Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
FFXI - Cox or EQII
TehDung
Member Posts: 23
Thinkin of starting to play some mmo's with monthly fees (for some decent content) and wondering which you guys would suggest. Please don't say WoW, I've tried that for a long time and find it too short+repetitive. I was browsing some of the more widely played ones and like the looks of these ones. I've tested FFXI at a friends house and loved it. Tried a two week trial of both CoH and CoV, since their basically the same thing i loved them both as well, and I've gotten some high praise on EQII so any suggestions on which to choose?
Thanks.
Comments
1: Do you have a lot of time to commit to the MMORPG?
and 2: Do you like to group all the time, group once in a while, or just solo all the time?
Alright then.
I have alot of time to commit to the MMO yes, maybe not as much as the 8 yr olds that swarm wow but yeah i got enough time to play a long one, and as for partying, either or is good for me, i've heard that FF has alot of forced partying but that concept is fine for me, sure soloing can be fun, but it's always more fun to play games with friends, so for partying i'd say i'd be inbetween the "all the time" and the "once in a while" . I like to group "all the while?" sorry if i didn't really give enough information to anyone.
I voted FFXI i played it for 4 years and was insanely addicted so if you have a lot of time to play it i recomend FFXI. I played EQ II trial and i couldnt get into cause im used to gamepads but i heard Eq is awesome so hope this helps you decide good luck to everyone on their adventures!
Well first off need to know if you are more the casual type of player or the hardcore type?
City of Heroes/Villains is really different than FFXI and EQ2. The latter two are more traditional fantasy type games with more involved crafting, questing, etc. However, if you say only had 30 mins to play you can actually accomplish something in CoX where in the other two you may spend that time getting from Point A to Point B.
To me CoX is the more casual friendly, play for fun type of game. Every class (called an archtype) can solo, you can adjust the mission (quest) difficulty to get xp quicker if you want. Character customizatoin is awesome, you will probably never meet another toon that looks like yours. Crafting is bare minimal, no personal housing but you can get a supergroup (guild) base if you earn enough prestige. Each game is stand-alone so you don't need City of Heroes to play City of Villains and vice versa.
EQ2 is far more involved with both adventuring and crafting. You can get a basic personal house as soon as you leave the tutorial area if you choose. Graphically it looks pretty good, everything I believe was done with motion capture when possible. Virtually everything has voice overs too when possible. If you don't want to do quests you can actually be a full time crafter if you want as you earn tradeskill levels just like adventurers do. There are many timesinks in the game from getting to Point A to Point B, grinding and camping spawns so you'll need a bigger time commitment. Good value though as you can get the original game plus all expansions on one dvdrom for $40.
Never played FFXI mainly because all the people I knew that did warned me not to.
CoX IMO.
Both other MMOs will ditacte to you that you MUST do this or that. In CoX, you will be free to play the game as you want. Unless you like to be told what to do, like: wait LFG for hours...to me this is not even a choice, CoX is actually a game, it is actually enjoyable! Grouping is funnier in CoX than anywhere else I experience, yet solo is also funnier then in any other MMO, so if you are groupless, at least you have a decent soloing game while you are LFG...and between you and me, it is hard to be 5 minutes online in CoX without receiving group offer, which is not the case of the 2 others games, where peoples wait LFG.
Not to mention, as you level up in CoX, you become stronger and can do MORE, unlike FFXI or EQ2, where the higher you get, the weaker you are compare to monsters your levels. I prefer CoX, since at level 50, you kick level 50 mobs a LOT easier than a level 1 kick level 1 mobs...in EQ2, you see your toon at level 1? You won't be ever that strong again against the mobs...LOL, a real joke. It is fun to become stronger against mobs the same level you are, not weaker. These devs are nuts.
Now, if you don't mind the restrictions, you may enjoy FFXI or EQ2, but you have to enjoy been restricted, been told how to play and everything. EQ2 is more guild oriented, and Square isn't trustworthy, they delete accounts after a time, even if you where unable to log in once, account deleted after sometimes; I know, they delete mine, it was a NEW, I never play, I create my account, just fine, then my computer back then was unable to run the game, so I cancel until I have a good computer...and BANG, never able to resume where I left (character creation duh), everything was deleted and the account key was used! And they told me I can rebuy again! Not a chance in hell I would waste my money with these monkeys. Square shaft me and I will never forgive them nor buy anything with their cursed name on it. SoE at least will not delete your account, nor rob you! I can resume EQ2, EQ or MxO anytime I wish with SoE and I trust them (althought it is safe to say I would never resume EQ2 or MxO...and it seems extremely unlikely I would resume EQ...yet...I can't say it is impossible...since it is always possible...I play EQ sooo much), not the case of Square.
Again, I can't repeat it enought, CoX is the only GAME in the 3, and it is actually fun...too casual and too easy, but heck, at least it is a game! Which is a start!
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
CoH/Cov Or EQ2 as they have free trials, the end.
Graphics can`t compete with EQ2 texture res wise but they are better designed.
In FF XI you have a real cool story to follow and it is very challenging.
You really have to find a party to do things tho.
FF XI was more fun to play then EQ2 to me allthough EQ2 is a very good game too.
Forget about COX IMO. There is no flair to those games.They never managed to suck me in. All feels so shallow.
I am a FF Fanboy. I've had all 6 original FF's since before most people in the states knew that 1, 2, 3 wasn't really 1 2 3. I drool at the thought of FFVII on PS3. I will argue that Quistis and Aeris are, in fact, the best characters in FF, not Tifa and Yuna. I have logged something like 200 hours between FFT and FFTA. I am considering getting a PSP because a redone FFT is coming out.
I didn't like FFXI.
Well, to be fair, I *loved* the idea of FFXI. Seeing Red Mages, Time Mages, Warriors, Monks, etc was awesome. Fighting a mob was awesome. The involved story quests were awesome.
The fact that you have to grind 4 levels before you unlock a single new ability was not awesome. The fact that most even-level monsters could kick your ass, and even if you fled, you were likely to have to cross the whole zone, and probably die, before you got away was not awesome.
FFXI is OLD SKOOL. If you love EQ, FFXI is probably the best game you could ever play.
If, like me, you can't stand to grind, or camp a spawn, then CoX is for you. It's fast to pick up, colorful, full of action, easy to play, easy to group, has cool enemies. No crafting. No worrying about loot. No uber items to spoil it. But if you push yourself, it can be really tough, and really fun. If you run easy missions solo forever, you'll probably get bored.
EQ2 I enjoyed as well, but it still subscribes to the idea that grinding is a valid pursuit in and of itself. I hear that with the new expansion, that changes, but I haven't fired up my acct yet (I have the expansion in hand, but I can't bring myself to play it).
Who am I?
@Lorechaser on CoH
Badjuju, Splinterhoof, Plainsrunner on WoW (Moonrunner)
Shyy'rissk on SWG (Flurry)
ClockworkSoldier, HE Pierce, Letnev on Planetside
Gyshe, Crucible, Terrakal on DDO
And many more.
Well asking if I'm hardcore or casual, I guess I'd say hardcore.
And so far thanks to everyone for your opinions, gettin a strong vibe towards EQII, and that all expansions in 1 set is cool too, CoX has that too, and FFXI leaves out one expansion. So I'm just gonna see where this thread goes over the next couple days before i decide, thanks to everyone posting their opinion.
As stated before both CoX and EQ2 have free trials. So give them both a try and see what you think, doesn't cost you a penny. Worse thing that happens you have to uninstall one.
There is a CoH+CoV combo pack called the Good vs Evil Edition but I believe it's only sold at Wal Mart. I personally refuse to shop there, but your opinion may vary.
Do the CoX trial at the very least. I can't speak to EQ2 or FFXI but having played a few other games, I find City Of ____ to be a satisifying gaming experience for a few different reasons.
1.) It's not about loot which is typically the driver of most games, particularly WoW and its battlegrounds. In CoX you get enhancements that drop from higher level mobs and can "slot" them for bonuses to your powers and there are a few high level "monsters" like the Hamidon (you'll hear the phrase "Hami run" probably) that drop slightly better ones but all in all, there is no equivalent uber loot. The fact that you don't have loot as an objective means you ultimately play the game just to play the game. The combination of powers and the ability to slot so many different enhancements means min/maxing just doesn't necessarily work.
2.) As an earlier poster mentioned, you have 5 archtypes to choose from. Each is soloable, particularly since you can visit an npc that will tune difficulty/xp reward as you wish but this is the first and possibly ONLY game where the WHOLE party is greater than the sum of the parts. Seriously, Cryptic managed to build very compatible classes that are fun to play and play with. Due to the scaling of missions based on number of players, every class (controllers, blaster, tankers, defenders and scrappers) has its role but the composition can be tinkered enough that there is no necessary group formula.
3.) Speaking of mission scaling, Cryptic nailed the superhero experience. Sure, our heros typically fight the one super baddie but often your fighting piles of foes. Usually your hero can fight about 2-3 even conned bad guys and the numbers just grow with the level of your character and the size of your party resulting in massive, epic-feeling battles.
4.) Customization and Immersion is a huge part of the game. You can spend hours with the costume generator before beginning the game, plus you get additional slots at levels 20, 30, 40 and 50. Aside from general grouping, guilds are formed a super groups with their own motto and costume as well. When you switch into supergroup mode, addition "prestige" earned for conquests goes to the team rather than your personal pool.
5.) The community is pretty much the best I've seen since starting on Dark Age of Camelot so many years ago. Sure, like every other game you may have to turn off the broadcast channel but finding parties is extremely easy to do. It may just be the genre of the game which lends itself to cooperation.
About the only things working against CoX is it is an older game now (almost..3 years old come this march I think) and content has been coming out slower (some will argue there wasn't enough to begin with.) I think for the power gamers who are there to get the maximum level, they miss a good chunk of the game. That isn't to say that mission maps get repetitive, they do at times but for casual gaming, CoX can keep you going for a long time.
If you enjoyed the single player "Freedom Force" games in particular, you will enjoy this one.
Edited for typos (wow, there were alot!)
I've played all 3.
1. FFXI: I think I've tried FFXI 3 times and each time I couldn't get my self to play it for very long. I don't like that you have to be almost forced group passed lvl 12, and the controls are crap, unless you play with a controller. The art work is beautiful, but the resolution is crap, just because it had to fit on the PS2 and on TV with much lower rez then a PC monitor. Also the grind is very slow, which turn me off, don't get me wrong I don't mind grinding, but I hate it when I'm forced to group. 6/10
2. CoX: Awsome customization, but the game play is very repetitive, pick up a quest then go in to a building and rinse and repeat. I did play this game for a bit, and it is fun, but does get repetitive. I'de still give it a try. 7/10
3. EQ2: I just actually started playing this a week ago. And by far out of the three this is my favorite out of the 3. So much content, a lot of customization, awsome races, and classes. You can solo up to 70 or group to 70. Great community. The only thing that might be a negative depending on you is that there is so much content and land that you might be lost, or never use it. 9/10
Well the EQ2 patch may take 15 hours or not. That time is an estimate so could take more or less depending on many factors. I honestly don't know if the patch time counts as the trial period. Don't worry though you can probably max out the tutorial isle in a few hours so I would just play around with different classes til you see what suits you best.
Oh and on the City of Heroes/Villains issue, I never found it to be repetative. Each archtype deals with mobs differently, my MM can send pets charging in, a stalker will have to pick and choose targets and a blaster will try to snipe from max range. This is just my opinion as I said I dont find the missions tedious or repetative. There are plenty of mission variety in different settings. Safeguard and Mayhem Missions are also hella fun.
#6 was combat. Collision detection plus a true 3d world makes for an incredible combat experience. Tankers can actually do they're job and protect squishies. You can take advantage of height and flight! Air combat is fun and adds a regular element (the z axis!) that any game not set in space or underwater ever could.
But first impressions of the game will have you hooked and wowed for at least a few months. The costume creation can take hours, and then getting badges and other fun things. Like has been said, you can run in and out in CoX and get somewhere. You will probably like villains more than Heroes, the classes in Villains are "synergized" a bit better and are hard hitters.
To put it simply:
Villains lack content, while Heroes lack umph.
The villains hit hard and play hard, but have severe lack of content that can have you grinding in 30-35 wishing you had more than newspaper missions. A friend of mine and I (I was a brute and she was a corrupter) could take on Archvillains and Heroes by ourselves, something two heroes have a hard time doing because of the skill set layout.
The heroes are defense based, and are better in large groups, and actually have a dedicated healing powerset. There are several more zones to go to and groups to fight as a hero, but you might find their lack of umph to be boring.
Like I said, this is what I noticed. If seeing elves and slow sword fighting makes you barf like me, give spandex a shot!
Well, 3 very different games.
If you want casual leveling, crafting and decent customization, go EQ2.
If you want great combat and character customization, go CoX.
If you want forced grouping and slower, more classic RPG combat (with decent crafting), go FFXI.
I liked all 3 of these games when i played them, all for different reasons...as you can see. You said you didn't want repetitive, so CoX is out of the Question.
Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!
First of all i shall say i voted for EQ2 Its a good game overall for a fantasy grind them up.
However if you dont mind ill also say that EvE sounds a bit like your sort of game too. First of all you dont need agaes of playing it to be good but if you do it helps. Aslo the game is all about grouping into Guilds which we call Corperations. the advantqage here is you groupe witht he same people all the time and they become a sort of second online family.
Well, I've played all three of the games you've listed for a least a few months each (some more). I don't play any of them anymore though. So, I guess I'll mention why I quit all three because that may help in your decision too.
CoX: A very fun game... But, if you have a lot of free time and play it hours a day, you may get bored quickly. That's why I left. The missions get very repetitive. However, this game is the only one I've ever enjoyed PvP in. I guess its the fact that you aren't just stabbing each other for five minutes until one of you dies, you are fighting with superpowers. The most fun I had in this game is when my Brute got Hurl Boulder (an anti-fly power) and I threw rocks at those damn flying heroes and knocked them down to the ground and proceeded to pound on them.
FFXI: I love this game. I still do, in spite of the fact I'm not playing it anymore. I've actually left and returned to this game a few times (and I may still go back). The main problem with this game is it is very labour intensive. You have to level a lot of jobs. You have to level your main job, and then any sub job you want to use with it. So, in that sense it can get repetitive because you will be fighting through the same zones a few times. In this game you are forced to group, which some people hate (not myself). One or two of the jobs can really solo, but it will be much slower than a group. And, it is entirely possible that you may wait hours for a group, and by the time you find one, you have to log off. It may not be bad on a newer server however. I joined the game at the North American release and I got on a older server (you can't really choose your server, well, there is one way). So, on this older server was a large Japanese population and they don't group with North American players much. So, if you are on a new server (which the game will probably select for you) you may have better luck because there will be more newer, North American players.
EQ2: Honestly, I can't tell you why I quit this game. There was nothing really wrong with it. I probably just got lured back to FFXI at the time.
Hope that helps.