The graphics of EQ2 vs others.

Vhayne · October 2006

When EQ2 was first released, I got into beta and tried it out. My system at the time was subpar, and the game ran like crap. Later, when I upgraded a little, I tried it again, and still, I had to run it with very low settings. The game much better than before, but I was still nowhere close to the qwuality of the videos SoE was putting out when the game was released. It was quite disappointing and due to the performance of the game, I opted to play WoW for a while.

Well, I just built a new system, and tried EQ2 out again. HOLY JESUS! The game looks INCREDIBLE! I'm playing at Maximum/Extreme Quality, with a few settings turned down (not turned off though), like shadows. I can safely say, the game now looks and runs as good if not better than those awesome videos that SoE made to promote the game. The sounds are fantastic, and the animations are something out of Pixar. It's just breathtaking.

So, for everyone who says WoW graphics are better, or just that EQ2 graphics suck, then apparently you haven't seen it run properly.

My new system:

Asus P5N32-SLI Premium mobo

Core 2 Duo 6600 oc'd to 2.88 (at the moment)

Corsair 2gb 800mhz EPP

XFX 7950GX2 Extreme Edition

X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS

250gb Maxtor 7200rpm HD

Dell 2007WFP at 1680X1050 (running EQ2 at this res also)

Yes, the game is old, but this breathes new life into it for me. No more struggling with settings and crap. Just load and play.

Rayx0r · October 2006

I think what most people refer to when they say something like "World of Warcrafts graphics are better then .." is the artwork.

I really think a lot of times people confuse game art, with graphics. I know it sounds like your talking about the same thing, but its not. The graphics engine in EQ2 is superior in so many ways, from pixel shading to particle effects. its true 3d rendering. WoW has incredible artwork, the animations are very fluid and the world is like playing in a high-quality cartoon.

EQ2 is getting better on the "art" side of things. Ive noticed a lot of changes in gear that you can equip, also more things here and there for housing. Not much has been added to the existing world, but the portions that were added since release have a more interesting look. They did do some work in Nektulos forest, but it still lacks the artistry of a game like World of Warcraft and Lineage 2.

Gameloading · October 2006

We have seen the graphics of EQ2, and I can safely say that WoW's graphics are better. Sure, Everquest 2 has a very powerfull engine, but there are more important things then the engine. Everquest 2's art is C R A P. Enviroment looks dull, and characters look like clay dolls. character animations look fine when they stand still...as long as they don't move.

Gorukha · October 2006

When people say graphics they indeed dont think technology. This kind of reminds me of the earlier days of 3d technology. Just because a games technology is superior doesnt mean the way it looks is pleasing to the eye. Hell, I found the original EQ models to be grotesque

Fogel · October 2006

I have only played trial of the isle for EQ2, but I can say that EQ2 easily outclasses WoW's graphics(a game I have seen in action for countless hours).

Screenshots do not do EQ2 justice, it is a very beautiful game imo.

nomadian · October 2006

Well I think I remember putting the quality up and remember EQ2 looking quite good but you needed a high computer just to run that, and the character models I just didn't go much on.

RK-Mara · October 2006

It is a beatiful game but requires way too much from your PC.

Nadril · October 2006

One of the most bland games on the market visualy.

NeonShadow · October 2006

EQ2 looks visually terrible. It's one of the most boring thing's I've ever seen.

Squall15 · October 2006

Originally posted by NeonShadow
EQ2 looks visually terrible. It's one of the most boring thing's I've ever seen.

/agree

Even tho Vanguards graphics are up there with EQ2, i seem to like VAnguards better because theres not so many "shiny" things. Its just simple and to the point.

fireblazerx · October 2006

Originally posted by Gameloading
We have seen the graphics of EQ2, and I can safely say that WoW's graphics are better. Sure, Everquest 2 has a very powerfull engine, but there are more important things then the engine. Everquest 2's art is C R A P. Enviroment looks dull, and characters look like clay dolls. character animations look fine when they stand still...as long as they don't move.
True story.

CleffyII · October 2006

The spec maps look horrible in EQ2, giving it that clay look since its an all around fill. They used White Lights, what kind of noob uses white lights for a scene. Allow me to explain the character texture painting process at SOE. Pick color tan, shift-f5, enter. OK done with the skin, now the hair. Filter>Render>Fibers DONE. Ohh and you cannot forget the different colored Burlap Sacks they call clothing with customization.

crusher143 · October 2006

Hmm well I dont like the graphics from EQ2.

Spells are looking very good, if you are zoomin in at NPCs and players
they are also looking very good and detailed but if you zooming away
like you would play normal it looks bad dont ask me why ...

I started with my toon in Freeport and all Ive seen was grey color
everywhere, looked very boring and bland. As I got my pet for my Mage
it looked also all grey wtf, it seems so there is no color in this game
???

Alot of things are just grey and brown in this game, it just doesnt
look good. And for such a graphic it needs a PC which isnt even made
today lol ? Big failure IMO.

I really cant explain it so good but even DAoC today when I tried it
looked much better, the graphic looked hmm much cleaner than EQ2
graphics. In EQ2 I sometimes see something and dont even know what it
is, or skelletons in a dungeon I just ran into it cause I didnt see em,
it had the same color as the background wtf ? Happened to me often that
I ran into things cause I didnt notice / see em first, gets very
annoying.

The UI is another point, NPCs and players doesnt even have a portrait
maybe this sounds stupid but it looks like crap

, but the chat system
was really the worst from the UI.

But on other hand I enjoyed fighting in a group with my mage, but the
other points just drove me away from this game... was just to much of
an issue for me and now Iam playing WoW again

until Gods &
Heroes will be released..

What I dont get is this, there are alot of games out which are
looking MUCH MUCH MUCH better than EQ2 but dont even need such a
computer like EQ2 does ....they put probably all technics in but didnt
use their whole potential so they are there to use all your computer
ressources but doesnt make the game look better. I really cant see how
someone could say EQ2 is looking good, overall it looks like crap.

Ahh well sorry for my poor English ^_^.

Saigonshakes · October 2006

Eq2 wasn't meant to look like a candy land. The art in the game, though i agree is lacking in many apsects, is meant to be more gritty and realistic. Which is also why you dont see giant armor like in WoW. It's meant to be a more "real" game. The new expansion pack coming out does look like the art has been vastly improved though. The new zones look pretty damn cool. We'll have to wait and see.

It all comes down to taste. Some people swear by WoW's "cartoony" graphics while others hate it to no end. Same goes for Eq2's more real look. One thing to remember though. The difference in Eq2 you see on an avearge machine to a nice machine is insane! The lighting especially is fantatsic.

neuronomad · October 2006

As someone mentioned EQ2's graphics do look kind of like clay in many ways. There are just too many earth tones as well. I played EQ2 for about six months and while I enjoyed the game even on a fairly high-end system I still had to drop a lot of the graphic settings to help avoid lag when in narrow areas like in RoV (Ruins of Varsoon).

Volkmar · October 2006

I always had a visceral dislike for EQ2 graphics, especially armours, weapons and certain models (like most humanoids models, strangely enough monstrous models looks just fine, like froglocks or the lizard guys).

I started playing EQ2 at release with a middle range system for the time, I stopped and returned to it a few months ago with a much improved system.

I didn't notice much of a difference, even down to the slowing down to a crawl in lowest details when in certain areas. It was better than then, yes, but nowhere near the fluidity i DEMAND from a top dog in MMorpg arena when run on a near-top system.

Anyhow, I finally figured out why i didn't like the armour and weapons, they do not lokk like metallic things, they look like rubber or plastic. clay at best.

Go look the swords that the Qeynos guards have, they are brownish/greysh. And with NO Metallic sheen at all.

Now last time i checked, swords are made with metal, not rock, right?

Maybe that is how a real sword look like (well i have seen some modern made swords and they do not look like that at all, maybe it is steel vs iron) but i do not give a damn, frankly, those swords looks bad, period.

As for armor, if you look at it from really near, they are nice looking! they have decorations and some even manage to look metallic (still, check that Captain guy on the horse moving still in Qeynos, his armor is all white. there are no shades nor any other form of colors), but if you zoom out even a bit, like you would be if playing normally, the details all become impossible to make out so the armor all become a big blob of uniform color. Maybe the devs meant for us to play EQ2 on a 42" HD plasma TV, but last time i checked most people use monitors, 17-19" LCD or CFT. not huge TVs.

So, bottom line, technically there is no doubt EQ2 engines is more powerful than WoW, but the art direction, at least in the basic game, is severely lacking. I can't comment on the expansions as i never bougt them

M1sf1t · October 2006

EQ2 has always had a great technical graphics engine. That is not the issue and never has been. The boring and plain visual style and artwork of EQ2 is the biggest problem with the game IMHO. Nothing like wearing the same robe but with just different colors tinted onto it for the next 70 levels. Or wield that fabled sword of dull rustyness after raiding for a few months.

Frankly the art team for EQ2 shouold be fired and have their hands chopped off so they never ruin another game again. Eq2 can with it's advance engine render boredom and dullness to new levels of realism.

M1sf1t · October 2006

Originally posted by neuronomad
As someone mentioned EQ2's graphics do look kind of like clay in many ways. There are just too many earth tones as well. I played EQ2 for about six months and while I enjoyed the game even on a fairly high-end system I still had to drop a lot of the graphic settings to help avoid lag when in narrow areas like in RoV (Ruins of Varsoon).

You don't have to have cartoony graphics. You can have realism in apperance and still have high fantasy artwork that inspires awe in players instead of disappointment that a ub3r weapons is rust colored or that those ub3r robes look like the same robes you've worn for the past 70 levels.

Rattrap · October 2006

I actually LOVED EQ2

With new revisions, and on good rig - EQ2 is much better game than WoW. In every aspect...

Except one

Graphic are simply bland and unimaginative. To the extent - that i have stopped playing it ...

CleffyII · October 2006

You guys say its suppose to be realistic and gritty, but it fails at this too. None of the textures look the right kind of moldy or Dirty. Look at Granado Espada. That is Real and Gritty. There is a supreme difference in both quality and system performance too because that was a staff that worked on making a good game.

I heard about why EQ2 sucked. Only a few of the characters were given enough time because they were feature characters like the Froglocks and the Cat people. However, since SOE were demanding more and more content yet worked on a very hasty schedule you had very rushed texturing and modeling that failed to be optimized or look good. Granted it wasn't too much of a bomb when you compare it to other mmo titles but its just wasn't approached well.

Gorukha · October 2006

Originally posted by CleffyII
You guys say its suppose to be realistic and gritty, but it fails at this too. None of the textures look the right kind of moldy or Dirty. Look at Granado Espada. That is Real and Gritty. There is a supreme difference in both quality and system performance too because that was a staff that worked on making a good game. I heard about why EQ2 sucked. Only a few of the characters were given enough time because they were feature characters like the Froglocks and the Cat people. However, since SOE were demanding more and more content yet worked on a very hasty schedule you had very rushed texturing and modeling that failed to be optimized or look good. Granted it wasn't too much of a bomb when you compare it to other mmo titles but its just wasn't approached well.

To be fair to any game that isnt Granado Espada, most developers arent insane enough to spend millions of dollars to make clothing look as realsitic as possible

Yummydain · October 2006

I need to clam down. After reading these posts on how EQ2 has bad graphics... ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME!!!???? This game has the BEST graphics of ANY MMORPG out on the market. Maybe if you would turn your setting to the max THEN you would realize that SOE put SO much detail into the game. Go into a crafting instance or a dungeon and look at the walls. Do they not seem realistic?

YES the game doesnt have glowey/shiney/blowing up weapons! The game is meant to be more realistic than "hey look my sword can stay on fire all day even in the rain!"

UI: Very good UI, mainly because you can drag them to ANYWHERE on the screen. For WoW? Yeah there is no dragging your UI around in that gay game.

Graphics: There is no other MMORPG that comes close to EQ2's awe inspiring graphics. If you think WoW looks good, chances are you're like 10 years old, and the only thing you like are cartoons (which is what WoW is, an interactive cartoon). If you zoom in on your character on EQ2, you can see every stitch in your clothing and every pore in your characters skin. And for WoW, zoom in and all you see is a clay skinned model. OH! I forgot those clay models had colors.

So if you really think that WoW has a chance vs EQ2's graphics, go buy a new computer and maybe run EQ2 on something higher than extreme performance.

And if you havent guessed yet, I am an avid fan of EQ/EQ2

aaddam · October 2006

To the OP you should see it on extreame at 1920x1200 through the dell 24" monitor

I agree with what most people have said nothing can touch the tech of the eq2 engine but the artwork is lacking in alot of respects. I do remember reading somewhere that they are working on a full armour revamp for the game(cant link or quote it cus cant remember where i read it), i think this would go a long way to helping as at the min i will not play the plat armour class's even though my favirote class's to play are plat class because they end up looking like you need a tin opener to get them out the armour.

The new addon is going along way to adressing the artwork though some of the area's in it are simply jaw dropping if you have the system to run it with all the bells and whistles.

P.S i know i can't spell so no need to pull me up for it

7Fold · October 2006

I really didnt like the graphics in EQ2. Even though powerwise im sure the graphics engine in the first eq was alot lower, I enjoyed the artwork alot better.

I dont know why I just never could get immersed into EQ2's graphics. Im sure its great for some people. I really cant put my finger on it, but something about the art just doesnt look right.

Now take Lineage 2 for example, probably the worst gameplay in the history of MMORPG's, and I wouldnt subject even Saddam Hussein to the grind of Lineage 2. But damn the games beautiful, and im sure the engine on lineage 2 is no where near as good as EQ2's..

Obraik · October 2006

Personally, SWG > EQ2 graphics, from what I've seen in screenshots of EQ2. SWG's graphics seems more natural, whereas EQ2 stuff seems to have a plastic look to it.

mindmeld · October 2006

As people already said its a hightech engine in eq2 but what its lacking is the ambient feeling.

Its just feel raw and plastic and no fun at all for me anyway.

For instance seemingly the most hated game if you ask some people wow , you cant fault the sceneray and artwork there.

Not best looking graphic polywise but the artwork and scenery kicks most mmo in the behind.

Thats my opinon anyway

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The graphics of EQ2 vs others.

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