Profile
Where in the real life world do you live? Troy, New York
What type of work do you do? I am a graduate student in Electronic Arts at Rensselear Polytechnical Institute.
What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most? Well, I am old enough to be a part of the Nintendo generation of video gamers. I love rpgs. I always have, I played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons and I guess my gaming interests came out of that. The first RPG I played was Ultima Exodus for the NES, and the first MMO that I had played was Phantasy Star Online. I still play these on occasion.
What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other then playing EQII? I pride myself on keeping up on current events and politics. It may be a bit of a cliché, but reading the newspaper and watching news websites takes up a lot of time and I consider it to be a full time hobby. I also am interested in everything to do with the 1980s.
What other MMOs have you played? Many! I have played Everquest, Everquest 2 of course, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Lineage 2, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Asherons Call, Asherons Call 2, and a few lesser known games such as Rubies of Eventide and Runescape.
How long have you played EQII? My oldest account was started around launch, so I think about 3 years now?
How long is your typical gaming session when playing EQII? Typically between four and twelve hours. It depends on the day of the week and time of night. If I do not have a lot of work to complete the following morning I often stay up and grind out a couple more quests.
What does a typical EQII day consist of for you? First thing I do when I log in and check the broker and clear any sales, I then post anything left in my bags from the night before. After that, I check my quest log and also check how close I am to leveling and then head to an appropriate zone for my level. Right now I am grinding and questing in Steam Front Mountains, yeah I am not 70 yet, but I love this zone and well a typical day consists of going as fast as possible through any quests and trying to get the next level. I am not antisocial however, if my guild is running an instance or having an event I always show up for those, especially a raid.
What was the race and class of your very first character? Let's see..Kerran Paladin. I found a screenshot of a Kerran in plate armor on the sony website and was impressed by its stature.
What is your highest level in EQII? My highest level character is a level 50 Dwarf Shadowknight, he is a great soloer.
What race and class is your main character? Well, I play several characters so I do not know if I have chosen a Main character, but right now I am playing a Erodite Wizard and he is a great nuker.
What do you like the most about the class you have chosen for your main character? What I like most about this wizard is the entire breadth of his spell list; he has some group buffs for stamina and intellect as well as mitigation and power enhancement. I feel like he brings a lot to the table in groups. Also, the entire mix of utility he has for being a nuking class is pretty impressive. The invisibility spell is just insanely good. I have discovered every zone in the game at this point just by running around and exploring while invisible. I also like the group evacuate, another good spell for bad situations. As far as his killing ability, its top notch. I haven't played another class that can grind as well without stopping for power regen. I was worried at first he would need healing, but with the root-nuke technique he barely gets hit.
Does your main character worship a deity? To be honest, I am waiting for the Rise of Kunark to come out, which I think is tomorrow, before I decide. If I do not like any of the RoK deities then I will go with Ro.
How did you choose your main character's name? Well I have a thing about names. They must be real tangible words = Pencil, Lemon, Rodeo, Tomato, Belly, Eggs. And ideally have five letters. I do not know why, but a five letter name just stands out as more aesthetically pleasing to me. As far as using actual words, well I think the names that are easiest to remember greatly improve my faction with other players. I guess if they can remember me, then I am more likely to get into a raid or group.
Which classes in EQII have you NOT played? Many, actually. I have not played a scout class. I am an admitted classest. I do not like melee damage classes, I don't like their style and I try to avoid grouping with them. I am not sure why. I have played several tank classes and love all of them.
What is your favorite expansion? I really enjoyed the EoF expansion. The zones added where just such a break from the norm of eq2 that I found it completely rejuvenated my interests in the game. I hope Rise of Kunark has even more affect on me; it's a very nostalgic era.
What is your favorite zone? Well in order of levels, I like Butcherblock Mountains for the 20-30s and then I like Steamfront Mountains from late 30s-40s. The layout of both of these zones, a donut shape sort of?, is just fantastic for leveling and getting around.
What is your favorite npc? My favorite mob is any non aggressive, ha-ha. I hate getting adds on me when I am trying to do a writ or finish a quest!
Which expansion do you like the least? None of them!
Which zone do you like the least? Oddly, my least favorite zone is also my favorite home zone. And that is Neriak. I love the layout and the ports - very easy to navigate. But the tradeoff is the lag. ughhh, I do not look forward to returning to the city unless I have to.
Which npc do you like the least? Aggressives! All of them!
What is the most platinum you have ever spent on purchasing a single item for one of your characters? I refuse to pay huge prices on the Broker, so I cannot say I have purchased many for more than 1 plat. But I have bought master books for 2plat.
Do you have an item you no longer use but keep around for nostalgic reasons? If so what is it and why do you keep it? Yes, I keep all the heritage quest items. But also a few items with funny names, I think the funniest one I have is the Human Baby from a Neriak citizen quest.
What do you like best about EQII? I like the balance. I like that the game is well thought out and it has a sense of planning behind it. What I really like the most however, is the quality of the content - from the look and feel of the combat system to the look of the armor sets and itemization.
What do you get out of playing EQII? I get a feeling of accomplishment and a community of friends.
Describe your best experience from playing EQII? I leveled my Shadowknight from 0-30 in two nights of playing, for me that is a best. I like leveling as quickly as possible and completing content!
Do you run or work for an EQII Fan Site? Nope, but as I am finishing my MFA I am seeking employment - hint hint. More about my work and studies can be found at http://noahmarchal.net