I'm afraid...

[Zyphria]

When I first loaded up the Phase III beta of Everquest back in 1998, I was utterly taken aback by the world around me. I remember wandering around Surefall Glade enthralled in being in a world with so much atmosphere. I ended up playing for around three years and during that time I continously felt the urge to explore when I could. Being on a PvP server (low population, and most people kept to zones with plenty of other guilds/races on their side) there were plenty of zones that were devoid of players. Everytime an expansion came out I recruited a druid and explorered until I had to recruit a necro.

I never felt the same way when playing DAOC for two more years, FFXI for three months, or any of the other MMORPG's. Closest I've come to 'filling' that need to explore has been playing MUD's of all games (text based multi-user domains).

"The Vision" was a concept that has become almost synonymous with "we're right and you're wrong", when in fact it was simply a bold (and foolhardy) idea that MMORPG's need to have some vast underlying structure that holds it all together in some sort of 'virtual' reality. I tasted the tainted version...but I so desperately want to see if the next incarnation is closer to being the purified version.

The subject 'I'm afraid' keys in on the fact that I fear I'm going to be pulled back into Everquest II for the simple reason that the world I loved and knew has gotten an overhaul...many of the zones that I remember seeing only on that map will come to life and set my imagination on fire once more. It is nostalgia and it is scary. For that reason alone I feel I might skip over World of Warcraft simply because it *isn't* Everquest...even if it is more fun to the vast majority of people.

Am I alone in this? Are there others who still feel some aspect of their virtual being is hung up on EQ?

[Rojen]

I think it is silly for you to predispose yourself to say that WoW will not foster you explorative nature in the same way everquest did when you have not yet tried the game.

That said, play Far Cry, if you like to explore, this is the game for you heh.

[Bazael]

I don't know how you guys can even think of buying another SOE product. Regardless if they make a good game, the customer service is so shitty its appalling.

Has any SOE game had good CS? EQ, SWG etc ? All smells like the same shit to me.


I'll have no more of this steaming pile of dung.

[gimpz0r]

"Am I alone in this"

Yes you are

Have fun in your tired, shitty and formulaic Sony Online Game

[Oakman]

While EQ is the only mmorpg I still keep tabs on out of all the ones I've played, I can't say I would forsake any other gaming experience just because it isn't Everquest. I know if I don't play EQ2, I'll still be surfing allakhazams and stuff looking at what they did new.

[Blaezenfury]

''Am I alone in this''

definantly not alone, and who cares about CS, only times i'd need that is if i was stuck under the world or some bs corpse bug, everquest's CS isnt the best but hell it'll gaurenteed be better in EQ2.

EQ2 and WoW are both going to be fucking huge, amazing games. for the average gamer, hardcore gamer...even adventurous people like myself.

they're both going to kick ass~.

[Crystali]

Has any SOE game had good CS?

Did Origin Systems with Ultima Online?

Did 3DO with Meridian59?

Did Lyra Studios with Underlight?

I'm convinced its impossible to get even 50% pleasing GM service on any online game. They have too many issues to deal with and too many customers to try and handle.

[Rhedd]

Anarchy Online had great customer service, at least from my experiences and most people I talk to.

[Chantado]

The second you set foot in some of the settings WoW has to offer, you will want more and more... I spent hours upon hours exploring and was continuously amazed at the shear amount of work blizzard is putting into the game on the artistic side. Stepping foot into ashenvale forest, you'll notice that hardly anything is "copy and paste" in the game... There are very few buildings, trees, etc. that are the same - most of it is quite unique and beautifully drawn. If you like the feeling of awe you get from exploring, I think WoW might be more fulfilling in that respect than simply seeing some of the things in EQ in a better light. But that's just me.

[Zyphria]

The more I think about it, the more I see Everquest as one of those bad relationships that you keep wanting to get back into...hopefully World of WarCraft will be everything I'm looking for!

[Sithray]

Originally posted by Rhedd
Anarchy Online had great customer service, at least from my experiences and most people I talk to.

/agree

Also, the CS on a Stormhammer (EQ Legends) is super. Imagine if EQII charged 19.99 a month instead of 12.99? They would definately be able to have a better CS dept, especially if they outsourced to India.

You also have to remember that CS sucks in alot of games because of the standard set by Verant for pricing when they released EQ. People are unwilling to pay more than 14 bucks a month to play a game they spend dozens of hours on per month. Until the MMORPG buckles down and realizes that the games they play are well worth 20+ a month, CS will continue to suck.

I am hoping WoW charges 16-19 just so they can afford to have a good CS team as well as a dynamic environment.

However back to the topic...I doubt you are really alone in your thoughts since the initial zones in EQII are going to be the zones everyone misses, and have always wanted to see get redone. It will be as it was...kind of...raiding Naggy/Vox's lair with a 24 man raid to drop a dragon, or crawling through dungeons you used to really enjoy, only this time it is your own instance so no fear of training by the uberjerk who wanted your reet camp.

I admit I will be going to WoW just because I like the layout, character progress and it is something new; But you can't just dismiss the excellent work/progress SoE has done/made on EQII.

[Tongue]

Imagine if EQII charged 19.99 a month instead of 12.99? They would definately be able to have a better CS dept, especially if they outsourced to India.

Dude you are smoking some of that high quality shit. If you think making customers pay more AND outsourcing CS to mf India is gonna be better well then you go bash your head against that wall. So far ever time I have encountered Indian CS it has been shit just pure and utter shit.


Blizzard is offering almost round the clock CS with WoW and they aren't putting thier CS on another continent. Also , WoW I would gladly pay $20 a month to play , easily. Just say no to SOE.

[Sanaleb]

Sadly the GM's are power-tripping retards in basically any and every game. Granted there is always the very rare case that you will actually meet a "cool" GM. But it doesn't happen very often. (Even in WoW)

[Faddor]

I can't believe you would even suggest any SOE developed product will be anything but a horrendous piece of shit at launch with an inevitably horrendous track record for its entire life.

I know I'm not going to take it in the ass so I can prance around 4 more huge, empty, cut & paste Karanas again, that were never any good in the first place.

EQ was a great game (with ample, obvious flaws), but that sure as fuck doesn't mean EQ II will capture any of what EQ once had

[Hagakure]

You know I actually can understand where the originally poster is coming from, I spent tons of time slacking off during the month or so before expansion packs came out (when every name was already killed and there wasn’t shit to do but goof off for those of us who where ‘high-end’) and most of time I just flopped my way though any zone I could find with no one in it. I remember the first time I flopped my way to PoM alone and then the 2nd time I went with a friend (another monk), I also have vivid memories of long trips I made on foot. As much as some of those memorys mean to me I’m still really looking forward to WoW, why?

Because it’s one big fucken open world! No zone walls, no bullshit ‘you start here’ ideology, the ability to really explore and not just find the zones entrance, and on top of everything you get XP for just finding something new! I’ve been talking to people who are currently playing and some that where playing since alpha and they’ve had nothing but great things to say about exploring the game world, from finding niches in between mountains (weather or not those where meant to be there is another thing) to gain accesses to different area’s for a pseudo back entrance to just generally running around a the world and watching the environments change real-time. What’s probably the most amazing thing out of all of this is that every aspect I listed above is Blizzards idea of adding detail and more emersion to WoW where most developers wouldn’t ‘waste’ there time on this kind of thing.

If that isn’t enough for you then your probably shit out of luck man.