Question - EQII

[kilt]

I am just wondering... EQ is supposed to be one of the most popular online games, and yet I never see it mentioned on any boards, and I also never see it used in any test systems (for graphics cards and other hardward stuffs).

Everyone here seems to be into the shootem up games (hey, I played doom and duke nukem, but they got pretty dry pretty quick).

Seeming that EQ (everquest) is so popular, is anyone looking forward to EQ II. Or, is it not really that popular of a game and I have just been mislead by the company that provides it.

kilt.

[Sangiovese]

Everquest has been extremely popular, you weren't mislead.

Not sure why you never see it in any tests, but I'm sure it has something to do with the "online only" nature of the game.

The only reason I'm not looking forward to EQII is that I spent waaaaaaay too much time playin the original, to the point of neglecting all my other hobbies (fortunately it never got the the point where I neglected family or job.. but it does for some people). Those games require a SIGNIFICANT time investment to really progress... it's not something you can do for an hour or two a couple nights a week. At least, not if you want to develop your character and experience the "high end" content.

[kilt]

Actually I did manage to find one reference to EQII in the games forums. It got mixed reviews, mostly because many people here are not keen on neverending RPGS.
I do recall playing 5-6 hours a night for the first month when I got the game. I didn't neglect job or family (since I had neither), but I did get away from my hobbies a tad.
Anyway, I quit almost 4 years ago when I got a job. Job is getting to me now, so, though I would spend more time at home and playing EQ. However, not keen on going back to the old EQ since I am behind the times. Not even sure my old characters still exist, I would hate to start over. Thus waiting for EQII and a fresh start.

kilt.

[Hadsus]

EQ is an olddddd game....that's why it's not talked about anymore. People have either played it to death or moved on to something more of their liking. I don't think they ever kill off toons so if you made one in the past it's probably still there.

You don't see it used on test systems because online games can confound the results. Server load and response time can muck up graphic FPS scores easily.

I'm pretty sure I'll pick up EQ 2 when it comes out though I would guess I won't play it for too long. It's an experience that alot of people seem to want to go through just once because of the time investment required and because developers seem to regurgitate the same concept over and over and over. WoW's is another game I'll probably try....both of them more for the fond memories they bring back from EQ rather than an interest in wasting away weeks of play time.

[asmox]

eq is popular, and also the worst mmorpg in the universe. it's like pop rock.

on the other hand, every mmorpg exists in a world of mediocrity when you come from uo (the greatest mmorpg in the universe).

[Slirp]

Originally posted by asmox
eq is popular, and also the worst mmorpg in the universe. it's like pop rock.

on the other hand, every mmorpg exists in a world of mediocrity when you come from uo (the greatest mmorpg in the universe).

You git!

How dare you speak ill of EverQuest. (jk dude, every entitiled to their opinion.

As for the Original post there are multiple threads on EQII alone in these forums. There are pleanty of people out there waiting to get this game. EQ set the standard for MMORPG's, people have tried to make a better one since but have alway come up lacking.

[Mr Cherry]

Originally posted by asmox
eq is popular, and also the worst mmorpg in the universe. it's like pop rock.

:D I like you.

I hate EQ. I've been surrounded by evercrack addicts too much to like the game. Though I have a good friend who is an addict but he's looking forward to WoW more than EQ2. Something about his guild switching over.

[asmox]

EQ set the standard for MMORPG's

now THAT it definately did not do.

[Mr Cherry]

I forgot who said this but I have to quote it:

"Everquest is a treadmill that makes you fat."

rofl, haha. :)

[Slirp]

Originally posted by asmox
now THAT it definately did not do.

And which game would you say did set the standard? Ultima?

I don't know, you could go that way with it. Anything before Ultima was more or less a D&D based game or mud. Come on now. I still see EQ as being a better game then Ultima, just wasn't my thing.

[kilt]

I forgot who said this but I have to quote it:

"Everquest is a treadmill that makes you fat."


Thats funny as hell. I noticed from watching some of the fan fare vids that most of the hardcore EQers are pudgy, if not obese, especially the women. Now does EQ make you fat, or are fat people just attracted to EQ.

Just thought I would mention, when I played EQ I was running 60 km a week. Now I don't play any games and I rarely run 30 km a week. Maybe I should start playing again.

kilt.

[asmox]

And which game would you say did set the standard? Ultima?

I don't know, you could go that way with it. Anything before Ultima was more or less a D&D based game or mud. Come on now. I still see EQ as being a better game then Ultima, just wasn't my thing.

UO was actually a game, as opposed to the oversized chatrooms with graphics and level grinds that are 99% of all mmorpgs that came after it (eq at the top of that list).

uo > *, imho.. and unfortunately nothing will ever compare due to developers being too afraid of implementing freeform pvp in their mmorpgs due to the mass amounts of carebears and whiners that tend to play mmorpgs these days. every time i see discussions about mmorpgs in general, i find myself wishing that developers had taken up after uo instead of eq.. that way the present mmorpg world might have some actual GAMES instead of giant pointless graphical treadmills that go absolutely nowhere (which has been every mmorpg after UO, with the exception of the first Asheron's Call and MAYBE one or two others).

all imho, of course.

[Hadsus]

Right now, the king of MMORPGs as far as subscriptions are concerned is FFXI, with EQ second. EQ has been far more popular than UO since 1999. You can trash EQ as much as you want but people vote with their feet and their feet tell them to favor EQ over OU and just about any other MMORPG.

http://pw1.netcom.com/~sirbruce2/Subscriptions2.gif

[asmox]

popular != better
popular = more accessible to the masses (generally a bad thing when it comes to quality)

that's why you see things like EQ and FFXI at the top, subscription-wise.. they aren't necessarily better games, just easier to get into and be really good at.

games like EQ, all you need is time and you can be godlike.. games like UO, you aren't going anywhere without actual skill.

[Nightlord]

Asmox- You should look up my old post on open PvP... you'd learn something. It just does NOT appeal to the masses. There isn't a single online role-playing game out there that can boast higher numbers in their PvP only servers than in their non-PvP ones. And as for UO, yea it was fun... but look at open PvP like this: The PKers got off on running around killing all the "whiners" and "carebears" who were just looking to run around having fun on their own. They boasted how l33t and awesome they were. So UO adds some non-PvP content into the game. NOW, going on your outlook on what made UO so successful, this should have been absolute Heaven for ALL those PKers out there: the whiners were gone which left behind nothing but a massive arena of l33t-skilled PvPers to do battle in peace.

Hmmm... wait a minute... that's not what happened at all. Faced with only other PKers, suddenly it wasn't as fun anymore. The PK side of the world was damn near empty and now you've got all those l33d d00ds doing the complaining. But SURELY no-one wanted to hang out in the non-PK side?? PKing is what made UO so great!

Yea, right. What happened was, given the choice between open-PvP and the CHOICE of PvP, the masses took the choice. And it wasn't this change to PvP that started hurting UO, it was the lack of added content all those players wanted. The chessy "3D" upgrade did little to apease the masses, and Ebay was suddenly flooded with accounts being sold. I'd be interested to know how many UO players now were there from the start, or bought their account and refuse to give it up because of how much they paid for it.

As for EQ2, I'm greatly looking forward to it. Maybe they'll implement some form of PvP down the line, maybe they won't. But if they put anywhere near the TIME into that they have with EQ, it should rock.



P.S. Just read your post above: "In games like EQ all you need is time to be Godlike" ??? And I suppose with the proper "skill" you were a God in UO as soon as you logged in? That's just plain funny. In UO you had to grind your skills just as much as any other role-playing game. You had to fight enough mages (or use game-mechanic work arounds like fighting a friend" to raise your magic resistance, go beat up enough zombies to raise your weapon skill... ect. There's no such thing as a role-playing game without it's "time sinks". And something else... as a game developer, I'm NOT going to sink my time, money, and resources into a game to make those few l33t d00ds happy and ending up with a 4K subscriber base game (if I'm lucky). No, I'm going to create a game that let's me sit at over 350,000 for next 5 years putting some real money in my pocket. But hey, maybe you know best... so go forth and create an open-pvp role-playing game and show those idiots at Sony how it's done.

[asmox]

Originally posted by Nightlord
......

you, like many other people, are making the mistake of interchanging 'pvping' with 'pking'.

pking is NOT what made UO so great.. stupid idiots running around killing helpless newbies in graveyards did NOTHING but make people quit.

pking != pvping. i was into the latter. if you don't know the difference, maybe YOU are the one that needs to learn a few things.

also, the pvp side didn't suddenly empty out because of the felucca/trammel garbage.. it started WAY before that. when OSI decided to completely nerf pre-casting, it was such an enormous blow that many pvp'ers threatened to quit right then and there (and some did). the introduction of felucca and trammel only added fuel to the fire. i quit UO shortly after the facet system was put in place.

what made UO so great was the gameplay.. there were no treadmills, no grinds, no hotbars, no brainless "stand there and hit hotkeys until the monster/player dies". UO was a game that took skill, knowledge, and reflexes to play successfully.. their pvp system was (and is to this day to a lesser extent) second to none - which was a huge thing for me cause i'm into PVP in any game i play (read PVP, not pking). it's one of the only MMORPG's that actually lives up to the last letter in that acronym (GAME).

imho

[asmox]

In UO you had to grind your skills just as much as any other role-playing game.

grinds in UO and grinds in EQ/EQ clones are two very different things.

as a game developer, I'm NOT going to sink my time, money, and resources into a game to make those few l33t d00ds happy and ending up with a 4K subscriber base game (if I'm lucky). No, I'm going to create a game that let's me sit at over 350,000 for next 5 years putting some real money in my pocket

oh, i guess that's why UO is the longest-lasting MMORPG to this day with a very comfortable current player base of roughly 200,000+ players (and is going on 8 years now).

[Nightlord]

^^^ No, I understand perfectly. The point is that you CAN'T have a PvP game without the PKing. Thus, the reason why the masses don't like open PvP. The griefers and l33t d00ds exist... period. So therefore PvP DOES = PKing. UO even tried to implement a Karma/noteriety system to cut down on the griefing... did it work? Nope. And like you said, it lost them a LOT of players. Open PvP just equates to PKing like open-combat = the griefer issues we saw in EQ- thus the invention of instancing. (Which, btw, is also considered very Carebear... and yet is helping keep COH popular despite the lack of content.)

[asmox]

So therefore PvP DOES = PKing.

nope~

pking is pvp, but pvp is not necessarily pking.. especially not when taken in the light that you're attempting to shine over it.

[Hadsus]

Originally posted by asmox
popular != better
popular = more accessible to the masses (generally a bad thing when it comes to quality)

that's why you see things like EQ and FFXI at the top, subscription-wise.. they aren't necessarily better games, just easier to get into and be really good at.

games like EQ, all you need is time and you can be godlike.. games like UO, you aren't going anywhere without actual skill.

You'll never win the argument that UO is better.....simply cause it's a fricken game! Which is 'better?' You can post your criteria and I can post mine. It is, in the end, an indeterminable argument. Gamers sometimes take themselves too seriously.....just like the deep wannabee rock critics arguing about the best band in the past decade. I remember a EQ hunting group I was in, during a lull in the battle, and two or three people who had played UO said EQ blew it away. Whatever.

[asmox]

You'll never win the argument that UO is better.....simply cause it's a fricken game! Which is 'better?' You can post your criteria and I can post mine. It is, in the end, an indeterminable argument. Gamers sometimes take themselves too seriously.....just like the deep wannabee rock critics arguing about the best band in the past decade. I remember a EQ hunting group I was in, during a lull in the battle, and two or three people who had played UO said EQ blew it away. Whatever.

relax, chief.

everything i say is purely imho. everybody's entitled to theirs.

[icecube_of_death]

Originally posted by asmox
nope~

pking is pvp, but pvp is not necessarily pking.. especially not when taken in the light that you're attempting to shine over it.

PVP and PK are 2 different things. PVP does not necessarily mean player death. 2 players may fight each other but stop once they reach a certain fraction of their health (to avoid death penalties). While PK ensures death, because it's... well, player killing.

[Nightlord]

^^^ We were discussion PvP as was done in UO. DAOC has PvP, but it's NOT ala Ultima Online, it's concentual. You choose to go forth and take part on a whim. In UO, it was open-PvP, as in: PvP anytime, anywhere.

In UO you didn't really have the "class" imbalance that you have in games like DAOC because the game mechanic determined that everyone can be EXACTLY the same as everyone else- 100 Magery, 100 Magic, ect. And if you threw a Fireball, it was the same Fireball everyone else was throwing. In that, I think they had it right. Put the time and effort into your character and you will be best at exactly what skills you want to be best at. Arg, that's a different topic.

Anyhow, yes there are different forms of PvP... I thought that was pretty well self-explanitory so I stopped specifying OPEN PvP, ala UO. As to the point about "stopping before Death" that's just Dueling, which to me is no different than any other concentual PvP like what's available in DAOC. You can go take part in the PvP wars, or sit in your own realm and "Duel" other people... and being able to do that in no way, shape, or form comes even close to being what UO was.

[asmox]

Originally posted by icecube_of_death
PVP and PK are 2 different things. PVP does not necessarily mean player death. 2 players may fight each other but stop once they reach a certain fraction of their health (to avoid death penalties). While PK ensures death, because it's... well, player killing.

while sorta true, that isn't what i meant at all.

pking generally refers to preying on helpless newblings and overall griefing clueless victims at every turn. pvping refers to actual player vs player COMBAT (the lesser the skill gap between players, the better/more fun), not player vs newbling domination.

while the former can be amusing at times, i prefer the latter.. and uo did it best. imho.

oh edit: nightlord, considering the subject matter of your posts.. i can only think that you played uo for a total of 2 months before quitting. your apparent knowledge is extremely limited.

[Sangiovese]

The PvP in UO was fine. The numerous hacks and exploits were not.

PvP is fine when everyone is playing by the same rules. It ruins the game when some can cheat.

Cheating ruined UO.

[Timman_24]

Well anyway, I played both UO and EQ... Actually I played UO for a few weeks and EQ for 2 years :P. I do agree that EQ is better. I had some of my greatest gaming moments playing EQ. Ahhh those were good times :D.

[Timman_24]

Also I think EQII is going to be pretty cool. I preordered it a few days ago and got the starter kit. The movie on the cd looks awesome. Also the characters look very good, nice detail. I like how they are bringing in player housing too. Man the graphics look great too.

I am definatily going to give EQII a try.

[Slirp]

I liked EQ's PVP setup. You have PVP arena's anyone in them is fair game. You have duels, which weren't all that great and were used mainly for guild events and such. Then you had guild wars, which I liked the best. There were guilds that were just dedicated to warring with another associated guild. Anyone in the opposing guild was fair game and no consent was needed. There was nothing more satisfying being part of a mid range party planning an ambush for a higher lvl player and pulling it off. God those were the days.

While I understand the point the UO guys are trying to make. An open PVP system just isn't practical, there's too many jerks out there that just get their jollies killing lowbies.

[Adisharr]

I loved EQ back in the day but just didn't have the time to level with my online friends. I think the best times were had when we were very evenly matched with a mob and there was always real danger of us all dying. That and exploring a new area where you never knew what you were going to run into :)

[OpStar]

I'm down to one SWG account and no CoH account now in preperation for EQII.

I'll be playing Battlefront while I wait.

I too preordered EQII last week :D

[Timman_24]

BTW just wondering, what classes did you guys play?

I played a Troll war. All this talk of eq made me go back out and buy the EQ platinum. I started a new guy (couldnt remember my username lol.)

I think I will play a necro in EQII...

[Sangiovese]

I played a warrior and magician... just shy of plane of time access when I finally decided it was taking too much time.

[OpStar]

I'm thinking of maybe a dark elf scout/ranger type guy for EQII, I haven't decided yet.

[kilt]

I am a little excited about EQII.

I played EQ for a while, my main was an de SK, only lvl 54 though (at the time I believe lvl 60 was the highest lvl).
I had 40's druid for transportation services.
A Wizzy (30's or 40's)
And a Shaman (trolly) 30's.

Although, I started with a wood elf ranger, but soon realized that they were just too wimpy. At lvl 10 I couldn't stand my ground against a blue mod, whereas my SK could take on yellows and reds up to lvl 20ish. (all untwinked btw).

I haven't played for almost 4 years. Would like to start again, but alas, I have forgotten my login and password. Not keen on starting over, so maybe I will just give EQII a try.

kilt.

[Nightlord]

I'm thinking Barbarian Monk. :)

[Carefree Emu]

Dark Elf Rogue :D

[Nightlord]

^^^ FOTM, duh!




*DUCKING* lol

[Timman_24]

Well guys it sucked me back in, I went out and picked up the EQ platinum. I got twinked pretty good by a RL friend on the server I went on. I am now lvl 20 (playing a war) its alot of fun. They changed a ton of stuff, its much easier to lvl now. Everything is different. BTW highest lvl is lvl 70 now.

[Nightlord]

^^^ Not me, Brother. I'm not falling back into that trap ever again.














At least, not until EQ2 comes out. CE Pre-order, baby! :D :D

[Mike00]

I just started playing EQ after taking a two year break. Lots of thigns have changed. There are hardly any newbies anymore. All new characters get twinked right away and fly through the first 20 levels in a few days. Also, the spell effects now are awesome. Graphic engine keeps getting upgraded and EQ just keeps looking better and better. I'm about to upgrade to a A64 system and a 6800GT so I can buy EQ2 the day it's released. Can't wait.

[BremenCulhaven]

I just got the starter-kit and plan on playing the day it comes out. Have not played EQ in over 2 years, I quit when I lost a very powerful weapon because of a zoning bug. Pissed me off that the GMs wouldn't give it back to me so I sold my account on ebay for $550 and never looked back. Played DAoC for awhile and got burned out on it after I hit lvl 50 and having played anything else since last Nov. in area of MMORPG. So, I can't wait for EQ2 and WoW to come out.

[Mike00]

Originally posted by BremenCulhaven
I just got the starter-kit and plan on playing the day it comes out. Have not played EQ in over 2 years, I quit when I lost a very powerful weapon because of a zoning bug. Pissed me off that the GMs wouldn't give it back to me so I sold my account on ebay for $550 and never looked back. Played DAoC for awhile and got burned out on it after I hit lvl 50 and having played anything else since last Nov. in area of MMORPG. So, I can't wait for EQ2 and WoW to come out.

Where did you buy the starter kit and what did it include? I hear people talking about a Character Creation CD that allows you to create your character and save him before the game is released? Do you have that? What's it like?

[Trepidati0n]

Wife or EQ2? Ugh...to bad divorces cost so much :D I really wanna play EQ2 but can't afford the time. Wife + Job + House + Kumdo (sword fighting) = no time for EQ2 :(

However I have lost 40 lbs and down to 18% body fat since I quit EQ :)

-tReP

[OpStar]

Originally posted by Mike00
Where did you buy the starter kit and what did it include? I hear people talking about a Character Creation CD that allows you to create your character and save him before the game is released? Do you have that? What's it like?

I got my starter kit at EB.

I preordered the game.

The CC disk allows you to pick your race/gender and then customize your character. You can't pick a name yet, but you can then take your character from the CC file and load it into EQ2 the day of release.

It also comes with free boots that increase your speed.

There are a few coupons and such inside it too.

Its pretty cool as far as character creation, even though I felt it was lacking some options. The CC loads a "zone" so you can kinda get a feel for the in game graphics.

Its worth five bucks for a preorder imho.

http://home.comcast.net/~opstar/eq2sig.jpg