Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
EQ2: Rise Of Kunark...thoughts?
Netzoko
Member Posts: 1,271
What are everyone's thoughts on the upcoming expansion? I've only been able to find basic information, but it looks extremely lame. 
There's NO information on the EQ2 main site, only the fact that there are new items, quests, a new race, and a new area. Wow, how original, basically another EoF but with different art work. EQ2's expansions have always disappointed me, they add nothing new usually. If i'm paying money ASIDE from my already high monthly fees, I expect gold, maybe silver. New machanics that are too big to add as a regular patch.
Examples? These are additions that other games put in expansions, not this BS new races/quests stuff that most games add for free with patchs, all EQ2 does with our montly fees is fix bigs and add simple code changes. EQ2 expansions are utter ripoffs.
-Flying mounts (wow's BC)
-New graphics engine (EVE)
-Totally new aspect (SWG's jump to lightspeed)
- New classes (GW for one)
- Revamped features (Daoc redid many things
- PvP features (WoW's Battlegrounds, Daoc added PvP things in their expansions)
Those are just a few to name. I just feel like EQ2 expansions don't add enough compared to other MMORPGs, what does everyone else thing?
-------------------------
Comments
Oh, yeah, because WoW obviously does that. I've seen alot less in expansions for some games, so suck it up.
From the '90s, raised on '80s, better deal with Golden Girls references!
don't like it .. don't buy it. I personally am looking forward to it
and as the poster above said...most expansions offer alot less.... so if its not your cup of tea...then honeslty...find something that suits you. I am loving eq2, only been playing for 2 months...but its worth every penny IMHO
First
The new zone will be one of the first "zoneless" zones...meaning it will be one HUGE world in it's own right..as well as being a new starting area. No "loading" area's in this new part of the world
Engine improvements again, including an update to water visuals..
New feature - dynamic combat music which varies as the tide of battle turns
Persistent combat instances. No longer need you run an entire raid instance at one go...i.e: run for an hour, and save out and come back later..
Raise level cap
The new global randomised loot system will apparently add more variety to loot drops
Thats a LOT more than some expansions...and that is not even including the basics (new race, new starting area, new weapons and armor, new mount)
That one expansion has at least several more items than BC did...I mean, BC added a new area, new mount, raise level, new race...
And the big difference? They will distribute an all in one for 40 bucks...so you get ALL expansions for the price of BC alone..(I wish to check this...but would we get 30 days free also when we buy the full package?)
I am not sure, but I think one those seems like a better deal to me..
Well said
i agree 
The poster a few posts up listed a fair bit of new things that we will see in the new expansion. The engine will be tweeked a good bit if I have understood them. The game will run smoother on lower speced computer in the new zones (or was it better on normal speced computer), not sure what happens in the existing zones. Only time will show that.
There is probably some other things like you mentioned they will add into the game too.
A bit history of the other expansions (very short one):
DoF: Added PvP Arenas (not that good, and not used, that's not the point, the point is that they did add it in a expansion)
KoS: Open zoned PvP servers
EoF: New starter city, new race, larger open areas, content for all level ranges.
Total new aspect? What about Legend of Norrath (LoN) that we introduced about a month back? Its a new fully card trading game that can be played inside EQ1, EQ2 and a standalone client. Not only its playable in those clients, but they can play against eachother.
Revamps. SoE does revamps all existing zones (for the good or bad). Zone that I know for sure has been revamped since launch: Starter islands, cities (and combat zones next to the cities), Antonica, Commonland, Nektulos Forest, Deathfist castle.
--
Leemeg.
Anyone getting a tad worried by the lack of info about RoK? this time last year EoF was all over the place but they seem to be very quiet about this one..maybe its just me
I think that the Turbine guy put it best when he asked the industry why there is a monthly fee if there aren't meaningful updates. Oh yea, because there is a sucker born every minute.
"The new global randomised loot system will apparently add more variety to loot drops"
Someone above mentioned this. I don't recall hearing of this... is this DAOC style 'random' loot coming over to EQII? If so I am very, very happy to hear that. I loved that system in DAOC.
The lack of beta just over a month before release does indeed worry me. I so hope it doesn't get pushed. I am barely hanging on waiting for this release. Plus they really need to do a blitz to get folks to buy this one. A population boost similar to when fae launched would be nice. Damn, I'd like to see at least one of my guildies come back! Losers! J.k.
No...beta is actually up right now...and apps are being taken. So, they have a 2 month window to test things...should be more than enough in my belief.
Cheers!
I assume there will be a digital download for those who already have the full game plus expansions?
The bad news is we have to buy the full all in one...but again, it will be the price that BC was for WoW...but we get the full game plus all expansions...
Cheers!
The OP says that they do not add anything unless it's an expansion. This sounds like he is just trolling. Either that or he slept through Neriak, and all of the new content added this year outside the expansions. If you are looking to have an expansion where they don't add mobs, new areas, etc, I think Hello Kitty online has regular updates.
Sir, unless you actually read my post, do not reply. Just because someone has a different opinion than you, doesn't mean he is trolling. I stated that the expansion packs lacked the content that other game's packs add. I stated no complaint whatsoever about the quality of EQ2's free patches.
Please, read my post before trying to flame me. It's obvious you didn't read a word of it.
-------------------------
The bad news is we have to buy the full all in one...but again, it will be the price that BC was for WoW...but we get the full game plus all expansions...
Cheers!
That's interesting. I guess it overwrites the original install?
Well, partially I CAN understand the OP.
I am playing EQ2 since day one, with breaks. I always get tired after some months, and then return with the next expansion. My experience is always the same: I play the new race/place for 6 weeks, then I feel extremely bored, carry on another 2-4 weeks and then cancel subscription. It was like that with all past expansions, and I too feel its always just more of the same. I mean lets look at the new things:
- zoneless: *yawn* Just updating to what is standart today...
- engine improved: nice, but again a sheer necessity
- dynamic music: nice, but after some weeks we gonna shut it down still
- presistent combat instances: a good move, but not a killer feature since I VERY rarely do such big places anyway
- raise level cap: nice, but to be expected, nothing I feel as breathtaking
No, its all pretty standart fare. What is NOT in it, is more the question!
No overhaul of the old zones. Still the same uber complex quests. No new classes! After 3 years I am really BORED with the classes. EQ2 classes always were just pretty standart fare, nothing exciting, and they would NEED an overhault of the existing classes and new ones. The entire combat system is sub par today IMO. Quite too yawn-esque and un-exciting. *click* *watch* *Wait" *repeat*
EQ2 has a lot of strengths but I always felt the gameplay and combat too slow-paced and the entire game like bogging me down. Prepare for this, coordinate that... I found myself far too long times waiting for something or seeking something instead of having fun; too much "wasted" time until I can start to get exciting things done. And IMVPO thats the No 1 reason EQ2, despite its qualities, never left the small niche it is caught in. I always felt bogged down, slowed down and hindered.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
Sir, unless you actually read my post, do not reply. Just because someone has a different opinion than you, doesn't mean he is trolling. I stated that the expansion packs lacked the content that other game's packs add. I stated no complaint whatsoever about the quality of EQ2's free patches.
Please, read my post before trying to flame me. It's obvious you didn't read a word of it.
Bump, Set and... PUNT...
Yes, let's "READ MY POST before trying to flame me."
Examples? These are additions that other games put in expansions, not this BS new races/quests stuff that most games add for free with patchs, all EQ2 does with our montly fees is fix bigs and add simple code changes. EQ2 expansions are utter ripoffs.
Ok, way to completely deny what you said, do you read YOUR OWN POSTS?
-Flying mounts (wow's BC)
New mounts like armored horses in DoF, Nightmares and Spirithorses in KoS, Wargs in EoF and Rinos in RoK. Plus the fact that flying mounts ARE BROKEN, wtg Blizzard. At least we can ride our mounts EVERYWHERE in the game.
-New graphics engine (EVE)
New art design in EoF, SOGA models, new armor (skeletal structures) in RoK.
-Totally new aspect (SWG's jump to lightspeed)
Climbing walls, destructible (movable) objects, boats, guildhalls, portals, super zones, story lines, god powers, dieties.
- New classes (GW for one)
Two new tradeskill classes, advanced achievements twice
- Revamped features (Daoc redid many things
Combat revamp in DoF, tradeskill revamp in KoS, armor revamp in RoK.
- PvP features (WoW's Battlegrounds, Daoc added PvP things in their expansions)
Arenas added in DoF.
Those are just a few to name. I just feel like EQ2 expansions don't add enough compared to other MMORPGs, what does everyone else thing?
These are just the things off the top of my head. Didn't even get into the new quest revamps, and mob changes, and the huge changes to old areas and revamps of prior zones. Added zones and quests numbering a hundred or more in between expansions. Added quests to tradeskilling, adding factions and titles for completing special quests, putting in persistance in hard zones, revamping the armor sets to bring the playstyles more in line, and so on and so on.
Check for yourself on Allakhazam, and you can count (at least i hope) the number of zones and places in EQ2 compared to WoW. There's a complete list on both games with EQ2 into the 400+ mark and WoW+TBC numbering just over a hundred (I think I last counted 130 before the Black Temple additions and after).
So, with having 3 times the content of your "best contender", and always improving the game and making things stay interesting and doing what the customers desire most is the truly great thing about EQ2. While I'll admit the expansions were coming pretty fast and furious for a while, it'll be a nice change to sit back, enjoy good finished expansions about a year apart and fully explore all my options with my characters without feeling rushed.
RoK is going to "knock one outta the park" and I'm truly extremely excited to get into and start picking it all apart. The additions and changes are awesome, and the lore is some of my favorite (old EQ refugee). Not only do I think this will be the best expansion so far for EQ2, but I think it'll be the best expansion of any game to date. They're doing so much, I'm actually surprised it only took them a year to finish it (if it releases on time).
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
If you don't mind me asking, what sets RoK in front of the other expansions? What makes it the best one? They all add zones/quests/lore, but what do you like so much about RoK?
-------------------------
I think RoK looks pretty good personally. EoF was by far their best received expansion. Since they released it word of mouth on EQ II has improved immensly (at least in the blogs and news sites I follow, not necessarily on message boards...
). "Wow, so people like entertaining solo able quest chains? They like nostalgic nods to EQ? They don't want to spend 20 solid levels in the common lands and then go on to a new zone that looks almost identical? Damn, go figure!"
I have no data to back this up, but I would guess that since EoF their subs have been slowly growing. RoK looks to me like they are building on their success with EoF. There is an interview about the expansion over at ten ton hammer:
www.eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php
I'm going to quote one thing from it because it really impressed me:
Savanja: What prompted the decision to move nearly all of the heroic content from the overland zones?
Scott Hartsman: The fact that overland heroic content went largely unused was the biggest driver in this decision. It doesn’t take a long visit in any of the global level channels to infer that very few people go through the effort of grouping to adventure in an overland zone, and the logged combat data backed this up. Solo/Duo-capable outdoor content gets played; heroic content very seldom does.
It’s a case of the game adapting to the way people actually play, compared to how they were originally assumed to want to play.
It's a design philosophy I wish more developers would adopt.
They aren't adding FFA PvP, or spaceships, or god only knows what else that it would take to qualify as "innovative." But it does seem like they are trying to add content that their current players will enjoy, and I think it will succeed on that count. Innovation for it's own sake is unlikely to do anything but piss off the folks that already enjoy what you are serving.
I don't want to write this, and you don't want to read it. But now it's too late for both of us.
I just want to thank Netzoko for posting his threads/comments here in these forums.
They provide a very good starting point for a rational discussion of the features of EQ2 which allows those of us with specific knowledge of the game and its history to clear away most misconceptions that others may hold. Being able to cut through the noise that is sometimes generated here and refute bad or incomplete information by citing specific examples within the game allows others to see just how far EQ2 has come from launch, how polished and accessible it is, and what a good value it is for ones MMORPG dollar. No game is perfect, of course, but in light of these threads it is difficult to argue that EQ2 is on the wrong track for the genre it represents.
Thanks again, Netzoko, for giving us these the impetus through threads that allow us to spread the information to others who might be considering trying EQ2.
One big feature of RoK that no one has mentioned:
--Will turn all previous areas into ghost towns.
It was bad enough when i bought EoF -- it was nigh impossible to find low- or mid-level groups willing to do anything other than Heritage Quests. Now things are going to be even worse for people who like to do Group content that doesn't result in uber-loot.
Well, there's a new race. I'd much prefer new classes but that would require a lot more effort on the part of the developers. The 50's are sort of dry for content so it would be nice if they got a new zone or three maybe somehow related to RoK.
And 10 new levels... well, with no new AA's, I just don't see the point in purchasing it right now. Maybe when/if it hits bargain basement, I'd pay.