In the wake of World of Warcraft: Classic's massive success, EverQuest, another MMORPG that had a large following in the 2000s, will be getting its own "classic" server called Project 1999: Green.
Just like WoW: Classic, EverQuest's classic server aims to take the game back to its original form before any updates or expansions were added. By doing this, the creators hope to not only provide long-time fans with a nostalgia trip but also to reintroduce the basic mechanics that made it so popular in the first place.
EverQuest originally launched in 1999, making Project 1999 the perfect title for a classic server. It is famous for being the first successful MMORPG to utilize a 3D graphics engine, which set the stage for later MMORPGs, like World of Warcraft. Similar to WoW, in EverQuest, you create a character, select their race and class, and travel throughout various zones, completing quests and dungeons. It served as the groundwork for World of Warcraft, popularizing a system that would later be perfected by Blizzard's incredibly successful MMO.
The difference between Project 1999 and World of Warcraft: Classic, though, is that Project 1999 comes from independent creators and the classic server will not be officially released by Sony Online Entertainment or Daybreak Game Company. The server will run similarly to the original EverQuest servers, and unlike World of Warcraft: Classic, the team behind Project 1999 plans to rerelease the game's expansions in the same schedule as the original did.
Granted, World of Warcraft had unlicensed "classic" servers for years, and none of them really saw the same success that Blizzard's official Classic has been experiencing. Although it's cool to be able to go back and play the original version of a game, there's something about an "official" release that gives the experience more value. After all, you need a few hours to reach the cap level in MMORPGs, so that time has to feel like it's worth it.
Either way, it's great to see people working to recreate games like EverQuest and provide players with the same experience that they fell in love with so many years ago. We live in an interesting time when people genuinely get excited to play games that were originally released nearly two decades earlier. It really all boils down to giving gamers what they want.
Source: Project 1999