tell me about EQ2

[punkorange]

I like WoW, but some friends are trying to get me to get EQ2. Can you guys tell me some of the pro's and cons, maybe compare it to WoW? I never played the original EQ, so references to that won't help.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Thanee]

I'm far from being an expert on EQ2, having not played it myself (playing WoW, too), but I have looked into some comparisons, so the general tone might help you still.

Graphics: EQ2 has a highly realistic graphic style as compared to the more comic-like style of WoW. Also there are much more ways to customize your avatar.

Technical: EQ2 is much more demanding, when it comes to machine power. While WoW runs on a pretty old machine, EQ2 will most probably require a more up-to-date computer.

Gameplay: EQ2 is also quite beginner-friendly, tho not as much as WoW, but it requires group play over solo play a lot more than what can be said about WoW. It also takes longer to 'achieve something', so to have fun you'll have to be able to spend more time on one gaming session. There is also a huge amount of quests available.

PvP: AFAIK there is no PvP in EQ2 (might be wrong, tho, maybe they implemented it meanwhile).

Hope this helps a bit.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Well, I can't do TOO much comparison as I only played WoW in beta and hear lots about it from my friends who play.

EQ2 has better graphics, IMHO. If you like graphics, it is the game for you. Because of this problem, you need a much better computer than for WoW. The graphics engine in EQ2 is designed to scale past the best computers that exist at the moment so that in a year or two it's graphics will still be the best as you can just increase the quality on them.

Gameplay: It certainly favors group play over solo play. My friend who played WoW told me he got to 29th level and didn't actually know where the button to find or join a group was. In EQ2, this is likely impossible or very improbably. As part of the "beginner" section, the Isle of Refuge, the last quest, when you get to level 6 is "find a group and kill an orc". The orc is basically undefeatable if you do not have a group of 3 or 4 at least. The quest is, however, optional.

EQ2 favors more of the D&D flavour of classes combining their strength together to defeat enemies. You pretty much need someone who can take damage, someone to heal, and someone to deal damage. No one class can do all 3 of those things. At least, not well.

It is very quest based, and you get lots and lots of quests. You could spend all of your time from level 1 to 50 without ever just hunting anything. But some of the quests can take a while. You may need to stay online for 8 hours to finish some of them, or finish the quest in parts. All of the best items are either player crafted or given to you by quests.

There is no PvP and no plans for PvP currently. So, if this is what you like doing, you won't like EQ2.

I like it because I love grouping, combining strengths with other people and working together. It's a lot of what I like about D&D as well. Some of us EQ2 players make fun of WoW players because in WoW it's easy to get to the max level within a week or 2 and in EQ2, it would take months, if you powerleveled. Plus, encounters are much harder and less forgiving of mistakes. So, looks for a higher level of challenge as well.

 

[Hopping Vampire]

Well, I can't do TOO much comparison as I only played WoW in beta and hear lots about it from my friends who play.

EQ2 has better graphics, IMHO. If you like graphics, it is the game for you. Because of this problem, you need a much better computer than for WoW. The graphics engine in EQ2 is designed to scale past the best computers that exist at the moment so that in a year or two it's graphics will still be the best as you can just increase the quality on them.

Gameplay: It certainly favors group play over solo play. My friend who played WoW told me he got to 29th level and didn't actually know where the button to find or join a group was. In EQ2, this is likely impossible or very improbably. As part of the "beginner" section, the Isle of Refuge, the last quest, when you get to level 6 is "find a group and kill an orc". The orc is basically undefeatable if you do not have a group of 3 or 4 at least. The quest is, however, optional.

EQ2 favors more of the D&D flavour of classes combining their strength together to defeat enemies. You pretty much need someone who can take damage, someone to heal, and someone to deal damage. No one class can do all 3 of those things. At least, not well.

It is very quest based, and you get lots and lots of quests. You could spend all of your time from level 1 to 50 without ever just hunting anything. But some of the quests can take a while. You may need to stay online for 8 hours to finish some of them, or finish the quest in parts. All of the best items are either player crafted or given to you by quests.

There is no PvP and no plans for PvP currently. So, if this is what you like doing, you won't like EQ2.

I like it because I love grouping, combining strengths with other people and working together. It's a lot of what I like about D&D as well. Some of us EQ2 players make fun of WoW players because in WoW it's easy to get to the max level within a week or 2 and in EQ2, it would take months, if you powerleveled. Plus, encounters are much harder and less forgiving of mistakes. So, looks for a higher level of challenge as well.

that about sums it up. WoW is more for powergamers IMO. EQII is ATM is suffering from problems at low levels. there arent enough people to group with per server. They need to hurry with the server consolidation before its too late.

 

[MaxKaladin]

that about sums it up. WoW is more for powergamers IMO. EQII is ATM is suffering from problems at low levels. there arent enough people to group with per server. They need to hurry with the server consolidation before its too late.

I haven't played EQ2, but if it's like EQ1 (and the above makes me think it's pretty similar though I quit EQ in 2000) then I must disagree. EQ was for powergamers. It rewarded the powergamers who really put their noses to the grindstone and focused on powergaming their way to the top. The successful player, level wise, was the one who grouped up with like minded people and aggressively worked the system to powerlevel as quickly as possible and to camp for the best equipment in the game. The casual player was left spinning his wheels unable to get anywhere, especially if he didn't group or didn't have much time to devote to grouping in large blocks. In my case, that led to boredom since I could never get past the few areas I could play in at my low level and I eventually quit. WoW seems much more friendly in that regard. It's easier to level without really having to grind away at it endlessly and you don't need to group nearly as much. That means you make some progress and can move on to new areas and so forth without having to powergame the system so much. That makes it much more suitable for a non-powergamer in my eyes. Sure, a powergamer can zip to the top if he wants to, but that just means he probably missed a lot on his way there. The casual player can enjoy the journey and still get to the top eventually without having to powergame his way there if he doesn't want to.

 

[Hopping Vampire]

I haven't played EQ2, but if it's like EQ1 (and the above makes me think it's pretty similar though I quit EQ in 2000) then I must disagree. EQ was for powergamers. It rewarded the powergamers who really put their noses to the grindstone and focused on powergaming their way to the top. The successful player, level wise, was the one who grouped up with like minded people and aggressively worked the system to powerlevel as quickly as possible and to camp for the best equipment in the game. The casual player was left spinning his wheels unable to get anywhere, especially if he didn't group or didn't have much time to devote to grouping in large blocks. In my case, that led to boredom since I could never get past the few areas I could play in at my low level and I eventually quit. WoW seems much more friendly in that regard. It's easier to level without really having to grind away at it endlessly and you don't need to group nearly as much. That means you make some progress and can move on to new areas and so forth without having to powergame the system so much. That makes it much more suitable for a non-powergamer in my eyes. Sure, a powergamer can zip to the top if he wants to, but that just means he probably missed a lot on his way there. The casual player can enjoy the journey and still get to the top eventually without having to powergame his way there if he doesn't want to.

it plays nothing like the first game

 

[KenM]

it plays nothing like the first game

You mean its accually decent then? I have not had a good experence with EQ. I thought it sucked, to put it lightly.

 

[Dark Jezter]

(snip)

...in WoW it's easy to get to the max level within a week or 2...

Can I buy some pot from you?

 

[KenM]

I play WoW, I really like it. Those that have been on the board awhile know how much I used to hate MMORPG's. But The only way you will make max level in WOW in 2 weeks is if you do nothing else but play.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I play WoW, I really like it. Those that have been on the board awhile know how much I used to hate MMORPG's. But The only way you will make max level in WOW in 2 weeks is if you do nothing else but play.

Correctamundo. There were some people who managed to hit level 60 a couple of weeks after the game was released, but those were the people who would spend literally 12 hours (or more) a day playing the game doing virtually nothing but power-leveling. So you definately can't say that it's easy to reach max level in WoW in a week or two.

I also disagree that World of Warcraft favors powergamers more. The resting system in World of Warcraft allows more casual gamers to still compete with the those players who spend hours a day playing the game, as does the solo-friendly emphasis and simple, intuitive gameplay.

But I'll stop now, because the original poster started this thread asking about EQ2, and I don't want to turn this into a WoW vs EQ2 debate.