Still, there’s a huge difference between a 600 health character and a 1000 health character, so I think that 40% could very well be a crucial difference that will make WAR gear-focused even though it tries not to be. Because in the end game, every little bit you are better than the other guy is an advantage worth working for.

Trains really aren’t so bad if you treat the game like a game instead of something that matters. It’s the experiences, both good and bad, that make the memories and stories (and made mine, today). Doing the same thing you did yesterday and will do tomorrow is pretty boring. In the end, I won’t remember any loot I got, but I will remember the OOC comments about the trainers and how we all came together to keep appraised of where they were going so we could prepare.

Trainers are just like bad weather, you just have to deal with them like you would any other natural disaster.

There you go again mentioning Vanguard…
Of course you are totally right about Vanguard. It feels even more disjointed than the zones in EQ2, even if it is not. Just the way that it plays.

I am starting to think WAR will be gear heaven for sure. I like getting stuff. I like diablo 2 clones (check my thoughts on a new demo I tried for Single Player later this week, Diablo 2 with enhanced graphics), but WAR sounds like a battle to get those “Ubah!” weapons and stuff…

Wait…like WoW! (*hides from the angry WAR fanboi club)

But, I am at a loss to how to feel about WAR.

It is just as I read your post about the train, I remembered even LOTRO having this (due to issues with Mob release taking too long, and you could end up with 10-12 mobs on your tail). Or Age of Conan where several zones had broken mob follows, and I had to leave the zone (after running to another end of the map) to get away from said “Death Squads” (I got chased for 5 minutes, and almost gave up before finding an exit)..

I am not sure I am ready for those mechanics anymore.

The level cap was one of the rules we all agreed to when we started Nostalgia, so everyone knows why the rules are there. Yeah, it means we won’t get to some high level content for awhile, but we’ll arrive there together. I think it’s nearly mandatory for the current state of EQ, where it is difficult to find groups pre-50.

I dunno much about WAR. Since I am not that much interested in a solo MMO — and I have GW for that anyway — and don’t care about RvR or PvP that much, WAR is clearly targeted toward a different kind of gamer. One of the problems with open dungeons is people camping areas with the best loot; aside from trains, that was the number one objection toward EQ’s system. If you wanted the Short Sword of the Ykesha, you got in line in a Ghoul Lord group, and hoped for the best. Once a few expansions had come out and the player base had spread out some, that became less of an issue, but I imagine it still exists today. The groups I join in EQ are focused almost entirely on XP and very little on loot. I will note, however, that Vanguard was going to use open dungeons and instanced bosses, but I have not heard they ever got it working.

Having read the K&G article, it certainly sounds like there will be a lot of gear obtainable in a very short time, so for those people who play MMOs to gain a lot of gear without much effort, this will likely be their Mecca.

Do I sound dismissive? I don’t mean to. I am just convinced they are making this game for people who find WoW players who find WoW too tough. I’m not a WoW player, I am looking for the game targeted for EQ1/2 players, I guess. Vanguard isn’t it. I dunno WHAT Vanguard is.

Now, I wonder, did you really care about that train or not? And how does your comment make you feel about the discussion of WAR’s use of Open Dungeons and the Boss Encounters being instanced (according to posters…not any REAL evidence yet)

Keen posted about this here…
K and G discuss PvE

Interested in your opinion…