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Rating: 
Summary: A Necessary Evil?
Review: Ah, the naysayers and complainers have been having their way with this book, I see.Yes, most of the information is available online, if you want to track it all down and complie it yourself. And yes, there are some changes to the game over time (usually pretty minor, let's be honest). But the value of having ALL of this in one place shouldn't be underestimated. Lists upon lists -- starting stats and skills for all the races and classes, lists of who gets what spell at what level, descriptions of spells, weapons and armor, character creation and basic play, maps of starting locations... not to mention must-read sections like "EQ Jargon," "Play-Nice Rules," and the fun role-playing element of "emote" commands! I don't use it every day anymore, but it's always at hand for starting up new characters, or when my casters are going to get new spells, or ?? Why worry about finding the information? This book is well worth the price.
Rating: 
Summary: Basic Guide. Outdated Now
Review: I found this book invaluable before being able to alt+tab out of EQ. Now it's a bit outdated and the information can easily be accessed online. I still reference this book for basic skill lists and basic recipes for tradeskills. The merchant lists for the cities that do have maps are pretty handy.
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Summary: Not as good for newbies as you'd think.
Review: I have a fair amount of experience playing computer games, including some experience playing a MMORPG (massively multi-player online roleplaying game). Specifically, I played Lineage for several months. I got bored with it eventually, and the sample graphics for EverQuest that I saw looked great, so I decided to switch. Consequently, I am not a total newbie when it comes to role-playing games, but I was looking for a good book to walk me through the basics of playing this particular game. In the bookstore, this book looked pretty good. And it certainly does have its strengths. There are LOTS of tables. For example, I've currently got one character that's a Necromancer Erudite and one player that's a Magician Erudite. There are charts telling you what spells each character can learn at each level, as well as maps of the cities of Paineel and Erudin, where these two characters start out (respectively). There are also extensive descriptions of the characteristics of each "race" and "class" of character, including info on what to do if you want to "solo" (play individually) or "group" (cooperate with other players in a group). Since I'm an anti-social person, I like to solo, so I was able to figure out that a Necromancer is good for me. However, I would have liked a little bit more "hand holding." When you start as a Necromancer, you are in a room with four NPC's (non-playable characters, i.e. computer-controlled characters) also in the room. I could figure out for myself that I should go to each character and use the functions explained in the manual on each one (click my cursor on it for info, and "Hail" it to see if it talks to me). So far so good. But what do I do next? Here are some things I could not find in the book, that I wish I had been told. (1) There are two doors out of this room. It turns out that you're supposed to go into the next room on the same floor, and then give one of your scrolls to the character in that room, who will then give you your first quest. It also turns out that, as a reward for completing this quest, you will get some good spells, so you should not bother to buy any spells even after you get some money (at least not until your character can start using level-four spells). (2) The spell you really want at first is called "cavorting bones." It creates a skeleton "familiar" that makes killing things MUCH easier. (If you don't get it when you complete the first quest, you should probably buy it, if you can afford it.) (3) If you have to buy this spell, you can get it in the spellshop that is downstairs from the room you started in, off the main hall on that floor. (This spellshop is not marked on the map the book provides of Paineel -- parts of this map are very confusing, and other parts are inaccurate.) (4) When you try to leave the city, there is a bug in the use of the key. (You will find the key already in your inventory when you start.) To get out, go to the exit door, face it, call up your inventory, click on the key to get it on your cursor, hold it in the middle of the screen, and type "u". (I only found this out by "petitioning" a gamemaster -- a process which IS described in this book, fortunately.) (5) To return to the city, find the rock near where you go out of the city. You will notice that it is tear-shaped. Stand at the narrow (I think) end of it, put the key on your cursor again, and type "u". (I found this out by dumb luck and mindless repetition.) I'm not trying to give a lecture on the game here, my point is just that this is stuff that is needlessly tiresome if you merely want to enjoy an immersion role-playing experience. A guidebook should walk you through this stuff, and this book doesn't. I THINK I would still get this book if I had to do it over again, but I'm not 100% sure it's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Believe it or not, this can help a newbie
Review: I have read all of the other reviews of this book, but it seems to me most of the feedback has been from people who already were experienced in the game. How else could they point out how inaccurate it is? I believe I bring a different perspective to the guide, because I bought it only a few days after buying the game, and it has helped tremendously in a few areas, such as choosing a character, values of weapons and armour, what effects a spell has, etc.... Having a book in hand that you can refer to at a glance is much more helpful than having to search the web for clues as to what to do in the game. In fact, the guide includes a section specifically pointing out good websites to visit for more information, which helped me determine the race and charactor I wanted to select. Admittedly, I was hoping for more meat in the book, like walkthroughs for the first couple of levels for each type of character, including strategies for early success, but all in all, the book can be a benefit a new player, if nothing else than as a reference guide. Don't be put off by people telling you that everything is wrong. If you are like me, and like to have more information readily available than the pathetic manual that comes with the game, then this may be for you.
Rating:
Summary: Outdated
Review: I'm a newbie to Everquest and have found this guide invaluable. The sections on races and classes give you the info you need to build a solid chrachter. The listings of class spells are very handy. It also includes some maps of towns which are great. There are lits of terms that are useful to know "gamespeak" ie:LOL,SoW,twinking.
Also as an extive listing of the game commands (command line) and fun emots you can use. (HUG,Gesture)
This books helps you get up and running quickly.
Careful consideration should be taken when creating a charachter. This book is an invaluable resource in that area.
Great for newbies and a great rference text in general.
Rating: 
Summary: must have book
Review: my husband is obsessed with everquest and he says this book is a must have!!
Rating: 
Summary: Most of this can be found on website
Review: Not only can you find most of this stuff on website but when it comes to games like everquest, where things do change on a regular basis, books like this quickly become out-dated. Save yourself a few bucks and go do a search on the internet for "everquest", their are many excellent sites that will provide you with the information that is in this book for nothing or for a low fee.
Rating:
Summary: It's A Good Book
Review: Okay, so maybe you can get all this information on the web. But can you get it so neatly and precisely laid out and accessible? Unless you're into printing dozens of pages or have two PCs side-by-side this book is the best resource for getting started in the game. The layout is well done. There are some great starting tips for each character class and each race. The spells section is well done with detailed information only for the lower level spells. At first, I was angered by that but then I realized that there is some fun to be had in the mystery of what your next set of spells will bring. All in all, this book is a great read for the starting player and also an excellent reference for anyone (even a veteran player) starting a new character in a class that he or she is unfamiliar.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable help to me, a Newbie
Review: When I first started Everquest over 8 months ago, I did not have a clue as to what I was doing or what was going on. I deleted EQ and cancelled my account within my first 30 days. A little later I saw this book, so I purchased it, and within hours I was back on EQ and have not left it since. This guide is a great help for Newbies just starting out with Everquest. In my opinion it is a must have. Unless of course you want to spend all the time jumping around websites to find information to get you started. I found it very nice to have things laid out in a book form that I could read, and then go apply what I had just read. I highly recommend this book for the new Everquest player.
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Summary: WOW - Be Sure To Get The "Revised" Version!!
Review: WOW!! This book nails the details of EVERQUEST, so if you are serious about playing this online game, be sure to pick up a copy of this book. There are about three versions of the book, so BE SURE TO GET THE "REVISED" VERSION (it has the red triangle in the lower left corner). Also, be sure to compare the races before setting up your character then be sure to obtain the applicable maps to maximize your efficiency. You will only regret this if you decide to jump into the game without them (easy to get lost). Good Luck with EVERQUEST and don't forget to order a copy of THIS book (be sure to have your buddies get a copy, too)!
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