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Well night two and I log in to EQ again.
This is content.
In order to even get into Qeynos I need to become a citizen and take the citizens quest. This seems to be a way of getting the user used to the interface, where the nearest dungeon can be found and what sort of monsters you might face. In the little villages attached to Qeynos I find the inn and walk into about 7 NPC’s asking me to assist in a mini quests. Most of them require me to take something somewhere or go get something, etc. The rational for all the quests are interesting. one of them is from a Erudite who, along with his friend, are threatening a guy for some scroll. They ask me to go and get the scroll from this guys brother whilst they hold him there. Another quest intersects this one as one the way I come across a weaponsmith who has just finished an order for a lethal knife for the Erudite! He remarks to me “…strange weapon for an Erudite…”. On finding the guy with scroll (a busy and brisk shop owner) and finding out he doesn’t have it either, I return and hand over the knife. “This will come in handy…” he smirks waving it in the face of the guy they have cornered. Talking to him reveals he is very frightened. This is content, real content. I feel a little like I am in a theme park at the moment. Everquest 1 had no newbie quests worth anything (does anyone remember the awful “muffins for Panos quest” in Freeport?) whereas here, all my good gear has come from newbie quests just like this one. Even a few magical items such as rings etc.
After a bucket load of these little quests I hit the level 7 roof. I cannot go any further until I do the citizen quest. I get this from a sign by the gate to Qeynos and it tells me to kill monsters in the “down below” and return with 5 tokens.
This “down below” is the first dungeon. Venturing down there I come across a large labyrinth style sewer full of standard fare such as rats, spiders, etc. Some of these are tough (some are even lethal) so I team up with a Mage and we go killing. We only have to run the once before I get the required items. Wishing the Mage well I enter the city proper…
Qeynos is massive.
The size of this city is amazing. A collection of zones (and quite a lot of lag) with varying architecture. The scale is well judged in my opinion as it lends to the illusion that you really are in a big city rather than the village sized Freeport in EQ 1.
I collected a few quests from the seedy docks and head through the throng or drunken NPC’s. Effects here are well implemented. I have a very middle of the road computer and a basic 9800 se graphics card but even I get the nice Direct X 9 water effects. Similar illusion adding features include rats running around (little ones not big combat ones) and a cat chasing them. Also I can across a duck called Sir Quackers! That raised a smile. Through the gates I come across an Elf village full of trees and a full on martial arts center (very nice lighting effects).
The spirit of Kelethin is here for all those who miss the wood elf city (I certainly spent many weeks hunting from there and Ynnos recruited me into the Hoodies there too).
After about three zones I make it out of the city with a small quest to kill 10 of every type of critter found in the newbie hunting zone. Again, the whole thing is familiar but much bigger and with tighter quests and integration.
I haven’t felt the “left on your own to die” feeling that EQ 1 gave me for months. I quickly join a band of warriors with one priest and get stuck in. Unfortunately the group leader hits a gnoll and we get adds. Lots of adds. I manage to use one of my skills to agro the lot and take down the leader then run. I don’t get very far and the rest of the team die with me.
Dying.
When you die in EQ2 the group also get an XP hit. It doesn’t drop your XP, it simply gives you a deficit you must work off. This means, I guess, undinging is a thing of the past, and no bad thing. You also get recovery effects that drop you stats until you recover your spirit (which mitigates most of that). This should stop the “zerg rush” that plagues the high end game and led to Kerafram’s death in EQ1. The system has taken much from SWG. No one has the ability to revive yet so I respawn at the gate. The spawn selector also informs me of the danger level of the spawn, which is a nice touch.
On my rebirth I get a sparkling line leading me to my spirit shard and a quest to find it. Once I do I simply click it and get back cured of much of the sickness. You no longer drop everything. At least at our level you don’t.
Combat.
My team select more palatable game and my levels have gone up enough to get a few interesting skills. The bar in the picture shows the icons. All are on various timers and they are:
Sprint.usable any time you have power (energy).
Help!This breaks the encounter and enables others (outside your group) to hit your target.
Sit.Goos old sit, or kneel in this case. Recharges you MUCH quicker than in EQ1
AOE swing.Area of effect attack that hits all the groups targets.
kick.Kick, doesnt seem to stun much at my level.
Heroic Opportunity.Opens the Warrior HO window. The next icon in the sequence to continue the HO will then flash. Grouping with others of a different class offers icons I don’t have. Once the second stage is complete the final stage asks for a more general icon. If all are done there is a special attack. I have the feeling that a high level group would spend all their time finding super combinations of special attacks. They appear to be the key to victory in a difficult fight.
Swing hit.Sort of jumping spin attack, not very hard hitting but extra.
Taunt.Jusgt as before. Taunt and the enemy attacks you.
Group Taunt.Tuants all the foes. This is nice. Very nice.
Buff.WHAT?? I’m a warrior! Yes, I get a group buff! Makes us all swing faster and better.
Intervene.Take damage off the priest onto me.
Toughen.Up my AC and avoidance.
We make quick work of the snakes etc and even take a roaming yellow (with only one death). when you select a foe you get a rating. This has much more detail than EQ1. it shows that the mob might be a rated for a group and not solo. It shows if it is a tough mob for its rating (up arrows) or if it is a weaker than it looks mob (down arrows) It shows how th ecreature thinks of you (this is also evident from the colour of the creatures name). It also shows the same old colours: Red for don’t bother, yellow for uh oh, white for ok, blue for simple, green for easy and grey for rubbish – no xp.
If you find a wandering red with two up arrows that says RAID encounter and you are a level 5 ranger with a wooden bo…. run. Or at least try and look inedible!
After a while I get another ding and the level 10 quest pops up. Bidding farewell to the others I find the Master of Arms and he talks to me about what type of fighter I will become.
Here must be where I get to decide my destiny as a warrior. But first, he sends me out of the city to kill “ice spiders”. I ask around and find out that a boat to the Caves goes form the docks. a quick set of zones later and I find the correct dock bell and pick The Caves from the list. It is at this point my adventure ends for another night… level 10 awaits!
They have also taken website integration to a whole new level with this game. Check out my character page at the main EQ2 website:
Yagyu at EQ2
Laters.
Basho (Yagyu)
Basho & Cesca are traveling with:
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