Pictured above, my new heroic 85 necromancer (formerly level 30). There has been a lot of debate about this new feature but one thing that no one can deny is that it has brought people back into EQ2 – whether temporarily or full time. People who would not have a reason to come back at all otherwise. I can’t help but be pleased about that as I saw 6 Great Divide instances on Antonia Bayle the day the heroic characters were released. If even 1/3rd of the returning people decide to invest a month into EQ2 and make some sort of purchase I would count it as a success.
How people decided to spend their time as a newly created 85 character was completely up to them, I saw everything from harvesting, to crafting, and lots of questing. When I first heard about these characters I was saddened by the fact that it would make 1-85 content obsolete – however – that content is still incredibly relevant, especially if you’re looking for experience. See, I ran a few DoV instances and barely got any experience. It was slow, and while the gear was amazing I wasn’t having fun. The next day I was looking at my guild window and I happened to notice that we now have guild raid achievements. They don’t really serve a purpose except for bragging rights, and my guild is so tiny we hardly have anything to ‘brag’ about, but still, I love hunting for achievements so I decided to mentor down and work on the raids.
I completed most of the Kingdom of Sky raid achievements, missing only Talendor (because you have to choose between two dragon fights and it gives you a lock out) and Pantrilla who is rarely ever up in the Temple of Scale (I’ve been trying to hunt this dragon for years now). In that time I also did a few instances because a newly created 85 is basically the same as a level 1 character when it comes to achievements and discovery. I ran through Halls of Fate, Nest, Vaults, along with the raid zones, and before I knew it my little beastlord was level 90. Last night the guild also headed to Spirits of the Lost (a level 50 raid zone that you access through the door to Cazic Thule) and then afterward we took a trip to Emerald Halls and defeated Wuoshi. I didn’t touch any of the usual Great Divide quests nor did I attempt any other level appropriate content. I was content to run around mentored doing my thing with a few close friends and it worked out great.
Again, don’t let others tell you how to spend your time. You’ll find a way to make it work for yourself, no matter what you enjoy doing. As always, happy gaming! No matter where you find yourself.
Those are very wise words. :)
I am one of those who came back although my motivation has been mostly due to the changes to the free option. This will allow me to focus on the part of the game I enjoy most, decorating without worrying about bags, bank space or coin limits nor feeling guilty because I am enjoying only 1/3 of the game.
I did use the Heroic Character thingy too to bump my mystic to 85 but that was just so I had another option to play with my friends whenever the opportunity appears. For now he will probably just be checking himself out in the mirror with his new outfit while I play my monk/carpenter and try to do some catching up on all the changes and decorate my homes. :)