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The Bones of EQ2...
jmjones_1
Member Posts: 4
OK, it looks like I've made my decision to jump into EQ2 when I get back from deployment. I liked the original entirely too much to change now.
Can any of you veteran EQ1 players out there tell me what to expect? What's different, what's the same, etc? Also, is there a good Role Playing in 2 like there was at the start of the first one? You know, darkies vs. lights, and is any one more powerful than the others? I was a HE Cleric in the original, so thinking of being a Necro/SK or something in 2 to change it up, any suggestions?
Also, did SoE actually make an in-game trading bazaar for characters? I'll start my own newb, but I've spent a lot of time being a newb already, don't want to do it again...you old EQ1 people know what I'm talking about 
Anyway, any info would be great bout classes, races, etc...
Comments
Aside from the name, the two games are wholly different from each other. I can't say just what is different since I never played EQ1, but I know that they are drastically different.
If you didnt play Eq1 then how do you know that Eq2 is so different?
well, i should be getting my comps delivered by tomorrow (fedex), so i could possibly make a good comparison in a few days for you, if im not playing to much to post on the forums.
well, just about everything is differnt, basicly wiht combat it is "odd" it is a bit fun sometimes, but if you are a vet of EQ 1 you may find it a bit boring, as do I, all you do is hit ~ (auto-attack) if your a fighter, and press your hot keys for you attacks, and make HO's (not that kind you sick little.....) the graohics are top nothch, the animations are lacking, especialy when riding horses and griffens, the horse looks good neough running, but your stiff boddy bounces a little bit, but it is harder looking then a 100 year old oak, you look like your riding while in a body cast, no joke, and the griffens, the wing animation is lacking also, it is cheap looking, i know i will get flammed by the EQ2 fanboys, but the griffin animations in WoW are SOOOOOOOO much better looking, cause it is more fluid, let me know any other factors you wanna hear about, i'll fill in the blanks
What blanks? Looks like all one sentence to me. I'm surprised you could be bothered to add spaces.
It's a lot different than EQ1. Play the trial if you aren't sure how combat/crafting etc is different.
Don't ask on these boards though. You'll just get more WoW trolls like the one above. I play the game and I'm not sure what he was talking about.
Habit is not to be flung out the window by any man, but coaxed down the stairs one step at a time. - Mark Twain
As I've stated many times, not a fan of EQ1, but since I did play it and EQ2, I think I can add something.
EQ2 is MUCH faster paced. Combat is much more active (Heroic Opportunites and special attacks abound!). Crafting is much easier to figure out (to me at least) and more involving (it has its own "combat" system). Um...better graphics? Better sound...for ME, better immersion...more lore shown to you right away instead of having to grind levels to see anything.
First of all, thanks for your service and hope you make it back okay.
As far as a run-down comparison of EQ2 vs. EQ1, I'll do my best:
World graphics are okay-to-nice. Character, weapon and armor graphics are very nice, even at low settings. (Takes an awesome machine to run at high settings). Get yourself a gig of ram, a good video card (not necessarily top of the line) and you should be okay.
Class system has expanded to 24 final classes, but you have to adventure several levels before you achieve a final class. (i.e., sort of a branching system).
Four general types of class: rogue, mage, priest, fighter. These branch into more defined roles like crusader then paladin or shadowknight.
Classes play somewhat the same and all have very flashy graphics, meaning a fighter's early attacks might show a flaming sword. However, they feel all the same in a sense. A mage's AE attack might have similar graphics to a fighter's AE attack. Every level you get one or two more "buttons" or abilities to push, but many seem to be overlays of abilities you already have. Gameplay is somewhat like DAOC in a sense.
Most utility spells or abilites are gone from EQ1. (i.e., stuff that's fun, but not directly related to combat).
Heroic opportunities is an enchancement of combat with this little wheel that sometimes pops up and shows you which buttons (flashing) to push to generate an enhanced effect (i.e., extra damage or extra healing). Some love this feature, some dislike it.
Crafting was originally designed for groups, but has been changed recently (I think) to be more of a solo-type affair. Crafting an item is more than just point and click, and you now sort of have to watch the process to decide if you need to abort early or do something else.
Spell and attack abilities have levels such as Apprentice I - IV, Adept I - III, and Master I - III. Apprenctice I is the lowest skill level, of course, but by reading the right scroll or book (dropped or crafted) you can easily update to a higher level of ability.
Skills and numbers are much the same as EQ1.
Racial abilities are minimized in EQ2. None of this starting with regen, infravision and immune to stun. Much more toned down. Later on, at higher levels, you might get an option to choose a special ability or advantage from a pop-up memo.
Racial cities are absent, but racial neighborhoods exist in the two starting cities. Lots of zoning and some lag in the two cities.
Starting cities are Qeynos or Freeport. You can belong to one or the other. Once time, before level 20, you can do a tedious betrayal quest to switch sides.
Everyone starts in a zone called Isle of Refuge (i.e., newbie isle) which is an extended tutorial. From there, it's a one-way ticket to either Qeynos or Freeport.
The zone layout, except for a few satellite dungeons, is mostly linear. Start in Isle of Refuge, venture to Qeynos, then to Antonica, then to Thundering Steppes, etc. Feels like an adventuring track more than a game world.
Quests are numerous, maybe too numerous and most are trivial (i.e., kill 10 beetles, deliver baked goods across town). There is a quest log, however, to help you keep track of it.
Playing view is generally over the shoulder third person, though you can scroll with your mouse to make it first person.
Loot splitting has improved, is more random and automated.
Locked encounters, no kill-stealing.
Lots more instancing than in EQ1.
Trains still exist, but not as rampant or reactive as in EQ1. Harder to train or be trained.
Marketplace system is designed to have you keep a character logged on 24x7, similar to EQ1.
Housing is meaningless, far as I can tell.
NPC's have voiceovers that some love and some hate. Expect to be insulted by NPC's with New York cabbie accents and being able to do nothing about it. You cannot attack most NPC's.
Overall, the game hit the mark in graphics, and missed everywhere else. I think they were shooting for the mass market audience and ended up missing them while annoying the EQ1 players at the same time. It didn't help that WOW came out and picked up lots of potential subscribers.
Still, not a bad game to hang out in until something else comes along. No game is perfect. If you want more casual play, go WOW. For more challenge or meaning to your accomplishments, go EQ2, but realize this is not the Norrath you left in EQ1.
Billius hit the nail almost squarely on the head.
If you have a lot of time, money, and want to play the game for a long, LONG time while still always having more to do (per se) then EQ2 is right for you.
If you don't have time or don't want to spend years getting anywhere in the game, then WoW is right for you, as any cassual gamer will spend 3-6 months getting a level 60 cassually playing (no more than 30 hours a week arguably, you can hit 60 from only 15 days spent playing that character overall)
Don't bother with the trial of EQ2, as it is [u]not[u/] an accurate representation of what EQ2 is like, and is nowhere near as graphically intesive as the rest of the world.
I suggest for further insight reading multiple unbiased reviews of both games, which can be found here, at gamespot.com, IGN.com, a PC gamer magazine, etc etc.
Did he ask about WOW? Did he ask about any other game?
This is so typical - no matter what anyone says some of you have this compulsive need to bring WOW up.
You people love your game so much that you can't seem get EQ2 (and EQ1, for that matter) out of your minds for a minute. It's like that itch you can't scratch, isn't it.
Competent gamers who look forward to taking on difficulty and challenge won't have any more problem advancing in EQ2 than they had in EQ1 ... less actually. If anything, they've made it too easy due to all you lazy whiners. Hell yeah it will take more time than WOW (thank god) ... what real MMORPG gamer wants to max level in 3 months (or less) of casual play (and then sit around bitching about nothing to do and missing or broken endgame like untold thousands of WOW players have been doing for weeks on non-fanboy sites).
whoa take a deep breath Wickes.
They are just a bunch of personal opinions and comments. Nothing special.
In War - Victory.
In Peace - Vigilance.
In Death - Sacrifice.
Ummm, yah, well, er, that's mine ... ain't like it's anything I haven't said 20 times previously on this board
Hypocrites are awesome.
Wickes:
Elite Member
Registered: 9/21/04
Posts: 456
superhero13:
Advanced Member
Registered: 2/16/04
Posts: 98
based on the above, you (wickes) have been a member of this site less than superhero13, yet you have more posts. You also have posted 3 times thus far in this thread, more than anyone else. Seems like you are the troll mate.
You all are funny.
I've noticed an increase in the amount of times the words 'fanboi' and 'troll' are used. At least in the 9 or so MMORPG.com discussion boards I visit. I'm beginning to think none of you visit Gamefaqs, or you'd know what a true troll/fanboi is.
In War - Victory.
In Peace - Vigilance.
In Death - Sacrifice.
Had never heard of it. So I went and looked and found every board I click on says I need to be a LEVEL 15 or higher user to access the board. That's great, rofl, the grind has reached message boards now.
I'm sorry, but I prefer non-linear skill-based message boards
EQ1 is still the best Fantasy MMO out there...
1) WoW is too easy,
2) EQ2 is still has the grind but the combat is too simple... (either you can win a fight or you cant, there is very little room for innovative combat ideas)
3) EQ2 tradeskills are nice, probably the best aside from Horizons tradeskills (too bad the rest of Horizons is garbage)
4) EQ2's quest system is nice, although a bit simple as well, you cant screw a quest up if you try (unless its bugged)
I've played them all and thats my opinion on the subject.
Pre-Sov I would have to agree with you. In the 2.5 years I played EQ1 it was fine. It wasn't until SoV expansion till the game started going down hill. RoK in my humble opinion was like Rome during it's peak. Then came the decline.
In War - Victory.
In Peace - Vigilance.
In Death - Sacrifice.
I played EQ1 for 3 years and EQ2 since release... (and i don't play WoW
)
As Sony stated that EQ2 is more for 'casual' players, i indeed think it is... It's easier to level up a character, there is something called 'vitality' that let you earn double exp, you build up vitality by being offline.
The world looks amazingly good, so do the characters, the armor could use some more variations though. At the beginning i thought the world was rather small, but during leveling i noticed to 'finish' a zone it take some time. Loads of quests and content, i can't imagine someone being bored before they reach level 50.
As a cleric in EQ1 i could hardly solo, i had to depend on a group to level, in EQ2 i have a mystic (shaman) and can solo well, no big stuff but enough to keep me happy. Sony stated every class is able to solo but i think some way more easier then other. Lots of solo quests and recently exp and gold as reward got an upgrade.
I am a bit dissapointed with the social interaction in EQ2, i can't heal or rez someone that isn't in my group, i can't buff a lower level player. I always played 'supportive' classes in games and tried to be helpfull and friendly. Can't spread some love around in EQ2 that way. There is a mentoring system now that ables one to group with lower levels, i have to adjust my icon bar for that (no way to save icon bar in EQ2) wich makes it a hassle for me, so i'm not really jumping up and down for this...
Power and health regen out of combat are depended on food and drinks you use. Recently they nerfed the npc vendor food and drinks, the time consuming crafted food and drinks are pricy, the economy is already out of hand, so for a new player who doesn't get help from friends it's impossible to have gear, skills, spells, food and drinks upgraded as ment to be. If you start playing, get in a guild asap so you get a hand for this.
I didn't do tradeskills in EQ1 nor do i in EQ2, my husband says it's better and easier in EQ2. I do the gathering resources as those skills are needed for heritage quests. One can sell those resources on the market to other players, npc vendors don't buy them. You can gahter rares doing that wich are needed to make the 'uber' armor or weapons, or for adept 3 spells, but they are really really rare.
I do like my room and funriture, decorate it and make it look nice so when i put vendor on and people visit my room it looks cozy. We also can have pets in our room...
So in my humble opinion EQ2 isn't better then EQ1, its something different. At lower level i liked EQ2 much better then EQ1 and that has alot to do with the eye candy
, now my mystic is lvl 45 and i see lots of problems with the game mechanics, spells don't work as intended or are simply broken. Most classes have this problem so there is alot of whining on the boards and lots of high level players leave the game because of that.
For me it feels like i'm playing a game (once you reach lvl 35-40) that is still in beta because of so many problems. The devs are doing regular updates and fixes in the patches, so one day everything will be fixed (i truly hope so). For now it's like EQ2 was released while the high level content wasn't ready and it's still like that. For that reason i play my alts, because at low level it's a fantastic game, but it's disheartning when putting so much time and effort in a character.
Wich makes me wander on sites like this to see what else is on the market
[quote]Originally posted by OnyxBMW
[b]Billius hit the nail almost squarely on the head.
If you have a lot of time, money, and want to play the game for a long, LONG time while still always having more to do (per se) then EQ2 is right for you.
If you don't have time or don't want to spend years getting anywhere in the game, then WoW is right for you, as any cassual gamer will spend 3-6 months getting a level 60 cassually playing (no more than 30 hours a week arguably, you can hit 60 from only 15 days spent playing that character overall)
Don't bother with the trial of EQ2, as it is [u]not[u/] an accurate representation of what EQ2 is like, and is nowhere near as graphically intesive as the rest of the world.
I suggest for further insight reading multiple unbiased reviews of both games, which can be found here, at gamespot.com, IGN.com, a PC gamer magazine, etc etc.[/b][/quote]
Considering you have proven time and time again you either never played the game or obviously are blind because you don't know a thing about Everquest II. You intentionally dodged my posts about your comments in another thread where your explanations and complaints on the game fell apart rapdily. Billius had some good statements, and some that I would say are dead wrong. His post was very good however. But as usual you have to make sure you get your "you might wanna give WoW a try" plug in here as well.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
Wickes, you a troll???? And you never told me!
Exactly when did it become trolling to USE the tool you signed up for, "mate"? Hmm, with his logic I must be a super troll and someone like Murt or Kiamade would be like a Troll Demi God.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
FINBAR
-------------------------------------------
Aphra,
Very well written post, I can respect how you feel on everything you said. I agree it can be a real drag to no be able to rez, heal, and buff those not in your group but on the plus side of it you do have to admit its nice not having powerleveling and twinking going on rampantly as well. Atleast for me it is.
I know the economies are different on every server, mine isn't too bad for food costs but its still alittle too steep in my opinion for something you need all the time while grouping, I think in time that will change. Especially after an expansion or 2, the players will start having to lower their prices as new better stuff comes along.
I must be missing most the whining about broken game mechanics on the official forums, but then again I don't hit them regularly, I will have to look into this and see whats its about. Honestly you saying it is the first I have heard of it.
I however do feel EQ II is a far superior product to EQ 1, I feel it is the next step in the line of games and I haven't felt inspired to go back and play EQ 1 since I started playing EQ 2.
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World