Everquest II

Secrets

ResetEra Staff Member
1,871
1,878
Ah jeez I forgot when the Duke from p99 rolled TLP he posted some "gameplay" video highlight and it was entire guilds botted. Like 40-50 bots to contest a raid or something ridiculous.

If it's still a botfest it's a no-go for me. I can deal with a little pay2win for the nostalgia grab, but botfest is a deal breaker if they dominate interactions.

Definitely will still be a botfest. Daybreak does virtually nothing about MQ2 usage company-wise, including EQ1 on Aradune. They even record the information on the server what DLLs are mapped to the process when you write memory. They won't act unless it directly impacts another customer. That's been their stance since Agnarr and I don't expect it to change because they're a company... and when 80% of your clientele in EQ2 is botters, killing them off would be a death sentence for the game.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Flobee

Vyemm Raider
2,605
2,996
Ah jeez I forgot when the Duke from p99 rolled TLP he posted some "gameplay" video highlight and it was entire guilds botted. Like 40-50 bots to contest a raid or something ridiculous.

If it's still a botfest it's a no-go for me. I can deal with a little pay2win for the nostalgia grab, but botfest is a deal breaker if they dominate interactions.
I rolled with the Duke's crew on the first PVP TLP. There were only 2 people in guild that were boxing so far as I know. One ran a full group and the other ran... fucking who knows how many. He's on the forum so he can speak to it himself if he wants to. Most of the boys were playing a single box. I don't think either boxer had a full max level crew when I quit.

I quit not long after the first expac dropped though I don't know how it progressed afterward.

That was a good time but the game just didn't support the TLP ruleset very well so it fizzled out fairly quick. Wish they hadn't fucked this game up so bad because Nagafen was amazing.
 

dizzie

Triggered Happy
2,509
3,937
I keep thinking TLP would be fun then I think about all the fucking abilities and just lose interest. When I think about all the other bullshit like pay to win, botting and unfixed class disparity I just realise that I'll never pick this up again.

As Secrets said, the only real hope for this is an emulator but given the codebase I'm not sure that's even possible (I'd play the shit out of an OG one if it ever happened for sure).
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

jayrebb

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
13,911
13,765
I rolled with the Duke's crew on the first PVP TLP. There were only 2 people in guild that were boxing so far as I know. One ran a full group and the other ran... fucking who knows how many. He's on the forum so he can speak to it himself if he wants to. Most of the boys were playing a single box. I don't think either boxer had a full max level crew when I quit.

I quit not long after the first expac dropped though I don't know how it progressed afterward.

That was a good time but the game just didn't support the TLP ruleset very well so it fizzled out fairly quick. Wish they hadn't fucked this game up so bad because Nagafen was amazing.

Well I have no clue what the video was then. Might have been a rival guild. It was chaotic and fast-motion sped up, so it was hard to tell what was what.

And yeah I remember y'all having a lot of fun.
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,600
132,620
how was eq2 ever fun? it was only ever for raiding

as a guardian i just put my 10ca's on 1 button macro and spammed and then had my bank of taunt buttons when a retard pulls aggro and a bank of oh shit buttons, while telling 22 other retards not to fuck up
 

dizzie

Triggered Happy
2,509
3,937
I had boatloads of fun doing group content in EQ2. On release the group content was way better than the raid content. Raids dropped fuck all except bent ebon discs, tailoring shit, rubies, and the odd bit of fabled which was total trash compared to the legendary crafted. Some of the zones were pretty amazing, Sol's eye, Perma, OOLS, Rivervale etc.

For me it had a real sense of adventure early on and there was lots to do and see.
 
  • 2Like
Reactions: 1 users

Fucker

Log Wizard
11,545
26,090
how was eq2 ever fun? it was only ever for raiding

as a guardian i just put my 10ca's on 1 button macro and spammed and then had my bank of taunt buttons when a retard pulls aggro and a bank of oh shit buttons, while telling 22 other retards not to fuck up
It was ok during Echoes of Faydwer and died out almost completely during Destiny of Velious. Raiding was ok, and it was reasonably fun to drag less skilled guild members through dungeons for whatever crap there was to get. in DoV, they used one template for all the loot sets, IIRC. Laziest thing I'd ever seen in a game. I quit for good when we ran out of healers and I had to play a druid alt for raid healing. Pure suckage and its 9000000000 buttons.
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,600
132,620
It was ok during Echoes of Faydwer and died out almost completely during Destiny of Velious. Raiding was ok, and it was reasonably fun to drag less skilled guild members through dungeons for whatever crap there was to get. in DoV, they used one template for all the loot sets, IIRC. Laziest thing I'd ever seen in a game. I quit for good when we ran out of healers and I had to play a druid alt for raid healing. Pure suckage and its 9000000000 buttons.
eof is when they started to punk out and put out raid instances, but also when you can god kill, that was amazing
 

RobXIII

Urinal Cake Consumption King
<Gold Donor>
3,661
1,784
I had boatloads of fun doing group content in EQ2. On release the group content was way better than the raid content. Raids dropped fuck all except bent ebon discs, tailoring shit, rubies, and the odd bit of fabled which was total trash compared to the legendary crafted. Some of the zones were pretty amazing, Sol's eye, Perma, OOLS, Rivervale etc.

For me it had a real sense of adventure early on and there was lots to do and see.

Early on it can be fun, which is why the TLE servers are neat at first, but die out later. I'm not even tempted to try the live server garbage. I tried one of the latest expansions a year ago, and would you believe not 3 quests in, they put in a faction roadblack, forcing you to do a repeatable quest like 5 times? Was bizarre.

TLE launches can be fun. Don't believe them on the itemization, it's like Lucy pulling the football. Each TLE itemization was slightly worse than the last lol.
 

Creslin

Trakanon Raider
2,375
1,077
Vanguard was a far better game than eq2, I wish they would release a new version of that.
 
  • 4Like
Reactions: 3 users

jayrebb

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
13,911
13,765
Vanguard was a far better game than eq2, I wish they would release a new version of that.

Leaps and bounds-- it's so sad they had a serious emulation attempt with very serious project leadership, unable to complete the work due to no DB.

The game ended up simply being too complicated numbers-wise for any type of guesswork emulation.

It's bittersweet, especially given Brad's death.

Vanguard was his magnum opus, hate it or love it.
 

jayrebb

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
13,911
13,765
Reminder that games in Korea and other MMO's have had their entire netcode dumped onto the internet.

VG can't even get a DB? Throw them a fucking bone. Who the fuck is afraid of Daybreak IP enforcement? How would they even determine who leaked it, there are plenty of ways to pass it along anonymously now with just a little homework.

Really pathetic and a stain on Brad's legacy.
 

Secrets

ResetEra Staff Member
1,871
1,878
Reminder that games in Korea and other MMO's have had their entire netcode dumped onto the internet.

VG can't even get a DB? Throw them a fucking bone. Who the fuck is afraid of Daybreak IP enforcement? How would they even determine who leaked it, there are plenty of ways to pass it along anonymously now with just a little homework.

Really pathetic and a stain on Brad's legacy.
When you find those people that still have stuff from that era let me know. Need to compile EQMac for ARM.
 

Cynical

Canuckistani Terrorist
2,130
5,112
I think my main issue with Vanguard was always the laggy chunk thing, and the lag in general. It was miserable gameplay at some points, I think I rolled one of those fox things in the end, because their area wasn't quite as bad. Quality of the games "fun" dropped off the higher level you got IMO, as bugs and incomplete game became more obvious. All combined made me quit, I think I tried much later, but it still felt like a lagfest. I even built a new PC for Vanguard, so I was pretty butthurt.

Is that Emu playable now? If it plays better I'd give it a whirl, the damn game had potential, I'll give it that. They did have a pretty cool looking game world started, just all the lag frustration fills my memory.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Bobbybick

Trakanon Raider
481
700
I think my main issue with Vanguard was always the laggy chunk thing, and the lag in general. It was miserable gameplay at some points, I think I rolled one of those fox things in the end, because their area wasn't quite as bad. Quality of the games "fun" dropped off the higher level you got IMO, as bugs and incomplete game became more obvious. All combined made me quit, I think I tried much later, but it still felt like a lagfest. I even built a new PC for Vanguard, so I was pretty butthurt.

Is that Emu playable now? If it plays better I'd give it a whirl, the damn game had potential, I'll give it that. They did have a pretty cool looking game world started, just all the lag frustration fills my memory.
Emu worked when I tried it back in like May of last year, nobody is on it though or at least there's so few people you will never see anyone. The starting area I tried was mostly fully functional, some NPCs will occasionally clip into the ground for awhile until they pop back to where they should be.

It's not a replacement for a MMO, like you aren't going to play it for more than a couple hours and have fun, but it's kind of neat to be able to login to the game again and just remind yourself how jank it really was.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Cynical

Canuckistani Terrorist
2,130
5,112
Emu worked when I tried it back in like May of last year, nobody is on it though or at least there's so few people you will never see anyone. The starting area I tried was mostly fully functional, some NPCs will occasionally clip into the ground for awhile until they pop back to where they should be.

It's not a replacement for a MMO, like you aren't going to play it for more than a couple hours and have fun, but it's kind of neat to be able to login to the game again and just remind yourself how jank it really was.
Oh I wouldn't want to really play, more take a tour around, and see stuff I hadn't. If I could install it myself and just zip around with GM powers for a few hours, that be perfect.
 

Creslin

Trakanon Raider
2,375
1,077
Eq2 sucked because the core game was shit, Vanguard sucked because it ran like complete shit. Time solved one of those issues.
 

jayrebb

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
13,911
13,765
Is that Emu playable now? If it plays better I'd give it a whirl, the damn game had potential, I'll give it that. They did have a pretty cool looking game world started, just all the lag frustration fills my memory.

It's an abandoned project due to lack of data, but if you want to see the world you can definitely do that. Not sure about any powers helping you out there though. We used GUI hacks back in the day for travel and to set up raids. +10 movement value in whatever direction hotkeys front back or strafe direction commands to get around the world.

Got to see a lot of the world Brad built that way too. Made the bugs more tolerable and the game had more staying power.
 

jayrebb

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
13,911
13,765
When you find those people that still have stuff from that era let me know. Need to compile EQMac for ARM.

Ex-devs have reached out in the past, but they didn't have current access to anything. Hit a wall 3-4 years ago. They were as helpful as possible though.

Need an angel with current access to whatever drive / storage closet has the Vanguard master. There were a few Daybreak employees aware of the situation, and who wanted to see Brad's vision thrive again in emulation, but naturally aren't going to risk their job and security over it. Allusions have been made to the possibility on a few podcasts using vague language, but it's just a robinhood fantasy unlikely to be realized.

But who knows-- maybe someone will man up.
 
Last edited:

Secrets

ResetEra Staff Member
1,871
1,878
Ex-devs have reached out in the past, but they didn't have current access to anything. Hit a wall 3-4 years ago. They were as helpful as possible though.

Need an angel with current access to whatever drive / storage closet has the Vanguard master. There were a few Daybreak employees aware of the situation, and who wanted to see Brad's vision thrive again in emulation, but naturally aren't going to risk their job and security over it. Allusions have been made to the possibility on a few podcasts using vague language, but it's just a robinhood fantasy unlikely to be realized.

But who knows-- maybe someone will man up.

If 6,000 people can storm the US capitol, surely 6,000 FoH nerds can storm that closet.

/s, but honestly you'd probably get in more trouble for organizing a raid on a server closet than a raid on the US capitol at this point.