Too many changes, too fast, too far. Not a rant!

[Tyrusstorm]

<DIV>Ok I will try to make sure this does not go down the rant road.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff00>I want to thank Sony for over 5 years of fun. I</FONT> loved EQ live, oh sure I complained about this and that but never to the point that I wanted to flame or rant like some of the others, who in my opinion, take the game waaay to seriously.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I looked forward to EQ 2 with a good deal of excitement and I enjoyed the beta. I was amazed at the work and detail that went into the new Norrath. I truly think that EQ 2 is an amazing achievment.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have great respect for the developers and I can only imagine how hard it is to deal with all the issues.. the balancing the programming the number crunching.. wow it boggles the mind.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I say all this to make it very clear that this is not a rant.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I no longer enjoy the play style that sony has laid down in this game. <FONT color=#ff3300>I am NOT saying that the style I enjoy is the RIGHT and only RIGHT way to play I am just saying that the path is no longer the one for me.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ffff00>What I miss.</FONT></DIV> <UL> <LI>Buffing someone higher or lower than me and having them say "hey thanks!" or "wow look at my" hitpoints, resists, whatever..</LI> <LI>Coming to the rescue as I see someone lower than me fighting for his life. (as a paladin this was so cool)</LI> <LI>Joining up with someone and helping them camp a mob for a quest that they have been killed by numerous times. I must have helped a dozen folks get the dang mask in lower guk.</LI> <LI>Healing someone in the middle of the fight and telling them 'keep going I have plenty of mana I can get you throught this fight" and having them say "thanks!"</LI> <LI>Running through Oasis and doing a random inspect on someone and then handing out a few minor items I no longer need.</LI></UL> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I could go on and I know there are a good number of casual players, good folks, not bent on uberness or L33t power who will smile as they remember doing ALOT of these things too.. how many of you have sat on orc hill or in the oasis just to buff for a bit...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I realize that there are probably tons of reasons the developers and the folks at Sony took these out or modified them to the point of no return. I realize that alot of it probably had to do with issues I know nothing about. I will go so far as to guess that they developers are baning their heads on these issues just as much as we the players are.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>However they are gone from EQ 2 and with regret so am I.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Once again Thanks to all the developers for a wonderful run. I will never forget my time in EQ and the brief time in EQ 2 it has been, for the most part, a total blast.</DIV>

[Aldarion_Sha]

<DIV>Excellent post, I agree on all points.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I really wish the developers would take a look at finding a way to introduce the things you mentioned back into the game.  The current heavy handed approach is really eliminating a lot of fun activities that should have been encouraged, not eliminated.</DIV>

[Wasc]

Nearly every thing you mentioned that has differed in EQ2 from EQ1 was a specific, intentional change in the design of the game, intended to prevent the abuse of game mechanics that would, eventually, detract from gameplay.For example, while it might be nice as a level 60++ cleric to head into a newbie zone and load up everyone with buffs... The EFFECT of those buffs is that these newbies are practically invincible against an encounter that had been intended for their level. In effect, these Cleric buffs artificially increased the effective combat level of the newbies. In EQ1, the newbies still got the same amount of experience for their kills, despite the Cleric standing there doing some of the work. In EQ2, if you want to buff someone to give them a better chance in an encounter, you have to willingly (and with their permission) join their group, affecting their combat level versus the encounter. If you are so much higher than they are, that the encounter is trivial for you both, or you're SO much more powerful than the newbie that they can't really "learn" anything by having you fight their battles for them, then they gain no experience.It might be nice to charge in and rescue a wounded warrior battling overwhelming odds... And in EQ2, you can still do this. That warrior simply has to recognize that he's overwhelmed and yell for help, and you can jump right in. If he wants to fight the battle alone, and does not want you to jump in, EQ2 gives him the choice to make a Heroic "last stand" instead. It gives him the CHOICE to be rescued, or not, as he desires. This same choice to be rescued also protects him from the downside of an unlocked encounter: kill stealing. If a higher level player wanted to kill every creature in the zone, including those that I'm hunting, EQ1 allowed him to do it. He could follow me around indefinitely, killing anything that I engaged, and totally ruin my day. EQ2 protects me from this by artifically "locking" an encounter, and I love it.You may be disappointed by the differences between EQ2 and the original Everquest. That's up to you. I love it. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Vergin]

<DIV>Tyrus, a very well put post. I believe this was perhaps one of the best non flaming farewell posts I have read yet. it's just a shame that Sony won't change the game back to avoid from loosing all the subs they will within the next 2 weeks.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Once again sorry to see you go, I hope you enjoy your next game.</DIV>

[Erronn]

<DIV>EQ2 is a different game than EQ1, as you note. If you miss those pieces of EQ1, then I'd suggest going back to it. For those of us who prefer EQ2's ways, we'll stay here.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Personally, I am glad to be away from the PLers and POK buff-sellers. Now if I want enchanter/coercer buffs, we invite one into our group! SOE really made EQ2 different than EQ1, and I'm thankfull for that! I'm sure many others are also. Sorry you're not happy with EQ2, I wish you luck in finding a game that fits your playstyle.</DIV>

[dislex]

<DIV>You can't always have a chanter or coercer in a group.  There are a lot of classes, groups can only have 6 people.</DIV> <DIV>The benefit of KEI was that groups would play without a chanter.  Having a chanter was always preferably, but at least in EQ they didn't have to have long down time.</DIV> <DIV>Besides, drinks in this game basically serve the purpose of KEI.</DIV> <DIV>-dis</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[BWShellShocked]

<DIV>I must admit, I miss those aspects too.  I loved buffing newbs and having them get all excited over it.  I do, however, realize the reasons they are not in this version of the game.  Powerleveling is one big reason.  As far as healing in combat, there are some healing spells that work while not grouped.  I know, I made the mistake of healing someone being chased by a Centaur and got aggro and died, when I was about lvl 15, there for a bit of harvesting.  They did thank me for my sacrifice though, unintentional as it was <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Several times I've read Devs stating that rez'ing out of group would become possible again.  I do miss that, big time.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>All in all though, with each good thing that exists, those that exploit them ruin it for all, and they get nerfed or removed entirely... that's always the way of things, in all games.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>