Since Lockjaw is currently FUBAR right now, I thought I would consider giving Eq2 a try. Can anybody who has played both provide me with a little insight? I have never played EQ2 so a comparison to EQ would be most helpful. What did/didn't you like about EQ2?
EQ2 is visually dazzling compared to EQ....the graphics... EQ2 was a lot easier. I never played WoW, but maybe more WoWlike than EQ.
EQ2 gives you better control of your characters movement, (ie, you can even change directions while jumped in the air) EQ2 has somewhat nicer, or perhaps, more modern, graphics. EQ2 has PvP. Regular servers can use Battlegrounds, it's a cross-server instanced PvP fights with rewards as equipment. There's also PvP server, which is fun. EQ2 has nice housing system. EQ2 has no restriction of how many spells/skills you can have at one time, like EQ1 does with 8 or more spells at one time "memorized". But your skillbars get clogged with 50 spells, i don't like that. EQ2 has AA system more like WoW. Much smaller amount of AA Abilities. Although EQ1 has much much more AAs, but it has hundreds AAs of zero importance. EQ2 has very nice crafting system. EQ1 has more mystic feeling to it, monsters look more.. angry.. more scary, somehow more real. EQ1 has more zones, more choices to hunt at any levels.
Personally I have to turn the graphic settings on EQ2 way down to keep from getting a headache and having glitchy movement so they actually look like garbage whenever I try to play that game. The trailing camera PoV destroys immersion for me, looking at my characters backside all the time us just stupid. OTOH there's encounter locking which means that KS is not even possible and since most things are tethered as well there's no trains. Really I think it's the game most of the people who think that they want to play on the TLP really want to play
I enjoyed both games greatly. You really cant go wrong with either one. I prefer EQ2 to 1, that being said there isnt anything wrong with EQ1 other than being graphically behind.
I'm downloading DCUO for my son to play mainly cause its on the list of games kronos work for and while I krono farm on LJ I can give my son a game to play since he loves the justice league cartoons and shows.
I also enjoy both games. I would also recommend playing both. I also prefer eq2 to eq1 overall. The combination of better graphics, pathing, and character movement control makes a big difference. It's also quite cool being able to choose from 26 classes.... I've played them all and enjoy them all. Also, no "medding" in eq2. Never understood why you have to sit in eq1. It's really just a pain, but I guess it's part of what makes the game unique.
I was thinking about giving EQ2 a try, but da Frogloks killed it for me. In EQ1 they look wet and have very smooth animations, almost like real frogs made to stand upright. In EQ2 they have a weirdly off-balance standing pose and a bizarre skin texture. They just don't look "froggy" to me. Not to mention many of the humanoids have a creepy mannequin vibe. Personally, like EQ1's graphics better. >.>
EQ2 has none of the magic that made EQ1 great. It's a hollow shell of a game, more like WoW than EQ1. Honestly, if EQ1 doesn't do it for you anymore or the TLP scene is not your cup of tea, there are many many MMOs better than EQ2 out there to play that are newer, better graphics, better gameplay, yadayadayada. Heck, Landmark is better than EQ2.
EQ1 is about long dungeon crawls and hours and hours of farming very group dependent EQ2 is about quick short dungeon(the size of befallen) clearings. No quite as group dependent. EQ2 is more compact and is build around quests/missions. EQ1 is about farming. EQ2 raids are much much harder then EQ1. However once you get geared up, those 45minute raids are cut down to 3-4 minutes. They are harder because you have a lot more fail mechanics then EQ1. EQ1 you can recover, EQ2 triggers a fail mechanic and everyone dies. It all depends on what you want. Everquest 1 is like one of those Epic RPGs like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI. Everquest 2 is more like those Misson RPGs where its all based around tiers of missions
When I saw floating, scrolling combat text graphics in WoW, I thought it was the most convenient thing I'd ever seen in an MMO. Now, it's the lack of scrolling combat text that makes EQ more "magical". Almost every other MMO out there copies WoW and uses it. And every MMO that tries to be a WoW clone, falls short
Having played both games here is a summary. - EQ1 is a very in your face, when you get hit or damaged in the game you almost feel it. It makes you scared, your palms get sweaty and your heart races. Basically it hurts as close to real life as any video game can be. -EQ2 is a visually pleasing game, with all the toys and in-game enhancements that you would love to experience in EQ1. Unfortunately the player interaction with the environment severely lacks the emotion that most EQ1 players desire. It is almost non-existent.
eq2 feels a bit too formulaic to me in terms of combat. You pretty much know how the entire encounter is going to go before you even engage, which is a huge turn off. Also, with all the button mashing, you're spending all your time looking at cool-downs and not actually seeing the graphics, which means they don't matter at all as a result. I definitely found EQ2 to be a boring game in general. However, I absolutely adore the crafting system in 2. I sort of wish sometimes that they would get rid of EQ's crafting system and import that one, but of course it isn't that simple. I definitely prefer 1 to 2. I tend to play utility type characters however, so that has a lot to do with it. I also sometimes get unexpected situations in 1 that 2 just never delivers because of how their combat system works, which I also enjoy as a utility player. I'd say in general, the one you're going to prefer has a lot to do with your play style preference when it comes to classes. Although EQ2 has 25 classes, they really only come in 4 flavors that maybe have 6 truly unique playstyle experiences. The classes pretty much play the same way otherwise with very minor differences in between. EQ2 just doesn't have much to offer a utility type player like me, so I play it very rarely and get bored extremely quickly there.
Biggest difference in my opintion, that I just rememberedis Alts. In Everquest 1 most people, if they had an alt, would have 1 and it would be in their guild. A lot of raid guilds insist that alts be in the main toons guild if you are in a raid guild. Everquest 2 you will have multiple alts and most if not all raid guilds encourage you to put your alt in another guild and raid with that guild, also, on your alt.
i love both games. eq1 invests you more in your character than in eq2. eq1 has the epic quest chains which to me are the coolest quests ever in an mmo (didnt play swg so cannot comment on old jedi quest) but you dont spend a lot of time in eq1 questing; you assemble a group and hunt mobs. eq2 is quest centered but has more depth than almost all "wowlikes" and has difficult raiding. you can do stuff solo in eq2more readily than eq1. eq2 has a clearer overarching story than eq1. in eq2 crafting is very um, button mashy? you play a minigame for each combine. eq1 crafting's difficulty lies in gathering materials, the combines are hit a button and blam. in eq2 there are many, many r/c combos and no restrictions r/c wise (more choice than eq1) but in eq you can level in a staggering number of locations compared to eq2 (more choice than eq2) if you play eq1, you will see a lot of neat tie-ins when u play eq2. hope the above helps. kinda random thoughts but... well, see my name
I think EQ2 is better than EQ1 but choose to play EQ1.. Weird i know. Also boxing and playing many instances on one machine is much easier on the PC than EQ2.
I find EQ2 awful to look at. I can't stand the graphics on that thing. It also feels like a complete WoW clone. I'd rather just play WoW instead of EQ2. To me, pretty much everything EQ2 does, WoW does better. I enjoy EQ1 the most though.
----------------------- I find fun in both games. I do not think the graphics in EQ II look anything like WoW lol, not at ALL. I am not interested in any game with two things: 1: emphasis on F2P and 2: cartoonish graphics...its a quirk I have, just can't make myself get past it, I like the art/eye candy of EQ, of ESO. I stretched myself in trying Secret World and ended up adoring it. Not liking 'toon' - ish mmo characters is why I didn't try Wildstar when it was released, and now know that the reasons that some players didn't like it were very probably what would have made me like it very much! Here is my major finding about the differences between my first love EQ I and EQ II right now: Mistress Holly was in EQ II first, as a player and later on staff with the company and I have a completely unsubstantiated observation that THAT game is her first love ! Either way, for EQ lovers this year offers what was enough to entice back a large population of former stalwart EQ and EQ II vets to bump up the subscriptions so its all good for the two titles.
Completely with you in regards to cartoon characters. I can't play those games either. I remember back in 200 when they made some changes to EQ characters. I used to really like the way the characters looked. Then they changed and made them look like hunchbacked cartoons. Didn't play after that. Was very happy when I game back to see the characters looks had been fixed.
