New Player with some questions

[jerry]

Actually, I am thinking about starting EQ2. I played WoW for that last
two years. I was in a raiding guild and have leveled almost every
character class in the game. However, recently I have been getting
more and more frustrated with the amount of immature "jackass"
players. So I decided to leave wow. I put about a week of play in on
LOTRO, the user base was very mature and helpfull, however, I really
just wasn't feeling it.

Looking everything over with EQ2 it looks like a great game, did I
mention a REALLY great game. How is the user base? is it full of
kiddies like WoW? I might mention that I only played on a PVP server
during my entire WoW lifespan.

I am downloading the 14 day trial as we speak. If I go and buy it will
I want to get ALL the expansions right off the bat? Is there some sort
of "Battle Chest" type of package that already has it all?

Also, right off the bat I will probably want to pick a good server and
Mature guild.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Jerry

[jerry]

Post by jerry
Actually, I am thinking about starting EQ2. I played WoW for that last
two years. I was in a raiding guild and have leveled almost every
character class in the game. However, recently I have been getting
more and more frustrated with the amount of immature "jackass"
players. So I decided to leave wow. I put about a week of play in on
LOTRO, the user base was very mature and helpfull, however, I really
just wasn't feeling it.
Looking everything over with EQ2 it looks like a great game, did I
mention a REALLY great game. How is the user base? is it full of
kiddies like WoW? I might mention that I only played on a PVP server
during my entire WoW lifespan.
I am downloading the 14 day trial as we speak. If I go and buy it will
I want to get ALL the expansions right off the bat? Is there some sort
of "Battle Chest" type of package that already has it all?
Also, right off the bat I will probably want to pick a good server and
Mature guild.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
Jerry

Sorry, I read the FAQ after my post... please forgive. didn't see the
EQ2 group. I still welcome any responses. Flames should be considered
overkill as I already realized my mistake :)

[c]

Post by jerry

Post by jerry
Actually, I am thinking about starting EQ2. I played WoW for that last
two years. I was in a raiding guild and have leveled almost every
character class in the game. However, recently I have been getting
more and more frustrated with the amount of immature "jackass"
players. So I decided to leave wow. I put about a week of play in on
LOTRO, the user base was very mature and helpfull, however, I really
just wasn't feeling it.
Looking everything over with EQ2 it looks like a great game, did I
mention a REALLY great game. How is the user base? is it full of
kiddies like WoW? I might mention that I only played on a PVP server
during my entire WoW lifespan.
I am downloading the 14 day trial as we speak. If I go and buy it will
I want to get ALL the expansions right off the bat? Is there some sort
of "Battle Chest" type of package that already has it all?
Also, right off the bat I will probably want to pick a good server and
Mature guild.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
Jerry

Sorry, I read the FAQ after my post... please forgive. didn't see the
EQ2 group. I still welcome any responses. Flames should be considered
overkill as I already realized my mistake :)

i didn't think the eq2 group ever got off the ground


anyway

eq2 is nowhere near as big as WoW, so there are fewer jackass-types
about (and you'll find them at lvl 80) - even if the proportion is the
same (i imagine more jackass type personalities being drawn to the
"latest and greatest" rather than going for substance - eq1/eq2)


as far as server/guild, i'm of the mind they're interchangeable save
for the pvp servers


you definitely want the expansions because they all enable new all-
character abilities ... one expansion enables alternate experience
(aaxp goes into a separate experience pot to be spent on character-
individualizing skills) - i think faydwer - and the other, earlier one
(sky or something?) will almost definitely be included if you buy
secrets of faydwer ... the third expansion, i believe, is kunark, and
it's great for 50+ or 70+ or something ... get it if you see a package
deal or wait until you're of a level to use it (it offers a free
teleport system, like PoK in eq1)



have fun =)

[Richard Carpenter]

Post by c

Post by jerry

Post by jerry
Actually, I am thinking about starting EQ2. I played WoW for that last
two years. I was in a raiding guild and have leveled almost every
character class in the game. However, recently I have been getting
more and more frustrated with the amount of immature "jackass"
players. So I decided to leave wow. I put about a week of play in on
LOTRO, the user base was very mature and helpfull, however, I really
just wasn't feeling it.
Looking everything over with EQ2 it looks like a great game, did I
mention a REALLY great game. How is the user base? is it full of
kiddies like WoW? I might mention that I only played on a PVP server
during my entire WoW lifespan.
I am downloading the 14 day trial as we speak. If I go and buy it will
I want to get ALL the expansions right off the bat? Is there some sort
of "Battle Chest" type of package that already has it all?
Also, right off the bat I will probably want to pick a good server and
Mature guild.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
Jerry

Sorry, I read the FAQ after my post... please forgive. didn't see the
EQ2 group. I still welcome any responses. Flames should be considered
overkill as I already realized my mistake :)

i didn't think the eq2 group ever got off the ground
anyway
eq2 is nowhere near as big as WoW, so there are fewer jackass-types
about (and you'll find them at lvl 80) - even if the proportion is the
same (i imagine more jackass type personalities being drawn to the
"latest and greatest" rather than going for substance - eq1/eq2)
as far as server/guild, i'm of the mind they're interchangeable save
for the pvp servers
you definitely want the expansions because they all enable new all-
character abilities ... one expansion enables alternate experience
(aaxp goes into a separate experience pot to be spent on character-
individualizing skills) - i think faydwer - and the other, earlier one
(sky or something?) will almost definitely be included if you buy
secrets of faydwer ... the third expansion, i believe, is kunark, and
it's great for 50+ or 70+ or something ... get it if you see a package
deal or wait until you're of a level to use it (it offers a free
teleport system, like PoK in eq1)

The Rise of Kunark is an all-inclusive expansion pack, so it should be all a
new player would need.

[jerry]

Post by Richard Carpenter

Post by c

Post by jerry

Post by jerry
Actually, I am thinking about starting EQ2. I played WoW for that last
two years. I was in a raiding guild and have leveled almost every
character class in the game. However, recently I have been getting
more and more frustrated with the amount of immature "jackass"
players. So I decided to leave wow. I put about a week of play in on
LOTRO, the user base was very mature and helpfull, however, I really
just wasn't feeling it.
Looking everything over with EQ2 it looks like a great game, did I
mention a REALLY great game. How is the user base? is it full of
kiddies like WoW? I might mention that I only played on a PVP server
during my entire WoW lifespan.
I am downloading the 14 day trial as we speak. If I go and buy it will
I want to get ALL the expansions right off the bat? Is there some sort
of "Battle Chest" type of package that already has it all?
Also, right off the bat I will probably want to pick a good server and
Mature guild.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
Jerry

Sorry, I read the FAQ after my post... please forgive. didn't see the
EQ2 group. I still welcome any responses. Flames should be considered
overkill as I already realized my mistake :)

i didn't think the eq2 group ever got off the ground
anyway
eq2 is nowhere near as big as WoW, so there are fewer jackass-types
about (and you'll find them at lvl 80) - even if the proportion is the
same (i imagine more jackass type personalities being drawn to the
"latest and greatest" rather than going for substance - eq1/eq2)
as far as server/guild, i'm of the mind they're interchangeable save
for the pvp servers
you definitely want the expansions because they all enable new all-
character abilities ... one expansion enables alternate experience
(aaxp goes into a separate experience pot to be spent on character-
individualizing skills) - i think faydwer - and the other, earlier one
(sky or something?) will almost definitely be included if you buy
secrets of faydwer ... the third expansion, i believe, is kunark, and
it's great for 50+ or 70+ or something ... get it if you see a package
deal or wait until you're of a level to use it (it offers a free
teleport system, like PoK in eq1)

The Rise of Kunark is an all-inclusive expansion pack, so it should be all a
new player would need.
--
Richard Carpenter

I picked up two copies of Rise of Kunark last night. OMG what a fun
game, I loaded it on my desktop PC, which is a Core 2 quad, with 4GB
Ram and a 7900GTX, it looks and plays fantastic and after playing for
5 levels I am completely excited, I can't wait to get off work. I
loaded XP on my Macbook Pro with Bootcamp and loaded the second copy
on there for my wife. We put in about an hour last night as the
downloads took a good bit of time.

Initial impression seems MUCH better than WoW on a lot of levels. The
only place I see WoW to be superior is that is seems to have less
horsepower requirements, WoW is a bit smoother on the Macbook Pro,
which is a core 2 duo with a Radeon X1600 and 2GB Ram.

On a completely different note, I canceled my LOTRO subscription after
a week, I never enjoyed that game for one single second.

[c]

Post by jerry
I picked up two copies of Rise of Kunark last night. OMG what a fun
game, I loaded it on my desktop PC, which is a Core 2 quad, with 4GB
Ram and a 7900GTX, it looks and plays fantastic and after playing for
5 levels I am completely excited, I can't wait to get off work. I
loaded XP on my Macbook Pro with Bootcamp and loaded the second copy
on there for my wife. We put in about an hour last night as the
downloads took a good bit of time.

i'm glad you're enjoying it ... you must love the eye candy, i have a
2.8ghz (oc) amd (2gb ddr 500 ram) running an ATI x1900xt; got it
running 1920x1080 and it seems very smooth to me

my rig is about 2 years old, so i'm sure you have it running lightning
fast

Post by jerry
Initial impression seems MUCH better than WoW on a lot of levels. The
only place I see WoW to be superior is that is seems to have less
horsepower requirements, WoW is a bit smoother on the Macbook Pro,
which is a core 2 duo with a Radeon X1600 and 2GB Ram.

again, glad you like it - get deep in and let me know

eq2 was the first time i was able to see player action affect the
world - at just lvl 20, i found a quest wherein once i was able to
clear a bridge of trolls, the dwarves came and took over and held that
position ... i *love* that, and in eq1 the only times players could do
anything "meaningful" it was when they were the max-level powergamers
=/

Post by jerry
On a completely different note, I canceled my LOTRO subscription after
a week, I never enjoyed that game for one single second.

to each his own
(not that i ever played it)

[Terryc]

Post by c

Post by jerry
On a completely different note, I canceled my LOTRO subscription after
a week, I never enjoyed that game for one single second.

to each his own
(not that i ever played it)

If it is anything like the LOTR game that I played, you just recreate
acions in the movie and do them ove and over again and agin until you
obtain the needed minimum score. <boring>

[Don Woods]

Post by Terryc

Post by c

Post by jerry
On a completely different note, I canceled my LOTRO subscription after
a week, I never enjoyed that game for one single second.

to each his own
(not that i ever played it)

If it is anything like the LOTR game that I played, you just recreate
acions in the movie and do them ove and over again and agin until you
obtain the needed minimum score. <boring>

No, it's not at all like that. It's a standard fantasy-based MMORPG
set in Tolkien's world, at roughly the time of the hobbits travelling
from the Shire to Rivendell. Players can solo or form "fellowships"
(groups) to do quests, tradeskills, and so on. Many of the quests
are linked to the story line in some way, such as killing wild beasts
and gradually finding evidence that the reason there's so many of them
is because of dark forces driving them mad, etc.

There are a lot of ways in which having an appreciation of the books
enhances the game, but it's not required. For instance, there's a
game effect called "dread" that acts like a debuff, lowering your HP
and mana (called morale and power in LOTRO) and in extreme cases
making it impossible to act. You encounter Dread when facing various
undead (especially bosses), and in certain locations, and you can tell
when you're running into it because the screen wavers slightly as the
feeling hits. Well, you get hit by a small Dread effect as you walk
up to (or out from) the door of Elrond's "Last Homely House" in
Rivendell. And if you look around, you'll find that it's because
Frodo (presumably with the Ring) is hanging out near the entrance.

Anyway, as was said, to each his own. I find it a pleasant change of
pace, and a game where my wife and I can play together without either
of us having to PL through 70 levels of EQ or WOW just to group.

-- Don.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- See the a.g.e/EQ1 FAQ at http://www.iCynic.com/~don/EQ/age.faq.htm
--
-- Sukrasisx, Monk 77 on E. Marr Note: If you reply by mail,
-- Terrwini, Druid 60 on E. Marr I'll get to it sooner if you
-- Teviron, Knight 59 on E. Marr remove the "hyphen n s"
-- Wizbeau, Wizard 36 on E. Marr

[Don Woods]

Post by jerry
On a completely different note, I canceled my LOTRO subscription after
a week, I never enjoyed that game for one single second.

Whereas I find it quite enjoyable and play it about one night a week
as a change of pace. It does help to have some appreciation of the
underlying books, though if you're too fanatical about them you may
find it odd having big-name NPCs dropping hints to thousands of
characters about the super-secret quest certain hobbits are on. If
you're not too picky, though, you can appreciate how the game lets
players participate in the story (e.g., retrieving some of the parts
needed to reforge Aragorn's sword). Not to mention unusual quests
suited to the settings, such as hobbits needing you to deliver pies
without letting "hungry hobbits" spot you.

Anyway, far from perfect, but better than EQ in some ways, worse in
others, and fine for what it is.

-- Don.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
-- See the a.g.e/EQ1 FAQ at http://www.iCynic.com/~don/EQ/age.faq.htm
--
-- Sukrasisx, Monk 76 on E. Marr Note: If you reply by mail,
-- Terrwini, Druid 60 on E. Marr I'll get to it sooner if you
-- Teviron, Knight 59 on E. Marr remove the "hyphen n s"
-- Wizbeau, Wizard 36 on E. Marr