EQ2; Re-Review

[Marbus]

http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/12034

I thought it was a pretty good review. I played WoW initially so I missed the first 6 months of EQ2 but have been playing since June or July after release. To me it just keeps getting better and with the increasingly new areas I'm getting to do new things, even leveling up different characters.

Very excited about Kunark as well... GFay truly made the game a mainstay for me, I have high hopes that Kunark will make it even better.

If you haven't played since Echos of Fay came out, I would highly suggest giving it a try.

Marb

[Kithyen]

I just recently started playing on the Nagafen server and I have to say the game is definitely different from the horror stories I heard when it first came out. I haven't had this much fun playing a MMORPG since I quit the original EQ.

If you're just looking to grind your way to the top this might not be the game for you. Granted it's a lot easier to level than the original eq (A friend of mine said it was the perfect balance between the original and WOW), from what I understand the high end game is a tad lacking although this might change with Kunark coming out soon. Feel free to correct me though as I've only heard second hand.

I will say that if you like quests and lore this game has quest overload. Seriously you'd probably need to level three characters just to get thru all the quests at their appropriate level even with Combat XP turned off.

[Fairweather Pure]

My copy of EQ2 was given to me by a friend that bought it when it was released, installed it, played about 2 hours, uninstalled it, then gave it to me. He really disliked the game.

I gave it about 2 weeks. I didn't like it either.

I'm sure it's changed a great deal since release. I do think it's a sad commentary on the state of the game at release, when it's current best selling point is "Come back and try it now, it's not as bad as when it was released!".

But I digress...

The biggest hurdle I face with EQ2 is that it's rehashing the same concepts and zones I've already played in EQ1. I find it odd that people eat this up. It's seen as nostalgia for a lot of people. but to me, it's unoriginal and lazy. Just the thought of playing Plane of Sky with a whole new graphics engine and improved gameplay would still feel like doing something I already did. Gfay is an expansion? It's an old hat to me. I would rather see brand new and original content.

I have a friend that lives and breathes EQ2. He absolutely loves it. I know nothing about the game, but recognize virtually every mob and zone has he describes it to me. When he's all excited and talking to me about killing raid mobs and such, I find it hard to share his enthusiasm when it's the same mobs I killed almost a decade ago in EQ1.

ANyway, I'm certian it is a much better game now. I'm happy for those that stuck with it and enjoy the game.

[Niffoni]

I was in the enviable position of having never played the game when it was first released. It's a very solid and polished game with obscene amounts of content, and ways of accessing said content. It's never going to be the big daddy, and those looking for the WoW-killer will have to roll the dice elsewhere, and hope they made the right choice. But for pure MMO goodness, I'll stick around Norrath a little longer.

With all the MMO's coming, and this one still going strong, it's a good time to be an online gamer.

[Winnow]

EQ > ToonTown > EQ II > Rappelz > WoW

[Funkmasterr]

I started playing again tonight! I'm having fun still, we'll see how it goes

For lack of the ability to spell my name how I wanted to, combined with me being drunk.. My dirge ended up being named funmastterr.

If anyone has a low level or whatever and wants to play, shoot me a tell, im on permafrost.

[Boogahz]

lol, I think that name is more fitting for a Troubador

[Dregor Thule]

They've got a thing going right now where they've re-activated cancelled EQ2 accounts until Nov 4th. You have access to all the expansions as well, even if you didn't buy them. I'll be screwing around on there when not raiding in WoW probably, but I doubt I'll be resubscribing past the 4th.

[Funkmasterr]

I wondered why I was able to play without paying, all the better for me!

[Boogahz]

Are you sure you didn't enter a card number and just forget?

[Fairweather Pure]

They've got a thing going right now where they've re-activated cancelled EQ2 accounts until Nov 4th. You have access to all the expansions as well, even if you didn't buy them. I'll be screwing around on there when not raiding in WoW probably, but I doubt I'll be resubscribing past the 4th.

That's a good idea. Sony did that with regular EQ all the time as well.

[Marbus]

Give it a try again Fair... the endgame to me is not perfect yet but getting there, tons better than WoW or anything else right now.

Marb

[Moonwynd]

I played for a few months when EQ II came out - I bought it on release day. Then I did not play for some time - but I bought Desert of Flames when it came out and played for a week -

Fast forward to a few days ago - I was looking for an MMO to play at my own pace - with old friends (and new) - I considered reloading EQ - but I decided to go with EQ II after reading about the new expansions that were released since I quit playing.

I am very impressed with the changes SOE made since I played at release - The game feels and looks great. I am a big fan of the lore of EQ - so having some of that to draw upon is great. I think the EoF expansion is great - I think the storyline and lore is great as well - since I rolled as a Fae this time around I have been enjoying learning about the lore of EQ II as it relates to the events that have shaped the world.

It is not really a nostalgia thing for me. There is no way I can ever recreated the magic of EQ from install back in '99 through the release of all of the expansions and the countless hours raiding, the competition for mobs before instancing, the and exploring and the great friends made. It was a different time I suppose (I sound like an old codger...I know). But EQ II does have a familiarity about it that I enjoy. And getting to play with others who were on Veeshan - some of whom I know well - some of whom I am looking forward to getting to know well - it feels like good times are ahead.

Regards,

Moon