EverQuest II Preview
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Category: News ArchiveHits: 825
Another problem with EQ is that it's completely tilted in favor of the high-end of the game. You're a "newb" for the first 59 levels, more or less. This has led to more than a little dissatisfaction.
Sony recognized this and tried to make the game an adventure from the beginning. Your first raid encounter will come at level five, according to Cao. Every five to 10 levels after that, there will be new raid-type encounters for players, so they can raid all the way up. Also, characters will get new skills and spell at every level. As it is now, casters and priests in EverQuest get new spells every four to five levels. There will be three high-level outdoor and dungeons for players at the top levels (45-50), with two instanced encounters per zone, according to John Blakely, senior producer for EverQuest II.
One of the problems with the increase in power in EverQuest is that older zones are now a pushover. Veteran EQ players might remember Trakanon wiping out a raid of 40 or more players. Now, a single group with Plane of Time gear can bitchslap Trak all over Sebilis.
EQ2 has a fix for that. Trivial loot code, first introduced in The Warrens expansion dungeon but removed due to player protestations, will return, and no complaining will get rid of it this time. So level 50 characters, the highest level you can go, will not be able to go into low level zones and farm them for equipment.
