Starseeker Everquest2 Extended has launched into beta. I was curious to see what a new person to Everquest2 would see.
When you first go to Everquest2, you do get two options, just as we were told:
Let me start with the left side, which is the Everquest 2 Live services. If you notice, they are calling the Live servers memberships subscriptions and the Everquest2 Extended memberships memberships. Please remember this distinction, lets move on.
If you click on the big yellow button under shop you are taken to the existing registration page for Everquest2 live. It asks you to create an account, and it has you choose one of the multi-month subscriptions outlined here.
If you choose the right hand side, which is for Everquest2 Extended and press the Join button, you are taken to the new splash page for Everquest2 Extended:
Where you can watch a trailer and read more about the game.
I would like to draw your attention to the bar across the bottom:
The left most option is purchase an EQ2 subscription. If you click this link, it takes you to the Live servers sign up pages just as if you had originally clicked the live server option. You do not have the option to choose one of the new EQ2X options because it’s a subscription not a membership.
If you click the center option view membership plans, it will take you to the new membership options for EQ2x. This is where you can view the new membership plans. However, if you click to register on the membership page, you will get taken back to the splash page for EQ2X. You must click on the Play Free button to sign up for EQ2X.
The visit eq2.com link takes you the the EQ2 Players pages.
So in the end, they do have two options for a person to subscribe to the Live servers.
Starseeker Commentary
Just a short commentary on the above options. I don’t know about you, but if I was brand new to EQ2 I would be very confused over the difference between subscription, membership, and free. There are way too many subscriptions presented on this page, and even though I like that they put the live subscription link on the f2p pages, it makes it that much more confusing about what you are signing up for. If I were new to MMOs, it would make me wonder if I am even signing up for the same game.
Also, I am disappointed that the Live side does not have a similar splash page like Extended, where it would go into details about the perks of live, and that we would have our own trailer. Instead, it dumps you right into a registration page with no information about the game at all.
First thoughts.
Now I know what some people think about EQ2X, but as for me with an active subscription. It only took 25 seconds to log onto the eq2x server and start playing. I see this a great way for the “ex-player” to come back and enjoy the game. At the same time tempting them to renew what they had for a subscription, or just items, etc… I was also Sad to see that at joining and starting out at level one. The “powerful” items that one could buy was master crafted. I can only wonder what the higher levels may see…
On another note, if Battle grounds ties into live servers. Its going to add a lot of sad competition.
Actually, most returning, or new players to EQ2, who obviously do not have the EQ2 client installed have to download everything in the game as they go to it.
For example, after installing EQ2x, you have to download all the login content, create-a-character, etc…which took me over 15 minutes. After creating my character, it took an additional 15 minutes to download all the content for the zone of Halas…or well the zone outside of Halas, and when I zoned into Halas, it took another 15 minutes because I had to download all the content for Halas.
The entire client is downloaded and installed as you progress through the game, which is really, really annoying, and makes the game play really slow.
I didn’t find any means to change it.
And that dancing dragon that tells you the percentage of your download is annoying.
I grabbed the new installer for EQ2X, had it installed and was logged in within a few minutes. Love how you can set Anti Aliasing within graphic options now.
Even with a big delay i think this is turning into a positive display for EQ2. The streaming client has you in the world within minutes, the NEW UI, much improved help screens, simplified starter zone choices, even the simplified neutral class choices, simplified tiers on spells, i think would really impress the pants off of new players.
Having played EQ2 so long you look at the restrictions and go wtf? But for new players i think it would actually ease them into the game much better. As they discover you can get more/better; classes, tiered spells, armor; they may or may not sub. However i doubt after xx amount of levels in they would all of a sudden would decide to go to a live server. I really wonder what is going to happen with the live servers after a year. I’m not clicking with they way they are offering the live vs free services.
I have about a month left on my last account on live, i was out, this free has kept me in, for me bronze is good enough to tinker with, for some reason lotro has really sucked me in but this new EQ2 has kept me in the EQ universe, and I’m interested to see where they are going to go with this as well.
Overall, I’m impressed, impressed with what they have pulled off, it feels good, they brought all the hodgepodge together, polished it strengths and brought them up front in a user friendly approach with a nice deep game in behind it for new players to discover, makes me wish i was starting to play this for the first time ever, I’m left envious of someone totally new to the game.