PLEASE talk me out of WoW/EQ2

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:07 pm

My life was EQ for 3 years. Everything took 2nd place to the game. I would race home from work to log in and then I would play until I had to go to bed (on weekends I wouldn't go to bed). I have so many fond memories of that time, the best gaming ever. But at the same time I went too far. Nothing else existed, I drove everything else out of my life except for my EQ friends. My EQ friends and my guild came first. Even my twinks rocked.

I DO NOT WANT TO GET BACK INTO THAT. But I miss the gaming experience it was. A co-worker plays EQ2 and tells me about it constantly. I want to play so badly, but I know I shouldn't. Just talking about it makes me want to play.

I am so tempted to get back into it. I am sure my old EQ friends are playing two, so that makes it worse (I swore to them that I wouldn't play, so I told them not ask me to). I am having a hard time separating myself though. EQ2 is easier to tear away from because I know how deep the game is, and to be good, you have to devout your life to. In my 3 years the game was not fun more often than it was, so I am having an easier time separating from it. But WoW with the idea of it being a lightweight MMORPG that I can solo in is sounding good. Although I hated DAOC because it was too lite.

Right now I am seriously thinking of trying EQ2 too see my friends or WoW to start over in, but I know I shouldn't. This isn't the right place to go to be talked out of playing a game, but maybe some posts here can remind me why I quit EQ in the first place.

Discalced · Post by **Discalced** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:29 pm

Don't do it. You'll piss away a few more years of your life. You know it.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:29 pm

How about we just skip to the part of the thread where you post that you broke down and bought WoW and ask which server houses most of the OO crew

.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:42 pm

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:42 pm

Go out and meet some real people. Make some friends that you can talk to and spend an evening with. On your death bed, it will be those friends that will come to see you, not the ones you met online.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:47 pm

Go out and meet some real people. Make some friends that you can talk to and spend an evening with. On your death bed, it will be those friends that will come to see you, not the ones you met online.

By that time, we should have virtual funerals held in the game!

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:58 pm

I went too far. Nothing else existed, I drove everything else out of my life except for my EQ friends. My EQ friends and my guild came first. Even my twinks rocked.

I DO NOT WANT TO GET BACK INTO THAT.

Nuff Said. Just don't do it. My life has ALWAYS been better when I am not playing a MMORPG.

TheMissingLink · Post by **TheMissingLink** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:02 pm

My brother has been playing FFXI a lot lately...I hardly see him.

It takes a toll on your LIFE.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:27 pm

Don't listen to them. Join us!! It is the only way.

gwartok · Post by **gwartok** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:28 pm

Is it just me or is naednek not really helping much?

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:55 pm

In my opinion, if playing a MMORPG takes you away from real life, then you're the one with the problem, not the MMORPG. If you don't have the willpower to control yourself with a freaking computer game, then maybe you don't need to get involved in anything with any risk of addictiveness.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:29 pm

YellowKing wrote:In my opinion, if playing a MMORPG takes you away from real life, then you're the one with the problem, not the MMORPG. If you don't have the willpower to control yourself with a freaking computer game, then maybe you don't need to get involved in anything with any risk of addictiveness.

you're saying that in a non-confrontational way right

SuperHiro · Post by **SuperHiro** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:23 pm

Damn. where were you two months ago?

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:11 am

Hehe sorry if that came off sounding harsh, I didn't mean it to be. I guess I just get tired of people acting like they have no physical control over how much they play a computer game. Sure these games are fun and addictive, but you're not injecting a brain-altering chemical into your veins.

Personally I love MMORPGs because they typically prevent me from buying every new game that comes along. Thanks to EQ2, I know for a fact I've saved at least $150 this month in new games I would have bought had I not had an MMORPG.

Suitably Ironic Moniker · Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:29 am

Anything that creates pleasurable stimuli in your brain can be addictive. Addictions aren't limited to illicit drug use.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 2:04 am

YellowKing wrote:In my opinion, if playing a MMORPG takes you away from real life, then you're the one with the problem, not the MMORPG. If you don't have the willpower to control yourself with a freaking computer game, then maybe you don't need to get involved in anything with any risk of addictiveness.

I know. If only it was only as easy as you make it sound. EQ was something I played even if I wasn't having fun. If I wasn't playing, I was wondering what I was missing.

And you disagree with me all you want, but in my opinion, to be good at EQ you need to play 20 hours a day. I can't play and not go for all the best equipment, it's pointless to me. I keep telling myself not to get started because of this.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 8:57 am

EQ2 is not as difficult as EQ1. I've played an average of 2 hours a night or so since release, and I'm level 24 with a 25th level weaponsmith. I don't disagree that the more time you put into a MMORPG, the more you get out of it (in terms of loot, high-level mobs, etc.)

And yes, I know there are psychological addictions. My point is if you have to beg somebody to talk you out of buying a game because you're afraid you'll get addicted, then I think you already answered your own question.

Tareeq · Post by **Tareeq** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 9:22 am

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 10:13 am

YellowKing wrote:EQ2 is not as difficult as EQ1. I've played an average of 2 hours a night or so since release

Sweet Magambajamba, that's about a month and a half or more! My God man, put down the joystick and back away from the ENTER key.

D'Arcy · Post by **D'Arcy** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:29 am

It might help you to rationally analyse what you are in fact addicted to.

I would say that the graphical MUDs at present are more similar to slot machines than to real games. They neither require any particular skill or ability to be developed through meaningful interaction with algorithmic puzzles, nor do they provide a narrative that could bring closure to the quests. Instead, they rely completely on random interval reward schedules: You click the mobs until they drop loot, and the sole function of the loot is to enable you to kill slightly different mobs at a slightly different location. This cycle is delibarately endless.

The virtual strength of your avatar is directly proportional to the playing time invested into it. Ponder what that means in economic and psychological terms.

Also, educate yourself about the structural flaws of MUDs in general, such as mudflation.

In short, deconstruct the object of your fixation from scientific distance until you are its master.

Kadoth Nodens · Post by **Kadoth Nodens** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:42 pm

I suggest overcoming your addiction to MMORPGs by developing an even bigger addiction to alchohol!

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:55 pm

D'Arcy wrote: In short, deconstruct the object of your fixation from scientific distance until you are its master.

Or you could just play a game to enjoy it and have some fun instead.

I really like sleep. I do it every night, no matter what. I'd say I might well be addicted to sleeping, since I'll even do more of it than I should some nights just because it feels good. That's not destructive behavior until I decide to throw away my alarm clock and skip work because it gets in the way of my sleeping.

Works with games, too. If you find you like them a little too much set yourself an alarm clock so you know when it's time to quit and go do something else.

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 2:26 pm

I'm the type of person that gives 110% to whatever I decide that I want to do. Because of this, I am not compatible with MMORPG's. I know that if I play one I will spend way to much time with it. I know this is a downside to who I am and a shortcomming of my personality so I stay away from them. I am easily addicted to things (Already have 2 things that I have a hard time giving up, I don't need a third) and MMORPGs just add to this problem so I try to stay away.
For those people who can play just 2-4 hours a day then there is no problem, but I am the type of person who will spend every hour I am not at work on a single MMORPG and give up eating / sleep just to play.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:14 pm

dude, paying to play every month SUCKS. getting SUCKED into that is no fun! don't be a SUCKER!

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 5:21 pm

I woke up today, and convinced myself to say screw it. Just have to remind myself of all the bad times I had.

Itsatrap · Post by **Itsatrap** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 5:41 pm

It's a trap!

- Alan

DireAussie · Post by **DireAussie** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 9:41 am

I've played a lot of everquest 2 since I got it around 20th November and have a 24 mystic. Now I'm starting to question why I spent all that time in the game and I'm finding myself logging in less often. Why? Everything feels static and gamey as opposed to dynamic and worldly, which I personally feel is the aim for a MMORPG. Note - this post focuses on mainly negative aspects, which is what the original poster was after.

EQ2's world is static. Monsters just spawn in pre-designated spots and sit in their camp or wander a pre-designated trail. Just the same old static crap that we've seen since day 1 in MMORPG's. In Antonica I came across numerous guards who tell you about how the gnolls attacked them and I'm like 'huh?' because the gnolls NEVER attack anything, they just sit in their spawn spot until a player attacks them. You'd think in the 8+ years the MMOG genre has existed that we'd have more advanced encounter systems by now.

Dungeons. Again its essentially just a bunch of static mobs thrown in a bunch of rooms and corridors. So far I've seen down below, Vermin's snye, crypt of betrayl, Varsoon, BB and Stormhold. I haven't really been awed by any of them. Perhaps higher level zones get better?

Outdoor areas. Antonica is nice. Quite a few things to do and places to explore (and a whole bunch of static spawns). Thundering steppes is one of the most ill-designed zones ever. Its like the designers thought "oh players like killing centaurs so we'll stick them there, oh yeah forgot about giants, put them there, griffons there, and gnolls here, oh and lets squeeze in undead" etc. I personally find it very bland too - what's with the gnolls living in giant, empty pits with 1 or 2 tents pitched up? Centaurs with 1 stable house to service 100 centaurs? Giants who dont seem to live anywhere?

Cities. They're quite well done. It would be nice if as much time was invested in dungeon and outdoor area design as was invested in city artwork and design.

There's no weather effects at all besides day and night. If you've ever played AO you know how cool weather effects can be.

Quests. There are a lot of them - there's never a time where you're saying "I dont have any quests to do!". The majority are "kill x number of creatures" or fedex. The missing pages of books in particular are too gamey for my liking - why should you magically get another page for killing 10 crabs?

Locked combat. I dont like the implementation. Playing as a healer, I really don't like how you can't heal, buff or rez outside of your group. Its been discussed to the n'th degree elsewhere so I won't talk about it here.

Item drops - snakes, hawks, lizards etc can drop armor pieces. Enough said.

The graphics engine performance is very dodgy. There is a memory leak so you'll have to reboot your computer every now and then unless you want to turn down to extreme performance (the game looks terrible in extreme performance). I have a 6800GT and if I set my graphics setting to the amount required by the screenshots above my computer would be a slideshow and the memory leak would sap my computer of memory in short time (just go to the tech forums and you'll see a myriad of posts regarding memory leaks and 6800GT cards).

Perhaps someone could compare my grieviances above to what WoW is like. I'm considering buying WoW but I dont want to waste my money

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:03 am

There's no weather effects at all besides day and night.

There are weather effects besides day and night. Rain is definitely in there, and the developers have said more weather effects are coming.

EQ2's world is static.

I agree to some extent about the static mob spots - I miss the old EQ in which almost no mob was really static. However, I think static mobs are an unfortunate necessity with extremely large zones or zoneless MMORPGs. Not all EQ2 mobs are static, however - static mobs seem to mainly be limited to the major groups like orcs, gnolls, etc. There are plenty of wandering mobs in each zone as well.

Item drops - snakes, hawks, lizards etc can drop armor pieces. Enough said.

It's the same way (if not worse) in WoW. At least in EQ2 they drop a chest which contains the armor piece. In WoW it's actually on their corpse.

Dungeons. Again its essentially just a bunch of static mobs thrown in a bunch of rooms and corridors.

That's essentially what a dungeon is. Guess we'll just have to differ here. I think the dungeons are a lot of fun. The mobs are somewhat static (i.e. they don't move around much, but they do vary in spawn), but they were in EQ1 dungeons as well. You can't have 1000 mobs of various levels wandering all over a dungeon, it would be train city.

I agree about the 6800GT card performance. I've got a 6800GT and often have to turn my settings down due to poor performance or memory leaks. Hopefully this is fixed in the future.

I think WoW does a better job of creating a living, breating world. One area flows into the next, whereas in EQ2 zones are isolated areas between teleports. It also runs much better due to lower system requirements. Personally I've had fun in both, but the bulk of my time is spent in EQ2 because it just feels a little more "serious" to me.[/quote]

DireAussie · Post by **DireAussie** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 11:28 am

I agree to some extent about the static mob spots[...]There are plenty of wandering mobs in each zone as well.

I wasnt really talking about still and moving mobs in using the word static, though that comes into it. I was talking more about the mob's purpose in the world. What's the point of all the gnolls in Antonica if they dont do anything besides "being there" when the player needs to kill them? I'd like to see gnolls on the move, attacking outposts, seeking out players, attacking Qeynos gates. Imagine this - the gnoll leader spawns (rare weekly spawn timer) and when that happens you know there is trouble. He rallies his troops and sends them towards Qeynos. The players from around the world heed the call - they'd better get together and fight off the threat otherwise there will be trouble! This would be a world that feels alive, like something is happening and that your actions of a player will make a difference! I really think this is where MMORPG's should be heading with content.

There are weather effects besides day and night. Rain is definitely in there, and the developers have said more weather effects are coming.

I'm certain I've never seen it rain in Antonica or Thundering Steppes. Perhaps it depends on the display settings?

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:37 pm

It may be a display setting, or it may be a zone thing. I'm evil and I've seen it rain often in the Commonlands (and what's really nuts is that I swear the ground looks 'wet" when it rains.) It's not a common occurrence by any means, though.

I see what you're saying about the static mobs now. I'm hoping that kind of stuff is eventually implemented. Right now the game is extremely young, and they're still trying to get bug fixes in place. I imagine we will get events at some point.

morlac · Post by **morlac** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:13 pm

If you want rain come on over to the Evil side...mmmuuhahaha.
Seriously it rains every 15 minutes in Freeport, at least.

Exrod · Post by **Exrod** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:47 pm

Just get Gothic II and forget the online stuff.

Dirt · Post by **Dirt** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:53 pm

Don't do it.

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 7:15 pm

YellowKing wrote:It may be a display setting, or it may be a zone thing. I'm evil and I've seen it rain often in the Commonlands (and what's really nuts is that I swear the ground looks 'wet" when it rains.) It's not a common occurrence by any means, though.

It's a zone thing, but I think they're working on adding it. I've never seen it rain in Antonica or the Steppes at all, but you'll see it if you play an evil character for a while.

Qeynos is the Disneyland of the future, a shiny happy place that never has rain and all the evil doers moved to the other side of the country