Originally posted by elondor

 

 

 

maybe you started playing everquest late, because when it first came out, there was no end game either, but then again, no one cared then.   there were a couple places to go, solusek and lower guk if i remember correct those were the only lvl 50 places to go.

if you are not playing this game to have FUN, then you are not going to have fun.

if you buy a game, race to 50, go to the high dungeons every day and get all the armor, you ARE going to be bored in a month, because the creaters dont make this game for YOU, they make it for the casual players who will take weeks and months to get where you go in a single month.   that's how they make money, believe it or not, they are in this for the money first and foremost.

the race is what kills you, you ever figure out how to slow down, do it right, and ENJOY the game, you won't have anything to complain about.

 

the games you mention fail mostly because there are no fun factor, it's all about the grind and grind. 

everquest was fun because it was focused around a single 5-6 person  group, you felt part of a team, and you had a specific function, it was fun and you didn't need 20-40 people to get a piece of awesome armor, you just needed a single group. 

now you have consumer games like WoW, where each land mass has what, 1 low level dungeon, 1 mid level dungeon, and a lvl 60 dungeon that doesn't feel like a dungeon crawl but work?

 

vanguard is *THE* closest game out right now that feels like the true everquest sequel, not everquest 2, but vanguard.

 

it is still rough around the edges, and it does need work.. but they have shown that they are working on it and they are trying to improve it.

INTRO

I played Everquest at its release, and prior to that I would play for hundreds of dollars each month Warcraft II on AOL.  I also would play WC II on other providers as well, some were free such as Microsoft, I think.  Great fun.  Still love and regularly play WC III Frozen Throne

FUN

My purpose for playing MMORPGs is to have fun.  I have fun with

1. World Immersion
2. Character Customization
3. Deep Questing
4. Content Options that are Many and Varied:  Solo, small group, full group, etc.

RACE TO 50?

I am still 49.  I never raced to max level in Vanguard or any game.  The game has been out for a year and I have not reached the max level.

EVERQUEST

EQ 1 was successful and fun for varied reasons.  Graphics, audio, visuals, sense of danger, world immersion, community, sense of progress, feel of the game, etc.  Raiding ruined Everquest.

WOW

I agree with you on WoW, overall.  I liked WoW, not as much as EQ 1 or DAoC, for the first few months doing the pre-Molten Core small-raid content.  Great fun with the guild, friends, family, etc.  Then it became tedious, predictable, and repetitive doing it over-and-over again.

CONCLUSION

I am not in this segment of gamers that 1) race to max level or 2) like WoW.  I am "out-of-touch" because I want to feel as if my character is a part of a novel.  World immersion = you feel as if you are playing inside of a novel with a story and character (yours) developing.  You are a part of that story.  You are a part of that world and make a difference through deep Questing, etc. 

Great question.  We really do not know.  I do not even want a "purely" classical server.  I am perfectly fine with maps and so forth.

• Where to begin and where to end? 
• I suggest begin with Classic.  After 5 to 6 months, release Kunark.  After 5 to 6 months, release Velious.  Stay in Velious for 1 year then release Luclin.  Stay in Luclin for a year or so then release PoP.  After PoP, I have not interest in Everquest. At all.

IDEAL SERVER: 

1. Classic for 3 to 5 months
2. Kunark for 6 months
3. Velious for 1 year
4. Release Lost Dungeons of Norrath & Legacy of Ykesha

Well, you just have the offenses expunged, and if it is a state in which your records are deleted, you never have to mention the offenses again, even if an employer (private or public) says otherwise.

It is not a "cover-up."  A cover-up is when you commit a crime and try to hide evidence.  An expungement is for people that can completely wipe clean the offense (or offenses) and never have to mention it again. It is as if it never happened for purposes of employment, certification, licensing (medical/legal), and so forth.

Some states such as Illinois make disclosure of an expunged record a crime because so many people have unwittingly disclosed expunged records to an employer, the government, etc.  If an employer happens to have knowledge of an expunged offense, it cannot be held against some one.  But disclosing an expunged offense in a state that deletes the record, I think, will get you in more trouble than just typing or clicking "no." 

Originally posted by Kenze

 

 Performance just has not improved  enough for me to considering maintaining a subscription.

 

Some issues remain, but they are minor for me.

The biggest issue I have is many and varied end-game content.

Originally posted by UniqueName

In an interview with Bhutto.

What would you like to tell President Bush? I ask this riddle of a woman.

She would tell him, she replies, that propping up Musharraf’s government, which is infested with radical Islamists, is only hastening disaster. “I would say, ‘Your policy of supporting dictatorship is breaking up my country.’ I now think al-Qaeda can be marching on Islamabad in two to four years.”
www.parade.com/benazir_bhutto_interview.html

STATUS:  AT-LARGE

1. Civil War in Iraq
2. Turkey I think just invaded norther regions of Iraq

They keep telling us we are "winning" in Afghanistan

1. Osama bin Laden remains at-large
2. The Taliban is reorganizing and rebuilding
3. Benazir Bhutto was just assassinated

At some point, folks, you have to say... maybe we should come home.  Maybe.  Maybe our presence there is a cause for violence.  Maybe.  It is like the discussion on the most important issues of national security are taboo!  This is our future.

Originally posted by Mizab

If it has been over 6 years you might want to look into a process called expungement. This is where if you have not done anything wrong for a long time you can petion the court to have your crimes expunged this will pretty much get rid of them for any kind of background check or so on. It doesn't always work for goverment jobs but sounds like it would have worked in this one. I read your profile I and I think your from kentucky but is kind of confusing. If that is the case kentucky law is after 5 years you can petion for expungment. That seems to be the normal for most states so I highly suggest you look into getting that done.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE

Yes.  It depends on a person's state, but some offenses can be expunged.  It also depends on your state whether the records are deleted or removed from the public index.  Many states have laws that physically destroy/delete the record and also make it illegal to mention an expunged offense.  In some states like Illinois and Texas, if they ask if you have been arrested and you expunged your record, it is illegal for you to say that you have been arrested.  And if they find out you were arrested but the arrest was expunged, it is illegal for them to use that arrest against and mention it to anyone.  So keep your mouth shut. LOL.

So, if you apply to some government jobs that ask if you have been arrested regardless if it has been expunged (and the arrest was expunged) you answer NO.  It is a trap. 

It depends on your state, and you better confirm it was expunged with local, state, and FBI agencies.

Mindful that driving records are not expunged.  I know you went to court for a speeding ticket and the judge or lawyer said it will be "off your record." They are not lying, per se.  It will be off your PUBLIC record but the DMV will have a separate record for your viewing, the courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement you apply to for employment.

However, the DMV, and this includes DUI offenses, will retain ALL driving records.  If you got a ticket and the disposition was dismissal, it will still show the offense and result.  So be very careful if you are answering questions about driving records.  Some states will delete both public and state records for driving offenses, but almost none that I am aware of do. Although this record will not be viewable to law enforcement if you are pulled over; they would have to go to a DMV office to obtain it.  It is removed from the police and public database but remains in the DMV database.

From my experience with this:

California

Does not delete expunged records; the record is sealed with an annotation, showing that "something" happened but no details of what it was.

Illinois

Completely destroys all records upon expungement, illegal to mention it, and might be illegal for employers to ask if one has had a record expunged.

New Hampshire

Destroys expunged record, against the law to mention it

Texas

Does not delete but removes arrest records from public index and places them under seal, but mentioning an expunged record if you are a Texas citizen is against the law, thereby having the effect of destroying it.

The laws are different for each state and have their own details.

As to driving records, anyone applying for a high-level accounting position, law enforcement, medicine, etc. should obtain their abstract.

Although the "mere nondisclosure" probably would not get anyone in trouble, answering yes to the question whether you got a speeding ticket is probably wise.   Everyone gets them or has been pulled over for running a stop sign or something.

Originally posted by Nasica

 

 

Ive always had a saying in life.
There isnt a more scary person out there, than a person who has never made a mistake.

 

The background check is to prevent people from leading normal lives who had a brush with the law.  I also think it is the same issue with registered sex offenders.  Sex offenses are deplorable crimes, and I question if we should ever release sex offenders without their receiving medical care and monitoring.  If an individual makes a mistake, pays for that mistake, it should be cleared.  In our society, however, that is not the case.

Nevertheless, most Americans will not see it for what it is:

• Get in the system, never get out, and have it hang over your head for the rest of your life

I really feel sorry for younger people today who might have made a mistake and entered the legal database.  Your records go from local to state to federal.  You enter three databases, and now the FBI is performing human resource functions for major corporations in which if you have a file and you later have a brush with the law, the FBI will notify your employer.  It is a really strange way to use FBI resources, but it is what has become of our society.

The real problem has less to do with people that have made mistakes and more to do with these databases that preclude otherwise great people from obtaining gainful employment in fields such as personal finance, accountancy, law, medicine, etc. where background checks are extensive.  If you apply to become a lawyer, you will undergo a more extensive background check than if you apply to the FBI.  Well, it depends on your state bar association, but most are extremely strict (it is to prevent YOU and others from becoming attorneys: more lawyers means more competition. More competition means lower salaries.  It is why the AMA (American Medical Association) will not accredit more medical schools in the USA.  Yes, it is why your doctor was imported from Pakistan or India. But tell NO ONE I told you that).

Originally posted by elf8bliss

I voted for combat, tho I literally flipped coins with classes and the world, cas' I couldn't decide between the three. I like having to switch things up with different combos, chains, weakness, stances, etc. Gives the player more of a strategy when fighting, as well,  it's fun. I personally like the dot system. Overall, the game is very well designed, very ambitious and bold. Pvping could use some love to make it a better experience. But I still mainly play on Sartok (PVP server) cas' I rather have it than not, for the freedom. It adds another aspect of the game to think about. The only bad thing about Vanguard was it's release, ironically. 

In Vanguard, unlike most MMORPGs where you pressed the same "Fire Bolt" over and over again, certain combinations of spells and abilities will enhance damage and achieve other effects such as "stun," "stagger," and others.

I really like it. 

It is an issue I have experienced in all of these games from WoW to Vanguard.  In WoW, I just did not have the motivation to level-up with TBC because the "end-game" content did not excite me.  In Vanguard, I do not have the motivation to hit 50 --I am level 49-- because the "end-game" content does not excite me.

The only game in which I had a motivation to level-up in was Everquest:

1. In higher levels, I got new and unique spells (not just Fire Bolt 18)
2. In higher levels, I could solo some content and dungeons and acquire gear to (a) twink an alt or (b) help a friend
3. In higher levels, I had alternative advancement abilities for more (a) development and (b) customization for my character
4. In higher levels, I had access to some really exciting dungeons and content to acquire gear, explore new regions, and so forth

I do not have the incentive to max level in LotR, WoW, EQ 2, Vanguard, et al. because the "end-game" in all of these games are lacking. 

I think the person above me is somewhat paranoid, and the irony is that I would prefer a background check on someone who is so paranoid and edgy than a normal person who wrote some bad checks months ago.

The point, though, is that "mere nondisclosure" is less dispositive than an instance in one's past that raises questions of ethics, honesty, and candor. 

We have begun to check everyone because we are so paranoid.  We do not trust each other, and that is more harmful in our society and businesses than hiring a person who wrote bad checks in the past.

Originally posted by mrw0lf

Looking throught the VG tech forum imo displays a glaring issue this game has with compatability, with a massive range of things from sound card drivers to usb P&P web cams.

Btw love the foliage in the game I can't get over this grass

The word you mentioned is "compatibility."  Is it because Vanguard was released so early or because SIGIL's programmers were so bad?  I am curious to know because I remember at release all the bugs and performance issues that really hurt the game and continues to hurt the game's sales.

People are afraid to resubscribe because they think performance is still awful.  The nice thing is that SOE has offered the free holiday time, which I admire SOE for doing.

My performance is overall excellent, but some tech stuff needs to be worked out.

Oh, right.

I mentioned the Saudi business woman because our media has told us that all the Arab women must wear veils and lacks rights and so forth.

Originally posted by JamLD

 

I knew I was forgetting something!

 

LOL, I can't believe I forgot about necros in that list.

SOLO CLASSES

1. Bear Shaman
2. Necro
3. Shaman:  wolf or phoenix
4. Ranger
5. Bard
6. Dread knight
7. Sorceror

A friend of mine tells me that the Rogue is an excellent solo class if you know how to play the Rogue well.  The monk I have heard is also really coming into its own as well as the Disciple.  I remember when the Druid and Pscionist were some of the best soloers but have not heard much of them. 

When I played on the PvP server, the classes that could solo the 6-dot named-mobs were: Druid, Pscionist, Necro, and Shaman.

The two classes people have problems with soloing:  Warrior and Cleric.

Other:  VANGUARD:  SAGA OF HEROES.

I also play CoD 4 online.  After beating the first player, do not play much.  Been busy lately, too.

Originally posted by windstrike1

That is great. 

George Orwell's 1984 should be renamed for 2004.

Originally posted by CleffyII

Only in Dubai can a Gym Teacher own an Austin Martin.

Hehe.  Yep.

The Arab countries are extremely rich. 

For some reason, the media always portrays the Arab world as poor, background, and overall dumb.  If you visit wealthy countries such as UAE or Saudi Arabia... you will have quite a different idea.

www.arabianbusiness.com/richlist/feature/505298

I would talk with an employment attorney, you might have a case but it is small chance.

A difference exists between "mere nondisclosure" and affirmative statements with the intent to mislead.

Even in this country you still are not required to "disclosure" your past misdeeds.  As to the writing of bad checks, I am not sure how that is on your background and they found that.  Everyone is looking into everyone with greater scrutiny these days, and this trend will just continue.  It is sad.  Well, it is worse than that.  It is unAmerican, in my view, to be obsessed with investigating other citizens.

Originally posted by illuvatar

 

 

I really hate the Arena's that WoW introduced...It's so restricted. I like my PvP spontaneous with the least possible amount of restrictions.

Environmental PvP is so much more enjoyable than instance-PvP.

I remember my first WoW-raid.  I had so much fun!  It was a raid of people from various guilds, classes, etc. all together and we hit a horde small village.  We slew all the villages and things and set the village on fire!  When I saw the flames, I thought that was awesome.   Then, they removed environmental PvP and replaced it with predictable, routine, same thing as yesterday PvP.  Very strange.  It is like WoW was, I thought, a great game until you reached Molten Core.  Then, they began to change things such as PvP. 

It makes me almost want to play WoW pre-TBC.  The small-raid dungeons before Molten Core were awesome fun with story, named-mobs, etc.  You did not need a lot of people, and there was some strategy to it, I thought.  Oh, well. 

Welcome back!

I am excited because a lot of people have been returning to Vanguard.  Performance you will find is much better, at least it is for me, than at release.  A lot of content has also been added such as the APW raid dungeon for end-game stuff.

I like it. 

Originally posted by ladyattis

Oddly, I can solo (when prepared) three dot mobs, but mostly that's because I've only encountered ones that were two levels below me. :>

To my knowledge, all classes can solo 3-dot and many classes (bear shaman, bard, ranger, Dread Knight) can solo 4-dots.