Everquest 2 ConcernFollow

Hello. My names Rewde, I was a great SK at one time in EQ 1. I loved the game with a passion. 65, decked out with the best gear. However, just before my guild went planar in Luclin my guard unit was sent to Iraq.

I missed 18 months of a real time game (I still have a few months to go, in Baghdad now)Sad fact is the game changed too much for me to continue playing. I was excited to hear EQ2 was coming out. New servers, a fresh start. My concern is, is it addicting, is it as fun? I hear you guys saying the gameplay has turned around completely... is it true?

Will I be able to play this game, will I find the same type of fun? I've been waiting for the day to get my *** back on the computer and play EQ for hours. I'm not concerned about race/class whatever. I just want to know if this is the game for me.

Thank you.

You're gonna love it! No doubt.

Great job over there, you guys are awsome!
Your Canadian counter part....Kenny

Having played EQ1 for a few years, I like EQ2 a lot so far.

The first thing you'll want to wrap your mind around is the fact that you won't be able to provide much to a group that someone else can't as well. They've put a lot of effort into making sure all classes are viable. I had a little trouble with that at first, as it seemed that class design was too generic. Everyone seemed the same within each of the four primary archetypes. The higher your level, the more each gets fleshed out, though, giving you more of an identity than it may seem at first.

Aside from that, the graphics are just awesome.

I think if you were an EQ fan, you'll likely be an EQ2 fan as well. It's the same approach of effort/reward but with a different style that also works.

Be safe and hurry home, bud.

Does that mean that there are no more death penalties? also does this mean that there is alot less down time between fights and they go though seamlessly? I am going to start up EQ or EQ2 soon and i am still trying to decide which one....

This is for the OP - many of the rest of you already know my EQ2 opinions, but he doesn't. And maybe he needs to hear this.

I loved old EQ and soloed a lot. I also grouped and was in my server's top raiding guild. So I was pretty excited by all the hoopla about EQ2 - the pre-release hype. They promised a really innovative and challenging new game.

And, to be brutally honest, they failed to deliver on that. Not completely. But imo they failed. The innovation that made it through to what we can now play is most "graphics" and "sound". Those are pretty killer.

What completely depressed me about eq2 was the complete and total lack of innovation or creativity in the combat and spell system. There are all sorts of player-friendly features, but the combat and spell systems ... how to say it? They are so narrow and restrictive that each fight feels the same. There is no tactical variety - there is almost no challenge to the game. You can either kill a mob and kill it easily or you get trashed by it and simply can't kill it - most of the time. There is almost no "gray zone" like in old EQ where if you master how to pull it w/ no adds, get someone to debuff and slow it - and etc. - then you can kill it.

I found playing EQ2 that I had nothing to "work for" - there was no big huge spell or ability I had to have. I found I leveled up to be using the exact same tactics fighting the exact same way, whether grouped or solo - only instead of killing gnolls I was killing centaurs, etc.

So I switched over to World of Warcraft and am having a blast. Something to consider.

Anyway, good luck to you, and don't let me stop you from playing eq2 if you were "meant to like it". Lotsa folks love it. I just thought u ought to hear from a nay-sayer before plunking down the change for the game.

Thanks for your service, by the way! Stay safe!

The game certainly does not look "bad"...They kept it true to Warcraft graphics, which apparently you are not familiar with.

The thing about World of Warcraft is that the end game is severely lacking. You'll feel that most of the instances after 60 are quite pointless, unless you only care about gear. Many lower level instances have aggro problems. Razorfen Downs comes to mind. You can aggro mobs on the ledge above you, and they'll train all the mobs in the zone to you. Very irritating. Some classes truly serve no unique purpose, either. I'm a Warrior, and should be able to out-tank anything out there...but sometimes a warlock can do it with their pet...or just simply fear kite for the win.

So...be wary of WoW. PvP is also a bit imbalanced.

Rewde, welcome to the boards. Now... lemme see if I can give you a little bit of insight as well.

I have no clue about EQ1. But, like someone before me, FFXI was my first MMORPG. If I must compare them, I'd say EQ2 is much more fun. Here's what I like about EQ2:

1. Experience Points. While I'm a roleplayer that doesn't really think getting to the higher levels is more important than "living" in the world, I'm glad that one can get a goodly (yes, goodly) amount of XP when questing (this is great!), grinding (mob after mob after mob after... no thank you!) and visiting locales of note (Whoo, I found the Claymore Monument, I get XP!). Questing is what got my Guardian to level 22 and my Predator to 18. I never did level grinding. If you don't go out fighting all the time and rest a bit, you even get bonus experience points the next time you adventure.

2. The world. The lands are very nice and realistic. Characters and equipment are cool. And with a good computer system, chain and plate armor is sweetly drool worthy.

3. Combat. I love soloing not because I'm anti-group, but because I'm a solitary character. Not having to rely on grouping for any sort of advancement, is something I like. I hate the forced grouping in FFXI. Being able to use abilities as long as I had the energy for it is much better than taking a beating and waiting for a TP gauge to fill up. HO's are much better now but must also be executed quicker.

4. Crafting. I love it and hate it. I love the challenge since in FFXI all I had to do was choose what I wanted to make and pray that it worked (whacky factors in a successful craft is bull... stuff). I've noticed that there is a bit more randomness in crafting than before, but most of the quality is still in your control. I hate crafting because of the tediousness of all the sub combines. Then there's the interdependancy issue, which recently had a good shaking to.

5. Housing. I like the ability to invite friends over to my room (my house when I can afford the blasted thing, if ever). In FFXI, we can't. Too bad you can just buy a plot and plop your own house in the spot. But, hey... it's till pretty good.

6. Quest journal. Explicit information for each quest. Only a few of them have been vague enough to make me want to come to this and the official forums to look for information.

Now, for virtually every point, they can be put to WoW and be valid as well. But I won't get into that since you're just asking for EQ2.

EverQuest 2 is a great game. It still needs to be ironed out but if you start now, it's still pretty fun.

I would recommend seeing if you have friends currently playing EQ2 and then playing around with their character, or better yet, make a new character if they have the open slot (only 4 character slots by default, 8 total with station pass). Granted you have a free month, but still, $50 on a game you won't play if you don't like it? Ehhh...

*edited because monotonous wasn't the word I wanted to use.*

Edited, Tue Feb 15 19:51:22 2005 by ArcosKojin

dear Rewde:

I think that whether or not you will enjoy EQ2 is all gonna depend on what type of experience you wanna get out of the game. As has been stated, it is a completely different game than EQ.

It seems to me that this game is not (yet) about large raids and high end uber guilds & players as are seen so often in EQ. That may or may not change as time goes by and the game evolves, but if that is what you are looking for, you may not be satisfied here.

Most of the gear you see, (and wear), is quested for, which is fine since the economy is very tight. Mobs tend to drop decent loot but till tier 3 or 4, quested is often better. PLing is almost unheard of as is twinking since the items a young toon is able to equip are available through simple quests and so, need not be purchased.

The tradeskilling system is amazing, truly a game within a game, and when you craft something, you now feel like you have really done something instead of just having picked out the components and clicked the combine button.

Grouping tends to be more casual and more dynamic, with a group often forming in a given zone for the express purpose of taking down a target mob or completing a quest and then disbanding once that goal is accomplished.

I never see any long term XP grind groups, (as is common in EQ), although they may exist.

Bottom line is, if this more casual play style suits you, then you will have a blast in EQ2. If you are looking to recapture the experience you had before, you might be better off returning to EQ.

Whichever you decide, good luck, stay safe and come home soon.

Above all, thank you for your service to our country. America is a better place because of men and women like you and we here at home thank you for it. God bless you and the men and women you serve with. You are always in our hearts and minds.

dunno where you heard about a trial. but im like 99% sure thats not true.

http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=twelc&message.id=69#M69