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Looking for some insight in regards for EQII raiding.
phraden
Member Posts: 28
My biggest question, or request, is could I get some player feedback. I can read reviews all day but rarely is there one from a complete raiding or instance perspective.
Anyone that can put their two cents in as to the state of raiding in EQ2, is it working up to EQ's legendary raiding status? Or are they shying away and aiming for more casual play? I hate to bring up WoW anywhere on the internet, but do they have a little balance similar to WoWs? Any help would be appreciated, really looking for a new game to get into and do some raiding (without having to go back to WoW or FFXI), even if it's only 10 man raids (I'm not sure what the numbers are for EQ2 raid number wise).
Any constructive reply is greatly appreciate, thank you.
Comments
Raiding in EQ2 is with 24 members (4 groups of 6). There are hard raids and easy raids. They're all about scripted mobs. Most raidbosses are instanced, so its not really legendary like EQ1. Its more the item farming type of raiding, not my type of gameplay.
"Hey we just killed Trakanon!" - "We too, what did drop for you?"
!!!
Thank you for the quick and informative reply. Exactly what I was looking for, only one more question, is it a prominent part of the game, as in are there guilds that are consistenly doing content and progression, and is there even progression (gear checks and the like).
Thank you again, MMORPG.com proves time and time again to show maturity within its forums when I've visited, unlike other forums where the first response is some self righteous teenager telling me to "do you're own research idiot!!1".
Well, raiding gives you the best gear, so of course there are raiding guilds.
There are actually 11 raid instances for lvl 80.
Thank you very much for all your help. I think EQII just got another subscriber, seems to be exactly what I'm looking for.
One more question, (sorry didn't think about it before), are the bosses scripted in anyway? Or are they tank and spank. SOE started to get more and more into scripted events back when I was starting to quit EQ, have they continued this trend within EQII?
Looks as though, next thing for me to do is to pick a server.
They are scripted and full of tricks designed to kill the unprepared raid.
Najena is a good server
---
Ethion
Thanks for the info.
Raiding perspective, from a raider.
There are several types of raids. There are X1, X2, X3, and X4 raids. The designation is the limit of groups you can bring to these raids. X3 are very rare and are being phased out anyways, so really no need to even mention them.
X1 raids are extremely difficult group dungeons. Ykesha's Outer Stronghold and Palace of Ferzhul are examples. Only one group can go in, but these dungeons are designed to be hard for raiders, and very hard for groupers. The non-raider will probably not see these dungeons yet for a few months because they have to gear up and prepare from the other dungeons available. They require top level, best quality spells/CA's and gear to get through them, which are available to groupers, but it will take time to progress and buy this gear. They get shards from other dungeons that allow them to buy very good equipment from merchants that is of the quality needed to get through these dungeons.
X2 raids are starting to be a bit more popular as groupers and casual raid guilds like to go on raids but cannot muster the manpower and time needed to do the X4 raids. There are some X2 raids being added in the next update. You could even say these will be the next step of progression after the group dungeons are all cleared. SoE has learned that the bulk of the subscriber base is groupers and casual raiders, so they are opening up more content for them to offer those people more choices. They will be difficult raids, but you only have to put together 12 people to do them.
X4 raids are designed and built for hardcore raiders. They are progressive in that you'll need the equipment from the first 2 dungeons, Mad Crusader and Palace of the Ancient One, in order to progress to Ykesha Inner Stronghold and gain access to the BOSS dungeon. To give you an idea of difficulty, the expansion came out in November, and only Mad Crusader has been cleared so far. They're mostly scripted, some tank and spank, and the Bosses are always extreme. It takes an excellent raidforce with all the right equipment to beat bosses, and even then, you'll still be repairing equipment.
Contested raids. These will be X4 from now on (they had X3 and X2 in earlier levels, but they didn't work out), and they are the hardest of all raids. Not only do you have to beat the encounter, which usually makes dungeon bosses look easy, but you'll have to compete with other raid forces for the same encounter. All contested raids are in game, and a few have been beaten, except 1. This contested raid will open when Palace of the Ancient One boss is beat and opens up a server event. You'll free the avatar from the clutches of an alien race, and she'll be able to spawn in the regular world ONLY after the Palace encounter is beaten. Like I said, this hasn't been done yet on any server.
My personal comments:
I really like EQ2 raiding. I believe it can be better, but I don't write the game, so I just go with what I think is best. I've raided in EQ1, actually was guild leader of the number 1 raid guild on my server, and I've raided in WoW. EQ2 is the best, without a doubt. More choices, more preparedness, and more difficult in general, and everything you do, no matter what class/race you are makes a difference. You can't just "stand around" and get free handouts any more. If you aren't completely involved and concentrating on your job, you'll kill everyone, and you'll be removed/replaced. I've seen too many of the other games where some would just "come along for the ride", and not really contribute.
Every class has something to add to raiding, and everyone has their function. You learn quickly what your role is, and you execute it to the best of your ability. There are other places in the game for freeloaders and even dungeons designed for variety, with a little ingenuity, but top level raiding is very precise, and not for the weak. I like the competition, and I like knowing that what I do, and how well I do it makes a difference.
www.dracosargent.com
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
Tyvm bahamut1, that is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I'm glad to see that some stuff hasn't even been beatin. WoW just kinda ruined the raiding experience for me with WotLK becuase of it's ease, it's good to see that there are raid challenges still out there. I'll start leveling today.
there's also avatar raiding which are contested ... Avatars are the return of the gods so to speak. basically they spawn in certain zones and hardcore guilds race to them. they are extremely tough in fact i dont know if any have been killed since the buffed them in the new expansion.
Hence the contested mentioned in my post. Yes, a few have been killed, check out our webpage, we've killed a couple since the update.
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
Lol. Before you start to level something go find a potential raidspot and level the class they need and you like.
It is not like evry raid is able to kill all bosses. And those guilds who are able to do it are quite picky.
Lol. Before you start to level something go find a potential raidspot and level the class they need and you like.
It is not like evry raid is able to kill all bosses. And those guilds who are able to do it are quite picky.
They are picky so that they continue to be able to kill those bosses. In general, if the guild you're going to raid for does not have a trial-raid for you, it'll probably not be able to finish all the content.
Please remember there are raids in levels 50-70. They're quite fun to do because they're easy and can be used as training for newer members.
Alright, this gave me an idea...
BAHAMUT'S GUIDE TO BECOMING A RAIDER!!
In EQ2, becoming a hardcore raider is as much a game as leveling a character. There are usually only 2-3 guilds on each server, among hundreds, that have the ability to do the hardest content. Plus, they like to keep their numbers low, like around 40 members or so, to keep a tight knit force that is consistent and knows how work together. They are very picky about the members they bring in, so becoming someone desirable to a top-notch guild takes a bit a pre-planning. I hope to enlighten someone who may be desiring to be in one of those guilds just how to steer themselves in the direction of that desirability.
First thing to think about is class. What am I going to be? While anyone that is a good player has the potential, it is true that some classes are more desirable than others. I actually rolled a Paladin (one of the undesirables), and after being in endgame for a while rerolled a Swashbuckler. But, with the knowledge I had from my previous character, which I still maintain at endgame with excellent gear, I was able to level quickly and picked up all the goodies I knew would be important at endgame.
If you're going to roll a tank, you better be a REALLY good tank. Undesirables include the crusader classes and while brawlers aren't necessarily undesirable, there are tons of them. Most endgame raiding guilds will probably have alt crusaders and alt brawlers if needed. Remember, they're keeping their guild numbers low, so being able to switch to alts is a very desirable thing. Heck, a few guys have more than one account with just about every flavor of character, and sometimes even end up raiding with their alts more than their mains due to the needs of the guild. It happens.
Any and all healers are definitely desirable. Especially the warders, the shamans, as they have the best healing capacity and debuffs for endgame. But, if you're a healer, you won't have to worry much about groups or raids, you'll always be needed. Keep in mind that Furies are the most played healer, so there will be a lot of competition among druids. Although, usually furies solo a lot, so it is up to you. A good healer is most usually welcome.
The DPS classes are split between pure DPS, utility, and dps with utility. Pure dps classes, like sorcerers, and predators have only one thing in mind. Kill and kill fast. Do the most damage possible in the least amount of time. Get a program called ACT, Advanced Combat Tracker, from http://advancedcombattracker.com/ and learn how to read and use it. It will allow you to fine tune your attacks to find out how to squeeze every bit of damage out of an encounter. Plus, it is a great tool for checking out items. If you don't know whether the necklace of fiery doom, or the neckpiece of kaboom will be best, just test out each one and see what the difference is. It's a very useful tool for honing your skills. Plus, a raiding guild is going to require it, so get used to it now.
Utility classes are enchanters and bards. You can't go wrong with these classes. They are highly desirable for group and raids. You will always be needed, but they are also the harder classes to master. They are generally harder to solo, and picking the best mix of dps and utility seems to be puzzling to a lot of people, hence usually the better players end up sticking it out to endgame. The old saying in EQ1 where if you saw a bard at endgame you KNEW this person was a great player is almost true here. This doesn't mean that I haven't seen some bad bards in my day...
Dps with utility classes like the rogues are a great choice. They're fun to play, usually needed in all situations, can solo well, and can even tank in a pinch. Usually there are a lot of rogues, so competition can be stiff, but a well played rogue shouldn't have any problems with getting groups or raids. Summoners are generally solo classes and are useful in raids, but not generally sought after.
Get into a guild asap. Note how active the guild is, and how many characters of each level are in the guild. Note how active the leader and officers are. Don't be afraid to leave the guild if it doesn't suit you, especially during the lower levels. You'll want knowledgable and helpful guildmates, and good activity around your playtime. This does a few things. You build relationships (probably the most important). You get help during your leveling up to help you learn things. You have access to groups and specials, like guildhalls. This guild will be known as your ramp up guild. You obviously cannot join a hardcore raid guild at level 1 -79, but you'll need all the amenities provided. If they have a casual raid force, great. If they don't, then you might have to make another jump at endgame to get into a casual raiding guild.
Once you do find a good guild in the lower levels though, stick with them for a while, at least to endgame, and if you change guilds, only change to a raid guild to prepare you for hardcore raiding. While it's fine to change guilds a lot at first, once you get known, and into the higher levels, changing guilds a lot can be detrimental. Many hc guilds don't like that someone's been through 5-6 guilds or more at endgame because you might be labeled as a guild jumper. While it may be true or not, guild jumpers are not desirable as they are looked upon as being someone that is hard to get along with, or snatching guild goodies and quitting. So once you find a good guild, don't jump around too much.
Things you need to pick up along the way. I already mentioned ACT. It might even be a good idea to pick up Ventrillo or Team Speak as well. Get a good ui and the map updater from http://www.eq2interface.com as these tools will help you along the way. All hc guilds use an external speech program, but you don't HAVE to have one right away. If noone is using it that you come in contact with, don't worry about it too much. You should however, have at least a mic, and headphones is best. If you like the default ui, and it works for you fine, then at least get the eq2map updater from eq2interface. The map updater is a MUST HAVE.
After 20, and maybe around your 30's go to Splitpaw. You can /claim an item in game that looks like a darkened shard and complete those quests. You can do 3 solo quests in Splitpaw and you'll receive a glowing shard. This shard allows you to port back to Splitpaw any time, so grabbing traveling items is always a plus. Splitpaw is only one escape from Thundering Steppes docks, and from there.... Also, after getting into your 50's, do the citizenship quests for Maj'dul in Sinking Sands. Once you get good faction with one of the towers in Maj'dul you can do the quest for Call of Ro, another traveling spell. Make sure you grab the Call to Guildhall spell in your guildhall, and pick up every druid ring bush you find. Once you pick up all your traveling spells, you can pretty much go from anywhere to anywhere else in less than 5 minutes.
In your 20's there is a heritage quest called Stiletto's Orders Intercepted. There is a named ratonga in Thundering Steppes, named Stiletto that drops a quest item that starts the quest. This will get you a Manastone. You will need this item for the rest of your career. It doesn't hurt to get a Fishbone Earring either, as it allows you to breath underwater. The quest starts on the Thundering Steppes docks, and is called Hadden's Earring. You'll need to be in your late 20's.
Well, that's about it. Make friends, and be fair in groups. You never know when you're grouped with an alt of a raider, so if you're an idiot, or just a jerk, word gets around fast. Also, try to group up as much as possible and learn your role. You don't always do the same things in a group that you would do solo, so learning how to work well with others is very important. Study guides and helps on eq2players forums and eq2flames. If you want to be a hc raider, you might as well go to eq2flames and get the shock out of the way. They're a bunch of a$$holes, and usually try to prove it, but they are some of the most knowledgable players in the game.
Good luck and have fun. It ain't worth a hill o' beans unless you just have fun.
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
Excellent!
Someone sticky this.
Lol. Before you start to level something go find a potential raidspot and level the class they need and you like.
It is not like evry raid is able to kill all bosses. And those guilds who are able to do it are quite picky.
They are picky so that they continue to be able to kill those bosses. In general, if the guild you're going to raid for does not have a trial-raid for you, it'll probably not be able to finish all the content.
Please remember there are raids in levels 50-70. They're quite fun to do because they're easy and can be used as training for newer members.
I wasnt complaining
If someone wants to jump into game to be a hardcore raider he has to understand that this isnt easy. Certain key classes are hard to impossible to find a spot. Certain classes have exactly one spot in a raid.
Those who intend to do hardcore or semi-hardcore raiding and are new to the game should know that it might be a good idea to roll 2-3 classes and be ready to jump server.
Its easier to read the server forums and conctact the guilds to negotiate conditions. Also read test feedback forum. If you know the game you might see hints which class might become fotm and which class might become undesirabe. However, if you are new to EQ2 you wont undertsand the trends there.
Honestly? I've done a total of ONE raid. There's alot more things to do than just raid, you know. It was mildly amusing.
For you it may be mildly amusing, but I've been addicted to raiding since EQ1... Planes of Power just brought raiding up to a new level and I've been in love with it since it's release. I understand the class desirability, I've always played a healer, so I may do the same, I appreciate the advice.
most wanted healers Templars and Defilers/Mystics. Especially Defilers they are very hard to find.