Cant wait to see EQNext, didnt know it was slated for this year?! That gives me a full plate with Eden Eternal, Lime Odyssey(also this year), Guild Wars 2, TERA, and potentially Secret World.
I need to make some more time :-)
heh would be more than surprised if EQ3 got released this year, but SOE seem to be able to make MMOs rather fast with their new engine, but still... Id be happy if they can show off abit of gameplay at this years fan faire....
The only way EQ3/Next would launch this year is if they rename Vanguard to EQ3 and relaunch that.
and they probably could pulll it off to if they revamped the game engine and character models. a pity that sandbox mmo's are so 1990's now.
Well EQ2 have changed during the last 8 months, I think it has changed for the better but YMMV. The free to play works ok you can play totally free until 70 withouth having to purchase anything after that you will need some unlockers, but anyway.
Freeport and Antonia Bayle has good populations still but other servers are still viable, if you buy the AoD pack you can get a mercenary and that way do harder content, but you will have to solo all the way to the 80s and that is a drawback as no one groups below 80 (well it is at least rare), the Destiny of Velious expansion have been tuned to be more accessible and doable for casual players the quests are fun. As others say, try it, it is a long and lonely trek to the endgame but there is a lot to do and if you like exploring you will have a blast as EQ2 is BIG and has lots of content.
But do not expect to be able to powerlevel to 90 and then get into active raiding immediately the end game is quite different from the leveling game (especially since few people group).
Freeport and Antonia Bayle has good populations still but other servers are still viable, if you buy the AoD pack you can get a mercenary and that way do harder content, but you will have to solo all the way to the 80s and that is a drawback as no one groups below 80 (well it is at least rare)
this is largely true for game being mostly solo under 90
but if you buy the AOD expansion for mercs and use the Dungeon Finder while leveling thru levels 30-80
you will find some groups (or at least another player)
I'm still leveling alts on the Freeport server and am always grouping with strangers thanks to Dungeon Finder
I know the EQ2 DF sucks but if you have a mercenary, its not so bad when you are grouped with another person
Ive done many dungeons under 80 w myself, the merc, and random players using the Dungeon Finder
Ive done many dungeons under 80 w myself, the merc, and random players using the Dungeon Finder
Yes I think it is safe to say that if you are totally new Freeport is probably the best server, Antonia Bayle and Crushbone also have good populations but other servers are certainly doable as you will be more unique as a newbie there. AB still has a somewhat overbearing attitude to new players although Free To Play have improved things.
I joined the game a couple of months ago been playing it off and on mainly, after the big failure of TOR, I needed a new MMO that offered as close as possible what SWG did for me I already had all of SOE's other games downloaded for free (the sunset offer for SWG players) I paid a year Station Access sub and now play DC Universe and EQII now, the community in EQII is very knowledgeable and friendly, (Everfrost server) created a new toon on Freeport server as well. One of the more friendliest communitys Ive been around in while compared to SWG, (TOR was very antisocial, people actually complained if people talked in chat) .
I am enjoying EQ II though has plenty of things to do, including housing and crafting,so I am happy for now I've been taking my time and doing every quest, doing lore and heritiage quests, language quests, collections. If you want a content filled game that has more to do than just kill stuff this would be your game , it just sucks right now cause SOE is down till 2am PST for maintainence
EQ2 is probably the best of the themepark generation (which it was the first release of technically, anythng after EQ2/WoW belongs to this generation) currently. It has by far the most do, has an interesting selection of races and a large variety of content. It is more difficult at the high endgame than WoW/Rift/SWToR. The housing is astonishing, and while i think the craft ysstem is kind of boring the number of things for crafters to do with epic quests and mount quests and apprentices dwarfs any other themepark game.
EQ2s main issue is its combat, which has an exreme amount of ability bloat. Youll have to contend with 4-5 hotbars of abilities, some classes even more and it doesnt have the amazing group mechanics its predecessor had (no game touches EQ in group mechanics) or the smoothness of WoW (its not clunky, but again its not WoW).
Comments
and they probably could pulll it off to if they revamped the game engine and character models. a pity that sandbox mmo's are so 1990's now.
Well EQ2 have changed during the last 8 months, I think it has changed for the better but YMMV. The free to play works ok you can play totally free until 70 withouth having to purchase anything after that you will need some unlockers, but anyway.
Freeport and Antonia Bayle has good populations still but other servers are still viable, if you buy the AoD pack you can get a mercenary and that way do harder content, but you will have to solo all the way to the 80s and that is a drawback as no one groups below 80 (well it is at least rare), the Destiny of Velious expansion have been tuned to be more accessible and doable for casual players the quests are fun. As others say, try it, it is a long and lonely trek to the endgame but there is a lot to do and if you like exploring you will have a blast as EQ2 is BIG and has lots of content.
But do not expect to be able to powerlevel to 90 and then get into active raiding immediately the end game is quite different from the leveling game (especially since few people group).
Chi puo dir com'egli arde é in picciol fuoco.
He who can describe the flame does not burn.
Petrarch
this is largely true for game being mostly solo under 90
but if you buy the AOD expansion for mercs and use the Dungeon Finder while leveling thru levels 30-80
you will find some groups (or at least another player)
I'm still leveling alts on the Freeport server and am always grouping with strangers thanks to Dungeon Finder
I know the EQ2 DF sucks but if you have a mercenary, its not so bad when you are grouped with another person
Ive done many dungeons under 80 w myself, the merc, and random players using the Dungeon Finder
EQ2 fan sites
Yes I think it is safe to say that if you are totally new Freeport is probably the best server, Antonia Bayle and Crushbone also have good populations but other servers are certainly doable as you will be more unique as a newbie there. AB still has a somewhat overbearing attitude to new players although Free To Play have improved things.
Chi puo dir com'egli arde é in picciol fuoco.
He who can describe the flame does not burn.
Petrarch
I joined the game a couple of months ago been playing it off and on mainly, after the big failure of TOR, I needed a new MMO that offered as close as possible what SWG did for me I already had all of SOE's other games downloaded for free (the sunset offer for SWG players) I paid a year Station Access sub and now play DC Universe and EQII now, the community in EQII is very knowledgeable and friendly, (Everfrost server) created a new toon on Freeport server as well. One of the more friendliest communitys Ive been around in while compared to SWG, (TOR was very antisocial, people actually complained if people talked in chat) .
I am enjoying EQ II though has plenty of things to do, including housing and crafting,so I am happy for now I've been taking my time and doing every quest, doing lore and heritiage quests, language quests, collections. If you want a content filled game that has more to do than just kill stuff this would be your game
, it just sucks right now cause SOE is down till 2am PST for maintainence 
EQ2 is probably the best of the themepark generation (which it was the first release of technically, anythng after EQ2/WoW belongs to this generation) currently. It has by far the most do, has an interesting selection of races and a large variety of content. It is more difficult at the high endgame than WoW/Rift/SWToR. The housing is astonishing, and while i think the craft ysstem is kind of boring the number of things for crafters to do with epic quests and mount quests and apprentices dwarfs any other themepark game.
EQ2s main issue is its combat, which has an exreme amount of ability bloat. Youll have to contend with 4-5 hotbars of abilities, some classes even more and it doesnt have the amazing group mechanics its predecessor had (no game touches EQ in group mechanics) or the smoothness of WoW (its not clunky, but again its not WoW).