So yeah. First I watched The Guild. And btw, on the off chance anyone here hasn't seen it - you absolutely must.
http://www.watchtheguild.com/
Then I googled "Valquiss." And if you want to see a hilarious relic from my days trying to organize jewelcraft at the launch of FV, check this link:
http://www.tradersjewelry.freeservers.com/inventory.html
Then I found here, and I'm getting all nostalgic for gaming and stuff. ----(-o
So now I'd like to know what the next thing is likely to be, in the estimation of anyone at all who may be looking for a game in the not-distant future. My school obligations are wrapping up, I'll be moving in a bit, I need a new PC anyway (read - gaming system) and so I might as well start planning in advance. Suggestions for things I should look at in development, beta applications, pre-orders etc. are all welcome. I have my preferences for the sorts of gaming that I like, of course, but playing with a few good friends trumps them all.
Thanks for any suggestions! Oh, and so we're clear, I'm not advocating that anyone at all jump ship from their present games for a new one. Unfortunately I'm in that space where I'm looking for a new game, but when you've found one you already enjoy that's a great place to be.
Sound like you aren't interested in EQ2 much, but let me tell you...the game is almost completely different from what it was when it first came out.....
*nod in agreement* It is totally different. A lot less grindy, I think. Tradeskilling is much improved and they killed that horrible sub-combine part. Plus there are clothing options! :---
I'm happy in EQ2. There is lots of new content that I would be willing to bet you've never seen. The old content has been revamped too. And another expansion coming in February to look forward to. I have heard some chat about Aion and the new Star Wars though. And there are always thoughts of adventuring in Vanguard, if only to think about what might have been.
You know...try though I might I never seem able to revisit games I've played in the past. Any effort I make there just fails. I think - though I hate to acknowledge this competitive side of myself - it's partly because it feels like everything has been totally done ages before and even new content gets quickly swamped by players who are miles and years "ahead" of me. I know that's awful. And I'm not enough of an uber-gamer that I can stay ahead of the curve even in a totally new game or on a new server. It's just that feeling...
Anyway, the truth is that I never really minded EQ2's design or content. Just ran out of time and energy not long after it launched. So luring me with "it's better now" can only go so far. =)
What if I told you Cata was EQ2's tradeskill Developer?
If you quit playing shortly after launch, then EQ2 IS a new game for you. But it is up to you, just saying I'm pretty firmly planted here.
Quote from: Namae Nai on November 06, 2009, 01:28:01 PM
What if I told you Cata was EQ2's tradeskill Developer?
I don't even know how to reply to that - except to say that it's very cool!
I may log in later on or tomorrow, but I probably don't even remember how to play.
I stopped playing I think just before they made Tradeskills not require 900 people to make anything. My Tailor was level 36 and I had to make like 5 alts just to supply the components I couldn't make for myself that I couldn't find on the broker :-p
Not trying to pressure you into EQ2, but the high levels are pretty streamlined since they introduced TSO dungeons. There's no such thing as camping in Everquest 2, and you don't have the gear variability you used to. At high levels, you run Shadow Odyssey dungeons and are awarded void shards that you save up to buy or craft one of several different suits of armor for your class. So pretty much everyone is geared to about the same level. We have class epic weapon quests, with two different difficulties; one for group/solo folks, and one for raiders.
The XP curve is not that bad anymore (I'd argue that they've almost made it too easy), and hell levels don't exist and haven't for a long time. You can get up to 60-70 in a month relatively easily just questing and exploring, and once you hit 80 you just need to acquire some shards and your epic and you'll be on par with anyone else in your class. The only thing that takes a while anymore is AA XP.
Quote from: Eliezer of Erudin on November 06, 2009, 01:37:57 PM
I may log in later on or tomorrow, but I probably don't even remember how to play.
I stopped playing I think just before they made Tradeskills not require 900 people to make anything. My Tailor was level 36 and I had to make like 5 alts just to supply the components I couldn't make for myself that I couldn't find on the broker :-p
Tradeskills are totally different. They completely revamped that system. You'll only need to harvest and craft to make it to 80. There is a tradeskill Epic you can do that requires some cooperation, and some group tradeskill zones (I think?) but you won't need alts of any other tradeskill class.
Oh, and Saga has a guildhall. Everything you need to go from 1 to 80 you can do inside the Guildhall. We have access to the Bank, the Market Broker, in game mail, a harvest collection box, a recipe and fuel merchant.. the works. It's very convenient!
And I expect the economy exploded. I bet the pittance that I had accrued, which was a good amount of operating capital then, is probably chump change today :-p
I dunno how much the amount changed. It's definitely not a new server economy anymore, but you still can make cash with tradeskilling master-crafted items and especially consumables. The ability to destroy treasured+ items for use in adornment crafting means that there isn't so much of a glut of dropped items. Plus, they keep upgrading tradeskill items (especially armor) so they're competitive with the item drops in the latest expansion.
You know, you've got me at least halfway convinced. I say "halfway" because the allure of the new is always very strong for me and there are good odds I might jump ship at any moment for a new game. But when I'm finally at a point where I can start gaming again I see no point in waiting for a new game when the family is still happily slaughtering thin ... I mean exploring the world ... in Norrath.2. Money is not such a big issue, after all, that I can't invest in the game just to see what's up.
In any case, I'll stick around from now on. It's good to rediscover the old home.
You can always try the newbie account deal where you get a free trial period?
I don't think it's done yet, but they're also testing a new streaming client (http://launcher.station.sony.com/games/eq2/test/launcher_setup.exe) so you don't have a huge download to deal with when you get started. More info here. (http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=461076)
I have to say that the game has come a long, long way since launch. I think I left just after Sinking Sands expansion came out, and was away for a few years. I came back to the game around this time last year, when folks were returning to EQ2 after a stint at AoC. Even just from the time I came back to now, the game has improved quite a bit. I'm really enjoying Norrath 2.0 and even enjoying the end-game content, which I never had in the past (raiding, dungeons, and such).
Tradeskilling I've never been a fan of, but it's definitely gotten better/easier than back a launch when it was just painful. Having a guildhall, as Namae pointed out, is a huge bonus to a tradeskiller. And there are incentives to being a tradeskiller besides just selling goods in the market. Not to mention that there's at least one class who needs a tradeskiller in order to get their Mythical weapon.
Not that we're biased or anything ( :P ), but giving EQ2 a second try is well worth it.
I've left EQ2 to play Age of Conan, Vanguard and something else I can't remember.
While the other games had things I really liked, I keep returning to EQ2.
I wish I could say it was the game.
It is, to a degree.
It's really the people. I bet, even if the folks you loved from Saga long ago are not here, you are going to like us just as much. See, the type of folks who love Saga are a type that keeps us all liking each other. A lot.
I'd be interested in your take, but I like to imagine we've kept the standards up and the folks who join us are dedicated RPers whose fun comes from hanging with each other and generosity as much as accomplishing quests.
I'm sure other guilds have qualities that make them special to their members, but I've never, ever, felt as loved, appreciated and accepted as I do in Saga. And the perks are excellent. You have seriously got to log in just to see our Guild Hall!