I signed up and played 76 after the first release—you know, the one with only like 3 humans.
It was my favorite experience. Empty, beautiful, peaceful and very exciting. The ambient music is my favorite of the whole series and it really set the tone.
I liked the feeling that you and a few other people online were the only real human survivors and the bots and mutants were the only things left in the world.
That changed after people complained… I quit after some changes were made. I logged in recently and now it’s full of generic NPCs and bullet sponge enemies. Not for me anymore.
I guess I’ll never be able to go back to that feeling right after release. It really was something else.
Anybody else play the game right after it was released?
I did. I loved it.
I don't like the hollow feeling the npcs give the world. It was empty but full.of mystery.
Now it's generic in a lot of ways.
But, there is hope through server emulation.
I am sure the old version will come back some day.