Well the NDA is officially up on Desert of Flames.

[ChrisRay]

Pros.

Configurable Voice Emotes: Players now have voice emotes such as /flirt /help /healme similar to WoW. The voice overs are well done and not at all detrimental. The best thing about them is the multiple voice sets you are allowed. They can be changed/configured ala Neverwinter Nights

Performance in Expansion: The new expansion zones run much much better than some older zones. You wont run into crap like you see in Zek the Orcish waste where your entire system chugs near the docks. Even the city of Maj'Dul runs very very well.

New Combat System: The new combat system. Despite alot of players complaints. Its much much smoother. Battles arent as reliant on special abilities ((still needed)) combat skills share the same timer. And most melee abilities are cast time free. Stats actually matter in a way that makes having them wortwhile. Strength increases damage in a considerable way and agility makes you more difficult to hit. Class balance is much much better.

Changes to Armor/Weapon System/item system: Using weapons/items/armor no longer scale with you as you level. When you recieve the level to use an item. Its now usable at full ability. However there is now more distinction maded between handcrafted/treasured/fabled/legendary items. This may seem like a nerf to handcrafted but hancrafted is still great stuff to buy early on. Treasured/Fabled/Legendary eequipment find much much more meaning.


I'm iffy about the next changes.

No Group Experience Debt: The removal of group experience debt is not exactly something I am entirely thrilled about

What I am against...


Encounters No longer Lock: Encounters are no longer locking. So if a player is engaged in an encounter. Some high level healer can stand behind them and effectively Power Level yet again. Terribly unpleased with this. However people can assist people in combat. The exp reward goes to the person who started the fight. However if that person doesnt do more than 50% damage they only get half experience. This opens up the game for griefing yet again..


Theres alot of new content aimed at the 45 + crowd. I'll be back later to fill more people in if their curious. :)

[NrthnStar5]

I'm extremly interested in any information you can share! How is zoning?

[Mr. Hunt]

Wait... I forget... is this the EQ2 exp. pack?

[Sgt_Pitt]

ooh do tell :)

[ruziel]

The two biggest reasons (group debt, locked encounters) why many people stopped/don't play EQ2 is about to die. Definetly a step in the right direction.

[MOTÖRHEAD]

This is slighty OT but I want to move my EQ2 character from my current server to a more populated one but I would like to know the detials of such a move. What happens when they transfer your character do you lose all your stuff, money and are your quests, titles, etc reset when it's transfered ?

[Sgt_Pitt]

tell me more about locked encounters, does that mean people can loot my corpses and chests ?

[Mr. Hunt]

My guess would be the way you "lock" on to enemies you are attacking...

Might be wrong though :\.

[ruziel]

Other people can attack the mob you are fighting. OP didn't include what this actually meant...

*** Encounter Locking Changes ***

- Encounter locking restrictions have been relaxed for non-raid encounters.
- Raid encounters should continue to behave exactly as before with the previous encounter locking rules.
- Non-raid encounters have been changed as follows:
- There are no longer lock icons on you or your enemies.
- The first group or person to attack a creature will receive any reward it grants upon death, including loot and experience.
- Other players can assist in your fight by damaging your enemies or healing you.
- You will receive a reduced XP reward if your group contributes less than 50% of the damage needed to kill something.
- You can change group options and add/remove people from groups while fighting (note that fighting raid encounters still prevents this).
- Damage credit is correctly tracked if you add people helping you to the group before something dies.
- Any faction increase or decrease the creature grants will be applied to everyone the creature hates when it dies.

[Elderblaze]

nice.. I absolutely hate with every fiber of my being locked combat. though I don't play eq2 anymore.

[ChrisRay]

though I don't play eq2 anymore.


Yet you still manage to post in every EQ2 thread about how much you hate the game. :cool:

[Tyr-Sog]

ok, silly question. Is this a whole new game, add on what?

[ChrisRay]

ok, silly question. Is this a whole new game, add on what?


Its the first expansion pack for EQ 2. Sony usually tends to do an expansion pack every 6 months,. Though EQ 2 has taken a little longer to get the first off the ground. Thats one thing I have always liked about Sony. Their consistency on delivering expansions and updates.

[ChrisRay]

I have been toying with these combat revamp changes alot. Actually taken alot of gametime from Live. But man I dont regret it. Combat is soo much smoother and more fun post revamp. Even with all the changes I just love it. The only way I can describe it is to call it a WoW/EQ1 hybrid combat system.

[Elderblaze]

/begin obligatory im bored Troll post.

that sounds promising, to bad it took so long. Maybe the game will be playable by the time Saga brings out the whipping padal lol haha!

/end troll

Sounds like a nice expansion for EQ2 players.

[ChrisRay]

Further in combat changes.

Necromancer Real World changes. Level 34 feeback.

Swarm of Rats: On live this spell has a 2 minute recast and summons rats 2-3 levels below you. The rats dont hit for very much ((max 12 damage I think)) and theres only 2 of them of the lowest possible con.

With the new update Rats summons 3 rats that equal to your level regardless of skill level. ((adept/1aprentice)) they hit in the 20's and consistently. And the recast it shortened too.

Lifetap: Yes necromancers have lifetap from level 20 and beyond now. This works really well in conjunctin with pet heals which had there power cost removed and converted only to health. Lifetap/Pet healing is very viable. The level 20 Lifetap does about 150 damage.

Pestilient Blast line: Disease based nukes turned to fast duration dots with higher damage potential. It does initial damage and finishes off dot duration in 4 seconds. Very potent dot.

Pet changes: Fighter type pet damage reduces. Caster pet damage significantly increased. This is the pet for bust damage. Scout pet damage is way above Fighter pet as well and seems to hold consistent damage better.

Pet buffs: offensive and defensive pet buff stances. Defensive buff is awesome. Pet can actually taunt encounter mobs and hold aggro.

Dots: Reduced a bit. The dots you do have are more effective. But you no longer have to cast 8 dots to do any kind of damage.

Defiler Changes: Level 36 perspective.


Wards: Wards have had their effect decreased. However wards finally mitigate damage before ward absorption. So they are far far more effective. I can usually stand up toe to with an even for 25 seconds before my ward actually gets depleted. Compared to Live where my ward is knocked down in 2 hits.

Debuffs: Slows and stat debuffs make a huge difference. Effects such as revulsion now debuff a mobs stats by 27% and degeneration slows a mob and decreases its overall DPS by a specific percentage.

Dots: Dots now do more damage like necromancer dots and also have debuff effects along with them. No more stupid 20 dot stackinbg

Buffs: Buffs decreased. But the effect off buffs obviously makes a difference now.

Self Only buff: Removed fear proc! added lifetap proc. Increases intelligence so therefore increase spell damage.


Troubador Feedback. Level 33.

Run buffs: Selo is back! You get first selos at level 13 and its faster than pathfinding. And then you get new ones as you progress in level. They dont stack of course but my 27 buff is faster than the 2pp horse.

Songs: Well songs are more interesting now. As they can range from dots, to damage over times, to buffs and debuffs. Most effects have been adjusted. Such as regen only occurs during combat. But None require more than 1 concentration slots. Often do I find myself rapidly switching my concentration songs for a new one. From haste to, HP, to Power regen. To charming mobs. ((which actually works now))

Charm: Reduced from 5 concentration slots with a 5 min recast to 1 concentration with a 45 second recast. Spell lasts a good 30 seconds at adept 1 quality. When soloing this spell has proven very useful for dealing with adds and encounter mobs.

Combo Attacks: Combos actually work now. For several reasons. Theres no cast times on melee combat arts. So if you can throw several high damage melee attacks at the right time if you prepare. Example.

Cheap Shot Combo: Cheap shot is a 3 second gaurenteed stun now. I can cheapshot. Turn behind mob. Fire off backstab attack, Flurry and single target attack.Doing insane burst damage. Cheapshot is only a 30 second recast so its a completely viable tactic. Doesnt work epic mobs so no worrying about that.




Overall Impressions

Traditions against certain NPCS: These have been drastically increased. My defiler nukes a goblin for almost 550 damage. While my mage nukes for near 750. My scout is backtabbing gnolls for over 600 damage regularly.


Fight Times: The average fight against an even NPCS takes about 20 seconds give or take. With less downtime than before. No more of that crushing blow crap and mobs parrying every other attack. With faster damage for almost every class. Combat moves more smoothly with less downtime. Duration of Fight is a bit dependent on class. Priests/Fighters dont kill quite as fast as scouts/mages.

[datamage]

Sounds good. Are these changes going to take place when the expansion comes out? Or before? Any word on the new player models?

- D.

[ChrisRay]

Sounds good. Are these changes going to take place when the expansion comes out? Or before? Any word on the new player models?

- D.

From the looks of it. Same day expansion goes live. Which is IMO kinda disapointing. It seems Sony has decided its a strategic advantage to launch them on the same date. I havent heard about the new SOGA models.. personally I'm not too fond of them. But I am rather pleased to hear Sony is likely to implement a /face command that will allow you to adjust your charactors appearence.

[MOTÖRHEAD]

Sigh...........I just found out that my Warlock is getting the nerf stick..man that sucks. I don't have the heart to start over again. I think I might just leave my Warlock parked at 25. :(

[ChrisRay]

Root is way over powered on Live.

[ruziel]

Here's some screen shots of some of the soga models.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikescchen/sets/605020/

http://www.4gamer.net/news.php?url=/shots/eq2eb/shot1.shtml

I haven't decided if I like them yet -_- Screenshots don't do justice, will have to see them in game. I'm not a big fan of that type of animation or whatever, but some do look neat.

[MOTÖRHEAD]

Root is way over powered on Live.

A paper tiger needs something to stop the baddies from ripping him to shreds.

[ChrisRay]

Yet they can solo even heroics at high levels and never get hit.

[Ghosthunter]

warlocks and wizards needed to be nerfed with thier roots...but dps needs to both go up and be balanced.

From what I understand from FoH who is highly beta testing the end game in DoF, said they are really happy with the changes, and for all those wizards and warlocks complaining about who has better DPS...it dont matter...more important will be how you play and learn aggro control.


I am really looking forward to the expansion.

[datamage]

Personally, I like the new models. I despise EQ's art direction.

Sigh, I installed EQ2 again, and though I should have learned by now, I uninstalled it again. I just can't get into it, the zones are bland, makes me think they just used a random terrain generator. I keep trying to like it, but it just doesn't happen.

Anyway, seeing how my account will be active for a while, I guess I'll try one last time when the new expansion updates go in. Why can't they recapture the magic of EQ1? Sometimes I wish Verant, err SOE, would've just refined EQ1 and released it using the eq2 engine.. ah well.

- D.