Anyone notice that EQII has come under nearly constant attack now?  It seems like it began in earnest ever since RoK was released, but seemed to start gaining momentum for a month or two beforehand.  6 months ago the game was largely ignored by the random trolls. 

It's kind of funny to see the different tacks being taken.  I wonder if it works to scare off the casual readers?  Perhaps, but I think if they spend any length of time looking here they'll be able to identify the trolling at work.

I guess lots of activity AKA red hot servers will do that these days.  The fans (or paid workers) of every other gaming company come out of the woodworks.

For the casual readers, my adivce?  Try the game.  You won't be disappointed.  It's not the holy grail of games (one hasn't been invented yet), but it's a great game with a ton to do.  It is like debating whether to go to out to a resturant, there is a place called Joey Bob's down the road, and there is an Outback Steakhouse.  Outback is quality, pretty good food that you know you can trust your expectations enough to try without much doubt.  Joey Bob's?  Might be ok, might even be good, but who really knows?  It might make you sick.  You might find only goat on the menu.  EQII is a mainstay.  It is an Outback (or Applebees or any other major franchise).  Joey Bob's are everywhere too, but they disappoint more folks then they don't.   That's all you really need to know.

Hmm, didn't think I'd seen an upsurge in EQ 2 'attack' threads, but I took a quick look through 3 or 4 pages and found out; there hasn't been an upsurge in EQ 2 attack threads.

Not sure why you are feeling persecuted OP, a bit of insecurity perhaps?

Originally posted by Uproar

Anyone notice that EQII has come under nearly constant attack now?  It seems like it began in earnest ever since RoK was released, but seemed to start gaining momentum for a month or two beforehand.  6 months ago the game was largely ignored by the random trolls. 

It's kind of funny to see the different tacks being taken.  I wonder if it works to scare off the casual readers?  Perhaps, but I think if they spend any length of time looking here they'll be able to identify the trolling at work.

I guess lots of activity AKA red hot servers will do that these days.  The fans (or paid workers) of every other gaming company come out of the woodworks.

For the casual readers, my adivce?  Try the game.  You won't be disappointed.  It's not the holy grail of games (one hasn't been invented yet), but it's a great game with a ton to do.  It is like debating whether to go to out to a resturant, there is a place called Joey Bob's down the road, and there is an Outback Steakhouse.  Outback is quality, pretty good food that you know you can trust your expectations enough to try without much doubt.  Joey Bob's?  Might be ok, might even be good, but who really knows?  It might make you sick.  You might find only goat on the menu.  EQII is a mainstay.  It is an Outback (or Applebees or any other major franchise).  Joey Bob's are everywhere too, but they disappoint more folks then they don't.   That's all you really need to know.

i take it you must be a paid worker coming out of the woodwork to defend this game, your company? works both ways and sony is well known for the amount of shilling that they do. the typical sony arrogance just really stands out in this thread..like your game is coming under attack. every game has trolls in every forum so stop your crying. lol. bloody employees trying to kiss smeds arse....good job you get a sticker and a cookie made by the dude in the mail department now. gratz.

No more than *all* other games.

EQ2 launched early and bad, forcing subscribers to pay-for-beta.

Many changes to core concepts and game architectures.

Now, is just a standard MMO without much of a real identity of its own.

Slightly more complex than WoW, but not really the ground breaking advance over EQ1 that it was supposed to be.

EQ2 really has never been that good a game, though it has gotten much better over the years than it was at Launch.  Unfortunately, along with fixing the defects, a lot of the 'vision' was also 'fixed'.   I suppose in order to better compete with WoW.

 I don't think the hate is EQ2 specific. I have noticed tons of negativity in these forums lately going in every possible direction, including an entire thread dedicated to criticizing someone and calling them retarded or 6 years old due to his post having poor english grammar when he was from Romania or something like that.

 I think gamers are just angry that they don't have a great game to play atm and are forced to play good games with things in them that make them angry more often then happy, for their gaming enjoyment. So they vent frustrations in forums. Everyone has been saying the MMO genre is in a slump for quite a while now. Let's just hope some great titles come around soon, and aren't rushed to release dissapointing us again. I think you will see a big turn around in the overall amount of negativity immediately if this happens.

I agree that the critics are not EQ2 specific. I saw a lot of ppl complaining about almost all MMOs out there. Actualy i think the comunity is prety happy with EQ2 compared to other games.

Now I am pretty solidly pro EQII these days, but I doubt I am a fanbois by anyone's definition. 

If you don't see the constant threads that start off with "I don't see what everyone likes about this game...." as negative then you probably don't see a rise.  The threads have been a bit slicker then the average "This game sux" types that you see on every board (including this one).

Even in this thread a few had to jump into it not to discuss discarding what I said, but to use it as a forum to bash the game itself (see the fourth post).  That is more of the type that are on the upswing.  And of the type that would be more competition based if any are.

Originally posted by Uproar

Now I am pretty solidly pro EQII these days, but I doubt I am a fanbois by anyone's definition. 

If you don't see the constant threads that start off with "I don't see what everyone likes about this game...." as negative then you probably don't see a rise.  The threads have been a bit slicker then the average "This game sux" types that you see on every board (including this one).

Even in this thread a few had to jump on now to discard what I said, but to use it as a forum to bash the game itself (see the fourth post).  That is more of the type that are on the upswing.  And of the type that would be more competition based if any are.

I agree with those above. It's not EQ2 specific. If you really beleive that, then you do fall under the fanboi definition.

EDIT: The fourth post doesn't bash the game, it's telling the truth. And this is coming from one who plays EQ2 on a regular basis. EQ2 is a good game, but if you can't handle talk about how bad it was, and the fact that it isn't for everyone, then I advice you from both posting and reading here.

Originally posted by Uproar

I guess lots of activity AKA red hot servers will do that these days.  The fans (or paid workers) of every other gaming company come out of the woodworks.

So since you have access to server population numbers, can readers assume you are a "Paid worker?" Having a queue at log-in for your server, or something along those lines, is far from data to back up such a claim.

For the casual readers, my adivce?  Try the game. 

If you're a repeat visitor to mmorpg, you've probably transcended the ranks of the casual, and you certainly know about the big budget/popular titles like EQ2, WOW, Eve Online, LotRo, GW. If this is your first time on the site, and you're game shopping, your forum post will certainly miss the intended audience.

Outback is quality, pretty good food that you know you can trust your expectations enough to try without much doubt.  Joey Bob's?  Might be ok, might even be good, but who really knows?  It might make you sick.  You might find only goat on the menu.  EQII is a mainstay.  It is an Outback (or Applebees or any other major franchise).  Joey Bob's are everywhere too, but they disappoint more folks then they don't.   That's all you really need to know.

Why take a chance on a new restaurant, when a chain will be predictable? Wow, this is perhaps the most telling of your arguments. "We fear change!" Thank goodness most of the posts here seem to point out the inherent flaws when applying this same method of selection to new game content. It doesn't drive any sort of innovation and further says, "trying new things is dangerous!" Since when is a bad video game demo (as the large majority of games offer free trials, or better yet offer free-to-play options for new players) any where close to food poisoning? Try every last game out there! A gamer's time is their real vote, after their subscription fee, so why waste time grinding in the mediocrity of an Outback-Applebee's-Strip-Mall-esque game where the food always looks like it should be good, but comes at a cost to your health and the diversity of the entire market? Find the mom and pop game where the dev's are available, just like the chef walking out to the table to see if the meal is what you wanted.  Heck, try the popular games from smaller studios, like Eve Online, to continue the theme, a local restaurant that was so good it had to expand and expand again, where the expansions are free, like the bread sticks at Olive Garden, but you don't have to support a megalithic corporation like Sony and a multitude of mediocre products. Diversity breeds strength, and it's refreshing to see that gamers are starting to demand excellence over mediocrity. "Another hack and slash grind through yet another fantasy world? No thanks, I've got 3 of those in my neighborhood and they're opening a new one down the street."

P.S. What's wrong with goat? It'd only be bad if you went to outback expecting cow...

Originally posted by Uproar

Now I am pretty solidly pro EQII these days, but I doubt I am a fanbois by anyone's definition. 

If you don't see the constant threads that start off with "I don't see what everyone likes about this game...." as negative then you probably don't see a rise.  The threads have been a bit slicker then the average "This game sux" types that you see on every board (including this one).

Even in this thread a few had to jump into it not to discuss discarding what I said, but to use it as a forum to bash the game itself (see the fourth post).  That is more of the type that are on the upswing.  And of the type that would be more competition based if any are.

Ya know, that is actually funny.  I just started a thread asking what is so great about this game.  I itirated several times in my post that I am in no way attacking the game and I wish it no ill, I just had some questions about what people find about the game so good.  Not out of malice.  I don't wish this game any ill at all.  I am still curious about what specifically draws each individual to the game, and have illicited some reasonable responses.  Just because someone asks what is so good about a game tho does not mean that they are attacking the game.  The general mood does exist in these forums that most games are sucking.  That is not specific to EQ nor pointing a finger at it above any other game.  I can name several off the top of my head that garnish far greater levels of despise than EQ2 does.  In general, most MMO's that have come out lately have been crap.  If anything, it speaks highly of EQ2 that although it is not one of the more recent games, it still warrants frequent mention.  It is holding its own against these games that are supposed to be revolutionary, or changing the face of MMO's.  I agree, they are changing the face of MMO's.  Not in a good way though.  MMO's are becoming the red headed step child, or second cousin that gamers rather not acknowledge as they return to consoles and PC single player RPG's or FPS's.  Is EQ2 under attack?  Only because it is an MMO.  Not because of the MMO that it is.

QUICK SEND JOHN SMEDLEY TO GO YELL AT THEM

but seriously, if anything I hear more praise for this game now than ever.