Category: Gaming

Lately, I just can’t agree more with posts like this one from Average Joe. You can’t just take a game like EQ2, where we’re all pretty comfortable with the method of leveling for the past 70 levels (sure, we gripe about the ‘grind’ but it’s really not THAT bad) and then implement the method that we see in RoK. It’s as one friend told me, they basically adapted to the WoW method of leveling – except they implemented it more then half way into the game, and poorly at that. There’s a reason the method works in WoW, and why it’s now failing in EQ2.

I’m discouraged logging in and finding only two guild mates on. The length of time it takes me to complete any quests with a healer, and the fact that if I’d like to group, I’m not going to find one for my troubador. Raids who asked for me to play a troubador are now asking for healers. The server log in is atrocious and just plain annoying. The crashes, roll backs, and lack of connectivity, are becoming unacceptable. I’ve praised sony plenty over the past three years, but I’m beginning to seriously question if this is the game for me. I’m actually beginning to miss Vanguard. Yes, the game was filled with bugs, which is why I ultimately quit it, but it was complex. The character models were ugly, but having three areas to level my one character (crafting, diplomacy, and adventuring) was unique. The classes themselves were unique. Having healers with stances, for example. I wish it had less bugs.

I hate the way EQ2’s decided to "wowify" themselves. If I wanted to play WoW, I would. In fact that’s why I have a subscription still active there, for those moments when I need to get away from EQ2 and take a break. Now they may as well both be the same game, with a few variables (pvp, etc). I’m starting to miss the PoA leveling, the SoS, the abundance of instances (Nest, Den, Blackscale, HoF, Vaults) and rewards that were on par with the risks involved. I’m actually tired of getting legendary items for walking 5 feet and hailing another npc in a chain of killing x number of y mobs, and walking 10 feet to another npc, rinse, repeat. DPS classes and even tanks are given a huge advantage in RoK leveling, even classes who are only mediocre dps still leveled fairly fast. At least my bard had track. She could kite. It was slow, but not painfully. My warden at least can do a little dmg and she has her thorn shield. The mystic, slow. Very. The templar, still doesn’t even have her sokokar quest completed yet. I could spend an hour killing Drolvarg alone if she were to solo it. Yes, I know "get a group!" …. ok. EVERYONE is solo’ing. They join together to do the heroic quests, and to complete instances, but other wise, they’re out there on their own. Not interested in a group. So why not duo the quests? Fine, it still takes me and the duo an hour to accomplish things. The quests looked unique when I first saw them, and interesting. However now that I’ve completed over 300 RoK quests, I notice the pattern between them all and how they actually lack creativity. Some of the rewards for quests are also the same as previous quests I’d already completed. I’m sure subscriptions are at an all time high, but unless something changes, and sony acknowledges that there’s an issue, I’m just not sure where I see things going.

Side note. The guild drama. It’s got to stop, soon, I hope. How did things go from being fine and having 24 people easily one day, to having maybe maybe 5 people log in now. Officers who are off completing major quest lines with other guilds and leaving their own behind. The theory of "every man for himself" is just so much clearer now and I dislike it immensely. This game wasn’t supposed to be WoW. That’s why I liked it.

 

Signature I made for Goudia, there was going to be some wise ass comment about giving a rats ass.. but decided to leave it as is for now. Who doesn’t like cheese after all!

 

The happy little bardling managed to finally get her workers sledgemallet, after earning max faction with the clans in Jarsath Wastes. The hammer is great, lets me gate to JW when it procs. Handy if you’re not a druid. The quests weren’t too difficult, and I did group up to do them even though they’re flagged as solo. They also rewarded plenty of experience, aa, and legendary gear at the ends which is always a nice thing. Even though once again, it was easy. Everything seems easy (except raids, but that’s another story).

So enter the guild drama. Everyone has some, it happens frequently, especially when you combine any number of people with one another, things are bound to happen. One of the officers of the guild left today, no notice posted on the forums, and an explanation to a few members who asked but no discussion before hand, just left. They also happened to be our best healer, and only druid. So we took a hit on all fronts. They explained to me why they left, and it seemed like a valid reason excuse.

Later on in the day, after saying that I wish them the best in whatever they decided to do, found out they’d actually applied to a few other raid guilds last week, though they failed to mention that to anyone else.

I can understand people wanting to move on. If you’re unhappy in a guild, why stick around. If it’s that bad. If you’re looking elsewhere, then at least have the decency to tell your guild. Especially if you’re an officer or anyone with a high rank. It’s just unfair to the guild other wise when you take off suddenly. I don’t mind that they left, or that they were having issues here, but I do mind that they neglected to tell anyone ahead of time so the guild could prepare and search for a replacement. I hate hearing excuses, I’d rather hear “I hate it here, I’m out” then make up something to seem like they’re the good guy, then find out more information about the situation later. Pet peeve, what can I say.

So now we’re druid-less, and down an officer. This person’s left before in the past, and re-joined, though it seems like that was a mistake. I know it happens, and there’s plenty of drama that goes along with guilds, but it still makes me twinge to hear it. Seems like ever since the 2nd year of EQ2 the guild turmoil just constantly boils. Still waiting for the dust to settle, so to speak.

Raids last night were challenging, we went back to Thuuga and attempted the drachnid mistress again, with no luck. She not only cocoons people but at 40% she spawns adds, you’d think to yourself, hey, it’s just three ^^^ heroic, we’ll be fine. But no. It doesn’t end there. Approximately 10-15 seconds after those three little spider adds spawn, 4 more spawn. Then 6 more. We couldn’t burn her + adds down fast enough, just didn’t have the DPS. So eventually we were over taken by spiders, and lots of them. The best part? They don’t de-spawn when they trigger, so when you wipe, and revive, and head back.. you get to smush the baby spiders again first before attempting her. Unless you pull her away from the spiders, which you can do, but it’s annoying when they’re standing on the spot you fight.

Aside from the raids, guild drama, and Christmas stuff in real life, I’ve been crafting a lot. The jeweler, sage, and provisioner are all happily sitting close to / on level 80. Next (I think) is the woodworker, then the alchemist, weaponsmith, tailor, armorer, carpenter. I managed to sneak a few transmuting skill ups in there as well, so I can tear apart items up to level 75 on Arysh. Stock piling for those adornments that Shadowgeist and I will need eventually.

 

Sighs. I’m disheartened, what can I say. Last night we attempted our first RoK raid instance, the Tomb of Thugga. It’s located in Fens, in a small cave in the center portion of the waterfall close to the span. We were excited, we had a great raid force, people were in great spirits. Zoned in, and it looked.. well, not exactly exciting, but not bad either. It consists of a long hallway with spiders and skeletons who enjoy stunning and fearing. Two small rooms to the left and right, with a huge spider Mistress in the center back.

We cleared the zone and were face to face with the named. Staring her down. Pulled her, and wiped as we had no clue what to expect. Figured out what her “thing” was (ever named encounter has a “thing”) and prepared to pull her again once we’d worked out a strat.

Down came the server.

Sighs. The raid hung around on ventrilo for 45 minutes waiting for Antonia Bayle to unlock, and then we had to call it, it was getting late and people were bored. It unlocked, and we were….

Outside the instance. Zoning in, we found the entire thing had re-set. If we wanted to attempt this zone again, we’d have to clear everything, again. People were upset. Now, I’m typically quiet calm when these things happen, after all I know there are issues that are expected. That doesn’t mean it was any less of a disappointment though. We can’t even attempt the zone again until Monday or some such as our MT won’t be around this weekend. Goudia was parsing around 900 on some fights (the troubador) and I was just tickled pink, since she’s 78 in treasured gear. I know that number’s not very high, but I was happy with our progress. We were doing wonderful.

When the server was down yesterday morning for three hours instead of the planned one hour, I didn’t mind. When we have log in issues and throttling the players logging in (slowing them down so the log in server is not swamped) I can understand it. I didn’t mind them disabling our broker sales completely for periods of time while they worked on things. But the expansion’s been out for a while now, and the server stability hasn’t gotten better. We still experienced 15 minute receiving zone info timers if we tried to go anywhere. I think I’ve stared at that screen more then I’ve looked at any RoK zone this week so far.

Of course, we’ll just go about our way, and try again some other time. I just wish our first experience in one of the new zones had of gone a lot smoother.