EQ is broken.... some classes are totally useless in the end game. EQ is not even playable by my standards. I am convinced that SoE does not know what a good game is and I am certain that no one at SoE plays EQ.
Every expansion that has come out since Luclin has added to the problem of class imbalance. And rather than fix the content introduced with those expansions, SoE has been busy nerfing class abilities and spells to work with that content. SoE keeps cranking out new expansions when there are bugs that have existed in the game for years.
EQ is loosing players in mass. EQ players have a choice and they are choosing to play games which are not broken.
SoEs mistake was going for the fast easy fix and nerfing character abilities and spells when they should have been fixing the content introduced by the many expansions. That would have cost them more money and money is all that SoE cares about. If they had wanted a better game, they would have fixed the content and left the classes alone.
So I would never recommend playing ExpansionQuest (EQ).
People have been saying EQ has been losing players for years and I really just don't buy that. Even with Everquest 2 out, I still don't buy it. The problem with EQ1 is that they simply made the world to big. It feels empty because a lot of people go to the new areas and leave the old ones behind. I just wish they would revamp these zones or maybe close them off and do something else with the areas.
Personally I loved the Luclin expansion. I played a Wizard at the time it came out but I didn't have any group ports. Being able to travel freely as I wished was great. Just wait for the spire to teleport me. Plane of Knowledge made it even better. Granted, I had group ports at the time but being able to travel easier, saved me money and allowed me to group and hunt in areas I would't have before due to the trouble of finding a teleport. So it equaled out for me I guess. It was a huge blessing for my other characters like my Mage and Paladin.
I think there are several forms of the end game for EQ to be honest. There is the raiding, there are areas for normal high level grouping, there is also the instant dungeons. I think Lost Dungeons of Norrath was the best expansion since Kunark to be honest. That made me go back for a time and really changed my opinion of the game for the better since I didn't have trouble getting a group for that. Just had to get a healer, a tank and then fill in the rest of the spots with any other class which was a nice thing I liked. I never tried raiding so I'm not so sure about classes being useless. I just always had trouble getting groups due to spots and camps always being filled. LDON fixed that problem for me. I just didn't have much time after that to play so I stopped.
I wouldn't blame SoE for nerfing spells and skills. All other MMORPGs do that. MMORPGS that will come out will do that as well.
I wish players would stop running through the new expansions so fast though since it seems to be causing SoE to rush out the next one. If people would slow down then there wouldn't be a need to hurry the next one to keep people happy.
I'm just hoping more instant dungeons are coming and hopefully instant housing.
I think what might be nice is if they altered the world in that everyone started in areas similar to Qeynos and Freeport in EQ2. But keep the other cities and make up a story reason for why people are gathering in these new areas, that way when new peopel start they aren't in an empty city. One can hope.
Yes, there's still lots of people who play EQ. I can usually find a group, and if there are none in zone, then I use the LFG tool. Joining a guild helps too. They've recently started server merges, to bring up the population on some of the more abandoned servers. They've combined the Zek servers for the moment, but I don't know what else they have planned. Once the merges get going, you'll be able to find groups easily. Heck, you might even be turning people away.
Also, I'd like to address the matter of people being far into the end-game, and who are "too far ahead to catch up". There are always going to be high level players. You can't change that. You don't want to. High level players sell the stuff that lower level players save up for. The only time that usable gear drops (usually) is on raids, and that requires a load of people to get 5 or 6 items. EQ has been going strong for four years now, and as Sony is planning a total revamp of the graphics, it'll be going strong for 4 or more years.
Shame on the people who claim that this game will die simply because others are prettier. EQ will never die.
Oh yeah, and feel free to drop me a line sometime on Stromm. -Tehlan Whitewolf, 47 Druid of Tunare.
Everquest is still the game it always was. They're working on updates, and updating a game that's as old as EQ takes a lot of manpower. EQ is still my favorite MMORPG, and they're constantly releasing new content for it. This justifies it having the same price tag as most newer MMORPGs. It has more content, a tried, tested and true system of spells and abilities, and the new disciplines. With each expansion comes new equipment, spells, abilities, disciplines, zones and options. Sony is, right at this moment, patching servers to include the new bandolier, potion belt, guild halls and a zone dedicated to auctioning items off quickly, as opposed to the bazaar, where players set up shops of their own, that they may be able to sell off their wares overnight, while at work, or at dinner with the family.
I gladly pay out my hard earned money to keep the updates coming. They're always fresh, new and exciting, and it's fun to see so much content added to a game that was once played on a 300x420 window in the UI. Please give EQ a chance. Personally, I like seeing new people in the game, it reminds me of when the game was still new to me. There was a sense of adventure, a sense of danger. I still get that, as I havn't even been to half the zones in the game (Yes, there are THAT MANY.) Mind you, I usually play non-evil races, so that might have something to do with it. 8)
Originally posted by Jhakhm Everquest is still the game it always was. ...
Arrr no it's not. The game has vastly changed in playing and I don't mean more content.
One, travel in the game has destroyed the adventure theme. So many items are overlapping and have distracted from each other's value. The game is less friendly to new players. Most of the low level zones are lifeless and therefore difficult to complete or carry out tasks and quests.
You have to chain kill to get your levels up to enough to be a valid character to join any relevant guild.
The game's social factor is near dead, bar chat channels and bazaar.
The game's subscription price isn't worth the price of new releases. Sony need to reduce the price, but I can't see them doing that as their persona is greed.
Simply because Planes of Power made travelling easier doesn't mean that the sense of adventure is gone. If you're doing the quests in the game rather than levelling levelling levelling, you'll find that there's a sense of adventure there, still. The knowledge portals don't go everywhere. There's new zones to be explored, still, and there's just as many dangerous dungeons as there were before. Mistmoore is now a level 65-70 zone, and Firiona Vie is now populated by dark elves. The gods have increased in power since the old days, and still provide a challenge to the end-game player.
There are many new items in the game, that's true. How is this a bad thing? Why do they detract from eachother's value? They still have Damage, and they still have Delay. You can still figure out the ratios, same as you always could. Items still have stat bonuses, focus effects and procs. You can augment the items with a gem found in a Lost Dongeons of Norrath adventure, but then the item becomes NODROP, and trading is no longer an issue until you remove the augment from the item, at which point it becomes the same weapon it was before.
If you need to be powerlevelled to join any "Relevant" guild, then why do I see so many people raising their toons the old fashioned way? I'll tell you why. It makes for stronger skills, that's why. And what is a relevant guild, anyway? If you want to join a high end guild, first you should join one of the lower end guilds, so that you make plenty of friends to help build your toon up. Then you keep playing, you meet people, you get invites to better, higher guilds, and your character continues to grow and be strong until you're finally invited to one of those "Relevant" guilds you're so hot for. Not to mention that you're assuming that the high end players never play their lowbie alts.
The game's social factor is not dead. I've seen plenty of conversations over /ooc, and even started a few of my own. I regularly find groups who are chatty and full of nice people. If you're going to take the attitude that the social aspect is dead, and therefore you're not going to try to be social, then you're only contributing to the death of the social factor. Give an OOC convo a try. Make fun of rangers in group chat. Join a guild who actually uses /gu for things other than "23 Mage LFG!!!111". Family guilds are lame most of the time, but that's because I'm a pottymouth.
Sony's persona is focused on making money, true, but they're putting that money towards the upkeep of the games we're paying for. They're still improving EQ to keep it competitive with the other games on the market. For those who want the newest thing on the market, go with WoW (Boring in end-game) or EQ2 (Havn't played it, not going to judge, except I don't like the idea of Luclin blowing up. I love that crazy moon.)
Bottom line, it's a free market. If you don't think that the service is worth the cost, then don't pay, but I think that it is still worth it. I just wish they'd merge the damn servers faster.
Originally posted by Mentat I want to pose a question to you. Why would you think of picking up a 4+ yr old game over a brand new super phat one (world of warcraft). Just curious, this game is good but, only for the people that have been playing for years and years, there is no way to catch up, you will never have anything that is to be eww and awww'd over. I for one don't wanna play catch up, not only that if you don't pick a class that is needed to a high end (elitest) guild then you won't get in. This game is bias'd and will cause you to sell yourself out if you don't like the premere classes. Be a pioneer! Join World of Warcraft!!! It's new, it's awesome - just like everquest >>>WAS<<< when it first came out...
Just wanna save you much heart/head ache...
Mojojojo 49 Orc Hunter , Gorefiend Server, Warchief of Strength and Honor - (Hunters on WoW could school the crap outta a sorry ranger from EQ).
What a douche bag. Be a pioneer, join every other 14-35 year old virgin fanboi still living with his mama and play WoW...
Actually I do agree... Play it (if you can login to it) until you hit 50, then get bored and come on over to EQ2.
Where the real fun begins.
Originally posted by Wickes BTW, Saragoth, it's just a guess ... but I'd bet you were banned for bad language.
It happened like a week ago. I havn't been there to check it out myself, because I havn't done my accursed Healing Water quest for my 44 heal, on my druid. I understand that the turn-in is in FV, but it's far better, in my eyes, to wait til 49 when I can cast superior healing.
On a side note, I AM SO DAMN SICK OF GREATER HEALING.
On another side note, Why go to EQ2, which is set 100 years after the current EQ, when the full story of the original hasn't been finished yet?
Originally posted by RPGPorkster A big concern for players on EQ1 is Sony's greed. EQ1 should be reduced to half the price that it is now for monthly subscription..
Actually, I think we are getting a hell of a deal. We are paying less than the EQ2 players and getting better game then them.
Unfortunately that $2 more you EQ2'ers are paying doesnt mean your game is worth more. I wish it was... I'de prolly have 4 accounts right now on EQ2, if it had lived up to its namesake.
Really it should have been called, Everquest Online Adventures II (as in a sequal to the PS2 version) because, thats what the gameplay is more similar to.
Unfortunately, it stole away some good EQ players, soley with its erronious name.
I know because, it almost did it to me.... I have 4 unused EQ2 boxes with unused account keys sitting behind my couch., cuz frankly, the game just doesnt cut it compared to EQ.
ALthough hell, I wouldnt refuse a price cut for sure
Comments
Not sure how accurate the below website is.. but gives subscriber numbers
http://www.mmogchart.com/
EQ is broken.... some classes are totally useless in the end game. EQ is not even playable by my standards. I am convinced that SoE does not know what a good game is and I am certain that no one at SoE plays EQ.
Every expansion that has come out since Luclin has added to the problem of class imbalance. And rather than fix the content introduced with those expansions, SoE has been busy nerfing class abilities and spells to work with that content. SoE keeps cranking out new expansions when there are bugs that have existed in the game for years.
EQ is loosing players in mass. EQ players have a choice and they are choosing to play games which are not broken.
SoEs mistake was going for the fast easy fix and nerfing character abilities and spells when they should have been fixing the content introduced by the many expansions. That would have cost them more money and money is all that SoE cares about. If they had wanted a better game, they would have fixed the content and left the classes alone.
So I would never recommend playing ExpansionQuest (EQ).
-e
People have been saying EQ has been losing players for years and I really just don't buy that. Even with Everquest 2 out, I still don't buy it. The problem with EQ1 is that they simply made the world to big. It feels empty because a lot of people go to the new areas and leave the old ones behind. I just wish they would revamp these zones or maybe close them off and do something else with the areas.
Personally I loved the Luclin expansion. I played a Wizard at the time it came out but I didn't have any group ports. Being able to travel freely as I wished was great. Just wait for the spire to teleport me. Plane of Knowledge made it even better. Granted, I had group ports at the time but being able to travel easier, saved me money and allowed me to group and hunt in areas I would't have before due to the trouble of finding a teleport. So it equaled out for me I guess. It was a huge blessing for my other characters like my Mage and Paladin.
I think there are several forms of the end game for EQ to be honest. There is the raiding, there are areas for normal high level grouping, there is also the instant dungeons. I think Lost Dungeons of Norrath was the best expansion since Kunark to be honest. That made me go back for a time and really changed my opinion of the game for the better since I didn't have trouble getting a group for that. Just had to get a healer, a tank and then fill in the rest of the spots with any other class which was a nice thing I liked. I never tried raiding so I'm not so sure about classes being useless. I just always had trouble getting groups due to spots and camps always being filled. LDON fixed that problem for me. I just didn't have much time after that to play so I stopped.
I wouldn't blame SoE for nerfing spells and skills. All other MMORPGs do that. MMORPGS that will come out will do that as well.
I wish players would stop running through the new expansions so fast though since it seems to be causing SoE to rush out the next one. If people would slow down then there wouldn't be a need to hurry the next one to keep people happy.
I'm just hoping more instant dungeons are coming and hopefully instant housing.
I think what might be nice is if they altered the world in that everyone started in areas similar to Qeynos and Freeport in EQ2. But keep the other cities and make up a story reason for why people are gathering in these new areas, that way when new peopel start they aren't in an empty city. One can hope.
To answer the original question.
Yes, there's still lots of people who play EQ. I can usually find a group, and if there are none in zone, then I use the LFG tool. Joining a guild helps too. They've recently started server merges, to bring up the population on some of the more abandoned servers. They've combined the Zek servers for the moment, but I don't know what else they have planned. Once the merges get going, you'll be able to find groups easily. Heck, you might even be turning people away.
Also, I'd like to address the matter of people being far into the end-game, and who are "too far ahead to catch up". There are always going to be high level players. You can't change that. You don't want to. High level players sell the stuff that lower level players save up for. The only time that usable gear drops (usually) is on raids, and that requires a load of people to get 5 or 6 items. EQ has been going strong for four years now, and as Sony is planning a total revamp of the graphics, it'll be going strong for 4 or more years.
Shame on the people who claim that this game will die simply because others are prettier. EQ will never die.
Oh yeah, and feel free to drop me a line sometime on Stromm. -Tehlan Whitewolf, 47 Druid of Tunare.
.
Everquest is still the game it always was. They're working on updates, and updating a game that's as old as EQ takes a lot of manpower. EQ is still my favorite MMORPG, and they're constantly releasing new content for it. This justifies it having the same price tag as most newer MMORPGs. It has more content, a tried, tested and true system of spells and abilities, and the new disciplines. With each expansion comes new equipment, spells, abilities, disciplines, zones and options. Sony is, right at this moment, patching servers to include the new bandolier, potion belt, guild halls and a zone dedicated to auctioning items off quickly, as opposed to the bazaar, where players set up shops of their own, that they may be able to sell off their wares overnight, while at work, or at dinner with the family.
I gladly pay out my hard earned money to keep the updates coming. They're always fresh, new and exciting, and it's fun to see so much content added to a game that was once played on a 300x420 window in the UI. Please give EQ a chance. Personally, I like seeing new people in the game, it reminds me of when the game was still new to me. There was a sense of adventure, a sense of danger. I still get that, as I havn't even been to half the zones in the game (Yes, there are THAT MANY.) Mind you, I usually play non-evil races, so that might have something to do with it. 8)
Arrr no it's not. The game has vastly changed in playing and I don't mean more content.
One, travel in the game has destroyed the adventure theme. So many items are overlapping and have distracted from each other's value. The game is less friendly to new players. Most of the low level zones are lifeless and therefore difficult to complete or carry out tasks and quests.
You have to chain kill to get your levels up to enough to be a valid character to join any relevant guild.
The game's social factor is near dead, bar chat channels and bazaar.
The game's subscription price isn't worth the price of new releases. Sony need to reduce the price, but I can't see them doing that as their persona is greed.
.
Simply because Planes of Power made travelling easier doesn't mean that the sense of adventure is gone. If you're doing the quests in the game rather than levelling levelling levelling, you'll find that there's a sense of adventure there, still. The knowledge portals don't go everywhere. There's new zones to be explored, still, and there's just as many dangerous dungeons as there were before. Mistmoore is now a level 65-70 zone, and Firiona Vie is now populated by dark elves. The gods have increased in power since the old days, and still provide a challenge to the end-game player.
There are many new items in the game, that's true. How is this a bad thing? Why do they detract from eachother's value? They still have Damage, and they still have Delay. You can still figure out the ratios, same as you always could. Items still have stat bonuses, focus effects and procs. You can augment the items with a gem found in a Lost Dongeons of Norrath adventure, but then the item becomes NODROP, and trading is no longer an issue until you remove the augment from the item, at which point it becomes the same weapon it was before.
If you need to be powerlevelled to join any "Relevant" guild, then why do I see so many people raising their toons the old fashioned way? I'll tell you why. It makes for stronger skills, that's why. And what is a relevant guild, anyway? If you want to join a high end guild, first you should join one of the lower end guilds, so that you make plenty of friends to help build your toon up. Then you keep playing, you meet people, you get invites to better, higher guilds, and your character continues to grow and be strong until you're finally invited to one of those "Relevant" guilds you're so hot for. Not to mention that you're assuming that the high end players never play their lowbie alts.
The game's social factor is not dead. I've seen plenty of conversations over /ooc, and even started a few of my own. I regularly find groups who are chatty and full of nice people. If you're going to take the attitude that the social aspect is dead, and therefore you're not going to try to be social, then you're only contributing to the death of the social factor. Give an OOC convo a try. Make fun of rangers in group chat. Join a guild who actually uses /gu for things other than "23 Mage LFG!!!111". Family guilds are lame most of the time, but that's because I'm a pottymouth.
Sony's persona is focused on making money, true, but they're putting that money towards the upkeep of the games we're paying for. They're still improving EQ to keep it competitive with the other games on the market. For those who want the newest thing on the market, go with WoW (Boring in end-game) or EQ2 (Havn't played it, not going to judge, except I don't like the idea of Luclin blowing up. I love that crazy moon.)
Bottom line, it's a free market. If you don't think that the service is worth the cost, then don't pay, but I think that it is still worth it. I just wish they'd merge the damn servers faster.
What a douche bag. Be a pioneer, join every other 14-35 year old virgin fanboi still living with his mama and play WoW...
Actually I do agree... Play it (if you can login to it) until you hit 50, then get bored and come on over to EQ2.
Where the real fun begins.
Originally posted by Wickes
BTW, Saragoth, it's just a guess ... but I'd bet you were banned for bad language.
When did that happen? Guess I have been away for a long time.
It happened like a week ago. I havn't been there to check it out myself, because I havn't done my accursed Healing Water quest for my 44 heal, on my druid. I understand that the turn-in is in FV, but it's far better, in my eyes, to wait til 49 when I can cast superior healing.
On a side note, I AM SO DAMN SICK OF GREATER HEALING.
On another side note, Why go to EQ2, which is set 100 years after the current EQ, when the full story of the original hasn't been finished yet?
Actually, I think we are getting a hell of a deal. We are paying less than the EQ2 players and getting better game then them.
Unfortunately that $2 more you EQ2'ers are paying doesnt mean your game is worth more. I wish it was... I'de prolly have 4 accounts right now on EQ2, if it had lived up to its namesake.
Really it should have been called, Everquest Online Adventures II (as in a sequal to the PS2 version) because, thats what the gameplay is more similar to.
Unfortunately, it stole away some good EQ players, soley with its erronious name.
I know because, it almost did it to me.... I have 4 unused EQ2 boxes with unused account keys sitting behind my couch., cuz frankly, the game just doesnt cut it compared to EQ.
ALthough hell, I wouldnt refuse a price cut for sure