Good luck with that.

I just let them sit idle.

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Originally posted by Guillermo197
The beta for the Sentinels Fate is top end content anyway. So yes it's only for active accounts.
The pre-order you placed is a nice deal for new players anyway. As you get everything with it. The original game, plus all adventure packs and expansions, incl. Sentinels Fate.  That's a lot ;)
If you cannot wait. You can just create a trial account, play for 14 days. And then upgrade the account with the retail key of the box on the 16th.
Cheers

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Correct, nearly all EQ/EQII Beta's are typically only open to existing accounts. So this is yet another incentive for people to subscribe.

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Originally posted by arieste

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Originally posted by drbaltazar

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Originally posted by arieste

 if it's a matter of two months, don't bother buying the expansion.  the new starting area (Halas) is not going to be in the expansion anymore (recently announced that it's pushed back), so there'll be nothing but battlegrounds for you.
Honestly, if you're level 30 and you're a slow leveler, there is tons and tons of content for you as it is.  When you get to 70ish, start thinking about buying the expac.  Until then, you have plenty to enjoy. 

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ho the new starting area is cancelled !dam goodby eq2 then lol.

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not cancelled, moved to the next live update after expac.  but honestly ,it's a joke, the game has like 10 starting areas as it is, it doesn't need more.

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Having Halas will be nice as you'll have the potential for new players coming to the game and a whole new area for those players as well as existing players to start in. I'm coming back to play as I'm looking forward to the new expansion.

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Originally posted by drbaltazar

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Originally posted by arieste  if it's a matter of two months, don't bother buying the expansion.  the new starting area (Halas) is not going to be in the expansion anymore (recently announced that it's pushed back), so there'll be nothing but battlegrounds for you. Honestly, if you're level 30 and you're a slow leveler, there is tons and tons of content for you as it is.  When you get to 70ish, start thinking about buying the expac.  Until then, you have plenty to enjoy. 

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  ho the new starting area is cancelled !dam goodby eq2 then lol.

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Originally posted by arieste
 honestly, SOE has really screwed the pooch on this one.
i LIKE buying boxes... but with the last few expansions they've been very hard to find and late to arrive... so i switched to digital... for this one digital is not an option. 
the problem is that if you want the week headstart, you have to buy a box, but boxes won't be sold where i live until after headstart... it's a freaking joke.
they want us to buy boxes, we want to buy boxes, but there are no boxes to buy.  
(*&^#%&#(%)*(&Y(*@&$(*@*(T&* <- that about sums up the situation.

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If its any consolation I'm sure the first few days will be met with Emergency Patches and any number of different issues.

Did you miss out on the Combine back in 2006? Talk about re-living the old days. SOE created a server starting out with Kunark and as content was was being unlocked they would open up a new expansion. It was great seeing people in the original zones and playing original zone content. One of the highlights for me was trading again in the EC Tunnel, that was really a treat.

Things were going well, unfortunately there were two competing Raiding guilds that were determined to unlock the content as quickly as possible and although the game was set in the old world, the new features were still part of the game. It wasn't long before 'newer expansion' type items were being introduced, which slowly effected the economy.

Nonetheless its was just awesome for the first three weeks.

It never ceases to amaze me that there is a perception that Blizzard/WoW is the measure of all gaming. Granted I do enjoy Blizzard products and have been playing their games long before WoW came onto the scene. I don't have any issues with the OP ribbing his buddy, we see this dog kicking practice at every level in life.

I've heard about the battle grounds and it doesn't seem to be very 'popular' with some players. I'm sure part of the issue is people may not fully understand what SOE is trying to accomplish. Its my understanding that its only in certain areas and is more-less a matter of participation than suddenly finding yourself being ganged as you travel about your merry way.

I certainly like having a Hard Copy. Fortunately for me I have a GameStop near my house, granted they seem to be more geared towards Console Jockeys than PC/MMO gamers.

Sounds like a great program and seems very encouraging to those interested in the gaming field.

I'm getting an alleged notice from Blizzard in reference to my WoW account. I've not played in 5 years. Who ever it is, has been spamming me a lot lately.

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Originally posted by sebbonx
No one is waiting for EQ3 or playing EQ2 or EQ1 for that matter. The games are deader than a door nail and we are waiting for WoW2 and all playing WoW because EQ sucks and always has!

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We aren't? I know I'm looking forward to something new from SOE and another iteration of EQ would be fantastic.

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Originally posted by kelarcanus

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Originally posted by ste2000

Lol even faster than fastest.............I didn't know it was possible.

How about you let everyone start at 80, since that's where the real game begin.
How about making 1 to 79 more fun instead of allowing players to skip the content all together?

When the devs will understand that the best part of a MMORPG is the journey not the destination?
You need to make the journey more fun so people won't rush to end game.

Slower progression + better content = longer subscriptions
Very simple formula

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Because in any level-based game, it IS the destination that matters. The journey is just shit you have to do on the way to get there. It holds no value and no meaning other than a means to an end.
 
Why should I waste my time grinding out an uber set of level 50 gear when I'll replace it in 5-10 levels? Why should I fool around and take my time from level 20-30 when the good stuff doesn't start till 40, and even then it's worth doing once just to say you've done it - there's no real reward until you get to max level. And even that reward only lasts until the next raise in level cap.
 
I spend the same amount of time IRL playing with my friends at max level and pre max level. Why should we waist our time (and by extension our money) when it doesn't matter?
 
And don't even try to tell me it's about "the story." It's an MMO, the story is an afterthought if it even exists at all. What interesting stories and lore there are can usually be done at max level anyway.
 
 
The only reason companies don't start people at level cap is because it'd screw their bottom line. In any level based game, a disproportional amount of time is spent on content that you will only do once, unless you make alts. As a result, content is thin when you reach max level and going back to do lower level content is a waste of time as far as progression is concerned. And if you aren't a progression oriented player, then I fail to see the problem in first place. Go back and do every little nook and cranny when you hit the max level, it'll still be there.
 
The entire level-driven concept is to blame. it's a horrible idea from the get-go and sadly, few people have the balls to challenge the paradigm. It's easier to appease their producer by saying "we're going to do what we know makes a little bit of money" and then act all surprised when people complain non-stop about it.

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I believe this serves to illustrate the continued subjective debate over MMORPG game play and its interpretation. EQ and EQII are very substantive games. They are intended to be experienced with a little more attention to detail than a mad dash to get your character to 'the fun stuff', which is a matter of opinion. What's fun to one person isn't necessarily fun for another.

Its understandable that there aren't a lot of new players buying the game, so there is a sense of urgency to catch up to the 'active content'. The fun shouldn't entail pressure to get to that active content. Sentinel's Fate will introduce a new starting area (Halas), which may encourage people to create new characters. This may be a good opportunity for some, however you may be dealing with a lot of higher level players who are Power Leveling their new characters.

This process seems to go a lot easier if someone is in a guild. I'm fortunate enough to be in a guild where new players are welcome and you can typically find people to group with. I plan on returning to the game shortly after the expansion.

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Originally posted by Illius
I remember a long while ago when I gave EQ2 a try, their crafting was a sort of mini game on it's own.  You had to actively participate in the process, remove impurities as the item is being made, add things.  It wasn't just a click the button and watch a bar fill across your screen.  I however didn't particularly like the rest of the game so the crafting on it's own wasn't enough to keep me paying.

I think since then they've made changes to this so I have no idea if it is the way it was.  You might have to go dig around for some info.  Other then that, I can't really suggest anything because the last few games I played were crap and it's been a really long time since I've seen a good crafting system.

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Yes, that's all changed and its changed for the better. To me EQII has a great crafting system.

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Originally posted by SaintViktor

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Originally posted by Sabiancym

No amount of money spent is going to be able to kill me in PvP................so I don't really care.

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Not true because someone will go and buy gold because it is legal in Korea to do so. They will proceed to buy better armor and weapons than what you worked hard to get without buying gold and proceed to open a can of Whoop-Ass on you. Oh and did I fail to mention that gold seller also owns a subscription plan ?

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I suppose we can all agree that gold selling is disrupted across the board, but lets also recognize that there wouldn't be gold sellers (or at least a large of a market) if there weren't groups of people wanting a path of least resistance, an advantage or lack of ability/patience/capability to 'earn' their own items.

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Originally posted by caalem
MMO Genre is dieing because no one is putting effort into their game anymore and just copying ideas that have been copied already.

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A majority of the problem is developers trying to please everyone. Its not impossible to make a substantive game, its impossible when you try to tweak the game to accommodate each individuals idea, play skill and capabilities.

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Originally posted by mklinic
clearly...it's the customer's fault.

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This statement epitomizes the whole problem. The expectation should be can you as a player, play within the design of the game. What we have now are gamers that want games designed around their comfort level, attention span and capabilities. What happened to playing the game within the boundaries and design of that game? The skill, strategy and ingenuity comes from the player who can learn, adapt as well as improve based on the tools they are given.

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Originally posted by blueturtle13
So true. People like to rag on SOE but they publish games that hundreds of thousands of gamers pay to play. EQ3 will be a big hit for preorders and just like EQ1 and EQ2 today, hundreds of thousands will pay to play it. The REAL vocal majority are the ones who pay for the subs NOT silly people on forums who spew negativity. 

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Not to mention a game that people still play and one that people often return to.

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Originally posted by grandpagamer
Even with all the SOE hostility I would wager  EQ3 would see a ton of preorders. Even those that bitch about the company are captivated by the world of Norrath.

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EQ3 has the potential of being a mold breaker, without necessarily having to be a WoW killer. SOE has 10 plus years of experience. They should know by now where they have succeeded and where they have failed. I'm sure they paid close attention to their competition. EQ3 could be SOE's new break in the MMO world, but they have to draw on the lessons of the past.