New to EQ2 QuestionsFollow

If you loved Norrath in EQ1, it's worth checking out EQ2 again. Much has changed since its infancy and all for the better.
Yes there are plenty of decent raiding guilds out there. I myself am in a wonderful, well respected, casual raiding guild that still holds in the top ten of raiding guilds for our server (Blackburrow.) There are hardcore raiding guilds, casual raiding guilds, etc.

As for best PVE server, we all have our preferences, but I would say head over to the official boards and check out the server communities.
As for any class being in demand, it all depends on the guilds you're looking at. Illusionists are wonderful in raids. Personally, I would suggest going with what you like and worrying about who needs what later. Every class has an important role in raiding and can add something needed.

IDK if you want all this crap but I was in your same position so I am going to give you exactly what I put in my blog on myspace.

EQ2 vs. WOW (and deciding)

Graphics - By far EverQuest 2 graphics are much better than WOW. EQ2>WOW

Loading - WOW has hardly any load time. There are instances that have loading but I can't recall any other kind of loading. WOW was also much faster on load times than EverQuest 2 because of the huge difference in graphics on the two games, EverQuest 2 can take as long as up to 3 minutes and you have loading with every zone you want to go to. WOW>EQ2

Mounts - WOW has at least three choices for mounts per race. EverQuest 2 has 2 different colour mounts for the highest level only and then 2 with a fancier look to them of the same 2 colours. I don't like the colours of the fastest horses at all. I wish the Misty Mustang Whistle, a second best mount, was just as good as the higher ones. EverQuest 2 also has two other different kinds of mounts, a flying carpet and some kind of animal but you have to have a quest in order to get them. The horses you can get at any level as long as you have the money. EverQuest 2 mounts you also can fight while on it as any class and or race. You are also allowed to use mounts in any city or zone in EverQuest 2. So overall, I think that EverQuest 2 mounts are better just because of the ability to buy at any level. EQ2>WOW

LFG - I like the WOW looking for group interface better. You can either join the LFG channel or do the LFG finder on that game. EverQuest 2's LFG seems to be a little bit more difficult to find what you are looking for. WOW> EQ2

PVP - WOW player vs. player was quite interesting. If you were on a PVP server anyone can attack you anytime. If you chose a Normal server, in order to be attacked or to attack anyone else, you have to select a "duel". Otherwise you can enter an "Arena" or a "Que" for a battlegroup for three different places beginning at level 10. You will not lose EXP or money in this process. Your items will not even be damaged. EverQuest 2 player vs. player servers are horrible! You die non-stop against all kinds of twinks and it will take you many hours to finish a few quests. They also are able to loot your money and items and damage your armour. I am unsure of the "Arena" in EverQuest 2 so far. Even in instances you are eligable to be attacked and have to rez outside of the zone from another player of the different alliance. WOW > EQ2

Alliance vs. Horde WOW you either pick one or the other. Certain races are distinguished this way. EverQuest 2, you start off picking one or the other and then by level 10 you can chose to "Betray" and start a questline to go to the other faction and be accepted. EQ2>WOW

Groups - WOW groups are 5 people. Those five people need at least one healer and one main tank. Most everyone knows to assist the main tank and pretty much the group will stay alive as long as they aren't trying anything much higher than they are. EQ2 groups consist of 6 people. At first I thought that people have no order in EverQuest 2 and go around killing but I just learned myself that you target the MT in the group and it will direct you to their target. I am now changing from thinking WOW regular non raid groups are not as good as this game. IDK bout raids on EQ2 I am only level 20. EQ2>WOW

Instances - WOW instances only allow 1 group at a time. You will not see any other people outside of your group inside the instance you are in. Many groups can go to the instance at the same time but it is another "zone" for it. Kind of hard to explain. Same place but different "zone". EverQuest 2 instances many groups at once go in and there is a limit to how many players total inside. That way, you are fighting for the things you want to kill and if a named spawns, all the groups are trying to tag it first. WOW>EQ2

Tradeskills - WOW tradeskill leveling up is very easy. You can go up to 225 until you hit level 35 and then from there on you can train again and go to 375 at the highest. EverQuest tradeskills are very hard compared to WOW. They have levels just like your character and when you are actually making something it will take a few minutes and you might fail. There is no failing in WOW tradeskills. But sometimes your skill point won't go up so in WOW you may have to make something twice. I actually hated the EverQuest 2 trade right away. Now I am starting to like it. It is more of a reality for tradeskills. EQ2>WOW

Mail System - WOW mail just recently became instant but before that money was always instant. EverQuest 2 mail is never instant so that one is obvious. WOW>EQ2

Auction House WOW auction house was simple. You type in the name or look up by slot. EverQuest 2 auction house has advanced looking option which you can look for certain stats, slots, class, ect. I really like that aspect. The auction house on WOW makes you put down a deposit so you would sell the item for 10g and the total would be something like 10g50silver but the buyer would only see 10g for the price listing. When someone would buy it off of you, you get that deposit of 50 silver back in your mailbox plus the 10g someone bought the item for. EverQuest 2 auction house you put a price of 3g for the listing of the item and you then search for it to see where you are on the scale for this item and it will say 3g60silver to buy it. On the bottom of the screen it will tell you 10 percent is the tax which the seller will not get back. They will still only get 3g. I am not fond of that. WOW auction house you also just put an item up in the box as many times as you want. You could have 100 auctions at one time if you chose. EverQuest 2 auction house selling is different. If you don't own an apartment in the game you get 1 slot. You have to put a bag in that slot and then put your items in the bag until it fills up. I don't like that either. If you do own an apartment, one room, you get one more slot for another bag. If you own an even bigger apartment, 3 bedrooms, you would get 3 slots total and so on. If you can deal with that then I would say that the search for the EverQuest 2 auction house is much easier since you get the advanced option without add-ons. EQ2>WOW.

Overall I believe WOW has 1 more point that EQ2 in these stats of PERSONAL OPINION. But that one point does NOT mean that I would ever go back to WOW. I think the points that EQ did get, are overall better.

GL I hope you enjoy your game choice.


Edited, Jul 25th 2007 8:35am by Ninna

Yeah, Ninna. Lay off the text coloring. Should be used for emphasis, not the whole post.

Additionally:


I'm not sure that you understand the difference between an instance and a persistent zone. Instances in EQ2 are zones that only allow one group at a time to enter. If a second group enters the zone a new and seperate "instance" of that zone is spawned just for that group with it's own set of mobs etc. There is no competition for spawns in an instance. EQ2 has a mix of both instances and persistent hunting zones that any number of people can share and hunt and compete in.

Pretty nice analysis for the rest of your post though.

Persistent is just another way to say "not an instance". Examples of persistent zones would be the Commonlands, East Freeport, Antonica, Nektulos Forest, Wailing Caves, etc. These are zones that are always available and anyone can zone in and hunt and other players can be in the same zone and you may have to compete with other players for zone resources/mobs. An "instance" is a zone that doesn't really exist in the technical sense of the word until you zone your group in. The instance is "spawned" specifically for your group when you enter and your group are the only players that can be in your iteration of that instance. Examples of instanced zones are Shattered Vale, Estate of Unrest, Den of the Devourer, Bastion of Flames. I think the lowest level instances would probably be Valley of the Rogue Magi and Shattered Vale, which both can be completed solo in your late teens.