starting a new MMORPG?Follow

First thing that comes to mind when you have to compare the 2 games is how EQ2 is MUCH more casual friendly than FFXI. In FFXI its nearly impossible to solo past like level 18 or so, while in EQ2 you could solo all the way up to 60 if you wanted to. Also, I barely ever heard of anyone sitting for 4-5 hours around (like in FFXI) LFG hoping someone would pick them up in their group...because every class has its own strenght which make them valuable in groups. Which means, there is no 'perfect fit'for a group, or at least, nothing compared to what FFXI was, where you practically have to have a certain group setting in order to get moving.

Another thing that comes to mind is that, well, in EQ2 there is ALWAYS something to do, there are TONS of quests and the rewards are often really well worth it. If you take the time to explore and get quests done, you wont have that constant grind feeling than you (well at least me !) have in FFXI. You CAN grind all the way if you want but you are going to miss out on a lot of cool stuff. To me FFXI was a constant grind, which i didnt like.

The market is not all screwed up in EQ2 like it was in FFXI. I mean, you will never have to farm for like, lets say, a month to get that ONE item that if you dont have it equipped ppl dont even have the decency to look you up in game. There is so much stuff to be equipped in EQ2 that it's not a problem. I remember seeing ppl getting **** because they wouldnt have like scorpion harness on in FFXI, making ppl work their *** off in game like mindless puppets to have that uber gear just to have some peace. Or the lazy ones would just buy gil...anyway.

It's fairly easy to get started in EQ2. You pick your class at level 1 which wasnt the case until 2 weeks ago. You then start off the island where you have cake quests to make to get you started and get you some starting gear too. Then after a while you can leave the island and head to either city you chose in the start. There are 24 classes total to pick from, and they follow the same 'path' most MMORPG's take. So you mainly have TANK classes, DPS classes and HEALING classes. Every each of the class has its own strenghts, making it so no class have a HUGE advantage over the other.

Thats pretty much all I can think of at the moment. As you can see I prefer EQ2 over FFXI, mainly because i can CHOOSE if I want to group or solo, and I really appreciate the fact that you don't have to farm for countless hours and days to buy yourwld that way overpriced item. And, for the most part but each game have their exceptions, I've found ppl in EQ2 to be more friendly than in FFXI, even though i also met really nice ppl in FFXI too.

My little input:

Graphics: FFXI is a bit more cartoony, EQ2 is a bit more realistic. The graphic settings in EQ2 can go to an extreme quality that would melt the most advanced systems. That's good in a way to ensure it's playable years froom now.

Travel: There are large overland areas in both games, but you may find yourself traveling much longer in FFXI. In EQ2 there are a few forms of transportation...griffon, magic carpets, or plain old speed buffs.

Both games are similair in the fact you do the same kinds of things...fight, quest, loot, die, win. I hearedly aggree about the bad economy in FFXI that frustrates many players.

You can play a free demo of EQ2 here. Check it out and tell us what you think. :)