EverQuest II, Guild Wars or.. This is the questions

Comments

• Raistlin3786 Member UncommonPosts: 17

  March 2005

  In respone to your post:  GW is a great game, but it is very different from EQ2 quests and otherwise.  EQ2 as you know is very open and the graphics engine is very technical.  In GW I think the graphics are great and they don't put a lot of stress on your system (Kind of like WoW you could say).  As for gameplay GW is very different.  For one, GW has PvP which is a major difference from EQ2.  Also, GW is all about instances and fast paced gameplay.. kind of like action RPG I guess, whereas EQ2 is very much old style RPG.  In GW there is less item content than in EQ2.  For example, in GW you can find all different kinds of weapons (that look really good too), but for the armor, you have to find materials around the world and craft it from only a few styles.  Then I think the last major difference is storyline.  GW immerses you in the storyline right from the start.. the game IS the storyline basically.  You play through various missions that follow the story.  In EQ2 as you know, you don't ahve to follow a storyline.  Overall they are very different games, and it really depends on your play style..  as to graphics GW has nice graphics and beautiful scenery, but will never be on par with EQ2 graphics technically.  Hope this helps! 
• Orkhan Member Posts: 13

  March 2005

  Thanks alot Mr Raistlin3786!!

  So do you miss Krynn ? Heheheh, well so far this is the best answer I got so far!  

  Most appreciate!

  Orkan

   
• Nellus Member UncommonPosts: 247

  March 2005

  I was involved in the EQ2 beta starting in the first stage of testing (as far as I know), the friends & family portion. Anyhow.. I tested right until release, and decided it wasn't for me - as a long time gamer.. 5 1/2 years of EverQuest was enough to burn me out on it (actually.. 3 was enough..).

  That being said.. yes, EQ2 is a very good game. A lot of people on this site will say otherwise. Some due to legitimate opinion, and some because they feel they have to knock one game to promote another... but I digress. Everquest 2 offers a lot when it comes to gameplay that you don't have to think too much about. Really, just like EQ you can sit around and watch TV while you play and not worry much about missing a beat. The crafting system is above average, and I found the servers to be pretty stable. Yes, there's lag for most people. Many even if you play with the graphics turned down. However, the only thing I've agreed with that SoE has done in the past few years was stating that since it's going to be a long-running game (expect at least 3 years before they try an EQ3 and this one starts to fade, much like EQ is doing now) and soon things won't seem so intense on your computer. Hell, even now they're developing a dual chipset. I'd say by this time next year the technology will have caught up to the system requirements. It's not something I'd worry TOO much about, but that being said.. I'd also play another game until that time arrives. I won't touch on how I feel about different aspects of EQ2 aside from the aforementioned things, since you've already played it a bit.

  I've also been involved in the Guild Wars beta weekends. This game is more polished than half of them on the market. I'll give you a rundown of my thoughts from the most recent (March 18-20) beta weekend for Guild Wars.

  1) A couple broken quests. I expect these to be fixed or removed before release. None of the broken quests are storyline advancing.

  2) Very good performance and stellar graphics. However, very little character customization. Some of the faces look out of place during creation. This is the one area I really wish Guild Wars would improve on. Dye is really the best way to customize your character. That being said.. dye was kind of expensive during the last beta weekend, when bought from players.

  3) The economy - The drop rates on a few items need to be tweaked up slightly, and the rest dropped. When in Ascalon there were some items that you could get cheaply, due to being too common, and their equal for another class was ten times the price. That needs to be changed. Keep in mind this is just beta weekend, so the economy really just had a couple days to try and stabalize.

  4) Crafting - No crafting system in the game, really. You get some items, and you can select what you want the crafter to make you. This has both positive and negative effects on my enjoyment. With as little customization as there is.. this felt kind of misplaced. Again, I'd rather they leave the crafting as-is (and this is from someone who LOVES to craft) and juice up the character creation a bit.

  5) Money - You truly don't need much money in this game. I thought there was a little too much, to be honest. Very easy to get, adds up quickly from the mobs.

  6) Loot - If you're patient with your weapon upgrades you can get good stuff yourself. It's not a game like EQ2 where, in a sense, the best things are off of these uber mobs you'll likely never kill if you aren't interested in 30 hours of raiding a week. Personally, I thought a few too many low quality weapons dropped. I'd like to see the overall drops cut a bit.

  7) Quests - Very good. The original "Pre-Searing" quests are decent, but once you reach the second realm of the game they're very important. I really enjoyed myself when doing them.

  8) Travel - Loved it. Easy transportation using your map. Click on a city you've visited that has a "dot" or.. "orb" on the map and you're instantly taken there. The trick is.. you must make it there on foot first. Excellently thought out.

  9) Fighting - The skills as pretty well balanced. That's one thing I always worry about in a game. Combat is extremely fun, although there aren't a ton of different "monster" types in the game. Oddly, I never got sick of fighting them though.

  10) Grouping - Here's an area that I felt could be significantly improved. When using the map to travel you automatically leave your group. This is understandable. A few quests would be far too easy to complete if this wasn't the case. However, when just traveling city to city it can be a pain in the ass since you and your duo partner (or other group members) could land in different districts, and have to switch just to meet up. I love the districts, but dislike that aspect. Also, when my duo partner LDed a couple times I had to go to the city again to meet up with her, since zones with combat are instanced. Love the instancing, dislike that aspect. Everything bad also has a positive side to it. That's one thing that made it a unique experience for me. I like to complain, but I could see the good in everything I wasn't a fan of.. so I was left somewhat speechless by this game (for more than one reason).

  The only other improvements I would make is a few added newbie quests (I fully expect this before the game is released), better pet control (again, expected.. since sometimes your pet can pin you in corners while you're searching the map) and a more clear message when entering the academy. So many players didn't understand they they couldn't leave the post-apocalyptic type Ascalon to go back to the plush green Ascalon. This is one area where it might be beneficial to sacrifice a little immersion in the storyline to make it clear.

  As for which I recommend you should get.. let me put it this way: I've been looking for a new MMO to play for the past eight months, and I've now found one in Guild Wars. Even as someone who isn't huge in PVP.. the other aspects of the game are extraordinary. You can try it yourself. On Amazon.com the Pre-order packages (lets you and a friend into this last beta event from April 15th to 17th) are down to $1 (plus some shipping) or pick one up at Best Buy, Circuit City, EBGames, etc. -- Oh, and the other plus over EQ2? No monthly fees.

  If you (or anyone reading this) decide to do the trial, and need any help finding things or figuring something out in-game please feel free to contact me. My name is "Slackker Detrackker".

  - Nellus