EverQuest II Is Finally The Game We Hoped It Would Be
Suddenly, Norrath is a huge game world, with lots to see, and many, many quests, plus things to do at every level. This is not World of WarCraft, where the world is actually relatively small, and much of the time you can feel as if your character is "on rails", forced to follow a specific quest-chain to progress and to see the world.
In EQ2, you can pick up more quests than you could possibly complete in a short span, and it's your choice which ones you pursue, and which you delete.
If you want to have a "Tolkien moment" and just start randomly hiking through parts unknown, you can do that -- just beware of the evils lurking in unknown places :-)
As others have said, the EQ2 devs have finally banished the worst game bugs which kept many, including myself, from playing this game regularly before now. Not only that, but the devs have also streamlined gameplay at various points, so that you now spend more time actually playing, and less time navigating the game-system.
On the downside, EQ2 still requires a lot of system power to look as good as it does. This is not a game to play with significantly older computer hardware, and old drivers installed. I'm currently running EQ2 with a Sapphire-brand Radeon X800 GTO2 video card and 1 GB RAM (for those who are interested, the RAM seemed to make more difference to gameplay than the vidcard) and while it plays well, I can tell it would play better if I had even more RAM and a newer video card. Keep your video drivers up to date!
EQ2 can sometimes be hard to play solo, if you're the "attack first, think later" type, because enemies sometimes appear in groups, and/or will come to one another's assistance if they "notice" the battle. You've got to play tough, and to play smart, to play EQ2 solo. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. This isn't World of WarCraft; players are generally friendly for the most part. Guilds are plentiful, for those of you who'd rather adventure with friends.
Lastly, you should find a good fansite for EQ2 when you start playing (allakhazam (dot) com is a good example) to give you guidance when you get stuck. Certain EQ2 quests can be very open-ended ("Find person X") and the world is large. Sites like Allakhazam can help you if you're confused or frustrated.
As long as you keep these things in mind, Everquest II can be a grand high-fantasy gaming experience. Since Echoes of Faydwer is an all-in-one pack containing EverQuest II and all its expansions including Faydwer (the best one), it's a great place to begin exploring and experiencing the world of Norrath. It also comes with a free month of playing time for new accounts.
With Echoes of Faydwer, I now think Everquest II is the most enjoyable fantasy MMO out there. Why not come see what you think?