Thinking about coming back casually

Discussion in 'General Gameplay Discussion' started by Varuna, Feb 26, 2019.

  1. Varuna New Member

    Hey all!

    So as the subject mentions, I'm considering making a return to EQ2. I last played during Age of Discovery, and have a 92 Paladin and a 92 Brigand decked out in Fabled gear, as I used to raid semi-hardcore back in the day. I also have a smattering of other alts between lvl 60-90. My Paladin was an absolute machine and I was frequently soloing heroic zones (group...zones? I've forgotten a lot haha) for plat when I wasn't raiding.

    So much has changed in the past ~7 years, I'm feeling kind of lost as to where to start. Is the Paladin still a solid class? How about the Brigand? Should I work my way through the older content, or just buy Chaos Descending, use the level boost, and jump right into the current content? Perhaps I should just roll a new character on the upcoming TLE server instead. I used to really love the Berserker up until they fell behind after, hmmm Sentinel's Fate? I think it was during DoV that I replaced my Zerker with my Pally, but I forget. Anyway, I digress.

    I'd love to hear your suggestions on how to make a smooth return to Norrath. Thanks!
  2. Kalika Well-Known Member

    May be try the next TLE, but the first was a bit of a Joke (it still was lot of fun) and the second was totally broken (my paladin pulling 40 even con and not taking a scratch, in treasured gear) ...

    The third is likely to follow the same lines ... But one shooting Venekor with 10 000 dps mod may be fun.

    Live is sort of out of question, i just logged my level 90 warden exiled from Stormhold, zoned in Cobald Scars and went to fight the ^^ flying snake, it used to be a several minutes fight without much difficulty, i almost one shooted him. Priest auto attack multiplier is not big so i m sure a mage or a scout will 1 shoot him just using his wand or bow.

    All the content has been Smokerjumperized, and when you see a picture or quotes of this man you understand that even Dofus i too complicated for him.

    So what await you is more than trivial solo content, the possibility to try to solo instances (with a mercenary) which is likely to be slow since even if you are overpowered you are not liely to have the dps of a group, especially as a tank or priest.

    Then when you will reach the level cap you will have to farm for monthes a super long list of " must have" things or required items, abilities.

    So, we may just hope that they can do some P2007 version of P99, ie an exact copy of the game back in 2007 or 2008 ..
    Pixistik and Varuna like this.
  3. Errrorr An Actual EQ2 Player

    Keeping it short.

    Live - Pretty much expect to start over from scratch. Be prepared to spend a bunch of time learning, and struggling to catch up.

    TLE - Fun if you want to play 'classic' EQ2. Probably want to wait for new server in March.
  4. Ogdinmar Active Member

    TBH buy the xpac use the boosts. Either class is good option The game has changed considerably since DoV, but you can catch up. the only thing that you will miss out on is the summer ethereal event items. however you will get the old eth class rune for leveling to 110. Its not the best anymore but will work till next summer.
  5. mothelm Active Member

    well if you want to start fresh or have toon below level 60 on AB {Rewind} is a Lower level progression guild with a current level lock of 60 ....easy to catch up with ....and we welcome new and returning players....we are running old content so you can move back ahead threw game with some of the feel of it when it was released, but with less hassle and grind....you can always log in free to play and test the waters.....=-)
  6. Bhayar Well-Known Member

    You can use your upgrade, but your "jump into current content" will be equivalent to jumping out of an airplane at 1200 ft and opening your chute 100 ft from the ground. It's gonna hurt---a lot. Too much time has passed with too many changes. Roxxy had a page stickied in the forums about "New or Coming back to EQ2" that gives you some sense of the massive changes that have taken place in the last 3-4 xpansions. It'll be a brutal grind to catch up and put everything into context. Not trying to be a negative Nellie by any stretch, but there's been more changes in the last 3 years than there's been in 12 preceding it. Is it doable? Yes, but be prepared to spend time on learning what's new. I'd start where you left off and work your way through. Join a good guild that's still active with people who have been playing a while that can help you sort it all out.
    Seefar likes this.
  7. Whimsicle New Member

    Just came back after being gone since DoV... My advice if you want to get into the action this expansion... Hit the buy button on that expac and use your booster and start the grind to gear up. (You end up half decent by the end of the quests anyway and there's a nice box of gear to get you started.) Then hit all the old content like an angry god. Or if you are not in a hurry to hit current content and run groups and raids... Well then I don't know what to say. I like the story line at least. I myself just bought the expansion and used my boost. Hitting old story lines now to figure out what kind of havoc my dirge caused when he got drunk this time.
    Siren and Praaji like this.
  8. Toxify Member

    I'm making a comeback for the new TLE server March 16.
    Can't wait!
    Breanna likes this.
  9. Tommara Active Member

    Soloing the new content wasn't hard for my 95 paladin to get to max level and complete the Chaos Descending solo quest line, although I did more work than necessary (tip: at 100, go speak to the ascension trainer in Colosseum of Valor.)

    The requirements for basic Chaos Descending heroic content will require MC gear, refined, reforged, infused, etc., so you'll likely need lots of plat or crafters, and maybe both if you want to group.
  10. Avithax Well-Known Member

    Coming back to live is expensive. Last check on prices on Isle of Refuge would be in the neighborhood of 200 million plat (100 Kronos) which equates to roughly $1700 US. TLE is fun but it's limited content, If you're looking to relive your glory days just be aware that you will never be 100% maxxed. DB has ensured that only those who have endured every xpac AND forked out tons of money will ever be max ascension, mount,merc,familiar and gear.
  11. Tommara Active Member

    As I said, the only thing it cost me to solo my 90-ish toons to 110 didn't cost me anything but buying the Chaos Descending expansion. However before my return, I had purchased all expansions, including whatever you need to buy to enable mercs.

    You must provide a breakdown on the 200 million plat number before I'll believe you.
    Cyrrena and Breanna like this.
  12. Breanna Well-Known Member

    Same here nothing out of pocket except for buying the expansion. There are those whole feel they have to spend a buttload of money to be the best, typically from what I've seen few of them are, they just like to rant on the forums.
    Cyrrena likes this.
  13. Sigrdrifa EQ2 Wiki Author

    I sent a toon to IoR to gear up, and armed her with 7 Krono, This allowed her to get the crates for T1 and T2 heroic armor, all the Planar Ethereal Coin needed to get the summer ethereal chest and shoulders, fully imbued, a couple of ethereal runes.

    Since you are stuck over there 30 days before you can go back to your home server, and there are NO PUGs, I found someone who was gracious enough to let me be a short-term guild member, and I did the daily crafting/harvesting quests, plus checked my plant daily, as well as solos to get missing shinies from there. I donated some plat and status to the hosting guild's door, gave them a ton of PoP and CD overland shinies, and topped off their harvesting box for every tier using the Guild Harvesters and my pony as a "thank you" for hosting me.

    From those, I sold rares, common raws, any orange runes that dropped in the solos I didn't need. I sold Planar Energy. Because there are fewer people harvesting on IoR, I was able to get a bunch of Essence of Magic in PoP while harvesting and sold those on the broker. All that crafting/harvesting/soloing gave me enough cash to get all the Celestial orange runes on the broker, also a couple of masters, other runes, etc.

    Total cost, including Krono and xfer costs, was around US$200. if you already have the Krono, or can take a bunch of rares, Planar Energy, etc to sell, that can be cut down to about US$35.
    Breanna and Cyrrena like this.
  14. Errrorr An Actual EQ2 Player

    Doesn't sound like a P2Win scheme at all :)
    Thalador and Rhodris like this.
  15. Cyrrena Well-Known Member

    I don't know where you are getting that figure for the kronos. Seriously 100 kronos? Have you gone entirely daft?

    What happened to common sense. Havent been able to log-in except once in the last 10 days. People used to prepare before they traveled. It costs $5 to go to IoR, and $25 to return from IoR and you know you have to stay a minimum of 30 days. If you have kaboodles of plat in the bank already, buy a bunch of kronos to take with you, think of them like travelers checks. If you do not already have kaboodles of plat, spend 30 days or so and harvest as many rares and shinies as you can and get those bad boys on the broker and get them selling so you can purchase your travelers checks, nothing says you have to take your trip today, you can take it as soon as you have had time to prepare.

    You cannot purchase your return ticket until you are actually allowed to return, so you are only out the ticket to IoR for $5 and any kronos if you feel you need to pay cash for some. Then you have 30 days there to make bank, buy your stuff, et al, and Sig has given you some wonderful suggestions on how to do that without spending any more real money. Anybody that spends $1700 real money has lost their grip on reality.
    Sigrdrifa and Breanna like this.
  16. Templar_ New Member

    Old timer here. Never posted on forums ( a couple of accounts). I'm returning for a casual (group oriented) stroll through the Antonia Bayle server. Same for EQ1's 20th and hoping to reconnect with old friends who may do the same.
    Breanna likes this.
  17. Cyrrena Well-Known Member

    Welcome back to Norrath. Please give me a shout if you find me on or send me an in game mail. If you are looking for a progression guild, there is Rewind, I believe they are currently level locked at 60. If you are looking for a non-progression guild, look for any member of Army of Oobliteration, they can invite you, they are casual, fun, helpful, friendly, and just all around good people. I can put you in touch with either group. If you don't want a guild, I can also put you in touch with people just to group with. If you need any help, let me know.

    Play your characters your way. Above all enjoy your journey and have FUN!!!!
    Breanna and Templar_ like this.
  18. Tommara Active Member

    I did none of that except buy the CD expansion, after years of not playing, with a level 95 paladin who was max level when I quit, if that helps define how long I've been gone.

    I got her to 110 quite easily, and your advice was very useful, so I want to thank you for that.

    She is also an armorer, plus I had a jeweler, tailor, and woodworker in their 90's, when I returned, all of whom I leveled up to 110 quickly.

    The crafters made ridiculous amounts of plat, to my old eyes.

    Zero cost to me in real money, other than buying CD and subscribing, in fact I bought Kronos with in-game money, not real money.

    So I don't understand your point.

    Are you talking about gearing up for soloing or for grouping?

    Soloing to max level is easy, as I said, and your advice helped a lot.

    Gearing up for grouping is ridiculously hard, which I have the resources to do (between my spouse and I, we now have all crafters who have completed the CD tradeskill signature quest, plus made ridiculous amounts of plat in the process, to the point we can buy lots of Kronos with in game money, not real money).

    It's just not fun to use our crafters and sufficient plat to be eligible for simply joining a group, which is much harder to achieve than the requirements to join most raiding guilds in other games I've played, and so since its harder to join a group in EQ2 now than raiding in other games, it is the death of this game.

    And I don't want it to die.

    But it will unless they make it easier to simply join a group, which is harder than any other MMO I've played to qualify for raiding.

    It makes them compete with every single solo player game out there, instead of just every MMO.