back to EQ2 from WoW: a pleasant surprise

gandalfone · January 2007

Hi all,

I just wanted to drop a few lines to tell my experience of EQ2.

I've been playing WoW for 2 years now, and in a pause I played EQ2 for 6 months at the end of 2005. I was not either impressed or particularly disliked the game, I simply decided in that moment I liked WoW more.

After reaching boredom with WoW because of the infinite grinding, I decided to look for something else, till Vanguard, Gods and Heroes and Conan hit the shelves.

Now I got the faydwer expansion after reading positive threads in forums, and I have to admit that EQ2 in only a few months has incredibly improved.

I am one of the orphans of the old SWG, so I have a huge bias against SOE, but I have to admit they made an excellent work with EQ2.

Coming from WoW, which is a hymn to grinding, EQ2 with the new expansions stands out with all its complexity: it's a game with a depth, not only a grinding feast.

Even artwork has improved in the new region, and I think faes are simply marvellous, conveying a real sense of fantasy world even just with their aspect.

So my advice for all who tried the "old" EQ2, or for those who have never tried it, is just try it out, give it a chance: it is probably the best MMORPG around at the moment.

Cheers

JudithWilliams · January 2007

I will second that:)

napalmsweb · January 2007

I do think EQ2 is the best MMO out there right now. Glad to see a WoW convert.

erinys · January 2007

i come from exactly the same point of view as you, as does my GF, allready converted 3 more current WoW players to EQ2

it rocks

shae · January 2007

I tried desperately to return to EQ2 at Expansion time, I was sincerely hoping EoF would add something, anything of actual substance to the game.

I had been a beta tester, tested my heart out for this game actually and played at release for nearly a year. It wasn't a treat and I toughed out alot of dumb moves from the SOE/EQ2 team but on the other hand, some were good and made the game better. There was always promisses of this and that, just enough to keep myself and my guild going but eventually, the well of hope just wrung dry.

Fast forward through a few failed attempts to come back and the EoF expasion went gold and was about to be released.

A bunch of old guild mates email'ed and we discussed about going to back en-mass, finally we ended with out 30 or so old friends, disperssed over various games to give it a final go.

The first few days were great, going back to our old AB stomping grounds, all starting up Fae and seeing the new lands. The new class selection was ok and some of the questing was better, the graphics had certainly improved and were much more lively then the old areas.

On we went, going through various quests, doing this and that and the other. Then finally at some point after about 3 weeks, when we had gotten to the levels between 25 and 35, some of us even 40+, one girl in Vent said someting a kin to: "Is it just me everyone, or does nothing we do matter still?".

That started the flood gates, we were all thinking the same thing.

It's not that EQ2 had not improved, because it had. Menus were easier to get to, inventory was easier to manage, performance was better, the quest journal was vastly improved, leveling was faster, the classes were broken down to the most simple form known to man and machine and as I said earlier the graphics of the new area and character are very nice.

But what was missing was the most criticial ingridient of all, it was the same ingridient that myself and my guild left because of all that time ago. That was a point. There's not a single point to EQ2.

Sure it's a quest whores heaven and god knows I rank myself amongst those but at some point, there has to be more. There is absolutely no manner of system to ease social interactions, nor is there any non combat and non tradeskill classes. There is no grand quest and story for which to participate, there is meeting of extrodinary battles, there is nothing to draw you into the story.

The game is quite simply, there. Your character just exists and nothing more. The race to gain levels, more gear and greater fame is all that exists at the end of the line and it must be enough for you.

For us, it was not and once again about 30 of us packed up out bags and left, this time for good.

EQ2 was a great idea, I was there in Beta and it was a wonderul possibility. Unfortunately for those of us that expected more, it never came to pass.

Pitty.

bryanb80 · January 2007

Pretty much the same thing here. I beta'd eq2 and played it for a month after it came out, but it just wasn't fun. Way too tedious. They've made things a lot easier to jump into(ex. no more having to talk to every single person you see to find out if there is a quest or not).

I really only tried it out again to play until the burning crusade came out, but now I'm having second thoughts about going back to wow.

PB&J · January 2007

Originally posted by shae

I tried desperately to return to EQ2 at Expansion time, I was sincerely hoping EoF would add something, anything of actual substance to the game.
I had been a beta tester, tested my heart out for this game actually and played at release for nearly a year. It wasn't a treat and I toughed out alot of dumb moves from the SOE/EQ2 team but on the other hand, some were good and made the game better. There was always promisses of this and that, just enough to keep myself and my guild going but eventually, the well of hope just wrung dry.
Fast forward through a few failed attempts to come back and the EoF expasion went gold and was about to be released.
A bunch of old guild mates email'ed and we discussed about going to back en-mass, finally we ended with out 30 or so old friends, disperssed over various games to give it a final go.
The first few days were great, going back to our old AB stomping grounds, all starting up Fae and seeing the new lands. The new class selection was ok and some of the questing was better, the graphics had certainly improved and were much more lively then the old areas.
On we went, going through various quests, doing this and that and the other. Then finally at some point after about 3 weeks, when we had gotten to the levels between 25 and 35, some of us even 40+, one girl in Vent said someting a kin to: "Is it just me everyone, or does nothing we do matter still?".
That started the flood gates, we were all thinking the same thing.
It's not that EQ2 had not improved, because it had. Menus were easier to get to, inventory was easier to manage, performance was better, the quest journal was vastly improved, leveling was faster, the classes were broken down to the most simple form known to man and machine and as I said earlier the graphics of the new area and character are very nice.
But what was missing was the most criticial ingridient of all, it was the same ingridient that myself and my guild left because of all that time ago. That was a point. There's not a single point to EQ2.
Sure it's a quest whores heaven and god knows I rank myself amongst those but at some point, there has to be more. There is absolutely no manner of system to ease social interactions, nor is there any non combat and non tradeskill classes. There is no grand quest and story for which to participate, there is meeting of extrodinary battles, there is nothing to draw you into the story.
The game is quite simply, there. Your character just exists and nothing more. The race to gain levels, more gear and greater fame is all that exists at the end of the line and it must be enough for you.
For us, it was not and once again about 30 of us packed up out bags and left, this time for good.
EQ2 was a great idea, I was there in Beta and it was a wonderul possibility. Unfortunately for those of us that expected more, it never came to pass.
Pitty.

Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post. I'm curious to know which game you have played or are currently playing fulfill this goal of having a point? WoW's PvE is pretty much the same thing. Gind levels, gain new skills, get better gear, etc.. There is nothing special there. I know you didn't directly mention WoW but I'm just trying to figure out what you seem to find missing in EQ2 that other MMO's have.

What you have described as missing is pretty much what single player games are good at. They tell a story. There is a beginning, a middle, and and end. I really can't think of a single MMO that has a "point" as it relates to PvE.

PvP content on the other hands lends itself to end game quite well and allows for rivalry and competition at the highest level.

I think I understand how you feel but I'm not sure why EQ2 stands alone here.

shae · January 2007

Originally posted by PB&J

Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post. I'm curious to know which game you have played or are currently playing fulfill this goal of having a point? WoW's PvE is pretty much the same thing. Gind levels, gain new skills, get better gear, etc.. There is nothing special there. I know you didn't directly mention WoW but I'm just trying to figure out what you seem to find missing in EQ2 that other MMO's have.

What you have described as missing is pretty much what single player games are good at. They tell a story. There is a beginning, a middle, and and end. I really can't think of a single MMO that has a "point" as it relates to PvE.

PvP content on the other hands lends itself to end game quite well and allows for rivalry and competition at the highest level.

I think I understand how you feel but I'm not sure why EQ2 stands alone here.

Certainly, to start though I do agree with you in regards to WoW. The difference with WoW is that it's major point or goal has always been the "War" between the horde and alliance. It was built with that purpose in mind , whether it does that well or not is a matter of taste but EQ2 has no such direct war, besides the pointless pvp servers theres really no incling to it either.

That's besides the point though. As for some games I thought did this well, still do.

Lineage 1 and Lineage 2, in my oppinion have been two of the best in this department. The point, or the goal if you'd like, was/is about conquering land, making profit, making certain your clan succeeded and gaining control over territory. This in turn affected the story, case in point the Chronicles in Lineage 2 and it's many upon many wonderful Story Archs.

I'd also like to point out that because of these point Lineage and L2 are widely known as some of the most successful MMORPG's in history. Both critically and financially.

The original version of SWG had very similar story archs, I thought they were done amazingly. The point of SWG was at one point to move the story forward using these archs either along with your faction or by yourself. They were great fun until they were taken away duing SWG's downright sprial.

The Saga of Ryzom has had and thankfully will continue to have an ongoing story line. The lore is rich and deep and people have been asked to participate in original story lines and events that have affected the world the directly. From what I can remember off hand, there has been well over a dozen of such events and have been populated by huge portions of the community.

While not wildly succesfull SoR is by far, what I consider to be one of the most original MMO's thus far and has always had a point, to help the homins regain a foot hold in a land long lost. There is failure and there is success, but you do both along with the rest of the player base. Why do you think the community there is so strong?

These are just a few examples but maybe that would help clarify my over thought process on what I feel EQ2 is missing.

PB&J · January 2007

Originally posted by shae

Originally posted by PB&J

Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post. I'm curious to know which game you have played or are currently playing fulfill this goal of having a point? WoW's PvE is pretty much the same thing. Gind levels, gain new skills, get better gear, etc.. There is nothing special there. I know you didn't directly mention WoW but I'm just trying to figure out what you seem to find missing in EQ2 that other MMO's have.

What you have described as missing is pretty much what single player games are good at. They tell a story. There is a beginning, a middle, and and end. I really can't think of a single MMO that has a "point" as it relates to PvE.

PvP content on the other hands lends itself to end game quite well and allows for rivalry and competition at the highest level.

I think I understand how you feel but I'm not sure why EQ2 stands alone here.