EQ2 and the Customization Timetable: Can They Beat the Clock?

nexus42

Let me say one thing first: this is not an EQ2 bashing post. I think it is a fair game, and has come around 1000% since launch. I check back in with it every few months for a month or two and I think they have made great strides in the fun zone.

The problem is that MMORPGs, at least the Western ones, are games of alter egos. I don't even mean that in the RP sense although it holds true there as well. EQ2 has a lot going for it, but what it lacks is the kiss of death: meaningful and fun avatar customization. Some 'walk about' clothes were recently introduced, but they are all the same model but with differing color schemes. There are lots of ways to individualize your house, but threre is no easy way to put it up for 'show'. Caster pets are very limited and armor/weapons utilize too limited model sets as well.

With games like SOE's Vanguard and HJ coming out, where character customization is supposed to rival or surpass those of CoH, can EQ2 correct this defiency before they lose a good chunk or their player base?

shae

Well your right, EQ2 has always been a fair game, even at launch IMO but your also right, it's come a long way since those days.

I also completely agree with your point on customizing, for a player like myself this was the biggest ball to drop, especially when I had come from a game like SWG (pre-cu of course) which is IMHO the epitome of custimization in an MMO. For me, no one has even come close to SWG of old, most especially when it came making you feel like you LIVED in the game.

Is EQ2 making strides to getting better at this ? Well, yes and no. Personally I've always found the armor and general clothing options completely dull and way to un-varied but more then that EQ2's problem is that it's primarily an Adventure game and NOT a Social game.

Sure players do their best to work ways around that with the limited pubs and the appartment showing as you mentioned, people try to RP in the public pubs but the game mechanics always get in the way evenutally, I mean seriously, you can't even sit in a chair?

That to me is the issue with EQ2 and it being the "alter ego" game you mentioned in the future, I just don't think the mechanics will ever be there and I really don't think the Dev's in the team have ever really had a handle on what would need to be done to accomplish this.

Will this hurt EQ2 in the future? Sure it will, ask me and I'll tell you that it's hurt them from the start. Had they gone the other way from the start and made EQ2 and Social/Adventuring game, people would have stuck with it longer and developed a community based around the social dynamics, that would have given the Dev team time to work on the core adventuring mechanics thus allowing for a larger over all gamer base.

Obviously that hasn't happend and when a game that understands all these fine points comes around, it certainly might take away from those in EQ2 right now. But of course, you have to take into consideration, those that are playing EQ2 right already know what the game is about, if they're there it's because they like it, sure there will be some that are just waiting for something better to come along but I'd be wiling to bet that it wont be a huge portion of the player base that leave.

Well... for those reasons anyways.

khrag

I too am from SWG pre-cu and it was the best for customization, beat CoH/CoV to death. I don't see that people will leave EQ2 because they don't have the customization that other newer games will have. I think if the newer games are better and more fun AND have better customization, then yes, people will leave. I think customization is a great and needed bonus to a game, but I don't think it's a determining factor. If it was, we'd all still be playing SWG.