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Trying to deside between VG and EQ2
DarkShadow74
Member UncommonPosts: 108
Hello all,
I am trying to deside if I want to come back to VG or EQ2. I played VG in beta and for about 2 months after release, Loved the game just could put up with the problems any longer. I have also played EQ2 from release and played off and on since. So I know about the games, I love the classes and crafting and alot of other stuff in VG, but my question is Will I have a problem finding a guild and people to talk to as I play and to play with? Have alot of the problems been fix and is it smoother and more stuff add to get past the middle low to high lvls now? Or would I be better off going back to the EQ2? How is the VG end game etc now?
Thank you for your time and info?
Darkshadow74
Comments
I've played both, personally, I like VG much better. Both have free trials I believe, I know VG does for sure.
Yes they do both have free trials going right now, 14 days. My vote goes for EQ2. I tried both of them recently, and i just couldnt get into Vanguard at all, EQ2 was a blast from the start.
I've played both although more of eq2.
EQ2 is a solid very polished game with a lot of content, vanguard is less polished, has more bugs, and while large can't compete with eq2's numberous years of expansions.
EQ2 is generally pretty easy supports both solo and group play with a heavy quest orientation, vanguard also supports solo play but has more group emphasis with more group oriented quests for both small groups and full groups which can optionally be done.
EQ2 is a zone based game with most dungeons being instanced to a group or raid. There are a few dungeon instances that are shared where any number of people can go into them, vanguard is zoneless world and build very much like a real world. What you see you can go to and there are no artifical walls. Vanguard does have 'chunk' lines that cut the world into a grid. Passing a chunk line is like zoning but faster. Usually 2-5 seconds where the screen just kinda pauses feeling like it is lagging.
EQ2 combat involves a large number of abilities that tend to be pretty independent. Use of abilities and spells is controlled by cool downs. Unfortunately the combat system is pretty simple once you learn the skills. Most of the time you have a set pattern of keys you press without any variation other then watching for whichever button finishes the cooldown first. Vanguard is a bit more complex with a similar large number of abilities but with additional intracacies in that you have special abilities that are usable in certain situations. For example if an ability crits it opens up an opportunity for a special attack. That attack can also lead to a chain. If you parry an attack some classes might have a special attack open up. Or if you defensive target is attacked you might have a special ability that becomes available. Casters can see what spells an opponent is preparing to cast and they can counterspell it preventing it from going. Most abilities are usable based on mana, endurance, or cooldowns.
Vanguards crafting systems are complicated and enjoyable to someone that likes a bit more variable and complexity in the processes. EQ2 crafting is pretty simple once you learn the basics. It appears to be a process where you have several buttons and you have complications. But unlike vanguard the process is very simple. You have 6 buttons. 1-3 add extra quality, 4-6 add extra progress. You want to make something fast hit 456456456... but watch the quality. When quality gets kinda low start hitting 123123123. to build it up. Complications will match one of the abilities. If you ignore them you will loose some quality and have decreased progress. Generally except in rare cases you can ignore complications. VG is very different and requires a lot more though and complications that randomly occur can force you to make tough decisions and even ruin the item you are making.
EQ2 development resources are much greater then vanguard. SoE feels that vanguard competes with eq2 and so putting money into both games doesn't add much to there overall business. Since SoE developed eq2 and sigil and outside company developed vanguard SoE has committed to development of EQ2 and provides a minimal staff to do development of vanguard and keep the game going. EQ2 has updates with new content and changes every 3 months. EQ2 also has an expansion every year with a lot of content. Vanguard gets smaller less frequent updates with far less content and tends to be more focused on bug fixing. That said the devs working on Vanguard are very hard working and have a lot of great ideas and have been slowly adding nice features to vanguard like the recent mentoring.
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Ethion
Why not try each trial and see? No one can tell you what you are going to like. I personally did not like EQ2. It was a little fun, but I wasn't able to stick with it. I love the massive world of VG. If you play on Seradon server you will see people a lot of the time, so its not dead empty.
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go eq2 .lot of player in eq2 soe update and expend very often
I am also doing trials of both Vanguard and Everquest 2 and enjoying both. I will have to decide on 1 of them soon though.
If you havent played Vanguard very far into the game I would definately say go Vanguard... While yes it doesnt have a big development team working on it.. The team there is commited Vangaurd also has HUGE amounts of Content to play thru which will definately last and give you a year to 2 of enjoyment. Most of the bugs have been fixed in Vanguard and they still continue to improve the game and add content just at a slower rate.
I played EQ2 myself and being such a big EQ1 fan I was largely dissappointed. I tried it 3 times overall and each time just couldnt stay with the game for long. The game just seems to restrictive. Its like the Devs took all the strategies people had developed and said.. NOPE your not going to use that in our new game. Also all the chain linked mobs and encounters annoyed the hell out of me. not to mention zoning please wait... zoning please wait. I can deal with a game with Zones but EQ2 takes the cake it was terrible about zoning so often.
Vanguard on the other hand truly massive. If you do decide to go with Vanguard Seradon is definately the most populated server. I no longer play myself but I spent 2 years there. Currently playing Aion which is pretty damn good also. Definately more linear in the earlier levels but begins to open up more in the higher levels.
Another note. Vanguard classes are much better and varied than EQ2 i personally felt.. EQ2 had mirror classes.. which just annoyed me...
Just throwing my 2 cents in. I tried both EQ2 and VG and liked VG much better. EQ2 has better support and bigger community, but I just couldn't get into the game. VG has a much smaller dev team and community, but they're both devoted to the game. Plus, VG has better, more fun-to-play classes. VG's druid is the best druid class I've played out of the MMOs I've tried.
That said, try 'em both. Both have free trials, so you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't kick the tires on each one.
Current: None
Played: WoW, CoX, SWG, LotRO, EVE, AoC, VG, CO, Ryzom, DF, WAR
Tried: Lineage2, Dofus, EQ2, CoS, FE, UO, Wurm, Wakfu
Future: The Repopulation, ArcheAge, Black Desert, EQN
This is a recurring thread. Both games offer that excellent PvE experience and both games have that, good community and generic fantasy (D&D style), game play going for them.
It's a tough choice. Really.
It's certainly a weird choice when you consider that both games are owned and operated by the same company - you can even sub to both games at the same time with a 'sony station pass'.
I wonder who at SOE decided that would be a good idea?!?
More interestingly, I wonder why they thought it was a good idea?
I think if Vanguard was owned and operated by another company and was supported to the same level that EQ2 is, SOE would consider Vanguard a serious threat.
As to which game to choose?
Play the trials. See which one you like the feel of. Go with that.
The game play is a little different once you are off the trial islands (in both games), but it really is representative.
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
So strange to think the SOE would buy Vanguard simply to stifle its potential and prevent it from taking EQ2 sales away but that makes perfect sense.
EQ2 has quite small instanced limited zones with invisible walls and barriers everywhere, while Vanguard has free world with no instances at all. That's a major difference between these two.
REALITY CHECK
Actually, it's interesting that you mention that. I've been having a go with the LotRO free trial (which is pretty good) but I REALLY noticed the loading screens every time you go into a building! Something you just forget about when playing Vanguard.
...and people complain about the chunk loading in Vanguard! Jeez, at least it's only when you cross widely spread out parts of the map. I really love the open feeling you get with Vanguard.
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
Additionally, in Lotro 90% of the houses you can't even enter. And the rest 10%, have a ridiculous scale system. From outside it looks like a small shack, but once inside after a loading screen, the interior is far bigger. Sweet Vanguard that allows you to enter 99% of the houses with doors you can actually open - and where everything is part of the persistent world.
REALITY CHECK
It's too bad lotro is the best out there. it's not a great game, but tons of content and a real pve game.. vanguard could be AWESOME if they gave it real development. I played for almost a year and loved vg, but there really isn't much to do besides lvl to cap, where lotro pretty much you can play for months at cap and do stuff to continue to improve your character..
I never liked EQ2. I hate its plastic graphics, instanced world, awful zones design and combat. There are some good parts like sheer amount of quests (some of which well done), great depth and millions of things to do. But honestly, i think VG is a much better game. If you're ok with lack of support and low population, might be the best PvE MMO on market (on par with WoW).
Do you consider rerunning the same instances to get radiance gear, and then doing the same raid instance - as a fun for months? Or grinding the deeds to improve your morale by +3? Vanguard at your cap level allows you to play with two different minigames (diplomacy, crafting) whenever you're bored, doing the flying mount questlines (which takes weeks to complete), now there's 51-55 progression (which also takes weeks / months for some) and then there's still the raiding dungeon with three times more bosses than all raid bosses in Lotro together. Additionally, there's a mentoring system which allows you to scale down your level with any group you join and enjoy lower level dungeons you might have skipped.
There's maybe ten times more different mounts in VG than in lotro, the land area is around 10 times bigger as well - there's 100 dungeons while in Lotro there's like 10. That's tremendous amount of content for PvE and I can't understand anyone saying there's not much to do.
REALITY CHECK
Dont bother with either of them. Play Fallen Earth instead.
This is exactly the dillema I was facing. I chose EQ2 and have been pining for vanguard ever since.
Totally wish I had subbed to VG or Station access at least. EQ2 is a good game, however VG is a bit more of an evolved experience. It truely feels like an adventure. Might have to go burn some more money and resub >< my 3rd this month.
Currently Playing: The Game
Look for a server with a guild on it that you want to join. For Vanguard to really shine, YOU need to pre-organise your group play.
If you start playing on a random server and just hope that typing "LFG" in the chat box will rescue you from solo play, you may (or may not - sometimes it works!) be disappointed. The population is low, and realistically, players need to organise extended group play in advance.
Keep that in mind, and Vanguard is way better than EQ2.
...in my opinion.
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
As mentioned by others already, biggest prob of Vanguard is the lack of SOE support... very small dev team, and it doesn't seem like it's getting better.
Leveling/Grouping PvE:
Low/mid level: VG>EQ2 - Vanguard wins this one with ease... dungeon crawls have much more depth than in any other MMO I have played. Never enjoyed leveling my toon more...
Another plus: no instancing!
High level: EQ2>VG - due to the expansions, EQ2 offers MUCH more high level content for grouping, thus a much higher variety of items. Also: class builts (due to AA system with three different skill trees for each class) - another plus for EQ2 which will keep high lvls a bit more busy.
Raiding: in terms of challenge, both games are on par... they both offer very challenging high end raiding. EQ2 of course has more raidcontent though due to expansions.
Some other things...:
Community: have to point this out... Vanguard has the by far most helpful, friendlist and adult ingame community out there...
Gameplay: this is subjective... but in terms of gameplay, I had more fun with my Vanguard tank than with my EQ2 tank... both do their job well, but I dunno, Vanguard kinda gave me more control of the situation with the the primary/secondary target, the add window to switch through mobs/encounters... kinda felt like a more controlled situation...
Diplomacy really isn't a big plus... the idea is great... and so are the townbuffs... but have fun maxing this skill out.... It's a boring grind... and this is unfortunately a keyword here. Vanguard has A LOT of grinding. EQ2 does so too, but Vanguard unfortunately beats EQ2 here in terms of linear nobrain-grinding... And this grinding is unfortunately Vanguards latest direction... I guess it's because of their small dev team, making it hard to come up with long lasting content... other than putting in massive grind....
Vanguard could be the better game... if SoE supported it like EQ2...
This past weekend by EQ2 sub was about to go dry so I took a chance and went ALL Access. I wanted to go back and try Vanguard, EQ1 and Burning Sea, just for fun. I am shocked, REALLY shocked how Vanguard played. I mean had this game played at launch as this weekend. I would have never left the game. I actually had fun, its been a long time, having fun in a MMO, I felt like an adventurer.
its not "deside" its "Decide".... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
its not "deside" its "Decide".... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
It's not "its", it's, "it's"... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
its not "deside" its "Decide".... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
It's not "its", it's, "it's"... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
HAHAH Great! I hate the english teacher wannabes. If you can't understand that is one thing. If you are just posting to rip someone on grammer it's sad.
However ripping the grammer ripper on grammer just takes the cake I love it :P
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Ethion
its not "deside" its "Decide".... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
It's not "its", it's, "it's"... maybe you should visit an English teacher...
WOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!
Are you suggesting coconuts migrate!?