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WoW feels very dumbed-down after playing EQ2
aeric67
Member UncommonPosts: 798
Before you start reading be warned that if you are enamored by WoW and are offended by opinions to the contrary, please stop reading now... 
So I get my Fileplanet key for WoW, and I think to myself, "I am going to play WoW until EQ2 launches, so I don't waste anymore time on a character that will just be deleted and I will have to start over." Of course, part of me wants to just keep playing EQ2, but my willpower prevailed in this case...
So I download and install the WoW client and sign up for my account. I made a nice human paladin and start playing. Keep in mind that I did play the first stress test and I had fun, so I knew what to expect somewhat.
WoW is fun, for a little while, but man is it ever dumbed-down! Everything is just so simple. Fighting, looting, customizing your character, graphics, questing, "!", "?", running around, beating mobs, the list goes on. This game is EXTREMELY approachable and easy, but man, that's not really a good thing in an MMOG where I expect a deep and involved gaming experience! Of course, as everyone knows, the graphics are the most prominent simple thing. Sure, they run awesome on my machine with everything maxed, but come on, this is 2004! There had to have been a way to still make the game "Warcrafty" while making the graphics a bit more sophisticated and up-to-date. It didn't really bug me in the previous test; I thought it was stylish and all that, but after seeing EQ2, this game literally pales in comparison.
I will continue playing it so I don't spoil any more of upper-level EQ2 than I already have in beta. Like I said, WoW is fun, but it just doesn't have the staying power I need in a MMOG... I could feel this aspect back in the first Stress Test, and I can still feel it in this Stress Test. Don't get me wrong, this game has a market for sure. People who don't want to immerse themselves in a game, but just want to pop in, kill things, then pop out again. It's perfect for that. And it's perfect for someone who only needs a game for five more days until another one comes out... 
Not looking for a flame-fest between WoW and EQ2, just stating something that has been said before, but was never really evident to me until now due to the opportunity I've had to play them both within a very short time of each other. Before I either played WoW or EQ2, but never both at the same time. This time I have and really had a good perspective...
EDIT: Thought at first about posting this in the WoW forum, but decided against it. Seems to be more EQ2 crowd related, since it takes an EQ2 player to really see the comparison I am making. Plus, posting this in WoW-fan territory is just asking for a flame fest. Perhaps that will happen anyway.
Comments
Hi aeric67,
I feel "for the most part" exactly like you do...I too was able to get this final beta and also played the last Stress Test that they had. Played casually for the week and ½ and got a lvl 14 Rogue. Which at the time I really enjoyed doing. I have played Blizzard games for quite some time now and have looked forward to WOW...BUT after playing the EQ2 beta for the last week or so...something's changed. It's actually hard for me to explain...I "still" like WOW and inside I "want" to play and lvl and explore the game...but I am almost completely pulled back to my EQ2 char and it's world.
There does seem to be more depth to me...as in things to do. (tons of quests) When I 1st played WOW I thought the Wheel was a great addition with the anger/hate meter and power-up skills (Rogue was fun to play) but it feels like EQ2 goes even farther with this. I have many more options of attack at a lower lvl than I did in WOW. And I have to say I LUV the skill animations (especially Staff) which is one reason I'll be playing a Monk/Staff char as one of my alts
I do think that Blizzard do a very good job creating a game that makes you "feel" like your in the World of Warcraft And they wanted a game that was very accessible to a large range of players. Which I think they succeeded in.
And at least one of my boys are planning on playing so I will be buying it...but for the moment I feel that EQ2 will hold the majority of my attention. There is a lot that I want to try my hand in like crafting and many places I want to explore. Also I'm thinking about joining a Guild...much of EQ2 seems that if you want to enjoy ALL that it offers then a Guild is a needed and welcome thing. This is also new to me.
We should look into forming a MMORPG.com Guild
Anyway...just wanted to say hey and let you know that your not completely alone on this...I will like I said play WOW a bit (perhaps on the PVP server?) but EQ2 has really shone up to be the game I've been looking for! And for that I'm excited!!!
Regards,
RA
"It'll be dark soon."
"Aye...that it will."
Wow feels dumbed down even when I look at the crap quality videos of eq2 :O... I wish I could play beta before I buy eq2... I have entered like 10 contests and not won a single account.. even a contest for 10 accounts where 120 people entered.. it sucks, expecially after palying eqlive for like 3 years.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to play EQ2 or WoW, or stick with Ryzom. So after SoR's patching issues last night I decided to get the FP download and try out WoW.
I have to admit, I just don't get it. I don't understand where the hype comes from. Honestly, and this isn't meant as an insult to anyone who likes WoW, the game feels like a beginner MMO to me. Earth and Beyond gave me the same Crayola feeling.
Cool graphics - the area I started in felt really expansive (not sure of it's actual physical dimensions, but ambience felt big). Lots of people running around, lots of quest NPCs, etc.
Even so, it just felt really basic. I dunno, how long does it take to start getting hooked? I'm willing to give any of these games a chance - I don't wanna miss out on something cool.
i agree about WoW. especially with the '!' '?' think lol. and on top of that they show on radar.
then the quests tell you kill x, he is to the northwest... go here it is down the road to the east.
very dumbed down. sadly people are still asking in chat.. so i guess it needs to be for some people, just like life want things handed to them on a silver platter.
ex. /general: where is the shaman shrine someone!! (tauren starter town i heard this many times)
the quest says go east from town. if you go directly east for 15 seconds you run right into it.
also, i log alot of hours and i dont want get to lvl max in a month..i just started this fp test and im lvl 30, and thats not powerlvl'ing and i didnt know a thing. im sure people started this test are lvl 50. i dont want to be lvl 30 in less than a week!
"When someone is impatient and says, "I haven't got all day," I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?"
-George Carlin
I've read quite a few of the Dev Diary's over the last year or so on Gamespy and that is exactly what hey wanted to make. Yet to hopefully have enough mid and higher lvl content to satisfy the pro-mmog players.
It was always ment to be a game that anyone "new" to mmog's could jump into and be playing within minutes. And IMO for the beginner or completely new player to mmogs they will like it and have fun. Seeing that it will be completely new experience for them. It's not "bad" per-say it just doen't have the depth of play and immersion that EQ2 has...and for a more casual player that actually might be better.
RA
"It'll be dark soon."
"Aye...that it will."
I've never actually played WoW, so this is just a guess on my part, but I imagine what Blizzard have done is lower the xp needed per level to a minimum, so that people can progress quickly and test everything along the way. I mean, whats the point of doing a beta test if you're levelling so slowly that you never get to test whats happening in the end game? A game needs to be thoroughly tested, not just the first few levels.
I know another game did the same thing, I think it was Planetside though I can't quite remember - they also lowered the amount of xp needed during beta, then set it back to high when release date came around. It made a few people quite mad too, if I remember right.
But now for smilies!!
leveling isn't my main gripe... its that the game plays like a rpg... you do one quest and then you get lead to different npcs giving you different quests.. and then giving you the same weapons everyone else uses and then you know.. everyones jsut doiung the same thing.. you dont even need toa ctually level much, since doing the quests levels you
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EQ2 Qeynos Guild- http://www.imperium-arcanum.com
I didn't realize WoW was intended for the 'new-to-MMO' crowd. Viewing it in that light, I'd say it's well done from what I've seen so far.
I would like to know how long have you been playing that WoW and EQ2 beta before you came up with this conclusion . . .and what level are you . . .
If you played for under 15 hours of WoW . . . this comparison may be just bull . . .
-In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08-
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He said he played the first stress test and now this one.
Anyway, if I was really into pvp I'd probably max out a char in WoW for that purpose and just play normally in eq2...but I'm not, so I'll just enjoy my eq2.
I would be interested in this information as well IF he was talking about game mechanics, but that doesn't seem to be the case. He's talking about ambience which doesn't change in the game according to level or experience.
It didn't take me more than 15 hours to figure out the interface was simplistic and that the things I did manage to do in the short time I played were basic.
But like I said, I'll give any game a fair chance, WoW is no exception, so back in I go
I would probably rank WoW as the second most "dumbed-down" MMORPG on the market, with first being CoH.
EQ2 is dumbed-downed in a way also, but not nearly as much as WoW, IMO.
Damn.. this decision keeps getting harder. First I was oging to get WoW, then EQ2, then WoW, and now EQ2 again.
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While I realize this thread has the power to crush the Blizzard WoW empire and is the reason they sent you, their uber-board warrior, nobody wants that.
I've not played WOW or EQ2, but I have played the Guild Wars Trial and I did play EQ for 4 years. I know exactly what you mean. The Guildwars EQ1 comparison felt the same way in my opinion.
Sure, Guildwars is a more recent game and has a newer graphics engine, but EQ has something in its "environment" that just makes me want to be more involved as a player. There are many more details and there is a level of complexity in EQ that pulled me in. The Guild Wars trial did not do that for me, even though the graphics are great and its a cool game.
I can believe what you say about WOW verses EQ2. Blizzard produces classic games that have a somewhat arcade feel. The Blizzard games rock, and I'm sure that WOW is no exception. I just don't believe it will have the "immersive atmosphere" that will be present in EQ2. Of course I could be wrong, but the opinion of the original poster aligns with my intuition on this one.
Just so things don't get out of hand now that WoW-fans have shown up to defend, I want to clarify: I already said a couple times that I still think WoW is fun. It's just fun in 1/2 to 1 hour stints, whereas EQ2 is fun in much longer stints, probably for a much longer overall time too. That's exactly what Blizzard wanted, I think. The single most obvious thing to point to this conclusion is the rest system.
Anyway, I think I've played WoW for 20-30 hours if you count both stress tests. Played EQ2 for about the same time probably. I don't know for sure, but my experience and my impression above is by no means based on 10 minutes of gameplay.
Take it for what it's worth. Perhaps using the term "dumbed-down" is a little degrading, but it's something most people understand so I decided to use it. "Simplified" might have been a better way of saying it, but that almost sounds like an overall good thing, where in the context of MMOGs, I don't think what I am talking about is a good thing. For me at least.
As for the offer to trade accounts, I have both accounts, so no need
Besides, I am playing WoW right now because it is fun. The best part is that I am playing it for an amount of time in which it fits perfectly--until the launch date of EQ2!
I completely agree, i played the 1st stress test and am currently in this one also, and i got bored with it really quick, was kinda disapointed too cause i have always been a big blizzard fan, but EQ2 seems to have the depth and immersion that im looking for. though i do agree, that for a 1st time player of MMOG that it would be perfect, or for a "casual gamer", but i for me it lacks the depth and charecter customization that im looking for just my 2 cents
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i havnt played either yet and i know EQ2 is probly the better one but i hope EQ2 gets a new interface teh one i've seen from beta screen shots suck
I know people are going to say i'm crazy for saying this. I honestly don't find either one anymore dumb-down then the other. Alot of hand holding goes on in both games. As far as them both being next-gen MMO's. I think they've both been pretty much as dumb-downed as possible. Is that a bad thing? No, I actually find it to be a good thing. Maybe with the influx of new players that this approach is shooting for. We can finally get some innovation into the genre from the increased revenue they should bring. I'm sure i'm not the only one that is getting the 'been there done that' feel from both WoW and EQ2. At least I hope not.
I have no doubt EQ2 and WoW will be great games. That will just keep getting better with age, but I really sincerely want change. I want to see new idea's bought to the table for EQ3, WoW2, and any other new RPG's to be released as 4th Gen MMO's.
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