Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Was thinking of picking this up but...
Shack67
Member Posts: 16
I have a few questions first.
Endgame: What is it like? Raid instances, endless gear grind, or is there a variety of things to do with unique and useful rewards?
Expansion packs: Should I buy that "all in one" pack or is there some packs that don't add much and I can skip over?
Art Style: I have played both FFXI and WoW for extended periods of time and the thing that got me about both of those games are the art style. I would look forward to leveling up in FFXI because some gear would look cool and the environment in WoW has great art direction. I've heard EQ2 was bland, any truth to this?
Classes: I heard EQ2 has 20 classes. Are they all useful and unique or just different rehashes with a few gimmick spells? Also, I liked Mage, Warlock, Red Mage(Healer, Debuffer) and Black Mage (damage) in those games. What would be a good Magic DPS class for me?
Server: I'm looking for a friendly PVE server that has some PVP (not open world if possible.)
Content: Will it keep me busy until August 2008?
Thank you, and maybe I will see you online soon!
If a man does his best, what else is there?
Comments
some retailers offer Everquest II: Echoes of Faydwer for around $20.00 or less
that would give you all expansions -- except no Kunark and no adventure packs
the downside is,
if you buy Kunark later, you will be paying another $40.00 probably
if you do buy the game,
its better to bite the bullet and buy Kunark
(which includes all expansions and all adventure packs)
I highly doubt you will see any PVP unless you play on a PVP server
EQ2 fan sites
EQ2 is a very pretty game, but it lacks exactly what you are looking for, which is a good art style.
I quit for that reason, same old armor trhoughout 80 levels, in the end I got bored.
Call me shallow, but armor diversity it's very important to keep me interested.
Also the world has a plastic feel to it, WoW has better art style (obviously IMO), it might be cartoonish but definetly the world has a more fantasy feel and it's more immersive than EQ2.
EQ2 on the other hand, is a better game, even if the last RoK expansion is a blatant wow copycat, but without the nice armor............shame.
You can also try the free trial and see if you like the game
www.everquest2.com/freeTrial.vm
Wow isn't cartoony! stop using that term! It's not trying to look like a cartoon it's trying to be WCIII-ish now thats a huuge difference
"Granted thinking for yourself could be considered a timesink of shorter or longer duration depending on how smart..or how dumb you are."
The spells and creatures are kinda bland, every enemy looks like a Ken doll.....
1. Endgame: In the years that I've been playing this, I've never reached end game. If you reach it quickly, you're not experiencing the game. The point is in the journey, not in the end.
2. Get the whole thing. Its only like $40 anyway and comes with everything including all the adventure packs.
3. I don't find EQ2 bland, however I do find it much more realistic than FFXI or WoW. Its beautiful but you have to actually appreciate that beauty.
4. There's some crossover in all the classes but they are unique enough. As for what class, depends on if you solo alot or not. Necromancer and Conjurer are widely considered two of the best Mage classes for soloing because they have pets that can tank for them.
5. All servers but Antonia Bayle have PvP, however the PvP is in voluntary duels (you have to request the duel of the other player but no one ever seems to do it, and you can turn the option to receive duel requests off. I ALWAYS turn mine off. I loath PvP) or in the Arena (but no one ever goes there). There are open PvP servers that are clearly labelled for you on the server list when you create the character.
6. Its kept me busy for years.
Currently returned to Norrath after disliking Hyboria.
Endgame: What is it like? Raid instances, endless gear grind, or is there a variety of things to do with unique and useful rewards?
I have been playing for over 4 years and i still don't have a max lvl character so i cannot speak to this. Although my guild has many lvl cap characters that raid all the time and seem to enjoy it quite a bit.
Expansion packs: Should I buy that "all in one" pack or is there some packs that don't add much and I can skip over?
You have to buy Kunark its the best value and gives you an extra character choice.
Art Style: I have played both FFXI and WoW for extended periods of time and the thing that got me about both of those games are the art style. I would look forward to leveling up in FFXI because some gear would look cool and the environment in WoW has great art direction. I've heard EQ2 was bland, any truth to this?
I have always been a strong opponent of the Anime WoW graphics. I prefer EQ2 because although it is a fantasy mmorpg in that it has elves magical monsters etc. it does it in a realistic way that i feel like i am playing a mature game. I couldnt play halo if everyone was in pink yellow armor and guns the size of a volvo..its tooo far from reality that i feel stupid playing it. I guess a good comparison is watching Batman Returns compared to the batman cartoons on sunday morning. They are both batman, but Batman Returns was a made with a more mature and sophisticated audience in mind. They have done amazing things with armor choices since launch, im very happy with the choices and appearance of armor in this game. My only annoyance is i am not high enough to get the really cool stuff yet!
Classes: I heard EQ2 has 20 classes. Are they all useful and unique or just different rehashes with a few gimmick spells? Also, I liked Mage, Warlock, Red Mage(Healer, Debuffer) and Black Mage (damage) in those games. What would be a good Magic DPS class for me?
Their are a great many classes some of them very similiar but no 2 are alike. And they are all very fun as long as you know your place. Don't expect your Dirge to be the group tank or your Assassin to be a good healer. If you want a damage dealing mage class go Wizard or Warlock. I prefer Wizzy. Warlocks AOE range is huge and tends to pull a great many things you were not trying to pull. I have 10 Characters and i play them all.
Server: I'm looking for a friendly PVE server that has some PVP (not open world if possible.)
In EQ2 there are PvP servers and PvE servers no mixing. The best PvP you can hope for on a PvE server is duels.
Content: Will it keep me busy until August 2008?
EQ2 has enough content to keep you going for a very long time. The crafting has been hugely simplified and appeals to a much larger audience now. But i think as in any game the key to a long and happy relationship is finding a guild that fits your personality and playstyle. Then your good to go.
Sentinel - Nektulos
Hope to see you in game!
Play the game before commenting please...
Play the game before commenting please...
QFT
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. I am definatly downloading the trial.
If I buy, which starting zone do you think is the best for me to go to?
I'm looking for one that has a pretty cool storyline, and really draws me into the world and will show me a nice variety of what the game has to offer.
Thanks again
If a man does his best, what else is there?
Play the game before commenting please...
QFT
Is a masked Gnoll a good or a bad Ken ?But i /sign that EQ2 has ok graphics.
BTW: Where is that ? A Ninja Gnoll and a Drolvarg. Is it RoK starterzone ? Havent seen much there...
If the trial is still the trial of the fay you have to roll a fay in faydark. But you can delete it and roll somewhere else then as i hear.
For the vertrans every starter zone has its own storyline. Qeynos is the city of light, but freeport has some massive slums, Neriak is a dark city. There is even a pub for vampires
I had to kill the guy at the door who wanted to have a drink with me LOL. And faydark is the place for people who like nature and trees and fairies.
As you are asking specificly "if you buy".
Well it depends but to be honest... The new starting area for the Sarnak has quest rewards that beat out most crafted gear for a good many levels.
Some of the other starting zones unless they were updated recently lagged behind in quest overlap as well as rewards. What i mean by that is.. the last time I started in Fay.. I had quest turning grey before I should have. Part of that is increased XP and you can get around it to a degree by disabling combat xp. Just seems odd to have to do.
I've been in and out of EQ2 since the friends and family beta. Probably why getting xp fast seems odd.
As to end game... I didn't hit 70 until just before RoK released. Then I had about 4 characters that hit 70 at the same time and two are 80 now.
So to end game... its not like you are forced to do anything. If you do manage to get up to the RoK levels.. the quest rewards are pretty nice. They will definitely do well enough for you if you don't want to raid.
As to if you do Raid... best advice I have for you... The Guild you join and raid with is going to dictate how you enjoy that aspect of the game.. FAR more than anything SOE can do.
After RoK hit about 90% of my guild vanished. Can't say it was because of the expansion because it wasn't. However, leadership issues can make or break a guild and raiding.. so if you get that far.. do some research and get to know people.
A bad guild can really destroy the enjoyment of the game.
EQ2 is probably one of the best MMO's on the market atm.. and I'm really not a SOE fan. However, I can admit that this game is pretty solid in the current market place.
*edited to add*
As to your class question. Some of the classes are fairly rehashed or not very different and others are very different. As to what you play.. it may be dictated by if you want to stay in the game for the long haul. By that I mean most raiding guilds are fairly set on some classes and always looking for others.
My main was a Fury and all I really used that for was guild raids.
I had a Necro, Bruiser and Shadowknight that are either 80 or close to it.
I solo'd on those and really only the Necro could have expected to go on raids. However, I would have had to switch out my abilities to a raid build to do so .. as such I was just happy to keep playing the Fury.
Wizards/Warlocks and Necro with the right abilities build are your major DPS classes (magic wise). There is also conjies but to be honest... We mostly used them for Coth and some Pet Pulls. After Necro's got Lifeburn... anyway.. its a solid pet class.
Out of those 4 the guild I was in.. only was ever really looking for Necro's and that wasn't often. We had Wizards and Warlocks that often had to sit outside and hope someone left.
Enchanters and Bards we never had enough of (those can be hard to level solo and often times people don't group them but want them at high levels.. yes its odd.. if you think about that).
Red Mage.. from FFXI.. probably the closest thing in EQ2 would be a Shaman which is mostly a healer but they can debuff as well which can affect fights.
I encourage people to play classes they want to play.. as I don't think a game can be much fun other wise. However, in EQ2 if you want to raid.. there is usually the cold reality of.. most established guilds are only looking for certain classes. Sometimes you get luck and its one you like to play.
that screenshot is from Kylong Plains (a lvl 65+ zone)
EQ2 fan sites
Yes, but what if you think WCIII looked like a cartoon? Then there isn't a difference at all. They both look like cartoons.
More to the point, 'cartoon' does not = bad. There are badass cartoons and there are crappy ass cartoons. It's like saying, "I don't like Chevrolet's because they look like cars". Is it a cool car or a stupid looking car?
I love WoW's art direction, I think it looks like an awesome cartoon.
It's hard to say if someone should get into a game that is this old. It has it's niche, and while it's not nearly on the scale of the original, it provides solid gameplay. It is very slow and clunky mission-wise, and the world is fairly bland. (fighting 80 corrosive bog slugs comes to mind).
PVP is pretty much non-existent, but this game pulls it off pretty well. I found myself not really missing it. The community is also pretty decent, but very reclusive. It's fairly bug-free, but the graphics are showing their age. And server populations are getting smaller and of a higher average level, which makes it hard for noobs to join in.
There are a lot of new games comming out, and I would reccomend trying them out instead of this game.
Elite poster by 82
Stay away from the oldest zones as much as possible. I have nothing good to say about them
1. Immersive
2. Good music
Now the bad
1. Quests suck ass
2. AGGRO
Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice.
Game is good, comunity though ... be prepared for a long solo grind. No one seems to help or care for new players, like the game had millions of ppl playing, what obviously is not the case. After lvl 60 things get better but i was already bored if u wanna know. Even guilded its hard to find players to group with at lower lvls. I was always "looking for group" and almost never could find any to join.
And i like to solo, like it a lot. But be forced to all the time is not fun at all.
i played on nektulos...and i found the community very helpful over there
And honestly if u already play WoW why u wanna play EQ2 too? They are so similar. As a matter of fact all top actual fantasy based MMOs are very similar, thats why ppl keep saying there are clones. They are not clones but basicaly they are all very alike.
If u have said, hey i wanna play Tabula Rasa because its a diferent kind of MMO, or CoH/CoV i would understand but EQ2. Wait for AoC than, i would.
dont bother waiting for nonexistent games
play whatever fits your mood
EQ2 fan sites