Yes I know everyone has their own tastes but Ill tell you a little of what Im looking for. I love real pvp, world pvp that is and sieges in this game seem fun although I haven't done one yet.

I like PvE though more Id say, does this game have a lot of dungeons, bosses, raids, etc to keep pve'rs busy or is it all a means to pvp? Not saying I don't like raiding or whatever and using my new big weapon to pvp with but I like tanking PvE content. I usually have a ranged dps type alt as well.

So Ive heard the game is grindy which they're fixing soon, I know about the botting but can anyone walk me through what you actually do in this game say after level 40, is it solo grinding mobs, grinding mobs ina  group, dungeon crawling with groups? What are group sizes also since it varies from game to game.

There is plenty of PVP, you will mostly see it at the higher (70+) levels however.

Sieges can be fun if both sides are serious and well-matched.  Having been in clans and won (and lost) castles, i can tell you that the really big ones are a blast.  And a good way to delevel your character.

40+ it depends more on what kind of class you choose...ranged attackers (archer / nuker), daggers, summoners are more solo oriented.  The rest are more group oriented, but w/ the newbie buffs going up to 62 now, and with the herbs that drop (since C5 or something like that) pretty much anyone can solo, though the efficiency varies.  Many people make a second account and drag a prophet or SE around with them for buffs.

There is a ton of PVE content, an assload of raid bosses, and plenty of group dungeons.  I can easily think of at least 2 dozen from 50 onward.  A group is nine people, which sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that a good party will fill at least 4 of those with buffer classes as buffs are absolutely essential in this game, much more so than anything else i've played. 

So, you can level how you want depending on what class you pick and what you like to do.  The game is a grind, but CT2 reduces the xp grind and MASSIVELY reduces the adena grind, at least till 52.  Anyone contemplating picking up the game should absolutely give it a shot when CT2 launches this upcoming tuesday.

That sounds cool and about their expansions, should I wait for the new one Tuesday to buy or will I have to buy it anyway, I know there are a ton of expansions for the game after 4 years.

Expansions are free of charge. Just buy the lastest copy of the game in a shop or online on the PlayNC website and it will always patch to the latest expansion :)

thats awesome, gonna pick up a copy tomorrow, Is Phoenix server where most noobs seem to be going? Seems like it from what Ive read here so Ill probably play there.

There is plenty of PVP, you will mostly see it at the higher (70+) levels however.

That's either a lie, or an intentionally vague and misleading statement. Up until you character is ~level 78, there is next to no PvP. All clans that aren't on top are usually trying as hard as they can to stay "Neutral". However, due to the kind of audience that these types of games (FFA PvP) attract, greedy groups of players will always be drawn to take a side, especially when they need help in a war, and you will soon have hoards of 78-79+ players showing up at you Castle/Fortress Seiges and PvPs to 2-3 shot you marginally geared guys 3-5+ levels below them. It's how the game works.

Alot of people who play Lineage II call this politics, but there is very little politicing going on in this game. It's all about massaging your e-peen.

Sieges can be fun if both sides are serious and well-matched. Having been in clans and won (and lost) castles, i can tell you that the really big ones are a blast. And a good way to delevel your character.

You can buy scrolls to not lose XP on a seige ground. Other than that, I agree about being evenly matched. However, there is one caveat. Whichever side has the most level 8x Overlords will most likely win in the end, because they can spam Clan UDs. Most large alliances are condensing into 1 clan, so you have a whole clan of players who cannot be damaged for 30 seconds attacking you, and you are out of clan UDs (if you even have any). If no clan has them, then it's a good fight. Fusion Nukes and Seal of Limits is also retarded.

Castle Seiges are pretty much strictly end-game material now, because the top clan will hold Aden and everyone else that is of a high level but not strong enough to beat them will be scavaging for whatever they can get. That includes useless castles like Gludio and Innadril. They will take whatever they can, and in any quantities they can take it. Unless you level up really fast and join one of these clans, be prepared for many months of primarily solo play - and yes, it's boring as hell due to the nature of Lineage II PvE - which is probably unlike most other games that you've played :)

40+ it depends more on what kind of class you choose...ranged attackers (archer / nuker), daggers, summoners are more solo oriented. The rest are more group oriented, but w/ the newbie buffs going up to 62 now, and with the herbs that drop (since C5 or something like that) pretty much anyone can solo, though the efficiency varies. Many people make a second account and drag a prophet or SE around with them for buffs.

1-62 can be accomplished in ~3 weeks with boxxed buffers. To level fast in the 7x levels where you get no newbie buffs, and dropped herbs really are rather more of a pain than a blessing especially for range classes; you need at least 2 buffers. That's for pretty much every archetype except EE or Bishop who can rift on Clan Hall/Fortress/Castle Buffs for good XP Gain and give themselves some buffs. Melee/DD Classes need a Prophet and a BD, and Caster/Nuker classes need an SE and an EE. That is, if you don't have friends who play/subbed those classes (goodluck finding a live SE, though).

I play a Nuker and I have two buffers. $45 a month. I know people who have 3-4 buffers (Prophet, Blade Dancer, Elder, Shillen Elder) for their nukers, and their XP speeds put mine to shame as a result.

There is a ton of PVE content, an assload of raid bosses, and plenty of group dungeons. I can easily think of at least 2 dozen from 50 onward. A group is nine people, which sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that a good party will fill at least 4 of those with buffer classes as buffs are absolutely essential in this game, much more so than anything else i've played.

This game has very little PvE content. There is zones to kill mobs in, but "content" well, you're taking it quite literally there and I like to give it a looser definition. You kill mobs, you kill mobs basically the same way you've been killing mobs from level 1, for months and months. And that's about it. Epic Raids are badly designed and balanced, some many classes aren't even allowed on some epic raids because they are useless and the bosses have certain mechanics that spawn more or more powerful minions when the number of people in the boss' area grows. PvE is badly implemented in Lineage II. If they ever do Lineage II, it should be the first thing that gets a HUGE amount of attention. Leveling in Lineage II not only takes long, but it's extremely repetetive and monotanous. The game is not "hard", it just bores you so much that you find it "hard to log into it" anymore.

How many other games have you played? I'm pretty sure EQ1, WoW, and EQ2 have alot more PvE content than Lineage II, and their content is much more varied which causes it not to become monotanous and boring. NCSoft should have put more thought into their PvE system/content. EverQuest was out years before Lineage II so I don't know how they could have not taken that tip. After all, EverQuest was the first commercially successful MMO, so they must have done something right.

So, you can level how you want depending on what class you pick and what you like to do. The game is a grind, but CT2 reduces the xp grind and MASSIVELY reduces the adena grind, at least till 52. Anyone contemplating picking up the game should absolutely give it a shot when CT2 launches this upcoming tuesday.

I wouldn't waste my money on Lineage II. But then again, I just did. I just reactivated my 3 accounts and logged in, then logged out and deactivated them.

Lineage II is the type of game that requires a factorable population outside of he top 2 clans on the server to be "fun". NCSoft was basically given a moral choice between real players and bots, and they chose the bots.

Now, being legit in Lineage II equates to being the laughing stock of the server.

If you are looking for a game that demands high RL Time and Monetary investments, with very few changes to group and the requirement of multiple accounts to solo at a decent pace - Lineage II is the game for you.

If you want an MMO that is fun with good PvE and raid content, innovative design choices, and customer service who are willing to enforce their EULA, then Lineage II should probably be the last game on your list.

Lastly, their client is full of bugs, half of which they haven't even bothered to try to fix even after all these years.

Originally posted by UbahNecro

Now, being legit in Lineage II equates to being the laughing stock of the server.

I think that's stretching it a bit. Yes there are poeople who brag about e-baying and botting but on some level they seem a bit "less than" in their attitudes "besides" doing all that cheating. I highly doubt anyone of substance is going to pay any mind to what "they" have to say.

I say try L2 out. you have to be in a clan or clan academy to really get the game. if you are not and/or you are not a bit of a self starter when it comes to making contacts you will woefully miss the point of the game. Logging in and grinding is just the basic mechanic to gain levels, skill points, some money and mats etc. But it isn't the game. more often than not that's what people do and they end up quitting shortly thereafter.

Also, I would, at the moment, take UbahNecro's word with a grain of salt when it comes to getting to 60's in 3 weeks. Keep in mind he said 3 buffers, I'm sure he has decent equipment and more than likely is very dedicated. So if that is the OP then sure. but I highly doubt you have 3 buffers, and equipment at your fingertips. And are you going to put in the time?

After Gracia comes out on Tuesday of course that could change and you could be zooming to 60's. but at the moment L2 is still a bit harder than that.

Sovrath,

Yes, I am very dedicated. Equipment coming out of my fingertips? That, I don't know about.

Getting to the 60s is hardly an accomplishment in Lineage II, at least form game balance and progression of your toon standpoint. A level 6x toon is still 1 shot to most of the toons you will see at a castle seige, the DDs and nukers at least. At level 75 (almost 76), I am routinely 1-3 shot by daggers, Archers, and nukers at a seige. This usually happens in less than 3 seconds since they attack fast, cast fast, and crit hard when it happens.

The Vitality System is copied directly from EQ2 (even down to the name) and it will be of dubious benefit to any gamer who has more than casual amounts of time to play this game. Those that can only play a few hours a day (like 2-3 hours a day) will take so long to reach a factorable level that they are almost an after-thought of most high level players and clans (meaning they won't be factors for many months-years with those playtimes, if playing legitimately). Gear costs have never really been a problem for a networking player who has a good guild. I joined a guild when I started in C5 at level 6 and they were more than happy to supply me with No Grade, D Grade and C Grade gear and weapons - all of that is very cheap. The addition of B Grade on the traders is indeed a benefit, but A Grade is not there and with the price of A Grade, you probably don't want to waste 10M+ buying trader gear anyways. You can do level 52-62 in a little over a week with somewhat casual playtimes if you level in the right places.

NCSoft is also putting in measures to slow down the leveling of fast-leveling classes in the lower levels. In addition to that, NCSoft has put in measures to speed up the leveling of characters in the 76-79 level ranges. This means that while a low level toon will arguably progress slower than they used to (especially ranged classes, in Gracia), toons in the 76-79 level ranges now progress faster in those levels since the Hellbound update. This does nothing but create a larger level rift causing much more imbalance at the end-game levels. Levels mean way too much in Lineage II, and for an FFA PvP game that is bad.

Grouping in Lineage II is hard and often slower than soloing for many/most classes, especially if they have buffers.

The argument about buffers is a very legit argument. You can ask any serious player in this game and they will say "Why play Class XXX if you don't have YYY, ZZZ, XYZ Buffers? Seems like a waste of time to me." I have played with and without buffers, the difference in XP speed is on an astronomical scale. Even 1 recharge for a nuker can pretty much double its XP speed, same for an Archer or DD with just a Prophet. Playing without your own boxxed Buffer is indeed a waste of time, and the extra money you spend on the subscriptions, you save in he long run becasue you get to end-game/factor levels faster and can just cancel their subscriptions if you please, anyways.

Having those buffers is important because the goal in Lineage II is to level as fast as possible. Going leisurely by is fun, but when you want to actually get involved in what this game is based around, PvP, you will feel the detriment of going so slow when you've had the choice to progress slow or fast. Necros who Anchor you with 100% Land Rate. Nukers who nuke you for 1300+ damage after a Surrender/Gloom because they are a higher level than you. Archers who stun you with near 100% landrate and kill you before the stun wears off. Gladiators and daggers who can kill you by simply dashing in and spamming 1-3 skills. BDs who rush in, UD, whip out a bow and just bow you down. All of that is very real.

If the OP likes PvE games, then he should seriously consider playing one of the more PvE saavy MMOs.

And no, my statement about legit players being the laughing stock of the server is not an overstatement. While you may not agree or like the statements of those players who post on L2Blah, you cannot deny the fact that they are playing this game along with their guildies and illegitimacy is very much rampant in this game.

Trust me when I say that life was not fun as a nuker weilding a Spiritual Eye +0 at level 70. I have 2 buffers because there is simply no way I could level without Zerk 2, Acumen 3, Empower 3, and Recharges at 70+. I don't think I'd be able to hack leveling off of herbs at that level since it is very impractical to run from mob to mob. Farm adena and then sacrifice adena to the drop thieves while leveling by waiting until after the buffround/play session to pickup. It's worth it in the end.

I was going at a steady pace (to avoid burnout) of 10% a day in level 75 and by the time I got to 66% I decided to just cancel my accounts because more and more bot groups were appearing at my spot and after about 150 petitions and 5+ online petitions (on the support site) as well as a couple of calls to NCSoft (yes, I went there/taht far) nothing was being done about it.

It is not worth my time to play a game like that (this is MY OPINION), especially for the dry PvE aspects of this game, when there are so many games that implement that side of gameplay much better.

On the flip side, I do understand why he MAY be looking at Lineage II for the PvE aspects. So many games these days are copying the WoW/EQ2 way of character progression. All you do is quest for XP, and it gets boring. For that reason, I am looking at a 1-2 year break from MMORGS. The market is saturated with too many crappy MMOs and I feel us serious players need to just give it time to stabalize it self and hopefully something that is less grindy than L2, more balanced than L2/AoC, less questy than WoW/EQ2, and more modern than EQ1 comes out.
 

I don't think Ill be buying L2 before I get a buddy key now cause while I like PvP I don't think this type of Pvp sounds very fun especially starting out now with so many high levels. Thanks for the honest review Ill still give it a shot but I think the new talk about fast levelling just got my hopes up a bit too much and I wasn't thinking about the rest of the things I don't like.

Why does everyone view a negative review as an honest one?

What is the benefit to lying on the Internet? None?

I certainly have nothing against the game. With better management, Lineage II would have been a MUCH better game with a HUGE population. But because NCSoft turns a blind eye to glaring imbalances and rampant cheating, many of the players that actually care about that kind of stuff have moved on.

That is why they are finally offering Server transfers and did not wait until long after to began merging servers.

If you take that as a sign of a game that is booming and so awesome that people can't resist playing it, then good for you.

But believe me when I say that you will see more bots and fields littered with the arrows they leave behind (which lag you to crap) than real players on almost any server in the game except maybe the recently merged ones. And after a few months things will be about the same as the other (non-merged) servers once the server power i