I have a few questions before I join EQ2.Follow

Great version of this (now) classic question!

I just wanna tackle your first point here:



IMHO, the locations found within EQ2 are some of the most beautiful textures and artwork I have ever seen in a game world. Moreover, I can't imagine it getting any better although I know it will!

A couple examples; last week, a lvl 51 guildie took two of us on an escorted trip to see the sights in the first expansion, an area known as the Desert of Ro. I was blown away not only by the latest mob models - many of the critters new and unique to that zone, but also by the level of detail and the variety in the background scenery. For the most part, we traveled across a desert landscape, so the land underfoot was mostly light brown sand, but everywhere you looked, there were bits of desert shrubbery and instead of a flat featureless plain, there were dunes everywhere in an endless variety of sizes and shapes.

In addition, dozens of tiny, (and some not so tiny), dust devils cover the landscape. These little animations give you the impression of swirls of wind that pick up sand and whip it around into tiny tornados. I am told that some of these are even large and powerful enough to lift your character up off of the ground and deposit you back down with a thump, (and some falling damage).

I remember that as we crested one particular rise our guide said in /gsay, "Good, he's still here". As I came to a stop at the top of the dune, I was able to look down and to my left into a large bowl and near the bottom was a named mob - Terrorantula - the largest spider I have EVER seen!

So much of the terrain in this game leads you up one hill and down the next that you can sometimes begin to take for granted that you are moving through a tri-axis enviornment.

My other example is from this last weekend. I was killing some time cleaning old quests out of my journal and found myself at the docks in Thundering Steppes. I decided to take a quick trip to check out "Zek - the Orcish Wastelands". Zek is a T4 zone that I had never been to since "The Enchanted Lands", (another T4 zone) is so beautiful and so large that you could easily progress from T4 to T5 without ever needing to visit anywhere else. Unfortunately, all T4 guild writs are for mobs in Zek so I will need to hunt there too.

Anyway, to make a short story long, I clicked on the bell to Zek and off I went. I arrived in one of the most forbidding locations I have ever seen in a game world. Just past the docks, the zone begins in a tiny fortress that is perpetually under attack from the Deathfist Clan of Orcs. Their siege engines stand just outside the walls and it appears as though the battle could be lost at any moment. The land outside the fort is desolate, the rocks and dirt appear hot & dusty, the land parched. Even the air seems to shimmer in the heat. Or maybe it was just my imagination... anyway, it is not a nice place to be, so I turned tail and headed back to civilazition. I will return, (I have to kill some catapulter crewmen), but next time, I'll bring a few friends!

Will you enjoy the scenery in the game? I'd say that with the level of detail in the world it is more than likely.

Quickly:


This happened to my husband just the other night when I first stepped foot in Desert of Ro. We were roaming the desert so I could take a look at what there was to offer when my husband, mount and all, was caught from behind by a dust storm. I was far enough away I didnt get picked up but I watched him twirl in the air and land a bit back from where I stood. it was the coolest thing I saw and wanted to chase after the storm so I could try it too.

As for the OP, I never played FFXI so I can not compare it with it, but I have played Eq, EQ2, and WoW. I'll use my experience with them to help answer what I can in a general fashion.

Enviorments: Each game will always have its own enviorment. Except for the older games, one is never better than the other, just different. WoW looks cartoony compared to other games, but it is beautiful on its own. EQ2 I find to look much more realistic. Some of the zones are hard to describe unless you've been there, to give it it's due. Lavastorm comes to mind. I guess the enviorment will take your fancy depending on how much you wish to insert "yourself" into it. If your character is just a character, you might not appreciate the enviorment as much as if you were a person who kind of looks at your character as a small extension of you. When you are fighting in a realistic enviorment, it makes the gameplay more "real".

One thing to consider: EQ2 was made as art in progress, gearing up for the computers of tomorrow. You can NOT play it at the highest quality. I tend to play on balance. While I miss out on some of the details the enviorment is still georgous. You can opt to have shadows on or off. When I take videos I put them on for better effects. They're amazing to see, but not worth the lag it creates when you're fighting in a group.

Joining too late? I think you would be joining at the perfect time. Sony has had the time to see what works, what doesnt, fix things, add more to make playing fun. I first played when EQ2 was released. After 20 lvls I hated it and left. I only recently came back and have enjoyed the game content so much more after the fixes they have added. Its a whole new game now and IMO better. There are tons of people revisiting the game each day, and more like yourself, starting to hear good things about it, who join. You will be one of many who start the game so don't worry about being too late.

Grinding: There is, as with every other game out there, some aspects of grinding. That is how you level your character. But EQ2 has added more quests than before, making the gameplay more fun, the learning of the zones more easy, and the rewards more rewarding. I still have some issues with some of the quests. My one greif is that many do not tell you, or hint, to where you should go. And some of the zones you may need to go to can be dangerous. I was fortunate I had my husband to help guide me, or guild members who answered any questions I had.

Bosses: Cant help you there much. I cant compare FFXI raids and bosses to EQ2

Variety: Its getting better, but I would still like to see a little bit more variety when it comes to the style of armor per character. Mob variety is great, I've seen more different mobs than I have before in any game I've played. Player variety is great too. There is more than enough different styles, coloring, height differences to make your character unique. It's very rare I come across anyone who looks like me. In fact I think Ive only seen it once and we both complimented each other on our great taste

Community: Ok this is a sticky subject for me. Im a community snob. I come from EQ and I am used to certain unspoken courtesy rules that were followed there. I noticed a severe lack of itin WoW which peeved me to no end. EQ2 is MUCH better but I am noticing the lack of courtesy to dribble in. Examples would including throwing an invite to someone without first sending them a tell. Same with duels or guild invites. I hate that and most EQers I know do too.

The community is good. You have 2 seperate types of people: the players from old school EQ who are fairly courteous and willing to help, and the newer gamers who havent yet learned the rules of politeness. The former far outweigh the latter. I've very rarely been told off like I was in WoW if I asked a question in out of character chat. Most often I would have several people help me out. Guilds help as well, to form bonds of friendship and comradity. There is barely any "leet" speak, something I am very grateful for.

I dunno if this helps but good luck to you and I hope you make the best decision for you.

Thanks a lot guys. I went ahead and bought it last night, you were all incredibly helpful! =)