Raedon
10-31-2004, 12:59 PM
This is a look at EQ2, Guild Wars, and Worlds of Warcraft. This is based on beta play but they all are pretty much GOLD at this point.
In alphabetical order:
EQ2 - I had and still have great interest in this MMORPG. EQ1 was a real joy for me to play so I had and still have high hopes for this game.
PROS: Like the original EQ, you spend a good 40 hours killing rads, bugs, snakes which is what creates the, "EQ was horrible" type comments. The thing about the world(s) of EQ are that the game doesn't really begin until level 20+ and the first time you play, it can take weeks of nightly play to get to 20 especially on the first day of the "world creation" because even a "Fine Steel Short Sword" is a big deal.
EQ2 is only 70% complete at GOLD, everyone admits that even the creators. This was a push made by Sony to get it on the shelves before WoW. There are broken quests and bugs that means ifor the next 3 months you will be downloading a 10meg file every time you log on. The beggest problem, in my eyes, is you get a quest book in EQ2 everytime you just happen across a quest (in eq1, you just got some paper) so you have a quest book full of Freeport quests that you can't complete so they just build up.
The lack of PvP was a shocker. This will probably kill 30% of the FANBOY population from EQ1. It's pretty obvious that Sony didn't listen to the fans and just tried to break now ground like EQ1 did but it doesn't work. This is just EQ1 with a different SPAWN system for big raids and player houses (that you can't get into sometimes because of a bug) If Sony had just moved the EQ1 gameplay to the T into this "500 years later" they would have had a better game.
Beyond that the game is not as buggy as EQ1 or Anarchy online was on release day. The graphics are not as powerful as the screenshots suggest mostly because eveyone looks like they have "barbie doll" skin. but the enviroments are the best of any MMORPG out there. The detail is amazing and if thye had just polished the player model skin surfaces and hair it would have been a stunner. Your looking at your group half the time so half the time it's an average graphics package. There is a good deal of Voice over, that's a first in my book. It's also a monster on an slow system.
Recommend? I would not pay $50 for a 70% MMORPG. It would be better to wait until the bugs are fixed, by this time there will be low end equipment for sale and the game will be $20-30 while the game world will still be young enough to not have to worry about 10 people doing the same quest on day 3. I don't mind the $15 a month fee as much as I hate the fact that they don't get you that many character slots like EQ1 and for $15, they should include EQ1 in the package just so you can play a game that hardcores will not let die until 2010 when the Robots take over the world.
Guild Wars - I'm not real sure how I feel about this one as PvP was only a small part of why I like MMORPG's. The lack of an online fee is nice but every game I've ever played online is full of cheaters unless there is a fee.
This is a neat game I didn't get to spend more then a few hours with so I can't talk much on it but I will say it has appeal more like UT2k4 then say, EQ1.
Recommend? It's hard to say, I think it isn't a true MMORPG in my book, but it seems fun and it IS polished so it Waring in a persistant world is your thing..
WoW - This is a fun MMORPG. It's fun from day one unlike any EQ (where you kill rats) where you have to play for weeks before you get to the beef. I would recommend it for anyone who likes Warcraft and don't really care for "Uber leveling" Graphics are nice, balances characters (as far as one can tell from a short run. The game does attract a younger croud so expect a lot of, "Hey look at me jump off this hill! *DOKASMOLORKUS DIED* "oh, ok.. I'll be there in 20 minutes or so."
Recommend - it's 100% and Blizzard listened to the players. Yes
I don't really have time for two MMORPG's let alone one so I'm going to pass until EQ2 gets the usual 6 month "fix" or as Sony says.. expantion.
In alphabetical order:
EQ2 - I had and still have great interest in this MMORPG. EQ1 was a real joy for me to play so I had and still have high hopes for this game.
PROS: Like the original EQ, you spend a good 40 hours killing rads, bugs, snakes which is what creates the, "EQ was horrible" type comments. The thing about the world(s) of EQ are that the game doesn't really begin until level 20+ and the first time you play, it can take weeks of nightly play to get to 20 especially on the first day of the "world creation" because even a "Fine Steel Short Sword" is a big deal.
EQ2 is only 70% complete at GOLD, everyone admits that even the creators. This was a push made by Sony to get it on the shelves before WoW. There are broken quests and bugs that means ifor the next 3 months you will be downloading a 10meg file every time you log on. The beggest problem, in my eyes, is you get a quest book in EQ2 everytime you just happen across a quest (in eq1, you just got some paper) so you have a quest book full of Freeport quests that you can't complete so they just build up.
The lack of PvP was a shocker. This will probably kill 30% of the FANBOY population from EQ1. It's pretty obvious that Sony didn't listen to the fans and just tried to break now ground like EQ1 did but it doesn't work. This is just EQ1 with a different SPAWN system for big raids and player houses (that you can't get into sometimes because of a bug) If Sony had just moved the EQ1 gameplay to the T into this "500 years later" they would have had a better game.
Beyond that the game is not as buggy as EQ1 or Anarchy online was on release day. The graphics are not as powerful as the screenshots suggest mostly because eveyone looks like they have "barbie doll" skin. but the enviroments are the best of any MMORPG out there. The detail is amazing and if thye had just polished the player model skin surfaces and hair it would have been a stunner. Your looking at your group half the time so half the time it's an average graphics package. There is a good deal of Voice over, that's a first in my book. It's also a monster on an slow system.
Recommend? I would not pay $50 for a 70% MMORPG. It would be better to wait until the bugs are fixed, by this time there will be low end equipment for sale and the game will be $20-30 while the game world will still be young enough to not have to worry about 10 people doing the same quest on day 3. I don't mind the $15 a month fee as much as I hate the fact that they don't get you that many character slots like EQ1 and for $15, they should include EQ1 in the package just so you can play a game that hardcores will not let die until 2010 when the Robots take over the world.
Guild Wars - I'm not real sure how I feel about this one as PvP was only a small part of why I like MMORPG's. The lack of an online fee is nice but every game I've ever played online is full of cheaters unless there is a fee.
This is a neat game I didn't get to spend more then a few hours with so I can't talk much on it but I will say it has appeal more like UT2k4 then say, EQ1.
Recommend? It's hard to say, I think it isn't a true MMORPG in my book, but it seems fun and it IS polished so it Waring in a persistant world is your thing..
WoW - This is a fun MMORPG. It's fun from day one unlike any EQ (where you kill rats) where you have to play for weeks before you get to the beef. I would recommend it for anyone who likes Warcraft and don't really care for "Uber leveling" Graphics are nice, balances characters (as far as one can tell from a short run. The game does attract a younger croud so expect a lot of, "Hey look at me jump off this hill! *DOKASMOLORKUS DIED* "oh, ok.. I'll be there in 20 minutes or so."
Recommend - it's 100% and Blizzard listened to the players. Yes
I don't really have time for two MMORPG's let alone one so I'm going to pass until EQ2 gets the usual 6 month "fix" or as Sony says.. expantion.