First off the game has been destroyed with expansions. The game is mixmatched garbage now. Main class abilities have been trivialized by changes made in sake of trying to copy WoW. The game's graphics are different throughout the zones, they never made things match at all. The lore has become ridiculous and everything is basically broken. It is not the game it use to be and not good in it's present form. Very bad game, waste of your money. Second, Everquest, Everquest 2 and Vanguard are about the only subscription based games with virtual items for real life cash tacted on. That is right you pay the same prices subscription 15/month as other newer MMOs and still they have a cash shop .. very dirty. Third, the forum mods are trash, pathetic, garbage that delete anything negative said about the current game and anything that mentions their scam virtual items for cash addition to the game. These are the worst mods around, there will delete post they do not agree with even though it's not against the rules. Those are not forums, not where forum mods pick and choose what hidesthe negative aspects of their game. People need to be aware this company is theives trying to hide the negative things about the game. Also they will delete any post of anyone that make known their wishes of a trilogy server. They want to ignore the largest post in the history of their forums by locking it and sweeping it under the rug. Buyer beware.
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
First off the game has been destroyed with expansions. The game is mixmatched garbage now. Main class abilities have been trivialized by changes made in sake of trying to copy WoW. The game's graphics are different throughout the zones, they never made things match at all. The lore has become ridiculous and everything is basically broken. It is not the game it use to be and not good in it's present form. Very bad game, waste of your money. Second, Everquest, Everquest 2 and Vanguard are about the only subscription based games with virtual items for real life cash tacted on. That is right you pay the same prices subscription 15/month as other newer MMOs and still they have a cash shop .. very dirty. Third, the forum mods are trash, pathetic, garbage that delete anything negative said about the current game and anything that mentions their scam virtual items for cash addition to the game. These are the worst mods around, there will delete post they do not agree with even though it's not against the rules. Those are not forums, not where forum mods pick and choose what hidesthe negative aspects of their game. People need to be aware this company is theives trying to hide the negative things about the game. Also they will delete any post of anyone that make known their wishes of a trilogy server. They want to ignore the largest post in the history of their forums by locking it and sweeping it under the rug. Buyer beware.
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
You are assuming way too much in your post. Did I say EQ classes are like WoW? No. Did I say WoW was the god send of MMOs and they are immune to doing no wrong? No. I have already explained as well in many post why I do not like the greedy practices of Station Cash no matter what the items are.
If you consider people on a forum sharing their views and opinions on games "bitching". Feel free not to read them that is your choice. I will continue speak my mind good or bad about a game and their business practices. And the day WoW releases "WoW Cash" or whatever it is I will state that I oppose that as well.
Computer games are not like whiskey, age are not good for them and 10 years is a long time.
You can't expect the game to be like it was at launch either, games like EQ and UO is just for some hardcore fans today, I don't see the reason to warn anybody about them. I find it unlikely that people would just gointo a store, find a copy and buy the game.
It is true that MMOs are generally getting easier and easier and I don't like that trend either.
Computer games are not like whiskey, age are not good for them and 10 years is a long time. You can't expect the game to be like it was at launch either, games like EQ and UO is just for some hardcore fans today, I don't see the reason to warn anybody about them. I find it unlikely that people would just gointo a store, find a copy and buy the game. It is true that MMOs are generally getting easier and easier and I don't like that trend either.
I agree with you Loke on the way MMOs age but I wouldn't lump all computer games into that category. The great thing about single player games they are still a the great game that made them a hit so long ago. You can always load them up and enjoy it once again. Unfortunately MMOs are ruined by accessive changes to the fundemental game design. They always end up smashing what made the game a hit in the first place.
I plugged up my Nintendo the other day and put in the old game Super Mario Brothers for my son to play. He had a blast, it is still the the great game it was back when it was new. He loves it, but unfortunately he will never see what a great game any MMO was because they all implode.
EQ was a great game back then. It was the best in those day, as there was nothing else viable. FFA PVP and ganking has reduced UO to ruins.
Now, 10 years later, when I go back and think about it, will EQ still be fun NOW? TODAY?
I doubt. Taking the best of EQ in those days, comparing it to WoW, LOTRo, WAR now, and comparing it to DAoC, SWG, CoX, the few I loved most, will EQ still cut it? I doubt.
EQ is a major grinder back then, level 30 35 30 45 and 49. We all know the horror of getting thru 49.
Death penalty is unnecesarily harsh. I agree with xp losses, but lvl losses? Dropping from 50 to 49 means another week of grinding before you can even return to raiding.
Trading? go to east common tunnel to spam. Want to raid? Want to do an instance? Find a wizard/druid to port you, or spend 30 minutes and good luck thru the tough territory.
Level 60 comes, its not much different, though, admittingly, the new zone is well designed, and lots of novelties in those days.
When SWG comes out, we saw much better immersion and greater game freedom. When DAoC comes, the meaning of realm is better, much better than the 2 sides of EQ. When WoW comes, we know what a user friendly game is. You feel like playing, not struggling. When CoX comes, we realise superheroes can be such fun. By then the EQ myth has faded. So many more games coming each showing a bit of the weakness of EQ.
Armed with these new games, when I look back at the EQ days, I would say this: EQ served its days, when the only option was the ceaseless ganking of UO. Many games has improved up the EQ formulae, and with the failure of EQ2 (during launch), the days of EQ are gone.
I left EQ when level 60 is cap. I know they have added a lot, I know about AA (from playing EQ2), I have seen the new graphics, as my friend returned to the progression server (for a week). I keep reading EQ, but no matter what, I never got the mood to give it another shot, not even with free trial.
As for the OP's obsession with cash shops, relax pal. Every developer wants to milk you for your cash. Luckily we have competition, so that we can move away from those that have gone too far. I would and I did pay for the extra bells and whistles when I sub to the EQ station pass. On the other hand, if they make it mandatory for me to pay extra dollars to buy that godkiller sword of almighty, I will log out, perma.
Look at it either way, its just a way the developer want some more money. WoW has made enough money, they do not want to risk losing their huge sub base, so they won't try cash shops, no way, no need. In this aspect, I feel more comfortable with WoW and the many others which still resist cash shops. So be it.
First off the game has been destroyed with expansions. The game is mixmatched garbage now. Main class abilities have been trivialized by changes made in sake of trying to copy WoW. The game's graphics are different throughout the zones, they never made things match at all. The lore has become ridiculous and everything is basically broken. It is not the game it use to be and not good in it's present form. Very bad game, waste of your money. Second, Everquest, Everquest 2 and Vanguard are about the only subscription based games with virtual items for real life cash tacted on. That is right you pay the same prices subscription 15/month as other newer MMOs and still they have a cash shop .. very dirty. Third, the forum mods are trash, pathetic, garbage that delete anything negative said about the current game and anything that mentions their scam virtual items for cash addition to the game. These are the worst mods around, there will delete post they do not agree with even though it's not against the rules. Those are not forums, not where forum mods pick and choose what hidesthe negative aspects of their game. People need to be aware this company is theives trying to hide the negative things about the game. Also they will delete any post of anyone that make known their wishes of a trilogy server. They want to ignore the largest post in the history of their forums by locking it and sweeping it under the rug. Buyer beware.
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
You are assuming way too much in your post. Did I say EQ classes are like WoW? No. Did I say WoW was the god send of MMOs and they are immune to doing no wrong? No. I have already explained as well in many post why I do not like the greedy practices of Station Cash no matter what the items are.
If you consider people on a forum sharing their views and opinions on games "bitching". Feel free not to read them that is your choice. I will continue speak my mind good or bad about a game and their business practices. And the day WoW releases "WoW Cash" or whatever it is I will state that I oppose that as well.
Noting that the classes have been changed for the sake of being like WoW is very much stating the classes are like WoW's. If they are changing to be more like WoW...so what does that mean? Are they or are they not like WoW's classes now? It wasnt just a response to you it was a response to those who do think WoW is god send, I was just using your quote as reference material. By the way you replied to the post so offensively when it obviously wasnt fully aimed at you tells me that it offended you in a big way else you would not have gotten so angry. (ex: calling a skinny fellow fat doesnt inspire him to bloodshed).
Thats fine if you think its a greedy practice but I also explained that they are simply items and equips you are being charged money for. I'm not sure how far you go back in MMOs but when the first expansion for EQ1 was announced people just like yourself started complaining (Arent we paying $15 a month for this?! Why do we have to go out and buy the game again?! this is a greedy business practice! I'm quitting!) Its the same thing now with station cash stores. People are now complaining all over again that its greedy to offer people items that enhance their game experience through cash.
Actually you even make the same argument as the people who complained about having to pay for expansions, "We have to pay another $30 so our characters can be better! What if we dont have $45 that month?! This isnt fair to charge us to advance our characters". Yet I do not see you on here flaming expansions? Dont you think its a bit hypocritical to flame one business practice that charges people money to enhance their characters when you dont flame the other just because its been accepted through time? Its the same thing, be it enhancing your play experience with more levels or enhancing it with equips or xp potions. You have to pay money for both of them and they both have the same function. What now?
Also I apologize for calling it bitching, you were basicly just taking flak from what people have said in the past, I apologize.
I recently read an interview in Beckett's Massive Online Gamer (or whatever it's called) and they seem to know that they've gotten down to a core of players who are playing EverQuest because EQ is the game they want to play. The people already playing are their target audience. I seriously doubt anyone is going to start playing EQ on a whim when there are a zillion equally good but newer products available. New customers are not what they are really aiming for.
I thought some of their newer story arcs tied in with older lore quite nicely. They are slowly upgrading the old zones, for better or worse. The new Nektulos (the second new version) is great, but I WANT THE OLD FREEPORT BACK...
The station cash thing is all fluff. Is it greedy? Yes. The game isn't a charity, and it is the job of some guy in some suit somewhere to find ways to maximize profits on these things. But it's not as bad as it could have been-- it could be a full on cash shop with major advantages for sale on top of the subscription.
I'd have loved to see them experiment wit h a free-to-play item mall server and leave the other ones subscription only (subscription-with-benefits?) -- then people could get in and see what it's REALLY like (since the trial is hardly representative of the actual game), people who only want to play occasionally wouldn't have to drop a full $1upfront and then only play 2 weeks, and they wouldn't be putting the cash shop on top of the subscription. But my opinion isn't likely to sway them. Oh, well.
When people ask about starting EQ or even returning to EQ, I always tell them that they probably don't want to start in EQ now, but not for the reasons you suggest. Unless you are starting with a group of friends who are going to progress with you, you're going to find yourself standing at the bottom of a very tall ladder, and everyone else is at or near the top of it. I'm experienced with the game and have both the platinum to buy myself all the potions and gear I want as well as people willing to PL me, and I still find the grind to level cap and a billion AAs from level 1 daunting unless I am playing with other people of the same level and enjoying the ride. (People ask me about EQ more often than you might think IRL because I work in a (non-video) game shop and can play from there, so they got to see it in action before I unsubscribed AGAIN.)
And off on a tangent...
For the person who said they know about AAs from EQ2, EQ1 AAs are similar in concept, but a whole different animal in the end-- they are Alternate Advancement, not achievement based, and there is no cap to the number you can have. You can, quite literally, buy every single option available to you by opting to give up some of your regular experience (or all of it), from all the whizbang class abilities down to giving yourself a little more charisma.
EQ1 isn't the game you played if you left when the level cap was 60, in any case, but I am sure you're well aware-- no more corpse runs, mercs and potions to keep you in one piece, a much easier grind to level... Some people think these are bad changes, but those are largely people not playing (and paying for) EQ at this point, so as I said at the beginning of this post, those people aren't really the target audience anymore.
... This is where I draw the line: __________________.
EQ was a great game back then. It was the best in those day, as there was nothing else viable. FFA PVP and ganking has reduced UO to ruins. Now, 10 years later, when I go back and think about it, will EQ still be fun NOW? TODAY? I doubt. Taking the best of EQ in those days, comparing it to WoW, LOTRo, WAR now, and comparing it to DAoC, SWG, CoX, the few I loved most, will EQ still cut it? I doubt. EQ is a major grinder back then, level 30 35 30 45 and 49. We all know the horror of getting thru 49. Death penalty is unnecesarily harsh. I agree with xp losses, but lvl losses? Dropping from 50 to 49 means another week of grinding before you can even return to raiding. Trading? go to east common tunnel to spam. Want to raid? Want to do an instance? Find a wizard/druid to port you, or spend 30 minutes and good luck thru the tough territory. Level 60 comes, its not much different, though, admittingly, the new zone is well designed, and lots of novelties in those days.
You would do yourself good to try EQ1 today, because lots of the complaints you listed have already been addressed and is a non-issue. I'm talking about your comment regarding death penalty (you no longer drop items and don't lose corpses), your comments about getting around (more than enough ingame ports to get you around these days), I'm talking about trading (east commons? wow, you left before the bazaar opened eh? lol), I'm talking about your comment regarding the grind, which is no longer the case, there are no hell levels anymore.
I mean that in a good way when I say you should try it again, because I know many people who quit back in 2003/2004 that came back recently and are having a blast. If you can't bring yourself up to try it, hey no biggy, you must be having fun in another game. But before you bring up what was wrong with EQ you should know the changes. And I do thank you for bringing up the few bad parts about EQ1 back in the days, it brings balance to the discussion because the OP in this thread apparently is in love with the classic version of the game prior to all the changes post -POP expansion.
That's the thing, there are people today that assume EQ1 today is catered to the old school crowd. Honestly, as an old school player who started MMO gaming in EQ1 & AC1, I have to day EQ1 today caters more to the new generation of gamers than old school. With the introduction of mercenaries, all classes can solo level and accomplish something when they have little time to play, this wasn't the case before. With the changes to death penalty, dying stings just enough to make you not want to die purposely to port yourself around. It's so easy to level and advance your characters today, the only part that slows down is the last 5-10 levels which is normal in MMO's these days.
You should realize that OP is upset because the game today does not cater to the old school "classic eq" crowd. I personally think the changes to the game have been great, the EQ1 devs have done a good job evolving the game so it survives the changes to the genre. I was an old school hardcore player back in the days, but 10 years later I've toned down a bit. I like EQ1 now much much better than before, and this is something I never thought I would say 5 years ago when I first quit EQ1.
Here's a good FAQ and run-down on what changes have been made. It's a great guide for newbies and returning players, it gives you an overview of what's "new" in EQ so to speak:
First off the game has been destroyed with expansions. The game is mixmatched garbage now. Main class abilities have been trivialized by changes made in sake of trying to copy WoW. The game's graphics are different throughout the zones, they never made things match at all. The lore has become ridiculous and everything is basically broken. It is not the game it use to be and not good in it's present form. Very bad game, waste of your money. Second, Everquest, Everquest 2 and Vanguard are about the only subscription based games with virtual items for real life cash tacted on. That is right you pay the same prices subscription 15/month as other newer MMOs and still they have a cash shop .. very dirty. Third, the forum mods are trash, pathetic, garbage that delete anything negative said about the current game and anything that mentions their scam virtual items for cash addition to the game. These are the worst mods around, there will delete post they do not agree with even though it's not against the rules. Those are not forums, not where forum mods pick and choose what hidesthe negative aspects of their game. People need to be aware this company is theives trying to hide the negative things about the game. Also they will delete any post of anyone that make known their wishes of a trilogy server. They want to ignore the largest post in the history of their forums by locking it and sweeping it under the rug. Buyer beware.
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
You are assuming way too much in your post. Did I say EQ classes are like WoW? No. Did I say WoW was the god send of MMOs and they are immune to doing no wrong? No. I have already explained as well in many post why I do not like the greedy practices of Station Cash no matter what the items are.
If you consider people on a forum sharing their views and opinions on games "bitching". Feel free not to read them that is your choice. I will continue speak my mind good or bad about a game and their business practices. And the day WoW releases "WoW Cash" or whatever it is I will state that I oppose that as well.
Noting that the classes have been changed for the sake of being like WoW is very much stating the classes are like WoW's. If they are changing to be more like WoW...so what does that mean? Are they or are they not like WoW's classes now? It wasnt just a response to you it was a response to those who do think WoW is god send, I was just using your quote as reference material. By the way you replied to the post so offensively when it obviously wasnt fully aimed at you tells me that it offended you in a big way else you would not have gotten so angry. (ex: calling a skinny fellow fat doesnt inspire him to bloodshed).
Thats fine if you think its a greedy practice but I also explained that they are simply items and equips you are being charged money for. I'm not sure how far you go back in MMOs but when the first expansion for EQ1 was announced people just like yourself started complaining (Arent we paying $15 a month for this?! Why do we have to go out and buy the game again?! this is a greedy business practice! I'm quitting!) Its the same thing now with station cash stores. People are now complaining all over again that its greedy to offer people items that enhance their game experience through cash.
Actually you even make the same argument as the people who complained about having to pay for expansions, "We have to pay another $30 so our characters can be better! What if we dont have $45 that month?! This isnt fair to charge us to advance our characters". Yet I do not see you on here flaming expansions? Dont you think its a bit hypocritical to flame one business practice that charges people money to enhance their characters when you dont flame the other just because its been accepted through time? Its the same thing, be it enhancing your play experience with more levels or enhancing it with equips or xp potions. You have to pay money for both of them and they both have the same function. What now?
Also I apologize for calling it bitching, you were basicly just taking flak from what people have said in the past, I apologize.
No problem, I accept your apology. I didn't mean to come off as angry because I wasn't. Just stating my feelings on the game EQ and it's owner. I can handle others opinions and counter arguments. Doesn't bother me. It is a forum after all for discussion of different views.
Comments
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Oh and for those crying "WoW doesnt do it cause WoW is the best MMO ever!" Go read that. http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2008/10/wow-micro-transactions.html
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Oh and for those crying "WoW doesnt do it cause WoW is the best MMO ever!" Go read that. http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2008/10/wow-micro-transactions.html
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
You are assuming way too much in your post. Did I say EQ classes are like WoW? No. Did I say WoW was the god send of MMOs and they are immune to doing no wrong? No. I have already explained as well in many post why I do not like the greedy practices of Station Cash no matter what the items are.
If you consider people on a forum sharing their views and opinions on games "bitching". Feel free not to read them that is your choice. I will continue speak my mind good or bad about a game and their business practices. And the day WoW releases "WoW Cash" or whatever it is I will state that I oppose that as well.
Computer games are not like whiskey, age are not good for them and 10 years is a long time.
You can't expect the game to be like it was at launch either, games like EQ and UO is just for some hardcore fans today, I don't see the reason to warn anybody about them. I find it unlikely that people would just gointo a store, find a copy and buy the game.
It is true that MMOs are generally getting easier and easier and I don't like that trend either.
I agree with you Loke on the way MMOs age but I wouldn't lump all computer games into that category. The great thing about single player games they are still a the great game that made them a hit so long ago. You can always load them up and enjoy it once again. Unfortunately MMOs are ruined by accessive changes to the fundemental game design. They always end up smashing what made the game a hit in the first place.
I plugged up my Nintendo the other day and put in the old game Super Mario Brothers for my son to play. He had a blast, it is still the the great game it was back when it was new. He loves it, but unfortunately he will never see what a great game any MMO was because they all implode.
EQ was a great game back then. It was the best in those day, as there was nothing else viable. FFA PVP and ganking has reduced UO to ruins.
Now, 10 years later, when I go back and think about it, will EQ still be fun NOW? TODAY?
I doubt. Taking the best of EQ in those days, comparing it to WoW, LOTRo, WAR now, and comparing it to DAoC, SWG, CoX, the few I loved most, will EQ still cut it? I doubt.
EQ is a major grinder back then, level 30 35 30 45 and 49. We all know the horror of getting thru 49.
Death penalty is unnecesarily harsh. I agree with xp losses, but lvl losses? Dropping from 50 to 49 means another week of grinding before you can even return to raiding.
Trading? go to east common tunnel to spam. Want to raid? Want to do an instance? Find a wizard/druid to port you, or spend 30 minutes and good luck thru the tough territory.
Level 60 comes, its not much different, though, admittingly, the new zone is well designed, and lots of novelties in those days.
When SWG comes out, we saw much better immersion and greater game freedom. When DAoC comes, the meaning of realm is better, much better than the 2 sides of EQ. When WoW comes, we know what a user friendly game is. You feel like playing, not struggling. When CoX comes, we realise superheroes can be such fun. By then the EQ myth has faded. So many more games coming each showing a bit of the weakness of EQ.
Armed with these new games, when I look back at the EQ days, I would say this: EQ served its days, when the only option was the ceaseless ganking of UO. Many games has improved up the EQ formulae, and with the failure of EQ2 (during launch), the days of EQ are gone.
I left EQ when level 60 is cap. I know they have added a lot, I know about AA (from playing EQ2), I have seen the new graphics, as my friend returned to the progression server (for a week). I keep reading EQ, but no matter what, I never got the mood to give it another shot, not even with free trial.
As for the OP's obsession with cash shops, relax pal. Every developer wants to milk you for your cash. Luckily we have competition, so that we can move away from those that have gone too far. I would and I did pay for the extra bells and whistles when I sub to the EQ station pass. On the other hand, if they make it mandatory for me to pay extra dollars to buy that godkiller sword of almighty, I will log out, perma.
Look at it either way, its just a way the developer want some more money. WoW has made enough money, they do not want to risk losing their huge sub base, so they won't try cash shops, no way, no need. In this aspect, I feel more comfortable with WoW and the many others which still resist cash shops. So be it.
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Oh and for those crying "WoW doesnt do it cause WoW is the best MMO ever!" Go read that. http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2008/10/wow-micro-transactions.html
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
You are assuming way too much in your post. Did I say EQ classes are like WoW? No. Did I say WoW was the god send of MMOs and they are immune to doing no wrong? No. I have already explained as well in many post why I do not like the greedy practices of Station Cash no matter what the items are.
If you consider people on a forum sharing their views and opinions on games "bitching". Feel free not to read them that is your choice. I will continue speak my mind good or bad about a game and their business practices. And the day WoW releases "WoW Cash" or whatever it is I will state that I oppose that as well.
Noting that the classes have been changed for the sake of being like WoW is very much stating the classes are like WoW's. If they are changing to be more like WoW...so what does that mean? Are they or are they not like WoW's classes now? It wasnt just a response to you it was a response to those who do think WoW is god send, I was just using your quote as reference material. By the way you replied to the post so offensively when it obviously wasnt fully aimed at you tells me that it offended you in a big way else you would not have gotten so angry. (ex: calling a skinny fellow fat doesnt inspire him to bloodshed).
Thats fine if you think its a greedy practice but I also explained that they are simply items and equips you are being charged money for. I'm not sure how far you go back in MMOs but when the first expansion for EQ1 was announced people just like yourself started complaining (Arent we paying $15 a month for this?! Why do we have to go out and buy the game again?! this is a greedy business practice! I'm quitting!) Its the same thing now with station cash stores. People are now complaining all over again that its greedy to offer people items that enhance their game experience through cash.
Actually you even make the same argument as the people who complained about having to pay for expansions, "We have to pay another $30 so our characters can be better! What if we dont have $45 that month?! This isnt fair to charge us to advance our characters". Yet I do not see you on here flaming expansions? Dont you think its a bit hypocritical to flame one business practice that charges people money to enhance their characters when you dont flame the other just because its been accepted through time? Its the same thing, be it enhancing your play experience with more levels or enhancing it with equips or xp potions. You have to pay money for both of them and they both have the same function. What now?
Also I apologize for calling it bitching, you were basicly just taking flak from what people have said in the past, I apologize.
I recently read an interview in Beckett's Massive Online Gamer (or whatever it's called) and they seem to know that they've gotten down to a core of players who are playing EverQuest because EQ is the game they want to play. The people already playing are their target audience. I seriously doubt anyone is going to start playing EQ on a whim when there are a zillion equally good but newer products available. New customers are not what they are really aiming for.
I thought some of their newer story arcs tied in with older lore quite nicely. They are slowly upgrading the old zones, for better or worse. The new Nektulos (the second new version) is great, but I WANT THE OLD FREEPORT BACK...
The station cash thing is all fluff. Is it greedy? Yes. The game isn't a charity, and it is the job of some guy in some suit somewhere to find ways to maximize profits on these things. But it's not as bad as it could have been-- it could be a full on cash shop with major advantages for sale on top of the subscription.
I'd have loved to see them experiment wit h a free-to-play item mall server and leave the other ones subscription only (subscription-with-benefits?) -- then people could get in and see what it's REALLY like (since the trial is hardly representative of the actual game), people who only want to play occasionally wouldn't have to drop a full $1upfront and then only play 2 weeks, and they wouldn't be putting the cash shop on top of the subscription. But my opinion isn't likely to sway them. Oh, well.
When people ask about starting EQ or even returning to EQ, I always tell them that they probably don't want to start in EQ now, but not for the reasons you suggest. Unless you are starting with a group of friends who are going to progress with you, you're going to find yourself standing at the bottom of a very tall ladder, and everyone else is at or near the top of it. I'm experienced with the game and have both the platinum to buy myself all the potions and gear I want as well as people willing to PL me, and I still find the grind to level cap and a billion AAs from level 1 daunting unless I am playing with other people of the same level and enjoying the ride. (People ask me about EQ more often than you might think IRL because I work in a (non-video) game shop and can play from there, so they got to see it in action before I unsubscribed AGAIN.)
And off on a tangent...
For the person who said they know about AAs from EQ2, EQ1 AAs are similar in concept, but a whole different animal in the end-- they are Alternate Advancement, not achievement based, and there is no cap to the number you can have. You can, quite literally, buy every single option available to you by opting to give up some of your regular experience (or all of it), from all the whizbang class abilities down to giving yourself a little more charisma.
EQ1 isn't the game you played if you left when the level cap was 60, in any case, but I am sure you're well aware-- no more corpse runs, mercs and potions to keep you in one piece, a much easier grind to level... Some people think these are bad changes, but those are largely people not playing (and paying for) EQ at this point, so as I said at the beginning of this post, those people aren't really the target audience anymore.
...
This is where I draw the line: __________________.
You would do yourself good to try EQ1 today, because lots of the complaints you listed have already been addressed and is a non-issue. I'm talking about your comment regarding death penalty (you no longer drop items and don't lose corpses), your comments about getting around (more than enough ingame ports to get you around these days), I'm talking about trading (east commons? wow, you left before the bazaar opened eh? lol), I'm talking about your comment regarding the grind, which is no longer the case, there are no hell levels anymore.
I mean that in a good way when I say you should try it again, because I know many people who quit back in 2003/2004 that came back recently and are having a blast. If you can't bring yourself up to try it, hey no biggy, you must be having fun in another game. But before you bring up what was wrong with EQ you should know the changes. And I do thank you for bringing up the few bad parts about EQ1 back in the days, it brings balance to the discussion because the OP in this thread apparently is in love with the classic version of the game prior to all the changes post -POP expansion.
That's the thing, there are people today that assume EQ1 today is catered to the old school crowd. Honestly, as an old school player who started MMO gaming in EQ1 & AC1, I have to day EQ1 today caters more to the new generation of gamers than old school. With the introduction of mercenaries, all classes can solo level and accomplish something when they have little time to play, this wasn't the case before. With the changes to death penalty, dying stings just enough to make you not want to die purposely to port yourself around. It's so easy to level and advance your characters today, the only part that slows down is the last 5-10 levels which is normal in MMO's these days.
You should realize that OP is upset because the game today does not cater to the old school "classic eq" crowd. I personally think the changes to the game have been great, the EQ1 devs have done a good job evolving the game so it survives the changes to the genre. I was an old school hardcore player back in the days, but 10 years later I've toned down a bit. I like EQ1 now much much better than before, and this is something I never thought I would say 5 years ago when I first quit EQ1.
Here's a good FAQ and run-down on what changes have been made. It's a great guide for newbies and returning players, it gives you an overview of what's "new" in EQ so to speak:
www.almarsguides.com/everquestreturn.cfm
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
Oh for the love of god stop bitching about the station cash stuff. Go look up the items you get with station cash. In EQ1 the items are like potions and crap like that mostly, and the armor you get with it actualy isnt that great, you can kill names for stuff thats just as good or better. At the current rate if you have even an average guild in EQ1 you can get A LOT better gear. As far as EQ2 goes again...not really an argument considering the armor that you get for Station Cash in that game is appearance only and has no effect on armor or stats at all. How is that dirty at all? You dont have to buy it, they arent forcing you to pay an extra $10 a month? I'm in a huge guild in EQ2 and I dont even know of anyone in it who has done station cash or cares about it. RARELY do I ever see anyone with any SC items on them. How is it hurting you by having it? If the armor doesnt even have stats?!
Another thing where the hell are you getting that Vanguard has station cash? If you are talking about Live Gamer that is completely different. I think you are basicly just hear to bitch when you have no idea what you are talking about to be honest. I mean its obvious you dont have your facts straight.
I played the game recently and while I didnt much care to get back into EQ1 I HEAVILY disagree that the classes are anything like WoW. Honest question, how are those classes anything like WoWs classes?
Oh and for those crying "WoW doesnt do it cause WoW is the best MMO ever!" Go read that. http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2008/10/wow-micro-transactions.html
Read the whole thing and soak it in. Right about now you might be fidgeting in your seat and having some trouble understand and after that you are probably going to quote me and then go hit google to try to find an article to link me to prove me wrong. First check the date of the article. Then when you realize the article you are looking at says "no we arent going to do microtransactions on WoW" and its the VP of blizz saying it go back to my article and read how they have set the framework for such a thing in WOTLKs files and how they "reluctantly" agreed their are future plans for it, after saying just about 7 months back they "were not going to do it". This must be a hard time for you...now at this point i suggest you start agreeing with me or bitching about blizz or you are going to be a HUGE hypocrite. Just like Blizzards Vice President...now their is a shock? Blizzard is copying something from other MMOs?! God forbid they havent done that in the past or anything -_-.
You are assuming way too much in your post. Did I say EQ classes are like WoW? No. Did I say WoW was the god send of MMOs and they are immune to doing no wrong? No. I have already explained as well in many post why I do not like the greedy practices of Station Cash no matter what the items are.
If you consider people on a forum sharing their views and opinions on games "bitching". Feel free not to read them that is your choice. I will continue speak my mind good or bad about a game and their business practices. And the day WoW releases "WoW Cash" or whatever it is I will state that I oppose that as well.
Noting that the classes have been changed for the sake of being like WoW is very much stating the classes are like WoW's. If they are changing to be more like WoW...so what does that mean? Are they or are they not like WoW's classes now? It wasnt just a response to you it was a response to those who do think WoW is god send, I was just using your quote as reference material. By the way you replied to the post so offensively when it obviously wasnt fully aimed at you tells me that it offended you in a big way else you would not have gotten so angry. (ex: calling a skinny fellow fat doesnt inspire him to bloodshed).
Thats fine if you think its a greedy practice but I also explained that they are simply items and equips you are being charged money for. I'm not sure how far you go back in MMOs but when the first expansion for EQ1 was announced people just like yourself started complaining (Arent we paying $15 a month for this?! Why do we have to go out and buy the game again?! this is a greedy business practice! I'm quitting!) Its the same thing now with station cash stores. People are now complaining all over again that its greedy to offer people items that enhance their game experience through cash.
Actually you even make the same argument as the people who complained about having to pay for expansions, "We have to pay another $30 so our characters can be better! What if we dont have $45 that month?! This isnt fair to charge us to advance our characters". Yet I do not see you on here flaming expansions? Dont you think its a bit hypocritical to flame one business practice that charges people money to enhance their characters when you dont flame the other just because its been accepted through time? Its the same thing, be it enhancing your play experience with more levels or enhancing it with equips or xp potions. You have to pay money for both of them and they both have the same function. What now?
Also I apologize for calling it bitching, you were basicly just taking flak from what people have said in the past, I apologize.
No problem, I accept your apology. I didn't mean to come off as angry because I wasn't. Just stating my feelings on the game EQ and it's owner. I can handle others opinions and counter arguments. Doesn't bother me. It is a forum after all for discussion of different views.