one thing i did like that i guess you could give credit to WoW for is the marked Quest npcs. in EQOA you had to run around talking to every npc till you found some one with a quest and then do it all over again the next lvl. then eventually i started looking online to find out what lvl there was quests and wich ones was worth doing. mainly only did the quests that gave class abilities. and as some one else said it having a ton of quests. use to think Everquest soulda been called Neverquest..lol in eqoa there was almost no quests and took forever to do and gave crap rewards other than the few that gave class abilities and the Epic quest wich went on from 20-60 well every 10 lvls wich gave a class specific ability and you could only choose 1 of 2 kinda another way to define your class.
True they really didn't mark the NPCs and quest items until later though. In EQ we did have to look about, but I knew mostly where abouts someone was, and didn't have an issue finding them. The only time I did was when they were only there at night instead of the the day time. See I read the quest log right to find them, but there was another mechanic I was aware of. If I had known ahead of time nor not been so noob lol admitinglly I would have said oh yea so n so prirate guy would only be at the tavern at night... dur... saved me the trouble of talking to everyone in the city during its day hours.. lol. Still a chanllenge and fun and boy was I excited when I figured that one out, but I do like marked stuff now. I don't need to talk to everyone in town ever again.
I miss this type of thing. It was a small thing but just brought a dynamic to the table which made it more interesting in my opinion.
One thing I do miss is something from Asherons Call. The shadow armor.
The armor was made from component drops from specific, and sometimes none specific mobs in the game. I remember just exploring Dereth and killing things as i'd go and getting mote drops for the weapons and shadow crystals to make celdon or amuli armor.
This always gave me something to do. If I logged on and nothing was going on with friends you could just explore the land and always have a chance to get these drops. Sounds like a small thing but it made everything you did in the game more exciting; the possibility of getting one of these drops.
Like someone said earlier about mobs just free roaming and unorganized; it is the small things like this that can shape games in such massive ways.
A pity the Nielsen survey doesn't support your words. A US survey showed most WOW players are between 24 and 54 years old and a LOT of women are playing that game. ))))The survey was taken in the US only and related to the actual playing of the game. http://www.wow.com/2009/04/09/nielsen-wow-is-most-played-core-game-by-25-54-females/ It shows your wet thumb "feeling" was countered with a social Nielsen study. So how far one can be proven wrong actually )) I wonder just how immature those 25+ year olds really are... )))
One can be proven wrong pretty far it seems
You read the title wrong. Of all women ages 24-54 WoW is the game they play most.
NOT most wow players are between the ages of 24-54
I figured I would bump this thread because Aion is still more reminiscent of EQ1 than to WOW and people still want to compare it to WOW all the time.. So here it is bump.
I'm one of those over 50 players in WoW, and alot of what has been said about it is true. It is getting more vanilla by the day (or patch), and even the hardests stuff (Ulduaar, arena rankings, professions) can be mastered in a month. I've never been Uber, leet, or whatever else the new terms are. But I play for fun, not to be master of the universe. I find the barrens chat everywhere in Wow. I started playing MMO with UO, then The EQ's, Asheron's (both), and many others I'll never remember. I do have to say that the worst of recent was Conan (no excuse for what that company had under it's belt). My daughter is an excellent hunter, rogue or whatever. She grew up trying to reach up to bang my keyboard while I was playing Doom and UO. And I have no doubt someday her kids will be doing the same to her and me. I don't think one will jump into any game anywhere and fine groups, guilds or chat that is to thier liking everytime, everyday. It took time in Wow and the others, it may take time in Aion. I will say that the comments about "train to zone!" brought a smile to my face. Then I compared it to a wow train. In wow, if someone pulls a train past you, it not only doesn't attack you, you can't attack it (evade, evade). In EQ, you would have the mother of all deaths. And I don't think there are any Wow killers.
right with you, pal. Same age, same obsession. EQ1 was killer, nothing like quad kiting Othmirs and Wyverns in Cobalt Scar with my Druid. People used to pay me to port them places, how cool. Then came POK which killed the game for me. Good times! I, for one, do not get the EQ feeling in AION, in fact, I find leveling much quicker and obviously the death penalty no where near as difficult as EQ was. Damn, I had to pray a Cleric was around to rez me half the time. Alas, I do love AION, but for other reasons, chief amongst is play style. Hopefully, when I hit 25, I'll be able to PvP and enjoy the best aspect of this upcoming game.
Just wanted to jump in, just like many people on this thread I played WOW for some time. It was the first real MMORPG I played...unless you can call Runescape one hah if thats the case. This is all coming from starting WOW as a Freshman in High School....throughout the years I played a lot and quit many times and just later found myself going to Best Buy to buy new CDs to install. Exactly what I did this past week bought all the CDs, when I got home I started searching about Aion...asking myself what the hell it is? Is it a game that will fill my so called need for games like WOW?
Suprisingly looking back and not comparing Aion to WOW because I havent played it yet, but I am definately as excited for my first Aion Beta weekend as I was when WOW released expansions.
Now a Freshman going to Robert Morris University, I am eager to read more and see how this game stacks up to my older WOW memories.
Couple things I wanted to know about Aion is...???
-What is the level cap?
-Is it a WOW like leveling system, amount of time to level wise?
To end I wanted to say that havent played WOW in 4 months is refreshing. I am excited to hear a game could possibly top it. WOW is about working your ass off if you want to be the best, thats how I look at it and when you have a real life it kills it all knowing you cant be the best unless you spend your life on it. Aion should break up some of Blizzards BullS*** and for once hopefully make that lose a couple more 15$ a month hah.
I've been in the Aion closed beta for the last 3 sessions and am not getting the old Eq1 vibe at all. Don't get me wrong, I preordered Aion and I think it is a fun game but playstyle is nothing like Eq1, nor is it like LOTRO or WoW. If anything I think it is more like Lineage2 or maybe FFXI. Granted I have only levelled a handful of characters to 16 or so and tryed all 4 archetypes but never did I once say or think "wow this is like EQ."
I think it is so much more of a solo game than the group necessity of EQ. I mean people are helpful - clerics do run by buffs all the time (as do I) and if you are fighting a harder mob there are usually people around that join to help kill it, but for the most part I saw very little grouping and only joined up twice in 4 characters, 16 lvls each. It does have a bit of a grind or it seemed that about 1/2 the lvl would be quested then the last half is grinded once you get past 10 or so. It is nowhere near as quick to level as WoW, which is nice.
Also the way the mobs are spread, small agro range and the fact that most mobs won't follow you very far is far from Eq1. Like no one is pulling mobs back to the group as far as Ive seen or been able to do. Heck run 50 -100 in game feet and the mobs run back to position unless they have you snared.
Immersively though there is little to no death penalty, short recasts on recall type spells, and it is easy to travel almost everywhere unless you are just too low lvl and are trying to run through a hostile area. EQ made you not want to die. Aion has less death penalty than WoW. You die and *poof* you are in town and can cheaply buy back any penalties accrued and gain xps back. In fact the only Eq like system I saw was that you have to buy spells; they don't just upgrade every level.
In closing I think Aion is a super fun game so far and I am looking forward to the release. I haven't tried RvR or the PvP nor have I tried crafting, so my opinions on those are moot. But Aion is NOT Eq1 or even in the same ballpark. I wish it was but there is a level of candy coating that will keep it miles apart. Especially in loot system, raids, bosses, death penalties, necessity of grouping, immersion, how fast you get back stamina / mana etc... NOTHING like Eq1. If anything I'd say Lineage 2 with wings and much better graphics and gameplay smoothness and without the gold farmers.
2. Death Penalty in the form of exp loss (although you can pay gold to buy it back)
3. Dungeons or Camps with Elite mobs that require groups to be formed to exp grind. Mid levels same xp as good solo class doing grind + quest, higher levels better exp then solo grind + quest.
4. Class are not balanced on solo exp rate but for PVP and grouping in PVE. Sorceror and Ranger solo xp far faster then say, Cleric and Chanter. But the ladder are group classes.
5. Open dungeons and outdoor elite areas where multiple groups can xp - kinda like multiple exp groups grinding in the same zone like Guk, Seb or HS.
6. A more mature community (at least in beta) hopefully it will remain so in Live.
7. Higher level exp progression is much slower then WOW and closer to EQ1
8. Soul Bind Gear
9. Aggro generation and hate list is closer to EQ with some additional mechanics
...
Things that are not similar to EQ
1. More PVP focused. Open world PVP in Abyss and ganking will happen with Rifts.
2. WoW like UI
3. Easy leveling at first 20 levels and completey soloable by every class with minimum time
4. Many raid bosses are scripted like WoW rather then Random like EQ1
5. Super Tanks like the later part of EQ and WoW
6. Combos
7. Flying Which add a whole new level of game play in both PVE and PVP (more so for PVP)
8. Some instancing
9. WoW like Quests, FFXI like Campaign Quests
...
There are prob more can be added to both lists but my brain is exhausted... But this looks to be the game that will recapture some fo the old glory of EQ1 and create new stories with the PVP aspect.
What you don't realize about that survey is, most people in that survey are 25-54 years old sad lonely person who is in a middle of a mid life crisis. WoW simply remedied it by providing online commmunication with millions of people, which gave a false sense of "connecting" with people. I am sorry, MMO gamers these days are boiled down to 3 types 1. Those that take their emotions into game, but will not admit. The game is not what they interested in, it is to interact with people. Either interaction is friendly or hostile is completely different with each person. 2. Those that believe they are gamers, but have no logic or rational thoughts. They want the game to be real life, thus complain when it doesn't reach real life standards. Game also doesn't matter to them, they just want a place to feel their are important, and they are not going to do that in reali life. 3. Those that play the MMORPG as a game and tries to enjoy it as much as possible. However, sometimes they are surrounded by type 1 and 2. No one will actively admit they are 1 and 2. However, that is all I seen in game and on the forum the past decade.
Neilson spend hundreds of thousands of dollars constructing a demographic profile of the WoW player base. They draw a sample based on specified methods, they actually get to interview the gamer, talk to him based on strictly defined and worded questions, and processing the answers based on strict definitions + operation rules, so that the aggregated totals or averages (average age, say) has a meaning.
You proceed to spend 10 mintues writing a lovely text and more than double the findings of the original report. You are able to see so much deeper into the personal character and emotions of the entire sample, and is able to project this to cover 12million persons (or how many are there actually?). Most remarkable of all, you do this without even interviewing any one of the original Nielson sample.
You must be the greatest research on earth. Can I hire you to provide a write up on the online gaming habits of Maritans? I heard that they spend a lot on games, I want to make a game for that market.
The other thing that I think makes EQ stand out much more than any other MMO I can think of at the moment is the importance of faction. That connection between giants vs dragonkin, all NPCs for the most part that are killable or attackable and have faction hits, whether to farm dwarves or not... all made the game deeper on lore levels that anyone else has touched. I don't know why more MMOs don't follow the model. In addition, skills that level up as you use them is another relatively rare system implimented, though Darkfall grabbed that. Random boss spawns that drop rare or common loot or a reason to camp an area - also good IMO though it can create upset players when guilds or high levs control areas for too long. Big raids that take hours and thought to complete. DKP systems, AA pts, mobs that follow you til you fight or zone, big mean 'furious at lag death' xp penalties, the feeling of waking up in the morning on your desk realizing why you shouldnt have binded yourself in Guk in a hostile area and have de-leveled three times; epics that take guilds to get, kiting a named mob for 45 mins to kill it or quad kiting, nekked, rusty weapon corpse runs, dragging corpses, freaking out at the edge of your seat the first time in Unrest or Hate, the feeling the first time you killed a dragon or God, the immence difference between character class and skills / abilities / advantages and disadvantages; the minute differences in every piece of armor as characters wore them, trains that made you respect them and so on!!!
All of those things are Eq1 to me. Aion has almost none of that and really shouldn't be compared to Eq at all. (Yeah there are trains but the leashes are short and they run back immune at a close distance and the levelling is slow compared to other MMOs yet not the grind of say half of the free to play Asian MMOs.) Aion is, on the other hand is a great game and better polished each time I play. I look forward to the rvr and pvp. Flight is cool as hell and will take skillful fighting to a new level; the combo system rocks. The game is pretty and plays very smoothly. All of the classes are fun to play and the balancing is good. It is exiting when you get a good drops. Also the fact that it is beta and I haven't experienced most of the game let alone what they release means so much of everything is subjective still.
I still say , "Think Lineage 3 meets FFXI meets Something new and fun and different that has small similarities and grabbed good points from many other good games."
This game is NOTHING like EQ1. So the grind is harder than wow, that means its like EQ? What sense does that make? Roaming mobs? Yeah EQ is the only game that has roaming mobs...WOW doesn't have roaming mobs, either.
Please, you guys will try anything to get people to play this game. I got 200+ days logged time on EQ1, and I'm here to tell you this game is not like EQ1, and your "this game is more like EQ1 than WOW" argument is a pile of failsauce.
I started EQ1 when Ruins of Kunark first came out. They offered a trial date for free blah blah blah... was also my first true mmorpg.
Played until Planes of Power, roughly 3 years later. Been in a couple of guilds, made some friends, seen a LOT of content. But the msot notable thing was what quite a few people here mentioned- the friendliness. The helping out with heals, buffs, items, /emotes, etc. THAT is what got me into online rpgs (used to play a ton of tabletop). Sadly had to quit and sell the account when in college.. but on to the point.
Then when Burning Crusade came out, my GF told me how her brother and sistern in law played WoW (Was always jaded against WOW, AC, DAOC etc they assaulted my EQ loyalties) and so we tried it via the free trial. Played it til just after launch of Lich King. Again made friends, been in a few guilds, seen a ton of content (I'm always about progressive raiding; server firsts et al).
BUT...
I remember the worst thing about EQ was trains and for real drama... ninja looters. Now, with WOW, it's worrying about your account, guild bank, toon, even trying to check your mail and make sure you aren't being scammed with a bag of flour. And Barrens Chat. Damn Chuck Norris and the jokes associated with him.
In essence, EQ was by far the more superior mmo in regards to a community. Player base and general mentalities. Now with the new generations of gamers and teenagers, its just too angst filled.
With everyone here relating to Aion to EQ more than WOW, I am tending to purchasing and playing Aion sicne it seems to be a bit more casual and not so focused on end game raiding/arenas that WOW did (I can't afford the time for WOW anymore).
I'm actually getting really excited for a new PC mmorpg (have quite a few ps3 games) and looking forward to actual humans not just mindless cretins.
Umm there is no resemblance to EQ2 at all. Which is probably one of the worst designed games in history.. WOW i can see.. EQ1 I can see.. Cant speak up on lineage other than maybe artistic design somewhat... But EQ1 still holds the closest feel with strong PVP and some WOW thrown in.
Umm there is no resemblance to EQ2 at all. Which is probably one of the worst designed games in history.. WOW i can see.. EQ1 I can see.. Cant speak up on lineage other than maybe artistic design somewhat... But EQ1 still holds the closest feel with strong PVP and some WOW thrown in.
Cant be so far from the truth. EQ2 in its current states is one of the if not the best MMORPG out right now. The launch version sucked donkey balls but they have put the work into fixing almost everything. The graphics are amazing even to this day.
To me Aion compares to nothing because EQ, EQ2, WOW all 3 are mostly pve games. You cannot compare a PVE game to a PVP game and yes Aion is a PVP first game you cannot PVE without experiencing PVP eventually.
Comments
True they really didn't mark the NPCs and quest items until later though. In EQ we did have to look about, but I knew mostly where abouts someone was, and didn't have an issue finding them. The only time I did was when they were only there at night instead of the the day time. See I read the quest log right to find them, but there was another mechanic I was aware of. If I had known ahead of time nor not been so noob lol admitinglly I would have said oh yea so n so prirate guy would only be at the tavern at night... dur... saved me the trouble of talking to everyone in the city during its day hours.. lol. Still a chanllenge and fun and boy was I excited when I figured that one out, but I do like marked stuff now. I don't need to talk to everyone in town ever again.
I miss this type of thing. It was a small thing but just brought a dynamic to the table which made it more interesting in my opinion.
One thing I do miss is something from Asherons Call. The shadow armor.
The armor was made from component drops from specific, and sometimes none specific mobs in the game. I remember just exploring Dereth and killing things as i'd go and getting mote drops for the weapons and shadow crystals to make celdon or amuli armor.
This always gave me something to do. If I logged on and nothing was going on with friends you could just explore the land and always have a chance to get these drops. Sounds like a small thing but it made everything you did in the game more exciting; the possibility of getting one of these drops.
Like someone said earlier about mobs just free roaming and unorganized; it is the small things like this that can shape games in such massive ways.
One can be proven wrong pretty far it seems
You read the title wrong. Of all women ages 24-54 WoW is the game they play most.
NOT most wow players are between the ages of 24-54
I figured I would bump this thread because Aion is still more reminiscent of EQ1 than to WOW and people still want to compare it to WOW all the time.. So here it is bump.
right with you, pal. Same age, same obsession. EQ1 was killer, nothing like quad kiting Othmirs and Wyverns in Cobalt Scar with my Druid. People used to pay me to port them places, how cool. Then came POK which killed the game for me. Good times! I, for one, do not get the EQ feeling in AION, in fact, I find leveling much quicker and obviously the death penalty no where near as difficult as EQ was. Damn, I had to pray a Cleric was around to rez me half the time. Alas, I do love AION, but for other reasons, chief amongst is play style. Hopefully, when I hit 25, I'll be able to PvP and enjoy the best aspect of this upcoming game.
Just wanted to jump in, just like many people on this thread I played WOW for some time. It was the first real MMORPG I played...unless you can call Runescape one hah if thats the case. This is all coming from starting WOW as a Freshman in High School....throughout the years I played a lot and quit many times and just later found myself going to Best Buy to buy new CDs to install. Exactly what I did this past week bought all the CDs, when I got home I started searching about Aion...asking myself what the hell it is? Is it a game that will fill my so called need for games like WOW?
Suprisingly looking back and not comparing Aion to WOW because I havent played it yet, but I am definately as excited for my first Aion Beta weekend as I was when WOW released expansions.
Now a Freshman going to Robert Morris University, I am eager to read more and see how this game stacks up to my older WOW memories.
Couple things I wanted to know about Aion is...???
-What is the level cap?
-Is it a WOW like leveling system, amount of time to level wise?
To end I wanted to say that havent played WOW in 4 months is refreshing. I am excited to hear a game could possibly top it. WOW is about working your ass off if you want to be the best, thats how I look at it and when you have a real life it kills it all knowing you cant be the best unless you spend your life on it. Aion should break up some of Blizzards BullS*** and for once hopefully make that lose a couple more 15$ a month hah.
~Matt~
I've been in the Aion closed beta for the last 3 sessions and am not getting the old Eq1 vibe at all. Don't get me wrong, I preordered Aion and I think it is a fun game but playstyle is nothing like Eq1, nor is it like LOTRO or WoW. If anything I think it is more like Lineage2 or maybe FFXI. Granted I have only levelled a handful of characters to 16 or so and tryed all 4 archetypes but never did I once say or think "wow this is like EQ."
I think it is so much more of a solo game than the group necessity of EQ. I mean people are helpful - clerics do run by buffs all the time (as do I) and if you are fighting a harder mob there are usually people around that join to help kill it, but for the most part I saw very little grouping and only joined up twice in 4 characters, 16 lvls each. It does have a bit of a grind or it seemed that about 1/2 the lvl would be quested then the last half is grinded once you get past 10 or so. It is nowhere near as quick to level as WoW, which is nice.
Also the way the mobs are spread, small agro range and the fact that most mobs won't follow you very far is far from Eq1. Like no one is pulling mobs back to the group as far as Ive seen or been able to do. Heck run 50 -100 in game feet and the mobs run back to position unless they have you snared.
Immersively though there is little to no death penalty, short recasts on recall type spells, and it is easy to travel almost everywhere unless you are just too low lvl and are trying to run through a hostile area. EQ made you not want to die. Aion has less death penalty than WoW. You die and *poof* you are in town and can cheaply buy back any penalties accrued and gain xps back. In fact the only Eq like system I saw was that you have to buy spells; they don't just upgrade every level.
In closing I think Aion is a super fun game so far and I am looking forward to the release. I haven't tried RvR or the PvP nor have I tried crafting, so my opinions on those are moot. But Aion is NOT Eq1 or even in the same ballpark. I wish it was but there is a level of candy coating that will keep it miles apart. Especially in loot system, raids, bosses, death penalties, necessity of grouping, immersion, how fast you get back stamina / mana etc... NOTHING like Eq1. If anything I'd say Lineage 2 with wings and much better graphics and gameplay smoothness and without the gold farmers.
Whenever someone makes a comparision I never really see it.
People say Lotro is like WoW and imo it feels more like EQ2 or AC2.
They say Ryzom is similar to SWG but i never see it it feels unique.
I can go on and on.
Imo it seems like people WANT the game to resemble a popular game for hype reasons.
once these guys release and give me a free trial ill see for myself.
Saying any game seems like EQ1 is a bit much.
Playing: EvE, Ryzom
aion seems to be a rush to endgame
should an MMORPG have an endgame despite recent releases that are just that (AOC, WAR)? i'll answer that one myself with a resounding NO
so how is this on a par with EQ1?
i'm not in beta so i can only go on what i've read so correct me if i'm wrong
Let's see. Things that are similar to EQ:
1. Trains/Aggro Transfer from mobs passing by
2. Death Penalty in the form of exp loss (although you can pay gold to buy it back)
3. Dungeons or Camps with Elite mobs that require groups to be formed to exp grind. Mid levels same xp as good solo class doing grind + quest, higher levels better exp then solo grind + quest.
4. Class are not balanced on solo exp rate but for PVP and grouping in PVE. Sorceror and Ranger solo xp far faster then say, Cleric and Chanter. But the ladder are group classes.
5. Open dungeons and outdoor elite areas where multiple groups can xp - kinda like multiple exp groups grinding in the same zone like Guk, Seb or HS.
6. A more mature community (at least in beta) hopefully it will remain so in Live.
7. Higher level exp progression is much slower then WOW and closer to EQ1
8. Soul Bind Gear
9. Aggro generation and hate list is closer to EQ with some additional mechanics
...
Things that are not similar to EQ
1. More PVP focused. Open world PVP in Abyss and ganking will happen with Rifts.
2. WoW like UI
3. Easy leveling at first 20 levels and completey soloable by every class with minimum time
4. Many raid bosses are scripted like WoW rather then Random like EQ1
5. Super Tanks like the later part of EQ and WoW
6. Combos
7. Flying
Which add a whole new level of game play in both PVE and PVP (more so for PVP)
8. Some instancing
9. WoW like Quests, FFXI like Campaign Quests
...
There are prob more can be added to both lists but my brain is exhausted... But this looks to be the game that will recapture some fo the old glory of EQ1 and create new stories with the PVP aspect.
Neilson spend hundreds of thousands of dollars constructing a demographic profile of the WoW player base. They draw a sample based on specified methods, they actually get to interview the gamer, talk to him based on strictly defined and worded questions, and processing the answers based on strict definitions + operation rules, so that the aggregated totals or averages (average age, say) has a meaning.
You proceed to spend 10 mintues writing a lovely text and more than double the findings of the original report. You are able to see so much deeper into the personal character and emotions of the entire sample, and is able to project this to cover 12million persons (or how many are there actually?). Most remarkable of all, you do this without even interviewing any one of the original Nielson sample.
You must be the greatest research on earth. Can I hire you to provide a write up on the online gaming habits of Maritans? I heard that they spend a lot on games, I want to make a game for that market.
The other thing that I think makes EQ stand out much more than any other MMO I can think of at the moment is the importance of faction. That connection between giants vs dragonkin, all NPCs for the most part that are killable or attackable and have faction hits, whether to farm dwarves or not... all made the game deeper on lore levels that anyone else has touched. I don't know why more MMOs don't follow the model. In addition, skills that level up as you use them is another relatively rare system implimented, though Darkfall grabbed that. Random boss spawns that drop rare or common loot or a reason to camp an area - also good IMO though it can create upset players when guilds or high levs control areas for too long. Big raids that take hours and thought to complete. DKP systems, AA pts, mobs that follow you til you fight or zone, big mean 'furious at lag death' xp penalties, the feeling of waking up in the morning on your desk realizing why you shouldnt have binded yourself in Guk in a hostile area and have de-leveled three times; epics that take guilds to get, kiting a named mob for 45 mins to kill it or quad kiting, nekked, rusty weapon corpse runs, dragging corpses, freaking out at the edge of your seat the first time in Unrest or Hate, the feeling the first time you killed a dragon or God, the immence difference between character class and skills / abilities / advantages and disadvantages; the minute differences in every piece of armor as characters wore them, trains that made you respect them and so on!!!
All of those things are Eq1 to me. Aion has almost none of that and really shouldn't be compared to Eq at all. (Yeah there are trains but the leashes are short and they run back immune at a close distance and the levelling is slow compared to other MMOs yet not the grind of say half of the free to play Asian MMOs.) Aion is, on the other hand is a great game and better polished each time I play. I look forward to the rvr and pvp. Flight is cool as hell and will take skillful fighting to a new level; the combo system rocks. The game is pretty and plays very smoothly. All of the classes are fun to play and the balancing is good. It is exiting when you get a good drops. Also the fact that it is beta and I haven't experienced most of the game let alone what they release means so much of everything is subjective still.
I still say , "Think Lineage 3 meets FFXI meets Something new and fun and different that has small similarities and grabbed good points from many other good games."
This game is NOTHING like EQ1. So the grind is harder than wow, that means its like EQ? What sense does that make? Roaming mobs? Yeah EQ is the only game that has roaming mobs...WOW doesn't have roaming mobs, either.
Please, you guys will try anything to get people to play this game. I got 200+ days logged time on EQ1, and I'm here to tell you this game is not like EQ1, and your "this game is more like EQ1 than WOW" argument is a pile of failsauce.
I started EQ1 when Ruins of Kunark first came out. They offered a trial date for free blah blah blah... was also my first true mmorpg.
Played until Planes of Power, roughly 3 years later. Been in a couple of guilds, made some friends, seen a LOT of content. But the msot notable thing was what quite a few people here mentioned- the friendliness. The helping out with heals, buffs, items, /emotes, etc. THAT is what got me into online rpgs (used to play a ton of tabletop). Sadly had to quit and sell the account when in college.. but on to the point.
Then when Burning Crusade came out, my GF told me how her brother and sistern in law played WoW (Was always jaded against WOW, AC, DAOC etc they assaulted my EQ loyalties) and so we tried it via the free trial. Played it til just after launch of Lich King. Again made friends, been in a few guilds, seen a ton of content (I'm always about progressive raiding; server firsts et al).
BUT...
I remember the worst thing about EQ was trains and for real drama... ninja looters. Now, with WOW, it's worrying about your account, guild bank, toon, even trying to check your mail and make sure you aren't being scammed with a bag of flour. And Barrens Chat. Damn Chuck Norris and the jokes associated with him.
In essence, EQ was by far the more superior mmo in regards to a community. Player base and general mentalities. Now with the new generations of gamers and teenagers, its just too angst filled.
With everyone here relating to Aion to EQ more than WOW, I am tending to purchasing and playing Aion sicne it seems to be a bit more casual and not so focused on end game raiding/arenas that WOW did (I can't afford the time for WOW anymore).
I'm actually getting really excited for a new PC mmorpg (have quite a few ps3 games) and looking forward to actual humans not just mindless cretins.
If anything i can compare this game to is aspects of L2, WoW, and EQ2 combined.
Umm there is no resemblance to EQ2 at all. Which is probably one of the worst designed games in history.. WOW i can see.. EQ1 I can see.. Cant speak up on lineage other than maybe artistic design somewhat... But EQ1 still holds the closest feel with strong PVP and some WOW thrown in.
Cant be so far from the truth. EQ2 in its current states is one of the if not the best MMORPG out right now. The launch version sucked donkey balls but they have put the work into fixing almost everything. The graphics are amazing even to this day.
To me Aion compares to nothing because EQ, EQ2, WOW all 3 are mostly pve games. You cannot compare a PVE game to a PVP game and yes Aion is a PVP first game you cannot PVE without experiencing PVP eventually.