There and back again.....and gone again

I had started EQ2 when it was released. It was a game I greatly anticipated much as I had Vanguard. But I only lasted three months when I knew I had enough. I had an older system back then but would have put up with the lag had I enjoyed the game.

Fast forward a couple years later. Last summer, having burned through most other games and hearing many good changes were made to EQ2, I decided to give it another go. Many of the things I didn't like in the original version such as generic classes until level 10, having to succeed in a profession quest in order to continue past level 20, and access quests, were now eliminated. Oh and how poor my provisioner was relative to other crafting classes.....ah well some things didn't change.

This time around I lasted about seven months. While EQ2 has some really neat things going for it, there's just always something that's been missing for me. Or maybe several things. For one, I've never been happy with the the tiny hamlets that you call home. I suppose Qeynos and Freeport were meant to represent your home, but until recently my computer wouldn't allow me to visit those places unless absolutely necessary. But still, I miss the big hometown that you come back to and see lots of players running around.

And I've always disliked the graphics. I realize most think EQ2 had some of the best graphics but it just didn't do it for me. I absolutely hated the characters and never could connect with whoever I created. The hairstyles were horrible and the faces resembled infant dolls.

The zones as well were uninspiring. Coming originally from the east coast, most zones on the Qeynos side reminded me of Pennsylvania rather than a fantasy recreation. I do have to say, however, that the recent EOF expansion was beautiful and more up my alley so I think they're starting to head in the right direction.

But all of the above would have been really minor if I enjoyed a class....any class. I had gotten my mystic to 70 and a few others to the 30's, but they all felt like very gimpy versions of the classes I had grown to love in EQ1. My shaman's slow got no higher than 26%, my dog died in two hits so that I had stopped calling him up completely somewhere in my 60's and my heals were so so. And the AA's in EQ2 vs. EQ1....bleh. There were none that made much difference.

The nail in the coffin though was the new Station Access pricing. Like many others, I had it merely for the extra character slots.

A few more weeks before LOTRO open beta begins. I don't think it will be a place to settle into for the long term, but we'll see.