Does EQ2 still have an active playerbase?

So I'm a longtime EQ player and I've never really tried EQ2 until now. I was just curious if EQ2 still has an active player base. The game seems really fun and I would love to raid and make friends, although there doesn't really seem to be anyone around except general chat of course.

Yes, but look around, try the different servers during your prime playing time and ask the active guilds that are recruiting.

Seems to depend on your time zone and server. Hall of Fate does seem to have a dead spot but if you play prime time US then there are lots on.

It's not great. It's not dead, but it's not great.

If you get into an active guild like mine, then the game feels alive. If you are not in an active guild, the game would feel dead. Lfg is a wasteland for much of the day/night.

Let me give how eq2 now works, the game is still there and fully being played, the hardest aspect of it, is to break into it if your a new player, If your into grouping,most people have had friends they have played with for years and continue to play with them, so Solo/Moloing(Moloing is duoing with a Merc) is very much active, Tradeskilling for those, that enjoy that is another way to people still play the game fully along with the decorators( those that enjoy getting a house or guild hall and making very creative rooms in them).
Raiding still happens if your into that, but the issue for a new player is if they want to raid current tier top raid zones, you have to grind Tithe points to catch up to people that have been grinding it since it was introduced, Also now that the Epic 2.0 have come out, this will become a requirement for raiding after yesterdays patch to combat mitigation making T2 mobs higher in combat mitigation. So you will have to go back and get epic 1.0 and grind all the quests and faction for whichever class you choose.

There is also Imbuing, which is need to keep up with the top end raiding, but not so much if you are not looking into seeing the top end raid zones.

So to answer, yes eq2 is still a very active game, and casually, you can play it in a kind of Solo mode, where doing key quest give you very good gear, if your a paying subscriber, not a Free to Play person, and running super easy solo zones will eventually get you some decent gear. But don't expect to group very often, unless you know some people, or happen to fall into a guild that plays casually. And Raiding will be very sparingly

Hope this helps
Stach

In other words, if you're a new or returning player who wants to play an MMO with other people while doing a lot of grouping and raiding, the game isn't dead, it's just dead to you. Find a better option.

I would put it more like, if you can find a casual raiding guild and are willing to put in a LOT of effort to get caught up, you will enjoy this game.

Amount of efforts really depend on class and amount of $$ you willing to invest

If it's a casual raiding guild like the one I'm part of, we do not expect or pressure people to spend money. However, no one should expect to raid without ER, epic weapon requirements, KA sig requirements and pieces, which all in all equate to a lot of effort and questing and gearing up. A casual raid guild will not neglect someone who does not have max ascension spells or ethereal runes. If you put the effort in to get to solid stats and requirements completed, you would have a place with us until our numbers got so large that people have to sit if you are not doing your job as well as others--which I don't see happening any time soon. There are always nights, in casual guilds, where people aren't there and spots need to be filled.

So that being said, I think the amount of effort is equal for any class to get casual raid ready. However, there are certain classes under each archetype that are easier to make proficient, and of course getting a spot as a tank in a raid would probably be the most difficult spot to find a home.

yeah u can come back and get everything in order for end game content, it will take time though. but u can still enjoy old content and questing. Just know you won't find groups anymore in lower level, sadly.

the old zones almost feel like you were playing a game like skyrim, big open zones for u alone

Perhaps some clarification is in order from my side
No one (even in regular raiding guild) expect something extra ordinary like having your ascending at GM/Ancient but still something is expected - you are DPS class you expected to deliver at very least 150-200M (at the low end) if you want to have your spot in raid force however you achieve it? completely up to you. My point however different - some classes less gear depended than others, some classes less complex than other in terms of generating DPS - like most complex are sorcs and BL and least complex are conjurors and swash. Some classes (better say arch types) heavy gear depended (like for scout - you either have your eth runes or you are T2 DPS class ) some classes (specially after reset rune nerf) depend on eth runes a lot lest (same summoners).
About numbers - lets face it EQ2 is slowly but surely moving to the grave, amount of players degrade from x-pack to x-pack - this lead (and this is normal) to guild consolidation or/and alliance forming - hence its more common than not raid guilds have long enough roster to have bench

It's alive and hopping, like a coma patient.

Yes

OR if you dont feel like spending a couple of thousand hours once you have already hit lvl cap to catch up with the others, as well as mucho mucho inrl money you could play on the progression server. Stormhold server is absolutely perfect for a new player. Live servers are extemely hostile to new or even returning players because of all the gatings. Until DBG changs Tithe and Ascension somehow, Stormhold server is the only server for a new player looking to get into grouping before somewhere next year.

It really isn't THAT hard to get to where you need to be to group. Do you need to be EXACTLY like that person who has 32 points into potency with 20k potency? No. My brother just made a toon from scratch a few days ago and as of right now (just because he is a senior is HS) he is just short of the TS cloak and greenmist/eth off-hand to start grouping.

But it is still nice to see our community standard is still to tell people to quit before they are ahead. That is rich. Doom and Gloom crowd owns these forums now.

Not really, my brother just created a toon and joined my guild and he is just a day or 2 short from being group ready. He has spent a total of ZERO (0) dollars and ZERO (0) Cents ($0.00) to become nearly group ready.

yeah you can carry with good group any level 100 providing they have enough HP

With my brother coming from some of the top end raiding guilds and having knowledge from the best, I doubt you can really call that being carried...but to each their own. He isnt your average PL'd 100 character with all app spells and no adorns and reforging.

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