MMORPG in the playground

[Psionic Dog]

I recently had an urge to get back into a MMORPG, only to discover that the only games that had captivated my interest in the past either no longer existed or were stale.

Shadowbane, the only PvP focused mmo I played, gone.

City of Heroes, fair fun, but I only discovered it in its last year of existence.

Oberin, has both the best Group vs Environment and one of the nicest and tightest nit player community I've ever seen despite using sprite graphics. Its still going, but the veteran player base has spent years grinding past the soft level cap to become legendary dragon slayers richer than kings who now only hunt elder dragons because everything else bores them. This makes makes finding a group for new or casual players like myself to adventure with a challenge.


Anyone have any personal favorites or suggestions?

[Ogremindes]

I keep coming back to Champions Online, probably more on the strength of the costume creator more than the gameplay (tip: do the tutorial on a throwaway char to unlock most of the options). It was seemingly abandoned by the devs for a while, but that's changing.

[Castaras]

If I had the time to go back into an MMORPG, I'd probably go to Secret World. If I hadn't already spent many years in Anarchy Online, I might head back there, although I'm hearing bugger all about it nowadays.

[Partysan]

The only two interesting MMORPGs I know are The Secret World for generally innovative stuff and DC Universe Online for a combat system that's actually fun to play.

[Togath]

DDO is surprisingly good, and of course there's always WoW as well.
edit: Guildwars 2 is very good too.

[thorgrim29]

Right now I've never played an MMO outside of a few months of WoW back in 2008, but I'm pretty stoked for Star Citizen and The Division

[Psionic Dog]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I think I'll give DDO a try first. Its free, so nothing to lose but time if it isn't my thing. Plus with a new Mac Beta its technically multiplatform, and I sort of support multiplatform stuff on principle.

I've heard good things about Guild Wars 2. Upfront cost is a little high with no way to demo, but the no subscription fee is a big plus and once again I've heard good things.

Star Citizen had me drooling. I guess the subscription cost is more reasonable than most MMO standards, but my idea of fair pricing for subscriptions is lower still.

[thorgrim29]

The game will be free to play, the subscribers just have access to more news and stuff to help support the development of the game (it should be out in early 2015)

[Cmega3]

Hmmm... I know about one called SilkRoad, not sure if it still exists/is free2play though...

[Psionic Dog]

*blink*

thorgrim29, thank you for the correction. I might start drooling again.

[Pronounceable]

The only two interesting MMORPGs I know are The Secret World for generally innovative stuff and DC Universe Online for a combat system that's actually fun to play.
This might be the most accurate post of the thread. Champions Online is the way to go for doll dressup though.

[Togath]

With regards to Guildwars 2, another upside is that all of the cash shop items are either novelties, or can be obtained easily with gold earned in game(and the novelties can be bought with the gold as well, fairly easily once you hit about level 40+).

[Philemonite]

If you want something completely different Atlantica Online is awesome.

I really need to start playing it again.:smallwink:

[Hawriel]

I keep coming back to Champions Online, probably more on the strength of the costume creator more than the gameplay (tip: do the tutorial on a throwaway char to unlock most of the options). It was seemingly abandoned by the devs for a while, but that's changing.

I played Champions before it went free to play. When I came back a year after the change I found out they wanted me to pay to upgrade my characters to gold status. I had to pay, to use characters I created after buying the game, and paying for a years worth of monthly fees. That kinda torqued me off.

[Hunter Noventa]

I played Champions before it went free to play. When I came back a year after the change I found out they wanted me to pay to upgrade my characters to gold status. I had to pay, to use characters I created after buying the game, and paying for a years worth of monthly fees. That kinda torqued me off.

Yeah, charging as much as a new AAA game for a SINGLE freeform character is outright extortion. The graphics though are what really turned me of to Champions Online. everyone just looks like they're made out of plastic and it's really jarring.

Oddly enough, Star Trek Online uses the same enginer and lacks this issue to me. Speaking of which, I recently picked up STO after not plaing since the beta or thereabouts, and am finding it enjoyable enough to kill some time as a free game.

If you do get the money together though, I suggest guild Wars 2. It's far from perfect, some of the classes need a lot of work, and some mechanics and decisions on the part of the devs are leaving us all scratching our heads. But the content you see while exploring and leveling up is quite good, the art direction is pretty amazing, and the open PvP system, World versus World, can be a lot of fun to play casually.

Just...don't expect great things from the personal story, as the call it. The writing is...it's...it's there.

[Tichrondrius]

I personally enjoy the Star Wars The Old Republic MMO.

[Hunter Noventa]

I personally enjoy the Star Wars The Old Republic MMO.

I've heard mixed things about it, but it doesn't sound like one to play on a budget.

Unless they back away from making you pay for parts of the interface. I remember they gave you a whole second hotbar for free after the uproar of how ridiculous the free-to-play was.

[Tichrondrius]

Oh yeah well subbing is 100% better but it is in everything. As f2p you won't even know what you're missing out on. :smalltongue:

[GolemsVoice]

If you just want to shoot folks, Planetside 2 is a very good MMO that offers more or less everything you need for your enjoyment for free.
Keep in mind that it's not so much an MMO like WoW or The Old Republic as a really big game of, say, Battlefield with persistent world. Still, pretty awesome.

[Kaun]

I will add my Vote to Guild Wars 2. Solid game with no monthly fee.

I am playing FFXIV at the moment but i am still not sold on it as an MMO.

Champaions was fun but when i played (Beta and for a couple months post release) it just seemed like a single player game. You could play with other people but there never really seemed to be any incentive too.

SWTOR - was blah. Leveling your first character was fun but then it was all down hill from there.

Planetside 2 is good if you are more of an FPS fan.

[Dhavaer]

Another vote for Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World. Although TSW really shouldn't have been an MMO.

[Hunter Noventa]

I am playing FFXIV at the moment but i am still not sold on it as an MMO.

Champaions was fun but when i played (Beta and for a couple months post release) it just seemed like a single player game. You could play with other people but there never really seemed to be any incentive too.


I really wish FFXIV had a free trial. I can't justify the cost to buy the game when it already has a subscription if I can't try it beforehand for somethign with the kind of time investment it likely requires.

I played Champions a bit in the past year, it hasn't changed too much in that regard. There are some quick 'Alert' Missions that partner you up with random people for a quick boss fight, but other than that the game remains somewhat meh. And the art style still turns me off.

[Sylthia]

Neverwinter is fun. 4th ed transfers well into a real time video game.

[Karoht]

FF14 I can't bring myself to try due to the debacle they went through with their first launch (short version, the game launched, it was terrible, it failed, Squareenix lipped off to their fans/customers, they shut down servers, most of the staff quit or was fired, this relaunch is the second attempt, already squareenix isn't really giving a darn about the north american market), so I'm not much interested in their second offering.

Wildstar looks like it might not suck, but it's published by NCsoft and I'm boycotting them for a host of reasons, chief among them was the shutdown of City of Heroes for largely no reason when the game was more profitable than it had ever been.

Marvel Heroes is a heck of a lot of fun, free to play, the only things you pay for are if you want other heroes unlocked, but you can win them from loot so you don't really need to pay for them.

Realm of the Mad God is a fun distraction for an hour or two, particularly if you enjoy the 'shoot and scoot' style gameplay.

[Avilan the Grey]

Not an MMO player myself (too much of a roleplayer) but among friends the only two games that stand out and have any kind of devote following are two oddballs:

Conan, and EVE.

[Karoht]

Firefall is in open beta right now. So far it is looking pretty darned good.