Starting CitiesFollow

Halas, Halas and always Halas.

Easy to find your way around in, got everything you need - really, I still don't know where to buy bagpacks in pok and my main has turned 54, I still just run to Halas and buy them =)

Great newbie hunting area, wayfarer camp, ldons, close to BB etc etc

And no, LemurGuy, you don't have to zone into Halas to sell your loot, there are 2 merchants in the newbie hunt area.

My first toon was brought up in Kelethin and I only dared to take one step at the time, scared to death of falling down. And got lost oh so many times between the lifts, the bank and my guildmaster... but Kelethin does have a special place in my heart.

heheh...i voted neriak...made a dark elf rogue as my 3rd character...got lost....ran around...got lost again..by the 10th time i knew my way around and loved the city because i knew that not many people can navigate it without a map..so its funny to see people say "the bank in neriak? where's that?? cant you just go to pok!?" ... 2nd choice woulda been kelethin...my 1st character was a wood elf warrior...*cough* gimp *cough* but he still is my highest lvl character..(lvl 53)..same situation in kelethin..ran around enough that i learned the way through there...maps ruined the game in my opinion lol

Rivervale has always been my favorite starting city.

It has many quests to do. In fact it is possible to gain the first 2 or 3 levels by doing quests.

However what I like is nice touches like it being one of the only starting cities, (The only starting city in the original game) with children and grandparents. It feels like a real place because of this. It even has a dangerous dog that roams the street that you have to watch out for.

It has the best Inns in the starting cities centrally located as all Inns should be.

Chasing Nillipus around the city for the first time, hoping that you can kill the little Jum Jum Thief is very exciting.


A beautiful waterfall and fishing pond.

And the music is by far the best music for any city or zone (The music near the Otters in Cobalt Scar is a close second.) in the game.

Rivervale is also the only Democracy in the game. All other starting cities have some other form of governance.

As for the leveling it is possible to do up to level 12 (or even 14 now I hear) in Mysty Thicket. Then you can progress to Runnyeye, and if you have a group with you it is possible to level into your 30's all within two zones of your starting city.

And Runnyeye has some of the best starting loot in the game if you are a new player and not given to acquiring your wealth from outside sources.

Once you are done with Runnyeye it is possible, though a bit more difficult (But if your group has mastered their technique in RE it should be a snap) to continue leveling in Kithacore. It is possible to level to 50 in Kith (Albeit slow because of the need to only hunt at night.)

What other starting city can take you from 1 to 50 within 2 small zones of it?

(Cabalis is the only other city that can do this too. Unless Shar Val can. I have never leveled a cat so I do not know.)

I played Gfay I hated it was ported to rivervale and stayed. Most of EQ friends were Halflings for ages.

Aimi 70th Shaman of Quellious

Grobb....darnit ... and no it is not the same as Gukta as the presence of the froggies ruined the entire experience for me ....


Edited, Sun Jul 24 18:45:14 2005 by Krazaarg

Paineel was my choice. Attractive in a cold way, the mirror-port gates and it just seems to have more little touches to it than most other cities (though I know Paineel was added after the rest of the Old World cities). The moaning ghosts, the skeletal band in the bar, the little rooftop garden above the potion shop, the observatory overlooking the Hole, etc. A curious mix of the prim and proper Erudites and the constant presence of roaming undead throughout the city.

The newbie garden is actually pretty nice in that it doesn't require any zoning and has a nice mob density for such a small area and it leads right into one of the best newbie dungeons with the Warrens (another late arrival, I know).

Halas

I love the clean, white snow.

I too liked Paineel. Mainly because of the newbie garden and the warrens. My main now is a Euridite Necro.

I do feel like SOE wants to make it hard on the Evil Euridite. Its a racists thing I'm sure. I mean no other city requires you to get a key from the guard to get in. And there are at least 10 doors and 2 portals to go through to get to the tribute master (Find does not work through portals btw). The bankers are behind a glass window. There is only one way in and out of the city. A MAJOR hole next to the entrance with no damn guard rails to keep the kiddies safe. The crappiest music anywhere, if you can even call it music. And if you ***** up and get into the observatory, good luck finding the way out. Other than that a nice place to live.

Freeport sucks. I might as well play blindfolded if you drag me down there.

Kelethin has my vote. Awful maze to start out, but always a thrill to dash around on the wooden bridges. I will never forget my first EQ session. "Hmm, how do I get down here..."
<jump>

<splat>

Took about 10 deaths before my friend called me on the phone (he was watching), laughed at me and said the pole was actually a button to get the elevator up :P

I started in freeport it isnt that bad to learn your way through but kelethin has never made sense to me.

I remember Hand of The Tier'Dal :D

Neriak was the very first city I seen in EQ, so I gotta vote for it! I still remember that first day - I was so amazed at how massive the game was, I got so lost in that city, so many times then..

I know it quite well now, of course! lol

Yup, same thing happened to me with my first character. Freeport and the commonlands were my home.


Then I made the DarkElf Necro! Tho there was no sky, Nek Forest was the pwn!