Yup, we've gone back to 1999.

Suckers for punishment, a few of us have set up shop again in EverQuest. This time though, it's EQ from 1999. How is this possible? Project 1999. This server has reverted back to the way things were at EQ's launch. And it's done very well. The game feels very much like it did in '99. All the old quests, mobs and mechanics have returned. It's truly a great thing.

It's surprising how addictive the game still is in that form. Ok, if you're an MMOG youngin' and WoW was your first MMO game, you're probably not going to have much fun. If you're like us though, and have been playing these games for a decade (or longer), this iteration is a real treat. Levels finally mean something again. You need to work with others to progress, or even level up for the most part. What you earn is an achievement and memorable, not some lame ass purple reward you got from just logging on.

The community's pretty good. People are, for the most part, respectful and helpful. PUGs abound and the players in them are good. Community is important as is keeping your reputation in tact.

I didn't know if I'd be able to play it again for long when we started up. But I'll tell you, this game is far more addictive than anything else I've played in the last six years, and I've played a lot. This is a return to a game with actual challenge and not some online Karaoke game where everyone hits the same macros at the same time and /cheers after 30 minutes because they beat the "epic" content.

I know that last comment is probably gonna get some of yas insulted a bit, but c'mon. You all remember those days. It was a hard life, but it was fun, and it was much more rewarding.

Anyway, if you're looking for some retro fun and a hell of a good time, check it out. It will take more of your time than today's MMOGs, so beware. Agony's End has been formed on the new server, so look us up.

So Star Trek Online is coming up quickly.

Normally in a situation like this, I'd tell you, dear readers, what I think of the game. In a normal situation I'd tell you "oh, god, it's really quite good," or "for the love of god, stay away."

I'm not going to do that this time. Instead, I'm going to give you a link to get your FREE STO BETA KEY and ask you to decide on your own.

You see, STO is a pretty damn unique game. But only unique in the fact that there are only maybe 2 or 3 other games like it, and none of which are Star Trek themed, and none of which have done what they do quite as well.

Don't go into it thinking "OMG I'm sick of WoW, EQ2, Vanguard, wtfeverMMOhere and am switching to STO" because it's really not a classic style MMO. Yes, it's massively multiplayer, but the similarities end there. If you're a Star Trek fan, you NEED to click the link. If you're not, then, well, you should still click because it will introduce you to some new ideas, concepts and strategic gameplay that you may not be used to and something I believe we'll be seeing a lot more in the years to come in the MMO market.

Think Pirates! (if you're that old) or think Pirates of the Burning Sea if you're not. Then add a third axis, a Star Trek theme, and some ground combat. Mix it in with Cryptic's token ultimate character generation and you'll have an idea why you should at least check it out.

I'm not saying you'll love it. I'm not saying you'll hate it. But if you do go into it, really try to view it as a Star Trek game and not a classic MMO and you'll be more likely to find the cool factor. And it's definitely there.

I don't remember the last time I didn't party on New Year's Eve. Ok, to be fair, I don't remember most of the New Year's Eve parties either, but I know I partied because I remember the mornings after.

You see, for a guy like me, New Year's Eve is like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Halloween, a birthday, graduation, and a briss all rolled into one. Granted, a circumcision at one of our parties only happened the once, and it was accidental, but it still counts. I don't do other holidays. I'm a single guy with no family obligations, so the only celebrating I do is when my other buds are free, and New Year's Eve is the only time of year that the whole world is partying.

This year panned out a little differently. Sure, I had a few options. There was a house party I could have gone to, a party at my favorite celtic pub, and an option to spend NYE in NYC. I could have also likely gone down to Toronto to party there. There were options.

So the party of the year, and arguably of the decade, came about. I had no idea which way I wanted to celebrate. I was sort of leaning towards NYC, and every day of the week leading up to it, I kept saying to myself "meh, I'll buy the plane ticket tomorrow." Well, that just didn't turn out. December 31st arrived and I still hadn't bought a plane ticket. It was pretty clear by about 5pm that I wouldn't be leaving the country that evening.

7pm rolled around, and I found myself chatting on Windows Messenger. I figured after I was done with that conversation I'd go for a quick nap, and then get up and either head to the house party or go downtown to the bar.

I woke up at 9pm. It was starting to get a little late, but I still had some time. I lazily strolled over to the PC to check my email, and started posting on some forums. 30 minutes passed by doing this, and I then received another IM on Windows Messenger. One of my other buddies wanted to play some Borderlands.

Borderlands is a kick ass game when played multiplayer. I had been enjoying it for several nights at this point, so thought, what the hell, I can play for an hour or so, then head to the bar.

We hopped in game and started doing our thing. We were having a ton of fun. Soon enough, the crackling of gunfire in my headphones was drowned out by the screams of some people downstairs.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed over Ventrilo. "Someone's partying hard downstairs."

"Yeah," replied Jeff, my gaming friend of the night. "The ball just dropped."

"What the hell??" I then realized New Year's Eve was over. Everyone outside and around the city was already drunk, the kisses from the hot girls who'd regret it in the morning had already been handed out, and I was in my apartment, only half dressed, with not a single beer in the fridge let alone in hand.

I then came to the realization that maybe I'm not as party-hearty as I once was. This was the first New Year's Eve I had missed since puberty. The clincher of it all? I don't regret it at all today.

I thought this was a pretty good deal.

Having played a little bit of Siege of Mirkwood during beta, I gotta say it's pretty dandy. I always felt LotRO was a good game. But, like a few other titles, we never played it as a guild, so it was hard for me to enjoy it for too long with no one around.

Now I'm not saying we should all start playing. We've got way too many games on the go as it is. But what I AM saying is that it's a very nice game. It has some of the magic of old EQ with mechanics and graphics of a current game. For Tolkien lovers, the story is superb. Pretty much anywhere you go you'll be soaked in lore and rich story. I think that's where the main appeal is at for this game, personally.

Due to all of that, soloing is somewhat more bearable. If you picture it as a single player game, you won't be disappointed. It's got group content too, don't get me wrong, but you will be soloing a fair bit, as with any modern MMOG. At least this time you can just let yourself be taken away by the story line.

Anyway, free stuff. So go enter the contest. Premium members have five set aside just for them, so odds are better for you guys.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, AE.

Another year behind us. That makes it nine. Wow. We've had some good times and some bad times over the years, but the fact that we're still gaming together is a testament to our friendship.

Before getting too sappy, let's take a look at what Christmas is all about. First, there's hot chicks. Whether you're in Alabama or the Yukon territories one thing you can count on is half naked anime girls shimmying down your chimney every December 25th. This alone is reason enough to stay up late. Holiday tip: If you leave 'funny' cookies and cosmopolitans on the table instead of milk and chocolate chip, the spunky lil elf girls will stick around a bit longer, and maybe even give you an extra treat.

Also, there's gaming. The holidays are chock full of in-game events that give us cool items. From Santa hats to reindeer mounts, Christmas is about loot. EQ2's Frostfell starts this week so you won't want to miss that. Christmas without EQ2 is like a landing page without hot anime chicks in skimpy Santa outfits.

Lastly, there's booze. Sure, you can get alcohol any time of the year, but this is the time of year when you truly have an excuse to get ripped daily. Whether you're drinking by yourself to drown the sorrows of being single and alone for yet another year, or if you need to dull the pain of incessant family members you'd rather not have to see at all, Christmas is the perfect time of year to get sloshed and stay sloshed. With seasonal drinks like Christmas Trees and Ginger Snaps, you're sure to have Holiday Cheer 24/7. Except the morning after. But if you took my advice and left the drinks for the girls in the first place, even a hangover can be a wonderful experience if there's naked gals with you.

Happy Holidays, Agony's End. Here's to another year.