Originally posted by Nadia

all old mmos do this, its not unique to EQ2

 

EQ , EQ2 , and maybe LOTRO are the only mmos I know of

where you pay for latest expansion and ALL past expansions are included

wish aging mmos like WOW included past expansions

 

Regarding EQ2Live,

the new 14 day  trial includes everything except the latest expansion

- dont have to buy anything, only subscribe

http://eq2wire.com/2011/08/25/everquest-ii-launches-free-14-day-trial/

I never paid for an expansion in Lineage.  I played for years and my subscription included all expansions and updates.  Maybe that game spoiled me, but I love what I got there for what I paid.  RIFT has also given me a lot of content updates in the last 6 months for just a sub fee, and I love that.

LotRO doesn't include any old expansions if you buy the latest.  You must buy every LotRO expansion separately.  They do sometimes bundles some xpac content with bonus sales.  LotRO sells Moria and Mirkwood quest content with their Isengard "Legendary" edition, but it doesn't include all the stuff the expansion purchases released with and it costs $20 more.  LotRO does have the occasional "free" content update for subscribers.  My perceived value with LotRO has been steadily declining as I feel nickeled and dimed for every little thing.

I do think it's cool that SoE includes previous xpacs in the latest purchase.  It is one of the reasons that got me playing in early 2008. That doesn't do much if you've already purchased the old content.  Long term playing is expensive as is revisiting the game after a while.

So where I'm going with this is:  If I want to resub to EQ2 and play the latest content I have to shell out $50 or so plus my sub fee package.  It's just not worth the money to me anymore and I find that quite expensive for a 1 - 3 month visit.

Your point about WoW is well said though.  It is the main reason I never really went back to play again after my first 3 month stint.  I didn't want to buy WotLK just to play with new goodies for a short while.  I think if MMO companies would make returning to their games for a visit less costly they might not have to go F2P.  I would rather pay for a subscription, but I don't want to feel like I have to pay another $95 ($50 xpac + $30 to $45 sub fee) just to dink around for 3 months.

Originally posted by Torvaldr

I never paid for an expansion in Lineage.  I played for years and my subscription included all expansions and updates.  Maybe that game spoiled me, but I love what I got there for what I paid. 

makes sense - wish more mmos did it that way

Originally posted by Torvaldr

So where I'm going with this is:  If I want to resub to EQ2 and play the latest content I have to shell out $50 or so plus my sub fee package.  It's just not worth the money to me anymore and I find that quite expensive for a 1 - 3 month visit.

 if youve been gone for longer than year, the bundles work in your favor  (gettin at least 2 expansions for 1 price)

but otherwise I agree with you

i tried to play Eq2 , but isnt the same , played it at launch (was buged as hell) , i remember GROUPING! , i remember doing blackburrows , SH (lots of times!) , RoV , giants! i miss giants !!! , was the thing that impressed me the most when started

oh a path behind the mountains.........OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII..................... a GIANT! , lets kill it!!! :D

tried it some months ago? .............................soloing to lvl 30 ..............ok try to get a group.....no luck ............oh lets keep leveling..................40 no groups , 50 ? 1 group! , 60 , 0 groups ><

i play EQ to group :(  , and no my friends arent giving eq2 a chance anymore >.>

the mentoring idea was cool , but CoH and FFXI do it well (exp/ratio i mean)

When I was leveling through EQ, I never had much of a problem staying in groups from around level 20 all the way until I was in my 70s.  In my 70s, people occasionally grouped for Karnor's Casle, but there weren't that many I think because dungeon XP seemed to take a huge nerf in RoK.  Of course, when I was 80 I had no problems finding groups for TSO dungeons.

Take into consideration though that it has been about two years since I really progressed through Everquest II, so your mileage may vary.  I would, at least, suspect that where I said I rarely got groups in my 70s to extend to 70s - 80s with plenty of groups to be had at the level cap.

In my experience though, the best way to find yourself in a group is to start your own.  I know that's a cliche, but personal experience shows me that in EQ2, it wasn't nearly the hassle it can be in other games for whatever the reason.

Originally posted by Sigilaea

I bought it last year but didn't really give it a chance. My problem was finding people who could show me the ropes, because I wasn't seeing many people in the starter towns.

I have nothing going right now, so maybe I will install it again. With that said, any reccomendations for class, race, starter area? I'm interested in being around people.

not sure if this is best choice for you

but may want to try the EQ2 Extended server instead of the live servers

EQ2X has many more players at low levels - but the pricing could be better

http://everquest2.com/free_to_play/

Originally posted by Nadia

not sure if this is best choice for you

but may want to try the EQ2 Extended server instead of the live servers

EQ2X has many more players at low levels - but the pricing could be better

http://everquest2.com/free_to_play/

 

I agree with this suggestion too.  It's an odd thing, because the subscription for the Live servers is a better deal, but the gaming experience on Freeport (EQ2X) is better from my point of view.  The world feels more alive, there are people grouping, and it's more fun even though you get less game for your money with the same sub.

I agree with some of the comments; an 8/10 for innovation is way to generous, especially when most of the features mentioned are similar to a game that just got a 2/10 for Innovation on this site.

I have strong roots in Norrath.  Love the world that was created in EQ and then played again in EQ2.  I've quit several times, yet I seem to keep coming back.  I'll be coming back in a month with the new expansion and playing alongside the thousands of other newly rolled Beastlords. 

The only thing that annoys me is how $medley is handling things.  That and SOE's trademark dearth of communication to their playerbase. 

I try to stay out of the General Forums, and I should, but sometimes you need to go there for valuable information.  The forums tend to be heavily patrolled by fanboi's and equally heavily modded to censor the masses.  Recently, I think the fanboi's and the rest of the populace have formed a truce against a common enemy (SOE) due to all the ..issues.. so that's a good thing.  Still, the General Forum and In Test Feedback are not nice places to be.  Many other games have that same problems with the forums being the outlet for the vocal minority, so its not a new nor unique thing.

Overall, its a fantastic game.  The current issues revolve around itemization which is *mostly* an end-game thing that the raiders have their panties in a knot over.  I'm not a raider, so my interest level in that is..here (gestures to an ankle-high height). 

I am very much looking forward to my new BL and playing that until it gets stealth-nerfed without explanation, then I'll quit again.

Very nice review. Makes me want to log on to EQ2 and check it out again.

People who write off the "innovation" aspect either have a very specific and myopic viewpoint, or simply don't like the game.

Just because *you* may have a *singular* definition of "innovation" that maybe involves something game mechanic related, and you may have a massive bias (like 'sandbox only!') doesn't mean that there is no "innovation" in EQ2)

The depth of the faction system, the guild mechanics, the language and class system, the massive breadth and depth of housing and crafting options.  There are *endless* places where you can point to "innovation" that completely doesn't exist in other MMOs or exists in a much more shallow form.

Saying "yeah big deal, I dont care about any of that... all I care about is XXXX" just means that you arent qualified to weigh in on any game *overall*.

To be objective, you have to look at a game hollistically (including the things that you may not be interested in, but others are)

Housing and crafting alone put EQ2 *far* ahead of nearly any other MMO.  The faction system, and how it ties into the lore, and the diversity of starting cities, and the concept of citizenship even existing, and the impacts that all of that have, are also very much unique.  If you simply ignore all of that and say 'dont care, doesnt matter', then again, thats really your issue.

This isnt even so much to the reviewer, but more to the really vocal naysayers.  Its fine to not like the game.  Many dont.  MOST dont probably.  But to say "no innovation" is just willful ignorance.  Of course thats no surprise - a big chunk of gaming forum posters seem to be a nearly terminally unhappy lot most of the time.

It's been a long time since i've played but from what i remember the world itself was great, the quests however, were boring. The community was virtually silent on the few servers i tried.. And I couldn't find quests other than papers that told me to kill such and such. But I do think it had one of the most beautiful immersive worlds to date. I really felt like i was a part of the world instead of playing a video game.

Little innovation? Let me guess, you find that WoW is innovative? lol

Comparing AA's to talent trees, even though they've been standard in EQ games for 10 years. Completely misinformation when it comes to player starting cities, you may want to play again and pay attention to where classes can start. I'll give you a hint, some of your evil/good aligned only cities are incorrect.

Tried resubbing to this game, just could not get back into it.  Deleted it again after my 30 days was up.