Looks awesome.  Getting really excited about this one.

Related to your question, my dream?  Classic servers up to Luclin (or Velious) + sandbox items.

EQ should never have moved past Kunark or Velious without adding sandbox items such as housing and battlegrounds.  I know the hatred for PVP by most EQ players (I am one generally), but I enjoy a good battleground such as Wow has or what I always thought EQ needed: RVR such as classic DAOC had.  Introduction of these two elements would would have prevented the loss of many players.

A complete graphics update would have been nice too.  Not a reskinning like was performed, but an engine enhancement with improved skins to keep the same feeling to the game.

Without the engine upgrade I think this is on the level of a good expansion in terms of relative work (no more then the Kunark Expansion or maybe the Drakken one was). 

With the engine upgrade it should be re-released as EQ, 1.5 or my label, "The Lost World of Everquest."

Biggest annoyance is the way they crafted the continuous zones--  I don't like the feel.  It feels much smaller and like the major locales are just lost amongst the landscape.  Very little feels epic.  I liked the zone setup and terrain of EQ better then presented here in EQ2 (for Kunark).  

Biggest disappointment overall though is limited housing locations, and lack of level 21 to 64 content.  Making me go back to the older areas for those levels SUCKS.  Primarily this is relatead to my annoyance above.  Otherwise it could have been done.

Guk is nice.  Good number of players and most are helpful if you try to learn and don't beg of course.

I don't think the issue is having a beta.   Not having a beta is almost always worse.  Most games released today don't actually have much of a beta.   It's not just the players that have defrauded the meaning of the word beta.  it's the companies themselves.  The average game released today really does not want folks invited (outside of PR reasons) for any purpose then self-programmed load-bots.

Want to improve games?  Return both open and closed betas to what they must be.

(1) It's listening to the people you allow into closed beta.   Listen to all of the people.  Do not promote fanbois, or even your dev's best friend's opinion above anyone elses.  Compile the aggregates and try to make sense of the results.

(2) BEFORE open beta starts.  Implement the closed beta complaints.  If the complaints haven't died off (and it's not because your closed beta participiants have fled in droves), then invite initate your open beta.

(3) BEFORE open beta starts.  Load test the heck out of the servers, game, login, newbie zones, auction houses, email system, etc.

(4) Open beta should be about confirming things are fun.  If there are complaints.  It ain't fun or your closed beta participants weren't testing things and stuff is still broken.  If it's broken at this point I think it's difficult to salvage a positive release / response, but that's the risks of any developement.

It's dead guys.  It's just dead.  Dead things don't live again.  It's the way it is -- dead.

War looks like crap, Aion is asian, Conan will be a bunch of punks.  I'll be playing EQII.

I agree Greenhell.  It amazes me that people use such excuses and even more so that the 'public' seems to accept those excuses.  They are only excuses.  Yes, abuse will happen.  That doesn't mean abuse shouldn't be punished.  That doesn't mean you don't install safeguards to prevent abuse.  That doesn't mean the 'public' has to or even should accept those excuses.

Why would even SOE be interested in game of fluff?  DnL proved to be nothing more then stolen promises... that is they stole folks cash when and where they could and never delivered what they promised.  Not that they even promised much after the initial website launch-- 90% was left to folks imagination.  Worse company and PR department EVER. 

Originally posted by privatep37

i would never play a mmorpg on a console, least of all the wii. im sorry, but that concept is just ridiculous, and wont ever, ever work.

I bet you'll eat those words one day.  At least if your honest.  It's certainly not ridiculous and I expect to have my opinion validated someday.

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.

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.

Originally posted by Rekindle

the only three reasons i can think of that each game gets released in modern craptastic fashion are:

1. newb developers that were in diapers when real role playing games were around and so, they have nothing to base it on.  If I were playin pnp D&D with these games my character would have to carry a ledger just to keep track of the 5000 people needing bat fur and snake skin.

2. A lack of desire in the industry to invent truly believable worlds that have some challenge to them in both figuring out clues and fighting.  The basicalyl dont give a rats ass about creative content and are trying to box up WoW without saying it.

 

3. A world wide conspiracy against the real rpg gamer who wants a game where hes on A quest (not 500). you dont need static or mindless mobs at every corner but George Bush probaby said we needed that (go back to point #1).

Seriously though, IF I had a gazaillion dollars today I could make a MMO that rpg'rs would like - i know theres a bunch of people on this forum that could too - only becaus we know what a good rpg should be.

The question is - is it the newb developers or a world wide conspiracy that is preventing anyone from crackign the nut that was first cracked in the 70s?

 

I honestly and truly am astounded at to why companaies

just

dont

get

it

or

just dont care.

ty

.....ps WTS tin foil hats by the Freeport Bank.

 

Every word is spot on. (Except it is Hillary not George behind it -- trust me, I have inside info).

I think the fact that this question can be thought of, let let alone discussed for multiple forum pages explains exactly what is wrong with Vanguard.  The classes are not obviously more detailed or better constructed then Wows.

I suspect that is the primary reason folks quit VG en masse'.  Not so much the bugs, but they get bored with the class choices before even hitting level 20 if not by level 10.

"even if it is only 500 k active, thats more than any other game has ever had of active subscriptions, by a couple hundred thousand subscriptions."

Someone stated that on page 1 or so.  Not true.  I was online many years ago (I believe it was in the weeks or months leading up to the DAOC release) when EQ (#1) announced that they set a MMO first and a new personal record of having 500K ACTIVE PLAYERS LOGGED IN TODAY.  Not just subscribers, but logged in.  It was flashed across all of the servers at the time.

I haven't looked for proof, but I imagine it's out there somewhere.

Race doesn't matter.  Folks that tell you it does have never played the game (at least ot any decent level) or so anal you shouldn't be talking to them.  Play whatever race you want.  Troubs and Priests are the hardest to solo, but Fury, Warden, and Defiler aren't too horrible at it.  

I prefer berserker, bruiser, monk, and just about any caster.

*tap* *tap* *Tap* (is this thing on??)

Seems kind of silly, but apparently the trial forces your first character to be a fae.  After making that character go back and you will be able to create any of the others (except Sarnaks).

EB is a waste.  Never buy from an EB storefront especially.

EB has given up on PC sales.  They really only cater to Halo3 addicts and their kin and console players.

Almost every pre-order I have had from EB has been late.  Last one on time was like the second DAOC release.  Forget about EB. 

KOS is way too limited of an experience after the first jump it's pretty boring, but every other expansion has only got better and better.  DOF is very well done IMO.  I really enjoy questing / leveling over there.  EOF and now ROK have taken the experiences even further.   

Solid work on SOE's part.