EQ2: rebirth

Well there are days I am back into EQ2 and with every LU there is the chance of a real possible fix to the dumbfounded ways of their porly implemented Death policy. LU 19 is no exception and with good cause it actually made me want to go log up and check it out. I mainly came back to see how the newbie experience changed and my initial evaluation was not pleasant. Though I really do dig the Griff/Carpet jumping! Oi! I've died 2 times from that already but it's so fun..

I finally logged up after a 20min patch which is ok by me because well I always find something else to do. I logged in and created my newbie I randomized him a few times I wanted to get in and check out the Queens refugee camp. I got over to the pick your class section and I feel that was fairly decent. Though the jury is still out on whether or not giving a level 1 newbie armor with out any effort is good to do, I'm not all about a free lunch. I picked swashy I even started out duel wielding and to me that was a jip I didn't even have to earn my first 2 daggers Hell I didn't even have to learn how to equipt them...I then watched their little story line with the books and pictures, I remeber they had something similar just not sure it was that entaled. Although I think CG would of done better then the whole Lord of the Rings esk feel to the start of EQ2. So I finally get onto the Island and uh..... Nothing I have this gold wisp leading me to a NPC in front of the Bell tower. How un-eventful can we get, seriously I felt no since of wanting or having to do anything. I mean shit they still could of had the same guy say " Quickly now grab your weapon from the rack and help defend the fort" SOE didn't really have to give us a whole story line. That was the first last and what seems like the only time I felt like I'm apart of something bigger then myself as a newbie in EQ2 and it no longer exists.

Ok I've established I'm quite bias to the first Island because I felt it was more then adequate enough to do it's job as a tutorial. Now granted this new style I've only touched for about 10 min and it made me sick.. No voice over to any new NPC as far as I can tell and there was no Life to anything I did in the first 5 minutes on this island. I ended up killing these fish type goblins which are in my book the worst idea replace here zombily running to the Guards to die... These dutifully Goblins are graphically insufficient compared to the old goblins and I really didn't feel they were attacking the fort.. Ok enough of that I've nothing good to say about this at this point.. I will do a Real review from the Evil Lord peasants island and it will be more indepth but overall it wasn't a pleasant experance that I was initially accustomed to. I really did want to get off the island and fast....
How much more annoying can it get when every 3rd choice is "How do I get off this island?" I guess the things that made me fall in love with Everquest all over agian are were not good enought to keep em in the game.