The Rest of Odus

[Bionickai001]

<p>I was looking at this map of Norrath from Everquest and I noticed Odus. Some areas I noticed correspond with areas in game, but is the giant mountain land mass that is not walkable terrain in our game the Stonebrunt Mountains or is their a region in game that corresponds to it? Also, was the Barren Coast destroyed? Is Odus really that small?</p><p><img src="http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/m.dodge/cybergeography/atlas/everquest_all_large.jpg" width="758" height="554" /></p>

[Cusashorn]

<p>The Stonebrundt Mountains = The Stonebrundt Highlands. Seriously. As for why 90% of the Sundered Frontier is impassable mountains... chalk that up to poor zone design.</p>

[shadowscale]

<p><cite>Cusashorn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>The Stonebrundt Mountains = The Stonebrundt Highlands. Seriously. As for why 90% of the Sundered Frontier is impassable mountains... chalk that up to poor zone design.</p></blockquote><p>yep, same reason we lost a good chunk of kunark</p>

[teddyboy4]

<p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p><p>They are even including places that you can see on the original map, and that were in the original design documents and "lore bible", but never made it into EQ b/c of time restraints or whatever. For example, the Loping Plains were on some EQ maps, but just weren't represented in-game (at least it wasn't until Secrets of Faydwer). Another example is the zone that was supposed to exist between Everfrost, and the exit/entrance to Blackburrow that emptied into that area...a lot of people always felt that Blackburrow was big, but it certainly wasn't THAT big to stretch from the Qeynos Hills all the way to Everfrost. That's b/c it wasn't that big, and it was never meant to be, there was another overland "zone" between the Jaggedpine and Misty Thicket, Everfrost and the Qeynos Hills, and Blackburrow actually emptied into that area. But, that area never made it into the game, so things were changed a bit, and the exit/entrance to Blackburrow was moved into Everfrost itself.</p>

[Trevalon]

<p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p></blockquote><p>lol, I am hoping this post was a joke...</p><p>If not this guy must be the most dillusional person I have ever met.</p><p>I chuckled IRL...</p>

[Meirril]

<p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p></blockquote><p>All of Thundering Stepps could fit inside of east Karana. All of the Commonlands could fit in East Commonlands. While Kylong Plains is a huge zone, it in no way fairly represents the 3 zones that is is suppose to. Any 2 of the 3 zones it represents would be larger. The origional Karnor's Castle is twice as large as the one we have. Skyfire is as large as Jasarath Wastes (people don't use 80% of that zone).</p><p>EQ2 has a tendency to shrink EQ1's land features to fit multiple zones into a single map. Sometimes faithfully, other times not so much.</p>

[Rezikai]

<p style="text-align: left;"><cite>Trevalon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p></blockquote><p>lol, I am hoping this post was a joke...</p><p>If not this guy must be the most dillusional person I have ever met.</p><p>I chuckled IRL...</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">As did i, maybe he hasnt experienced EQ1 or EQOA's zones, but we have the 80's GIjoe version of zones compared to our dad's 60's versions of GIjoe massive zones in comparison. Maya is a powerfull program and perhaps too powerfull since this game is CPU based hence it'd bog down some older PC's regardless of size. But when you think about places that were so huge our zones are the kid brothers in comparison imo.</p><p style="text-align: left;">/random- One thing you'll notice is the cookiedough edges to grass/dirt/stone edges where it seemed it was easier to give it that "bedsheet" look to alot of the edges of terrain.</p><p style="text-align: left;">But I thought the reason they purposely kept our eq2 "isles" small as a set of zones instead of a giant overland continent was the fact they didnt want the casual crying about "wasted space" and wanted to keep "content" together. So they gave us midgey sized zones with no reasonable fast travel except maybe ships so ALOT of zones have that U shape to them where there is no really "wandering" space (that makes me sad btw b/c i love to wander) without all the tunnels and flying/riding horses then they added griffons/spires/bells/insta-port globe (<--sad again).</p><p style="text-align: left;">Consider me an obsolete oldschooler that liked wandering for HOURS in the Karana Plains finding upon small villages or a well (wasting mass amounts of time wandering and No.. i didnt get BS accomplished... and I LOVED it...), or in EQoA's case wandering into the Serpentspine Mnts and into the Brogs Fen (swamps near north eastern Feerrott). I dont blame the current dev crew for the size of our zones that was the pre-launch crew and execs that made that choice, the only zones that even remotely come close are "some" of the Kunark zones and well.. we all heard the complaining about the lack of area / bottlenecking b/c even w/ all that zone mass.. they chopped it up like they were small zones again.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If the current crew came out tommorow and said "we know such-and-such had a vision for EQ2, and we think it was totally wrong in terms of zone size and shape.. and we're going to make it massive again, oh and have fun dying finding your way around!" I'd never stop playing... ever.</p><p style="text-align: left;">/ramble off.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Idk if South Barren Coast is still there.. as it'd be about where the Eye of Dartain and the Petrifid badlands would be on the map.. maybe a little more east though, somewhere east and below the Vasty Deep.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://tunarianoutcast.webs.com/EQOAExpanMap.jpg" width="1200" height="640" /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p>

[teddyboy4]

<p>You know guys, I realize sarcasm doesn't translate well in text, but yeah, it was partly tongue in cheek. I mean, come on, I thought that praise for the EQ2 engine would be enough to let everyone know, but I guess not.</p><p>I should've left the last part of my original post in. I was lamenting how I missed the seemingly huge world of EQ pre-Luclin, and how I remember as a newb Wood Elf it took my the better part of an afternoon to run from Kelethin to Qeynos....and gods forbid I die along the way before I got to bind...</p><p>It actually would be interesting to compare the sizes of zones from EQ to what we have in EQ2 I think. I don't know, zones in EQ2 actually are pretty big, it's just when they try to cram a couple zones from EQ into one of the large zones in EQ2 that makes them seem small.</p>

[KniteShayd]

<p>Judgin by how long it took you to run across an area in EQ vs. EQ2, there are some huge differences for some zones.</p><p>As stated above, some EQ2 zones, like TS, could fit into one part of a zone it represents. The Karanas were like having multiple TS zones, even though TS represents them all.</p><p>I think the reverse could be said as well. Crushbone seems like it is much larger on the inside, then it was in EQ. At least it seems that way to me.</p>

[Rezikai]

<p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You know guys, I realize sarcasm doesn't translate well in text, but yeah, it was partly tongue in cheek. I mean, come on, I thought that praise for the EQ2 engine would be enough to let everyone know, but I guess not.</p><p>I should've left the last part of my original post in. I was lamenting how I missed the seemingly huge world of EQ pre-Luclin, and how I remember as a newb Wood Elf it took my the better part of an afternoon to run from Kelethin to Qeynos....and gods forbid I die along the way before I got to bind...</p><p>It actually would be interesting to compare the sizes of zones from EQ to what we have in EQ2 I think. I don't know, zones in EQ2 actually are pretty big, it's just when they try to cram a couple zones from EQ into one of the large zones in EQ2 that makes them seem small.</p></blockquote><p>it's cool man, just remember to use the /sarcasm on at the top of the post  <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>And as for comparing... a few of us are way ahead of you, (map makers hehe) measuring and hand drawing our distances/landmarks/land mass... heh if only we could get a large table version of this house item....</p><p><span >aITEM -1121022639 1106691879:easel with sketched map/a</span></p><p>this would make me a happy Rezi...</p>

[The_Cheeseman]

<p>I think the zones in EQ2 are a great size. They are large enough to not feel cramped, yet not so large that you feel like you're should auto-run and go make a sandwich. Running from Freeport to Qeynos in EQ1 was a 20min ordeal, not the leat of which was just running across massiv tracts of empty plains in the Karanas. Sheer size is a waste of resources unless there is content to fill the area. EQ2 zones are content-rich and do not waste the space they are alloted. Personally, I am happy that I don't have to waste time running through featureless plains and forests to find quest updates or landmarks. Exploring a massive zone is only fun the first time you visit, after that its just wasted time.</p>

[Jaranna]

<p>Especially true of West Karana, which seemed more a flat wasteland than rolling plains.  I'm just glad that, as a wizard, I could teleport in at the pyramid, then evac to the QH zone line.  But, before that, running the plains was unbearable.</p>

[Juravael]

<p>I miss the vastness of the old EQ1 zones. It gave them a distinct feel and made it feel as if you were really traveling across the world of Norrath.</p>

[DistortionII]

<p>/<cite>Glenedhel@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I miss the vastness of the old EQ1 zones. It gave them a distinct feel and made it feel as if you were really traveling across the world of Norrath.</p></blockquote><p>/qfe</p><p>unlike the above posters I like that vast empty "wasted" space... it gives the world the feel it needs and lets wandering players roam. put fast travel in if you want to make the world smaller, but let it be big as an MMO should be.</p>

[Rezikai]

<p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p></blockquote><p>All of Thundering Stepps could fit inside of east Karana. All of the Commonlands could fit in East Commonlands. While Kylong Plains is a huge zone, it in no way fairly represents the 3 zones that is is suppose to. Any 2 of the 3 zones it represents would be larger. The origional Karnor's Castle is twice as large as the one we have. Skyfire is as large as Jasarath Wastes (people don't use 80% of that zone).</p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">EQ2 has a tendency to shrink EQ1's land features to fit multiple zones into a single map. Sometimes faithfully, other times not so much.</span></p></blockquote><p>This has gotten me thinking, did they take the zone at its original size from EQ1's engine into the new one (idk if Maya was involved in it) and use it to twist and tear the world up?  Like did they take the original zone and have a concept of how they would be twisted or did they just create a zone from scratch and "place" areas in it to somewhat resemble the old ones.</p>

[The_Cheeseman]

<p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>All of Thundering Stepps could fit inside of east Karana. All of the Commonlands could fit in East Commonlands. While Kylong Plains is a huge zone, it in no way fairly represents the 3 zones that is is suppose to. Any 2 of the 3 zones it represents would be larger. The origional Karnor's Castle is twice as large as the one we have. Skyfire is as large as Jasarath Wastes (people don't use 80% of that zone).</p><p>EQ2 has a tendency to shrink EQ1's land features to fit multiple zones into a single map. Sometimes faithfully, other times not so much.</p></blockquote><p>Some of this is simply not true. I am not sure if they ever rebuilt the East Commonlands zone, but the original one was pretty tiny. You could probably fit both East and West Commonlands into the current Commonlands zone of EQ2. Nektulos Forest is definitely larger in EQ2, as is Lavastorm, the Desert of Ro (if you compare NRo, Oasis, and Sro to Sinking Sands and Pillars of Flame), and various other areas. I think we have run into a case of viewing the past through rose-colored glasses. Most of the original EQ1 zones were actually pretty small, and even with their size they still wasted a lot of space.</p>

[Cyliena]

<p>They did change it into just "The Commonlands", but it still feels tiny compared to EQ2's Commonlands.</p><p>While I acknowledge the fact that zones such as WK were huge, I'd also like to point out that another reason many of these other zones seemed so big was due to the fact that run speed was originally so hard to come by on EQ if you weren't lucky enough to be a bard or have SoW. In comparison, EQ2 gives a huge amount of options to improve your run speed, making travel so much faster.</p><p>I eventually got a mount for EQ1 through LoN, which made my character almost at max bard speed. Running through zones such as Commons, South Ro (which is now Oasis and S Ro combined) and SK goes by ridiculously fast on there now. I avoid WK like the plague, but I'm sure that'd be silly fast (yet still ridiculously long of a run), too. I'm half tempted to login and time myself with and without mount. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Some zones did shrink--the examples of Kunark are good ones. While the overlands zones we did get are quite large, the fact that they consolidated several zones into one made their size comparison smaller.</p><p>Anyways, I'm rambling now. <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[LordPazuzu]

<p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p></blockquote><p>All of Thundering Stepps could fit inside of east Karana. All of the Commonlands could fit in East Commonlands. While Kylong Plains is a huge zone, it in no way fairly represents the 3 zones that is is suppose to. Any 2 of the 3 zones it represents would be larger. The origional Karnor's Castle is twice as large as the one we have. Skyfire is as large as Jasarath Wastes (people don't use 80% of that zone).</p><p>EQ2 has a tendency to shrink EQ1's land features to fit multiple zones into a single map. Sometimes faithfully, other times not so much.</p></blockquote><p>That's nostalgia talking, especially with EC.  Go back and walk the zone sometime, if it's even still there and hasn't been "revamped". You'll be suprised how small that place really is. You can practically spit across it from the tunnel to Nek forest. </p><p>Alot of the EQ1 zones seemed to be much larger than they really were due to the limitations of the rendering distances back in the first few expacs.  Unless you're talking about West Karana; that zone really was as stupid huge as you remember it to be.</p><p>EQ1 zones didn't start become extremely huge until Velious.  The Eastern and Western Wastes were [Removed for Content] big.</p><p><cite>Euri@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Judgin by how long it took you to run across an area in EQ vs. EQ2, there are some huge differences for some zones.</p><p>As stated above, some EQ2 zones, like TS, could fit into one part of a zone it represents. The Karanas were like having multiple TS zones, even though TS represents them all.</p><p>I think the reverse could be said as well. Crushbone seems like it is much larger on the inside, then it was in EQ. At least it seems that way to me.</p></blockquote><p>TS doesn't represent the entirety of the Karanas.  It represents parts of West and South Karana.  The rest is destroyed.  Crushbone was a small outdoor dungeon in EQ1 with some buildings and caves.  Most of that is represented by the valley in GFay outside the keep zone.  The actual keep itself in EQ1 was just a moderately small building in the zone with a few rooms and a tower.  EQ2's Crushbone Keep is freakin massive by comparison.</p><p><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt78/lordpazuzu666/cb-keep.jpg" width="872" height="1012" /></p><p><img src="http://www.eqmacwiki.com/eqatlas/images/crushbone.jpg" width="450" height="394" /></p><p>The Keep is no. 2.</p>

[Uncaged]

<p><cite>Meaghan@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Eandiil@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah, ever since EoF the Devs have been trying to be more faithful to the original EQ landmasses, at least what survived of them. All those places that weren't destroyed in the cataclysms, ordestroyed when Odus was being pulled into another dimension, actually are there. It's just that the EQ2 engine is able to make zones that are so massive, they can fit literally the area that would have made up 3 or 4 old EQ zones into just one huge zone in EQ2.</p></blockquote><p>All of Thundering Stepps could fit inside of east Karana. All of the Commonlands could fit in East Commonlands. While Kylong Plains is a huge zone, it in no way fairly represents the 3 zones that is is suppose to. Any 2 of the 3 zones it represents would be larger. The origional Karnor's Castle is twice as large as the one we have. Skyfire is as large as Jasarath Wastes (people don't use 80% of that zone).</p><p>EQ2 has a tendency to shrink EQ1's land features to fit multiple zones into a single map. Sometimes faithfully, other times not so much.</p></blockquote><p>That's nostalgia talking, especially with EC.  Go back and walk the zone sometime, if it's even still there and hasn't been "revamped". You'll be suprised how small that place really is. You can practically spit across it from the tunnel to Nek forest. </p><p>Alot of the EQ1 zones seemed to be much larger than they really were due to the limitations of the rendering distances back in the first few expacs.  Unless you're talking about West Karana; that zone really was as stupid huge as you remember it to be.</p><p>EQ1 zones didn't start become extremely huge until Velious.  The Eastern and Western Wastes were [Removed for Content] big.</p><p><cite>Euri@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Judgin by how long it took you to run across an area in EQ vs. EQ2, there are some huge differences for some zones.</p><p>As stated above, some EQ2 zones, like TS, could fit into one part of a zone it represents. The Karanas were like having multiple TS zones, even though TS represents them all.</p><p>I think the reverse could be said as well. Crushbone seems like it is much larger on the inside, then it was in EQ. At least it seems that way to me.</p></blockquote><p>TS doesn't represent the entirety of the Karanas.  It represents parts of West and South Karana.  The rest is destroyed.  Crushbone was a small outdoor dungeon in EQ1 with some buildings and caves.  Most of that is represented by the valley in GFay outside the keep zone.  The actual keep itself in EQ1 was just a moderately small building in the zone with a few rooms and a tower.  EQ2's Crushbone Keep is freakin massive by comparison.</p><p><img src="http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt78/lordpazuzu666/cb-keep.jpg" width="872" height="1012" /></p><p><img src="http://www.eqmacwiki.com/eqatlas/images/crushbone.jpg" width="450" height="394" /></p><p>The Keep is no. 2.</p></blockquote><p>It seemed to me that through some of the lore between EQlive and EQII, that the Crushbone orcs have been rather prosperous. Much of their larger presence and bigger keep is explained through the lore.</p>

[Ascanius]

<p>IF you look at CBK you can see 2 colors in the walls of the keep on the outside. Where the old keep stopped and where they built the new top parts of the keep</p>

[LordPazuzu]

<p>I'd definitely say that D'Vinn has been a better ruler for the orcs than Crush was.</p>

[Ragnaphore]

<p><cite>Meaghan@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd definitely say that D'Vinn has been a better ruler for the orcs than Crush was.</p></blockquote><p>For sure <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Of all the Dark Elfs stranded on Faydwer after the war, D'Vinn got the sweetest deal (unless you're into vampirism/lycanthropy)</p>

[Zabjade]

<p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I do have to wonder if some of Odus got sucked into either the Underfoot or the Void....OR.... Was left behind on Norrath...</span></p>

[Stormflint]

<p><cite>Zabjade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I do have to wonder if some of Odus got sucked into either the Underfoot or the Void....<strong>OR....</strong> <strong>Was left behind on Norrath</strong>...</span></p></blockquote><p>*ding ding ding!*</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>Stormflint@Mistmoore wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Zabjade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I do have to wonder if some of Odus got sucked into either the Underfoot or the Void....<strong>OR....</strong> <strong>Was left behind on Norrath</strong>...</span></p></blockquote><p>*ding ding ding!*</p></blockquote><p>There's no evidence that supports this could be right or wrong.</p>

[Ascanius]

<p><cite>Cusashorn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Stormflint@Mistmoore wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Zabjade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I do have to wonder if some of Odus got sucked into either the Underfoot or the Void....<strong>OR....</strong> <strong>Was left behind on Norrath</strong>...</span></p></blockquote><p>*ding ding ding!*</p></blockquote><p>There's no evidence that supports this could be right or wrong.</p></blockquote><p>No evidence lol look up in the sky pieces of odus is getting sucked into the void silly man</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p>Your post seems to indicate that parts of Odus was left behind on Norrath though. Why else would you highlight that part?</p>

[Zabjade]

<p><cite>Cusashorn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Your post seems to indicate that parts of Odus was left behind on Norrath though. Why else would you highlight that part?</p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I think it's a distinct possibility myself, but I provided for a little of all of the above. After all arn't you one of the champions of Odus being much larger then what people thought in Everquest I? </span></p><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I'm Thinking that the Void-terrorist act yanked a good portion of Odus (The part primarily inhabited by Erudites) with large portions falling into the void and ending up as some of the rocks orbiting the singularity over there.</span></p><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">While other parts collapsing to the underfoot that was probably damaged during the event and the events that cause the planes to fragment.</span></p><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I think if there is any of Odus left on Norrath it might be the third point of the anchor (Law of similarities in magic an all, kinda the reason components used to be needed for some of the EQ1 magic)  and there would be two VERY large (IE two sones worth) water-filled holes with small bits of mountainious land wheich was the eastern part of the continent.</span></p><p><span style="color: #00cc00;">I'm willing to admit that it is an unsupported theory.</span></p>

[Gilasil]

<p>I thought that Antonica in EQ2 represented a big chunk of West Karana in EQ1.  I'm certain that Antonica does NOT just represent Qeynos Hills!  Which was tiny.  I agree that if Thundering Steppes was supposed to represent the Karanas it's way too small; however I don't think that's the case.  It's likely that Antonica + Thundering Steppes is smaller then East Karana + West Karana + South Karana+North Karana; but I'm not sure.</p><p>As I recall, East Commonlands in particular WAS pretty small.  I wouldn't be surprised if both would fit into Commonlands.</p><p>that said, I do agree that EQ2 FEELS smaller the EQ1 and many zones in EQ2 ARE smaller then their EQ1 counterparts.</p><p>The most fun I ever had in any SoE game was the year after the original Kunark was released.  I came back from AC (having dropped EQ1 for AC a few months before), created an Iksar and had FUN.  I LOVED the fact that I was so far away that the only toons I met for the first few weeks were pretty much all Iksar.  For the first week or two the burning question in my mind was how big WERE the Iksar because I had nothing to compare against.  (I finally found a dead barbarian in Swamp of No Hope).  I LOVED the fact that I was KoS and that travelling was a BIG DEAL.  I loved the fact that getting from Qeynos to Freeport (let alone Cabilis) was a major trek.   Sneaking onto the boat from Kunark to Butcherblock gave me more satisfaction then just about anything else in either game.</p><p>Then they gradually made it easier and easier to get around.  Then PoP came out and getting pretty much anywhere became a snap. To rub salt into the wound they got rid of the boats.  I completely lost interest after that and quit soon after. </p><p>As an aside -- my biggest request for EQ3 would be about the Iksar -- make them cool; make them isolated; make them KOS (but let there be enough looseness in the system that they can sneak around if they work at it).  If they do that they'll get my subscription.</p><p>Ok so some people like things easy -- or assume that the only way to make things hard is through godaweful scripts.  But once they had other ways to make things more difficult which I think made the game fun.</p>