hey everyone i am in somewhat of a dilema and i wanted to ask you of your opinion.  I am trying to decide which game to get into, lotro or eq2 since they both have new expansions coming out this month.  I have already played lotro and thought it was fun, but what about eq2? i tried the free trial and it wasnt bad but i want to know from anyone else who has played the game. I would also like to know if they have good sized, nice communities or not.  any rants, ideas, or facts would be very welcome.  thank you for your time. 

i was also wondering which game had a larger player population in it. this is not a deal breaker for me i am just curious.  Also what are the biggest servers for each game? any info is apprecieated thank you

I tried the EQ2 trial long ago and hated it. Just like I hated EQ1.

Not sure why so many people played that game. Asheron's Call was a million times better.

Originally posted by xbellx777

i was also wondering which game had a larger player population in it. this is not a deal breaker for me i am just curious.  Also what are the biggest servers for each game? any info is apprecieated thank you

i would personally refer you to LOTRO.  lotro has better combat, better graphics, and even though the graphics are better, the performance is also better.. you would think since eq2 has worse graphics and is an older game it would run smoother but it does not.

on the population, I would probably say lotro has more users, you will spend less time looking for a group in lotro than you would eq2.

my only problem with lotro is the sheer lack of dungeons to do, which is supposedly being remedied in Mines of Moria.

Do not play any SOE games. You will not be happy.

ok thx guys that did help ill prolly play lotro again i was just sure i wasnt going to mis anything big with the new eq2 xpack or anyhting

I guess it depends on what you whant from a MMO.. They are both good games (even thou I prefer LotrO)

One thing to consider is that Mines of Moria brings 2 new classes whick meens that the newbie zones will be full of people to play with!

Originally posted by xbellx777

i was also wondering which game had a larger player population in it. this is not a deal breaker for me i am just curious.  Also what are the biggest servers for each game? any info is apprecieated thank you

        Its a coin toss for which has more subscribers......we really never know how many eitehr game has and SOE has always been very secretive about their subs.......As for the 2 games its just a matter of preference....I subbed to both for 6 month stints....I played EQ2 for about 5 months and LoTRO for about 2 months before leaving both out of sheer boredom.......To me they are both WoW clones.......I had higher hopes for EQ2 since I was a big fan of EQ1 but it was a letdown, especially after they dumbed it down alot to accomodate the more casual player........EQ2 has a better endgame and I liked the crafting a little better in EQ2.......The deeds in LoTRO are pretty cool though......LoTRO probably appeals more to those who read the books and liked the lore......Both games are a questathon (especially LoTRO) and alot of players just solo to max with an occasional group dungeon trek..........You might also want to take a look at Vanguard as it is also similar but a little more hardcore than these 2.

Well I can tell none of the people replying has played EQ2 past the trial - how can you judge a game on a isle up to what lvl 8-10?

In terms of performance - slight edge to LOTRO

• EQ2 has made a ton of ground in the last few patches to address performance, they include fixing the dreaded Nvidia texture caching bug and also added Multicore CPU support.
• LOTRO runs smooth right out of the box.

In terms of playablility - Slight edge to EQ2

• Combat system is little more straight forward in EQ2 - less requirements on the combat arts and spells in order to use them.
• Both games you are able to solo to 50 in LOTRO and 80 in EQ2 with no issues, Hell even my girlfriends mother who is in her mid 40's and never played a computer game before in her life has a lvl 80 toon  that is also a 80 lvl crafter in EQ2.

In terms of graphics - Tie

• LOTRO has much better environment graphics
• EQ2 has better Character models (Soga) and player animation.

In terms of the "Fun Factor" - Slight edge to EQ2

• Both games will give you countless hours of enjoyment  -  EQ2 at this point just has more content to experience with it's 5th expansion coming out soon.
• With Mines of Moria coming out that should give some excitement factor back in to a stale end game for LOTRO.

In terms of Tech Support- LOTRO

• Sony just flat out sucks for supporting the products they create.

Play what you want to play in my opinion you can't go wrong with picking either MMO - they are both fine products.

Originally posted by elondor

Originally posted by xbellx777

i was also wondering which game had a larger player population in it. this is not a deal breaker for me i am just curious.  Also what are the biggest servers for each game? any info is apprecieated thank you

 

i would personally refer you to LOTRO.  lotro has better combat, better graphics, and even though the graphics are better, the performance is also better.. you would think since eq2 has worse graphics and is an older game it would run smoother but it does not.

 

on the population, I would probably say lotro has more users, you will spend less time looking for a group in lotro than you would eq2.

my only problem with lotro is the sheer lack of dungeons to do, which is supposedly being remedied in Mines of Moria.

I play both games and they are both good. This statement about performance is totally untrue. Also the comment about finding groups is untrue. I have an easier time getting groups together in EQ2. I would bet this person is probably not playing either gamer at the moment.

I play both and have been in both games since release. I prefer EQ2 over LOTRO because it has a bigger variety of things to do. Both games are polished and have good graphics. If you are looking for a LOTR expereince then play LOTRO. However EQ2 offers a lot more content and a more varied play enviroment. Eq2 offers more freedom in how you experience the game. Combat is more enjoyable and varied in EQ2. Also a ton more races and classes to play in EQ2. LOTRO does not even come close in this area. Character models and animations are way better in EQ2 but the landscapes are prettier in LOTRO.
 

The big suprise is that, while LOTRO has the great Tolkien lore, EQ2's lore is fantastic and just as deep. People would realize this if they actually read the lore and collected the books for their ingame houses. I have a huge library in one of my houses in EQ2.  While both games have player housing, including guild halls, the housing in LOTRO pales in comparison to EQ2.

Over all both games are good games and easy to recommend but EQ2, for me, outshines LOTRO. I have been in LOTRO for over a year and often get bored in game. I have been in EQ2 almost 4 years and still find new things to do and learn. I just do not get bored in EQ2. As many time before I will get flamed and called a fanboi for my liking EQ2 better but look at my avitar it is one of my toons from LOTRO. This should speak to my respect for LOTRO but EQ2 still wins in the long run.

Originally posted by eccoton

Originally posted by elondor

Originally posted by xbellx777

i was also wondering which game had a larger player population in it. this is not a deal breaker for me i am just curious.  Also what are the biggest servers for each game? any info is apprecieated thank you

 

i would personally refer you to LOTRO.  lotro has better combat, better graphics, and even though the graphics are better, the performance is also better.. you would think since eq2 has worse graphics and is an older game it would run smoother but it does not.

 

on the population, I would probably say lotro has more users, you will spend less time looking for a group in lotro than you would eq2.

my only problem with lotro is the sheer lack of dungeons to do, which is supposedly being remedied in Mines of Moria.

I play both games and they are both good. This statement about performance is totally untrue. Also the comment about finding groups is untrue. I have an easier time getting groups together in EQ2. I would bet this person is probably not playing either gamer at the moment.

I play both and have been in both games since release. I prefer EQ2 over LOTRO because it has a bigger variety of things to do. Both games are polished and have good graphics. If you are looking for a LOTR expereince then play LOTRO. However EQ2 offers a lot more content and a more varied play enviroment. Eq2 offers more freedom in how you experience the game. Combat is more enjoyable and varied in EQ2. Also a ton more races and classes to play in EQ2. LOTRO does not even come close in this area. Character models and animations are way better in EQ2 but the landscapes are prettier in LOTRO.
 

The big suprise is that, while LOTRO has the great Tolkien lore, EQ2's lore is fantastic and just as deep. People would realize this if they actually read the lore and collected the books for their ingame houses. I have a huge library in one of my houses in EQ2.  While both games have player housing, including guild halls, the housing in LOTRO pales in comparison to EQ2.

Over all both games are good games and easy to recommend but EQ2, for me, outshines LOTRO. I have been in LOTRO for over a year and often get bored in game. I have been in EQ2 almost 4 years and still find new things to do and learn. I just do not get bored in EQ2. As many time before I will get flamed and called a fanboi for my liking EQ2 better but look at my avitar it is one of my toons from LOTRO. This should speak to my respect for LOTRO but EQ2 still wins in the long run.

actually i'm subscribed to lotro, eq2, vanguard and wow right now, thanks for assuming though.

and it is not my opinion that lotro's performance is better, it's a fact.

an OPINION would be that I think you are wrong in that even with soga models the eq2 models do NOT look good, in fact I would go as far as to say they look retarded.  so do lotro models for that matter.

EQ2 without any doubts

Originally posted by elondor

 

actually i'm subscribed to lotro, eq2, vanguard and wow right now, thanks for assuming though.

and it is not my opinion that lotro's performance is better, it's a fact.

an OPINION would be that I think you are wrong in that even with soga models the eq2 models do NOT look good, in fact I would go as far as to say they look retarded.  so do lotro models for that matter.

That is your opinion. I still find EQ2's character models the best. Especially the character animations are flat out the best out there from any MMO!

Just take a look at EQ2's mounts, especially horses. No other MMO comes even close to how realistic they look and how their animations are. It's stunning!

The only problem with EQ2 I have are the stale environments. They do start looking old and blant.

LOTRO has really nice scenery! Environments look absolutely fantastic!

But the character models and animations. EQ2 is the best!

That's just my opinion.

Cheers

Originally posted by elondor

Originally posted by eccoton

I play both games and they are both good. This statement about performance is totally untrue. Also the comment about finding groups is untrue. I have an easier time getting groups together in EQ2. I would bet this person is probably not playing either gamer at the moment.

I play both and have been in both games since release. I prefer EQ2 over LOTRO because it has a bigger variety of things to do. Both games are polished and have good graphics. If you are looking for a LOTR expereince then play LOTRO. However EQ2 offers a lot more content and a more varied play enviroment. Eq2 offers more freedom in how you experience the game. Combat is more enjoyable and varied in EQ2. Also a ton more races and classes to play in EQ2. LOTRO does not even come close in this area. Character models and animations are way better in EQ2 but the landscapes are prettier in LOTRO.
 

The big suprise is that, while LOTRO has the great Tolkien lore, EQ2's lore is fantastic and just as deep. People would realize this if they actually read the lore and collected the books for their ingame houses. I have a huge library in one of my houses in EQ2.  While both games have player housing, including guild halls, the housing in LOTRO pales in comparison to EQ2.

Over all both games are good games and easy to recommend but EQ2, for me, outshines LOTRO. I have been in LOTRO for over a year and often get bored in game. I have been in EQ2 almost 4 years and still find new things to do and learn. I just do not get bored in EQ2. As many time before I will get flamed and called a fanboi for my liking EQ2 better but look at my avitar it is one of my toons from LOTRO. This should speak to my respect for LOTRO but EQ2 still wins in the long run.

 

actually i'm subscribed to lotro, eq2, vanguard and wow right now, thanks for assuming though.

and it is not my opinion that lotro's performance is better, it's a fact.

an OPINION would be that I think you are wrong in that even with soga models the eq2 models do NOT look good, in fact I would go as far as to say they look retarded.  so do lotro models for that matter.

I never questioned you played these games I question if you are playing them at the moment. Some of your comments seem to be comments that are not true about todays EQ2. Subscribing does not mean you are actively playing. Yes that was an assumption hence the "I bet"  and the "at the moment" comments. Since, in EQ2 a lot of the chat is how fantastic it performs and looks now. I said this because the recent improvements to EQ2 graphic, especially with dual core support, make it perform much better the LOTRO. It is not fact LOTRO performs better then EQ2. I play both games with their graphic maxed at 1920 x 1080. I get a fps in LOTRO around 35 to 45. In EQ2 I get a fps of 60 to 80 that is a fact on my system.

EQ2 is picky and it may not like your system, so it would be better to say it does not perform as good as LOTRO on your system. EQ2 would have a bigger audience if it worked better on more types of setups. Yet you make a blanket statement LOTRO performs better. LOTRO is more friendly to more computers. However that does not change that fact I get a lot better performance in EQ2 as do many other players.

Here are a couple game play screenshot of two of my characters. I am wondering, what about these look retarded? I wonder if you actually get to enjoy EQ2 to it's fullest. If you get such bad performance it is possible you have never played the game with maxed or near maxed graphics. I have posted many screenshots of EQ2's graphic after someone posts how crappy they are. However I have not had anyone follow up with an answer to my question. What about these graphics looks so bad? You may not like the art style but they are far from retarded looking. They are 4 years old and standup or are close to just about any game released in the last year.

which game do you think will have more ppl in the lowbie areas? does eq2 xpack add anyhting to these areas? bc lotro will have a new beginners area so i was just wondering if it will be hard to find groups in either of the games

Originally posted by eccoton

Originally posted by elondor

Originally posted by xbellx777

i was also wondering which game had a larger player population in it. this is not a deal breaker for me i am just curious.  Also what are the biggest servers for each game? any info is apprecieated thank you

 

i would personally refer you to LOTRO.  lotro has better combat, better graphics, and even though the graphics are better, the performance is also better.. you would think since eq2 has worse graphics and is an older game it would run smoother but it does not.

 

on the population, I would probably say lotro has more users, you will spend less time looking for a group in lotro than you would eq2.

my only problem with lotro is the sheer lack of dungeons to do, which is supposedly being remedied in Mines of Moria.

I play both games and they are both good. This statement about performance is totally untrue. Also the comment about finding groups is untrue. I have an easier time getting groups together in EQ2. I would bet this person is probably not playing either gamer at the moment.

I play both and have been in both games since release. I prefer EQ2 over LOTRO because it has a bigger variety of things to do. Both games are polished and have good graphics. If you are looking for a LOTR expereince then play LOTRO. However EQ2 offers a lot more content and a more varied play enviroment. Eq2 offers more freedom in how you experience the game. Combat is more enjoyable and varied in EQ2. Also a ton more races and classes to play in EQ2. LOTRO does not even come close in this area. Character models and animations are way better in EQ2 but the landscapes are prettier in LOTRO.
 

The big suprise is that, while LOTRO has the great Tolkien lore, EQ2's lore is fantastic and just as deep. People would realize this if they actually read the lore and collected the books for their ingame houses. I have a huge library in one of my houses in EQ2.  While both games have player housing, including guild halls, the housing in LOTRO pales in comparison to EQ2.

Over all both games are good games and easy to recommend but EQ2, for me, outshines LOTRO. I have been in LOTRO for over a year and often get bored in game. I have been in EQ2 almost 4 years and still find new things to do and learn. I just do not get bored in EQ2. As many time before I will get flamed and called a fanboi for my liking EQ2 better but look at my avitar it is one of my toons from LOTRO. This should speak to my respect for LOTRO but EQ2 still wins in the long run.

Does EQ2 still  have the group mob locking feature?

IIRC, my level 20ish paladin was going to get his class armor,  the quest line couldn't be soloed and was over crowded due to so many people needed it.

Is there still a ton of zoning in town?

Who ever said LOTRO has better graphics than EQ2 are crazy or play the game on a low end computer.

The graphics in EQ2 are the best out there with the exception of Age of Conan.

I'm currently subscribed to LOTRO (lifetime), WoW and EQ2.

For me, LOTRO and WoW are all I need now to satisfy my MMORPG appetite. In LOTRO I am on supposedly one of the lower populated servers yet I can still join or start a group fairly easily. I have 4 characters (each around Lvl 35) and I have NEVER felt the need to join a kin in order to group.

When it comes to community, well, when I ask a question in WoW I might get a response about 50% of the time. In LOTRO, if I ask a question in the advice channel I nearly always get a constructive, helpful reply. In my personal experience, the LOTRO community just seem so much more mature than the WoW community. In saying that, both games are top notch.

EQ2, for me, fell a little short. Although the community seemed very helpful I was put off by a number of things: 

1. Not as "open world" as the others and not a clear map of the world. You just got a map of the area you were in and a load screen when changing zones - not good.

2. Enemy animation just felt choppy. when you attacked them, they seemed to lag a bit as they came towards you.

3. Cumbersome inventory interface and not enough bag space. Perhaps it was just me, but when crafting I was never sure what to keep and what to throw; consequently I kept everything and bag management became a bit of a cloudy area.

In a nutshell: I recommend LOTRO. 

eq2 has alot (and i mean alot) more content

lotro has better story teller

eq2 has a ton more diversity

lotro has the "omg i remember this from the movies" parts

both have pretty good communities

both have great graphics

for me its a toss up, but, i prefer eq2 a little more, due to the sheer diversity of classes and achievements

EQ2!!!

but then again ive never payed LOTRO,

Comment,

the graphix in EQ2 is way better/cooler than WAR and WAR is less than 2 month old.

EQ2 has more content than WOW.

And those that say the characters look retarded in EQ2 need to get an MRI or a new computer

In EQ2 you have more classes and more races to chose from than any game i played, and very few restrictions in terms of who and what you can play, you wanna play a gnome shadowknight.. no prob just betray from paladin, you wanna play a ogre warlock.. np.

in most games things are a lot more controlled from the devs than EQ2 which is why i keep coming back time and time again.

EQ2 isnt perfect, but it comes a lot closer than any other game out there (p.s .i havent played all games out there, im assuming stuff based on what ive seen and read )

Oh and the community is really good compared to WAR and WOW