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How is the grouping in this game?
4Renziks
Member UncommonPosts: 390
AOC isnt doing it for me....its another single player online game much in the vein of WOW (tho its my fault i should have known this) Looking to possible buy this game after playing the trial for a couple hours, i like the combat and graphics are nice enough. My question is how easy is it to find a group.....i come from FFIX and COH crowd and would like to group 100% of the time after maybe the 1st few levels, is this possible or is this a solo game w/ instancing like wow? Also, since iam new is it worth getting all the expansion for $30 or would i be fine with the starter pack for $20 (up to echoes expansion), Thanks for reading and answering.
playing: Dragon Age
Waiting: for FF14, Mass Effect
Want to try: Fallen Earth
Comments
The problem in EQ2 isn't the amount of group content, it's the amount of people looking to group at a certain level. The newer starting zones such as Neriak, Kelethin, and Timmorous Deep are all pretty solo-centric for the first several levels, but it doesn't take very long before grouping becomes not only viable but preferable. The thing is, because EQ2 has been out for almost 4 years now, the amount of people at lower and mid-range levels is significantly lower than those at upper levels or capped. That's not to say that there aren't people running around on lowbies, in fact, I've seen a pretty big jump in the amount of people on lower level toons since the whole 2 months free "come back" program started. But I don't think the game will ever return to the number of people it once had running around the world.
In short, there's A LOT of group content for all levels, but you may be somewhat hard pressed to find people to group with. My best suggestion would be to find a helpful guild early (there's a pretty nice in-game tool to help with that), because people are much more apt to help a low level character get groups if they're in the same guild.
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So far I haven't needed to group at all. Level 8 now. If memory serves the 'need/desire' to group really doesn't start till around 10th or 11th level. That may have changed... I'm just coming back for the first time since the year the game released. It seems better now.
Currently Playing: Dungeons and Dragons Online.
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EQ 2 is a great game, now my response lol. The grouping is almost non-existant in EQ2, it reminds me of AOC in the sense that alot of classes can solo 1-80 which isnt a bad thing. But if you are like me and prefer groups then eq2 is probly not a good idea unless you join a guild. there isnt alot of people in eq2 anymore except on certain servers and only during certain times of the day. EQ 1 had the best grouping requirements...mainly if you wanted to level unless you were twinked beyond belief and very skilled you had to group to level. Right now the best grouping game out there is either EQ1 and WoW that I know of. Im not sure about Lineage two, I have seen videos of groups in Warhammer and Aion but I don't know how that will play out. I am assuming that Aion and warhammer will be more group focused because they do focus primarily on pvp. Back to the OP though, my experiance with eq2 = very very little grouping untill end game content.
Thanks alot guys for taking the time to post, looks like i will pass then, iam done with solo games and will not play a new MMO unless grouping is the focal point. someone said WOW is a good grouping game, i dont know it was far to easy and i didnt like it. Pretty much every since ive quit final fantasy 11 iam having trouble enjoying an mmo more than a month.....i get bored because i feel no sense of accomplishments or dont meet new people. maybe its me , iam playing EVE now and love the complexity, but again it looks like another solo online game where its rare to do anysort of teamwork (i could be wrong i only been playing for 5hours). This might be the wrong place to ask this but instead of making a new thread, is there any other game on the market besides EQ( never played it and i think iam a wee bit behind lol) FFIX (ive played for a year and i might go back if i cant find a new home soon) or CoX(I just stop this game, played for over a year....fun times , just wish it was more complex) where leveling and teamwork is needed to progress in the game. Thanks again
playing: Dragon Age
Waiting: for FF14, Mass Effect
Want to try: Fallen Earth
Maybe it's because of the server, or the living legacy promotion, but I'm on Lucan D'lere, Level 30 Inquisitor and I've already done tons of group content. I usually just travel to the dungeon/ area I want to do and usually pick up a group pretty fast. I've learned to ignore the LFG and Chats, and just try and group with people around. Maybe I'm lucky but it works perfect for me.
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Currently Playing EVE, ESO
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EVE doesn't force you to group but unless you join a corporation and get involved in gang warfare you will never truely experience what EVE has to offer. Even joining a corporation and doing level 5 missions in a gang with other players blows anything you can do alone in EVE away for 'fun factor'.
Also from what I recall you are selling EQ2 short. It has a great deal of group content and, in fact, several aspects of the game can ONLY be done in groups/guilds/raids. You CAN solo, and many do, but the focus of EQ has always been grouping.
Currently Playing: Dungeons and Dragons Online.
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Still in: A couple Betas
I see your playing DDO, iam about to try the trial because i read that it is group based.....how are you liking it ?
playing: Dragon Age
Waiting: for FF14, Mass Effect
Want to try: Fallen Earth
I've never had a problem finding a group. However, let me recommend something... NEVER ask in /ooc for a group. It tends to be aggravating and most will find it rude as well as the fact that you likely won't get any response.
There's an excellent /lfg ability. You can even look up who else in an area is looking for a group.
You can ask in any of your level channels about grouping (though I personally have all channels but my guilds and /ooc turned off).
Your best bet is to find a good guild and you'll pretty much always be guaranteed to have a group if you just ask them.
my experience is that usually it's not that much a problem to get people for a group if you are willing to do the work of orgnaizing it & inviting people. If you just switch on lfg tag and post from time to time on your levels channel that you are looking for a group it might take quite long on the other side.
Ah i'm from FFXI and I prefer grouping also and I can say that EQ2 has more grouping from personal experience then AOC or WOW, but it doesn't kick in until level 20+ really. I found some great groups though. Not like in WoW where you group up but no one even says anything and they just play like they are npc's anyway.
OP - unfortunately there are no other MMO's that are as group-centric as FF XI. I quit FF XI about 2 years ago and have played almost every other MMO in existence (including the crappy free MMO's) I've found that nothing duplicates the amazing group experience you get in FF XI. I have a feeling that if a new MMO was released that forced grouping like FF XI it would probably die and the kids would be screaming about how they can't solo and the game sucks.
People want things easy in MMO's since the release of WoW. My only hope is that the new MMO Square is working on will have forced grouping.
IMHO grouping is the most fun, efficiant and proffitable way to play this game....not to mention very diverse
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My wife and I had a good laugh at the claim that it's hard to find a group in EQ II.
Join the RP server (AB) and you will rarely have trouble finding a group. In fact, what was so funny is that of the dozen or so MMO's we have played, EQ II is by far the best game for grouping - it's easy to get into one, and it's fun.
You could play WoW, but if you're over 15 years old I'd avoid it if I were you. Not because of the game but vecause of the community. EQ II on the RP server is one of the BEST communities in any MMO ever.
It's not a solo game. You quite literally must group to do dungeons, hence why groups are running almost around the clock.
Download the trial and give it a shot.
I miss the good ol' days when nerds were actually intelligent.
I like DDO a lot... I'm on the '9.95' plan ($59/6months) and it's really worth it. It's a very different feel from most other MMO's though, some folks won't like it, others love it, others love to hate it. I like the character customization and ability to create such varied templates. It used to be really bad but Turbine has done a great job of fixing the problems with the game.
It's not perfect... but it is a good game.
Currently Playing: Dungeons and Dragons Online.
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Still in: A couple Betas
I tried eq2 for a couple of months and got sick of it because i couldn't get a grp at all. Maybe it's because i played on nagafen (pvp server) but the game seemed mostly solo to me. Grp requests for solo content even from my guild were often answered by replies: just solo that it's easy. The feeling eq2 left me with was that grouping was minimum until lvl 70 or 80 when the raid contents start.
The recruiting only experienced lvl 70+ players for raids posts the nagafen recruitment forums where full of didn't help either.
As a new player i felt kind lonely in a world where more than half the lowbies were alts of people playing the game for 2-3 yrs. But perhaps it was my server's fault and if u join u will have a better experience
On most servers it's nigh impossible to get a group during most levels of the game. Most low or mid level chars are alts breezing through the game solo or teaming with people from their guild. That is, if their guild still has any active members. Been playing on and off since launch and I've seen guild after guild turn into ghost committees.
Some servers, like AB, have fairly easy group access, because of the sheer volume of players around. However, those servers ten to be overburdened and more prone to bouts of lag. And they aren't PvP.
Even though I'm not a fan of the EQII PvP system at all, I couldn't return to a PvE server, simply because dying doesn't really mean much and there isn't a whole lot of tension that way.
AC (retired); EQ (retired); DAoC (retired); Horizons (retired); EQII (retired); CoH (retired); AC II (tested); Lineage II (beta); Neocron (tested); Saga of Ryzom (beta); SWG (retired)...