Fighting Words: EQ2 vs Vanguard Pt. 1

Player Character

Will you role a Dwarf, Gnome, Troll, Froglok, Elf, Dark Elf, Human….the list goes on and on. EverQuest 2 offers so many choices that each play through the game will lead you to different sights and experiences. With a large number of classes, and with each class having a good and bad alignment path, EverQuest 2 is as varied as any MMORPG on the market. Replayability here is key and the countless times I have replayed this game to the cap with different race and class combinations now possibly borders on mental illness. Customization of your character is easily handled with excellent character creation tools and the visuals lend a feeling of awe to each avatar sculpted. There is nothing like equipping a two-handed sword to your Barbarian and marveling at the sheer coolness of your virtual self. With several starting zones, numerous choices and looks that could kill, EverQuest 2 is almost perfect. 9/10

If you thought that EverQuest gave the player choices then Vanguard is playing for virtual one-upmanship. Boasting 19 races and 15 classes to choose from, Vanguard is the ultimate in the old-school MMORPG. With this however come the inevitable negatives as certain classes are underdeveloped, dozens of races are hardly distinguishable and the sheer number of starting areas makes it a little difficult to find another person. The character creation tools are good but the avatars themselves can look a little rigid and badly animated. Ultimately only a hand full of core classes is needed and after Psionicist you’re just playing with yourself. Good but not great in this category, Vanguard gives an overwhelming amount of choice and perhaps with a bigger development team behind It, this would be implemented better. 7/10

Newbie Experience

EverQuest 2’s newbie experience, for me, is almost perfect. The game offers a choice of a beginner isle or various cities to start and this gives the newcomer and experienced player alike an exciting and refreshing challenge. As the game splits into Qeynos versus Freeport, there is plenty of replayability to be had and this even extends to the beginner isle as good and evil quests appear for each respective alignment. The sound, the visuals and the quests are almost note perfect for every starting location, the beginner isle alone is prone to given me warm and comfortable feeling Goosebumps every play through. Each starting location usually has an overarching story and a form of progression. To put it simply, EverQuest 2’s starting experience is almost flawless and I struggle to really find a negative, its perfect. 10/10

Like the above game, Vanguard offers its newbie experience either within an island tutorial or various starting locations scattered around Telon. Unfortunately as the game is a little low of population, the tutorial island is probably the only realistic choice but to be honest, this is no bad thing. The tutorial island, named Isle of Dawn, offers story driven quests, a chance to sample all of the game’s best features and it never really feels like the game is taking you by the hand. As starting experiences go, Vanguard offers one of the finest. The only negative here is that unfortunately, the Isle of Dawn (being the trial island too) is the most populated area of the game a young player will come across after opting for subscription. With this aside however, Vanguard have done a fine job, now give us a second tutorial island for variation. 8/10

Community

The community of any game is always a difficult one to judge. My own personal experiences of EverQuest 2 have been for the most part friendly, except for a couple of occasions grouping with strangers. Guilds welcome newcomers with open arms, the help channel is usually awash with advice and veterans usually lend a hand to fledgling newbies. The only problem I encountered was that of people becoming increasingly hostile to those who do not understand grouping dynamics. As a player of most MMORPG’s, EverQuest has more defined roles in grouping than most games and if you don’t learn these quick you will find yourself on the receiving end of a few choice insults. For the most part the game is friendly but be sure to learn quickly. 7/10

Bereft or a large population, Vanguard makes good with what it has and you will find that your way through Telos is friendly and enjoyable. Help is regularly given and due to the games nature, newer players tend to seek out others and certain guilds devote themselves to easing newbie’s into the experience. While the community is friendly, the games population just isn’t large enough for my personal tastes and this detracts a little from the overall game. While you will find friendly banter, you won’t ever meet too many people. 7/10

And there we will leave it for today; this is a subject too long and in-depth to leave merely to one article. Today we have seen some good shots thrown, a couple of devastating body blows and one or two rabbit punches. At the moment Vanguard holds a shaky lead of two points but let’s see how the games score in the next set of categories. Join me in a few days as we conclude just which is better: EverQuest 2 or Vanguard.