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Everquest 2 Launches
Though it's being drowned out by the Halo 2 news, Everquest 2 officially launches today. RPG Vault has a review available for perusal, GamerFeed has a hands on look, and if you're looking for crunchy, low fat coverage Gamespy has an interview with Heather Graham about her role in the game. If you're already tripping the light fantastic in Qeynos check out GamerGod's Qeynos Quest feature, or just cut out the middle man and look forward to the first content on Allakhazam. Finally, F13 provides usefully cynical commentary about the beta and launch of the game.
Let me warn most of you who were not in the Beta that this game is far from ready. They rushed it to market to beat out WoW.
I've been telling most people to wait till the beginning of next year to play it after a few patches...
This live launch will basically be like a "paid beta". Expect to see alot of server downtime for a few months as they fix the things they didn't get to in time to beat WoW.
On the other hand I just shutdown my EQ1 account after the announcement that despite Beta tester's please they decided to rush it out the door. And decided to not follow through with my preorder of EQ2.
4 years... time to go see what the outside world looks like I guess.
"why don't you just slip into something more comfortable...like a coma!"
Despite the obligatory misleading text in the Slashdot header (patent pending)... The RPG vault article is NOT a review. Heck, they aren't even willing to call it a preview. Its a "first first impression piece" and very low on content.
By a coincedence, Ive been looking at the warcraft game today, dreaming about playing it. Probably dont have the time or money at the moment, but it looks pretty shiny.
But answer me this: Everquest 2 will, one would assume, appeal to all the EQ addicts already out there. But the EQ addicts are already playing EQ: so whats this trying to achieve? Why should I play this over, say, world of warcraft or city of heros (which ive heard is meant to be excellent)
I have no doubt that this will be massively popular, but honestly whos the intended audience? Do old EQ players get to transfer their characters over, or is it start again from scratch for all?
It seems the progressquest authors were to first to streamline the gameplay enough to remove the tedious parts and remove the tedium from the user that cames in this category suffer from.
I was in the Everquest 2 beta, and I have to say this: Its not ready !
The graphics are fine, the gameplay oddly like World of Warcraft, and some of the quests are quite nice (I was particularly fond of the reference to '8-bit-theaters' sword chucks in a quest in Freeport...) Yet the zones are to big for the servers, the lag too familar, and the stability - not so good. My opinion: The game cannot currently support the great numbers it is sure to attract.
If your fond of the pain of lag, the bitter load-time, and being overly clunky, go right ahead and buy EQ2. If you like a smooth, sweet, and overally tasty mmorpg, wait a few more weeks and get WOW.
3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
No it doesn't. I had to install a windows machine just to beta test it... and tried frantically to get it working under cedega. the directx 9c req. kills it currently.
"why don't you just slip into something more comfortable...like a coma!"
I already warned my future ex-girlfriend that this was coming out. I was there on week one of Everquest. Sold my account 18 months later for $2,250. You gotta get there early to get the good stuff before they turn off the overpowered items drops.
Will this "Everquest" help me in getting an Open Beta CD-Key for WoW from the duct-taped together webserver that is FilePlanet.com? Or perhaps assist me in my perilous presuit of refreshing "signup.worldofwarcraft.com" every 5 seconds in hopes of grasping -- ever so quickly -- that final bliss-filled orgamsmic joy of actually getting to play?
/Already got CD-Key suckers
EQ2 on the following:
Geforce 5500 256
AMD 2500+
512 RAM
Windows XP Pro
In order to make EQ2 playable I had to turn most options down or off. The game in turn didn't look all that spectacular.
Take your own specs and scale from there. This game is a HUGE resource hog.
Sony themselves will warn you in game if you try to max out the graphics that only about 3% of all computers can handle the full settings.
"why don't you just slip into something more comfortable...like a coma!"
I can hear the paperwork of divorces and welfare being shuffled across the desks of america already.
... Duke Nukem Forever has announced that they "would like to rescind the comment about DNF being released before EQ2."
Food for thought:
"Duke Nukem Forever is a 1999 game and we think that timeframe matches very well with what we have planned for the game." - George Broussard, 1998
"Trust us, Duke Nukem Forever will rock when it comes out next year." -Joe Siegler, 1999
"When it's done in 2001." -2000 Christmas card
"DNF will come out before Unreal 2." -George Broussard, 2001
"If DNF is not out in 2001, something's very wrong." -George Broussard, 2001
"DNF will come out before Doom 3." -George Broussard, 2002
The Voyager 1 spacecraft has travelled approximately 2.5 billion miles since the announcement of Duke Nukem Forever.
The rovers Spirit and Opportunity were proposed, authorized, announced, designed, launched and successfully landed upon Mars within the timeframe of Duke Nukem Forever's development.
The majority of the children who were entering high school the school year following Duke Nukem Forever's announcement are now eligible to drink.
And last but not least:
"We're confident that DNF will be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, game of 1998. And this confidence is not misplaced." -Scott Miller, 1997
Indeed, I would have to agree. When DNF finally does come out I'm sure it will blow the games of 1998 away. Or, at least, I sure as hell hope it does.
(Sources were from all over the net, mostly the DNF forums)
The way people compare EQ2 with WOW is flattering to EQ all by itself.
:
r at ings.asp?companyid=361&sort=0
I can understand that many people don't realize blizzard for what it is. Blizzard is a game developers DREAM.
Everyone in the industry dreams of working for blizzard, they employ the best artists the best game designers and some of the best programmers. Next to id, valve, bungee and bioware they have the unique position of taking any amount of time they like for their games. Every single of their games so far already payed for its development in pre orders, publishers will not mess with this track record.
Blizzard South decided to make an MMO game and from day one It was clear that this game will be remarkable. What they delivered is not only a excellent game but it is also embarrasses the other contenders in this genre with its. There is no way that this game wouldn't have been on the shelf half a year ago if it would have come from any other developer, instead they kept it in beta till it fulfilled the "blizzard vision" of the perfect MMO.
Check out their trackrecord
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/simple
I've had a chance to play both EQ2 and WoW.
IMHO EQ2, while it still has some bugs in it, is a good overall game.
SoE made alot of interesting decisions this time around.
First off, the graphic engine is designed to be flexible and able to be upgraded as time and new developments in video come along. They say that EQ2 will still look top of the line in five years.
Secondly, the game itself is supposed to be able to scale up to Level 200 (only the first 50 levels are in now, and more will be added as expansions are made). This gives them a chance to really expand the mobs, gear, and abilities if they really have thought that far out. EQLive has just reached Level 70 with its latest expanion "Omens of War", and it just seems like a serious case of mudflation in the type and amount of items that are coming off of "yard trash" (ie the common mobs that spawn all over the zone).
Every Online Game can and should be considered a "Paid Beta", since from Day One they will be patching, fixing exploits (no team of beta testers, even fanbois, will find every exploit -- they will come), adding new features and features that should of really been there at launch but were put on the back burner, and more content (quests, mobs, zones, etc) which may or may not break code somewhere else and will need even more patching.
EQ2 is not perfect, but I'm looking forward to their overall story arc.
When I had a chance to beta test WoW, I was impressed with what Blizzard has done. I was never a real-time strat game fan, but I have played some Warcraft and I enjoyed Diablo I and II. I know that Blizzard can write a good story and does have a long history of good games as well as support (both patches and new content) that is second to none outside of the Online Game Industry.
WoW has gone a completely different way with its graphics. It went for more of a cartoony look than EQ2, and it is a freshing change of pace. The graphics are sharp and clean as well as being able to perform well on older machines.
The play is just what you would expect from any MMORPG -- make character, get quests (can be optional), fight mobs, loot mobs, get more powerful. But WoW makes it alot easier to find out who has quests for you -- there is a glowing question mark above their heads. I find it nice to be able to see who has quests as compared to having to talk to every NPC in the zone to find them.
Both games will appeal to a different crowd. To those who are long time fans of Warcraft, while WoW may not scratch the itch of RTS'ing, it will keep them in the story line and I can see tie-ins to new Warcraft games easily coming out of WoW. EQ2 has alot more depth in my opinion. It was made for those who really want to explore a world and delve deeper into its mysteries. I really feel that it was designed for the long haul and will not really come into its own until further down the road when the major story arcs start to play out. But even until then it will be an interesting experience.
T