official release date announced tomorrow (monday)

[Smawl]

prolly gonna be Nov8... no way it's ready but still expect it will go smoother than SWG.
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dead drunk monk

[Smawl]

NOV 8th confirmed
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dead drunk monk

[Kaerai]

UNREAL! The game is not even REMOTELY close to being set for play. Score $ for $OE. Antonica crashes so bad about every hour and then it's another 20 minutes before zone reset. This is just horse shit. The lag issues need to be fixed before this game launches. This just gives the WoW'ers more shit to throw in us EQ'ers faces. Yet again Sony releases a game for play that is not "complete".
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[Mike]

as with everything in life...the $ rules the world and they want to make sure everyone gets their copy before x-mas hits

[Smawl]

check this to...

4 (that's FOUR) character slots TOTAL. not 4 PER SERVER, FOUR TOTAL ACROSS ALL SERVERS...

between that and dieing from tradeskilling... I dunno... alter ego taking over, off the EQ2 wagon again
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dead drunk monk

[Buchalter]

This really scares me. I'm more than happy to Beta Test the game for them, and that makes me very tolerant of bugs and crashes because I realize that is part of the job.

But would I pay for a game as unstable as EQ2 is right now? Not likely. With only three servers (five if you count the euro servers) and roughly 50,000 people playing the game, EQ2 regularly crashes, locks up, locks you out, and lags so badly that the game borders on unplayable.

I will give them credit for this... from a "gameplay" and "content" standpoint, the game is ready to go. I don't think I've run into too many "broken quests", screwed up NPCs, or seen any major imbalances in the game that would make it unplayable. And what I have seen has mostly been addressed. Anything else they would change could be done "on the fly".

But from a stability standpoint - this game is NOWHERE NEAR ready to be released. And that will scare customers away very quickly.

[Smawl]

I played SWG about 3 monthes after release, even then it was "beta" quality (chat channels bugged etc). I played for about 6 monthes and even when I quit (a year after release) they were still balancing (nerfing the shit outta) classes.

I expect the same thing for EQ2... classes are still pretty bland, and if I read it right they are also restricting the 4 character slots even further by only allowing ONE of each archtype (so if you have a priest on one server you can't have another anywhere else etc). THAT part isn't not confirmed, but there's a lot of people screaming about it.

honestly, Epic Shadows II or not I won't be playing on Nov 8th unless it's Nov 8 th 2005. sorry guys but I ain't PAYING to beta test, even as much as I love you all. new plan is (subject to change daily) is to plow into WoW until EQII is polished (figure at least 6 monthes). WoW was no better when it was at the same stages of beta as EQII, however they've been holding off and getting things READY FOR RETAIL for an additional 6-7 monthes. when it launches it will be ready AND worth $50. I think I'de play EQII if it was just $13 a month, but I can't stomach paying $50 for bugged software. (and don't even get me started on system req's...)

for those maybe reconsidering here's a little WoW class info:

Druid
The Druid has three potential roles in a group. When in their normal, biped form, they act well as a healer and can give support in the form of buffs and debuffs; they also have limited crowd control against dragons. Their Bear form gives them offensive and defensive power enough to step up to a monster and take the hits (weÂ?re looking into aggro management for the form). In Cat form, the Druid becomes a damage dealer. This trio of roles in one class gives the Druid a diverse feel and allows them to perform nearly any role perceived as Â?neededÂ? in a party.

Hunter
The Hunter is a vicious damage dealer. With their ability to pull extremely well and hit monsters hard from far away, they certainly help take down monsters more quickly. Their pets add to the damage count and can aid somewhat in managing monster aggro. The variety of traps allows the Hunter to control crowds to an extent, as well. The combination of their extreme range, decent damage, and trap capability, Hunters are the perfect pullers for any group.

Mage
When seeking someone to introduce monsters to a world of pain, the Mage is a good choice. With their elemental and arcane attacks, itÂ?s a safe bet something they can do wonÂ?t be resisted by your chosen enemy. Damage is the name of the Mage game, and they do it well. Their arsenal includes some powerful crowd control spells, also, giving them the ability to keep hordes at bay -- in fact, these abilities can be used on the most common creatures in the game, thus making them extremely valuable for this purpose.

Paladin
Paladins are the consummate knights in shining armor, meant to be in the thick of things. Their defensive abilities allow them to stand toe to toe with monsters and take a beating Â? they are tanks overall. This is not the sole purpose of a Paladin, of course; their auras, seals, heals and rez give them the chance to act as a support healer. (Keep in mind that the Paladin will be seeing much love in the form of Talents and other improvements soon Â? the above is the spirit behind the Paladin.)

Priest
With their dedication to their faith, the Priests of Azeroth mend and defend their fellow man. Healing and support is most assuredly the PriestÂ?s main draw. Additionally, they have crowd control abilities against the Undead that can save lives. Their Shadow powers are not to be ignored, though; a Shadow-specialized Priest can cause considerable damage if played well.

Rogue
The stealthy Rogue is an up-close damage dealer. Like the Mage, they can rip through mobs quickly and brutally using their wide range of combination moves. They are also worthy scouts, being able to sneak past monsters if they are skilled enough to see what lies beyond. And thereÂ?s no one better than a Rogue at the end of a dungeon when a locked chest or door stands between you and hard-earned riches.

Shaman
The old phrase Â?jack of all trades, master of noneÂ? is an excellent way to describe the Shaman; they are the only real Â?hybridÂ? class in World of Warcraft. While they do not excel at any one aspect of their repertoire, they function passing well when performing most tasked called upon by a party. Need a support healer? Looking for a secondary tank? After another damage-dealer? Have an empty slot that needs someone to support the group in general? The Shaman can provide. They have a number of utility spells as well that help make life easier for any party.

Warlock
Warlocks have both powerful damage spells (primarily dealing over time) and debuff spells that work well in conjunction with each other and with the abilities of their groupmates. They have Curses for many occasions; in fact, they can easily be considered the best debuffers in the game. Their pets, too, help with the damage dealing and grant the Warlock extra abilities to put to use. They can also control crowds well with Seduction and Banish, and provide limited support in the form of their summoned stones.

Warrior
The Warrior can be a defensive, shielded tank, a damage-dealing powerhouse, or a mixture of the two. Their abilities obviously pertain to the art of close combat; their stances carry with them different moves for different situations and party setups. All in all, the Warrior is one of the prime candidates to capture and hold the attention of creatures while they die to sword and spell.

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yes I know the EQ class descriptions don't reflect their true identities, but from what others say the WoW descriptions are pretty close. basically they are a good mix of EQ classs:

Pally = warrior/bard
Mage = enchanter/mage
Warlock = enchanter/wizzie
Druid = VERY interesting combos!
Rogue = monk/ranger
Hunter = ranger/beastlord
Priest and Shaman = well... priest and shaman

there isn't really anything about the classes that wouldn't make me want to play them all at some point or another, so it looks like I'll prolly give WoW a whirl until EQII is "ready".

hopefully cya all around
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dead drunk monk

[Buchalter]

Ever since GenCon I've been anxious to play WoW and really get a feel for it. I was only able to play it for about an hour, but in that short time I was very impressed with what I saw.

Surpisingly, I also got to play EQ2 for about an hour and was NOT impressed by what I saw. But after playing in the Beta for the past month or so I defintely have changed my mind on EQ2. I'd love to play this game more, but I definitely won't pay to play a bugged game. I'm just not a patient person!

At first I will definitely be playing both, but I also know I'll end up gravitating toward one or the other. Multiple factors will effect which I finally choose - Friends, Gameplay, Stability, and frankly the ability to play "softcore" and still have fun - I just don't want to get so wrapped up in a game again the way I did in EQ.

It should be interesting to see which wins out!

[Smawl]

lemme know which WoW server you end up on Buch

I am keeping it casual (2-3 late start evenings a week) this time around also.
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dead drunk monk

[Renvik]

WoW has not wowed me, so I'll pass. The game has completely lacked anything compelling to read about it. Even when I've intentionally gone to find something redeeming, a screenshot, a video or an article, it's come up lacking.

Not only that, but the crowd it draws.... yuck. The game's engine will be permanently stagnated since they appeal to the 'please don't make me upgrade' people. And the 12 year old battlenet kids. Not only that, but you look at how fast people plow through that game, and I have to wonder what kind of fun that would be. EQII is still very hard to plow through levels. You hear about a small handful of people that have broken 40 in beta, whereas seems like everyone in WoW maxes their characters out after a few weeks each new push.

My one big beef with EQII was the lag in Antonica and Commonlands, and last night they turned instancing on for both of those zones. I'll check it out tonight, but last night in Antonica 2 it played great for several hours. Without that problem I can't see much holding me back from diving into this game. Unlike Keiri, I think the game is ready to release in a couple weeks. It may not be completely 'done' but they just fixed my one big concern. There's other things I would like improved, like griffon rides and waypoints, but I think those are secondary. Maybe it's just me but the little bugs don't get to me. Besides, I don't like spending all this time on a character that's going to get deleted. The game is fun, and I'm ready to start my real guy, and on the first day, not months behind everyone else.

The other big beef out there is tradeskilling. The system is lengthy, and the tradeskillers don't like it. Sure you can die from it, if you're retarded, but from what most people say it's still a grind. I'm not a tradeskiller so it hasn't weighed on my mind too much. I would prefer it be a grind rather than pumping out every ultra armor available so that everyone looks the same ala SWG.

I do wish we could have more than four characters though, that's harsh. The archetype restriction is total fabrication, but lots of people are asking for more char slots. Really I'll only need two slots, but it would be nice to be able to play around sometimes.
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[Nerple]

I got bored with EQ2 quickly, have no ambition to look at WoW now
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The Ling Slayer - The Licker
Appotus Dominus - Vazaelle
Nerple - Silver Hand

[Buchalter]

[Smawl]

but the crowd it draws.... yuck

most of that will get solved as soon as the free month is up ( i hope )

instanced commonlands and antonica... cool. hopefully it'll help.

tradeskills... you can tell it's a watered down verison of what was once a fulltime class... too bad, I like messing around with makin stuff, but not gonna spend 5-10 minutes making ONE item (okay not that long but it seems like it - just let me click dammut!) . granted the system will keep huge amounts of people from mastering - making the ones that do very well paid hmm... maybe I SHOULD be a tradeskiller [/b]

so what class you playin Lud?
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dead drunk monk

[Renvik]

Been playing a crusader in Qeynos since it suits Keiri's shaman well. I'll probably play either a warrior or crusader as my main on release, plus a wizard on the side, and not sure if I'll make him Qeynos or Freeport; both are very fun sides to play.

[Kaerai]

I will make 2 chars. Evil and Good. I want to see how the traits go with my shamans. I can't play any class that doesn't heal. I can't stand not being able to heal. However, I may make a chanter at some point.
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[Tanadil]

Uh huh, we heard that one before keiri jk girl
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Tanadel Talonleaf - Great Grandchild of Tanadil Truecaller of EQ1---lvl 54 Ranja
Luthyien - lvl 23 cleric (wishes could be a Fury)
Anyone want a slice of /Pizza Click to enter and WIN!

[Buchalter]

Summoners and Druids Rock!

That is all.