EQ2: Lack of equipment in the game

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Anyone feel as is there is a serious lack of equipment in the game? I was
browsing the broker the other day and there was simply nothing that I
wanted. Where is all the really cool stuff? Everyone seems to have the same
armour and items, I can spot another Ranger straightway as we all look
exactly the same.

It's kinda disapointing that there isnt more equipment in the game. Was EQ1
like this at the beginning, is it different now? I was expecting everyone to
look kinda unique with different armour. As it is now each class looks the
same.

As a lvl 24 Ranger I want a choice of 10-20 bows, not 1 or 2. I want a huge
array of armour sets that I can combine to create a unique look.

Anyone feel the same way?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Wolfie wrote:
> Cheddar scribbled:
>
> > Why only 1 AQ though? Why not 5 that offer different sets of
armour.
> > Their stats wouldnt have to be that different but their look could.
> > Why not allow armourers to create more than 1 set of armour per
tier?
>
> That's the "it's new" part. They don't need to add more
> quests or tradeskill recipes until they get all the ones in
> the game now working. Later they'll be able to add
> new recipes a lot easier, etc.
>
> One big problem is people comparing it to EQ -- it's
> just not EQ. There's nowhere near the same amount
> of content. That's highly visible in terms of items and
> even more true in terms of visible armor.

There is some more variation as you level. Certain people get rare
drops, others get raid loot, and others get crafted armor from rare
harvests. There is some differences at the higher levels, but not as
much as EQ1 yet. There are some things I would kill for though... I've
only seen one pair of Squiggly Hide Pants (level 50 assassin bought
them off a vendor for 5g - almost made me cry), and only know of one
scout (50 ranger) that wears the Robe of the Invoker.

At the lower/mid levels everybody does the same quests, AQs, chest and
legs in RE, boots in RV, etc. At the upper levels, people tend to
diverge in what they have access to, what they prefer, and what they
can afford.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 16:12:01 -0000, "Cheddar" <me@there.net>
wrotCRIVE_E

>Anyone feel as is there is a serious lack of equipment in the game? I was
>browsing the broker the other day and there was simply nothing that I
>wanted. Where is all the really cool stuff? Everyone seems to have the same
>armour and items, I can spot another Ranger straightway as we all look
>exactly the same.
>

Part of this is because since almost all equipment must be attuned,
there are fewer cast-offs on the brokers. Another part is an
understandable dsire to not clutter the game up with junk. If there's
a hundred different daggers, but only one any actually USES, there's
really only one dagger. Most of the EQ2 items are balanced for their
level, so that any one is as good as another. Apart from some rare
uber-items, all the items are 'good'.

They are adding more art and 'looks' to items, though. It's an ongoing
process.

*----------------------------------------------------*
Evolution doesn't take prisoners:Lizard
"I've heard of this thing men call 'empathy', but I've never
once been afflicted with it, thanks the Gods." Bruno The Bandit
http://www.mrlizard.com

 

[Wolfie]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Cheddar scribbled:
> Anyone feel as is there is a serious lack of equipment in the game?

In general, yep.

> Everyone seems to have the same armour and items, I can spot another
> Ranger straightway as we all look exactly the same.

At what level? That's true pretty much into the 20's AFAIK.

> It's kinda disapointing that there isnt more equipment in the game.

It's still new, for one thing. There are also other design
factors taking effect:

1) You get good-to-great XP/equipment doing quests.
It's not like EQ where you mostly killed for XP and
camped/raided for equipment.

Even if you don't want the AQ (level 20 type armor)
equipment, you're still better off doing the quests. So
(almost) everyone has them. By design, that armor
will be better than most of what's available.

2) You can't use discarded upper-level equipment. It's
like EQ with the only reasonably available equipment
being the newbie armor.

That's true for a couple of reasons, primarily the level
requirements on gear. Now that everything worn
can't be traded, it's even more true.

As time goes on -- and people level -- I expect that
will change. But there's little reason to have every
level 25 look differently. I hope that's not true by
the time people are 35+ and definitely not by level
45+.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"Wolfie" <bgbdwolf@gte.net> wrote in message
news:66lXd.132320$qB6.70501@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> Cheddar scribbled:
>> Anyone feel as is there is a serious lack of equipment in the game?
>
> In general, yep.
>
>> Everyone seems to have the same armour and items, I can spot another
>> Ranger straightway as we all look exactly the same.
>
> At what level? That's true pretty much into the 20's AFAIK.

Well i'm a lvl 25 Ranger and can instantly spot all other scouts in my level
range. It's the same for the 30+ scouts. The armour in particular seems to
be based on the tier u are in rather than your class/lvl. E.g. you have 100
lvl 20-30 rangers running around wearing exactly the same armour.

>> It's kinda disapointing that there isnt more equipment in the game.
>
> It's still new, for one thing. There are also other design
> factors taking effect:
>
> 1) You get good-to-great XP/equipment doing quests.
> It's not like EQ where you mostly killed for XP and
> camped/raided for equipment.
>
> Even if you don't want the AQ (level 20 type armor)
> equipment, you're still better off doing the quests. So
> (almost) everyone has them. By design, that armor
> will be better than most of what's available.

Why only 1 AQ though? Why not 5 that offer different sets of armour. Their
stats wouldnt have to be that different but their look could. Why not allow
armourers to create more than 1 set of armour per tier?

> 2) You can't use discarded upper-level equipment. It's
> like EQ with the only reasonably available equipment
> being the newbie armor.
>
> That's true for a couple of reasons, primarily the level
> requirements on gear. Now that everything worn
> can't be traded, it's even more true.
>
> As time goes on -- and people level -- I expect that
> will change. But there's little reason to have every
> level 25 look differently. I hope that's not true by
> the time people are 35+ and definitely not by level
> 45+.

I hope so too, I really want to stand out and be unique. I dont want to just
'Ranger Tier 4' etc.

Patch has just gone live by the way, mentoring is in, woot

 

[Wolfie]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Cheddar scribbled:

> Why only 1 AQ though? Why not 5 that offer different sets of armour.
> Their stats wouldnt have to be that different but their look could.
> Why not allow armourers to create more than 1 set of armour per tier?

That's the "it's new" part. They don't need to add more
quests or tradeskill recipes until they get all the ones in
the game now working. Later they'll be able to add
new recipes a lot easier, etc.

One big problem is people comparing it to EQ -- it's
just not EQ. There's nowhere near the same amount
of content. That's highly visible in terms of items and
even more true in terms of visible armor.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"Wolfie" <bgbdwolf@gte.net> wrote in message
news:BjnXd.132339$qB6.80066@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> Cheddar scribbled:
>
>> Why only 1 AQ though? Why not 5 that offer different sets of armour.
>> Their stats wouldnt have to be that different but their look could.
>> Why not allow armourers to create more than 1 set of armour per tier?
>
> That's the "it's new" part. They don't need to add more
> quests or tradeskill recipes until they get all the ones in
> the game now working. Later they'll be able to add
> new recipes a lot easier, etc.
>
> One big problem is people comparing it to EQ -- it's
> just not EQ. There's nowhere near the same amount
> of content. That's highly visible in terms of items and
> even more true in terms of visible armor.

I've never played EQ1 and EQ2 is my first ever MMORPG (Loving it so far).
I'm just a bit annoyed that I have spent all this time crafting with my
carpenter and done very well with sales and have nothing to spend my money
on

I do have a horse which I totally love, but apart from that there doesnt
seem much else I can buy.

 

[Wolfie]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

scritchy scribbled:

> There is some more variation as you level. Certain people get rare
> drops, others get raid loot, and others get crafted armor from rare
> harvests.

> At the lower/mid levels everybody does the same quests, AQs, chest and
> legs in RE, boots in RV, etc. At the upper levels, people tend to
> diverge in what they have access to, what they prefer, and what they
> can afford.

And that's the design decision I meant to add but didn't:

Advancement is highly scripted through the mid-20s, at least
in accessible zones. That means everyone has the same drops,
the same quests, and so on.

 

[user]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

In article <66lXd.132320$qB6.70501@tornado.tampabay.rr.com>,
bgbdwolf@gte.net says...
> Cheddar scribbled:
> > Anyone feel as is there is a serious lack of equipment in the game?
>
> In general, yep.
>
> > Everyone seems to have the same armour and items, I can spot another
> > Ranger straightway as we all look exactly the same.
>
> At what level? That's true pretty much into the 20's AFAIK.
>
> > It's kinda disapointing that there isnt more equipment in the game.
>
> It's still new, for one thing. There are also other design
> factors taking effect:
>
> 1) You get good-to-great XP/equipment doing quests.
> It's not like EQ where you mostly killed for XP and
> camped/raided for equipment.
>
> Even if you don't want the AQ (level 20 type armor)
> equipment, you're still better off doing the quests. So
> (almost) everyone has them. By design, that armor
> will be better than most of what's available.
>
> 2) You can't use discarded upper-level equipment. It's
> like EQ with the only reasonably available equipment
> being the newbie armor.
>
> That's true for a couple of reasons, primarily the level
> requirements on gear. Now that everything worn
> can't be traded, it's even more true.
>
> As time goes on -- and people level -- I expect that
> will change. But there's little reason to have every
> level 25 look differently. I hope that's not true by
> the time people are 35+ and definitely not by level
> 45+.

/shrug

In EQ1 Pre-Kunark there were really was only one or two sets of items
worth having for any given class at the higher levels. You could spot a
bard a mile away in Lambent...

It wasn't really until beyond Velious that people really started
differentiating. And that's largely the result of there simply being
that much stuff out there, and the fact that being 70th level doesn't
mean you are hunting in the same zones as every other 70th level ...
which used to be true pre-Luclin.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

>>Anyone feel as is there is a serious lack of equipment in the game? I
was
>>browsing the broker the other day and there was simply nothing that I

>>wanted. Where is all the really cool stuff? Everyone seems to have
the same
>>armour and items, I can spot another Ranger straightway as we all
look
>>exactly the same.

>Part of this is because since almost all equipment must be attuned,
>there are fewer cast-offs on the brokers. Another part is an
>understandable dsire to not clutter the game up with junk. If there's
>a hundred different daggers, but only one any actually USES, there's
>really only one dagger. Most of the EQ2 items are balanced for their
>level, so that any one is as good as another. Apart from some rare
>uber-items, all the items are 'good'.

It would be quite easy to do without filling the game up with junk. In
CoH and Guild Wars players can recolour items or add patterns to them.
They have no tangible benefits other then aesthetics. No reason why EQ2
can't do the same. The piece of armour still essentially the same
just a different colour. Be easy to allow players to buy dyes, gold
leaf etc that could be added to armour via an appropriate tradeskill.

The char customization is in the wrong part of the game. You can pick
many different colours of underwear or facial tweaks but neither really
show up in game. Yet armour, which is very visible, is always the same.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"Wolfie" <bgbdwolf@gte.net> wrote in message
news:86oXd.132411$qB6.19111@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...

> Advancement is highly scripted through the mid-20s, at least
> in accessible zones. That means everyone has the same drops,
> the same quests, and so on.

By default, if they do nothing else but those quests, yes. Personally, I've
always had different equipment dropped from mobs that was superior to any of
my AQ'd items. In fact, several of my AQ'd items were never attuned because
I had better already and I just sold them. EQ2 provides the ability to get
what you need via standard quests, but also the option to differentiate
yourself with exotic drops off challenging mobs, if you prefer. Not as much
as any of us would like, probably, but it's there and the most recent patch
indicates that more is coming all the time. Last night we found several very
interesting new set pieces off nightbloods in EL. A pair of boots with +11
WIS, for example (contrast this to Dwarven Working Boots and Legendary
Journeyman Boots, neither of which have WIS).

--
Redbeard, the Lore Seeker
<Veritas>
Dwarven Mystic and Alchemist
Loyal Citizen of the Antonia Bayle
Current resident of the Willow Wood, City of Qeynos
http://veritas.everquest2guilds.com

Descendant of the Elder Winterfury Thunderwolf
<Resolution, Retired>
Barbarian Prophet of The Tribunal
Retired Citizen of Firiona Vie

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"BombayMix" <bombaymix@altavista.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1110365133.249011.71070@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...

> It would be quite easy to do without filling the game up with junk. In
> CoH and Guild Wars players can recolour items or add patterns to them.
> They have no tangible benefits other then aesthetics. No reason why EQ2
> can't do the same. The piece of armour still essentially the same
> just a different colour. Be easy to allow players to buy dyes, gold
> leaf etc that could be added to armour via an appropriate tradeskill.

You underestimate the cost of doing this. Sure, it looks easy, "just add
colors". What this translates into, in technical terms, is the
computational/storage costs of having to maintain many more different
textures and color cominations to display on top of the various animations,
etc. I'm not saying it's an insurmountable cost, I'm just pointing out that
it has a cost and when you couple this with the quality of the EQ2 graphics
engine and the number of distinct, interactive objects, players, and
individual NPC's in a zone, you have to make design tradeoffs somewhere that
allow the game to run reasonably well on all desired platforms. Every game
has to face these cost tradeoffs and a game like CoH makes different choices
and different tradeoffs (e.g., much more customizability, but less graphic
realism).

--
Redbeard, the Lore Seeker
<Veritas>
Dwarven Mystic and Alchemist
Loyal Citizen of the Antonia Bayle
Current resident of the Willow Wood, City of Qeynos
http://veritas.everquest2guilds.com

Descendant of the Elder Winterfury Thunderwolf
<Resolution, Retired>
Barbarian Prophet of The Tribunal
Retired Citizen of Firiona Vie

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"Cheddar" <me@there.net> wrote in
news:tYoXd.5174$QE2.3816@fe36.usenetserver.com:

>
> "Wolfie" <bgbdwolf@gte.net> wrote in message
> news:BjnXd.132339$qB6.80066@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
>> Cheddar scribbled:
>>
>>> Why only 1 AQ though? Why not 5 that offer different sets of armour.
>>> Their stats wouldnt have to be that different but their look could.
>>> Why not allow armourers to create more than 1 set of armour per
>>> tier?
>>
>> That's the "it's new" part. They don't need to add more
>> quests or tradeskill recipes until they get all the ones in
>> the game now working. Later they'll be able to add
>> new recipes a lot easier, etc.
>>
>> One big problem is people comparing it to EQ -- it's
>> just not EQ. There's nowhere near the same amount
>> of content. That's highly visible in terms of items and even more
>> true in terms of visible armor.
>
> I've never played EQ1 and EQ2 is my first ever MMORPG (Loving it so
> far). I'm just a bit annoyed that I have spent all this time crafting
> with my carpenter and done very well with sales and have nothing to
> spend my money on
>
> I do have a horse which I totally love, but apart from that there
> doesnt seem much else I can buy.
>

There are expensive houses, lots of furniture and decorations, pets...

--
On Erollisi Marr in <Sanctuary of Marr>
Ancient Graeme Faelban, Barbarian Soothsayer of 70 seasons

On Steamfont in <Insanity Plea>
Graeme, 27 Dwarven Mystic, 23 Sage
Aviv, 15 Gnome Brawler, 28 Provisioner

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 21:01:25 GMT, 42 <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
>It wasn't really until beyond Velious that people really started
>differentiating. And that's largely the result of there simply being
>that much stuff out there, and the fact that being 70th level doesn't
>mean you are hunting in the same zones as every other 70th level ...
>which used to be true pre-Luclin.

Yup, nowhere (there was no 70th pre-Luclin).

I know what you meant, just wanted to be a pain. It was really
horrendous pre-Kunark.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:47:45 GMT, "Wolfie" <bgbdwolf@gte.net> wrote:
>One big problem is people comparing it to EQ -- it's
>just not EQ. There's nowhere near the same amount
>of content. That's highly visible in terms of items and
>even more true in terms of visible armor.

That's interesting... I wonder if the ludicrously large set of "stuff"
that's in EQ1 just simply became too much of a balance nightmare. Or
if it's just a result of EQ2 being relatively new.

How would you say EQ2 compares to the pre-expansion days of EQ1 as far
as item diversity?

 

[Wolfie]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Bob Perez scribbled:
> "Wolfie" wrote

>> Advancement is highly scripted through the mid-20s, at least
>> in accessible zones. That means everyone has the same drops,
>> the same quests, and so on.
>
> By default, if they do nothing else but those quests, yes.
> Last night we found several very interesting new set pieces off
> nightbloods in EL.

You're fighting nightbloods in EL in your mid-20's?

 

[Wolfie]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"The Other John" wrote

> On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:47:45 GMT, "Wolfie" <bgbdwolf@gte.net> wrote:
>>One big problem is people comparing it to EQ -- it's
>>just not EQ. There's nowhere near the same amount
>>of content. That's highly visible in terms of items and
>>even more true in terms of visible armor.
>
> That's interesting... I wonder if the ludicrously large set of "stuff"
> that's in EQ1 just simply became too much of a balance nightmare. Or
> if it's just a result of EQ2 being relatively new.

It's because it's new. You can't add content without adding
new items -- people go nuts. Witness the only expansion
rollout for EQ2 for an example...

> How would you say EQ2 compares to the pre-expansion days
> of EQ1 as far as item diversity?

Pre-expansion? No idea, but probably around the same
amount. As a guess EQ2 might even have a little more
that's really acceptable gear. But it's all the expansions
and their items that really hit the market hard.

 

[user]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

In article <2u5u215of69cb5qrt2p41ku6hdnr1ppu64@4ax.com>,
spamblock@blockit.com says...
> On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 21:01:25 GMT, 42 <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
> >It wasn't really until beyond Velious that people really started
> >differentiating. And that's largely the result of there simply being
> >that much stuff out there, and the fact that being 70th level doesn't
> >mean you are hunting in the same zones as every other 70th level ...
> >which used to be true pre-Luclin.
>
> Yup, nowhere (there was no 70th pre-Luclin).

Lol.

> I know what you meant, just wanted to be a pain. It was really
> horrendous pre-Kunark.

I debated getting into something convoluted to try and capture the 70th
now.. 50th/60th/65th at other times... and just thought: f*** it =)

But yeah, pre Kunark armour diversity was dreadful. Everyone knew what
the 'best', '2nd best', and 'easily gotten' armour for each class was,
and every member of that class was in one of the 3, depending on how
much they played.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Cheddar wrote:

> Anyone feel the same way?

Now you mention it, yeah, I see what you mean. That said, while EQ1 had
a mass of varied equipment, character models were limited and didn't
always reflect what you were wearing, so while you could have all sorts
of varied equipment (I have yet to find anyone else with my glowing
split-paw mask) you wouldn't actually look that much different.

--
Michael Greenhalgh
---
www.tripleb.co.uk | Weblog
www.loonygooncircus.com | {LgC} Clan Site
www.suta.co.uk | Swansea University Tactical Airsoft Society
---
MMORPGs
EverQuest:
Miglok | Half-Elf Ranger | Venril Sathir

EverQuest 2:
Miglok | Half-Elf Predator | Lavastorm

City of Heroes:
Shadow Ranger | Mutation Scrapper | Virtue
---