Monday, February 8, 2010

Stat Changes in EQ2

With the coming expansion pack in EverQuest II, there will be changes to how statistics work. Sony is "streamlining" stats such that there will be ONE statistic that is the primary statistic you need for each archetype. Tanks will focus on STR, mages on INT, scouts on AGI, and priests on WIS.

While I am not in beta and won't know how well the changes work until the expansion pack comes out, I am a little wary. Part of the fun in an RPG is balancing trade-offs. Having to pick between items with a lot of STR to increase damage, or INT to increase the likelihood of critical hits, or WIS for better resists, well that's basically what makes itemization FUN.

What fun is there if everything has a very clear and obvious upgrade?

7 comments:

Boon said...

Another example of "dumbing down" I think some players actually protest that some games are too hard or too complicated to play! Their are just a bunch of button clickers!

Jayedub said...

I do like the streamlining of the stats but maybe it is a bit too streamlined.

As an EQ2 tourist it will make the game easier to get into, but I can understand longtime players not being happy with the changes.

Corwin.EoL said...

Oh for the days of Asheron's Call, where a player had real control over gimping their character. :D

I haven't seen anything on the EQ2 changes, but it doesn't make me want to come back anytime soon.

Hechicera said...

Why do I get to post after the "fun" posts. Google translate on the one above me was .. interesting.

Isn't WoW doing exactly this in their next expansion? To me it feels like another "just do what WoW is doing" moment.

//hides her 4-school mage from Corwin

Lars said...

It does feel like the further WoWification of EQ2. I'll probably play it more after I pick up the expansion pack, but unlike previous expansions, I'm not in on day one.

I've been playing a lot of Star Trek Online though, that's pretty fun. What are you playing these days?

Hechicera said...

Mostly NWN1/NWN2/Oblivion/Dragon Age. On-line I'm playing "I wonder what I should play next"-game. It has very few levels, and not a lot of content.

Am done with Aion. Oddly grind did not get to me. The hybrid-PvP that was heavily level, class and gear-based (not skill) eventually got awkward though. And I never got one of those captcha pop-ups. ^^ RMT was an issue too. PvPing a harvesting bot is expectedly boring, PvP vs. a farming bot that is using radar and speed hacks is surprisingly hard! Aion is light on PvE content. I did find some fun people.

Short version: DAoC BGs > Aion PvP. GW PvE & PvP > Aion PvE & PvP.

I hear STO is fun, wonder if it has legs. Signed up for FFIV beta.

Actually debating another pass through WoW, to see why everything needs to be like it again. Its stat/gear/spec tree revamp in next expansion seems more drastic than EQ2s. That and to replay a couple of the starting zones one last time before they blow them up.

Corwin.EoL said...

I'm still resisting resubscribing to something. It's difficult especially after a decade of playing various MMO's.