An Honest Take on EQ Legends after a few days of playing Open Beta

[NopeNopeNopeNope]

Originally Posted by Evia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'll say it again tho, the biggest concern for me is how long this "im having fun" lasts, because it feels like once I get my first trio to max lvl and get all the gear im after, id be bored and lose interest. We will see!

^
This 100%

It’s going to run into the same problem as classic WoW or those TLP EQ servers. Everyone will run out of content eventually and then you have two options, and both will lose lots of players:

1. “Evergreen”/Museum with no expansions

2. Start chugging out expansions at a pace that’s guaranteed to piss off some people no matter how fast or slow

[Vexenu]

Part of me still wants to play EQL, but the more rational part of me recognizes that the game has zero depth or replay value. Just think about the fact that not only is gear stupidly easy to obtain, but because you only have one character (and thus one inventory), there isn't even a process of gearing out alts. Also think about the fact that combining classes doesn't really provide much unique gameplay when most of the effective combinations essentially have the exact same gameplay loop: tank mob, melee attack, slow, cast DoTs/nukes, heal as needed. It doesn't matter if you do this on a WAR/BRD/CLR, a PAL/MNK/ENC, or a SK/SHM/WIZ. It's the same fucking thing. If you've played one remotely meta trio to 50, you've played them all. The only real fun and challenge to be had is running intentionally underpowered or meme builds and seeing how far you can push them (i.e. bow-only Ranger build, pet-centric builds, builds with zero healing, etc..)

[feniin]

Originally Posted by Vexenu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Part of me still wants to play EQL, but the more rational part of me recognizes that the game has zero depth or replay value. Just think about the fact that not only is gear stupidly easy to obtain, but because you only have one character (and thus one inventory), there isn't even a process of gearing out alts. Also think about the fact that combining classes doesn't really provide much unique gameplay when most of the effective combinations essentially have the exact same gameplay loop: tank mob, melee attack, slow, cast DoTs/nukes, heal as needed. It doesn't matter if you do this on a WAR/BRD/CLR, a PAL/MNK/ENC, or a SK/SHM/WIZ. It's the same fucking thing. If you've played one remotely meta trio to 50, you've played them all. The only real fun and challenge to be had is running intentionally underpowered or meme builds and seeing how far you can push them (i.e. bow-only Ranger build, pet-centric builds, builds with zero healing, etc..)

Sounds like you just described every other version of EverQuest, too.

[BradZax]

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Sometimes I play games to kill the time that i spend playing them not put another brick in the wall that is my norrathian empire.

I've lost enough to the nothing (server deaths) that the time I spend on live ones has become the treasure that I collect.

[Vexenu]

Originally Posted by feniin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Sounds like you just described every other version of EverQuest, too.

I have no idea how anyone who actually played EverQuest can say this. All of the classes in EQ are very distinct, especially when played solo. A Warrior and Monk may seem pretty similar on the surface, but offer drastically different gameplay experiences both solo and raid. Or consider the capabilities of Mages, Necros, Wizards and Enchanters. All four INT casters have different niches and capabilities. This is the entire reason it's fun to twink alts: because playing them feels different and thus offers a different experience. Consider the drastic gameplay differences between the following options: charm soloing an Enchanter, soloing a Warrior, slow tanking with a Shaman, raiding with a Rogue, quadding with a Wizard, fear kiting with a Necro, healing a full group with a Cleric. These are all very distinct gameplay experiences.

But in EQL every decent combination plays pretty much the same, because your character has the abilities of three different classes. So unless you are intentionally gimping yourself, you are going to be tanking, slowing, healing, and DPSing on all of your builds. You may just be using different classes to do so, but the core gameplay loop is the same. It's like if you combine a bunch of different ingredients in a blender. You no longer are able to discern the individual flavors; you just come out with a cupful of slop.

[Evia]

Originally Posted by Vexenu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I have no idea how anyone who actually played EverQuest can say this. All of the classes in EQ are very distinct, especially when played solo. A Warrior and Monk may seem pretty similar on the surface, but offer drastically different gameplay experiences both solo and raid. Or consider the capabilities of Mages, Necros, Wizards and Enchanters. All four INT casters have different niches and capabilities. This is the entire reason it's fun to twink alts: because playing them feels different and thus offers a different experience. Consider the drastic gameplay differences between the following options: charm soloing an Enchanter, soloing a Warrior, slow tanking with a Shaman, raiding with a Rogue, quadding with a Wizard, fear kiting with a Necro, healing a full group with a Cleric. These are all very distinct gameplay experiences.

But in EQL every decent combination plays pretty much the same, because your character has the abilities of three different classes. So unless you are intentionally gimping yourself, you are going to be tanking, slowing, healing, and DPSing on all of your builds. You may just be using different classes to do so, but the core gameplay loop is the same. It's like if you combine a bunch of different ingredients in a blender. You no longer are able to discern the individual flavors; you just come out with a cupful of slop.

Damn! Did someone drop a mic or what? Very well articulated and hard to argue with. You kinda inspired me to set down the EQL heroin and go back to the good ol days of classic eq.

[BradZax]

EQL perfectly encapsulates playing EQ exactly the same as regular eq, if you box 2 other characters tho.

[NopeNopeNopeNope]

Originally Posted by BradZax [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

EQL perfectly encapsulates playing EQ exactly the same as regular eq, if you box 2 other characters tho.

This 100%

I was reading the other take and while it was very well said, all I could think was “that was not how 2 and 3 boxing for years felt for me”

Granted this was retail at the time and so the classes had more total stuff they could do. And part od the challenge was 3 times the micro because I refused to use a bunch of scripts. I like to be able to do whatever I wanted always, not follow some pre-programmed script

But yea boxing was fun and engaging for me

[NopeNopeNopeNope]

^
Edit: I remember too part of the fun of boxing with no scripts was considering how busy a class is or isn’t when considering pairings and trio’s

And something fun and unique to boxing is when I had gotten so fast with alt tab (usually this was just a 2 box though, it is significantly easier to just alt tab once back and forth in terms of speed and stress than to 3box tab), to where people would say something to the effect of “wow dude I had no idea you were boxing until you started auto following each other”

That was always a nice compliment [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[feniin]

most of the effective combinations essentially have the exact same gameplay loop: tank mob, melee attack, slow, cast DoTs/nukes, heal as needed. It doesn't matter if you do this on a WAR/BRD/CLR, a PAL/MNK/ENC, or a SK/SHM/WIZ. It's the same fucking thing. If you've played one remotely meta trio to 50, you've played them all. The only real fun and challenge to be had is running intentionally underpowered or meme builds and seeing how far you can push them (i.e. bow-only Ranger build, pet-centric builds, builds with zero healing, etc..)

This is every version of EQ. I don't see how you can argue differently. That's what the game is. Now you can do it solo, casually, instead of relying on investing more time than most adults have without having to have 3+ clients running at the same time.