Agreed on your dislikes.
On grouping, I do think it should be the preferred mode of the game, though I think some minimal soloing should be possible for all classes. (If we speak in EQ terms, maybe bind would being stronger for mid level melees)
Some other things I'd add to dislikes is:
- Lack of Freedom - EQ gives you the freedom to use the tools you have in all kinds of crazy ways. Want to switch your spells "in combat"? If you can get the mob off your back for a few seconds, you can. Want to start casting something then someone else lands invisibility on you? You can. Want to equip an item from Sebilis on your level 1 alt, you can. Want to start a high level quest at level 1? You (mostly) can.
This freedom of using the tools the game gives you generated so many interesting tactics. Combined with the slower pace, a lot of times it makes it possible to salvage a defeat into a victory. Those are the memorable, exciting fights. Not doing the same dance over and over until everyone gets it right with little chance to recover from mistakes / bad luck.
- Balance - Dislike balance, what? Yes. Balance is good when it's in the sense of "every class has a reason to be played". Nowadays it's become "every healer must heal equally", "every DPS must DPS equally", "every class must have the same CC/interrupts/debuffs". It kills uniqueness and makes the tools bland.
Does a part of me want my druid to be more group desired? Sure. But I LOVE the fact that it has a different toolset than my cleric or my SK, and the reduced group desirability is made up by flexibility and solo ability.
- Quests - There's so much I dislike about quests I could write an entire post just on them. Let's set aside the quest hubs / tracks though. On a more basic level I dislike the non-repeatability of quests. I dislike that quest items are just quest items and only drop when you have the quest active. I dislike the volume of them, which in turns make them bland and unmemorable. I dislike the fact that if you're 0.1 level below a set number you can't start a quest even if you're playing with friends who are on it. I dislike the fact that every quest has to give rewards for every class (not always, but a lot of the times you get a choice of cloth/plate/chain).
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Originally Posted by Dunes
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Integrated intelligent voice chat
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I disagree with the integrated part. I've never seen an integrated voice comm that is as good as a separate client, or even decent. Personally I'd like to see gaming companies team up with TS / Vent / whatever and link the external voice client into the game. For example make it so you can set a server/room link in your group's properties and make it possible for members to launch/join using a single click from in game. Once joined make it so the game displays members / active speaker in a window from the associated voice client.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dunes
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Graphics
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I think a lot of newer MMOs go overboard with graphics. Some abstraction and cartooniness is good. Good, smooth models and some effects are OK, but don't go overboard with detail to the point of making my eyes bleed. In this same category keep the spell effects simple and distinctive. I love how in EQ I can visually see the enchanter mez or the druid snare. In most other MMOs it's all a mess of particles even just from 5 people.
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Originally Posted by Dunes
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Engaging Boss Encounters
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To a point, but I think scripting encounters is being overdone. Everything has become a dance that has to be done in specific ways with specific amounts of dps/HP/healing.