Looking to switch from EQ2 to WoW - no flames please
Last response: in Video Games
Hello all,
I've been playing MMOs since the original UO... so I'm old school with some things, but am not closed minded when it comes to trying out new things. Played EQ2 for about 3 weeks. Totally loved it at first but was eventually let down by some persistent dilemmas that are really weighing down on my overall experience and continued enjoyment of the game. What I want to do is outline some problems I have with EQ2. What I then want people to do is tell me how WoW differs. Of course much of what I'm going to state here is my opinion, and I may be wrong on some things. If so, please feel free to correct me, but I ask that we keep it civil please. Also please, no fan boys. I am looking for objective viewpoints from semi-mature, and preferably old school gamers.
Ok. Here are my problems with EQ2.
1) Everything even remotely interesting, be it dungeons, or quests, are Heroic.
Wife and I are a duo. Always have been and for the most part enjoy most MMOs as a duo. EQ2 is very difficult to enjoy as a duo after lvl50 I find. Sure there is plenty of stuff to kill if you like grinding overland maps, but right now we're basically confined to overland maps since almost every cool dungeon, crypt, citadel, etc. is 3 rank Heroic (3 up arrows) meaning 3 or more people. What's worse is that, on our server, there are typically not even enough people who are LFG... meaning we couldn't form a group even if we wanted to. We've tried. Last night there was only 1 person LFG... and they were 20 levels below us.
2) EVERYONE is in a guild. This adds to the LFG problem since everyone just stays within their 'clique'. I don't like guilds. Never have. It doesn't suit my idiom to join a guild... and in EQ2 there are heavy incentives to join guilds, which is why %99 of players are in guilds. One of those heavy incentives is mounts. Almost every worthy mount requires you be in a guild. Ewww!!
3) HATE the level bracket!! This has been a problem with me since EQ1. Add the ranking bracket to the level bracket, and things become increasingly more strained. The sum of it all is now that I'm confined to overland maps, and confined to exactly what I can kill. Magic resists are so ridiculous in EQ2 that if I, as tradition would hold, decide to go up against tough MOBs that are a few levels above me, and 1, 2, or 3 ranks higher, they will resist everything I do. Normally it's merely the HP and DPS that makes these sort of encounters difficult. I'm used to dealing with that using some pull and run method ( aka kiting). In EQ2, it's HP, DPS + resists ... so again , essentially there's no going outside the bounds. You're ability to express yourself as a PC is enormously limited x 2.
4) TOO much content early on. Too many spells. Too many skills. Too much gear. Too many quests. Too many reagents for crafting. I know this is hardly a complaint for many people... but I don't like excessive content in RPGs or MMOs, especially when everything is handed to you from the get-go. I like balance, and working towards goals. EQ2 has no balance to me. It's as if the designers said, "let's take all these elements that are high fantasy, put em in a bucket, and shake it around. So now, EQ2 feels more like an environment to me then a well developed game. There's no continuity, no cohesiveness. It's a vast, but all together meaningless collection of zones and content. Zones give it the feel of an old school platform fighter (levels), not an RPG. It's too systematic. Basically the same problem I had with Oblivion and Morrowind, with the same leveling problem to boot. There are many factors to blame for this, like the complete lack of AI also. Battle wise, MOBs are like sitting ducks. They don't even have morale failure.
WoW (playing the free trial) already seems more quaint to me. It is a bit more simple, but the world feels more convincing. It's seamless. The environments are richer. There also seems to be the good old XP curve that many of us have accepted and appreciated for the last 2 decades. You get just the right amount of stuff per level. You're not thrown a handful of spells and abilities, plus perma buffs every level (EQ2). There's a relative feeling of achievement in WoW that leans more to the old school. Never thought I'd say that since WoW is typically considered the twitch gamers MMO. I find this to be untrue ( although there are some really annoying people, but simply more people overall). EQ2 so far has been way easier, and way more idiot proof. I've died 6 times in WoW already (only lvl 16)... and there's a decent penalty to pay for dying. EQ2 dying is meaningless. I tend to kill myself for fun every now and then... like jumping off Kelethin in illussion form. Something about a flying badger makes me laugh pretty hard.
Moving on...
5) EQ2 is idiot proof. MOBs that act as a unit are linked (and highlighted as such) so you know you will pull them all. Add this to the already mentioned lvl/ranking system and basically what you can, and can't kill has been pre-determined for you. It seems like there is too much desire by the devs to control every aspect of what you do. Normal melee is useless as well. You NEED to utilize your skills. Simply swinging your sword doesn't do much damage. This is kind of cool and seems like an advanced feature at first, but eventually it gets tiresome and is one of the many aspects that detract from any form of 'chill factor' in EQ2. Something I wont get into just yet.
6) I HATE fairies and they're now everywhere in EQ2. They've even given the city of Kelethin to the fairies!! Big no no. Seriously what uber emo dev decided this?
Anyway... I'll stop for now since this is becoming a book. Again these are my opinions and I understand not everyone will agree with them. I don't mean to hate on something you may find enjoyable, and I'm truly happy for you if you do. Anyway, how does WoW differ in the long run? Am I going to be just as grumpy as I get deeper into the game?
Things I find really nice about WoW at the low level.
1) Balanced XP gain, leveling, and awards (items, spells, etc.).
2) Less idiot proof and a bit more of the old school ruthlessness when it comes to the availability of information. That is, things are more mysterious as far as MOB encounters, and exploring.
3) Fishing is fun!!! Total chill factor there.
4) Harvesting is fun!!! Not a retarded amount of reagents per harvesting level... and there's herb collecting bags !!!!!
5) Alchemy is old school, and USEFUL!!!! Straight up mana potions, health potions, and buff potions. Think UO!!
6) Seamless environments / no load times. There's something about wandering the forest then coming upon a cave and just wandering in.
7) Can make your own food, make camp fires, and even make bandages while out in the wilderness!! You're totally self sufficient. Again, reminds me of UO. Love it.
So how many of those skills become useless as you get high level?
I've been playing MMOs since the original UO... so I'm old school with some things, but am not closed minded when it comes to trying out new things. Played EQ2 for about 3 weeks. Totally loved it at first but was eventually let down by some persistent dilemmas that are really weighing down on my overall experience and continued enjoyment of the game. What I want to do is outline some problems I have with EQ2. What I then want people to do is tell me how WoW differs. Of course much of what I'm going to state here is my opinion, and I may be wrong on some things. If so, please feel free to correct me, but I ask that we keep it civil please. Also please, no fan boys. I am looking for objective viewpoints from semi-mature, and preferably old school gamers.
Ok. Here are my problems with EQ2.
1) Everything even remotely interesting, be it dungeons, or quests, are Heroic.
Wife and I are a duo. Always have been and for the most part enjoy most MMOs as a duo. EQ2 is very difficult to enjoy as a duo after lvl50 I find. Sure there is plenty of stuff to kill if you like grinding overland maps, but right now we're basically confined to overland maps since almost every cool dungeon, crypt, citadel, etc. is 3 rank Heroic (3 up arrows) meaning 3 or more people. What's worse is that, on our server, there are typically not even enough people who are LFG... meaning we couldn't form a group even if we wanted to. We've tried. Last night there was only 1 person LFG... and they were 20 levels below us.
2) EVERYONE is in a guild. This adds to the LFG problem since everyone just stays within their 'clique'. I don't like guilds. Never have. It doesn't suit my idiom to join a guild... and in EQ2 there are heavy incentives to join guilds, which is why %99 of players are in guilds. One of those heavy incentives is mounts. Almost every worthy mount requires you be in a guild. Ewww!!
3) HATE the level bracket!! This has been a problem with me since EQ1. Add the ranking bracket to the level bracket, and things become increasingly more strained. The sum of it all is now that I'm confined to overland maps, and confined to exactly what I can kill. Magic resists are so ridiculous in EQ2 that if I, as tradition would hold, decide to go up against tough MOBs that are a few levels above me, and 1, 2, or 3 ranks higher, they will resist everything I do. Normally it's merely the HP and DPS that makes these sort of encounters difficult. I'm used to dealing with that using some pull and run method ( aka kiting). In EQ2, it's HP, DPS + resists ... so again , essentially there's no going outside the bounds. You're ability to express yourself as a PC is enormously limited x 2.
4) TOO much content early on. Too many spells. Too many skills. Too much gear. Too many quests. Too many reagents for crafting. I know this is hardly a complaint for many people... but I don't like excessive content in RPGs or MMOs, especially when everything is handed to you from the get-go. I like balance, and working towards goals. EQ2 has no balance to me. It's as if the designers said, "let's take all these elements that are high fantasy, put em in a bucket, and shake it around. So now, EQ2 feels more like an environment to me then a well developed game. There's no continuity, no cohesiveness. It's a vast, but all together meaningless collection of zones and content. Zones give it the feel of an old school platform fighter (levels), not an RPG. It's too systematic. Basically the same problem I had with Oblivion and Morrowind, with the same leveling problem to boot. There are many factors to blame for this, like the complete lack of AI also. Battle wise, MOBs are like sitting ducks. They don't even have morale failure.
WoW (playing the free trial) already seems more quaint to me. It is a bit more simple, but the world feels more convincing. It's seamless. The environments are richer. There also seems to be the good old XP curve that many of us have accepted and appreciated for the last 2 decades. You get just the right amount of stuff per level. You're not thrown a handful of spells and abilities, plus perma buffs every level (EQ2). There's a relative feeling of achievement in WoW that leans more to the old school. Never thought I'd say that since WoW is typically considered the twitch gamers MMO. I find this to be untrue ( although there are some really annoying people, but simply more people overall). EQ2 so far has been way easier, and way more idiot proof. I've died 6 times in WoW already (only lvl 16)... and there's a decent penalty to pay for dying. EQ2 dying is meaningless. I tend to kill myself for fun every now and then... like jumping off Kelethin in illussion form. Something about a flying badger makes me laugh pretty hard.
Moving on...
5) EQ2 is idiot proof. MOBs that act as a unit are linked (and highlighted as such) so you know you will pull them all. Add this to the already mentioned lvl/ranking system and basically what you can, and can't kill has been pre-determined for you. It seems like there is too much desire by the devs to control every aspect of what you do. Normal melee is useless as well. You NEED to utilize your skills. Simply swinging your sword doesn't do much damage. This is kind of cool and seems like an advanced feature at first, but eventually it gets tiresome and is one of the many aspects that detract from any form of 'chill factor' in EQ2. Something I wont get into just yet.
6) I HATE fairies and they're now everywhere in EQ2. They've even given the city of Kelethin to the fairies!! Big no no. Seriously what uber emo dev decided this?
Anyway... I'll stop for now since this is becoming a book. Again these are my opinions and I understand not everyone will agree with them. I don't mean to hate on something you may find enjoyable, and I'm truly happy for you if you do. Anyway, how does WoW differ in the long run? Am I going to be just as grumpy as I get deeper into the game?
Things I find really nice about WoW at the low level.
1) Balanced XP gain, leveling, and awards (items, spells, etc.).
2) Less idiot proof and a bit more of the old school ruthlessness when it comes to the availability of information. That is, things are more mysterious as far as MOB encounters, and exploring.
3) Fishing is fun!!! Total chill factor there.
4) Harvesting is fun!!! Not a retarded amount of reagents per harvesting level... and there's herb collecting bags !!!!!
5) Alchemy is old school, and USEFUL!!!! Straight up mana potions, health potions, and buff potions. Think UO!!
6) Seamless environments / no load times. There's something about wandering the forest then coming upon a cave and just wandering in.
7) Can make your own food, make camp fires, and even make bandages while out in the wilderness!! You're totally self sufficient. Again, reminds me of UO. Love it.
So how many of those skills become useless as you get high level?
More about : switch eq2 wow flames
well I guess it is all about playstyle ![:)]( ":)")
much of the lower content was made non-elite so you can go in earlier then you used to and with fewer people, must most of the dungeons require 4-5 people anyways because most if not all the mobs are elite in there, but the rewards are very nice. only a few of the lower level dungeons are used and the others you wont see unless you can force some friends to go there. at higher levels there is more action and you can get dungeons often if you wish so.
I was more of a solo player (moving so pc not set up atm so not currently playing) and I loved that I could run around and do stuff alone (or as a duo) without needing uber gear and such and the rewards from the quests are often quite nice, most is overland but much different feel then EQ2 thats for sure
crafting is nice but sadly you can only select 2 main skills (a bit of a downer for me since I used to do all tradeskills in EQ1)
much of the lower content was made non-elite so you can go in earlier then you used to and with fewer people, must most of the dungeons require 4-5 people anyways because most if not all the mobs are elite in there, but the rewards are very nice. only a few of the lower level dungeons are used and the others you wont see unless you can force some friends to go there. at higher levels there is more action and you can get dungeons often if you wish so.
I was more of a solo player (moving so pc not set up atm so not currently playing) and I loved that I could run around and do stuff alone (or as a duo) without needing uber gear and such and the rewards from the quests are often quite nice, most is overland but much different feel then EQ2 thats for sure
crafting is nice but sadly you can only select 2 main skills (a bit of a downer for me since I used to do all tradeskills in EQ1)
datus said:
1) Balanced XP gain, leveling, and awards (items, spells, etc.).
2) Less idiot proof and a bit more of the old school ruthlessness when it comes to the availability of information. That is, things are more mysterious as far as MOB encounters, and exploring.
3) Fishing is fun!!! Total chill factor there.
4) Harvesting is fun!!! Not a retarded amount of reagents per harvesting level... and there's herb collecting bags !!!!!
5) Alchemy is old school, and USEFUL!!!! Straight up mana potions, health potions, and buff potions. Think UO!!
6) Seamless environments / no load times. There's something about wandering the forest then coming upon a cave and just wandering in.
7) Can make your own food, make camp fires, and even make bandages while out in the wilderness!! You're totally self sufficient. Again, reminds me of UO. Love it.
So how many of those skills become useless as you get high level?
As being a world of warcraft hardcore player since 05 , going from mc-aq40 and some of nax pre bc and from grull to illidan while also being in the upper 1800s in arena before i quit in the summer. The main thing someone just getting into the game needs to realize that there are honistly 2 games in the wow universe there is the lvling and then there is the best part of the game , END GAME.
If you have the time to invest and have the whereabouts to apply to a simi-hardcore guild on which ever server you choose it can be the most addictive / adrenalin pumping thing one can do while playing a video game. Almost all professions have extream uses in end game Alchemy and Herb are AWESOME for raiders because you can gather and make your own potions / flasks to raid with instead of spending gold on buying them, also if you choose to be a crafter you can make some of the most epic and rare items found in the game. The really bad thing about endgame is if you get in close with your guild members for 3+ years it becomes very hard to quit since you have a honestly remarkable bond with some of the extremely interesting people you find during your adventures.
That being sad , there are alot of stuff for the non hardcore raider to enjoy. Such as the pvp system and doing 10man dungeons which are FAR eazyer and honestly alot less rewarding, but as with anything else time spent=amount of reward when completing the task or ata least for me it is. I cant say much about wrath of the linch king since i declined beta, already knew i was quitting, and dont like the direction its going, but for a new player this should be nothing to worry about.
ramble off , so looking for an aw inspiring mmo this is the cats meow mainly because of the community and the friendships you make with total strangers while trying to tackle some extremely challenging content.
that was my experience sumed up in a nut shell
EDIT: I forgot to say ALL PROFESSIONS secondary or primary are all used in end game , cooking / fishing lets you fish and cook them for your own food buffs or you can sell them for a good amount since fishing up to 375 will really make your eyes bleed SRSLY.
WoW has taken a large step towards player friendliness. Leveling 1-70 used to take around 12 days /played. Now it can easily be done in 8. If you don't like the guild / group factor WoW is and isn't a good game for you. Leveling your way up can be played entirely solo, with some quests designed for 2+ players but the majority are solo quests. Or you take the other path and level up with 4 other people in Dungeons the whole time. Once you reach 70 (Soon to be 80) the focus is on group play. You can't do much without 4 more people; and to get the other stuff you'll be needing 9/24/39 other people.
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