An object lesson for everyone who remembers and loves old EQ from afar. Go play on the Project 1999 server. I've done it (and I'm getting ready to do it again - this time for an extended stay with a bit of a preset group... we start at Christmas!)
The point is this... after years of playing more modern games, playing a game like EQ takes some getting used to again. It can be a test of a patience level in you that has been (sadly) trained to be very impatient by WoW, EQ2, etc... You have to fight your expectation to "go, go, go" because the game says "no, no, no"
Once you get back into it - it's flippin awesome. Spend time with people, accomplish things within the game, have fun...
But that initial night, two nights, three nights... requires even people like me who really want to play that type of game - to undergo a bit of a mental shift.
Try it... then come back and report on how you feel about it. That might be an interesting experience for devs to read and digest.
As much as I think going back to start EQ all over again I could just not do it. I was just too far into the game to start over, especially this many years later. What I would really just want is a private server where I can just run around as a GM and re-explore all the zones and see the parts that I missed.
Vandraad said:As much as I think going back to start EQ all over again I could just not do it. I was just too far into the game to start over, especially this many years later. What I would really just want is a private server where I can just run around as a GM and re-explore all the zones and see the parts that I missed.
You can totally log into various ez server type boxes and do just that.
As for me, I've been playing EQ off and on since launch in 1999. I played live servers until Luclin, and since I've played on quite a few emulators including P99. Also really enjoyed Shards of Dalaya in its heyday (I believe I was playing there when Vanguard launched).
So the answer is, for me, it won't be a total shock playing another "hardcore" MMO.
Key point.. atleast for me.. Its the graphics that kill me when looking back at EQ. Its not the mechanics or the like. My few attempts to go back have always been ended with me just shaking my head at the graphics. This will not be a problem with Pantheon as the new engine and spectacular graphics we have already seen.
I did that a few weeks ago, before I quit because the friends that asked me to join them never play...
I reached level 25 with my Iksar SK.
What I liked from this short experience:
-The world. There is something special about it the lore and all.
-Constant need for awareness for mobs around. They keep you on your toes pretty much all the time. Only cities feel completely safe. Big like to wanderers like cyclops, griffons & werewolves.
-Quests. Even tho I barely started them in my short stay, I much prefer questing for something like Dreadscale armor over 10-15 levels than any daily/grind quests we find in new MMOs.
What I disliked:
-No bind/gate for melee characters. This might have been worst for the fact of being an iksar and an SK, but I had a really hard time managing the fact that if I wanted to join a group somewhere in the world (the population spread wasnt great when I played), I needed to travel there, find a "safe" city to bind in and beg another player to come bind me. This could be solve with the modern use of graveyards instead of respawning from death at bind point.
-Terrible UI. Even with Duxa's skin, the UI is lacking functionnality and appeal.
-Slow combat. I'm not talking about the pace of killing stuff but the fact that once a single pull is achieved, auto-attack & life tap were pretty much all there was to do.
I did this a few months ago when my girlfriend was at Comic Con. I got a Barbarian Shaman to 13 and 9 Iksar Necro. As you can tell I did not play much :) The first few days were actually great for me, I died a lot! Until I got to level 8 or so I was still dying a ton which explains the low level. I like Mekada's like and dislike so I will do that as well.
Liked:
-The world felt alive. I don't know how else to say it but it felt good
-Soloing was SLOW. It was nice to have to group and find people wanted to group.
-Felt like a community
Disliked:
-Zone Design. Some of the zones just had no character, the planes and zones around Qeynos.
-Level Lulls. There will always be some awkward leveling moment where you out level the zone your in but might not quiet be high enough to go to the next but playing reminded me of just how exaserbated those were in EQ sometimes.
Aldie said:Going back to the game systems won't take me long. Everything else i'm assuming will be updated. Fighting the UI and clunky mechanics of the older games is my issue. I'm assuming those will be aleviated with Pantheon.
This is the hardest thing for me as well. Im currently playing EQ on progression server Lockjaw. Once you get your game settings set and UI figured out, the rest is just learning to live with the awkward animations, graphics, and dated mouselook feel... all of those kinds of things. The actual gameplay mechanics, combat, etc is like putting on your favorite pair of old Levi's.
^ Agree with the casting sound effects!
I actually kind of like the EQ graphics, as they leave a lot of room for imagination. On the other hand, I agree its hard if you have played modern games with superb graphics :)
When I tried EQ again, I also found the UI the hardest part to get used to again. There's just SOO many little windows and stuff that you need to place and size, it can really be overwhelming. Tons of chat filters to adjust (ohh and you start with two chat windows by default...can be hard to see where your input goes at first!). Once you've set it all up, its workable though. One of the things I like is the ability (as a caster) to change a spell in your spell slot bar by right clicking, and selecting a new spell from a popup menu. Also the ability to save and load spell sets quickly.
The combat speed is something that actually find interesting. Playing a melee in EQ can be somewhat boring at the early levels, because you really mostly stand there and watch your character swing its weapon...and swing it again...and again...while you do nothing else. But once you gain a few levels and get new skills and abilities, things become a lot better. And then I find EQ's combat pace actually very good. I am also quite happy with the longer casting times, as long as the spell delivers some OOMPH then :)
I am messing around on the Lockjaw server with a Bard. Have him to level 39 or 40 at the moment. I might look forward to joining the Pantheon forum team on Phinny server when it goes live. One thing that has lacked so far is finding the right guild / friends to get me more active. EQ is not really mean to solo or it just becomes a boring grind.
Getting back into a game like this will be a little tougher since my life responsabilities have gotten much tougher. More $$ is good in life but is equalling less time. I have to get the sleep now days that I used to blow off before lol. I can see me getting really into Pantheon again though, dedicating most nights and weekends where I can. Dreaming of long weekends or certain time off to plan some FULL gaming days. I still remember back in EQ how I got so excited thinking about 3 days in a row that I could play non stop. Wow, those were the days!
Looking forward to Phinny with a bunch of you all!
Deuce said:Key point.. atleast for me.. Its the graphics that kill me when looking back at EQ. Its not the mechanics or the like. My few attempts to go back have always been ended with me just shaking my head at the graphics. This will not be a problem with Pantheon as the new engine and spectacular graphics we have already seen.
I pray the mechanics measure up to the graphics or I'm gonna be pissed they spent time making it look good first before figuring out if they can actually deliver quality gameplay.
