EQ 2 questions

[EvilManagedCare]

Let me first say I have been having a great time with WoW. However, as I was traveling the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale by myself and quickly gaining experience, I realized this game is a little too easy to go solo. My character is level 44, so only 16 levels until I've capped. Then what? Short of starting over with a new character, there's no more character advancement until new content is released. Also, I must admit the frequent server problems have been getting on my nerves too. I couldn't give a dry fart about PvP, so I really don't want to perform high level raids in Horde country as a means of passing the time.

So, I checked out the EQ 2 site for some details, but still have questions. Please note, this is not an attempt to spark the dreaded MMORPG p*ssing contest as to which one is best. I love WoW, but have recently become mildly disenchanted.

1. Is EQ2 fun for the non hardcore gamer? I am able to play nightly for about 2-4 hours. Does this infrequency still allow for success?

2. I love isometric views instead of first person. Is it possible to move the camera to allow this? It 's been a long long time, but I thought I remembered the original EQ as first person only.

3. How is the community? The existence of idiots and d00dz is an inherent risk with any MMORPG. I play on a role-playing server in WoW, and the idiocy is at a tolerable level. Are there servers that cater to the RP crowd?

4. Are there frequent server outages? No MMORPG runs flawlessly all the time, but lately WoW has been having lots of problems.

Thanks for the answers in advance.

 

[CVSiN]

yet another person that doesnt know the first thing about WoW end game...
you havent even scratched the surface...
when you can get in a guild and kill ragnaros then you have done it all...
you still have several months of getting equipped just to get into MC or onxiya let alone be able to enter becasue your gear is crap...

like I said before 60 is not the end of WoW it is the beginning...
but if all you want to do is solo to 60 and then thats it your char is gonna suck way more than someone with all purple MC armour and weps...
hell even all blue class sets from strath/scholo/BRS

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: CVSiN
yet another person that doesnt know the first thing about WoW end game...
you havent even scratched the surface...
when you can get in a guild and kill ragnaros then you have done it all...
you still have several months of getting equipped just to get into MC or onxiya let alone be able to enter becasue your gear is crap...

like I said before 60 is not the end of WoW it is the beginning...
but if all you want to do is solo to 60 and then thats it your char is gonna suck way more than someone with all purple MC armour and weps...
hell even all blue class sets from strath/scholo/BRS

farm farm grind farm grind grind farm

 

[CVSiN]

and what do you think EQ2 is?
same thing only 8x more

 

[Malladine]

I'm not defending EQ2, i'm attacking WoW, there's a difference

 

[CVSiN]

no your attacking MMOs in general =P
hell RPGs in general =P they are all grind grind farm farm =P
we have been over this... you want a new Genre =P

 

[Malladine]

*mutter*

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: CVSiN

Originally posted by: Malladine
farm farm grind farm grind grind farm

and what do you think EQ2 is?
same thing only 8x more

Yep, exept you make it sound un-fun... I have a blast raiding with my guild to "farm farm grind".

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: CVSiN

Originally posted by: Malladine
farm farm grind farm grind grind farm

and what do you think EQ2 is?
same thing only 8x more

Yep, exept you make it sound un-fun... I have a blast raiding with my guild to "farm farm grind".

One man's rubbish is another man's treasure

Well, we thoroughly hijacked this thread! Apologies OP

 

[Alex]

so is anyone gonna answer the OPs question??

this could help!

 

[EvilManagedCare]

Originally posted by: CVSiN
yet another person that doesnt know the first thing about WoW end game...
you havent even scratched the surface...
when you can get in a guild and kill ragnaros then you have done it all...
you still have several months of getting equipped just to get into MC or onxiya let alone be able to enter becasue your gear is crap...

like I said before 60 is not the end of WoW it is the beginning...
but if all you want to do is solo to 60 and then thats it your char is gonna suck way more than someone with all purple MC armour and weps...
hell even all blue class sets from strath/scholo/BRS

Did you not read my original post? It was the easy solo levelling I am not liking right now. However, it is good to know there is life after level 60.

Thanks for the link, franguinho. As expected, it started to turn into the dreaded MMORPG argument yet again.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare

Originally posted by: CVSiN
yet another person that doesnt know the first thing about WoW end game...
you havent even scratched the surface...
when you can get in a guild and kill ragnaros then you have done it all...
you still have several months of getting equipped just to get into MC or onxiya let alone be able to enter becasue your gear is crap...

like I said before 60 is not the end of WoW it is the beginning...
but if all you want to do is solo to 60 and then thats it your char is gonna suck way more than someone with all purple MC armour and weps...
hell even all blue class sets from strath/scholo/BRS

Did you not read my original post? It was the easy solo levelling I am not liking right now. However, it is good to know there is life after level 60.

you are still a mega newbie btw if your in STV...
it will slow down and get a bit harder soon =P

 

[HardcoreRobot]

if you want to make it challenging, solo the orange and yellow quests

green quests are usually a piece of cake (and if you are doing STV at 44, Im pretty sure most of them are green)

 

[ggnl]

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare

Originally posted by: CVSiN
yet another person that doesnt know the first thing about WoW end game...
you havent even scratched the surface...
when you can get in a guild and kill ragnaros then you have done it all...
you still have several months of getting equipped just to get into MC or onxiya let alone be able to enter becasue your gear is crap...

like I said before 60 is not the end of WoW it is the beginning...
but if all you want to do is solo to 60 and then thats it your char is gonna suck way more than someone with all purple MC armour and weps...
hell even all blue class sets from strath/scholo/BRS

Did you not read my original post? It was the easy solo levelling I am not liking right now. However, it is good to know there is life after level 60.

He was simply pointing out that your perception of what you have left to do in WoW is very flawed. From the point you're at, solo levelling is going to take up increasingly less of your play time.

I would also like to point out that at lvl 44 you're only about halfway to lvl 60 in terms of time played, and when you reach lvl 60 you still have months ahead of you before you have gear needed to tackle all the high level content.

Lvl 1-45 makes the game seem deceptively easy, there are only a few quests that will really challenge you if you are doing things at the correct level. But let me assure you that you are probably only 5% done with your character development. By the time you are getting bored with end-game raid content I can guarantee you there will be much more high lvl content.

If you want to go to EQ2 that's fine. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun there too, but someone with more experiance (like CV) needs to tell you that WoW is not easy.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare
Let me first say I have been having a great time with WoW. However, as I was traveling the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale by myself and quickly gaining experience, I realized this game is a little too easy to go solo. My character is level 44, so only 16 levels until I've capped. Then what? Short of starting over with a new character, there's no more character advancement until new content is released. Also, I must admit the frequent server problems have been getting on my nerves too. I couldn't give a dry fart about PvP, so I really don't want to perform high level raids in Horde country as a means of passing the time.

So, I checked out the EQ 2 site for some details, but still have questions. Please note, this is not an attempt to spark the dreaded MMORPG p*ssing contest as to which one is best. I love WoW, but have recently become mildly disenchanted.

1. Is EQ2 fun for the non hardcore gamer? I am able to play nightly for about 2-4 hours. Does this infrequency still allow for success?

2. I love isometric views instead of first person. Is it possible to move the camera to allow this? It 's been a long long time, but I thought I remembered the original EQ as first person only.

3. How is the community? The existence of idiots and d00dz is an inherent risk with any MMORPG. I play on a role-playing server in WoW, and the idiocy is at a tolerable level. Are there servers that cater to the RP crowd?

4. Are there frequent server outages? No MMORPG runs flawlessly all the time, but lately WoW has been having lots of problems.

Thanks for the answers in advance.

1. EQ2 is geared for those who enjoy a more complex game. Having said that, only playing 2 to 4 hours a night will mean a slower progression than other players. The game will still be enjoyable, however, and if your usual collection of guildies and friends out levels you, they can mentor to your level.

2. I don't remember playing any MMO that was soley first person. While you can zoom EQ2 into first person mode, the game was designed with an isometric view point in mind. Plus you can't watch the beautiful combat animations in first person.

3. The RP servers, Antonia Bayle and Lucan D'Lere, both have a great community. With few exceptions, the community is great. Hehe, I've got a great story about my good aligned monk's trip to the evil city of Freeport to purchase a set of leggings from a Dark Elf Freeport tailor. Nobody will look down on you, or mock you for RPing a character on these servers. RP is encouraged, and even if you get in a group that doesn't really RP, they will RP if you do.

4. I've been playing EQ2 since its release in November, in that time frame, we've had two significant unplanned server outtages. Both of which lasted between 24 and 48 hours. All exp gained was doubled once the servers came back up. EQ2 serves usually get their daily reboot in the hours before dawn. They say it takes about an hour for the servers to come back up, but its never actually taken that long, usually between 10 and 25 minutes. Unless they are pushing out a major patch. When a major patch is being pushed out, the servers are usually down for around 4 to 5 hours.

EQ2 is a really great game, every major patch adds new content. As I said, I've been playing since the game's release, and it keeps getting better. I've done maybe 5% of whats available in the game. I typically level slower than others as well, I'm a far cry from a power gamer. My main character, the monk, hit 31 this weekend. Even barely over the half way point in levels, there are still tons of instanced zones for me to explore, quests to accomplish, and I never have problems getting a group. My warden, a healer based class, usually has about a 2 minute wait for a group.

I was a gamer that was quickly bored with WoW. Give EQ2 a shot. Its a lot of fun. Hope I was helpful.

 

[Feneant2]

I will answer your questions as most posts seem to be from WoW fanboys.
1. Is EQ2 fun for the non hardcore gamer? I am able to play nightly for about 2-4 hours. Does this infrequency still allow for success?
-Yes, they are adding content frequently and changing what is there. I play maybe 2-3 hours myself but I still have a feeling that I have accomplished something when I stop playing. They also are making sure that every overland map has solo content so you can hunt solo very well. Even the instances (although the first ones added are crap and take 20 minutes to clear) have both solo and heroic versions. The new adventure pack (5$ cost) of Bloodline added a lot of solo and group content with a nice storyline to follow (level 28-40 though)

2. I love isometric views instead of first person. Is it possible to move the camera to allow this? It 's been a long long time, but I thought I remembered the original EQ as first person only.

Uh, not sure what you mean, but I dont play first person. Actually, it's like WoW, you use your scroll wheel on the mouse to set a distance. I usually look from behind so I see my caracters , I hate first person.

3. How is the community? The existence of idiots and d00dz is an inherent risk with any MMORPG. I play on a role-playing server in WoW, and the idiocy is at a tolerable level. Are there servers that cater to the RP crowd?

Find a good guild on Antonia Bayle or Lucan D'Lere servers and you will get roleplay. I think Antonia has more people as it was opened first. I find however that there is a lot less RP than in Eq1 on Firiona Vie (the RP server)- a lot of people picked the server as the community is much better on those servers. I would say though, shut off the shout channel and most people remain in caracter. The non rp server are close to what you see on WoW, don't even consider them if you want a good community. The first line I saw on a regular Eq2 server (when the rp server was down for patching) was someone who shouted 'Paying well for sex' so I left and never went back.

4. Are there frequent server outages? No MMORPG runs flawlessly all the time, but lately WoW has been having lots of problems.

Well, there is a planned daily outage, it might last 15-30 minutes, but usually always to patch something. There was 1 major server outage which resulted in a day to Three of downtime depending on the server, but that was a major hardware issue, not something that happens often. For a while a few zones crashed but that has been fixed and there is very little unplanned downtime. One thing I don't notice are emergency patches like back in the Everquest days. When they put in a live update (the major monthly patch), they seem to work very well and we don't get an extra 5 hours of patching although sometimes they might bring it down for a quick change.

As for game development; In the beginning as a crafter we had a lot of problems. We complained daily on the forums and it never ever seemed like anyone listened. This was in December and now in late March nearly all of the things people complained about were fixed/changed and one of the lead designers very frequently posts on the crafting forum to keep us updated. In adventuring it is the same thing, they change things, add content and appear to be going out of their way to satisfy the customers. If anything though, I find that they are changing things to make it too easy... hopefully they will sort that out soon.

And unlike the ones here saying 'Eq2 sucks, give WoW a chance' who have never touched Everquest 2, you see that Bateluer and I have both played the 2 games and made our choice.

 

[Gurck]

As far as the OP's question, let me throw a few questions at you:

Do you want a nag screen to buy the latest expansion or company product every time you log in?
Do you want in-game advertising for said latest expansion or company product?
Do you want a plethora of bugs, all of which are ignored?
Do you want a horribly inefficient game engine which doesn't like to run on anything less than a 6800, yet only looks marginally better than WoW?
Do you want to be "accidentally" billed twice for the same month, then told that it's your responsibility to stop payment on your credit card despite the goof admittedly being their fault?
Do you want to be forced to have to find a group to accomplish anything even if you only have a half hour to play?
Do you want expansions released before major bugs and flaws in the current content have been addressed?

I could go on like the Energizer bunny... These are just a few of the distasteful things Sony does which Blizzard does not.

 

[EvilManagedCare]

Thanks so much to those of you answering the specific questions. If I ever do decide to leave WoW I think EQ 2 will be the next stop. ggnl and CVSiN thanks for pointing out there is some fun yet to be had at the advanced levels. Here I was thinking level 45 of 60 was getting up there too

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare
Batuler, thanks so much for answering the specific questions. If I ever do decide to leave WoW I think EQ 2 will be the next stop. ggnl and CVSiN thanks for pointing out there is some fun yet to be had at the advanced levels. Here I was thinking level 45 of 60 was getting up there too

While there are more instances for you to experience and quests to complete, they are essentially the same thing, as i'm sure is obvious. My point is if you're losing interest with what you've experienced thus far, the chances of anything wow has to offer from levels 45-60 changing that are slim. Do you see what I'm saying?

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare
Batuler, thanks so much for answering the specific questions. If I ever do decide to leave WoW I think EQ 2 will be the next stop. ggnl and CVSiN thanks for pointing out there is some fun yet to be had at the advanced levels. Here I was thinking level 45 of 60 was getting up there too

While there are more instances for you to experience and quests to complete, they are essentially the same thing, as i'm sure is obvious. My point is if you're losing interest with what you've experienced thus far, the chances of anything wow has to offer from levels 45-60 changing that are slim. Do you see what I'm saying?

Disagree, join a raiding guild and end-game content is entirely different. You seem really burned out with the genre, not getting on your back or anything, just making an observation. What would you want to see in an mmog that you wouldn't consider 'more farming / grinding'?

 

[Schadenfroh]

my take

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=33&threadid=1540327&enterthread=y

 

[Maldian]

I am an avid EQ gamer. I never got into WoW but not knocking it one bit. I am sure it has its ups and downs. I played EQ since alpha and then moved on to EQ2. The structure of EQ2 is quite different from EQLive in the fact that EQ2 brings the quest back into Everquest. If you are curious about it and want to look into it, SOE has a free trial at www.everquest2.com if you wanna try it out.

I am on Befallen server and currently level 42 assassin.

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare
Batuler, thanks so much for answering the specific questions. If I ever do decide to leave WoW I think EQ 2 will be the next stop. ggnl and CVSiN thanks for pointing out there is some fun yet to be had at the advanced levels. Here I was thinking level 45 of 60 was getting up there too

While there are more instances for you to experience and quests to complete, they are essentially the same thing, as i'm sure is obvious. My point is if you're losing interest with what you've experienced thus far, the chances of anything wow has to offer from levels 45-60 changing that are slim. Do you see what I'm saying?

Disagree, join a raiding guild and end-game content is entirely different. You seem really burned out with the genre, not getting on your back or anything, just making an observation. What would you want to see in an mmog that you wouldn't consider 'more farming / grinding'?

We had this conversation too a while back didn't we? hehe, you were right then and you're right now, I am burned out.

I had a big response typed up but deleted it. Instead i'll just say that i'm waiting for the genre to take a different direction. If such a thing can be quantified, not necessarily 180º, but i'm thinking at least 45º and so far I haven't seen anything beyond maybe a 5º or 10º and that's being generous. When I play a game that takes a step beyond that, i'll post on it, explain why I like the differences and hope for a discussion then

 

[Hadsus]

Does EQ 2 still require you to sit on your buttocks at home to trade? The WoW system is great.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: EvilManagedCare
Batuler, thanks so much for answering the specific questions. If I ever do decide to leave WoW I think EQ 2 will be the next stop. ggnl and CVSiN thanks for pointing out there is some fun yet to be had at the advanced levels. Here I was thinking level 45 of 60 was getting up there too

While there are more instances for you to experience and quests to complete, they are essentially the same thing, as i'm sure is obvious. My point is if you're losing interest with what you've experienced thus far, the chances of anything wow has to offer from levels 45-60 changing that are slim. Do you see what I'm saying?

Disagree, join a raiding guild and end-game content is entirely different. You seem really burned out with the genre, not getting on your back or anything, just making an observation. What would you want to see in an mmog that you wouldn't consider 'more farming / grinding'?

We had this conversation too a while back didn't we? hehe, you were right then and you're right now, I am burned out.

I had a big response typed up but deleted it. Instead i'll just say that i'm waiting for the genre to take a different direction. If such a thing can be quantified, not necessarily 180º, but i'm thinking at least 45º and so far I haven't seen anything beyond maybe a 5º or 10º and that's being generous. When I play a game that takes a step beyond that, i'll post on it, explain why I like the differences and hope for a discussion then

thats fair Mal... i can agree with that point..