User Interface

The Character Selection Screen
Before entering the game world, you can: Press 'Play' to enter the game world.
 * Customize your character's alternate appearance (if you haven't done so yet).
 * Open the EQ2 Options Window if you just can't wait to tweak settings.
 * Watch the EQ2 intro movie or listen to the background story.
 * Create another character. (You can have up to 7 characters on a normal EQ2 account.)

A Tour of the Game Screen
The EQ2 game screen is extremely customizable, but is quite functional out-of-the-box. Let's go over the main elements of the default game screen:

A Tour of the EQII Menu
Bring up the EQII Menu by clicking the square EQII button, or by pressing the Escape key when nothing is targeted. The following table gives a brief explanation of each menu item, and shows the keyboard shortcuts for each item. A few menu items are omitted because they aren't relevant to this beginner's guide.  Credit: EQ2 Knowledge Base 

A Tour of the Options Window
There are so many settings to customize in EQ2, all found in the Options Window. But right now, let's focus on something that immediately impacts your first play session: the Performance Options.

You can access the Options Window from the Character Select screen, in-game via the EQII menu, or by pressing Alt+O. Usually the Performance Options are the first thing shown when you open this window, but if not, you'll find it by clicking "Display" on the left-hand side of the Options Window.

Choosing a Performance Profile
EQ2 was built for the future: nearly 4 years after launch, its graphics detail still stands up to the latest games. However, your computer may not be up to the task. For this reason, you should become familiar with the Performance Profiles in the Options Window.

EQ2 defaults to the "Balanced" performance profile. This is suitable for an average computer with an average graphics processor, but this might not be the most appropriate profile for your computer. If you are running a computer with minimal RAM (e.g. 512 megs), then you can also improve how EQ2 runs by choosing a "High Performance" profile. These profiles use much less memory than the "Higher Quality" profiles.
 * If you have an older computer, or a laptop or a low-end graphics processor, you'll get a significant boost from choosing "High Performance" or "Very High Performance".
 * If you have a dedicated graphics processor, and the "Balanced" profile is running smoothly, then try "High Quality" or an even higher profile.

Choosing the Alternate Character Models
The alternate character models were described in the Appearance section. If you want to try the alternate character models, select them here in the Options Window. Click "Models" on the left-hand side of the Options Window, then enable the alternate models. The changes take effect immediately. Now close the window and see how your character looks!