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EverQuest II Review: Age of Discovery Review - Edit
7.6
| Pros |
 Beastlord class Dungeon Maker system More additions to crafting |
| Cons |
 Have to pay for almost everything else No major game play changes overall Smaller player population |
Over the past decade, the Everquest series has come a very, very long way. The folks over at SOE have made sure it continues to make a strong presence within the realm of MMOs, and it is always fun to be able to dip into new additions to the series. With that in mind, I was really excited knowing I was going to be able to step back in Norrath again, this time for the most recent expansion: Age of Discovery.
Aesthetics – 8/10
One of the things I have always enjoyed about Everquest 2 was the overall feel of the game. The experience you get going into Norrath is unique. You’re surrounded by detailed monsters, zones, and landscaping, especially given its time of release. The visuals are not always the sharpest, but it is evident that SOE is changing that, especially with the release of the new expansion. Although there are not many new shinys to the game aesthetically with the advent of Age of Discovery, the new additions definitely make a difference, such as the newer version of Freeport. They have made the entire city so much more uniform and vibrant. After having been able to travel to many areas of the game, players will definitely experience the true depth that SOE added to Freeport with Age of Discovery. Moreover, the UI is pretty well fleshed out given the addition of the new Dungeon Maker, so you are given many options to choose from. My only complaint about the UI is that it almost feels cluttered at times and a bit overwhelming. However, I would much rather have more options than I need, so I am able to customize and cater things to my taste than to have too few.
Gameplay – 8/10
Fun! That’s the best way to put it. One of the biggest missing attributes to many newer MMORPGs is, you know, the whole RPG feel. Let me clarify. Everquest 2 actually makes players feel like they are the focus of the game, they are controlling the story, and they are given the option to do what they want. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that there has been a lot of thought and detail that has been put into questing by adding a lot of solid interaction between players and the NPCs. Age of Discovery provides a new class: the Beastlord. It is a very interesting class that allows you to have a pet, known as a Warder. There are many different Warder Families, skills, and attributes to provide for a well-developed experience.
Crafting has always been a cornerstone to the game, so it seemed fitting that SOE took the time to expand upon it with Age of Discovery. The new Tradeskill Apprentices allow you to learn new recipes that you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. Moreover, you get daily quests from them, potentially rewarding you with some of the elements needed to craft the new recipes.
Moreover, there has been a lot of talk regarding the new Mercenaries that also come along with the new expansion. Essentially, you’re able to hire an NPC that caters to what you need it to do, i.e. heal, dps, tank, etc. There are many different types of mercenaries for players to choose from, and it’s based on availability and spotting. Each of the mercenaries you find will have different types of abilities and skills, so you can never expect to find all the same abilities across every mercenary. As the name implies, you have to pay for their service but in return, they are able to act as a separate group member that can aid you for whatever you need. However, they will not be able to perform nearly as well as an actual experienced player, so they are by no means a complete substitute. It’s simply nice that SOE provided the option for players in the event they needed an extra hand.
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Innovation – 9/10
Age of Discovery was refreshing to play. I had the most fun whenever it came down to trying their new Dungeon Maker system, which allows players to essentially have the ability to create and customize a dungeon. There is a plethora of options, ranging from different monsters to even the small little touches, such as a torch or candle. To be quite frank, I found myself decorating more than I did adding or choosing monsters, because it was so fun. There have been quite a few attempts from developers to provide MMO players something similar, but I really enjoyed what I experienced with the Dungeon Maker in Age of Discovery. The mercenaries, although not something completely new, I felt were refined in a way that was commendable. A lot of games try to have player substitutes through NPCs, but many times they just come off as being detached from the game. The approach to have timed characters with various skills and abilities to match what you need was enjoyable. After all, given that MMORPGs are supposed to mirror the ideas of a real setting, wouldn’t it only make sense to have to pay for the services of others?
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Polish – 8/10
Everquest 2 is a fairly clean experience, partly because it’s a veteran game. I did not find myself lagging severely when I was out questing in open areas or in more populated cities. However, I did notice that there were a few hitches almost every time I switched over to do other things in Windows (ALT+TAB) in the middle of the game. I was forced into having shut down the game entirely about half of the time. On the other hand, the new systems, such as the Dungeon Maker, seemed to be very complete and well-developed. All in all, you should have a fairly smooth experience when it comes to Age of Discovery. There wasn’t anything that greatly took away from the overall quality or state of the game prior to its release.
Longevity – 7/10
There are many hours that can be spent playing Everquest 2, but unfortunately, Age of Discovery does not add hundreds of hours of gameplay to what was already there. It just keeps you going for a bit longer. Most of what you’re going to get out of this expansion is trying out the new class, the Beastlord. The Dungeon Maker, the mercenaries, and Tradeskill Apprentices are all great additions to the game, but it isn’t enough content that will fill up a year’s worth of time. The expansion is really just providing you a bit more to the original experience, without drastically changing anything. It’s about adding features, not new places and levels.
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Social – 7/10
Quantity vs. Quality is where is all comes down to, unfortunately. Everquest 2 has just recently hit its seventh birthday, and the community is simply not as large as it used to be. The game has turned itself in a way that everyone plays within the confines of their own guild or set of friends. You won’t need to be muting any chat channels anytime soon, because there’s not much action going on. Keep in mind, this is not necessarily a bad thing due to the fact there is a strong core of quality, dedicated players. However, this may act as a disadvantage for those who are thinking about delving into the game for the first time. I am glad SOE provided the mercenaries, because if you’re just starting out, it’s good to get all the help you can get. Moreover, if you’re someone that’s really into roleplaying, I think the most fun you’re going to have is talking to the NPCs. All in all, it really does become a matter of preference. If you enjoy being able to instantly group up with a lot of players to go become some epic, overrated hero, this is not for you. On the other hand, if you like taking your time enjoying the lore, adventure, and zoning involved in an MMO, Age of Discovery just expanded upon something that may be worth your time.
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Value – 6/10
Now, Everquest 2 is technically F2P, but given the current F2P trend, it’s not really. You have to purchase the expansion for $40 on top of having to spend money to unlock a lot of other features of the game, such as different races, classes, different chat channels, etc. In other words, if you want to get the full on Age of Discovery experience, it will come at a price. As mentioned previously, Age of Discovery does not provide players with drastic changes, and it doesn’t really feel like an actual expansion, but rather, a big update. Quite frankly, given the current state of the game in relation to what is available and coming, I don’t find the complete cost justified for newcomers to the Everquest series. On the other hand, if you already have many things unlocked or are an avid player, I would go ahead and pick it up.
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Conclusion
I must say I had a very fun time being able to play Age of Discovery. I came up a bit short-ended, but not completely disappointed. My major issue with the game is that I don’t think I would call it an expansion. If you are someone who was thinking about playing Everquest 2, make sure you try out every corner of what’s available free of charge before taking out your wallet. There were a lot of features that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I just left a bit hungrier for more.
Well pretty good article except that the Freeport revamp wasn't part of AoD it was part of the game update. Also if you look at it a different way LOTs of new content was added as long as players Make and other players run player made dungeons.
Age of Decoration is not worth the price. I bought it and thoroughly regret the decision, especially since they had a triple station cash weekend (where you could basically buy it for $10) not even a month in. No new content (freeport was a GU, not part of the expansion), lots of bugs from months, if not years ago still not fixed. I really like the everquest franchise, I love the lore, and the general feel of the universe, but SOE are doing their best to turn me off of it. Come on ANet release GW2 already, please!
still eq2 has 100x more depth than swtor IMO. [Mod Edit]
You won’t need to be muting any chat channels anytime soon, because there’s not much action going on.
You obviously have not been playing on the freeport server which was formerly the extended server. It has the highest population, and is probably the best one for a starting player. Chat channels are jammed with guild recruiting requests, and the general nonsense that goes on in general chat.
i recentely subbed to eq2 for the first time and i have to say it has way more depth of gameplay than wow.lotro or most other mmo's i have come across.the crafting alone is in itself a game within a game.thoroughly enjoying myself.
And yet at least in SWTOR I have epic storylines to reward me for my time spent there as opposed to EQ2 where I really feel like a fly on the wall and not important at all to the world of Norrath. I'll take SWTOR any day over EQ2. Only thing EQ2 does right anyway, is the guild system. Guild leveling and guild housing is great. The rest, not so much.
I like EQ2 for the playtime it gave me after I grew bored of WoW but now that something better has come along, it just makes EQ2's wrinkles really stand out.
Completely agree! I bought swtor to play during my work shutdown and the only thing I've been playing is EQ2.. Swtor was the biggest let down ever!
Great review btw)
My server, Guk, which isn't even the busiest, and a couple of others that I have dipped into to have a look also have thriving friendly non moronic chat.
He should have said that the situation with this is dependent on where you choose to play really.
This is what you get with the free to play idea. An incomplete disappointing game because money has become more important than delivering something worthwhile to the creators. It is while i thoroughly hate free to play. And frankly, all of the options for paying for EQ2 are a joke.
Can also say the same. The chats are active all the time with auctions, chatter, trolls, etc. He needs to check if the channels he wants are active otherwise he needs to turn on 1-9. Pretty much everyone hangs out in 1-9.
Worst scoring system ever!
7.6
Average
LOL no 5 is average, 7.6 should be a good game considering it's 0.4 points off 8 out of fucking 10.
In highschool 76% is a B at best. More likely it's a C. So yes, average.
MMO are not about "epic storylines" i recommend going for single player games otherwise you'll be dissapointed by how every mmo doesn't have an 'epic storyline"
Eq 2 is ok but SWTOR is story bliss, I have found my mmo and there is no turning back
They are now. Story has entered the playfield and it is dominating. It's also coming in GW2, TSW and who know what else. Keep living in the past if you like, the rest of us are going to enjoy some prime entertainment.
I definitely wonder if the reviewer is playing the same game I did when EQ2 actually went F2P. I liked it, but not this much. Character creation is fine, as was the community - which made a pleasant change from the idiots who play WoW (the Horde on my server were great, the Alliance were idiots, and cross server grouping was always randomly awful). Dungeon running is a great experience in EQ2 - with real challenges, and groups that actually are in it to have fun rather than DPS meter. But... even at the relaunch there was a limited community on the servers, and being forced to quest grind in EQ2 is like pulling teeth - there's way too much kill x hundred of this, and then kill x hundred of that (disguised in you need 10 drops of y before you can move on) and it's really tedious. Way worse than WoW (where quest grinding is also no fun). A lot of the content is also pretty much inaccessible to solo grinders - which is bonkers on low pop servers, I'm always happy to group but when there are only 8 toons on server at any one time spread over dozens of levels - finding a group can be impossible.
The payment options are all terrible, and whilst I did level a couple of toons into the mid-60s without paying for anything (and better, without getting static from other players in groups for not paying) - eventually you'll need to pony up quite a lot of cash to get the best out of the game.
This expansion is also a bit of non-feature with very little additional content to get you salivating.
EQ2 is a good game, spoiled by a dreadful F2P model.
A lot of the 'content' attributed to this expansion in this review was just part of the Game Update.
What you get in the expansion is:
Dungeon Decorator.
Beastlords.
Reforging.
20 AA that are useless to 95% of players.
The expansion itself introduced 'decorate your own dungeon' which you couldnt even use your own character in. Instead you had to use an avatar with 4 abilities and a tiny mana pool - so you ended up autoattacking through the zone. They are fixing this to allow your own characters to go in there, but only after massive disinterest in the whole thing. Even with your own characters, the dungeon design is still rather uninspiring, they would spent their time better actually designing some decent content themselves. It had been what... 6 months since the last set of dungeons they released? And the raid that noone can enter because of the broken progression content?
Reforging... you can only reforge 1 stat, and you can only change that stat into something that isnt already on the item. Its bad enough that their itemisation is already messed up with spell stats and archtype restrictions, they then cant even put in the right tools for players to fix it themselves.
AA... useless for most players as the tree caps werent raised.
Which leaves you with Beastlords, the new overpowered class. The only reason anyone bothered to buy the crapfest of an expansion.
The real rating should be about... 3. And that is only because of Beastlords. Its the worst 'expansion' and value for money I have seen yet in a MMO.
They definitely do have the worst F2P model ever seen. Then they wonder why they arent having the same success as LOTRO or AoC.
Too much greed at SoE.
AoC has a terrble F2P model as well imo but thanks for the heads up, I won't be downloading now, I'll keep looking. Cheers!
Epic story telling has been a major part of the genre since before WoW (even UO had some good stuff but was mostly limited to crazy rare GM events. MUDS, if we want to include those, had some good stuff too at times). The difference today is the story components are being made available for nearly everyone rather than a select few heavily deticated individuals.
And they are working very hard to remove every last bit of depth.
This isn't a grade system, this is out of 10 and 5 is average.
Yet another higher than they deserve score for a game that advertises on this site.
I must agree 5 to 6 is average. But then gaming scores are not the only grading system to suffer from grade inflation. A ‘C’ should be an average score in a ‘A’ to ‘E’ grade system but that is no longer true in education. You need a 8 or ‘B+’ these days to be above average, quite ridiculous.
It is a bit of a shame that this rather expensive xpac boils down to just one new class, a dungeon maker that seems limited, mercenaries, and a few doodads for crafters. If they were offering it for 20€ I would get it.
You should try Eq2 free to play for yourself and form your own conclusion.
SoE's free to play model is really not that bad especially for silver level members. Five dollars for a lifetime Silver Membership is one of the best deals out there.
Well, I bought it simply because of the triple SC deal two weeks ago, which basically means I got the expansion for a third of the original price.
The author wrote:
"Age of Discovery does not provide players with drastic changes, and it doesn’t really feel like an actual expansion, but rather, a big update."
I agree. It's the most shallow expansion I've ever experienced, and should have been a free update instead. Because of this, I won't buy the next expansion unless I know it's actually worth paying for, or I get same triple SC deal as this time.
This review is much better and down to earth than the preview that was posted here November 29, where Bill Murhpy among other things said:
"There are more new features and additions in this expansion than many games have at launch." ""sd
Lol...
Link: http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/2/feature/5858/Age-of-Discovery-Preview.html/page/1
In highschool, I'm a HS teach, an 80.25 is a B-. a 76 is a solid C (77.25 is C+). So yeah, Average!
Like a poster above said, this has nothing to do with a high school or any other school grade scale...
It is a terrible and nonsensical grading scale. But it's the one almost everyone uses (often with a ten point scale instead of 100). So deal with it. We all know what they really mean.
That said, I agree with the review for the most part. It isn't really any different, and it is a bit restrictive on what you can play, but it is pretty much the same game. I am starting to really like this business model, mostly.
What a load of blinkered rubbish. SWTOR is a good game so is |EQ2.... Nothing special just good games.
EQ2's model is to entice people to sub. Its also overall less restrictive than LOTRO because you can access almost the entire game. they could probably have made more money selling the quests like LOTRO did, because there is substantially more content in EQ2.
actually the game has no depth the game does not focus on the players and ones choices have no effect. basically your whole game will be go kill 10 xrats rinse repeat with the rats occasionally becomeing stronger/different monsters. its a treadmill experience plain and simple. SOE itself is more then happy to let players accounts be hacked because they can't be bothered to do anything to protect their customers till they get caught with there pants down and FORCED to actually do something from the fallout. I played eq2 for many years it had its moments but its time is past now its just a more expensive then subsuscrption f2p money grab for soe
Is this a review of the "Age of Discovery" expansion or of Everquest 2 as a whole? It seems to bounce back and forth between the two.
Regardless, I can't see how EQ2 could ever be rated 8/10 for gameplay. I've wanted to like EQ2 for a long time, taken a number of stabs at playing it because it's such a massive and interesting and sprawling game. But the fact is, it has the worst implementation of the "tab-target, autoattack and skill bar" model of MMORPG combat I have ever seen. Just awful. Dozens of barely distinguishable skills on 10-20 seconds cooldowns, so combat is quite literally "faceroll" - you target the enemy and then hit 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0. Hopefully that kills it, and skill 1 will be cooled down ready to pull the next mob.
No reactive skills. No decision making. Just slide your finger along the keyboard hitting each skill in turn.
It is absolutely light years behind WoW, LOTRO, Rift, WAR, SW:TOR, every other similar combat system I have ever seen. Such a pity.
It should have received a 1 for value. Paying $40 for 1 class, 20 extra AA (not new abilities, just 20 more spent on current abilities, with the previous cap of 300, most classes didn't have anything useful to spend the extra AA on), ability to create dungeons (going through them is free), hire mercs, Tradeskill Apprentices (takes 15 days to receive 1 recipe at max level, 10 days if you do the daily and coach), etc. Luckily SoE had a triple SC day, which brought the expansion down to $15.
For how annoyed I am at yet another EQ 2 feature on the front page, I'm glad they addressed the over the top ridiculousness with it's F2P that is far worse then any monthly game out there..
i just quit playing the game 2 mounth agos WHY cause of lack of players and when you find some if your not the class they want or gear the way they want your left playing alone,,,after trying to find a guild that was realy getting involve with new guild members i realise i was again plsying on my own after 6 guilds in 6 mounths i got bored playing alone and after being active in game for 4almost 4 years i quit...tired of playing alone all the time...
The price you got for yours for is what I think SOE should have asked for in the first place. I wonder how many people are holding off buying it and whether it will eventually fall to roughly a 20€ asking price for the most part. I think this xpac is only for the most die-hard fans of the EQ series. I am a fan for sure, but not a die-hard...
Oh jeez with respect to the link. That was a real porkie! I actually read that article, but didn't remember the last bit. Thanks for linking it lol!
8+8+8+7+7+6+9 = 53 / 7 = 7.6 (rounded).
Not that the score based on any scale means 7.6 warrants it an aavverage game, just that it is the mathematical average of the scores given.
The freeport revamp ripped the heart out of freeport. Starting suburbs now turned into instances, and players housing was forcibly moved to another location in the city. there is a thread 11 pages long about how the revamp to freeport has taken away more options than it had.
To call this an xpac, ahem with 0 content other than they added a design your own dungeon, and the beast lord class.
I got invited to beta 3 days before the xapc went live, and all I have to say is wow I was happy I did because I canceled my pre order for the xpac for me and the wife. It is not worth the price. It is the first xpac that I have never bought for the game. Quite frankly I am done with eq2.
Eq2 has turned into all the other free to play games with the shop driving the content, now what quality of the game that we did have remaining will go out the window and it will just be another crappy free to play game with a cash shop.
In my opinion, the revamp of Freeport looks pretty awful.
As for making it one large combined area... yeah that's cool as long as performance isn't too greatly affected.
However, what made Freeport great to me, my favorite city in the game from the earliest days, is the gritty and dirty and very lived-in "feel" it had. It was always the most believable of the cities to me, with the most personality.
That's been pretty much wiped away with this new paint job.
Again, my opinion.
Then they should be clear about it and relative scoring like in school is irrelevant. If the scale goes from 1-10 then 5 is an average score and thus a decent game.
Since EQ2 is delivering features rather than content through expansions, I think the review is fair to count and review some content delivered recently as basically being the content portion of AoD (and free). On some levels, I don't mind a small player population because smaller populations usually form tighter communities, but I play on Freeport so population issues don't really exist for me.
I think the dungeon maker is the single biggest thing in this expansion - the box that this feature has opened is overflowing with potential value and fun. Consider that SOE recently announced that players will be able to take their characters (rather than the avatars) into the player-made dungeons, and then consider the amount of new dungeon-maker content that has been put up in just the last few weeks (dozens of new items and tools for dungeon makers to use). This feature is in its infancy, and I can see it evolving in 2012 into something that really makes EQ2 stand out among its peers.
The business model doesn't bother me - it allows some people to pay less for the game if they aren't using some features - it lowers the barrier for entry into the game. Very nice.
Epic storyline? Look around you man, open your eyes. Just because they story tells you you are saving the world and there are voice over to the text does not mean you are making a difference in the game. A person would have to be dellusional to think that they matter on their swtor server.
Where did he say that his character needed to make a difference on the server? He's specifically talking about the ROLE that his character plays in the game being heroic. And he's 100% correct. You do feel as though your character is much more important in the total story in TOR than other themepark games.
Reading comprehension ftw.
I never said make a difference in the game, I said feel important or heroic for lack of a better term and SWTOR does that in droves, per character. I'm level 48, and every quest I pick up now has the empire gushing about my past exploits and how I've helped the Empire conquer the galaxy. I've also been reprimanded for some of my darkside choices, killing off certain important idividuals instead of capturing them, etc. It is totally engrossing, immersive and just plain awesome. Make me want to keep playing and then roll a new character and experience his/her story.
As much as I liked EQ2 before, it now pales in comparison because in EQ2, you don't matter, at all. There is no remembering what your character did for Freeport, no narrative that spans the entire game, every quest is a mirror image of a quest in a previous zone, it just lacks any soul when it comes to story. The very cool epic weapon quest line, is soon forgotten once you need to upgrade it to a spell, after you get the spell, it's like it never happened. In SWTOR, I can still remember and am reminded every so often about my dealing on the starter world Hutta, and my exploits on Dromund Kaas afterword.
Like I said, the only good thing about EQ2 is the housing, guild system, and collections. The rest, to me at least, just seems trivial now.
You must have been playing a ShadowKnight, or another game. There are plenty of classes whose gameplay involves more than facerolling. Try a scout, or one of the enchanters, or..<insert class>. Most of the classes have limited skills up to around level 30, then after that the more complex, class-defining abilities really start to happen. After level 50, another heavy layer is added. Its designed to become more complex as encounters, mobs, and dungeons evolve.
Its far more than facerolling, buddy, and anyone who has really played the game past the intro zones would know that.
One things for sure hes never played an inquisitor or a defiler. I was not even got to post but after rereading that bs i have to call him out on it.
Not sure if this is a review of EQ2 as a game or the "expansion".
As a game it is the hidden gem well worth a 9.
As an expansion... hardly a 5 when you consider past expansions and all they offered. This was a feature pack that hardly had any beta testing and has been riddled with bugs especially with the FTP model being morphed into the existing Live gamer model. It took almost 2 days just for the players to be able to play it once it went live and there has been hot fixes almost every day because of the lack of beta. There are neat features, but nothing game changing, or adds to the core game experience except extra easier mode things. Still not sure what we are discovering in this new "Age of Discovery" XPac...?
Our family waited till x3 station cash and purchased it for $10 with change left over... for that a good value... $40 no.
Community - 10! No doubt, it may be small, but you won't find better peeps anywhere. Maybe small, but it is good and solid, just need a good guild regardless of server.
Biggest disappointment has been the amount of bugs lack of completing the last expansion that is promised to come out now until 2013... and how many subs till then?
Customer service and account status is really what is going to kill them now though. SOE used to be extremely awesome at this. Now it's all foder, and long time players especially the All-Access folks are just screwed. Very disappointing.
Until they can fix account stuff and rearrange the priority to long standing players the game will have no longevity and the game will fall into a dismal state that really makes me sad discrediting more of the SOE titles the way SWG did hugely a long time ago :-( Another lesson not learned.
Every other day we see new station cash stuff for sale over bugs fixed or new content that was promised long ago... The game has been losing direction over lots of fluff. The people who have been providing the game with income over the years are no longer apparently listened to this idea that the new ftp model will provide more income. Perhaps it will upfront. But the ftp model has been active for a year now Freeport, and managed to fill an entire Single server. This isn't going to add a much higher active pop.
Unfortunate, EQ2 is THE diamond in the rough. A game that has literally almost everything. It's now either too easy (which leads to boredom fast) or too focused decorating like Sim City online... and that went super...
Im subbed to EQ2 and TOR (as well as LOTRO), all are good games but different experiences. TOR may have the epic storyline and give you a heroic perspective, but that is about it. You cant explore. There is no real crafting, no player housing, no space exploration and the list goes on. I am level 24 on TOR but havent logged on since early January. To me, the 'epic' storyline is too linear. Hell, I can even turn myself into a dark jedi.
EQ2 while older and definitely showing its age, is a more mature full fledged RPG that contains content that cannot be beat. Yes the quests are kill X of Y things, but TOR has it too. Fix six pipes, plant 5 bombs, its all the same. I dont see it as a problem, but more a staple of current MMOs.
EQ2 calls to the MMO player who longs for the journey over end-game, doesnt care about PvP, and wants to get lost in the lore. I have yet to find an MMO to compete with what EQ2 offers.
I eagerly await the Secret World, and Guild Wars 2.