NationStates Jolt Archive

So today (I believe) is the release date for the newest EverQuest II Expansion, "The Shadow Odyssey."

Now, for those who don't play EQ2, here's how it works when you have been a loyal, faithful player, who has had a character in the game since the day the EQ2 servers went live.

You go out and you buy the latest expansion, which includes all of the expansions and original game. Essentially, you're buying all the same stuff you already paid for, multiple times in some cases, for the same price as the new guy who just started playing. No discount, no ability to buy just the expansion without all the other stuff for a lower price. Mind you, you can simply download the new expansion, but you still pay the same $40 for it.

If you're a new player, you pay that $40 and get the whole game, as described, PLUS a free month of game time.

So let me get this straight: I bought:
-EverQuest II when it came out. $50
-Desert of Flames Expansion $30
-Kingdom of Sky Expansion $40 (This bundles the previous expansion and core game)
-Echoes of Faydwer Expansion $40 (Bundles everything too)
-Rise of Kunark Expansion $40 (Bundles everything)

That's $200, friends.

And now I'm supposed to pay another $40 for Shadow Odyssey.

Meanwhile n00b player gets all that for $40 and a free month of game time.

"But wait, Neo Bretonnia, cool yer jets. They have to give away everything in each new expansion... no new player's gonna be as dumb as you and just plunk down $200 in expansions!"

Maybe not, but why can't I download each new expansion for, say, $20 if I already have all the existing stuff? Why am I basically buying the same content over and over?

Blizzard doesn't make all the World of Warcraft players re-purchase the same content with their expansions. This isn't somehow an industry necessity.

So let's say I go get the new expansion. Here's what this one comes with:

No new level cap. It's still 80 as before. Mind you, they had promised to boost it to 85 (which was still a smaller jump than previous expansions.)

No new classes.

No new races.

An Achievement award cap increase. Woo.

They say there's lots of new content. That new content is, listed as an exciting feature, lots of classic dungeons and maps from the original EverQuest!

Woo. So they're re-treading old dungeons and calling it an exciting feature.

I have no idea what the story is behind this expansion. None whatsoever. There's been absolutely no hype generated for this unless you happen to log into the station.com site, where details on the expansion are sparse. Is there another new continent? Are there just new dungeons being added?

I think I'm gonna skip this one and get this content when the next expansion is released.

...if they do another one.

You know, I look over at my buddy and his new World of Warcraft expansion stuff and I realize that Blizzard treats its customers like fans, not resources. Do you know you can have actual statues made to look just like your WoW character? Can you imagine SOE letting someone do that?

Blizzard turns around and farts and it's an event. SOE introduces expansions and it's like "Meh. Come buy it, lemmings."

Don't get me wrong... I still think EverQuest II is a superior game to World of Warcraft. If only Blizzard had published EQ2 instead of SOE.

These people destroyed Star Wars:Galaxies and I see the same happening to EQ2.

It amazes me that EverQuest I is still up and running. That's all that gives me hope for the longevity of EQ2.

What really blows my mind is that Sony releases games to compete with ITSELF. Right now, SOE has no fewer than 3 fantasy MMORPGs running concurrently:

EverQuest
EverQuest II
Vanguard

Does anyone else see it as utterly irrational, in a market that's already flooded with fantasy MMOs (World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, LegacyII, Age of Conan, Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Guild Wars) to maintain 3 and then not even make an effort to market them?!?!?!?

Is it just me, or does anyone else out there see it the same way?

The original EverQuest released an expansion for $30-$60 every six months. They released a new box with all previous expansions probably once a year for $20 or so. This is not a new trick for SOE.

1: MMORPGs are a huge waste of time.

2: Why the heck did you fork over more then $150 in EXPANSION PACKS???

1: MMORPGs are a huge waste of time.
They're fantastic time sinks and money savers. Hell, if I went to the pub every evening, I'd be pretty broke. Couple of nights off reading for uni a week, couple of nights off playing WoW, good times.
2: Why the heck did you fork over more then $150 in EXPANSION PACKS???
To get more content, this is what they are for -_-

Get out of MMOs while you can. Warcraft is just as bad as EQ 1 and EQ 2.

SOE are great at ruining good games.

I still miss the good PlanetSide.

Wasnt the first game nicknamed EverCrack because people sunk so much time into it.

NationStates WoW guild. GO!

They're fantastic time sinks and money savers. Hell, if I went to the pub every evening, I'd be pretty broke. Couple of nights off reading for uni a week, couple of nights off playing WoW, good times.

While other games you play online for free. Like Warcraft three, or the Tribes series.

To get more content, this is what they are for -_-
But a hundred and forty dollars worth?

Play Eve-online all expansions are free.

Get out of MMOs while you can. Warcraft is just as bad as EQ 1 and EQ 2.

You've either never played WoW, or you're not talking about gameplay. Either way comparison invalid.

Play Eve-online all expansions are free.

Eve-Online, it's every bit as fun as being a stock broker!

But a hundred and forty dollars worth?

For most working adults, 150 bucks over 5 years is not that much money.

For most working adults, 150 bucks over 5 years is not that much money.

I played Ultima Online for nearly 10 years. $1200, plus expansions. Though their rates went up after about eight years, so the math doesn't work out so evenly.

But a hundred and forty dollars worth?

Well, see, here's the hook...

With Desert of Flames they boosted the level cap from 50 to 60 and introduced character voices. They also added a whole new city and a bunch of pretty cool zones, so that was worth the $30.

Then came Kingdom of Sky which introduced the Achievement Award system (w way of customizing your character further) and boosted the level cap to 70. Also, lots of new zones and content.

See the pattern? Even if you don't play the new zones you still get ways of improving your character (or getting left behind by the others if you don't buy it)

After that was Echoes of Faydwer, which introduced a new race (actually 2, but the evil Arsai didn't come until a patch later) and a new starting city (with the new evil city also coming later) along with an impressive amount of new zones and content. No level cap rise this time though. you also got an extra character slot.

Then Rise of Kunark, which boosted the level cap to 80 and introduced another starting city, lots of zones, and another new race. (along with the additional character slot)

So it looks like, other than the zones, this new expansion boosts the Achievement Award max, but only by 50. Not a big deal considering I'm nowhere near maxing the existing cap on any of my characters.

eq2 went to shit once Gallenite left.

For most working adults, 150 bucks over 5 years is not that much money.

I know that. I just can't fathom spending that much, plus monthly fees, on a game that forces you to interact with other people, most of whom are idiots (When online).

Eve-Online, it's every bit as fun as being a stock broker!
only if you stay in the safe zones. pretty hard to have fun in wow at all from inside the towns isn't it ??
eve much better in wow.
its more open ended. want to kill NPC for a living? sure.
want to pk for a living? sure.
want to build stuff for living with out ever killing anything? sure.

a game that forces you to interact with other people, most of whom are idiots (When online).

Thankfully we have a much higher quality of idiot in this game.

only if you stay in the safe zones. pretty hard to have fun in wow at all from inside the towns isn't it ??
eve much better in wow.
its more open ended. want to kill NPC for a living? sure.
want to pk for a living? sure.
want to build stuff for living with out ever killing anything? sure.

So it's much better than wow because you can PK people. Gotcha, there's pvp servers for that. Point of fact I played one (two level 70s there) for a while. I got my fill of non-consensual pvp in UO.

Thankfully we have a much higher quality of idiot in this game.

Yes. Idiots in this 'game' are run out of the forum on a rail.:D

Thankfully we have a much higher quality of idiot in this game.

and much, much better mods! *nod*

eq2 went to shit once Gallenite left.

Who's that?

Who's that?

Probably one of the devs. Who's working on EQ2?

Raph Koster was the guy behind UO and SWG. (DesignerDragon and Holocron were his respective handles).

Who's that?

senior producer. AKA the guy who ran the game.

So it's much better than wow because you can PK people. Gotcha, there's pvp servers for that. Point of fact I played one (two level 70s there) for a while. I got my fill of non-consensual pvp in UO.

do you get drops out of PKing in wow ??? cause I do in EVE.
non PVP server. why even play an MMORG ??? just open a chat window and play a game on your computer at the same time.

funny how you left other points out and only choose to target one point.
You can also play an eve chracter with out ever killing anything.
The core of the game in WoW you have to kill NPCs. no NPC killing no XP no level. Eve it is perfectly possible to never fire a weapon if you so choose.

While other games you play online for free. Like Warcraft three, or the Tribes series.
Warcraft III is boring, and you don't chat, you just smash peoples' faces in. Dull.

And Tribes is shite, and anyone who says otherwise is Bad And Wrong.
But a hundred and forty dollars worth?
Yes.
Play Eve-online all expansions are free.
Eugh. If I want to trade and make stuff, I can in WoW, if I want to shoot mobs, I can, and if I want to fight other players, I go on the BG, or on a PvP server.

And with some colour in my life, too, and without waiting 3 months to be able to fly a bloody corvette.

I can feel your pain. This sounds like when I played Phantasy Star Universe by SOE for PS2. The fan base was already screwed because they made the game for Xbox 360 also so there was already almost nobody to play with the game to begin with. Then they made the expansion and everybody went and bought that. Instead of just making a downloadable expansion I could pay a few dollars for they included a whole 1 player story mode and the whole shibang so that they could raise the price to 50 dollars. Then to make things worse....anybody that didnt purchase the new game pretty much could not access trade or many other features with a person that had the new game. So in otherwords if u didnt want the expansion then you were screwed.....SOE needs to stop this nonsense....THATS WHY WE HAVE PATCHES, UPDATES, AND EXPANSIONS!!!....so stop making a whole new "game".

Wasnt the first game nicknamed EverCrack because people sunk so much time into it.

The original EverQuest was called EverCrack. Mostly you had to sink masses of time into it by the way it was designed. Most classes couldn't effectively solo, groups took hours to get together in most instances and you tended to stay once you found one. Leveling up took forever, recharging your mana after exhausting it would take 10-15 minutes for a full charge. I tell you, playing a wizard sucked. You effectively had to solo, which until you got a snare was a joke because mobs were faster than players see, and a wizard's only method of not being turned inside out was a spell called Root, which broke when you did damage. Fortunately you hit level 29 and you get a mass snare spell and can suddenly take on four mobs at once.

do you get drops out of PKing in wow ??? cause I do in EVE.
You get honour and marks, which can be traded in for loots, so aye.
non PVP server. why even play an MMORG ???
To trade or just kick about a dungeon with your mates.
just open a chat window and play a game on your computer at the same time.
Aye or play a game and have a chat in the game -_-
funny how you left other points out and only choose to target one point.
You can also play an eve chracter with out ever killing anything.
The core of the game in WoW you have to kill NPCs. no NPC killing no XP no level. Eve it is perfectly possible to never fire a weapon if you so choose.
You can trade in WoW, and I have made toons where I've sent them 20 gold, rushed them to town without hitting a single mob and built up some money. Not actually difficult to do.

On the other hand, the core questing is interesting, the zones are all pretty different and you get to meet tons of people. It looks cartoony enough to be uplifting without going too far and you don't have to have started off from day one to have fun.

do you get drops out of PKing in wow ??? cause I do in EVE.
non PVP server. why even play an MMORG ???

Oh let me guess, AI can never truely challenge a human player quite the way that gang banging a miner can.

Gods I've heard that song and dance before, and it rings hollow. Why play an MMO if you're just going to go about ruining people's day?

Oh let me guess, AI can never truely challenge a human player quite the way that gang banging a miner can.

Gods I've heard that song and dance before, and it rings hollow. Why play an MMO if you're just going to go about ruining people's day?

TV Tropes: Jerkass Stu (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JerkassStu)

TV Tropes: Jerkass Stu (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JerkassStu)

It's a simple fact of the genre. There are two reasons to PVP. 1) Challenge, 2) Reward. People who claim #1 are lying, leastwise in games where you can loot your kills. Simple reason, if there's a chance of losing your stuff you won't attack a target. Saw this in UO constantly. PKs swarm in, kill everyone, and flee before an organized resistance can show up. They get loot, the victims lose time and money. It doesn't work from an economic standpoint (Risk vs Reward) to attack anyone you might lose to.

oh let me guess, ai can never truely challenge a human player quite the way that gang banging a miner can.

Gods i've heard that song and dance before, and it rings hollow. Why play an mmo if you're just going to go about ruining people's day?

qft

http://www.pvponline.com/2008/11/14/art-imitates-game-imitates-life/

You get honour and marks, which can be traded in for loots, so aye.

not quite the same you don't get to take specifically what they have.

You can trade in WoW, and I have made toons where I've sent them 20 gold, rushed them to town without hitting a single mob and built up some money. Not actually difficult to do.

using an Alt as a mule is not the same thing.
Let me clarify.
Can you on your main account Do nothing but trade from day 1 until the day the servers close. And still able to have your character grow in ability and playability, with out ever killing a mob or other NPC.

On the other hand, the core questing is interesting, the zones are all pretty different and you get to meet tons of people. It looks cartoony enough to be uplifting without going too far and you don't have to have started off from day one to have fun.

All the zones still focus on grinding, or running missions, or going after boss mobs.

It's a simple fact of the genre. There are two reasons to PVP. 1) Challenge, 2) Reward. People who claim #1 are lying, leastwise in games where you can loot your kills. Simple reason, if there's a chance of losing your stuff you won't attack a target. Saw this in UO constantly. PKs swarm in, kill everyone, and flee before an organized resistance can show up. They get loot, the victims lose time and money. It doesn't work from an economic standpoint (Risk vs Reward) to attack anyone you might lose to.

this is why I'm liking the scenario missions in Warhammer Online. The whole premise is to go in, fight fight fight, die, get right back up without any loss or penalty, fight some more, kill some more, die, repeat all in a frenzied mess, while not actually suffering any loss and, as long as you actually do SOMETHING other than stand around, actually get experience.

Can you on your main account Do nothing but trade from day 1 until the day the servers close. And still able to have your character grow in ability and playability, with out ever killing a mob or other NPC.

and not have a fucking clue as to how to play it.

this is why I'm liking the scenario missions in Warhammer Online. The whole premise is to go in, fight fight fight, die, get right back up without any loss or penalty, fight some more, kill some more, die, repeat all in a frenzied mess, while not actually suffering any loss and, as long as you actually do SOMETHING other than stand around, actually get experience.

Exp reward aside it was exactly like WOW battlegrounds. Though wow battlegrounds oft had more tactics instead of zergling rush.

Oh let me guess, AI can never truely challenge a human player quite the way that gang banging a miner can.
not much rewards in killing a solo miner is there ??? mining lasers and what ever rock they were harvesting.
In low sec he normally has friends anyways.


Gods I've heard that song and dance before, and it rings hollow. Why play an MMO if you're just going to go about ruining people's day?

I actually prefer PVP in eve as the defender. I run low sec missions Ive been jumped dozens times. Only been forced to ransom once. Its fun it kicks your Adeline up. always scanning and looking over your shoulder.
the penalties and loss are what makes it fun.
dying and coming back with all your gear makes death meaningless and makes the game highly unrealistic.

not quite the same you don't get to take specifically what they have.
Uhu...
using an Alt as a mule is not the same thing.
Aye, that's also not what I described.
Can you on your main account Do nothing but trade from day 1 until the day the servers close. And still able to have your character grow in ability and playability, with out ever killing a mob or other NPC.
No, will you become a slightly better trader by the end of time - aye, probably. In Eve, you have to spend bloody ages to get anything decent out of it. In WoW, you can kick about with yer pals and still have a load of things to do. Rather that that wait a few months to get half the skills to get a battleship tbqh.
All the zones still focus on grinding, or running missions, or going after boss mobs.
As opposed to Eve, where they still focus on err... rocks...

I already play WOW. :D

My Warlock (http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3261/wowscrnshot111808015449iz9.jpg)

.

No, will you become a slightly better trader by the end of time - aye, probably. In Eve, you have to spend bloody ages to get anything decent out of it. In WoW, you can kick about with yer pals and still have a load of things to do. Rather that that wait a few months to get half the skills to get a battleship tbqh.



there is more to PVP then getting a battleship. While a frig cant take a BS. He can jam him out and avoid damage do small size and fast speed.

You can train a pvp frig in 3 days. pvp isn't just about button mashing = damage. In fact I advise any aspiring pvper to learn how to pvp in a frig first, then work up to larger ships.
I have a 2 year old account and I don't even have the skill for battleship trained. I find the game much more enjoyable with the small ships especially the advanced ones.

Just want to clarify a few points:

He was talking about Everquest, not WoW

Dont play WoW. Really man. Dont.

Id suggest the Warhammer MMO, but after trying the Beta, that one sucks too.

I already play WOW. :D

My Warlock (http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3261/wowscrnshot111808015449iz9.jpg)

Nooooooo.... Horde? :(


Just kidding. :) Here's my priest: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Earthen+Ring&n=Sinistra

Dont play WoW. Really man. Dont.

Id suggest the Warhammer MMO, but after trying the Beta, that one sucks too.

Why not play WoW?

My human mage.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/PAY5353/Mage.jpg

Dont play WoW. Really man. Dont.

Id suggest the Warhammer MMO, but after trying the Beta, that one sucks too.

See that's the thing... EQ2 itself is awesome. I still think it's the better game. I just wish playing it didn't make me feel like an SOE drone.

I can't play Warhammer Online until I upgrade my computer.

And until Bretonnia becomes a playable faction.

...not that I'd mind playing a Witch Elf.... rowr....

Nooooooo.... Horde? :(


Just kidding. :) Here's my priest: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Earthen+Ring&n=Sinistra

Nice. I'm impressed. :)

Just say no people. I've lost some good friends to WOW.

Just say no people. I've lost some good friends to WOW.

JOIN USSSS! You know you wanna.

And until Bretonnia becomes a playable faction.

It won't. That's what empire is for.

...not that I'd mind playing a Witch Elf.... rowr....

Marauder is SO where it's at.

It won't. That's what empire is for.



Marauder is SO where it's at.

Disciple of Khaine, so goddamned overpowered.

It won't. That's what empire is for.


Bah. What the Empire does with science and gunpowder we can do with a handful of unwashed peasants and leftover lumber.


Marauder is SO where it's at.

Disciple of Khaine, so goddamned overpowered.

Oh you guys misunderstand me. I have no idea what the Witch Elves can do in the MMO. I'm talking strictly about eye candy at this point ;)

Oh you guys misunderstand me. I have no idea what the Witch Elves can do in the MMO.

does the phrase "excel at casual brutality" mean anything to you?

My warlock is lvl 75 now. :D

does the phrase "excel at casual brutality" mean anything to you?

Fabulous :)

Fabulous :)

however, marauders do it better.

EVE Online is the only MMORPG worth playing.

I'm thinking of starting Guild Wars. I tried it at a friend's house and I love it! No
subscription fees.

EVE Online is the only MMORPG worth playing.

I've never tried that one. whats it like?

Runescape is the only MMORPG worth playing.

Yeah I'm totally kidding, that game is bullshit.

It won't. That's what empire is for.



Marauder is SO where it's at.

How are the Tzeentch Mage? Because I was interested in trying them, but never got around to it?


And is the final version of the game much different from the BETA? Because then it might be playable.

I've never tried that one. whats it like?

It's a space game - and you aren't grinding out gold or levels.

You can be a very active player almost from the start, and there are no real restrictions on what you can do in the game (unlike WoW).

It is a game for meat eaters and those who love competition where you can really lose something.

Not for the faint of heart, or those who would complain to the GMs - the GMs will only laugh at you if you do.

The game is also one shard - not multiple shards like the other lame games.

It's a space game - and you aren't grinding out gold or levels.

You can be a very active player almost from the start, and there are no real restrictions on what you can do in the game (unlike WoW).

It is a game for meat eaters and those who love competition where you can really lose something.

Not for the faint of heart, or those who would complain to the GMs - the GMs will only laugh at you if you do.

The game is also one shard - not multiple shards like the other lame games.

Hmm, the term Shard interests me. That's a UO term. Which means like me you were probably a UO player. What server? Also Eve only has one server because that's all they can support. Though when most of your players don't have to bother logging in to do things.

Hmm, the term Shard interests me. That's a UO term. Which means like me you were probably a UO player. What server? Also Eve only has one server because that's all they can support. Though when most of your players don't have to bother logging in to do things.

EVE calls it a shard.

They have it as one server because they wanted everyone in the same universe at the same time.

EVE has ~50,000 concurrent users at a time. No other MMORPG has that many users at the same time acting in the same world/universe.

In order to do most things in EVE, you have to be logged in.