EQ2 or WoW?

Orpheo · Post by **Orpheo** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:41 pm

Only MMO I've ever played for more than a day or two is CoH. I dislike treadmilling. I like missions and quests. I like character customization, both in how they look and how they play. I like soloing and grouping with #gonegolders (or OO'ers). Will I like EQ2 or WoW better?

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:11 pm

Well, based on those you can really do either (as little as that suggestion helps).

1.) How good is your computer? WoW has much lower system requirements than EQ2 to be played at an enjoyable level.

Unless you have a pretty good video card and a decent computer under it, it's hard to recommend EQ2 whole-heartedly.

2.) EQ2's screenshots just plain and simple do not do the game justice. It's the best looking game I've played, ever.

However, it depends on preference a bit too. If you like the cartoony graphics of WoW you may be happier there.

I like both games' graphics, truthfully, but after actually seeing EQ2 in motion I have to recommend it if that's a major concern.

3.) They both have a great deal of quests to be done. WoW's quests are generally faster to run, and suit a more casual playstyle a little bit better. Rewards are generally good.

EQ2 has many of the same quest types, but also has full voice sound for the NPC's. For me, it makes me actually interested in what they want.

4.) Characters are much more distinct in EQ2. Your gear gets progressively different and makes you look different, a lot the same as things were in EQ1. There are more options for character creation by a fair degree, but a few I wish were there are missing.

WoW's quest system often sets players up with the same items, and they tend to look pretty similar as a result.

Skill customization is about the same in both games. You buy your skills in WoW, but wind up with the same as every other guy of your class; in EQ2, you get them when you level, and have the same as every other guy of your class. Not much difference here, and no preference by me either way.

5.) Treadmilling, I have a feeling, is going to happen in either game. I haven't encountered it in either to a degree that I didn't enjoy, though, so not sure there's an advantage here either way.

EQ2 is more group based than WoW, though you can solo pretty well and have fun doing it. I'd imagine there'll be more of a grind in EQ2, but it's definitely not the grind it was in older MMO's.

My recommendation would be to go with the one that has the most people you want to play with, and if you have an older computer then WoW is a better choice.

I definitely like EQ2 better myself, without question or comparison, but ultimately these games rely on who you're playing with as much as what you're playing and it's hard to give a recommendation since everybody experiences them differently.

Samurai · Post by **Samurai** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:00 pm

Seeing as how its my duty to derail orpheo's thread, analyze me.

I played SWG beta for a couple weeks, before becoming bored with the game. Luckily I realized I was bored with it long before release, and avoided paying any money on it.

I played AO for maybe 3 weeks. Got bored with it.

Ditto for WOW beta.

Do I buy EQ2?

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:46 am

Samurai wrote:
Do I buy EQ2?

It'd probably give you a good month or so, but you don't really sound like much of an MMO person so I don't know that it'd be worth it.

I'll say that it's an excellent amalgamation of every first generation MMO to come out before it with a healthy dose of EQ thrown in to temper it. It's the first MMO I've played that really felt like a 2nd Generation MMO, from graphics to gameplay.

My preferences:

I've always been kind of fond of EQ, even when I wasn't playing it. There were some things I hated about it, but always had a good time with it. I really like DaoC, and liked City of Heroes. I liked some elements of FFXI, but never could get into it. AO was ok for a month, SWG was one of my biggest disappointments that I later liked for a month after it was fixed a little. AC2 was ok in some regards, but ultimately boring. WoW seems pretty good, but just doesn't grab me and definitely doesn't get me excited. Earth and Beyond was fun for a month or so, then got pretty boring to me. I despised Ultima Online with a passion reserved for antichrists and other nasty stuff.

I'm not a pvp guy, but I don't mind doing it if it's implemented well. I like to solo, and usually do; I hate searching for groups just to play, but will usually join a group if asked. I get frustrated by extremely long leveling times, really long travel times, and overly harsh death penalties. I like gear and items a lot, and I like a good challenge to get them as long as it doesn't mean camping for them.

EQ2 is the best MMO money I've spent since I bought DaoC, and maybe since EQ1. I really, really enjoy it so far. It's been a while since I got this wrapped up in a game, and really enjoyed every minute I've spent in it.

I have a P4 2.4/500, 1GB RAM and an ATI X800Pro. Not top of the line CPU power, but pretty scrappy otherwise. I plan on upgrading the CPU now, but the game runs great as is.

I won't outright recommend it, because what people get out of these things is really subjective. If you hated EQ1, I don't know that you'd enjoy EQ2 a great deal. If, like me, you liked EQ for a while and bounced from game to game trying to find something that had that magic again... that's who EQ2 is for, and it does it in spectacular fashion in my opinion.

Also if your computer isn't fairly powerful, I'd pass on it for now.

Orpheo · Post by **Orpheo** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:47 am

I'm going with WoW. The two games sound fairly equivalent aside from the graphics, and WoW's coming out at the end of the month, which gives me some time to play Half-Life 2.

Falcon554 · Post by **Falcon554** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 8:00 am

Really cant go wrong with either. I have played both (Wow for a year now) and there both good games there not SWG, or Horizons there both well made quality games. Thank god. Ill be playing both when I can afford to get wow after the first of the year.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:49 pm

EQ2 is for hardcore MMORPGers, where you have all the time in the world to play. Expect loads of downtime.

WOW is for the casual gamers. Don't have to be on everyday in order to feel like you are making progress. Hardly any downtime at all, overall great pace.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:56 pm

you know, i realized a problem, however slight, last night when levelling up to a summoner. i don't want to wear robes, but i'm forced to by the game it seems. if i get rid of the robe i was issued when choosing my class, i lose a buttload of stat increases. as it is, all the summoners look alike, all the mages look alike, etc.. i wish they had some more diversity in clothing options for mages.

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 1:50 am

naednek wrote:EQ2 is for hardcore MMORPGers, where you have all the time in the world to play. Expect loads of downtime.

WOW is for the casual gamers. Don't have to be on everyday in order to feel like you are making progress. Hardly any downtime at all, overall great pace.

There isn't much more downtime in EQ2 than in WoW, if at all. In general you can even solo with a warrior and be back to full health in a minute or so if you have to sit and regen after combat.

Both games seem equally well suited to casual gamers from what I've played. WoW a bit more so, but not to a great enough degree that I'd recommend it over EQ2 if your interest is only with soloing. Both games encourage grouping, with WoW making some changes recently to encourage it a bit more.

hepcat wrote:you know, i realized a problem, however slight, last night when levelling up to a summoner. i don't want to wear robes, but i'm forced to by the game it seems. if i get rid of the robe i was issued when choosing my class, i lose a buttload of stat increases. as it is, all the summoners look alike, all the mages look alike, etc.. i wish they had some more diversity in clothing options for mages.

It gets better once everyone starts to get out of their newbie gear. For a little while many people look fairly similar because of similar gear, but that won't last long.

One little thing you can do is the /showhood command, where you can remove the graphic for your robe's hood or any headgear you're wearing. You can fiddle with that to give yourself a little bit more unique look until you find something new.

Falcon554 · Post by **Falcon554** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 7:56 am

Yea there really isnt much downtime at all, if you eat or drink that is if you forget then yea there can be some downtime. Was in WC yesterday with a group of 5 and I dont think we had to sit once.

portnoy · Post by **portnoy** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:50 pm

downtime???

I have a high-elf warrior (stop your snickering, want a paladan) and I have been scrapping constantly, only after getting in a multiple MOB fight do I ever need to rest.

Occasionally I will not be able to kick/wild swing due to stamina being too decreased, but hell I need as much a breather at that point as does my poor little warrior!

I'm playing the WoW beta as well, and though it's smooth and has a nice stylized feel to it, I just don't feel the sense of scale that I do when I play EQ2. So, I will prolly sticking to EQ2, and see what happens with WoW. Still going to play for free for the next week, but after that, pretty sure I won't be buying it.

One example of scale, there are traditional gothic looking church type buildings in both games, I loved the one in Freeport, huge red windows in the dark night sky, absolutely stunning, while the one on the edge of the forrest in WoW was pretty, and quite large, I didn't find myself all that impressed. Feels like I am running around in the Warcraft 3 engine really.

Pointer · Post by **Pointer** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:05 pm

Is there a demo of EQ2 that I could try?

Pointer