New to Everquest II - What brought you to the game?

[Arython]

I am really curious about how people hear of Everquest II, what made you decide to try it, and how do you like it?  Is it too hard or too easy?  Is there enough groups, not enough groups?  Also I wonder, which MMORPG's have you tried?  Did you escape WoW or LOTRO? Finally, how do you feel about the features you see?  Is there something really cool you discovered?I would love to hear from you all.

[Leemeg]

I did try it out when it was released back in 2004, I had been a SWG players for a couple years before that, so I got to know it through SoE. Didn't play it much at that time, just a couple month. Took one year break, and now I have been here since <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" />Main reason is that I don't find any good alternatives, and EQ2 is just that good in my opinion <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" />edit:Maybe I should answer some of your questions too <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />1. It can be both hard and easy, it depends on what type of mobs you fight. If you fight mobs higher than yourself it can be difficult enough. Everyone with a bit of time can get to 70 (even just soloing), so its not necessary too hard either <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />2. Grouping. Lower levels has less groups, but when you get past level 20, you will see a increase of groups. Personally I do level most in groups (70% group, 30% solo).I have probably tried too many <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />What I like most about EQ2 is the shear amount of things. Alot of spells, you can improve every spell, which makes it personalized, the achivement points makes your character even more personalized.

[Calthine]

I started at launch.  I was playing EQ1, but between a) a new baby b) the game getting solo/duo unfriendly around GOD, and c) guild drama I was burnt out on EQ2.  The reports on the crafting system intrigued me.

[Bloodfa]

Played EQ before EQ2.  Before that, well, since waaaaaaaay before that, I played D&D and other RPG's.  Addiction, it's a dangerous thing.

[Rojette]

<p>I came to Eq2 to help a friend out (they wanted another Templar in their guild), but everything I heard about the game tingled my RPG roots.  I've played D&D in the past, plus any number of RPG titles for PC, PS2 and Xbox.  I've stayed away from WoW for the most part (after hearing of 12-step groups being formed to handle the addiction!), but I agree that the playability, functionality, customization, and jaw-dropping beauty of Eq2 are all plusses.</p><p>After only a week of playing (and nine characters later), consider me addicted to Eq2!</p>

[Ciara52]

<p>I started EQII 12/06  so almost a year now.  </p><p>Seems to be a nice balance of both difficult and easy areas.  I am only lv 47 conjuror but of course I am</p><p>an alta-holic so  --- lol  have many lvls and types of toons.</p><p>I haven't had any problem finding a group if I need one and I do like soloing.  I do miss hench/heros AI's for help like they have in Guild Wars.   Especially if everyone is busy doing something else.  </p><p>I found EQII by chance on the internet when searching for online games.  </p><p>My first online mulitplayer game was Guild Wars which I still go back and play.  EQII has pretty much stolen</p><p>my heart and time though  <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />  <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>The features overall seem fine to me. I am not an overly serious player.  I play to have fun  </p><p>It has just enough challenges that keep me coming back.  Also  quests like the clockwork duck and the owlbear love it  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src=" width="15" height="15" /></p>

[Mirrian]

<p>I have played both EQ1 and WoW, over all EQ1 got to be too big of a time sink and unless you were in a good guild you basically were going to solo a lot and its not a solo friendly game at the high end, I still log in occasionally but its more work than its worth. </p><p> WoW on the other hand was too easy and too boring, the same skills over and over again, just better versions of what you allready had. I didnt stay there very long, got bored REAL fast.</p><p> Having played EQ1 I had of course heard of EQ2, one day I saw the thing for the free trial, downloaded it and started playing, ordered the game the same day, its just perfect for me, not too hard, not too easy. You can actually accomplish something in just a few hours of play. Like the idea that they relaxed the class/race restrictions a lot, so you can experiment a lot more with different combo's. Still havnt got tradeskill down yet, but I am getting the hang of it. Graphics are outstanding. Run into a few oddities from time to time (bugs?) but overall a solid game.</p>

[Off]

Played EQ since 2001, switched to EQII at launch, and before that have played numerous RPG's, including pen and paper games.  Still play EQ and bounce between that and EQII.  I loved crafting in EQ, and when I heard about the crafting in EQII I knew I'd be hooked.  I find it hard to play at times due to kids, sports for the kids, college for me, and so on, but I manage to find my own time to play and unwind.  Hope you enjoy the game!

[Orsham]

<p>My first experience of MMOs was Second Life, although it's not really an MMO as such. I became curious about other, proper MMOs about a year ago. I tried the trials of WoW, Eve, Anarchy Online and EQ2. I chose WoW at that time probably because it was the most newbie friendly and accomplished. Then I tried EQ2 trial again a month ago after hearing it had improved a lot and feeling more experienced in MMOs to take on something a bit more complex than WoW. </p><p>Unlike many others I don't dislike WoW. I find it funny how people will come here saying how much they're glad to get away from WoW after playing it for three years and having 5 level 70 alts! There must have been something in the game!</p><p>I think EQ2 would appeal to a lot more people though, if they knew about it!</p>

[Magic]

<cite>Arython@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote>I am really curious about how people hear of Everquest II, what made you decide to try it, and how do you like it?  Is it too hard or too easy?  Is there enough groups, not enough groups?  Also I wonder, which MMORPG's have you tried?  Did you escape WoW or LOTRO? Finally, how do you feel about the features you see?  Is there something really cool you discovered?I would love to hear from you all.</blockquote><p>I came from EQ1 and had known about EQ2 through ads for over a year before it finally launched.  I was excited to switch over.</p><p>I like EQ2 as a game very much.  I enjoy exploring, farming, and improving my combat strategies.  It sometimes seems too difficult but that's when I try a different strategy and eventually learn how to beat the encounter.  Then it becomes easy with future alts.</p><p>Grouping is not my cup of tea.  I've been there, done that, and didn't like it so now I play solo exclusively.</p><p>The only other MMO I've played was Earth & Beyond.  I enjoyed it but couldn't tolerate the invisible barriers preventing me from escaping my enemies.  Space is supposed to be infinite.</p><p>The features in EQ2 are cool.  I've upgraded my PC over the summer and now have dual video cards running SLI.  The game looks wonderful in extreme quality mode and the frame rate is only slightly choppy in busy zones.  I'm not sure what the OP meant by discovering something cool.  I enjoy exploring the new zones and discovering new named mobs.</p>

[Da]

I played WoW for two years and went in search of a game that offered more than WoW did. I had been intrigued by EQ2 before, so I loaded up the trial once more and here I am. :]

[Jeramiah]

<p>I came from eq1 and bought eq2 when it first came out.  I played till level 5 then put it away untill now, when I got the offer to play free awhile because of Vanguard.</p><p> It seems better then when it first came out, but I wish it was alot more closer to eq1 then it is.  (I'm one of those bitter gammers who was hopeing Vanguard was going to be the next true "eq2" game)</p><p>Hopefully Kunark will steer this game more towards eq1s legacy?  Hopefully they will fix that train wreck called vanguard and it will morph into the true decendent of "the vision" it was supposed to be...</p>

[Finora]

<p>I'm not new to the game =) I came and brought a lot of folks with me at launch after hearing about it from various online sources before it launched. I talked it up big to all my EQ1 friends and guildmates and many of them came over with me to try it out at launch hehe. So, as you can see I came from EQ1.</p><p>I've also played quite a few other MMOs out there. I'd played a wee bit of ultima online way way back in the day, then EQ1, City of Heroes, I've played WoW (still do on occassion), Vanguard, SWG (hated that though), tried out DAOC, Beta'd LOTRO, and currently beta of something else <G>. Of all the ones I've played EQ2 has been the most consistantly enjoyable game.</p><p>I can't think of much that they don't already have in the game or are working on that I would add in, other than more fluff...god I love fluff, clothes and house stuff. =) I'm quite pleased with the implemented features and the ones they are currently working on/testing.</p><p>It's been so long since I've actively sought out groups from outside of my circle of friends that I honestly can't tell you much about that. I do know that my little defiler gets daily invites to groups (though usually when I'm otherwise occupied hehe) without ever putting up LFG. As do several of my other alts. I hear grouping is slow between 1-20, but that it often picks up after that as people start moving into zones like Stormhold, Fallen Gate, Ruins of Varsoon and the like.</p>

[Miss_Jackie]

I came over from EQ1. I got sick and tired of their CS. I decided to check out EQ2.. Bought a copy, tried the free month out and realized that the CS was waaaaay better. So, I stuck around. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Plus, the graphics are better and I get a pretty house to decorate. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Celline-Layonaire]

I, originally, was playing the MMO called the(Asheron's Call 2) and then one day, all of a sudden, once saw an in-game shot of EQ2.  Dispite putting the amazing graphic aside, I became more and more interested in how the devs materialized these wonderous lands of Norrath and the depth of lore.

[Ferunnia]

I started on the third day of release...Been around ever since, with a few breaks here and there when I've moved or had time intensive jobs or just whatever, but I keep coming back. I think some of my most memorable experiences involved my old raid guild which broke up due to a lot of drama and such.I remember killing mobs that took most people full raids with less than two groups, and in one case four people, and looking back and going, wow. That made me feel heroic. Like games of this nature should. I remember taking screen shots with the graphics maxed out and thinking jesus, that looks almost the same as stepping outside and looking up at the sky. Or standing on high places and taking screenies of far-reaching vistas that nearly take your breath away even now to see in an online game.I have a ton of memories from this game, enough that I am writing a story in the traveler's tales section of the forums about my druid. Check it out, I've got a lot of stuff from in game in it, though I admit I do add some things to spice up the story.

[Alyxavior]

This is my second day playing, and I actually purchased the cds a couple of years ago, but just now have the computer that will allow me to enjoy it. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I watched someone play it, right before I made the purchase, and I thought it was a rather cool place to be.Thanks for having me. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Spyderbite]

<cite></cite>I absolutely love EQ2. It is the perfect fit for me.I played UO for almost 10 years (wishes he had those 10 years back now) before finally giving EQ2, WoW and a few of the other knock offs a try. I found myself drawn to EQ2 in the end however due to quality of graphics, low demands on my system, the community and all the wonderful content. I also get my cake and eat it too as I am a life time PvP player and have happily resided on Venekor since installing EQ2 back in September of last year.

[Trevalon]

<p>Started MMO's in with Everquest in week 1 of release in March of '99 and havent put em down since.  Though I have tried every single big RPG to be released since that time I have yet (Even to this day) have found one that tops EQ1 during the first 2-3 years.  </p><p>But to EQ2:</p><p>I originally beta'd it for a while and thought it was interesting and so I bought it on release.  While playing it I ended up getting into the WoW beta in like June or something of 2004 and I immediately saw that WoW was a much more polished game than EQ2 was even after EQ2's release.  In the end, I quit EQ2 to go play WoW beta and later to buy WoW.  </p><p>Since then I have played WoW pretty much exclusively (Though I still try every single MMO that is released) and then I found Vanguard.  Played it, thought it was ok just with way too many bugs -- So I promptly quit it after a month or so.  I got a thing in the mail about a month ago saying basically: "Yes we know Vanguard sucked, so here is EQ2, all expansions and adventure packs and 2 free months!"  So I bit and I reinstalled EQ2 and So I've been here since.</p><p> I still play WoW and I am the GM of an End-game raiding guild there, but when Im not raiding in WoW I find myself coming to EQ2 more and more.  I really like the feel of EQ2 moreso than WoW (especially the graphics -- hate WoW graphics) and overall I think EQ2 is a better game than WoW (deeper and richer experience if you ask me).  I could see myself playing EQ2 over WoW if A) I wasnt so invested in WoW and B) Age of Conan were not coming out in like 6 months.</p><p>So honestly Im playing EQ2 as just something fun to do while I wait for Age of Conan's release -- But I will say that EQ2 has come leaps and bounds from beta/first month.  I find the game to be much more user friendly and not quite as a "grind" as it was when first released.  I REALLY like the Neriak/Kelethin starting areas where the quests are wow-esque and are pretty centralized.  I hated the original cities with the huge cities and the 500 burrows thing -- also wasnt a big fan of original EQ2 zones (TS/Commonlands) -- BBM is a really nice zone though that I really enjoy and CBK gave me chills when I walked in to it -- Reminded me so much of EQ1</p>

[Wilde_Night]

<p>Played EQ1 for a few months but left because I could find no help for a lowly newb like me on my servers of choice (E'Ci and Vallon Zek.)  Quit shortly after Shadows of Luclin.</p><p>Played Dark Age of Camelot for a while, then moved to Star Wars Galaxies.  I left SWG the moment EQ2 came out.  I loved the first version and wanted to jump on the wagon early so I did not have a repeat of my newbie blues from EQ1.</p><p>I find the game nearly just right for me.  Not too hard, but not too easy - even though they have made things easier over the years.  EQ2 is my MMO of choice (even after trying out Vanguard and LOTR) and will be for a very long time.</p>

[Typhonian]

<p>Heh, my history of EQ2 is kinda complicated.</p><p>Well, when it first came out, October 2004, I think it was, EQ2 was my first MMO. My better half was a long-term EQ1 player (before I met her), and it was kinda inevitable that I would end up playing an MMO with her. Back then, however, the game wasn't fun at all - it was a horrible grind - "McQuaidism", someone called it. I think I struggled to lvl 27 before losing interest.</p><p>My gf had a beta key for WoW (and eventually ended up working for Blizzard for 18 months, but thats another story) and she quit EQ2 and I quit it in January 2005 for WoW, where she had a guild on an RP server. </p><p>We both played WoW for over 18 months until about October 2006, when I was getting bored of it and I quit (once you hit the level cap, there isn't much to do). The missus was getting a bit tired of WoW as well (this was pre-TBC) and I bought her a new EQ2 subscription as a Xmas present. When I saw how much it had changed for the better, I came back to EQ2 in January 2007. </p><p>And of course, you can guess what happened next.</p><p>We found ourselves an excellent guild, and had a blast, but missed our friends in WoW, so in April this year, we both bought ourselves TBC, and went back to WoW, until I got bored a couple of months back again of it (got to 70, got my Netherwing Drake, got a load of epics, did all the faction grinds I did), and I've now come back again to EQ2, and my gf also occasionally plays as well, though she's still playing WoW as well (my subscription expired yesterday and I won't renew it probably until the next expansion). My main char is now lvl 61, and all this time I've played with Combat XP switched off.</p><p>The main reason I keep going back to WoW is because of the really close friends I've made there, but that's the only way WoW is better. EQ2 has better crafting mechanics, has better quests (the new zones at least) and is a much more richly detailed and deeper game. The Lore is also more involved, although it doesn't have Thrall and the New Horde *sobs*. But ah well, no game can be perfect. But certainly, EQ2 as it is *now* is close to being the perfect MMO, in my view.</p>

[Lithran]

Well, I am an OLD uo'er. (Ultima online). I got started on that and played for a couple of years.Then I moved to EQ1 because my sister and her boyfriend did. Well, I got into that and played eq1 for almost 5 years.Then when we heard that eq2 was coming out wife and I just HAD to try it. We never looked back.I have also bought and tried the following games but always come back to everquest 2.Eve OnlineD&D OnlineFinal FantasyLineage 2WoW (actualy played for 6 months. I like the game. I hate the mentality)

[Aenielle]

Started playing MMOS when WoW came out (mostly due to my friends being big Warcraft RTS fans and choosing this over EQ2), played it for a year and a half and after over a year of raiding felt completly burned out.took a three months break, but it seems it was too late for me to unhook from the genre so i tried CoV for about a month (the absolutly worst grinding repetitive experience i had in a game).Switched to SWG, wich was admitedly lots of fun for a few months, but as the quests dried out around level 50 the level grind and no promise of any kind of sensible endgame made me play less and less of it- not to mention it was really a deserted place to be.Accidentaly found a copy of an Original Eq2 game in the offer bin, decided what the heck lets try this out- got so drawn in to it ended up getting the CD key from EoF from an online store (since i live in Europe and there are no EoF boxes to be found anywhere on the shelves) the same week.Since then i am an Eq2holic.And i managed to drag a couple of friends that were still playing WoW to try out EQ2 and stay with me as well <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" />

[Avonwey]

I was part of a very active guild in D&D Online, and we all got sick of the game at the same time. It was an awful lot of fun to play, but it only has about 10% of the content that Everquest 2 does. So about 10 of us took up EQ!

[Kazaa]

<p>I bought EQ2 at launch, played for a month before realizing my computer just wasn't capable of running the game well, then went to WoW.  After I got a new computer in 2006 I came back, but have been switching back and forth between the two games because I'm horribly indecisive. :p  So I still consider myself a new player because I've never leveled past T3 (or T4 if you count tradeskilling).  But I'm finally planning to break that glass ceiling, because I'm tired of WoW and no longer enjoy playing it.  While I'll probably try Age of Conan/Warhammer when they come out, I don't anticipate either one being my cup of tea, and since I've played almost every other current MMO out there... looks like EQ2 is it for moi.</p><p>What consistently brings me back to EQ2 - and may, finally, keep me here for good - is how rich the world feels, both in depth/breadth of gameplay and in graphics and audio.  I'm still amazed traveling through <i>Antonica</i>, never mind a new zone like Neriak.  Crafting also has a strong presence in this game, which is something I've always enjoyed doing; the image of my little wizard feverishly scribing spell after spell is totally cute anyway. XD  Finally, the new Legends of Norrath game looks like it'll be a blast, and I definitely want to be around for it.</p>

[Halanna]

<p>I tried several times over the last years to try the free trial (because I was playing WoW at the time) and there was always something wrong with the downloader, I'd get to the very end and it would say there was a corrupt file, or the downloader would just close (after 10hours of downloading) so I gave up.</p><p> I did however try Vanguard and it was so painful I only stayed for about 3 weeks, canceling my account.  Then at the end of July I received a post card from Sony saying they were working on Vanguard and sorry I cancelled, in the meantime download EQ2 and try it for 2 months free.</p><p>So I figured I'd give it another try (by this time I was so bored and fed up of WoW).  Thankfully this time the downloader worked and I"ve been hooked from Day 1!  I think this strategy was brilliant.</p><p> By EQ2 Day 6 I had given away 11k gold and all my items in WoW and cancelled my account.</p><p> But I'm seriously sad I didn't get in-game sooner.  If I only would have known, I would have purchased the game and not continued to try the free trial.</p><p> Better late then never!  I'm really enjoying this game.</p>

[Arython]

I am totally excited about the responses.  It is great to see how people have finally found there way to EQ2.  I know the feeling of drifting from game to game.  For me I was an addict EQ1 addict until I finally released I was ready for a new game, the old EQ being pretty much gone.  I followed Vanguard, but since they lost their originally publisher and ran out money it just wasn't ready by launch.  Plus my PC couldn't hack the game.  I think for most gamers, especially one's who can't sit on the game all day Everquest II is the best game on the market.

[Winternacht]

<p>Well I had played SWG for a year or and started EQ2 at launch. I played for about a month or so and then WOW dropped and that is where all my friends went. THey thought EQ2 was too involved and like the more hack 'n slash aspect of Warcraft. Since at the time EQ2 was very Solo unfriendly I ended up breaking under the pressure and went and played wow. I leveled several 70's, pvp'd, raided everything. I got bored of the game and my buddies all quit and I wanted to get back to what I considered the better game. I had heard about the changes they made and that you could solo now and it seemed a great fit.</p><p>I am having a blast and am kind of hoping to get up there in level before the expansion comes out. </p>

[reapermagix]

    I just got bored of WoW. Nothing to do once you hit lvl 70 was to raid or PvP. Crafting professions are crap and no brainers. No player/guild housing. WoW is geared towards little kids that don't have an attention span of more then 2 minutes.        SWG used to be an awsome game until NGE hit, then I quit. It was a great game until SOE decided to go the WoW direction with the game. SOE failed that game.    FF11, took way to long to accomplish anything, unless you had a group of friends you partied with on a regular basis it will take you 2 months to hit lvl 20. The death penalty was too harsh, and you were forced to group with people which left little to no room for solo. Time based game play got old really fast.I came to EQ2 looking for all the best aspects of all the games that I have played thus far, and I am not disappointed.

[novafluxx]

<cite>Creub@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote>I did try it out when it was released back in 2004, I had been a SWG players for a couple years before that, so I got to know it through SoE. </blockquote>Same here, I had tried EQ, didn't really understand it. I got into SWG when it was released. In late 2004, I just bought it on a whim at the store...I didn't have a DVD drive at the time, so I bought the 10CD set! (10 CDs!!!!)Installed it, and played a bit, back then it was new, and you started with an archetype, and subclass at level 10, then class at level 20.I got to level 11 or something, and wasn't impressed. A lot of it confused me.Then about 1 month ago, I was bored, and SWG just isn't maturing the way it should. So I decided to read about EQ2.What brought me back was when I read about the mentoring system, the redesigned class system (now you start with the class you want), and the thrill of playing a new MMO (even though I'd played it in late 2004, it has changed a LOT).The graphics are beautiful, gameplay mature, and well developed. The community REALLY REALLY impressed me, as I was downloading the trial (lost those 10 discs...lol) I was reading the newbie forum, and was REALLY impressed with the maturity of the community (at least on this board! lol)I played for a few days, and reactivated my account!I did try WoW, played it for a few months, and it was fun, but I got burnt out REALLY fast. EQ2 seems to be a more mature, better developed, and better LOOKING game than wow.Its the adult's wow <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Arcani]

I'm a former WoW player -- it was my first graphical MMO game, as before that I was still in love with MUDs. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I played WoW for about eight months; after getting to 70 and raiding a bit, I felt more and more 'blah' about that game and started looking around for a replacement.I came across an EQ2 blog that talked about housing and crafting in Norrath, and I was very much intrigued. Those two elements are things I enjoy immensely (and I always lamented about the less-than-satisfactory crafting and the lack of housing in WoW), so I downloaded the trial ... and got hooked. I've only been playing for a couple of weeks, but I am having so much fun and enjoying the world. I was never an altaholic in WoW, but in EQ2 I am playing four different characters! Quite amazing to me. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  

[novafluxx]

<cite>Arcaniel wrote:</cite><blockquote>I'm a former WoW player -- it was my first graphical MMO game, as before that I was still in love with MUDs. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" /> I played WoW for about eight months; after getting to 70 and raiding a bit, I felt more and more 'blah' about that game and started looking around for a replacement.I came across an EQ2 blog that talked about housing and crafting in Norrath, and I was very much intrigued. Those two elements are things I enjoy immensely (and I always lamented about the less-than-satisfactory crafting and the lack of housing in WoW), so I downloaded the trial ... and got hooked. I've only been playing for a couple of weeks, but I am having so much fun and enjoying the world. I was never an altaholic in WoW, but in EQ2 I am playing four different characters! Quite amazing to me. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" />   </blockquote>Some of my first introductions to any "mmo" were text-based games, MUDs/MUSHs and the like. Nice to see someone else know that exist!

[naejay]

I'm an adult female with family and work I have played other online games, wow, swg, and others. With my schedule I find that EQ2 is great for a casual player and the community is very helpful and mature excellent game so far

[SaintRaev]

<cite>Arython@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote>I am really curious about how people hear of Everquest II, what made you decide to try it, and how do you like it?  Is it too hard or too easy?  Is there enough groups, not enough groups?  Also I wonder, which MMORPG's have you tried?  Did you escape WoW or LOTRO? Finally, how do you feel about the features you see?  Is there something really cool you discovered?I would love to hear from you all.</blockquote>Well personally I was just patrolling the internet and stumbled across the trial, I tried it and I made a LOT of trial accounts in a few months. I love the game, and as for difficulty, I'd say it's a tad challenging. I was getting killed by enemies 1-3 levels lower than me until I finally remembered to upgrade my spells and armor. Than I was able to solo things 1-3 levels higher. As for groups, I'm not sure. I'm a soloer.I escaped from the very boring WoW. Although I've played other MMO's like CoV and CoH, WoW was the worst. EQ2 is a god of MMO's IMHO. The features are awesome, and I love the in-game browser. They also have an in-game card game. Pretty neat things that you can access through the game. Oh, almost forgot to mention the best part of the game....MATURITY! No more "Barren's Chat". I no longer have to deal with "wut r u goin 2 do 2day"

[stgninja]

<p>It all started with EQ for me and 2 weeks after EQ2 came out I broke down and bought it.  During my years playing I've tried other games like WoW, Guild Wars, Planetside, SWG, L2, CoH/CoV, LOTRO and Vanguard.</p><p>Compared to EQ Live EQ2 is easy . . well has become a easier game than it was at launch.  Back then the death penalty was alot harsher.  </p>

[StormQueen]

<cite>Arython@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote>I am really curious about how people hear of Everquest II, what made you decide to try it, and how do you like it?  Is it too hard or too easy?  Is there enough groups, not enough groups?  Also I wonder, which MMORPG's have you tried?  Did you escape WoW or LOTRO? Finally, how do you feel about the features you see?  Is there something really cool you discovered?I would love to hear from you all.</blockquote><p>I had played the Final Fantasy series for some years, plus Diablo and Diablo2, when a friend at work convinced me to give EQ a try. I played and enjoyed that very much. When EQ2 came out in November 2004 I decided to give it a try as it would be an even playing field at first. Yes, I fell in love with this game. </p><p>The game has changed a LOT from those early days. "Too hard" or "too easy" are very subjective terms. So much depends on your own expectations, style of gameplay, and goals. Leveling is certainly easier than it was in EQ.  </p><p>Groups are elusive things. Most folks these days group with guild members, or if raising a low level character they might be mentored or just solo to a certain level before trying to find groups.  I don't usually bother with non-guild groups unless I know the people, or if a guild member is in the group and needs a healer.  </p><p>You might be able to tell from my signature name that I have played WoW (not anymore; was there because a friend played it).  Couldn't tolerate Barrens chat or any number of irritating aspects of that game.  I tried Vanguard, but not for very long.   LOTRO I have and play it on occasion when not a lot going on in my guild in EQ2.  </p><p>EQ2 has only gotten better, interface-wise, since launch. While I have issues with SoE over their "balancing act", AKA nerfage, of various classes in the game, I have no complaints about the intuitive controls and commands.  My absolute favorite new feature is the improved MACRO system; I can macro any existing spell/combat art to target a person or tell the group the spell is active, and so forth.</p><p>This is still the best MMO out there, in my oh-so-humble opinion.</p>

[Epica]

I played Asheron's Call from '99 until WoW came out.  I switched over to WoW for awhile, ran the top raiding guild on my server, led raids, PvP'd...pretty much saw everything.  I stopped running a guild and went more casual with the WoW expansion.  I found at 70 there really isn't anything left to do, and Blizzard takes around 6 months for each content patch (which contain little content).  I tried LOTRO, but that wasn't all that interesting.  I played EQ2 at retail, but it lacked content.  After playing a few game trials I ended up liking the "Play the Fae" one for this game the most.  I canceled WoW the other day and grabbed the big download for EQ2 from D2D.  So far I am liking this game a lot.  The world is very interesting and it seems to have a whole ton of features that other games were missing.  With all the expansions out I have a ton of content to work through.  With a more casual pace I don't see myself running out of things to do ever.

[SpritRaja]

EQ2 was my first MMO. I had never had a good enough connection or monetary income to play any MMO before eq2. I did try some muds but the lack of graphics and reliance on heavy role play just never did it for me. It was a choice between WoW and EQ2 leaning heavily towards WoW since I loved all of Blizzards previous games. However WoW came out 2 months to late so I played EQ2 for 3 months then switched over to WoW.After 3 months of even the buggy and unbalanced original EQ2, WoW was just extremely mediocre particularly in the graphics (hated the cartoony graphics) and the community. So I came back to EQ2 after my 1 free month of WoW was up. I have tried quite a few other MMOs afterwards but have come ot the conclusion that even if the community and game is great leveling up in a world where everyone else has already way outleveled you and already know everything about the game is no fun for me. Any MMO I try in the future will have to be from the get go where everyone has an equal footing where you have the camaraderie or disharmony of figuring out the game from a fresh perspective.

[LaurnaRose Fauldorn]

<cite>Arython@Splitpaw wrote:</cite><blockquote>I am really curious about how people hear of Everquest II, what made you decide to try it, and how do you like it?  Is it too hard or too easy?  Is there enough groups, not enough groups?  Also I wonder, which MMORPG's have you tried?  Did you escape WoW or LOTRO? Finally, how do you feel about the features you see?  Is there something really cool you discovered?I would love to hear from you all.</blockquote><p>Started playing shortly after launch ... not sure exactly how long after but I know Ive been playing for over 3 years as I got my 3yr reward a few months back.</p><p>I too am a SWG fugative.  They were just borking the game to pieces (back before CU went live ... waayyy before the NGE) and though EQII was a SOE game as well, I was told of the success of EQI.  Hubby and I played for a bout a year and then took a few months off.  I had a really hard time getting into the game because my life in SWG revolved around non-combat.  I never was much of a fighter in SWG ... image designing, musician, dancer.  The fighting in SWG just seemed too go kill XX number of YY's all the time.  Once I started getting into the quest lines and reading the lore in EQII, it was a wonderful thing.  3+ years later I still have my first toon I created and she is only a lvl 64.  Im constantly rerolling alts to try new stuff out .. that and all my toons craft ... Im a busy bee.</p><p>MMOs that Ive tried:  Star Wars Galaxies, Guild Wars, Anarchy Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Vangaurd, Maple Story (laugh), Eve Online, Matrix Online (for like 30 minutes lol), America's Army (MMOFPS), G-Potato games FlyFF and the other one ... cant remember name.  I started gaming with Final Fantasy games and then moved on to Elder Scrolls Morrowind.  But the online craze started when hubby bought me SWG.  It just steamrolled from there.  Though I did not play ALL the above games to great extent (MS too cartoony, EO not my style, MO just blah, DnDO hubby wouldnt play & too repetative feeling, G-PGs hated the controls) some were decent.  </p><ul><li>SWG had the most potential of any game ever ... SOE totally botched that game.  </li><li>Guild Wars is a decent mix between a single player console game and an MMORPG.  It is a nice game for a less experienced crowd.  I freaquently refer to it as a "gateway game" (for reasons most of you will know hehe).  It helps to introduce the casual single player console gamer to the world of interacting online, but by no means does it have the same feel as a true MMO.  But, it is F2P which is definately a bonus.  I just like my games to be a it more open ended and not so linear and confined.  It still plays like a console game ... no real choices to be made.</li><li>Anarchy Online was decent.  It was one of those "dont have the money to pay for EQII" months and went looking for something to do  until I ould renew my sub.  I found AO.  The original core game was F2P at that point so I decided to try it out.  Not too much fun, not a lot to do, FX kinda like bleh, but it was free and it held my attention long enough to get my EQII sub paid.</li><li>I still have faith that VG:SoH will be a great game.  I has TONS of potential and so many features that are just really cool.  The FX reqs for the game are insane, but by the time the game gets out of its Live Beta phase I hope they will have worked on that issue.  Once I get back on my feet from the clinch of being out of work over the summer, I plan to get station pass just so I can play VG along with EQII.  I want to keep tabs on this game.  I have a feeling that the team isnt going to let it sink without a fight. </li><li>Now if you have any love for FPSs, America's Army is KILLER.  Ive never been much for FPS, but I love this game.  It is completely free.  No fee to download, no fee to play.  It is a recruitment tool used by the US Army and it is really fun.  I dont play it anymore though because I much prefer the RPGs, but occasionally we'll put it on our computers and dust it off.</li></ul><p>As for the features I see ... EQII is a wonderful, beautiful, in deapth and imaginative game.  The dev team is coming up with new stuff every day, they are constantly working on fixing, implementing, upgrading everything.  They work hard and they are in contact with the community.  I like to see the dev's on the forums keeping us updated on whats going on, asking our opinions, asking for suggestions, telling us what they can/cannot do to help us ... it's nice to know that the EQII devs see their customers and respect them.  </p><p>I have to say, my husband and I will probably continue playing EQII as long as it is available to play.  Im sure there will be other MMOs that come out that we will wonder off and try and may even enjoy, but Im almost possitive that EQII will always be on our desktops even if we find another MMO to take lead.  It is fun and relaxing, and frustrating and stressfull, and beautiful and evil.  It is good times with old friends and taking time finding new friends.  It is everything you could want in an MMO and I highly recommend it.</p>

[Durelli]

Well no one else has mentioned it as far as I can see (quite possibly out of shame) my first graphical mmorpg was 'The Realm'.By today's standards it verges on ludicrous - it was made by sierra and played like one of their old 'Space Quest' games.But yes 2D, midi music but imo totally charming. One of the things I like EQ2 is that it reminds me, in some sick way, of The Realm <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" />. In terms of actual MMOs, EQ was fun but I never achieved much of the high end content..  DAOC had me by the jewels as did FFXI, I played EQ2 from launch, mostly due to it's predecessor's reputation has held my interest the longest and most consistantly. I had a years break recently, Beta'd LOTRO (awesomely polished game on the surface but it was just so same old) and gave VG a whirl, in which I could clearly see a beautiful game but  that it was sadly flawed beyond redemption.EQ2 is a great thing. It's constantly recreating itself, and due to it's namesake has a right to bastardise and assimilate the good parts of other MMOs in the market and does so with abandon. In all the MMOs I've played none have been as responsive and adaptable as the creature that is eq2. Best mmo evah.edit: forgot to have a dig at WoW: tried it twice. a month each time. Never held my interest longer than that, too easy, too ugly and my night elf had these ham-shaped things for hands..

[Khaotician]

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;">I just got this game after only 20 minutes of playing the trial version, and I was hooked from the start! I've been playing WoW for several years, and never got a single character to 70, because I was already burned out by the same old content and single-zone progression (not to mention the Diablo-esque community). By the time the first expansion hit, I was bored by level 66 and don't even care to play that anymore. It never had the vastness and freedom of exploration that EQ offers. It was like "Do this, then do this, then do that, now you have to go here and do the other thing, etc.", all in a row or you couldn't join your friends in certain dungeons. I decided I was long overdue for a change, and so far it has been the best decision ever! This world is so big, t</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;">here are so many races and classes to choose from, and it is so much more advanced. Though the learning curve is pretty steep, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;">I must say it is worth the transition from Azeroth. I look forward to a whole new life here in Norrath!</span></span>

[Wy]

My girlfriend and I were playing WoW one day.. we'd been playing for over a year mind you. It's long distance, I met her through the World of Porncraft text RP room (*censor too many details out of this*) and we stuck like glue, she came to my server on WoW and we started playing after she recovered from a bad illness. I had a level 70 raider, but made a new character to play with her, an over the top slightly 'twinked' tank character and she played a healer. We were playing one day when it occured to me that, while I loved playing with her, I was dead sick of the game, which I'd known for a while but wasn't too big of an issue with the lady there. So I asked her if she still enjoyed the game. She said she enjoyed playing with me, got a bit evasive, but eventually admitted she was pretty tired of it too. We left, tried out Ryzom for a while which was a little 'too' liberating. Felt overwhelmed, quit that for a while and kicked around on the internet a while with no gaming medium, until I remembered Everquest. I hadn't tried EQ1 because it simply didn't look very appealing to me back in the day (I was a Blizz fan), but I'd heard good things about EQ2 and the free trial would confirm/deny. So we tried it out and are now hooked.

[Armawk]

<p>I got the game purely to test it. As a game dev I was looking at the MMO market for research purposes, to find out what was happening, how good the games were etc. I had no interest in playing the genra.</p><p>I bought EQ2 at random, because it was new and I thought the people who made such a seminal game as eq1 (which I only knew by rep) would be doing something interesting, and because it looked technically hot (and it was on special at amazon). I still think the game is technically brilliant, and after much running hot and cold am a big time player.</p><p>My colleague got Guild Wars at the same time. I reckon i got lucky.</p><p>I didnt get WoW at the time, intending to get that shortly afterwards. It never happened though as I could read enough to see the differences.</p><p>I have recently played the trials of pretty much everything on the market, and thank the gods I chose EQ2 to try, as WoW is a bunch of pants, Lotro is a franchise all over, Eve is too.. well its too damned dull etc etc etc</p>

[Dama]

I played EverQuest 1 since beta and I love the game. EQ1 has long since been dead but I missed the world and the game so I came here.

[Openedge]

My history started with Guild Wars...so I have not been playing MMO's too long...But, I have watched them since EQ1...I thought the idea was neat, but needed more infoAnyways..I played Guild Wars for over a year, as I and my wife were hooked. But, I felt it needed more. I then went to WoW, and again, a year of my life taken. But, then I knew I enjoyed MMO's and went through a massive "Try this and that" phase.Free MMO's (Silkroad) Foreign MMO's (Perfect World, Dekaron...yes in their original languages), DDO, Matrix...etc, etc...Then I found LOTRO...being a Middle Earth freak...I thought..."This will be the one"But, so much was missing...and that was it...I needed more involvement...I had tried the EQ2 demo's in the past, but the game ran awful, and it just started so slow...Now, I have a killer computer (8800GTS, 4 gigs of ram, E6600 Dual Core)So, I tried the Fae demo...and WOW...it looked so good...So, lets try some more...Ooo...crafting that is worth a darn (Take that LOTRO)Ooo...housing (Take that WoW, GW)Ooo...Solo questlines (AWESOME...always get stuck needing groups in every other game I have played)The game has me hooked..and for a casual player...I really have clocked some hours already. Now, to grab the wife...she will love it, I am sure..as she loves the busy work of crafting, Auction House, etc, etc...So, here is to another year or more of my life...thanks EQ2 

[Soefoe]

<p>ok here's my story...lol</p><p>I also started on EQ1 but same as other players...it becomes VERY unsolo friendly in the 30's for the clothie folks...you basically have to fiind a group until you have about 2,000 AA points lol </p><p>I went to Warcraft and loved the game...however, due to the enourmous amounts of players on WOW we seem to have a very high collection of "toddlers" and I don't think they belong on online gaming...you know what I mean.   </p><p>Right now I'm taking a real close look at EQ II for content and players and LFG status...to see what game I'm going to pick but I like EQ II so far...seems to be a good balance of group activity and solo activity....and don't have a large amount of "chuck norris" in the chat channels </p><p><img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Suefoe  </p>

[Sinye]

<p>I played MUDs way back in the day and then picked up EQ one day. I played for about 4 years (Cleric/Bard/Shammy) and left with a bunch of friends for WoW beta to take a break. We decided to play WoW on the side and still raid in EQ. Well those days started to take over and we quit EQ around the time Dragons of Norrath came out. I played WoW for almost 2 years when my RL took over and I had to take a break from raiding. So I tried to go back to EQ just to play something casually. It didn't take long to realize I was WAY behind. I had gone from being an end game raider there to not even high enough to group in some areas and that made me sad. Some of my best gaming memories over the last 12 years are still with Everquest.</p><p>I figured I'd try EQ2. It seemed ok but I just couldn't get into it. I tried D&D, GW, Oblivion and some other random games. My RL calmed down enough and I figured I'd go back to WoW because I really missed the friends I made. I was behind but not so much that I couldn't catch back up (because WoW is easier than anything I've ever played) and then the expansion came out. Since then I leveled a few chars, did all the grinds, bought the mounts, tried both sides (alliance/horde) and did more time sinkage than I want to admit...for nothing. A month or so ago I decided that I really was not enjoying the game itself anymore, it was just the people. And the graphics are really ridiculous.</p><p>A lot of friends have quit the game in the last few months and I realized it wasn't where I wanted to be anymore. I talked to some old friends from EQ and they said they were playing EQ2 since launch and I should try it again. So I did and I've been hooked. </p><p>One thing I always missed about EQ in general was the variety. So many classes and races to choose from. It's nice not being the 12th Nelf that looks just like me in the bank anymore. </p><p>Another thing I missed was the amount of content. In WoW you can only kill so many [Removed for Content] tigers at level 35 before you go insane. From what I can tell in EQ, there is a lot more to do and so much more content which I love. The exploration aspect of the game has always been something I missed. </p><p>And what I don't miss about WoW is the players. It caters to kids and seems to be the new babysitter. It's easy to do anything and everything in WoW and so it attracts those that would rather run their mouth than actually put forth some effort or get into their character development. EQ2 has so much to offer with guilds (levels), housing, crafting, instancing, questing, factions, lore that means something in the game, raiding and a ton of other things I can look forward to.</p><p>I'm having a hard time remembering this is EQ2 sometimes instead of EQ. I miss a lot of the spells and abilities that some classes had. I hate when someone asks "How do you get to (some location)?" and I know where it used to be! Getting around is the hardest part right now, but it'll come with time.</p><p>One thing I've found that is maybe a down side is that it doesn't seem to be as social as EQ or WoW was. I remember back in the day when you had to get a group together for the Ring War in the Great Divide, it took no time at all to pull people together. Maybe that'll change in time once I'm high enough to do any real damage. Though, you can't expect a game or the people to make a home for you. You have to make it your home. I'm hoping to find a place to fit in and spend another 4 or so years in EQ again.</p>

[ratdeath]

I started in 1997 with Ultima Online and it totally changed my life, in UO I experienced a true virtual world with its own laws and rules. Everyday was a new adventure and the core of the game was player vs player, not necessary fighting and killing but it was a dynamic world where your actions had a meaning. Was part of a great roleplay community on the Europa server where I joined an Orc clan named Severed Heads. I tried a bit EQ when it was released but felt to limited and was still in love with UO <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Also tried Anarchy Online, did a few weeks in Dark Age of Camelot as well. But these games could never compete with the great Ultima Online, mostly because I really prefer a skillbased game with no levels. Then came Age of Shadows expansion for Ultima Online it destroyed the game totally (the Trammel patch destroyed the soul of UO but it was still a great game) so after AoS I felt lost and homeless. But I started to read up on SWG and it seemed to be very promising with a skillbased non levelbased system and it was a really great until CU and NGE pushed the knife deeper into the heart of SWG. Everquest2. Was looking browsing the main EQ2 site and came the conclussion that it was not a game for me, heavily itemed based, levels and classes but then I took a peek at the races and... there they were... RATONGAS!! From not going to buy it at all I camped the store on release day and bought it <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> While I still prefer more freedom, skillbased and this and that in a MMO I must say Everquest 2 is very well designed for what its supposed to be and I truly enjoy playing it. And I only play Ratongas :p SQUEEK!! Uses says Yay to EQ2!

[sotyred]

the ability to play without low life pvpers interfering with my gaming experience.a better player community than most of the other MMORPGS that are out there today ( notably WoW's being the absolute worst)the soloability of this EQ2 versus just going to EQ or another older game I liked .( a lot of times I am on at very odd hours so I have to be able to solo to play )

[Shadowfox426]

When trying out games I really liked the variety in character models for EQ2.When I ran under this guy's horse was one of the points in time where I noticed just how different some characters are from others lol.<img src="http://eq2images.station.sony.com/000/001/507/991.JPG" alt="" border="0" />

[wepps]

Man I've been screwed so many times it's not even funny.I've been told how great Anarchy Online was, and 18 months after its release, I joined only to find myself wasting 30 levels of money trying to pursue a craft that didn't exist, and not being reimbursed for that expense. That was the day I quit.The absolutely pi** poor management of DAoC. Wanton changes that change <i>everything, </i>with every single class I played, and in one case an entire realm eliminated from competition. That got boring quick. Nothing I hate worse than being removed from competition after months of work on a character.Welcome to Atys. And good bye.Horizons is, and I quote, "shiztastic". Ummm, no it wasn't. After level 5 the game fell apart. It was junk and will remain so.City of Heroes was GREAT. But alas fell to mismanagement and unbalanced design in the end. At least it started off on a good footing.Star Wars Galaxies. Are you kidding? A Star Wars MMO? How do you screw that up? Front to back the biggest disappointment in my gaming life, and I spent WAY too much time trying to help direct that one to a better end. Inevitably I just gave up the blue glowie.World of Warcraft is just boring after a while. And once you start a new character, you get to be bored doing the same quests you just did.So i keep hearing about how great EQII is. Every now and again somebody pops into the other games and mentions it, and I'm thinking "pfft you're kidding".But heck I got a good deal at the gamestop when I was browsing and thought, why not give it a try?I'm very happy I did. I believe that EQII is the best MMO on the market right now. It's an odd feeling since I've been very angry with SOE after the SWG debacles, I really didn't think they had it in them.I was wrong.Anyway I'm here and probably here to stay for a good while.By the way, thanks EQII devs...after several weeks I'm still not bored! That's unusual for me these days!

[Arython]

It seems Everquest II has just the right balance to please most "old skool" gamers and people looking to start an MMORPG for the first time.  I truely believe that the success of Everquest II is two fold.  Firstly Everquest from the original through Velious was the best MMORPG ever made.  And I think it had such a great blending of concepts from D&D to LOTR but put into a very interesting lore.  I think that brad mcquaid and the designers did a very good job.  And really I think Smed has also worked to keep SOE relevant in the changing MMO world.  Secondly Everquest II has become what the players need it to be.  People need different playstyles.  Everquest have found ways to keep the game very fun, non-repetitive, innovative, casual friendly, solo friendly, and yet raiding, challenging group encounters.I think this is why so many players who tried and searched for a new game felt Everquest II the right fit.  The developers are not just making sweeping changes every patch, but actually adding in features that enhance the fun.  There have been changes like the death penalty and so on.  Personally I believe the shard system should return.  But even without a harsh death penalty you can still have challenge.  Legends of Norrath is the latest example of something SOE has done that is very cool.  If you read the wishlist of many gamers on boards like MMORPG, you will see mini-games are on the list.  But LoN can be it's own full in depth game or can be used as a mini-game.  And with cross-server/game chat with SOE you can even link EQ1 and EQ2 more and more.I look forward to seeing the developers implement more fun and side games like the Arena and LoN and incorporate them into the lore and NPC's.  Keep bringing the immersion and the great content!

[Argul]

<p>My story for how I started playing is a bit messed up, hehe.</p><p> I had graduated four years early from highschool last january, and had nothing to do for a few years when I would start college. I watched TV, surfed myspace, w/e, and I saw a special on TV about MMORPG addiction. Low and behold, it was a story about how a guy killed himself over Everquest. lol. The videos they had of the game looked amazing, and my dad walked in the door just getting home from work, while I was still watching it. I asked him to sit down, and watch for a few minutes, and he agreed it looked cool. I asked him if he would upgrade my computer, and buy the game. He said yeah, despite how we found out about it. lol.</p><p>Hundreds of dollars later, here I am, haha.</p>

[Wistearia]

Guess I'm the same a so many others... An old EQer missing the early years of the game.  I solo'd my main Enchanter until 30 then LDONed to the Planes, but hated Raids.  Tradeskills were my passion.  EQ2 was out when I left EQ, but I just needed a life break.  Now I'm back on EQ2 and loving it!

[Araxes]

I started following EQ2 in the summer of 2004.  I registered on the forums and kept up with the news and trailers.  I had never played EQ1 or any other MMO, and I was hesitant to try EQ2, simply because I thought MMO's would be full of people who -- honestly I was afraid I would be totally out of place as an MMO "newb."Between that time and the time of launch I went through a MAJOR life change ... and I can't say that it didn't have anything to do with why I stuck with EQ2.  In some ways, the game became a rock in a turbulent time in my life.  No matter how crazy things felt, or how foreign I felt in my new situation, I could log in to the game each night after work and find some kind of normalcy in the world of Norrath.  I got to level 17 or so on my own, my first main was a Barbarian Berserker on the Lavastorm server (now joined with Nektulos) named Marrick, and my first guild was The Fury Council.  Many a good argument would ensure on the old Lavastorm boards, haha!  Vicious was an understatement ... Faarwolf was omnipresent in those days!  lol  There was a group of four or five of us that played about 3-5 hours every single night for several months.  It was really a great experience for me and it got me hooked on the social aspect of MMO's.  To this day I still log in and mostly look for groups, now its mostly in-guild, but sometimes pick-ups, too.  I love to group for questing -- especially when new content comes out and everyone is exploring it for the first time.  It gives me that feeling I had during launch.  I'll never forget the late night forays into Stormhold, or my first time into Runnyeye, or the Feerott, building up LEVELS-worth of experience debt, hating it ... and yet loving it, when we finally gained that level, got that quest done.  I don't know if I can really describe quite how truly HARD this game was at launch.  If you were there, you know it.  If not ... be glad some things have changed!  But fond memories, all the same.About the time I hit the mid-40's, sometime in April or May of 05 (leveling was also much slower back then!), I decided I didn't like the role of my berserker (more often than not I was the tank and I got tired of constantly leading and directing everyone and then being blamed if we wiped when no one else was paying attention ... but be that as it may!) -- so I created my Ratonga Warlock, Araxes, and joined the guild Vermin on Antonia Bayle ... and the rest is history! <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I've developed lots of great friendships in-game.  The people in my guild are people I genuinely consider friends, just as if I knew them all in real life.  After knowing people for 2.5 years ... raiding, grouping, chatting ... in some ways, I know a few of them better than many of my RL friends.EQ2 has changed SOOO much in the past years, I cannot even begin to count all the changes ... many of them small but very significant -- I mean everything from the UI to the broker, to total revamps of tradeskills, combat ... if you ever have the chance ... go back and read through the archived update notes.  It's insane when I think back on how things have changed.  I still think the game has beautiful graphics.  It gets more beautiful, in fact, now that technology has become more available and affordable to run the game smoothly at higher settings.  But what's made me stick with it, definitely, is the people and friendships.  It's a great game - if I were to join today as a newbie I'd be blown away ... but even as a 3-year veteran, I keep coming back.  I've tried WoW, LOTRO ... I love them both and think they are great games.  But this is my game, and will be probably until it goes offline.  (At which point I will have a crisis and not know what to do with myself.  LOL)

[Wilde_Night]

<cite>Araxes@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite><blockquote> But this is my game, and will be probably until it goes offline.  (At which point I will have a crisis and not know what to do with myself.  LOL)</blockquote>Pray for EQ3!!!

[Jeenyous]

<cite>Aeviel@Venekor wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Araxes@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite><blockquote> But this is my game, and will be probably until it goes offline.  (At which point I will have a crisis and not know what to do with myself.  LOL)</blockquote>Pray for EQ3!!!</blockquote><p>Haha!  I completely agree.</p><p>I began my online gaming in the late 90's.  Then some folks I was gaming with got into the EQ1 beta.  At that time I could not even imagine 3d gaming as we were playing a 2d tile-based online game called Legends of Kesmai on the GameStorm network.</p><p>So, 1999 hits and EQ1 releases.  I was totally blown away and played that game for about 5 years, though during that time I also tried others.  In all, I have played 9 mmorpg's I believe, jumping from game to game, ever seeking, never quite finding that old magic of yesteryear.</p><p>Last December (2006), my brother and I decided to give EQ2 a shot, just on a whim.  I am so glad I did!  Not only that but we began to get the word out to our friends, some RL friends who were gamers and some online friends about our discovery that astounded us... EQ2 is a fantastic mmo!!!  Many decided to give it a try and the response was unanimous, (which is a very rare thing among gamers), EQ2 was great in their eyes too.</p><p>I am still having so much fun in this immersive, challenging and engaging game.  I am on the Everfrost server and the people there are so helpful and friendly.  Even after almost a year, I don't even know all the abilities of all the classes yet.  There just has been so much to do with my own chosen class, the quests, the gear, the spells and the world itself that I just don't have enough time for all of that yet.  Even at Level 70, I still have not seen the entire game yet, including non-raid environments.  Mentoring is a HUGE bonus that keeps all of us together, no matter if we're on as our mains or alts.</p><p>It is just the right balance between risk / reward, challenge / fun and it keeps getting better and better with every game update.  I also cannot wait for the Ruins of Kunark expansion.</p><p>I have tried other mmo's after playing EQ2, including Vanguard, Lord of the Rings, as well as a beta of another upcoming mmo currently, but they aren't "EQ2-good" or better in my opinion, and so I'm still here.</p><p>EQ1 was great, EQ2 is even better, I would totally buy into an EQ3 if Sony were to have that in the works.</p>