![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
Since its launch I swore only to EQ2, and shunned WoW, even though I haven't even played it at all. The pathetic graphics where my biggest excuse and lame reason for not playing it. I adored EQ2 when it first came out. It was so large, huge, complex and beautiful I thought it simple couldn't get any better. At long last, a replacement for DAOC had come at last. I was spending up to 7 hours on weekends playing the game. God it was fun as hell. So much to explore, find, things to see and meet! Wow, this game annhilated WoW in every shape and form.
The game simply just took over me. I was completely obsessed every night about playing it. I had the mindframe of "Ok, I have to put everything else in my life on hold so I can level tonight, its the only way. I must dedicated myself once again"
Ok, so this was a good and a bad thing.
Good: it was good that a game now made me wanna get involved in it so much cause it was that good.
Bad: this basically made me return to my DAOC days. I once again started putting family, friends, girls *yep* and everything else in my life aside to play a game. But I was so involved in the game, I deemed this acceptable and went with it the past several weeks.
Recently however, I began to notice how much of a grind EQ2 was a begining to turn into. I log into the game later in the evening and I basically would start with this mind set:
"Welp, I'd better get settled in for a 4-5 hour level grind here or i'll never advance anywhere"
So right of the bat, I was fustrated that I knew I had to spend a good portion of my free time after a long day at work knowing I should be working out and or studying Microsoft tests, but I felt that I basicaly had no choice. I was once again having the guilt of if I didn't play the game, I was never gonna accomplish anything and the game would be a waste and I would feel small and insecure with other high levels around me. It was this constant thought in my head: "If I don't dedicated myself to this game, I won't get anywhere and I will be a loser to everyone else in the game. If I can do it in DAOC, I can do it again. "
But I tell you what, as of last week, I started feeling really guilty about having this feeling all over again. I remember how much my health suffered back in my DAOC days. Staying up late at night, eating crap food, and forcing myself physicall and mentally to prove something in a damn game. I started to get fusrated with what to do. I felt like there was no way out again.
Nearing level 20, EQ2 was beginning to REALLY demand my time and attention to get anywhere. The armor quests for level 20 are absolutely insane to complete. For one, you CANNOT do any parts of the quests solo, period. Great, so now I have to spend my time trying to get a group either alone or with a guild to help me out and have them spend several hours with me to finish ONE part of a several part quest for armor for my character!
Right of the bat, I knew that something just wasn't right with this. Now the game had turned into a fustrated, stressing and unfun obligation instead of a enjoyable, relaxing and fun experience.
Browsing the internet late after a 7 hour EQ2 grind fest, I started surfing through the WoW website and I wasn't getting more excited. Bleh, it looked so lame and kiddy like. I coudln't possibly get into it. EQ2 blew it outa the water in every shape and form I felt, Blizzard had created a kiddy MMORPG and I would have none of it.
I then went and downloaded the intro cinematic and one phrase kept going in my mind:
"HOLY SHIT THAT WAS COOL AS HELL!!"
I spent the next hour watching the trailer over and over and over. Blizzards cinematic quality once again blew my mind as they have done for each of their games.
Much as I hated to admit it, for some reason, peoples ranting and raving about the game from the boards kept me coming back to Blizzards website and reading about it. The more I read, the more curious and anxious I become. What if this game really was more enjoyable and not such a grind like EQ2? What if the graphics did their job well and it was more about FUN and GAMEPLAY then proving myself graphically? What if this game actually turned about to be fun???
I decided to go do some shopping this weekend and for some reason, I just decided I had to TRY WoW just to see if this hubbub was all what it was worth. Me being a sucker for my games and goodies and with to much money on my hands, I hunted all over town for a Collectors Edition. All sold out everywhere I checked. I figured maybe it was for the best as if the game really sucked, I'd only loose $50 instead of $80.
I decided to try one last low possible place that would have it. I went into my local Hastings video store and browsed through the small software shelves with low belief that they would even carry it.. Unbeliabely, all by itself, sat a single lone copy of CE World of Warcraft.
Snatching it up, I zipped back home and ran to my computer. Knowing that there was no going back and with a big sigh, ripped open the cellophane and slid open the package.
First thing that caught my eye was the BIG artbook. Knowing the install was probably gonna take awhile. I slid out the DVD copy and started the install. During that time I started to flip through the artbook and one word came to my mind....
Cooooooooooooooool!!!!
I was very impressed with Blizzards design and artwork they went through to give this world its unique look and feeling. Maybe I was giving this game the wrong impression just because of the graphic quality all along.
After the DVD was done, I signed up and loaded the game. Hmmm, well the characters look like crap in comparison to EQ2, but not bad I guess. Well, I guess i'll make a lady mage, sexy and powerful, just how I like em.
After the intial tutorial, my first thought was I had entered a twilight zone. This looked and felt NOTHING like EQ2 in any shape or form. Ewwwww was my first thought. I can't possibly get to like this. I wandered around and basically like the worlds worst movie critic, I started griping about everything in comparison to EQ2 and how much it sucked.
Less then 10 mins later, I logged off, shut down the account and went back to EQ2, disgusted
Within half an hour I could already feel the stress and unrest in me as I played the game. I was getting shitty groups, poor xp or just dying alot from [censored] in my group and thus, everyone gets to suffer. *By far my BIGGEST gripe with EQ2 was the shared debt system*
But why did I feel like I had to freaking obligate myself to EQ2? Why was I so obessed willing to sacrifice so much again to do this like I had with DAOC?
Thinking it over and a good nights sleep. I logged back into WoW and decided to try a night elf for variety. WOW!!! and I mean WOW, I was absolutely blown away by the sure beauty of the Night Elfs level. It was just so articiscally beautiful in every shape and form. It was so simple......yet soo pretty and elegant I just couldn't understand how something this plain yet mesmorizing could get my attention.
I then went into the video options and cranked everything to fully maxed to see what this engine could do. For the first time ever on my machine, I pushed the game to 1600x1200 8xAF, all settings full crank.
Wow, not bad, not bad at all. The lighting, though simple was elegant and beautiful. The textures, though simple, had a very fantasy based feeling and they fit the world. The ambient "dream" lighting added a very nice touch to the world. Not bad, I could get used to this. And the game ran SMOOTH, not once case of hiccups or slowdown, even at full crank. Something EQ2 sure as hell wasn't capable of.
I started doing a few noob quests and intialy the thoughts of "Blah, EQ2 did this better" Gripe, gripe, gripe" started to come again. However, I decided to give this game a fair chance and pressed on. Within a hour, I was having a ball, flipping over rocks, ponds, trees, hunting animals, collecting loot and getting XP faster then any MMORPG I had ever experience. Sheeesh, why was something so simple such a blast?
The music in the Night Elves world had a real calming effect on me. I immediatly realized that I WASN"T stressing out over leveling, I wasnt stressed out about trying to beat the anonomious elf next to me who was higher then I was and feeling jealous. But why?
I decided to go back to my mage lady and press on with a few more quests and start learning the interface better. I started learning the basics of the game and went and did some killing quests, getting XP fast and easy. Exploring was a total sinch, I DID NOT feel stressed out worrying about where I was and where I was going. I just simply threw up the world map and I could see myself as a little blue dot that actually MOVED if I moved as well. Well thats really cool! The zone changes were TOTALLY load free. It was completly seemless, nothing to distract from the gameplay at all. Nice touch Blizzard.
The world itself seemed just very forgiving and relaxing. I didn't feel this extreme desire to spend my entire night off of work to make my character level or seek out this piece of armor so I can feel loot in front of everyone else.
Then the coolest thing happend that cemented EQ2's death. I was cruising around the noob land learning the NPC's locations when I noticed movement behind me. I turned around and saw this HUGE group of Orcs and Tauren running the path way directly to a group of people.
At first, I was confused as I didn't choose a PvP server, what the hell was the Horde doing here? Before I could even answer the question, a HUGE battle erupted outa no where. Spells and magic bolts flew from all directions. Arrows and druids came flying into the battle, screaming battle shouts and spells.
I immediatly jumped into the fray and started launching fire bolts at the nearest Orc. Even though I was only level 3, I didn't give a damn, I wasn't gonna let this opportunity run me by! Right before my eyes, my single little shots make him take damage and he charged right for me and with one wack, I was dead.
Collecting my thoughts, I immediatly rushed my ghost back to the battle, rezzed myself and went RIGHT back into the frey! Wow!!!!! This was insane!! We ultimately won the battle and people were cheering and dancing with emotes and built in speech commands. LOL, it was hilarous! I did not once have this much fun playing EQ2 in my past weeks!
Amazingly, I now play WoW instead of EQ2. I no longer have this stressful feeling of obligation that I did when I played EQ2. Instead, I can just log on when I feel like, jump into the game, make some levels, enhance my character, learn the game and just have a fun time with no strings attached! I look so forward to getting higher levels so I can join raids and do battles against the Horde in the future, but for the first time since my DAOC days, that will come whenever it comes, I no longer have to sacrifice my real life for a virtual life.
Thanks Blizzard, you've made me a believer.
The game simply just took over me. I was completely obsessed every night about playing it. I had the mindframe of "Ok, I have to put everything else in my life on hold so I can level tonight, its the only way. I must dedicated myself once again"
Ok, so this was a good and a bad thing.
Good: it was good that a game now made me wanna get involved in it so much cause it was that good.
Bad: this basically made me return to my DAOC days. I once again started putting family, friends, girls *yep* and everything else in my life aside to play a game. But I was so involved in the game, I deemed this acceptable and went with it the past several weeks.
Recently however, I began to notice how much of a grind EQ2 was a begining to turn into. I log into the game later in the evening and I basically would start with this mind set:
"Welp, I'd better get settled in for a 4-5 hour level grind here or i'll never advance anywhere"
So right of the bat, I was fustrated that I knew I had to spend a good portion of my free time after a long day at work knowing I should be working out and or studying Microsoft tests, but I felt that I basicaly had no choice. I was once again having the guilt of if I didn't play the game, I was never gonna accomplish anything and the game would be a waste and I would feel small and insecure with other high levels around me. It was this constant thought in my head: "If I don't dedicated myself to this game, I won't get anywhere and I will be a loser to everyone else in the game. If I can do it in DAOC, I can do it again. "
But I tell you what, as of last week, I started feeling really guilty about having this feeling all over again. I remember how much my health suffered back in my DAOC days. Staying up late at night, eating crap food, and forcing myself physicall and mentally to prove something in a damn game. I started to get fusrated with what to do. I felt like there was no way out again.
Nearing level 20, EQ2 was beginning to REALLY demand my time and attention to get anywhere. The armor quests for level 20 are absolutely insane to complete. For one, you CANNOT do any parts of the quests solo, period. Great, so now I have to spend my time trying to get a group either alone or with a guild to help me out and have them spend several hours with me to finish ONE part of a several part quest for armor for my character!
Right of the bat, I knew that something just wasn't right with this. Now the game had turned into a fustrated, stressing and unfun obligation instead of a enjoyable, relaxing and fun experience.
Browsing the internet late after a 7 hour EQ2 grind fest, I started surfing through the WoW website and I wasn't getting more excited. Bleh, it looked so lame and kiddy like. I coudln't possibly get into it. EQ2 blew it outa the water in every shape and form I felt, Blizzard had created a kiddy MMORPG and I would have none of it.
I then went and downloaded the intro cinematic and one phrase kept going in my mind:
"HOLY SHIT THAT WAS COOL AS HELL!!"
I spent the next hour watching the trailer over and over and over. Blizzards cinematic quality once again blew my mind as they have done for each of their games.
Much as I hated to admit it, for some reason, peoples ranting and raving about the game from the boards kept me coming back to Blizzards website and reading about it. The more I read, the more curious and anxious I become. What if this game really was more enjoyable and not such a grind like EQ2? What if the graphics did their job well and it was more about FUN and GAMEPLAY then proving myself graphically? What if this game actually turned about to be fun???
I decided to go do some shopping this weekend and for some reason, I just decided I had to TRY WoW just to see if this hubbub was all what it was worth. Me being a sucker for my games and goodies and with to much money on my hands, I hunted all over town for a Collectors Edition. All sold out everywhere I checked. I figured maybe it was for the best as if the game really sucked, I'd only loose $50 instead of $80.
I decided to try one last low possible place that would have it. I went into my local Hastings video store and browsed through the small software shelves with low belief that they would even carry it.. Unbeliabely, all by itself, sat a single lone copy of CE World of Warcraft.
Snatching it up, I zipped back home and ran to my computer. Knowing that there was no going back and with a big sigh, ripped open the cellophane and slid open the package.
First thing that caught my eye was the BIG artbook. Knowing the install was probably gonna take awhile. I slid out the DVD copy and started the install. During that time I started to flip through the artbook and one word came to my mind....
Cooooooooooooooool!!!!
I was very impressed with Blizzards design and artwork they went through to give this world its unique look and feeling. Maybe I was giving this game the wrong impression just because of the graphic quality all along.
After the DVD was done, I signed up and loaded the game. Hmmm, well the characters look like crap in comparison to EQ2, but not bad I guess. Well, I guess i'll make a lady mage, sexy and powerful, just how I like em.
After the intial tutorial, my first thought was I had entered a twilight zone. This looked and felt NOTHING like EQ2 in any shape or form. Ewwwww was my first thought. I can't possibly get to like this. I wandered around and basically like the worlds worst movie critic, I started griping about everything in comparison to EQ2 and how much it sucked.
Less then 10 mins later, I logged off, shut down the account and went back to EQ2, disgusted
Within half an hour I could already feel the stress and unrest in me as I played the game. I was getting shitty groups, poor xp or just dying alot from [censored] in my group and thus, everyone gets to suffer. *By far my BIGGEST gripe with EQ2 was the shared debt system*
But why did I feel like I had to freaking obligate myself to EQ2? Why was I so obessed willing to sacrifice so much again to do this like I had with DAOC?
Thinking it over and a good nights sleep. I logged back into WoW and decided to try a night elf for variety. WOW!!! and I mean WOW, I was absolutely blown away by the sure beauty of the Night Elfs level. It was just so articiscally beautiful in every shape and form. It was so simple......yet soo pretty and elegant I just couldn't understand how something this plain yet mesmorizing could get my attention.
I then went into the video options and cranked everything to fully maxed to see what this engine could do. For the first time ever on my machine, I pushed the game to 1600x1200 8xAF, all settings full crank.
Wow, not bad, not bad at all. The lighting, though simple was elegant and beautiful. The textures, though simple, had a very fantasy based feeling and they fit the world. The ambient "dream" lighting added a very nice touch to the world. Not bad, I could get used to this. And the game ran SMOOTH, not once case of hiccups or slowdown, even at full crank. Something EQ2 sure as hell wasn't capable of.
I started doing a few noob quests and intialy the thoughts of "Blah, EQ2 did this better" Gripe, gripe, gripe" started to come again. However, I decided to give this game a fair chance and pressed on. Within a hour, I was having a ball, flipping over rocks, ponds, trees, hunting animals, collecting loot and getting XP faster then any MMORPG I had ever experience. Sheeesh, why was something so simple such a blast?
The music in the Night Elves world had a real calming effect on me. I immediatly realized that I WASN"T stressing out over leveling, I wasnt stressed out about trying to beat the anonomious elf next to me who was higher then I was and feeling jealous. But why?
I decided to go back to my mage lady and press on with a few more quests and start learning the interface better. I started learning the basics of the game and went and did some killing quests, getting XP fast and easy. Exploring was a total sinch, I DID NOT feel stressed out worrying about where I was and where I was going. I just simply threw up the world map and I could see myself as a little blue dot that actually MOVED if I moved as well. Well thats really cool! The zone changes were TOTALLY load free. It was completly seemless, nothing to distract from the gameplay at all. Nice touch Blizzard.
The world itself seemed just very forgiving and relaxing. I didn't feel this extreme desire to spend my entire night off of work to make my character level or seek out this piece of armor so I can feel loot in front of everyone else.
Then the coolest thing happend that cemented EQ2's death. I was cruising around the noob land learning the NPC's locations when I noticed movement behind me. I turned around and saw this HUGE group of Orcs and Tauren running the path way directly to a group of people.
At first, I was confused as I didn't choose a PvP server, what the hell was the Horde doing here? Before I could even answer the question, a HUGE battle erupted outa no where. Spells and magic bolts flew from all directions. Arrows and druids came flying into the battle, screaming battle shouts and spells.
I immediatly jumped into the fray and started launching fire bolts at the nearest Orc. Even though I was only level 3, I didn't give a damn, I wasn't gonna let this opportunity run me by! Right before my eyes, my single little shots make him take damage and he charged right for me and with one wack, I was dead.
Collecting my thoughts, I immediatly rushed my ghost back to the battle, rezzed myself and went RIGHT back into the frey! Wow!!!!! This was insane!! We ultimately won the battle and people were cheering and dancing with emotes and built in speech commands. LOL, it was hilarous! I did not once have this much fun playing EQ2 in my past weeks!
Amazingly, I now play WoW instead of EQ2. I no longer have this stressful feeling of obligation that I did when I played EQ2. Instead, I can just log on when I feel like, jump into the game, make some levels, enhance my character, learn the game and just have a fun time with no strings attached! I look so forward to getting higher levels so I can join raids and do battles against the Horde in the future, but for the first time since my DAOC days, that will come whenever it comes, I no longer have to sacrifice my real life for a virtual life.
Thanks Blizzard, you've made me a believer.
