Why I Love This Game

Discussion in 'General Gameplay Discussion' started by Almee, Jan 21, 2020.

  1. Almee Well-Known Member

    Some people are under the impression that I hate this game. Actually, I love this game with a passion. Here are some of the reasons why.

    Crafting. No other game holds a candle to EQ2 when it comes to crafting. We can make gear, spells, potions, food, drink, containers, adornments, house items, etc. Crafting is so varied and interesting. We can even do quests to help level up our characters or to earn bonus items that help with crafting.

    Harvesting. I've harvested in a number of MOGs and I think EQ2 has the best system out there. We can harvest while mounted. We get three harvests per node (except KA). Rares have been fixed so that we can expect a decent number of them when harvesting. I'd still like to see nodes be more distinct from the background geometry, to help people with eyesight problems, but overall it is a great system to get materials for crafting.

    Decorating. Hands down, EQ2 has the best housing of any MOG. I'm not a great decorator, like Sonjir, Mohan, or Ceyarrecks, but I still enjoy decorating my houses. And we have a wonderful variety of housing to choose from. The graphic artists have outdone themselves creating everything from cozy little apartments to humongous mansions. And we have a huge variety of furniture and decorations to choose from when decorating our homes and landscapes. In addition, each character can own multiple housing so there is always a house begging to be decorated if you are so inclined.

    Portals. Oh how I love portals. They make playing so much easier even if you have fast travel. There are some places that aren't available, via fast travel, so it is lovely having all those portals in the house or guild hall to use. And the portals are so graphically interesting. You look at one and you immediately know where it will take you because each xpac's portal is different in design.

    Races. So many to choose from and each has unique strengths and weaknesses that impact how they perform in the game. You can be a seriously intelligent high elf or a strong, but bungling, troll, a tiny, agile fae or a hulking ogre. There is a race for everyone and more are occasionally added to the game.

    Classes. We have great classes from fighters to healers and everything in between. It is so interesting to combine races with classes to see how well a particular combination will work out. Some classes and races seem destined to go well together which makes them an easy choice. Other times, players might choose a non-traditional paring to show off how skill, as a player, can transcend an odd coupling of traits.

    Zone Graphics. Oh my. EQ2 has glorious graphics for a pc-based game. The EQ2 artists are top notch. Every zone has its own atmosphere. Nek is foreboding. Zek, desolate. The Enchanted Lands are enchanting. and OP is eerily beautiful. The plants and mobs are cleverly designed to accent each zone's atmosphere. Wandering around a zone is always a visual adventure.

    Character Graphics. I just love the character graphics even for the races that are less appealing to most humans. And the huge assortment of feature selection makes each character unique. The ability to mix and match character features and gear is endless. We can even go to a barber, to change our character's appearance, if we want to match some newly-acquired gear.

    Animation. I think EQ2 has really good animation for a pc-based game. Fabrics move in the wind. Wings flutter. Pets have their own unique behaviors that range from cute to horribly annoying. Flight is smooth and exhilarating. Characters exhibit behaviors such as interest in those around them. The animation is realistic enough to immerse yourself in your character with minimal effort.

    Shinies. I have always loved shinies and rarely pass one by without harvesting it. And while I am less enchanted with them today, due to having so many uncompleted sets, I continue to hope that DB will find a way for us to get those rare pieces so many of us are missing.

    Mercs. Mercenaries saved the game for me when my hand-and-eye coordination began to fail. They allowed me to adventure without having a group to support me. And mercs have become so much better as AI has improved. I absolutely love my mercs.

    This list, of what I love about this game, could go on and on. In fact, I was so impressed, with how the game helped some children with severe learning problems, that I recommended it for years to clients who had children struggling with school.

    But the game is far from perfect and even DB understands that. Some things are feasible to change and others aren't. Hopefully, DB will continue to give us multiple ways to achieve needed goals so that we can skip one leg of a path, if it is too hard, and still be able to continue to progress. That creates a winning environment for everyone and fosters loyalty to the game.
    Whatever999, Arcos, Soara2 and 9 others like this.
  2. Robynous Well-Known Member

    I would add flying. It really made the game for me, as I am being reminded at the moment in the latest expansion. Not having it makes me want to just go and decorate! ;)
    Whatever999, Soara2, Almee and 5 others like this.
  3. Ceyarrecks Wunnfirr Well-Known Member

    I quite agree with you Almee!
    But, You forgot to mention the Burynai :D

    Consider also the natural ambiance of the various areas on Norrath and beyond.
    Add the various background musics from both Norraths are pleasant beyond words, i.e the Stone Bridge in North Karana, Surefall Glade, as well as the Ning Yun Retreat floating island in North Odus, Stonebrunt Highlands.
    Whatever999, Soara2, Almee and 6 others like this.
  4. Semperfifofum Well-Known Member

    I love ghosts and ghost stories. Not many games have nearly every expac with some sort of ghost story in it somewhere. The KA ghosts were particularly good. Nights of the Dead... Headless horeseman... ghostly housing actors... I almost expect Tinkerfest to come up with the ghosts of destroyed machines. ;)
    Whatever999, Soara2, Almee and 5 others like this.
  5. chattie Well-Known Member

    Well, I have to say I loveED this game before Luclin. I have completed both sides on six toons and this expansion is a fail. Why anyone would take years of expansion and updates and break stuff that over time had worked is beyond me. I have always first run my toons through the tradeskill side because of the benefits, that is waste of time this expansion as mastercrafted gear is of no value. Most disappointing is the change they made to the spells, I MAY have all my adept spells at the end of this expansion, the expert ones I seriously doubt.
    The loot tables are screwed up no matter what anyone says to the contrary, NEVER have we received loot from a previous expansion. The gear we got in the chest was no better in aiding me against the mobs than the gear I got last expansion and I do NOT have any raid gear.
    The only positive things I have to say about this expansion is the terrain, It's beautiful the designers did an excellent job and had I not had to struggle every moment to get through it I could have appreciated it more, not until I could fly could I really take a look and wonder at the beauty of BoL. The adventure quest line too is enjoyable for the most part,the tradeskill not so much fun, there are some that are annoying and could have been better thought out. This is my take and my take only on Blood of Luclin.
    Juraiya, Siren, Robynous and 6 others like this.
  6. Bhayar Well-Known Member

    I have to agree with your assessment about BOL. Love the scenery, and I also enjoyed the sig/TS lines myself. That said, the previous expansions were like the beautiful high elf we see so often and enjoy. BoL, for all the concepts, makes me think a goblin changeling snuck in, fell out of the Ugly Tree and hit every branch coming down. It's bug ridden on so many levels it makes playing painful or impossible to do some things. Like Almee, I have always loved the crafting side, but they've made a number of TS classes completely worthless to pursue. I won't even go into the harvesting/TS/spell books for adepts/experts etc. That subject has been beaten to death. I have hopes that some of the decisions will be reconsidered and the bugs fixed. What concerns me the most is people who are so frustrated talking about this being their last xpac. I'm hoping it's just them expressing their frustration. We're all frustrated and I'm not talking about just the players.
    Any rate, time to turn over some Overseer quests!!
    Juraiya, Arcos, Soara2 and 5 others like this.
  7. Cyrrena Well-Known Member

    Very lovely post Almee, thank you.


    I love Burynai, they are so cute and huggable!!!
    Siren, Rosyposy, Soara2 and 4 others like this.
  8. Raff Well-Known Member

    And this is a perfect example of why you can't have a perfect game for everyone.

    With the exception of harvesting? Which I do like. It is kind of like a catharsis after a long day.

    Most of the things you list, I don't really care about.

    Art & animation is far better in games using modern engines.

    I only rarely use a merc and could do totally without them on any the characters I play regularly...unless I just get lazy. But I usually like the challenge of soloing each class without a merc.

    What I do like are the grouping, teamwork and game mechanics. Tank / healer / DPS / Utility.

    And I especially like the ability to wear realistic armor & weapons. Most modern games make this difficult with over sized pauldrons & phone pole size broadswords (a personal peeve only...lot of people like that stuff)

    Crafting is a means to an end only...otherwise I loath crafting.

    And therein lies the rub...(paraphrased)...the dev team can't create the game that is perfect for everyone. All they can do is lay out their vision of the game. And players will take that offering and make it theirs in as many ways as possible.
    Cyrrena, Thilka, Soara2 and 1 other person like this.
  9. Elkana Active Member

    I also love the game very much, even BoL. I know these are issues, but people love me in spite of my issues. People come to my place of business in spite of our issues. In fact none of us are without issues. There has been no game ever that compares to what I find in eq2. Some of my longest tenured friends are in this game. I have become great friends with people all over the world and USA from this game. Learned many things about different cultures even. This game is vastly large! Besides, real life simply doesn't let me assassinate anyone, which is the main reason I love this game.
    Cyrrena, Rosyposy, Soara2 and 3 others like this.
  10. Jovie Well-Known Member

    I love the game for many reasons, but am starting to grow weary of it for others.

    I love it enough that i have four lifetime accounts with 330 total characters between them.

    I love pretty much everything up until about 2 or 3 expansions ago.

    The biggest part that i hate is that they are rapidly moving away from the core idea that the game is accessible to just about every playstyle without having to put in more time and resources than are reasonable.

    The solo game, up until a few expansions ago, had no problems for the average player completing all content over time.
    But that is changing, with difficulty ramping up, billions of hitpoints in damage, unusual and horribly designed super inflated stats that were put in solely to slow the player base down among other issues.

    BoL has been the tipping point of casuals being cut out from pretty much everything. Bravo.
    Are they trying to make this eq1 in style? There is already an eq1, we don't need another. Making this game like eq1 won't increase the subscription rate.

    I am not ready to give up on the game, but others seem to be.

    Turn the ship around. Move it back towards the playstyles that were supported 2-3 years ago.

    Most rational people don't want difficult. They want engaging, creative and well designed gameplay.

    Remove the infusions, potency stat, resolve stat, etc.

    Perhaps get someone to unlazy the game and put in reason for every character to bump up all the nomal stats.

    That's it. Get the game in the way back machine, unfubar it so that it resembles the game that more people loved than they do now.
    Cyrrena, Juraiya, Finnwizz and 9 others like this.
  11. Almee Well-Known Member

    I think everyone knows my opinion about flying Robynous. I've just about hammered the subject to death with BoL. When I am able to fly I forget I'm stuck in bed for 99% of my life. Taking it away from me is like taking away the air I breathe.

    It was due to flying, in EQ2, that I rarely have bouts of acrophobia (fear of heights) and basophobia (fear of falling) in real life anymore. Even my vertigo has improved dramatically. These phobias used to just about paralyze me but now I jump off tall building with a single bound lol.

    Ceyarrecks designed a Tenebrous Island Refuge where anyone can practice jumping, falling, and other activities that normally induce these phobias when your character is in an aerial zone. You can access it by going to Housing & Leaderborads, selecting Hall of Fame, and then filtering for JFAI. Hopefully, with practice, I will fully overcome both of my phobias about heights and falling.

    I think Raff illustrates just how much crafters and adventurers differ and why it is important to keep crafting and adventuring as separate paths. I tolerate the things he loves, love the things he hates, and there are some features we both like and enjoy. That's what makes EQ2 so special in the MOG world.

    And I agree with the people, like Jovie, who think the game needs to get back to the basic structure of the original game where adventurers had multiple paths to success that only involved adventuring and crafters didn't have to adventure unless they wanted to. That doesn't mean there can't be optional content where adventuring and crafting overlap. I could take almost any of the BoL optional quests and add a crafting component.

    Hopefully DB will find a way to satisfy both adventurers and crafters in their next xpac. I really enjoyed adventuring in BoL up to the instances, and I've done about a third of the TS quest line and only had some minor problems completing the quests. There is one part, coming up, that looks a little intimidating for players with poor hand-and-eye coordination, but I'm hoping it isn't really hard to do.

    For all its faults, I think EQ2 still has a lot to offer players. I got my two healers to 120 and I might yet get them through the instances with a little help from others. My other characters, that aren't healers, should be able to do the instances after I do a few optional quests to get better gear.

    I'm getting to see a little of the scenery as I fly on the bugs but their wings block a lot of it so I'll be happy when I can fly on my own mount again. I know there is a lot of fantastic graphic work to admire so I'm really looking forward to that day.
    Cyrrena, Juraiya, Siren and 6 others like this.
  12. Leloes Well-Known Member

    I think that we can all agree that we all love EQ2 for one reason or another. I understand the reasons that Almee has stated and the same goes for Raff. I have been able to do things that I haven't done in years. I can climb, run, swim.....just being able to be outside is a thrill! I haven't done any of these things in many because of my disability and I love that I can do them here.

    Here's to hoping EQ2 goes on for many more years for both adventurers and crafters!:)
    Cyrrena, Juraiya and Rosyposy like this.
  13. Bhayar Well-Known Member

    Cyrrena likes this.
  14. Robynous Well-Known Member

    I have got two toons to 120 doing the Tradeskill Timeline, but with each Veteran bonus I have to go through less of this hideous questline. Whoever made the landscape impossible to navigate and then took away flying is not helping Everquest. When I have got to 120, I will not continue the Timeline. However, it will soon be Erollisi Day and I will be thankful for the great work the devs have done for this game in the past!
    Cyrrena and Juraiya like this.