Heroic Characters Coming to EQ2

[Jasyn]

https://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/index.php?threads/producer-letter-about-heroic-characters.539674/

I am really, really uncertain how to feel about this.

[Rumze]

Hmm - There are a number of ways to look at this for me.
On the one hand, as someone who just wants to experience as much as I can before eqn(l) launches, this is awesome and a great way to catch up and go back and just experience as much as I can. If 85 is the new level you can buy a character for , its not to bad since its not cap and you still have to buy a number of expansions ( with one coming out relatively soon right? ) that push the level up to 95ish if Im correct.

Im going to use this to upgrade my kerran pally to 85 and just see the world to the extent I can before eqn. I think its a neat way to try to get more folks to higher levels to help keep the high end population thriving and to get folks to try to buy expansions to keep going once they hit the level cap much faster.

Its an interesting tactic and one that comes about 8 years into a game's life, so its done with some thought.

Honestly , I may be tempted to buy the beast lord expansion and the the one that pushes the cap to 95 or 100. Its really perked my ears up and got me paying attention.
BUT I can see how this would be annoying for long term players.

[Corsair]

*shrug*

Not sure either. On one hand, philosophically I don't like it. On the other...8+ year old game for which anyone sniffing it out now is not really going to find any high end players interested in "mentoring down" to play with them. That can get lonely fast.

Plus there is just the desire to get any players in they can, and make a few bucks, and hopefully converting as many returnees as possible over to EQN looking forward. So I can see it as a business strategy. Frankly, if EQN is utterly awesome...they won't need much help getting folks into the game.

[Namae Nai]

Hmm.. as an idea for EQ2, it does have it's merits. But can I get everyone to agree that this:

Before we get to how Heroic Characters work, let's talk about why we are doing it. Primarily, we created this new feature because you asked us for it! At SOE Live, on forums, in one-on-one conversations, and lots of other ways, we've heard variations on similar ideas.

...is such politician/lawyer boilerplate it's not even funny? No, The producer of EQ2 put this feature in because she (and her team) thought it was a good idea, and it just happened to be requested by a minority of players for a long time. She's probably right that it's in EQ2's best interests but I think it's a bad idea to start out announcing these kinds of things with an obvious lie, no matter what kind of spin you put on it.

If you need some validation for my side on this, remember that test server has had this exact feature on it forever. If player demand alone was enough to bring things to the Live server, it would have been in the game years ago.

Back on the subject, I think anyway you get new players into the game is a good thing for an old game like EQ2.

[Rumze]

Yeah that line was a bit silly. It made me think that even the ones saying it knew it was silly.

[PinkRose]

I <3 Corporate double-speak.


No. Wait. The opposite.

[Namae Nai]

Yeah, I'm probably being a little too harsh on poor Holly Windstalker, but I'm just noticing it more in lots of places aside from Producer's Letters. Certain people in official positions just seem to think they've got a free pass to publicly attempt to transmute lie to truth and not ever lose respect for it.

[Sroth]

Yeah, even for some one who doesn't have a pusle on the EQ2 community, that line gave me a bad vibe. I'm sure some players have asked for it, but I seriously doubt that SOE was being hounded that much for it.

That said, as some one who has wanted to poke around EQ2 and see what the past was like before diving into the future with some of my Saga friends, I think it's kind of neat. And yeah, for a game this old, where they're preparing for the next leg of the EQ... err, saga, it makes sense.

[PinkRose]

I see what you did there, Sroth.
Derail incoming: Does anyone know who actually suggested "Saga" as a guild tag first?

[Namae Nai]

I wasn't there for that post-Starspun discussion, but I think Tuppen tried a couple of names and was surprised that 'Saga' wasn't taken. I don't know specifically who suggested 'Saga,' though.

[Talon]

That said, as some one who has wanted to poke around EQ2 and see what the past was like before diving into the future

Well alternate history but I get your point.

There's definitely some merit in allowing a sort of tourism thing with the skip to level 85 thing. It's not max level at least so there's still a time investment required to be totally heroic, if I'm understanding it correctly.

I can appreciate a method by which to skip grinding. I haven't read it fully so does it unlock all areas as well or would you still have to travel, just easier as an 85?

I do not know EQ2 well enough to judge whether it's a pay to win scenario or just a catch up button. I don't see any actual advantage short of shaving off time from doing this. Though I understand that it may feel like it "cheapens" the achievement of all those hard working traditional levellers.

I know a lot of original GW folks felt a bit cheated upon being level 20 perma-pre-searing when they added rotating daily quests so getting that was less of a grind (not requiring death levelling but spawning level-appropriate mobs for a pair of players)

Marketing wise, I can see the reasoning but it's still a controversial move for established players.

[Jezerai]

Actually, I like the idea.  Now maybe we can have a group night and do some of the more difficult content together.  Sounds like fun!

[Lyrima]

Is this the free to play game?

[Rumze]

Yes eq2 is free to play - gold members get some perks  and there are two expansions you don't get - one has the level cap increase to 95 and some more lands while the other has a class, mercenaries and some other stuff.
But otherwise you can experience everything.

[Jezerai]

Heroic characters will be free from October 1 to 15, probably limited to one to an account I would imagine.  After that you can buy the kit or whatever for a heroic character from the SOE store.  You can create a heroic character or upgrade an existing character. 

[Jasyn]

Heroic characters will be free from October 1 to 15, probably limited to one to an account I would imagine.  After that you can buy the kit or whatever for a heroic character from the SOE store.  You can create a heroic character or upgrade an existing character.

Specifically, during the promotion, new accounts created on or after September 23rd are eligible for only 1 heroic character per household.  Accounts that existed earlier can claim one free heroic character per account.

[Askari]

I found the biggest annoyance with F2P EQ2 was the inability to equip quality levels of gear above Treasured. Much of the 'clickies' with special abilities and nice quest rewards were not usable by your character. Heck, Treasured gear is almost nonexistent at high level.

Here's the FAQ on Heroic Characters coming 10/1/2013:
https://www.everquest2.com/news/everquest2-heroic-characters-faq

[Namae Nai]

Ok, now that the Heroic Characters are here, what is everyone else going to make?

I'll go first. I rolled a Paladin named Abrus. I've always wanted to try them out, but since I had another fighter, I could never justify it. Now at last the dream of playing a Holy Warrior of Qeynos can come true! 

[Catri]

I upgraded my Fae Warden.....and promptly used an item in the upgrade pack to transport her to I have no idea where. But she is now level 85 and fretting about the cold in the area where she is making her beautiful wings stiff. 

[Namae Nai]

It takes ya to the Great Divide, Icy Fingers Island specifically. They want you to level up there, since the content and your gear pretty closely match. Me, I'm gong for the Qeynos Claymore.