Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

It was easy to see the team had been hard at work on exploring ways to get information into the hands of players without making them feel they're being force fed. Immediately upon opening my inventory, I discovered an 18-page book describing the various crafting professions in far greater detail than I have ever witnessed in any game before. I couldn’t believe the depths they had gone to lay everything out. 

As I walked through Hate's Envy and the surrounding area, I also discovered a number of NPCs with headings under their names such as "Understanding Your Inventory and Equipment". When I went to talk with them, I was pulled into a conversation that explained virtually everything I wanted to know in relation to the topic. It may not be a perfect, but it's an ingenious solution to an age old problem. If I didn't have any questions about inventory (or the numerous other topics listed under other NPCs), I was free to completely ignore them. If I did have a question though, it was an easy process to scan the NPCs I ran by to see what topics of knowledge they were offering to enlighten me on.

With most of my graphics settings cranked to the max, I was finally ready to see what new discoveries the EQII development team had created for players to explore. Starting out in the Dark Elf outpost of Hate's Envy, it took less than a few minutes to discover yet another significant change to the game - everything was right there.

That statement may sound like a no-brainer to the gamers of today, but in the early days of EQII (after you got off the starter island), you had to constantly hop between at least four or five zones to complete a million starter quests and zoning was not a fast process. Not only did you need to get to the other zones for the purpose of completing quests (and thus leveling), but different zones had different crafting materials you needed to gather. By the way, at this point, you still weren't even a citizen of your chosen city; you were a beggar attempting to garner enough favor just to be allowed within the city walls.

Any worries I may have had about reliving the same irritation from my earlier experiences were clearly put to rest. No more hopping zones continually. Everything you need to get all of your harvesting skills up is right around Hate's Envy. The quests you get sent on are also all within close range and like me, you'll be glad they are because you're really going to want to get your hands on the loot you'll receive.

It may be the typical old man syndrome, but the stats on the armor I received from my starter quests were almost enough to bring a tear to my eye. Never again would I have to wait until I was level 14 to be able to use an item that had more than a "+1 Strength" stat on it. The gear you can gather within the first five levels is miles above the rusty scraps we had to deal with for a significant proportion of our adventuring careers during my EQII heyday.

With the major changes we've covered so far, one might think the game had lost some of the charm from its earlier days. I don't think that’s the case at all. The early experiences for players (where it counts the most in my book) have been streamlined and enhanced. The senseless need to run all over hell and back in your first five levels is gone, various game mechanics are now explained in far greater detail than ever before, and it’s the most fun I've had in a while. It's obvious to me that this is all just the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to stay tuned as I continue to explore the myriad of changes the game has seen over the years.