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Unable to Solo - Leave Eq2
Bukgrim
Member Posts: 15
I started playing EQ 2 the day it was released and now only a little over a month latter Im quitting. Let me just start by saying that Im a casual player, which then that will I might be on every night I do not have large uninterrupted time to commit. I had played the original eq for years and was forced to quit since I did not have the time for large raids.
Prior to EQ 2 being released the marketing slogan was that soloing was possible for both adventurers as well as artisans. And for the first 10 levels was true. After that the game starts forcing you into larger and larger groups. There is a large portion of content and zones that are just locked out for people that solo.
As your character levels they get new skills, those skills can be improved through reading scrolls. Unfortunately those scroll only drop from group encounters. So people, like myself, who like to solo are forced to wait until someone is willing to sell a needed scroll. That situation is even worse for Artisans. As Artisans gain levels they need to learn new recipes. But in typical EQ fashion, the advanced recipes are dropped from group mobs.
There is also the problem with artisans that as you advance in level you need to pick a profession. The problem is that many of the recipes require items produced by artisans of other professions. So either you need to play multiple toons, or hope that someone is selling the items that you need. I did spend hours wondering the artisan areas auctioning to buy the needed components with no luck.
EQ2 is graphically beautiful and the interaction with NPC is intuitive (looked like it was borrowed from SWG). But for the type of play that I do, EQ 2 is just too aggravating to be fun. If you are a into group /raid type of play then EQ2 might be the game for you. But if you want to be able to simply jump on and play at your own pace and schedule then this is not the game for you.
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Gotta love these guys who have one post . You'd think eventually they'd get more clever ... guess not
I would have advised you to have taken a look at this forum earlier. There have been many posts about it being a grouping game. Good luck with whatever else you choose.
This is a constant whine topic for allot of people playing MMORPGs. Lets look at what MMORPG actually means, Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. The first word we have here is massively, this refers to the scale of the games multiplayer attributes. Instead of a game like Diablo 2 where you only have 8 players to a world, you have thousands. The second and most important word here is multiplayer, multi means not just more then one, but a lot i.e. multilateral, then we have player, so we can deduce from this that the game is to be played with several players.
Now, first I must ask the question, if you love soloing i.e. playing by your self, why would you play not just a multiplayer game, which in its self suggest more then two players, but a massively multiplayer which suggest you will be playing with thousands of players. Why not pick up a copy of metal gear solid sneak eater? Or if you are action challenged why not Knights of the Old Republic, Shadow Hearts, any of the .Hack series, the list just goes on and on. Why not play games that are MADE for solo play and not keep expecting massively multiplayer games to cater to your single player or solo player needs?
Role playing games are cool, Id say most people probably like the idea behind a rpg even if they havent found one they like or even know what they are. There is just something about acting out a role in a new world, exploring and interacting with the story line on a very deep level. Why do so many people who seem like they should be playing single player RPGs keep trying to venture into massively multiplayer RPGs? I dont think it should take a rocket scientist or a philosopher to be able to figure out that if you like playing by your self, play a game that was made for people to play by them selves.
I love grouping, solo is boring. I only solo if I have to and cant find a group.
Good luck to you.
EQ2 Qeynos Guild- http://www.imperium-arcanum.com
I have been playing MMORPG's since day one of Ultima Online and I love soloing. I am not quite a casual player but not hard core either. Why do I play MMORPG's when I like to solo ?
Playing solo does NOT mean having no contact with others. I an very active in the chat channels and like to help others out. I do group for some things, but also due to a very unstable play schedule, I always lose track of people I play with and must constantly try new groups which is not always a pleasant experience.
I also love the face that there are things going on in the worls and that sometimes things change. Actually I have a lot of trouble playing non MMORPG's now, I buy them and trarle get very far because I get back into whatever MMORPG I am playing at the time.
While my schedule makes having characters follow others difficult, on the other hand I have some online friends playing the same MMORPG's that I am, that I have known for 5 years plus .
So yes you can love MMORPG's and not be very group oriented and in this aspect EQ 2 misses the boat completely. I think a successful MMORPG has to cater to all audiences and for now EQ 2 is not.
groups are one of the biggest reasoons why i play mmos
Well EQ2 seems to be doing fine. Im on Crushbone, a medium sized server, and Antonica 1 has over 100 players, and antonica 3 has about 100. In Thudering Stepes it has 100 players there. I think SoE is doing a perfect job.
EQ2 Qeynos Guild- http://www.imperium-arcanum.com
I just have to say this. Shut up dude stop complaining about I cant solo this waah. Find another game, because if your not going to group, then why play the game. I ain't a mean kid but when people like you complain about every little problem with a game it makes my head spin. You pay the game monthly to interact with people, not go into your own world and press a damn button everday. MMORPG's are supposed to be long grinds too, you know why, so you can converse with your fellow players for more than 3 minutes. Have you ever had a deep talk about life in Diablo II or Counter-Strike, I think not. Whew, I need to calm down haha, its almost Christmas.
Merry X-Mas Ya'll
P.S. Don't play a MMORPG if your not going to interact with others, because all you do is make my gaming experience more laggy. haha im out!
Interdependency builds community. Make friends, ask questions, and most of the time you'll get answers.
Auction to buy stuff that is in short supply at the beginning of the game, and you won't get much. Sorry, did you expect a fully developped crafting economy from day 1? Your expectations seem a bit high for the amount of effort you have put forth.
Plenty of people were willing to help me, and after a few hours of research on websites it got a lot easier. You do realize there's a bulletin board you can use in your inn room, or a broker in game, to browse the market with listings of what everyone is selling, don't you? Maybe you didn't play long enough to figure that out.
Try reading the manual.
Short of that, don't let the door hit ya.
Habit is not to be flung out the window by any man, but coaxed down the stairs one step at a time. - Mark Twain
I guess I should have made myself clear. I do enjoy grouping, that how survived eq for 3+ years. But what I do have a problem with is game vendors who promote that the game supports and does not hinder grouping. All of Sonys original post talked about how soloing was do able as both adventurer and artisan. I just hate being misled about what Im getting into.
And yes I am getting a new game. I thought the object of posting was to keep even one informed about the game and how people felt about it. And yes, there is a little bit of whining going on (on everyones part).
And yes that was my first post, looks like Im also being criticized for joining this group and actually making a statement. I tent to follow the belief that it is better to be out there doing things then simply writing about them.
Seriously, try out some of those titles, EverQuest is the ideal multiplayer game for people who dont like being overly competitive i.e. pvp, land fights, confrontations ect.. If you dont want a game that made to be played with multiple people, then dont buy a massively multiplayer game. Have some friends over, talk on the phone, ect.. you will enjoy GREAT games MEANT to be played solo.
There are many games that can create just as much of an enriching environment as a mmo can, and you have the choice of doing it with a friends or doing it by your self rather then struggling with a game that is designed to be played with friends. EverQuest 2 is really a marvelous game, just because you played UO doesnt give you some magic pass that makes anything you say true, I hate it when people try to play like it does.
As soon as they make a solo massively multiplayer game is the day when the genera is truly becoming absurd.
I play most big name single player rpg such as kotor, fable, ect.. ect.. go to college, am in a fraternity and still manage to max level characters in horrible grind games like Anarchy Online. Its all about having healthy balance and managing your time wisely.
Im criticizing EVERYONE on these and all other forums that that is ragging on a gem of a mmorpg gets for not being solo friendly at high levels. I pointed how how absurd it was to play a multiplayer game and then whine because the game isnt oriented around playing alone.
Sonys original boast were in relation to low level play. The heroic opportunity system and lower base abilities allow people to solo pretty easily up to about level 14-15. By the time you are level 10 to 12, you should know some people on your server, be looking at joining a guild or simply be able to pick up teams in highly populated hunting areas.
What is your new game? World of Warcraft where you can max level in two months? Im guessing you meant everyone not even one. Yes, that is the objective, however it is also my duity to point out the absurdity of your criticism and everyone elses criticism (in chriss farleys voice ala van down by the river) of not being able to soolooooo in a freaking massively freaking multiplayer game!
I want people to realize that if you dont like playing multiplayer games, dont play them, play single player games that are meant to be soloed, and quit trying to .. (vein pops out of forehead and collapses before he can finish post)
Prior to EQ 2 being released the marketing slogan was that soloing was possible for both adventurers as well as artisans. And for the first 10 levels was true....
Hmm...
Well, my Templar is almost 28, and probably 2/3 of that has been solo and a lot of quests.
Perhaps it is not the game that is at fault, but your expectations of it.
Again the $ 0.02 MMO logic. If you want me to explain, multiplayers dont mean that you HAVE to be with everyone at every moment.
The olympic is far more a massive multiplayers then any games out here, and the majority of events are solo.
Playing solo with many others players and having the OPTION to compete, group or raid is nice. Having an OBLIGATION is lame and deserve no further explanation. I WANT to play by myself with the OPTION to play with more players, is that THIS hard to understand? Solo NEED to be self rewarding and self evoluing, otherwise it is completely pointless.
1 day you will awaken with a tight, extremely small group of players, and you will realize your so precious devs make many many mistakes that lead you to have far to few players, and most importantly, they will all think like you which, in time, you will come to understand is not a good thing. Walking beside the town and seeing a tradeskiller hard at work and completely ignoring me and doing his stuff is something I appreciate a LOT! I want to see guild02 do their stuff in raidingland. I want to see all those players busy at their priorities...and most importantly, I want to have the reward appropriate that lead to uberness in what I am doing, best soloer NEED to be a soloer, not anything else but a dedicated freak that solo all the time and scorn at the idea of doing anything but freaking solo, I need to feel sick when I see how well and how much that soloer solo all the freaking time!
Having the game like now is linear, everyone priority is resolving around raiding, thereby everyone become a raider or leave in time, dont keep illusions, it is a HOBBY, they wont start raiding and endure it a long time if they dont like it, unless they have some major mental illness and in which case, you really want them in the raiding system with sane persons? In a hobby, I need to enjoy myself, I wont bear to be ghetto, I am ghetto enought in RL, a game that tell me I am ghetto is deleted right away! Cecil (the cyber sex person) is a result of this mistake and if I was a dev, I would have nightmares myself and see support for my mental sanity when I realize I have such an impact on a weak willed person like Cecil! And the worst part is...the numbers of ''Cecil like'' case is going to increase exponentially with the current setting! It make me sad indeed.
Every grouper like to solo to some extend. Every raider like to solo to some extend. Every PvPer like to solo to some extend. Every tradeskiller like to solo to some extend. I have to find 1 person that like any of those activities and that dont like at least a little to solo once or twice just for the fun of it(while waiting on a raid or challenge, soloing is entertaining...to some extend).
A Healthy MMORPG should never see less then 25% of it players actually soloing and never more then 10% players raiding at any given moment of the day, human nature is design that way. Seeing 80% soloing is not something that should be alarming, it should happen, from time to time, for various reasons. Seeing 50% players raiding mean you are dying(can be a very long process to actually die as you all know)!
Most soloers cant stand 1 or more of the above subjects. I prefer a group to soloing myself, but I will prefer to solo then be with someone that think like you, have no doubts. If a game try to enforce me to group with you, this game is deleted as I resume my CoH experience.
- "Solo is, will always be, the main market. A MMORPG that succeed with little or no solo appeal is doing great considering they are ignoring the main player base.''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Did you read a word he said. Nobody is telling you not to play by yourself. In fact, by all means go play by yourself. Just stop whining that you tried a game which is specifically designed to focus on grouping and discovered, well, that it's designed to focus on grouping. We tell people over and over here that the game is a social grouping game. Yet day after day somebody shows up with the wah wah I can't solo easily enough complaint (such being a flaw in the game design, of course). Some of you people are just unbelievable.
You ***DON'T*** have the option of reaching the highest levels in EQ1 or 2 soloing .... is that clear enough? The games are designed for people who mainly like to group and raid. Get over it already and play games which are designed for soloers.
OTOH, you'd be surprised how much some people CAN accomplish soloing.
There is solo mobs right up to 40s that i am sure of probably further.Have guildies in early 40s that have fought solo mobs.
At 30s there is solo mob right outside the zek docks.
So sorry the marketing slogan did not lie.
Problem here is you seems to want to gain as much experience as a group as you do soloing which kind of kills the need to group in the first place which in return kills the MMO aspect .
So if you expect to level as fast as a group thru soloing then yeah sorry EQ2 is not the game for you but saying you can't solo is totally false.
I absolutely HATE playing by my self, at any given time. I wont even play single player game with out having some one to hang out with while I play it. If had the choice to never solo again and be put in a team every time I log in, I would click that option. Im sorry, but any one who thinks that the main market of ANYTHING is solo based, they are gravely mistaken. While you might wave your little Olympics flag, Im going to wave the NFL, NBA, NHL, USL, ect.. ect.. of organized sports that people like to play together.
When I practice by my self, shooting hoops, I have to pretend Im playing against some one to get the most out of it, its not some extremely exciting solo experience that I love doing. I think that segment in American Pie kind of fits this situation, where the dad (Eugene Levy) was asking his son (Jim) is talking about tennis, when you are playing by your self you are just getting ready to be doing it with a partner. While he was referring to the solo act of masturbation to the multiplayer act of sex, I am referring to the solo act of hunting stuff alone in a mmorpg to hunting stuff or doing things with a team. Of course I want people to play with, the only time I solo is if Im absolutely forced to (same with wanking off).
I dont play team sports by my self, thats just stupid, I dont turn a hot girl down to go beat off by my self, thats just stupid, and I dont play a MMORPG to solo, that.. again is just stupid.
So if we don't tkink like Ravenmgs, we are stupid. Seeing you act here, I can understand why you don't want to be alone with yourself.
Enuff said...
I would like to thank everyone for their responses. This form has allowed me a place to vent my frustration. As was pointed out, a MMORPG is about building communities, but each player needs to find that community which fits them. One of the reasons I do play MMORPG games is to be immersed in the virtual world and interact with other players. I find that most single player games are to linear and lacking the robustness of MMORPG, IMHO.
Ill admit that maybe I didnt give EQ2 a fair evaluation. I desire to be able to solo stemmed from my eq days, towards the end I would spend hours simply looking for a group. With limited play time, it was getting pointless to even get on since I would waste that time simply sitting looking for a group. From there I switch to SWG, which is a total cool game, but people wanted to form soloing group. Players would just form groups and then go their separate ways; it was just a way to exploit exp/loot bugs.
After read some of the other forms on this site, it looks like Ill try out UO. And who know, I might be back for a second try and eq2 in a month or two.
It's only 'stupid' cause it's much harder, and a terrible timesink. I think more and more people want to play 'singleplayer-like' games, but with real people around them, not only npc's and bots.
How they interact with others should be their own choise; teaming, chatting, just trading, or whatever. Let's face it, the teaming experience in itself isnt allways rewarding anyway, there's alot of b1tching and sh1t