Station cash doesn't do much to effect the game. Most of the items are apearence and have no influence. There are mounts and what not, but who does that hurt? The only other items are potions for bonus xp, and again, it doesn't effect those who don't use it.
There are no stat bearing weapons or armor to effect pvp and such, so I don't see how it has "ruined" the game.
Eq2 would be more fun if they improved the LFG system. I almost wish they made a dungeon finder tool like on WoW so that i can actualy get to do dungeons since it takes a hour to find a grp if you dont stumble upon one randomly and most guilds are either raid or casual with people who prefer to solo or are diffrent lvls.
I already have a character with max lvl and theres realy nothing to do except raiding which i dont realy have time for anymore.
I completely agree with you byson. Let's hope the next update/expansion addresses this.
When Eq2 is down I miss it more than ever. No other game compares to Eq2 with its' 24 classes and more races than I can keep track of. The combinations truely feel endless. Player housing, guild halls, huge online economy, massive content to support multiple leveling paths, endless raid and group content, solo content, and tradeskills. Then there are the controls which are incredibly smooth and responsive. In most online games it is a chore to move the characters arround but Eq2 plays like a dream. Sometimes I just like to login and jump on rocks and on top of buildings and off of walls because the controls are so amazing it is fun. I have uninstalled games before after taking two steps and a jump if it doesn't have that the lucid dream type feel that Eq2 has.
No other game plays like Eq2 does. No other game has the depth or the content. So rather play those inferior games during this down time I spent the time finishing drawing this picture of my Eq2 Bruiser. It expresses how I feel everytime I login to play Eq2. I can almost feel the wind and the rush of jumping over baddies as I kick them in the face.
The thing for me is that i really like some of the classes and how they play. But the world is just so bland for me.
I logged into a bit last night and then logged into Vanguard and Vanguard was like a breath of fresh air. Yet, again, I love some of EQ2's classes.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
EverQuest II is a nice game at first. It is very polished and has massive content. Basically, EQ2 = WoW. It differs somewhat, but you could say those two games are the most polished and have largest content in wide selection of a fantasy mmorpgs. WoW for younger audience, EQ2 for more mature.
But for me it's too polished, everything feels a bit unreal, unnatural, not immersive...
There's no freedom, just tedious horrible quest grinding. Quests quests quests.. Yeah, they justified their name with EverQUEST II A new quest is waiting to be picked up everywhere, click on a tree - it offers a quest. Click on a box - a new quest. Loot the item and examine it... yes, another quest for you. You go through Norrath just mindlessly doing hundreds and hundreds of quests. And every time you reroll a new class, you do the same tedious quest grinding again (unless you being powerleveled, but it's not the way of playing a game)
Yeah, it is possible to level without doing quests, but the whole game was meant to be played by doing quests.
It also is extremely gear dependant, but that probably exists in any mmorpg.
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
And everything in the game just feels fake. I'm back to EQ1 now
I played EQ2 for 4-5 years, on and off, because sadly, as much as i hate it, it's the best mmorpg out there. If only EQ1 wasn't so old and unpopulated...
EverQuest II is a nice game at first. It is very polished and has massive content. Basically, EQ2 = WoW. It differs somewhat, but you could say those two games are the most polished and have largest content in wide selection of a fantasy mmorpgs. WoW for younger audience, EQ2 for more mature.
But for me it's too polished, everything feels a bit unreal, unnatural, not immersive...
There's no freedom, just tedious horrible quest grinding. Quests quests quests.. Yeah, they justified their name with EverQUEST II A new quest is waiting to be picked up everywhere, click on a tree - it offers a quest. Click on a box - a new quest. Loot the item and examine it... yes, another quest for you. You go through Norrath just mindlessly doing hundreds and hundreds of quests. And every time you reroll a new class, you do the same tedious quest grinding again (unless you being powerleveled, but it's not the way of playing a game)
Yeah, it is possible to level without doing quests, but the whole game was meant to be played by doing quests.
It also is extremely gear dependant, but that probably exists in any mmorpg.
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
And everything in the game just feels fake. I'm back to EQ1 now
I played EQ2 for 4-5 years, on and off, because sadly, as much as i hate it, it's the best mmorpg out there. If only EQ1 wasn't so old and unpopulated...
I kind of agree about the quest grinding. I've been trying to avoid quests because they aren't to my taste but I'm also not into crafting so I'm a bit trepidacious that I will be missign out on some decent gear if stop looking for quests.
Of course I play it so casually that on some level I suppose it doesn't matter.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Does anyone even know what "polished" means these days? The performance in the game shows the lack of polish in Everquest II alone.
Well, it runs really well for me at mostly the highest settings so I don't see a problem there.
I run the game at very high settings and it's smooth as silk, so I have to agree with the "where's the issue" comment here.
I can run the game on balanced plus turning a few things up but the shadow gpu kills me, I have a midrange system , I cant say this game runs better than vanguard and I can run AOC much smoother
Does anyone even know what "polished" means these days? The performance in the game shows the lack of polish in Everquest II alone.
Well, it runs really well for me at mostly the highest settings so I don't see a problem there.
I run the game at very high settings and it's smooth as silk, so I have to agree with the "where's the issue" comment here.
I can run the game on balanced plus turning a few things up but the shadow gpu kills me, I have a midrange system , I cant say this game runs better than vanguard and I can run AOC much smoother
I put the shadows on my video card as it looks much better.
I can run on the all the highest settings either way but I turn down a fwe things to make it more smooth. mosly shadows.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
Mobs are social; have been since EQ. You're only noticing this now? At least in EQ2, clicking on a social mob visually shows you which other mobs it's linked to.
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
Mobs are social; have been since EQ. You're only noticing this now? At least in EQ2, clicking on a social mob visually shows you which other mobs it's linked to.
Killing multiple mobs is easy so long as you have about twice as many AAs as your level. In other words, if you're level 50, have 100 AAs and it will be a breeze. Most people try to "rush to end game" in EQ2 (if they're new to the game) and don't focus on AAs and totally screw themselves. Just my opinion.
Also....keep your spells upgraded. The research assistant is a great feature for that. At low levels you won't have to spend much gold on spells at all. Like most games if you don't keep your character in good shape you're going to fight like shit, ya know?
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
Mobs are social; have been since EQ. You're only noticing this now? At least in EQ2, clicking on a social mob visually shows you which other mobs it's linked to.
Some would say that clearly labeling the group of mobs just by clicking on one takes away from the immersion and mystery of the encounter. The unbreakable links also take away from player creativity and ability, because aside from exploiting there really isn't any way to change the encounter and take control of the situation. No tactics or creative thinking will have an effect on the outcome of the grouped mob mentality.
Even if one of the allies is down the hall, around 2 corners and behind a closed door, he will telepathically know his friend is under attack and rush to assist.
Does anyone even know what "polished" means these days? The performance in the game shows the lack of polish in Everquest II alone.
I have to agree that people are throwing around polished about any game that doesn't crash their computer or the server for more than a few hours these days.
The poor itemization that has plagued the game for several expansions now shows that EQ2 still lacks a lot of polish. Just that one problem has a cascading effect on the games content and how players engage in it.
No question EQ2 is a decent game, but the lack of polish has really held it back from its real potential.
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
Mobs are social; have been since EQ. You're only noticing this now? At least in EQ2, clicking on a social mob visually shows you which other mobs it's linked to.
Some would say that clearly labeling the group of mobs just by clicking on one takes away from the immersion and mystery of the encounter. The unbreakable links also take away from player creativity and ability, because aside from exploiting there really isn't any way to change the encounter and take control of the situation. No tactics or creative thinking will have an effect on the outcome of the grouped mob mentality.
Even if one of the allies is down the hall, around 2 corners and behind a closed door, he will telepathically know his friend is under attack and rush to assist.
That's EXACTLY what i meant, Daffid011
CasualMaker, EQ1 never had linked encounters. "Social" mobs is different than "linked".. in EQ1 you can pull single mob using body pulling or separate them using FD, no matter how "social" it is ;D
CasualMaker, EQ1 never had linked encounters. "Social" mobs is different than "linked".. in EQ1 you can pull single mob using body pulling or separate them using FD, no matter how "social" it is ;D
But you can't do that to linked EQ2 mobs.
Never claimed EQ's mobs were linked, just social. This keeps getting me killed there: I start fighting one blue-con and by the time I'm finally nearly ready to kill it, two of its buddies (one or both yellow) have wandered by and joined in.
EQ2 was the most addicting MMO for me by far. Life is what put playing this to a stop for me. It's been 2 years now since I played it. But, last night I downloaded it again, lol. Gonna start all over and see if keeps me busy till GW2 comes.
I didn't jump on the first GW boat when it came , I was to into EQ2. But this time I'm ready !
I'll always love EQ2, It played a huge part in my current addiction. Is that bad ? Haha.
The poor itemization that has plagued the game for several expansions now shows that EQ2 still lacks a lot of polish. Just that one problem has a cascading effect on the games content and how players engage in it.
I won't dispute this - EQ2's itemization is far from perfect. But I will note that, as a point of comparison, itemization issues in WoW are far, far worse; LotRO is probably the best itemized game I've played lately, and even it has major issues. So it's a widespread problem that tends to increase as an MMOs life goes on, unless the developers bite the bullet and re-itemize the whole game. To their credit, SOE recognized this and is working on it. Hopefully things will be much better after the revamp.
SOE has been working on the itemization problem for years now, so I doubt it will get better with this attempt. Also if EQ2 holds true to form, there is a leadership at the helm which means the game mechanics are going to change again and repeat the whole process all over again.
I don't see the itemization problems from EQ2 in WOW or LOTRO. Nothing even remotely close to be honest.
My biggest problems with EQ2 were the fact that while the game has like 24 classes, probably not even half of those are worth playing, and the game almost requires players to download custom UI pieces just to be able to play the game properly, especially if you play a scout-archtype or a healer.
Also, I was pretty disappointed upon hitting level 80 to learn that my ranger was so incredibly gimped in comparison to similar classes (was two years ago, still is today), and switching to Assassin, in addition to having to foot the bill for enrmous spell upgrade expenses and armor, means I would be forced to learn how to play what is considered by many the most difficult DPS class in the game. Not a fan of the spell rank system either or the epic weapon grind.
I loled at this,I have played eq2 since march 2005 and have never downloaded any UI. EQ2 ui is 100% customizable,its better than any other MMO I have ever tried imop.All classes are wanted and used also,you just need to know how to play them.
Foot the bill for spell upgrades! One thing I hate when I try other MMO's is that every single ability/spell whatever you get is just that there you go that ability is the same as the other 27 000 assassins on the server.Having apprentice1.apprentice4,Adept1,Expert and Master versions of nearly every ability in the game(2 of which are made by crafter which also gives a reason for crafters)helps if you want to make your toon better than the average player of your class.
EQ2 is the best MMO out there for me and sadly nothing i see coming out in the next few years will change this.
Edit: If you mean epic for assassin,I feel your pain:) Fabled version of it was really hard when I did it on my assassin.I switched him to my main leveled him and did the epic when everyone else was gaining shards in TSO.So no-one was doing kunark zones at the time and you need reet faction.Anyway now at level 90 most of the fabled epics(which is all you need now) are soloable.
My biggest problems with EQ2 were the fact that while the game has like 24 classes, probably not even half of those are worth playing, and the game almost requires players to download custom UI pieces just to be able to play the game properly, especially if you play a scout-archtype or a healer.
Also, I was pretty disappointed upon hitting level 80 to learn that my ranger was so incredibly gimped in comparison to similar classes (was two years ago, still is today), and switching to Assassin, in addition to having to foot the bill for enrmous spell upgrade expenses and armor, means I would be forced to learn how to play what is considered by many the most difficult DPS class in the game. Not a fan of the spell rank system either or the epic weapon grind.
I loled at this,I have played eq2 since march 2005 and have never downloaded any UI. EQ2 ui is 100% customizable,its better than any other MMO I have ever tried imop.All classes are wanted and used also,you just need to know how to play them.
Foot the bill for spell upgrades! One thing I hate when I try other MMO's is that every single ability/spell whatever you get is just that there you go that ability is the same as the other 27 000 assassins on the server.Having apprentice1.apprentice4,Adept1,Expert and Master versions of nearly every ability in the game(2 of which are made by crafter which also gives a reason for crafters)helps if you want to make your toon better than the average player of your class.
EQ2 is the best MMO out there for me and sadly nothing i see coming out in the next few years will change this.
Edit: If you mean epic for assassin,I feel your pain:) Fabled version of it was really hard when I did it on my assassin.I switched him to my main leveled him and did the epic when everyone else was gaining shards in TSO.So no-one was doing kunark zones at the time and you need reet faction.Anyway now at level 90 most of the fabled epics(which is all you need now) are soloable.
I have a bit of a love/hate thing with the ranked spells. It was a real bitch getting the plat for the Master ranked charms for my coercer, and anyone who has played one long enough will understand the humungous gap between Adept III and Master for those spells especially. Not sure if it has changed. I feel in that particular area its a bit unfair but for the most part it encourages community and looking for crafters. I have some free subscription time so I decided to play a bit as Rift is boring me now and I've noticed Adept I quality spells drop fairly frequently now it seems, which is a relief.
I have a bit of a love/hate thing with the ranked spells. It was a real bitch getting the plat for the Master ranked charms for my coercer, and anyone who has played one long enough will understand the humungous gap between Adept III and Master for those spells especially. Not sure if it has changed. I feel in that particular area its a bit unfair but for the most part it encourages community and looking for crafters. I have some free subscription time so I decided to play a bit as Rift is boring me now and I've noticed Adept I quality spells drop fairly frequently now it seems, which is a relief.
there is a big gap between Adept and Master but you left out a rank
Expert spells are player crafted
out of the rank upgrades, Masters are a small boost over Expert
I play a Coercer for my main on EQ2X and I gave a tradeskiller rare harvests and a 20pp tip
to create all my expert spells for 81-90
and then Research them (for free) to Master --- once a month
there is a big gap between Adept and Master but you left out a rank
Expert spells are player crafted
out of the rank upgrades, Masters are a small boost over Expert
I play a Coercer for my main on EQ2X and I gave a tradeskiller rare harvests and a 20pp tip
to create all my expert spells for 81-90
and then Research them (for free) to Master --- once a month
I sort of have a love-hate relationship with the spell and CA tiers as well. When I first tried to get into EQ2, it was a huge turn-off, even though it makes sense that reading scrolls or books would help someone learn how to use their technique or spell with greater effects.
The research aspect definitely helps, though not so much with players who are just starting out and aren't casual. The ridiculous amount of plat needed to buy one master level spell, no matter the level of the spell, excludes new players from being able to buy them. Same for experts and getting the rare materials in order to craft them.
I hope the system is abandoned for EQNext. I think there are plenty enough things in EQ2 that require "micro-management". Would spell tiers really be missed if gotten rid of? I know I wouldn't. They could instead have some other system, say attribute enhancement as people level up, in order to boost effects of spells, or add more AAs or something...
there is a big gap between Adept and Master but you left out a rank
Expert spells are player crafted
out of the rank upgrades, Masters are a small boost over Expert
I play a Coercer for my main on EQ2X and I gave a tradeskiller rare harvests and a 20pp tip
to create all my expert spells for 81-90
and then Research them (for free) to Master --- once a month
I sort of have a love-hate relationship with the spell and CA tiers as well. When I first tried to get into EQ2, it was a huge turn-off, even though it makes sense that reading scrolls or books would help someone learn how to use their technique or spell with greater effects.
The research aspect definitely helps, though not so much with players who are just starting out and aren't casual. The ridiculous amount of plat needed to buy one master level spell, no matter the level of the spell, excludes new players from being able to buy them. Same for experts and getting the rare materials in order to craft them.
I hope the system is abandoned for EQNext. I think there are plenty enough things in EQ2 that require "micro-management". Would spell tiers really be missed if gotten rid of? I know I wouldn't. They could instead have some other system, say attribute enhancement as people level up, in order to boost effects of spells, or add more AAs or something...
for me this is the one glaring thing eq2 did wrong. a conveluded system to get to master level abilities.
what they should have done is very simple, give you the ability at basic beginner level off your trainer when you level.
you go out, and if you like the ability you use it, as you use it you gain profficiency, and eventually you master it (alla eq1 skill grind basically).
Comments
Station cash doesn't do much to effect the game. Most of the items are apearence and have no influence. There are mounts and what not, but who does that hurt? The only other items are potions for bonus xp, and again, it doesn't effect those who don't use it.
There are no stat bearing weapons or armor to effect pvp and such, so I don't see how it has "ruined" the game.
I completely agree with you byson. Let's hope the next update/expansion addresses this.
The thing for me is that i really like some of the classes and how they play. But the world is just so bland for me.
I logged into a bit last night and then logged into Vanguard and Vanguard was like a breath of fresh air. Yet, again, I love some of EQ2's classes.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
EverQuest II is a nice game at first. It is very polished and has massive content. Basically, EQ2 = WoW. It differs somewhat, but you could say those two games are the most polished and have largest content in wide selection of a fantasy mmorpgs. WoW for younger audience, EQ2 for more mature.
But for me it's too polished, everything feels a bit unreal, unnatural, not immersive...
There's no freedom, just tedious horrible quest grinding. Quests quests quests.. Yeah, they justified their name with EverQUEST II
A new quest is waiting to be picked up everywhere, click on a tree - it offers a quest. Click on a box - a new quest. Loot the item and examine it... yes, another quest for you. You go through Norrath just mindlessly doing hundreds and hundreds of quests. And every time you reroll a new class, you do the same tedious quest grinding again (unless you being powerleveled, but it's not the way of playing a game)
Yeah, it is possible to level without doing quests, but the whole game was meant to be played by doing quests.
It also is extremely gear dependant, but that probably exists in any mmorpg.
What's up with linked mobs? You pull a mob, another one or two comes from the crowd, because they are linked.. wtf?
And everything in the game just feels fake. I'm back to EQ1 now
I played EQ2 for 4-5 years, on and off, because sadly, as much as i hate it, it's the best mmorpg out there. If only EQ1 wasn't so old and unpopulated...
I kind of agree about the quest grinding. I've been trying to avoid quests because they aren't to my taste but I'm also not into crafting so I'm a bit trepidacious that I will be missign out on some decent gear if stop looking for quests.
Of course I play it so casually that on some level I suppose it doesn't matter.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Does anyone even know what "polished" means these days? The performance in the game shows the lack of polish in Everquest II alone.
Well, it runs really well for me at mostly the highest settings so I don't see a problem there.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I run the game at very high settings and it's smooth as silk, so I have to agree with the "where's the issue" comment here.
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
I can run the game on balanced plus turning a few things up but the shadow gpu kills me, I have a midrange system , I cant say this game runs better than vanguard and I can run AOC much smoother
I put the shadows on my video card as it looks much better.
I can run on the all the highest settings either way but I turn down a fwe things to make it more smooth. mosly shadows.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Mobs are social; have been since EQ. You're only noticing this now? At least in EQ2, clicking on a social mob visually shows you which other mobs it's linked to.
Killing multiple mobs is easy so long as you have about twice as many AAs as your level. In other words, if you're level 50, have 100 AAs and it will be a breeze. Most people try to "rush to end game" in EQ2 (if they're new to the game) and don't focus on AAs and totally screw themselves. Just my opinion.
Also....keep your spells upgraded. The research assistant is a great feature for that. At low levels you won't have to spend much gold on spells at all. Like most games if you don't keep your character in good shape you're going to fight like shit, ya know?
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
Some would say that clearly labeling the group of mobs just by clicking on one takes away from the immersion and mystery of the encounter. The unbreakable links also take away from player creativity and ability, because aside from exploiting there really isn't any way to change the encounter and take control of the situation. No tactics or creative thinking will have an effect on the outcome of the grouped mob mentality.
Even if one of the allies is down the hall, around 2 corners and behind a closed door, he will telepathically know his friend is under attack and rush to assist.
I have to agree that people are throwing around polished about any game that doesn't crash their computer or the server for more than a few hours these days.
The poor itemization that has plagued the game for several expansions now shows that EQ2 still lacks a lot of polish. Just that one problem has a cascading effect on the games content and how players engage in it.
No question EQ2 is a decent game, but the lack of polish has really held it back from its real potential.
That's EXACTLY what i meant, Daffid011
CasualMaker, EQ1 never had linked encounters. "Social" mobs is different than "linked".. in EQ1 you can pull single mob using body pulling or separate them using FD, no matter how "social" it is ;D
But you can't do that to linked EQ2 mobs.
Never claimed EQ's mobs were linked, just social. This keeps getting me killed there: I start fighting one blue-con and by the time I'm finally nearly ready to kill it, two of its buddies (one or both yellow) have wandered by and joined in.
EQ2 was the most addicting MMO for me by far. Life is what put playing this to a stop for me. It's been 2 years now since I played it. But, last night I downloaded it again, lol. Gonna start all over and see if keeps me busy till GW2 comes.
I didn't jump on the first GW boat when it came , I was to into EQ2. But this time I'm ready !
I'll always love EQ2, It played a huge part in my current addiction. Is that bad ? Haha.
I won't dispute this - EQ2's itemization is far from perfect. But I will note that, as a point of comparison, itemization issues in WoW are far, far worse; LotRO is probably the best itemized game I've played lately, and even it has major issues. So it's a widespread problem that tends to increase as an MMOs life goes on, unless the developers bite the bullet and re-itemize the whole game. To their credit, SOE recognized this and is working on it. Hopefully things will be much better after the revamp.
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SOE has been working on the itemization problem for years now, so I doubt it will get better with this attempt. Also if EQ2 holds true to form, there is a leadership at the helm which means the game mechanics are going to change again and repeat the whole process all over again.
I don't see the itemization problems from EQ2 in WOW or LOTRO. Nothing even remotely close to be honest.
Ah, there is an ignore feature! Splendid!
Ardwulf's Lair | Ardwulf's YouTube Channel | Ardwulf on Twitter
I loled at this,I have played eq2 since march 2005 and have never downloaded any UI. EQ2 ui is 100% customizable,its better than any other MMO I have ever tried imop.All classes are wanted and used also,you just need to know how to play them.
Foot the bill for spell upgrades! One thing I hate when I try other MMO's is that every single ability/spell whatever you get is just that there you go that ability is the same as the other 27 000 assassins on the server.Having apprentice1.apprentice4,Adept1,Expert and Master versions of nearly every ability in the game(2 of which are made by crafter which also gives a reason for crafters)helps if you want to make your toon better than the average player of your class.
EQ2 is the best MMO out there for me and sadly nothing i see coming out in the next few years will change this.
Edit: If you mean epic for assassin,I feel your pain:) Fabled version of it was really hard when I did it on my assassin.I switched him to my main leveled him and did the epic when everyone else was gaining shards in TSO.So no-one was doing kunark zones at the time and you need reet faction.Anyway now at level 90 most of the fabled epics(which is all you need now) are soloable.
I have a bit of a love/hate thing with the ranked spells. It was a real bitch getting the plat for the Master ranked charms for my coercer, and anyone who has played one long enough will understand the humungous gap between Adept III and Master for those spells especially. Not sure if it has changed. I feel in that particular area its a bit unfair but for the most part it encourages community and looking for crafters. I have some free subscription time so I decided to play a bit as Rift is boring me now and I've noticed Adept I quality spells drop fairly frequently now it seems, which is a relief.
there is a big gap between Adept and Master but you left out a rank
Expert spells are player crafted
out of the rank upgrades, Masters are a small boost over Expert
I play a Coercer for my main on EQ2X and I gave a tradeskiller rare harvests and a 20pp tip
to create all my expert spells for 81-90
and then Research them (for free) to Master --- once a month
EQ2 fan sites
I sort of have a love-hate relationship with the spell and CA tiers as well. When I first tried to get into EQ2, it was a huge turn-off, even though it makes sense that reading scrolls or books would help someone learn how to use their technique or spell with greater effects.
The research aspect definitely helps, though not so much with players who are just starting out and aren't casual. The ridiculous amount of plat needed to buy one master level spell, no matter the level of the spell, excludes new players from being able to buy them. Same for experts and getting the rare materials in order to craft them.
I hope the system is abandoned for EQNext. I think there are plenty enough things in EQ2 that require "micro-management". Would spell tiers really be missed if gotten rid of? I know I wouldn't. They could instead have some other system, say attribute enhancement as people level up, in order to boost effects of spells, or add more AAs or something...
Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.
for me this is the one glaring thing eq2 did wrong. a conveluded system to get to master level abilities.
what they should have done is very simple, give you the ability at basic beginner level off your trainer when you level.
you go out, and if you like the ability you use it, as you use it you gain profficiency, and eventually you master it (alla eq1 skill grind basically).