate danger before looking in your bags.
Here are the charms I’ve found so far:
- Anchor charm: Chance to stun enemy on flashlight boost.
- Coffee Mug charm: Saves you from death, but shatters in the process.
- Coffee World Token charm: Increases quality and quantity of resources found.
- Deer charm: Increase resilience against being staggered or interrupted.
- Deerfest charm: Significantly increases time before Darkness Shields regenerate.
- Hammer charm: Attacks stagger enemies more often.
- Kalevala Knights charm: Increases Hand Flare’s duration and area of effect.
- Lantern charm: Adds one charge to Saga’s flashlight.
- Lighthouse charm: Increases max amount of health restored in Safe Havens.
- Logan’s charm: Increases maximum health.
Don’t forget you can store your unused charms inside the shoebox in safe rooms if you need to free up inventory space—this might not seem like an issue early on but it becomes more so once you start picking up additional weapons.
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If you’re looking for Cult Stashes in Alan Wake 2, you’ve come to the right place. These containers are filled with ammo, health items, and batteries, so it’s worth your time working out how to get into them so you can stockpile as many items as you can.
Most of these containers are secured with a combination padlock and you’ll need to figure out the correct numbers by the clue left on the note on the lid. Once you work it out and get inside to the goodies, you’ll usually get a sinister-sounding note too, just in case you were starting to relax. Still, if you’re curious and want to know where to find a Cult Stash, as well as how to solve them, here are the ones I’ve found so far.
Alan Wake 2 Cult Stash locations
The puzzle on each stash is different, so while one may have you running around looking at painted rocks, another may have you working out maths problems. If your brain is already melted from the jump scares, the solutions are listed below too.
Cauldron Lake
- On the beach after first arriving there during the story. Interact with the lock and the correct keys will light up on the keypad in order. Copy the sequence to access the stash.
- Near the picnic table when you head west from the Witch’s Hut, which isn’t accessible until you’re able to explore the previously flooded area. This one has a photo of a light bulb on the lid. Use your torch to see yellow arrows painted onto nearby trees. Follow the arrows to find the key.
- Close to the river next to the Private Cabin. The note says “Rock, rock, tree”. Use your torch to see three sums nearby. The first is on the rock next to you, another on the tree to your left, and the last is on a rock on the opposite side of the river (you’ll need to go to the other side to find it). The answer is 658.
- Right next to the murder site, just to the south. The combination on this padlock has symbols instead of numbers. Head into the trailer home behind the stash. Look for the symbol above the sink in the bathroom, then the one on the side of the fridge freezer, then lastly, the symbol in the bedroom.
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Yesterday I experienced something in Halo Infinite that I hadn’t since its 2021 launch: I’d wrapped up a match of Squad Battle and was waiting for the next one when I realized I’d just played six consecutive matches of Halo without blinking, and I didn’t want to stop. I was having a really good time in multiplayer—so good that, for once, I wasn’t distracted by all the ways 343’s free-to-play FPS still falls short.
The pieces are finally starting to fall into place for Infinite, and all it took was two years of unofficial early access as 343 struggled to run a live service while also trying to get staple features like campaign co-op, Forge, and a custom games browser out the door. Remember when Big Team Battle was flat-out broken for weeks? Or when “Seasons” 1 and 2 were six months each? Me neither, because I stopped playing after a week of grinding one of the worst battle passes I’ve ever seen.
Halo Infinite Season 5: Reckoning, which kicked off last week, feels like a turning point. There’s a lot worth checking out: Forge got support for AI enemies that has already spawned an impressive battle royale mode, you can wear any helmet with any armor core, two new arena maps join a pretty good new mode, and you can earn XP in custom games. I’ve checked in on Infinite at various points over two years, most recently when it added my favorite Halo gun of all time, the DMR, and Season 5 is the first time I’ve noticed other lapsed players taking an interest in what’s new. Higher Steam concurrents since launch are a sign that they’re sticking around, too, for now at least.
It’s a great time to play Halo Infinite, as long as you don’t mind all the ways it’s still janky, awkward, and obtuse. Such is the Halo experience right now: There are major improvements, but most of them come with significant caveats.
Where Halo Infinite stands at the start of Season 5
📈 Progression doesn’t suck anymore*
⚒️ Forge is there, and cool
🧑🤝🧑 Custom games have been a boon for variety**
⛑️ Armor customization is better***
🔋 Arena is overflowing with good playlist options
🔫 Combat is more responsive****
🖥️ Servers are more stable
🌞 Seasons are releasing somewhat consistently
🗺️ Maps: there are lots of them now, and they’re good!*****
*Progression doesn’t suck anymore, but it’s not great either
These days you can progress Halo’s battle pass simply by playing, and challenges are a lot easier to complete too. But, what for? Infinite’s battle passes are still stuffed with stuff I’m not that interested in on their own, like kneepads and gloves that look slightly different from the ones I’m wearing. It’s encouraging that there are more color variants in the mix now, and even overlays that dramatically change the shape of your guns, but disappointingly few of these cooler cosmetics end up on the battle pass. You’ll find most of them in $10 – $30 bundles in the Shop tab.
**Custom games are great, but they’re broken
Like, they literally don’t work. When I join a map via the custom games browser, there’s around a 60% chance it’ll error out. It has been like this since the browser launched 10 months ago, and 343’s latest communications make no mention of how terrible the experience is or provide a timeline for when it’ll be fixed. The UI is also terrible. This is a major part of Halo, and it’s unacceptable.
***Armor customization is better, but still a nightmare
Using any helmet with any armor core is great. Now do that, but with every single piece of armor in the game. The “armor core” is a failed idea.
****Combat is more responsive, but still occasionally wonky
This isn’t unique to Halo, but I don’t like getting killed when I’ve already cleared a corner on my screen. Sometimes I’ll trade simultaneous melee blows with an enemy and we both die, and sometimes only I die. There’s a layer of inconsistency that’s occasionally annoying, but improved from launch.
*****The maps are good, but overly reliant on Forge
Forge creators are hard carrying Halo Infinite at the moment. 343 has added a pile of Forge-created classic map remakes and original arenas to official matchmaking playlists. While Forge remakes are surprisingly faithful and fun, they all have that snapped-together “Forge” look that’s incongruent with the game’s art style. I wish we didn’t have to rely on talented community creators to produce the maps people are most excited to play. 343 should be doing that work.
For me, Season 5 is evidence that 343 is finally in a place to spend more time expanding on Infinite than putting out fires. If the trajectories of Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield 2042 are anything to go by, then Halo Infinite has the makings of an honest-to-god comeback.
But it’s not there yet. 343 has tackled almost every problem I had with Infinite at launch, and yet there are fires that still need extinguishing. Onward and upward in 2024.
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Bem vindos a Mirage!
Assassin’s Creed Mirage promete voltar às origens, será? anda daí comigo ver!
Acompanha os próximos episódios de AC Mirage AQUI 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDowRCnCZ6ULAzAuu-sMXKvUbyjeHYpEs
Espero que gostem, deixem o like, subscrevam, partilhem e ativem as notificações para não perder nenhum episódio!!!
Segue-me nas redes sociais 📲
INSTA 👉 https://www.instagram.com/luisbenedito20
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