Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Just got into the beta. Anyone else from ENWorld playing?
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Everquest II Beta
- Thread starter Rodrigo Istalindir
- Start date
Captain Howdy
Explorer
I'm not in it, but how is it so far? Any first impressions?
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Still downloading 
I'll post when I get in.
I'll post when I get in.
RangerWickett
Legend
Man, that's a long download.
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
About 9 hours to download on a 1.5Mbps DSL connection.
First impressions so far are pretty good. One of the nice things about MMORPGs is that they evolve, with each successive release borrowing things from its predecessors and working them into the new game. EQ2 has added positional maneuvers and combat chains from DAoC, and extended it to include special abilities and spells. They've added a fairly useful mapping system. Graphically it's beautiful, although some may dislike it from a style point of view. They made the conscious decision to keep a 'zone' system, where a lot of other games have tried to be more seamless. I actually prefer the zone system, as it lets them get more creative with the geography, and each place feels like distinct. Games like SWG suffered from a geographical blandness, I thought, whereas with the first EQ, every zone had it's own flavor that made it more memorable.
Gameplay-wise, they've also learned from their own experiences and others. No more corpse runs, for instance (although I'm one of the few that liked them). Instead you suffer an XP debt that has to be worked off. Visiting your 'soul' at the location of your death will let you reduce the debt further. The character system is pretty neat, with less black and white differentiation of the classes that made the original so dependent on fighter/cleric/enchanter combos. Interesting quests, too, such as the one that lets evil characters redeem themselves (or good characters fall from the light) and switch sides. Another new twist is monster specific tactics. In the newbie area you can buy a book on goblins, and by reading the book and collecting various goblin parts for study, you can become an expert goblin-slayer and gain combat bonuses against goblinoids. Sort of a favored-enemy thing. Not sure if there will be a limit on how many of those you can have, or if you can drop ones later on. Overall, a much greater emphasis on the 'Quest' part of Everquest, something that was sorely lacking in the original.
I'm looking forward to it. I probably won't play the beta much since they've just announced they are going live on the 8th of November. If any ENWorlders decide to play, we can start a thread here to organize and help each other out.
First impressions so far are pretty good. One of the nice things about MMORPGs is that they evolve, with each successive release borrowing things from its predecessors and working them into the new game. EQ2 has added positional maneuvers and combat chains from DAoC, and extended it to include special abilities and spells. They've added a fairly useful mapping system. Graphically it's beautiful, although some may dislike it from a style point of view. They made the conscious decision to keep a 'zone' system, where a lot of other games have tried to be more seamless. I actually prefer the zone system, as it lets them get more creative with the geography, and each place feels like distinct. Games like SWG suffered from a geographical blandness, I thought, whereas with the first EQ, every zone had it's own flavor that made it more memorable.
Gameplay-wise, they've also learned from their own experiences and others. No more corpse runs, for instance (although I'm one of the few that liked them). Instead you suffer an XP debt that has to be worked off. Visiting your 'soul' at the location of your death will let you reduce the debt further. The character system is pretty neat, with less black and white differentiation of the classes that made the original so dependent on fighter/cleric/enchanter combos. Interesting quests, too, such as the one that lets evil characters redeem themselves (or good characters fall from the light) and switch sides. Another new twist is monster specific tactics. In the newbie area you can buy a book on goblins, and by reading the book and collecting various goblin parts for study, you can become an expert goblin-slayer and gain combat bonuses against goblinoids. Sort of a favored-enemy thing. Not sure if there will be a limit on how many of those you can have, or if you can drop ones later on. Overall, a much greater emphasis on the 'Quest' part of Everquest, something that was sorely lacking in the original.
I'm looking forward to it. I probably won't play the beta much since they've just announced they are going live on the 8th of November. If any ENWorlders decide to play, we can start a thread here to organize and help each other out.
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You summed it up rather nicely.
Classes work a bit differently than before. Every race can be any class now, and classes start off as base Archtypes with players chosing a subclass after 6th level.
Thus a player could start as a Mage, progress to being a sorcerer, then progress to being a wizard, and finally a warlock. Supposedly great care was taken to make sure all the subclasses can still perform the archtype role, with differences. Kinda keeps it intresting.
All characters will get a chance to quest to receive Traits, tradittions, and enemy masteries. Which grant special powers and allows for customizations.
From my beta experience no longer do you receive points for performing actions or receive points you can add to skill when leveling up, essentially everyone level up the same skills when gaining a level,(depending on class). Overall I like this as it prevents people from gimping their characters.
Crafting is a seperate XP and level system. One gain Artisian levels by crafting. The Crafting system is more similiar to SWG in terms of interface and item production and recipes. It is a fairly inuitive system and rather easy to get started with. I created a backpack after only a short amount of expermintation. There are also Crafting Archtypes and subclasses like the regular classes. Thus someone could be a builder and then progress to armorsmith. Subclasses are supposed to offer a new abillity each level.
The game is beautiful graphically. I think the character modeling is the best I have seen, even better than Doom 3. The Cities look fantastic, and the zones seem more numerous and smaller, I do not forsee the great boring runs of EQ of old, where it takes you 15 minutes of real time to cross some plains or desert. I also believe Horses are modeled for us in combat now. I have seen people riding horses, and know there is a Shadowknight spell that gives you a combat mount.
The voice acting for the npcs is also very well done, as is the music.
Classes work a bit differently than before. Every race can be any class now, and classes start off as base Archtypes with players chosing a subclass after 6th level.
Thus a player could start as a Mage, progress to being a sorcerer, then progress to being a wizard, and finally a warlock. Supposedly great care was taken to make sure all the subclasses can still perform the archtype role, with differences. Kinda keeps it intresting.
All characters will get a chance to quest to receive Traits, tradittions, and enemy masteries. Which grant special powers and allows for customizations.
From my beta experience no longer do you receive points for performing actions or receive points you can add to skill when leveling up, essentially everyone level up the same skills when gaining a level,(depending on class). Overall I like this as it prevents people from gimping their characters.
Crafting is a seperate XP and level system. One gain Artisian levels by crafting. The Crafting system is more similiar to SWG in terms of interface and item production and recipes. It is a fairly inuitive system and rather easy to get started with. I created a backpack after only a short amount of expermintation. There are also Crafting Archtypes and subclasses like the regular classes. Thus someone could be a builder and then progress to armorsmith. Subclasses are supposed to offer a new abillity each level.
The game is beautiful graphically. I think the character modeling is the best I have seen, even better than Doom 3. The Cities look fantastic, and the zones seem more numerous and smaller, I do not forsee the great boring runs of EQ of old, where it takes you 15 minutes of real time to cross some plains or desert. I also believe Horses are modeled for us in combat now. I have seen people riding horses, and know there is a Shadowknight spell that gives you a combat mount.
The voice acting for the npcs is also very well done, as is the music.
jhilahd
Explorer
I have to say I enjoy it. I've only been on since Sunday... but man. Its been fun. Long download, but worth it.
I'm enjoying the enhancement. Much more fun that the beta for WoW. At least from what I have played.
Lot more intuitive game play. The pathfinding element is nice when you're a noob and don't know where to go.
I like it, I'm tempted to pre-order it.
Jhilahd
I'm enjoying the enhancement. Much more fun that the beta for WoW. At least from what I have played.
Lot more intuitive game play. The pathfinding element is nice when you're a noob and don't know where to go.
I like it, I'm tempted to pre-order it.
Jhilahd
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
CrusaderX said:
I think it was around 2GB compressed during the download. The installed program size is almost 4GB.
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