The name you all know and love “Xanapus” comes from the original EverQuest.  It was a game generated name, but it was originally spelled Xandapus.  I played that character for a few days and was told I better start all over because I didn’t put the starting points to “int” (intelligence).  When I deleted the character, I went back into character selection and tried it again, but it wouldn’t let me use the name again.  I had gotten a little used to that name and I didn’t want to have to change it, so I just dropped the “d” and I became Xanapus.  That was June 29th 2002.

I quit playing EverQuest a few years ago after playing for 6 or 7 long years.  Day in and day out 16 hours a day non stop playing.  It took a serious toll on me because I didn’t know what else to do with my life.

Why did I spend so much time on the game you ask?  Well, I am legally disabled so what else is there for me to do?  I can’t stand for more than 10 minutes, I can’t lift boxes, I can’t even bend over out of fear of my back locking up on me, which happens more frequently than you think.  I am in constant agony from my back because I have Degenerative Disc Disease in my lower spine.  So I can’t work, I sit at the computer which also sometimes takes it’s toll on my back so I have to be careful to be as comfortable as I can.

So recently I had started to get lonely for the game so I decided to download it again and set up my account for $14.95 a month and get back to the daily grind.  I began playing a newbie character who was level 12 I believe, and got him into his mid 40’s in just a few short weeks, but I wanted to play my old guys like Xanapus and Perceus again.  I did, or at least tried to, but I found myself bored again already.  I decided why not try out EverQuest 2 and see what’s going on there, I had to get a memory upgrade, but I started playing it and I got that spark back because this is a whole new game with all new graphics and all new zones and all new adventures.  That is what I missed the most, was the adventuring.

I was having fun, but since the game was free I started to notice all of the restrictions for free players.  I figured, if I want to play this, I gotta pay the money, but I don’t want to have to keep paying them just so I can get a backpack or so I can do this or that, so I changed my subscription with EverQuest 1 to a station pass for all of the Sony Online Entertainment games for $19.95 a month.  Now for only $5 more, I can play all of their games, like Star Wars, DC Comics and whatever else they have.  That’s a way better deal if you ask me.

So this is great.  I can finally stop obsessing over who in the news is calling who anti-gay slurs and who is trying to take away my right to marry, now I can focus on actual fun, something that will give me a few hours a day to escape the real world.  Think of it as a vacation for my brain lol.

I took this video tonight in EverQuest 2 of me flying a Griffin.  Pretty cool mode of transportation if you ask me.  Anyway, till next time.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SttQ1wd1pEo