Hi, I brought EQ2 TSO Expansion All-In-One pack and have been playing it for a few weeks. I don't think I will continue since SOE is releasing a new progression server for EverQuest II, but maybe my thoughts and experiences would be helpful to other players.

I thought the game was very nice. I have upgraded my computer nicely, and get absolutely no lag on the balanced settings. I didn't try any higher settings, since I'm not a graphics geek, but I'm guessing it could run lagless on the next higher quality setting. The game ran very well, though. Over two weeks, and I have not had the client crash on me. There is a bit of server lag, but nothing too discouraging.

Character models look nice, although the overall feel of the in-game enviroment does feel like you're running through a painting. Not a bad painting, but not a particularly stunning one, either.

Targetting is very difficult. If you have multiple mobs on you and need to target one of them, you may have trouble since there seems to be a very small box (relative to the MOB's size) that you have to click in to target it.

I played on the highest population server, and getting groups wasn't actually that difficult. I grouped quite a bit today, gaining 3 levels mostly from mob kills (1 quests completed in the dungeon, and a few named killed) during that party.

There are way too many classes, so the balancing of some other classes is off. I played a started a Necromancer. It wasn't really anything like the EQ Necro. It pretty much sucks, TBH. It's very tedious to play. Feels like I'm working at a bank punching numbers. In a party, it's extremely tedious. It almost drove me to just log off, but I had to "work" through it. The game mechanics for DoT classes are very bad, and Summoners' pets are somewhat underpowered.

Getting XP from mobs can be done at a reasonable pace, but SOE commited the cardinal sin by forcing people to run quest after quest after quest by restricting AA XP to Quests, Named MOB kills, new items picked up, and discovering new areas (maybe a few other things in addition). This means that if you do not run quests all the time, you will be severely underpowered as you level up, and it will get worse and worse since the higher level you get, the more "behind the curve" you will be, since you will have little to no AA Points. Almost everyone runs a parser in this game, so if you don't perform accordingly (i.e. have your AAs) you will probably stop getting groups by the time you really need/want to look for them.

I have played EQ1, VG, WoW, and L2. This the first game that has literally required me to do quests and pretty much nothing but quests from start to finish to actually level/progress my character. Since in other games I am used to taking "quest breaks" where I will spend a few days and level off mobs/instance parties/farming gear/etc. this is pretty much unacceptable to me.

That's pretty unfortunate. As a new player who actually has to find everything (not a reroll who knows the quests back and front) I can actually camp an area and level off mobs about 25% slower than the quests (which is a respectable pace), but the lack of AAs severely underpower you becasue they are actually needed. SOE should have implemented a system that gave players certain # of AAs per level, and then switched them to 100% AA XP from everything (MOBs, Quests, whatever) at level cap and 100% XP.

This form of restrictive gameplay is not entertaining for me.

Game is fun, though, cause there are some really nice people playing it. Any game can boast that, so it's nothing special.

I'd prolly give it a 6.5|10, because of the restrictive game play and the number of extremely uninteresting quests that you have to run through to level. Makes it boring after a while. Also because of the class balance and designs.

Originally posted by UbahNecro

Targetting is very difficult. If you have multiple mobs on you and need to target one of them, you may have trouble since there seems to be a very small box (relative to the MOB's size) that you have to click in to target it.

yeah first thing i did is use tab targetting or better yet bind the target nearest mob to your thumb button of your mouse.

The game mechanics for DoT classes are very bad, and Summoners' pets are somewhat underpowered.

Did you happen to upgrade your spells? Necro Adept 3 pets are insane at all levels (except when you raid).

Originally posted by UbahNecro

Hi, I brought EQ2 TSO Expansion All-In-One pack and have been playing it for a few weeks. I don't think I will continue since SOE is releasing a new progression server for EverQuest II, but maybe my thoughts and experiences would be helpful to other players.

I thought the game was very nice. I have upgraded my computer nicely, and get absolutely no lag on the balanced settings. I didn't try any higher settings, since I'm not a graphics geek, but I'm guessing it could run lagless on the next higher quality setting. The game ran very well, though. Over two weeks, and I have not had the client crash on me. There is a bit of server lag, but nothing too discouraging.

Character models look nice, although the overall feel of the in-game enviroment does feel like you're running through a painting. Not a bad painting, but not a particularly stunning one, either.

Targetting is very difficult. If you have multiple mobs on you and need to target one of them, you may have trouble since there seems to be a very small box (relative to the MOB's size) that you have to click in to target it.

I played on the highest population server, and getting groups wasn't actually that difficult. I grouped quite a bit today, gaining 3 levels mostly from mob kills (1 quests completed in the dungeon, and a few named killed) during that party.

There are way too many classes, so the balancing of some other classes is off. I played a started a Necromancer. It wasn't really anything like the EQ Necro. It pretty much sucks, TBH. It's very tedious to play. Feels like I'm working at a bank punching numbers. In a party, it's extremely tedious. It almost drove me to just log off, but I had to "work" through it. The game mechanics for DoT classes are very bad, and Summoners' pets are somewhat underpowered.

Getting XP from mobs can be done at a reasonable pace, but SOE commited the cardinal sin by forcing people to run quest after quest after quest by restricting AA XP to Quests, Named MOB kills, new items picked up, and discovering new areas (maybe a few other things in addition). This means that if you do not run quests all the time, you will be severely underpowered as you level up, and it will get worse and worse since the higher level you get, the more "behind the curve" you will be, since you will have little to no AA Points. Almost everyone runs a parser in this game, so if you don't perform accordingly (i.e. have your AAs) you will probably stop getting groups by the time you really need/want to look for them.

I have played EQ1, VG, WoW, and L2. This the first game that has literally required me to do quests and pretty much nothing but quests from start to finish to actually level/progress my character. Since in other games I am used to taking "quest breaks" where I will spend a few days and level off mobs/instance parties/farming gear/etc. this is pretty much unacceptable to me.

That's pretty unfortunate. As a new player who actually has to find everything (not a reroll who knows the quests back and front) I can actually camp an area and level off mobs about 25% slower than the quests (which is a respectable pace), but the lack of AAs severely underpower you becasue they are actually needed. SOE should have implemented a system that gave players certain # of AAs per level, and then switched them to 100% AA XP from everything (MOBs, Quests, whatever) at level cap and 100% XP.

This form of restrictive gameplay is not entertaining for me.

Game is fun, though, cause there are some really nice people playing it. Any game can boast that, so it's nothing special.

I'd prolly give it a 6.5|10, because of the restrictive game play and the number of extremely uninteresting quests that you have to run through to level. Makes it boring after a while. Also because of the class balance and designs.

There is a reason for this game being called EverQUEST 2. It seems like you wanted EverGRIND, in which case, just return to Lineage 2.

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Originally posted by drag9999

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Originally posted by UbahNecro

Hi, I brought EQ2 TSO Expansion All-In-One pack and have been playing it for a few weeks. I don't think I will continue since SOE is releasing a new progression server for EverQuest II, but maybe my thoughts and experiences would be helpful to other players.
I thought the game was very nice. I have upgraded my computer nicely, and get absolutely no lag on the balanced settings. I didn't try any higher settings, since I'm not a graphics geek, but I'm guessing it could run lagless on the next higher quality setting. The game ran very well, though. Over two weeks, and I have not had the client crash on me. There is a bit of server lag, but nothing too discouraging.
Character models look nice, although the overall feel of the in-game enviroment does feel like you're running through a painting. Not a bad painting, but not a particularly stunning one, either.
Targetting is very difficult. If you have multiple mobs on you and need to target one of them, you may have trouble since there seems to be a very small box (relative to the MOB's size) that you have to click in to target it.
I played on the highest population server, and getting groups wasn't actually that difficult. I grouped quite a bit today, gaining 3 levels mostly from mob kills (1 quests completed in the dungeon, and a few named killed) during that party.
There are way too many classes, so the balancing of some other classes is off. I played a started a Necromancer. It wasn't really anything like the EQ Necro. It pretty much sucks, TBH. It's very tedious to play. Feels like I'm working at a bank punching numbers. In a party, it's extremely tedious. It almost drove me to just log off, but I had to "work" through it. The game mechanics for DoT classes are very bad, and Summoners' pets are somewhat underpowered.
Getting XP from mobs can be done at a reasonable pace, but SOE commited the cardinal sin by forcing people to run quest after quest after quest by restricting AA XP to Quests, Named MOB kills, new items picked up, and discovering new areas (maybe a few other things in addition). This means that if you do not run quests all the time, you will be severely underpowered as you level up, and it will get worse and worse since the higher level you get, the more "behind the curve" you will be, since you will have little to no AA Points. Almost everyone runs a parser in this game, so if you don't perform accordingly (i.e. have your AAs) you will probably stop getting groups by the time you really need/want to look for them.
I have played EQ1, VG, WoW, and L2. This the first game that has literally required me to do quests and pretty much nothing but quests from start to finish to actually level/progress my character. Since in other games I am used to taking "quest breaks" where I will spend a few days and level off mobs/instance parties/farming gear/etc. this is pretty much unacceptable to me.
That's pretty unfortunate. As a new player who actually has to find everything (not a reroll who knows the quests back and front) I can actually camp an area and level off mobs about 25% slower than the quests (which is a respectable pace), but the lack of AAs severely underpower you becasue they are actually needed. SOE should have implemented a system that gave players certain # of AAs per level, and then switched them to 100% AA XP from everything (MOBs, Quests, whatever) at level cap and 100% XP.
This form of restrictive gameplay is not entertaining for me.
Game is fun, though, cause there are some really nice people playing it. Any game can boast that, so it's nothing special.
I'd prolly give it a 6.5|10, because of the restrictive game play and the number of extremely uninteresting quests that you have to run through to level. Makes it boring after a while. Also because of the class balance and designs.

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There is a reason for this game being called EverQUEST 2. It seems like you wanted EverGRIND, in which case, just return to Lineage 2.

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To the person below: It's not 1999 anymore. People like choices and diversity in gameplay. I don't mine questing, but I do mind when I am forced to do nothing but questing. EverQuest means you can quest forever, not "we will force you to quest even when you are burnt out and bored of if". Most modern MMOs use the same "Quest-to-XP" approach, but this is the first one that I've played, which has given Questing as the one and only viable choice for leveling and progressing your character.

EverQuest had long quest lines and epic quests also, but at least it didn't force you do to nothing but that.

Leveling in this game by killing mobs is not much slower than leveling with quests, so I don't know how you can call it EverGrind. The Grind in EverQuest II is extremely softcore in comparison to Lineage II, or even EverQuest before they nerfed it down a lot.

I can prolly grind my toon to level 80 on MOBs in about a month in this game (with my rather hardcore playtimes), when it would take about 1 year to do it in Lineage II, with one account.

Your tone, and comments, boggle me.

Maybe you understand why solo quest lines every day all day is boring. But maybe you are just content with it, in which case responding to my post is a waste of both of our time.

I have the playtimes to play more than one MMO at once, so I don't really need to return to anything. I just choose what I want to play and do it :) Game feels really empty when you're forced to solo all the time, though, which is basically what the dependence on solo quest lines for AAXP is... Do you understand how this MMORPG would feel a lot less massive or multi-player, than many others, to some players?

I went from 1-60 roughly from grinding mobs in dungeons (I pretty much had no choice since the only expansion I owned was EoF). I then quested from 60-80. You CAN get to max by grinding but it will be a long and boring journey. Quests take you there faster and are not so boring. You are never FORCED to do the quests, but if you want to get to 80 fast, it's the best way.

Originally posted by UbahNecro

That's pretty unfortunate. As a new player who actually has to find everything (not a reroll who knows the quests back and front) I can actually camp an area and level off mobs about 25% slower than the quests (which is a respectable pace), but the lack of AAs severely underpower you becasue they are actually needed. SOE should have implemented a system that gave players certain # of AAs per level, and then switched them to 100% AA XP from everything (MOBs, Quests, whatever) at level cap and 100% XP.

You can get some AA from exploration, killing bosses, and getting special drops.  While this won't make you max out on AA you can get a good number.  Also when you do hit the cap they do what you suggest which is that all your xp goes into AA.  So just grinding you could eventually max our your AA.

Then you throw in a few quests along the way and you would be doing great.  Frankly it is hard to imagine how you could play eq2 without doing at least a few quests.  Even if you are grinding picking up legend and lore quests for the special attacks would be something I'd think you would do.  Especially since these are just grinding quests.

I am a little bit surprised about your insight, that quests give more XP than grind. It may be true in the first few levels, but given the complicated and longwinded nature of the quests in EQ2 it is WAY faster to level with a grind group going to some heroic dungeon than doing quests.

You played VG and WoW and are complaing about EQ2 having too many questS?