EQ vs WoW
I know this comparison has been beaten to death. I want to beat it some more, because I currently am playing both simultaneously. I have a 64 Warrior on Classic Burning Crusade live Servers, and I also have a 57 clr on blue. I'm playing both literally on the same day. My feelings when comparing the two.
1. EQ has far better race/class variety. There's just more races to choose from, more specialized classes, and their art style and lore is more intriguing. WoW really draws from Alliance vs Horde and the undead are like their own emo rebel group, tolerated by the horde.
2. WoW has a far superior way of buying/selling items on the player marketplace. I remember Luclin's AH. It was awful, you had to keep your computer on to be in the auction house AFK.
3. Newbie experience is a toss up. WoW has a fantastic quest system and works well introducing new players, but Everquest feels more unique. WoW newbie zones are excellent, but all the same practically, they may look different, but EQ has wildly different newbie starting zone experiences. Humans and Barbs don't see very well. Everfrost has deadly roamers and is isolated. Gfay has a nearby lowbie dungeon. Paineel has a high end dungeon right next to the newbie zone. Starting alts in EQ is fun, IF you know what you're doing. Starting alts in WoW is not so exciting.
4. EQ has unquestionably superior music. Almost nothing is memorable in WoW, maybe Stormwind, and that's it. Akanon, Kelethin, Qeynos, Neriak, Combat music, BARD GUILD qeynos, etc.
5. WoW has better dungeon experiences. I love EQ dungeon crawling, but WoW is better. They are instanced, you get to fight to the end, and they are themed extremely well. It's dungeon crawling vs slowly moving your camp forward.
6. Grinding. This is my biggest gripe with WoW. The monster difficulty does not change as you level. Grinding my 63 warrior feels nearly exactly the same as when level 10. It still takes about 30 seconds to kill a monster, and i still lose roughly half my hp. There's no real sense of danger in the world. This is where EQ shines. I love how the monsters feel more and more deadly the higher up you go. They hit casters so hard, and you need to learn the classes well to progress. WoW is just the same the entire way.
7. Playerbase is about equal. WoW has more teenager-esque insults and toilet humor. Everquest P1999 has more polite and sophisticated vocabulary insults. I would say WoW is more lively though. When you say something in OOC in WoW, people will respond. EQ a lot of times people care little to respond.
8. I enjoy the world of Norrath more than Azeroth/outlands. Norrath is more colorful, varied, and exciting to explore. Azeroth/outlands is too easy, not as colorful, not as perilous. WoW does have better dungeons imo, though.
I enjoy EQ slightly more than WoW, but I do wish the beast master was back in EQ pre-luclin. That was my favorite class. WoW is great when I want to just get in and play. I don't have to claim camps, find a group, or worry about corpse runs. But WoW does not give me exhilaration like EQ does.
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