How is EQ2 looking these days in terms of population and content?

If you look at any of the multitude of other threads covering this, you'll see that despite what the 'SOE iz teh devulll' gang would have you believe, it's thriving. I personally believe that subs are increasing because I'm always seeing new players asking questions both here, the other forums I frequent, and in game.

EQ1 is still king of content, with EQ2 coming in a fairly close second. No other MMO comes close.

Originally posted by Fa+e

How is EQ2 looking these days in terms of population and content?

the trial gives you access to the full game with all expansions but the latest

everquest2.station.sony.com/freeTrial.vm

but its limited to level 20 (and some other restrictions like no trade, no mail, etc)

Thank you...what server would you suggest for a new player?

personally I recommend a medium server, like mine, Blackburrow

but Antonia Bayle is the most popular if you want alot of people - but with alot of people also comes lag

if you do want to try blackburrow,

I can send you a Refer a friend invitation and I'll hookup to group with you ingame and show you around

You could certainly do a lot worse than taking Nadia up on their offer.

I mostly play on Antonia Bayle and like the majority, I experience terrible lag at certain times. If they ever offer free transfers, I'll move those toons to join my others on Mistmoore (arguably the top US server for avatar raiding).

Najena is a good server esp if you like late night activity PST time.  Seems like there is a strong Ausy, asian community that starts ramping up around 9pm PST. 

Population is extremely low. Hardly anyone groups. Make sure you use a free trial and discover for yourself before buying.

---

Originally posted by RedwoodSap

Population is extremely low. Hardly anyone groups. Make sure you use a free trial and discover for yourself before buying.

---

FFS there's always one.

OP, The game is doing just fine, and if you prefer pvp, stick to Nagafen.
 

Originally posted by RedwoodSap

Population is extremely low. Hardly anyone groups. Make sure you use a free trial and discover for yourself before buying.

eq2 is the best game on the market for grouping. With the ability to mentor getting groups is very easy.  You do need to learn about the chat system to ask for a group and if you join a guild it is even better.  Once you get to the end game you will probably spend more then 75% of your time grouping.

In the evenings i typically log in, check to see if anything is going on with my guild, turn on lfg flag, check the broker, replentish supplies then either I'll send a message I'm lfg, start a guild group, or maybe go work on a solo quest and harvest some shinies or something.  I'll keep an eye for people with a group wanting more and joining. I log on maybe 8-9pm pst on my normal routine and log off around 11:30pm.  In this time I will always do something grouped.  Sometimes I'll do a TSO run, I almost always do one in the evening.  Sometimes I'll do a lower level run, like in the last week I did one run through fallen gate with a lvl 20ish group, and I did a run through the dungeon in thundaring stepps, varsoons I think.  I'm no Najena which isn't the top eq2 server.

Mentoring in eq2 is the best feature in the game!! It makes grouping in the game the easiest in any game out! 

I'm not a huge fan of SOE and tbh when KOS came, I hated the way the game turned out. I resubbed 2 weeks ago on splitpaw server and the population is medium at peak hours and I can tell you there is loads of people about and grouping. I am having alot of fun atm and would suggest you try the game out!

Originally posted by ethion

Mentoring in eq2 is the best feature in the game!! It makes grouping in the game the easiest in any game out! 

well said

Fate,

I recently returned to Everquest 2 after a LONG break. (I canceled right before Desert of Flame launched) So far I'm incredibly pleased with what I've experienced so far. After trolling the EQ2 community forums I picked the Antonia Bayle server to make my home. The grouping has been quick and painless and the community is surprisingly mature and enjoyable.

If you've played any of the other popular big name MMOs out there recently, give Everquest 2 a try once more.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

-Rafinious

Antonia Bayle
 

3 weeks ago I resubbed after a pretty extended absence.  I'd dropped out of the game because I played on Najena server and there simply wasn't much action for a lower level toon, all the action was upper end raiding.  I wasn't about to pay the 50 bucks to transfer over, so I just left.

Once I rerolled fresh on AB server I was instantly impressed with how many people there are, how active everyone is, and how easy it is to level and enjoy.  I don't like questing, in fact I hate it.  My monk hit 53 last night and 98% of his levels were gathered in dungeons, same with my wizard.  Someday I'll have to go back and do some quests to get the status and such but not now...I love the dungeons.

The mentoring system, the guild agent system, the lfg, all good things.

As far as the population goes, I see no less than 5 noob questions a day in chat so to me that says it all.  I personally get no lag on AB but I see a few complaints now and then.

There is not a better pve game out there, it's just that simple.

Originally posted by clatonious

3 weeks ago I resubbed after a pretty extended absence.  I'd dropped out of the game because I played on Najena server and there simply wasn't much action for a lower level toon, all the action was upper end raiding.  I wasn't about to pay the 50 bucks to transfer over, so I just left.

Once I rerolled fresh on AB server I was instantly impressed with how many people there are, how active everyone is, and how easy it is to level and enjoy.  I don't like questing, in fact I hate it.  My monk hit 53 last night and 98% of his levels were gathered in dungeons, same with my wizard.  Someday I'll have to go back and do some quests to get the status and such but not now...I love the dungeons.

The mentoring system, the guild agent system, the lfg, all good things.

As far as the population goes, I see no less than 5 noob questions a day in chat so to me that says it all.  I personally get no lag on AB but I see a few complaints now and then.

There is not a better pve game out there, it's just that simple.

QFT

I see this on Antonia Bayle as well.

1-9 Channel "how do i opin my bagz?"

Seriously.

Did the new expansion make grouping easier?  I remember LDoN from EQ1 and loved it.  The new EQ2 expansion appears to be similar.  Is that true?

Originally posted by Tnice

Did the new expansion make grouping easier?  I remember LDoN from EQ1 and loved it.  The new EQ2 expansion appears to be similar.  Is that true?

There's an LFG tool now but I never use it. Primarily, I stick to asking in the level bracket channels.

10-19, 20-29,30-39 etc

But not 1-9...we don't go to Ravenholm and we don't use that chat channel.  It's troll infested.

-Rafinious

Antonia Bayle

There is no Rafinious, only Zuul!

Originally posted by Fa+e

Thank you...what server would you suggest for a new player?

Lucan D'lere. Friendly RP server with many nice guilds :)

 I just re-subbed and made a new toon on crushbone, seems to be packed server-wise on my end.  Good times, good times indeed.

I recently resubbed and I am playing my 50 toon on Vox but the server is pretty dead, making grouping very difficult. Other than that, I am very pleased to be back and I have risen 4 levels in a just a few days.

Originally posted by napalmsweb

... Other than that, I am very pleased to be back and I have risen 4 levels in a just a few days.

I just got back to EQ2 as well. It seems that they have changed the exp curve quite radically from what I remember of the earlier days; something inside me says it's too fast gaining lvls.

Otherwise, I'm damn pleased of being back in EQ2, and AB seems packed with players.

Originally posted by Artean

 EQ2 as well. It seems that they have changed the exp curve quite radically from what I remember of the earlier days; something inside me says it's too fast gaining lvls.

happened last fall .. exp is dramatically faster from 20-70

and mentoring gives better exp than it used to also

forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m

I posted about it on the sticky about EQ2 Changes

www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/158138/page/1

happened last fall .. exp is dramatically faster from 20-70

and mentoring gives better exp than it used to also

This.

A buddy took me through Stormhold and Fallen Gate last night for named mobs and I left two levels higher and plenty of Master I books and gear for the broker.

Originally posted by Ironacolyte

Originally posted by Tnice

Did the new expansion make grouping easier?  I remember LDoN from EQ1 and loved it.  The new EQ2 expansion appears to be similar.  Is that true?

 

There's an LFG tool now but I never use it. Primarily, I stick to asking in the level bracket channels.

10-19, 20-29,30-39 etc

But not 1-9...we don't go to Ravenholm and we don't use that chat channel.  It's troll infested.

-Rafinious

Antonia Bayle

 

There is no Rafinious, only Zuul!

I would suggest that you DO ask for more people for a group in the 1-9 channel.  I'm not sure about other people but I look at the 1-9 channel and the 71-80 channel.  I have all the other channels turned off.  If I see people looking for more people for their group in the 1-9 channel and i'm not busy I join groups and mentor all the time.  So my advice is, don't be afraid to ask for more people in the 1-9 chat.  If you are lfg stick with the level appropriate channel since people at that level almost certainly have that channel active.

What are the PvP servers like now days?  When I left EQ2, the PvP server that I was on (don't remember the name) was a gankfest and made questing very unenjoyable.  Also, at that time, grouping was not easy and I had to try to do most quests solo, which made me a sitting target.

For those who PvP, what are your thoughts about starting a new toon on a PvP server?

Ion