It was unfortunate that Everquest 2 had to go against WoW.
May be. I know I bought both at release and I was gone from EQ2 the moment I started playing WOW. It just felt like the better of the two to me way back when, after giving both a fair shot
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“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
I wish I could fall in love with Everquest 2 again. The game is just too dated for me. It will always be the #1 MMO in my heart though (It's the game that allowed me to meet my wife)
I think that there are now three kinds of people. People who once played EQ2. People who are currently playing EQ2. And people who will never play EQ2.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
The only part of EQ2 that I truly do enjoy is the Shiny collectibles. It's an interesting distraction where you collectibles scattered throughout the world for gear, furniture, AA xp, and other interesting items.
Graphics, instancing, and UI all were below WOW when both released, but I did enjoy a lot of the concepts of EQ2. Thought the class roles were actually better in EQ2. Housing, AA, Collections, Chain quest lines, so on.
I really don't know why AAA publishers don't pick up a flawed title and remaster it. Seems like a simpler project and the movie industry does it all the time. EQ2 would be a fantastic option, because it could have been so much better. Same with Vanguard. Sony just likes to do thing half assed.
EQ2 was for a long time the best linear questing game there is but was terribly optimized and lazily polished that took several years to fix many problems.However Blizzard opted for the easy way out,crummy low end graphics so almost no optimization was needed.
For that time,the housing was really nice,i am still amazed at some of the homes player's fixed up,they looked amazing.Crafting tied with housing,events also added some housing item,so the effort in design was there as well the collectibles were fun. The npc\s always had that eerie look when you were near them,they would sort of stare right at you.
I can't remember but did not EQ2 add facial expression to the game?Geesh eq2 was pretty much FIRST on creating ideas,well aside from ideas that my other fave game of FFXI created.I said it long ago,my perfect game would be a cross between e2 and ffxi bu with no hand holding or markers.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Original Everquest... played it for a month, got so frustrated with it I gave it away to a friend. He gave it away to someone else after 6 weeks for the same reason. That 3rd person played it for 5 days and then literally broke the CD up with his hands he was so pissed at it
I thought WoWs graphics were better tbh.....EQ2 was kinda blurry and pixelated....The UI was a disaster and EQ2 changed its game to try and become WoW...When it launched EQ2 was quite a bit different.
Original Everquest... played it for a month, got so frustrated with it I gave it away to a friend. He gave it away to someone else after 6 weeks for the same reason. That 3rd person played it for 5 days and then literally broke the CD up with his hands he was so pissed at it
... I don't need a sequal to that
hahaha thats funny, always low stories of everquest being to hard for people. Anyways though everquest 1, and everquest 2 are not even close to the same game. There is nothing at all similar except some lore thrown it.
I thought WoWs graphics were better tbh.....EQ2 was kinda blurry and pixelated....The UI was a disaster and EQ2 changed its game to try and become WoW...When it launched EQ2 was quite a bit different.
I'll agree with you about the launch. Even top end hardware at that time had a difficult time keeping up with the texture detail and particle effects it had, the in game settings even had warning flags. Graphics and artistry are different though, still have to draw and design assets, Blizzard did a better job of this in 2004.
EQ2 really picked up and had it's moment when Rise of Kunark came about the end of the year of The Burning Crusade. When everyone was done beating WoW they were bleeding over for the graphics and raiding.
UI? Not a fair judgement in MMO's where the UI is able to be customized. Default, WoW wins for artistry. Lost for functionality. Couldn't move or change anything other than chat window without addons. EQ2 was flexible and very functional in the default alone. I think XML is much better than LUA for scripting, but to each their own there. LUA is a lot simpler to use, more human language.
On the topic... I'm pretty sure it's one of the most suggested games by those of us that spent the years on the content. The free to play transition killed a bit (particularly already being 8 years old and 7 expansions in on a buy/sub model, the community at that time had a hatred of free to play for the gold spammers and lack of ability to control chat bots like the modern systems.). The content has always been top notch and excellent in difficulty - very hard in a lot of cases, and very casual with a boat load to do outside of seeking that challenge.
To add. It would coming in fresh today take years to complete most of the content available. Even a returning player. There is always something to do that you haven't done before. Though the task it self may be redundant - go here collect this, take there, take something else, kill something, come back, magic stuff happens, item given to you and some gold and xp... But everything seems boring when you describe it that vividly.
I like EQ1 over EQ2. Wife and I did play EQ2 about 2 years ago for 6 months, ran into a wall at end cap. People just dont want to take on new gamers and make them part of their current gaming circles. I have never seen such a closed bunch of gamers. They all want to give you cash and help power level you but no one wants to team with you. Wife and I just got sick of doing nothing as the same people hung out doing fun stuff.
I used to recommend it to people who were deep into crafting. I didn't play it personally because it ran like crap and it wasn't enough to pull me from EQ1/WoW.
The reason I don't recommend it anymore? It's more or less dropped off my radar and I don't think about it, honestly.
EQ2 has tons of content. Lots of lore. However the skills and graphics feel outdated. The "open dungeons" are fun. Too bad only the newest zones are challenging. That makes the older content pretty easy, because you out level and out gear so fast. True I can lower/freeze my level (with mentoring chronomagic), yet the older content still is easy.
Call me spoiled but the overall feel of attacks, spells and skills make my toes curl. So much that the enjoyment I get from the crafting, house/guildhall decoration, shiny hunting, exploring and obtaining obscure pieces of lore, isn't enough to keep me logging in.
EQ2 has tons of content. Lots of lore. However the skills and graphics feel outdated. The "open dungeons" are fun. Too bad only the newest zones are challenging. That makes the older content pretty easy, because you out level and out gear so fast. True I can lower/freeze my level (with mentoring chronomagic), yet the older content still is easy.
Call me spoiled but the overall feel of attacks, spells and skills make my toes curl. So much that the enjoyment I get from the crafting, house/guildhall decoration, shiny hunting, exploring and obtaining obscure pieces of lore, isn't enough to keep me logging in.
Chronomancers? ... Granted gear and epic quests will negate the challenge a bit. Can always down level yourself and try to take stuff on at it's level. The second point I agree with, the combat has gotten a little stale.
It's old and ugly. Not only that but they killed EQ:Next after selling us their shit-tier Landmark game. I'll never play or recommend anything they create again.
Played EQ2 for a number of years and really enjoyed it. Moved on to WOW when it became kind of repetitive.
At this point, it is pretty old and I'm not sure I could handle the ability bars. You have to give WOW credit for addressing that. I remember the crafting was great and spent hours working on my creations.
I don't play either game now and am looking for a different experience. I have high hopes for Crowfall and Pantheon Wrath of the Fallen but we'll see. The player base has changed as well and I'm not sure I'll find what I am looking for...
Eq2 should be good. Many mechanics are great, most even beat wows. I don't agree it looks bad, in the category of natural and not so stylized it is really good - You can't compare it with the very flashy looks that for example eastern style games has, because that is not what they are trying to do. Eq2 deteriorated much since launch with poor design decision on poor design decision and some good in between, 2 steps forward 2 steps back. Suffers very badly from waaaaaaay too many combat abilities, and there is just something about combat that doesn't click, feels a bit wack-a-mole like and though wow is the same..hard to define why it isn't good. Tradeskills used to be awesome (at launch), now it is not so much though one of the best still. Eq2 should not have been named everquest because it has no comparison to eq, and it was with wow the start of the themepark era that targeted a new audience - Compare Eq2 to wow and it is like, if I have to play an on-rails themepark and switch my brain off, then I might as well go with the smoother and simpler wow. Eq2 should be good in theory, just it is only decent in reality.
I didn't like the art style as much as EQ and it was much more restricted than the original. There were things like having to consent for someone to assist you in combat and Spirit of the Wolf dropping during combat. It felt artificially restricted by comparison.
I'm surprised the games still running but it has a dedicated community and so refuses to die.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Well, I did spend 5 years in the game but I don't recommend it anymore because the game is way past it's prime.
The engine never really worked well, a good computer get far better FPS in ESO, BDO and GW2 which all are 10+ years newer. It is really one of the main reasons the game lost so bad against Wow, anyone remember walking in Neriak the first 2 years after it was released? It was a slideshow and I had a high end computer at the time.
The graphics were nice at the time (besides the relatively limited number of cloth/armor skins, changing colors do not make a new armor set) but now the graphic is seriously outdated.
I feel that the game peaked playwise with EoF and have gone steadily downwards since.
And I feel that the F2P model is rather restricting. Introducing it was the final nail in the coffin for me.
But of course, that is my personal opinion and anyone enjoying it should off course keep playing, this is just the reason I don't recommend nowadays.
Everquest is kind of like Eve Online with its player base. They are dedicated loyal and hardcore but they are a small niche kind of gamer. EQ was a unique kind of MMO. It wasn't so much difficult as it was frustrating and unforgiving. Many people like that non-cushy kind of play.
A friend of mine likened it to original Ultima Online. In no other game since has he ever felt actual "Fear" running away from some other player you just pickpocketed. It was like that in Everquest also. You would sitting outside a dungeon and a guy would come running out yelling "TRAAAAAIN" and 50 mobs flooding out, You felt real fear because you were about die and lose all your shiit at 2AM on a school night if you didn't run for you life.
Nowadays nobody "loses" and there's no memorable exciting situations because of it. The joys are the rewards from grinding and what the raid monster ends of dropping.
Because EQ2 at launch was terrible. Then they redid it and it was ok. BUT they just kept going and going, and quite honestly, it's boring and showing it's age.
Comments
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
If you can get pass the old graphics then you would have years of mmo content to get through.
It has imo the best themepark crafting of any mmo to date.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
I really don't know why AAA publishers don't pick up a flawed title and remaster it. Seems like a simpler project and the movie industry does it all the time. EQ2 would be a fantastic option, because it could have been so much better. Same with Vanguard. Sony just likes to do thing half assed.
For that time,the housing was really nice,i am still amazed at some of the homes player's fixed up,they looked amazing.Crafting tied with housing,events also added some housing item,so the effort in design was there as well the collectibles were fun.
The npc\s always had that eerie look when you were near them,they would sort of stare right at you.
I can't remember but did not EQ2 add facial expression to the game?Geesh eq2 was pretty much FIRST on creating ideas,well aside from ideas that my other fave game of FFXI created.I said it long ago,my perfect game would be a cross between e2 and ffxi bu with no hand holding or markers.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Original Everquest... played it for a month, got so frustrated with it I gave it away to a friend. He gave it away to someone else after 6 weeks for the same reason. That 3rd person played it for 5 days and then literally broke the CD up with his hands he was so pissed at it
... I don't need a sequal to that
http://baronsofthegalaxy.com/ An MMO game I created, solo. It's live now and absolutely free to play!
mmorpg junkie since 1999
EQ2 really picked up and had it's moment when Rise of Kunark came about the end of the year of The Burning Crusade. When everyone was done beating WoW they were bleeding over for the graphics and raiding.
UI? Not a fair judgement in MMO's where the UI is able to be customized. Default, WoW wins for artistry. Lost for functionality. Couldn't move or change anything other than chat window without addons. EQ2 was flexible and very functional in the default alone. I think XML is much better than LUA for scripting, but to each their own there. LUA is a lot simpler to use, more human language.
On the topic... I'm pretty sure it's one of the most suggested games by those of us that spent the years on the content. The free to play transition killed a bit (particularly already being 8 years old and 7 expansions in on a buy/sub model, the community at that time had a hatred of free to play for the gold spammers and lack of ability to control chat bots like the modern systems.). The content has always been top notch and excellent in difficulty - very hard in a lot of cases, and very casual with a boat load to do outside of seeking that challenge.
To add. It would coming in fresh today take years to complete most of the content available. Even a returning player. There is always something to do that you haven't done before. Though the task it self may be redundant - go here collect this, take there, take something else, kill something, come back, magic stuff happens, item given to you and some gold and xp... But everything seems boring when you describe it that vividly.
The reason I don't recommend it anymore? It's more or less dropped off my radar and I don't think about it, honestly.
Call me spoiled but the overall feel of attacks, spells and skills make my toes curl. So much that the enjoyment I get from the crafting, house/guildhall decoration, shiny hunting, exploring and obtaining obscure pieces of lore, isn't enough to keep me logging in.
At this point, it is pretty old and I'm not sure I could handle the ability bars. You have to give WOW credit for addressing that. I remember the crafting was great and spent hours working on my creations.
I don't play either game now and am looking for a different experience. I have high hopes for Crowfall and Pantheon Wrath of the Fallen but we'll see. The player base has changed as well and I'm not sure I'll find what I am looking for...
Seaspite
Playing ESO on my X-Box
Eq2 deteriorated much since launch with poor design decision on poor design decision and some good in between, 2 steps forward 2 steps back. Suffers very badly from waaaaaaay too many combat abilities, and there is just something about combat that doesn't click, feels a bit wack-a-mole like and though wow is the same..hard to define why it isn't good.
Tradeskills used to be awesome (at launch), now it is not so much though one of the best still.
Eq2 should not have been named everquest because it has no comparison to eq, and it was with wow the start of the themepark era that targeted a new audience - Compare Eq2 to wow and it is like, if I have to play an on-rails themepark and switch my brain off, then I might as well go with the smoother and simpler wow.
Eq2 should be good in theory, just it is only decent in reality.
"I am my connectome" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7GwKXfJB0
I didn't like the art style as much as EQ and it was much more restricted than the original. There were things like having to consent for someone to assist you in combat and Spirit of the Wolf dropping during combat. It felt artificially restricted by comparison.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
The engine never really worked well, a good computer get far better FPS in ESO, BDO and GW2 which all are 10+ years newer. It is really one of the main reasons the game lost so bad against Wow, anyone remember walking in Neriak the first 2 years after it was released? It was a slideshow and I had a high end computer at the time.
The graphics were nice at the time (besides the relatively limited number of cloth/armor skins, changing colors do not make a new armor set) but now the graphic is seriously outdated.
I feel that the game peaked playwise with EoF and have gone steadily downwards since.
And I feel that the F2P model is rather restricting. Introducing it was the final nail in the coffin for me.
But of course, that is my personal opinion and anyone enjoying it should off course keep playing, this is just the reason I don't recommend nowadays.
Everquest is kind of like Eve Online with its player base. They are dedicated loyal and hardcore but they are a small niche kind of gamer. EQ was a unique kind of MMO. It wasn't so much difficult as it was frustrating and unforgiving. Many people like that non-cushy kind of play.
A friend of mine likened it to original Ultima Online. In no other game since has he ever felt actual "Fear" running away from some other player you just pickpocketed. It was like that in Everquest also. You would sitting outside a dungeon and a guy would come running out yelling "TRAAAAAIN" and 50 mobs flooding out, You felt real fear because you were about die and lose all your shiit at 2AM on a school night if you didn't run for you life.
Nowadays nobody "loses" and there's no memorable exciting situations because of it. The joys are the rewards from grinding and what the raid monster ends of dropping.
http://baronsofthegalaxy.com/ An MMO game I created, solo. It's live now and absolutely free to play!