Profile: Yunbei
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• • How come EQ II doesn't attract more players?

  • I have played EQ2 since day one for about 4 years or so, and the main reason I stopped playing it is, that I want to see fresh meadows, thats all.

    EQ2 is a really great game, but it is a kind of clumsy game. IMO there are a few reasons why EQ2 never got the attention it could have.

    1) Since day 1 EQ2 was regarded as epigone, as bad stepchild of the legend EQ. It got tons of bashing as being watered down EQ, not living up to the legend of EQ1, which is just not fair since EQ1 simply was published in another era. Thus EQ2 caught a kind of bad name from many people who didnt really know a heck about the game and that bad mouthing alas stuck with the game as being something mediocre. Unjustified so, but once you have a negative fame, such things stick.

    2) Unfortunately true is the fact that EQ2 is not easy to get into. A lot of later quests are very complicated, they have dozens of interwoven sub-parts, and due to the complex quests it is VERY difficult to find people who are on the exact same step of the quests than you are. In the 4 years of gaming I was just unable to finish at least half of all quests, I carried them in my journal literally for years because some I just didnt want to skip, but it was impossible to find ppl for them. Most quests have no overlapping content with other quests, so either you find someone who is on the EXACT same point as you or you need generous people who help you. Its just terribly bad quest planning and demands to be daily active in a very good guild which makes monthy schedules to get ANYTHING done in EQ2, and its just way too few people who have such dedication to a MMO. IMO thats one of the MAIN reasons EQ2 was way behind what it could have been.

    3) Finally I feel the game was bogged down with bad loot and bad XP output in the first 2 years and the expansions Desert-thing (what was the name?) and Kingdom of Skies (not sure about the names anymore) were just very mediocre expansions. Only with Echoes of Faydwer they really made a very good expansion, but at that point EQ2 was already old. It took them LONG to really make interesting loot and halfway decend gear. In the first 2 years I just gathered endless trash loot like Badger claws, zombie brains or such vendor trash and there was almost nothing of small, fun items to loot or find. Also 2/3rd of the quest rewards were usually trash as well and the XP output made the last third of the game quite a grind. Actually I feel thats still the case in the last 20 levels. Beyond level 50 the game looses quite some speed and coolness in terms of skills to learn. It gets kinda more like work IMO.

    Overall I always had the feeling EQ2 was one of the best chances to be a real killer game, but the devs kinda lacked spirit and fantasy. It took them way too long to realize the trend. Most gear still locks lackluster and is only dyed variations of the ever same gear, and that after all those years. I havent seen ONE really new gear design, its all just with different colours. Overall its too clumsy, slow paced and complicated to really attract people with less than total dedication. EQ2 has MUCH to offer when you play daily with a big, active guild and you really want to dive into a MMO. if you have a bit less time and patience for planning your doings at least a month ahead you will always just scratch the surface and EQ2 is not really helping you along.

    I recall after I had left EQ2 and returned later my guild was gone and most friends, and without a social network to help me through the content 80% of the time I found myself waiting in Qeynos calling for a group in vain or soloing green or grey quests while waiting for a group to find. You just cant do a THING worth doing without an established network and long preparation and daily gameplay, because once you play casual everyone you made the complex quests with will have finished them without you and you are lost.

     

    I find it a great loss the EQ2 devs never succeeded in making EQ2 the hit it could have been.

  • Posted: 11/08/08 10:07 AM
    Everquest II
• • WAR strong in US, dieing in EU

  • It just proves how easy to entertain Americans are. =P  *ducks*

     

     

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    j/k ^^

  • Posted: 11/08/08 9:48 AM
    WAR (Warhammer Online)
• • Pro's and Con's of WAR

  • Generally agree with the OP.

    The problem with gear is, usally most players dont like to look like a clone. Now you can solve this in two ways. A NON-gear centred games most have a ton of customizations, like in City of heroes, OR you must add lots of gear types like in WOW, but making neither is plain stupid. Dunno why they have no sensibility for that.

  • Posted: 11/08/08 8:26 AM
    WAR (Warhammer Online)
• • Darkfall: Ready for Release in December

  • Originally posted by Samuraisword
    

    Originally posted by Yunbei
    

    I seriously dont understand the expectations. Nothing I have seen or heard sounds interesting to me at all! The graphcis in 10 years behind, a game which promises SO much and still having no big money company behind sounds like a very shady thing and the concept of hardcore PVP where people destroy the cities other players have meticiously build... this is so full of things against every trend I hardly can think how this can be anything but the niche of a nice game.

    
     

    The majority of Darkfall fans don't deny it will be a niche game. We are simply saying it will be a great game for those who have been waiting for a non instanced sandbox game with good graphics and great realistic gameplay. EvE is a niche game and is very successful. I expect Darkfall to attract a similar size base.

    
     

    Heh ok. I understand the desire for something other than the standard fare very well. Its not my piece of pie, but I wish you fun with it. ^^

  • Posted: 11/08/08 7:07 AM
    General Discussion
• • Darkfall: Ready for Release in December

  • I seriously dont understand the expectations. Nothing I have seen or heard sounds interesting to me at all! The graphcis in 10 years behind, a game which promises SO much and still having no big money company behind sounds like a very shady thing and the concept of hardcore PVP where people destroy the cities other players have meticiously build... this is so full of things against every trend I hardly can think how this can be anything but the niche of a nice game.

  • Posted: 11/08/08 6:34 AM
    General Discussion