Looking for a highly populated MMO( F2P or P2P)

Laserbeams

Hi I'm looking for a certain kind of MMO but I'm not sure how to describe it however I will put up a few key points to narrow it down:

First of all here are the games I've played( If one of these is an option explain to me why I should go back..except WoW)

- WoW( played for over a year) - Left due to..well I don't know why but the game just started slowly killing my love of WoW so I left

- LOTRO (14 day trial) - Lack of a decent caster class (Runekeeper and Loremaster didn't appeal to me)

- DDO (Free to Play Account) - Way too much instancing however I was expecting this, still I may go back provided I have enough explaination

- Allods - Too much whining on the forums, too many claims that Allods is cash-cow, new "cursed items" update hurt the Russian version so if it's implented into the NA version I fear for Allods

-EVE..not as fast paced as I would like

WAR - I truly liked this game for the day that I played however the lack of players who actually ENJOYED the game was a turn off

-AoC - Again, too many doomsayers plus I didn't enjoy the combat or classes

 

 

 

Now for the key stuff:

- Variety of Spells

-Variety of Classes or Skills to focus in

-Roleplaying option ( I'm a nerd :P)

- Mainly PVE focused but some PVP thrown in there would be nice or a 50/50 between the two

- Highish Population( 100K + would be nice?)

- End Game is a must

- Pure Instancing is a turn off for me, I prefer a WoW or LOTRO style world with players running amok across zones, ect.

- Graphics aren't on the top of my list but not exactly on the bottom of my list either ( In other words, Uber graphics would be nice but its okay if they lack them however I don't want Runescape graphics)

 

I know this is an EXTREMLEY tall order but if anyone can help me narrow it down, you would make my day :P

 

Currently I'm thinking Darkfall however the population is low from what I heard and the whining on the forums is ridiculous.

 

Edited for Grammar

jaffrojones

I would suggest EQ2. I like this game a lot, but from what I understand, there is only the activity you are looking for once you get in a guild. But I have heard that it is rather easy to get into a guild.

One of the best games I've found out there is Ryzom, but again, I don't think this game has the activity you're looking for. That might be changing soon with the source code released and people being able to make and add things to the game. The skill/spell system, and the crafting system is one of the best around. OMG the crafting system is awesome. You can sign up for free and play for 20 days if you want to check it out. It is amazing. The players are very helpful, and very nice.

So those are my two suggestions.

Laserbeams

Well thank you for the help however population is one of my top priorities when it comes to MMO's, afterall whats an MMO without a MASSIVE community? :P

 

Edit: Actually when a forum is flooded with literally EVERY single person whining, that says something about the game community, does it not?

Angorim

Originally posted by Laserbeams

Well thank you for the help however population is one of my top priorities when it comes to MMO's, afterall whats an MMO without a MASSIVE community? :P

 

Edit: Actually when a forum is flooded with literally EVERY single person whining, that says something about the game community, does it not?

Only the vocal minority that actually "participate" (see: whine) in game forums.  I can't think of a single MMO I've played where I've interacted or even posted on the official forums.

teakbois

Originally posted by Laserbeams

Now for the key stuff:

- Variety of Spells

-Variety of Classes or Skills to focus in

-Roleplaying option ( I'm a nerd :P)

- Mainly PVE focused but some PVP thrown in there would be nice or a 50/50 between the two

- Highish Population( 100K + would be nice?)

- End Game is a must

- Pure Instancing is a turn off for me, I prefer a WoW or LOTRO style world with players running amok across zones, ect.

- Graphics aren't on the top of my list but not exactly on the bottom of my list either ( In other words, Uber graphics would be nice but its okay if they lack them however I don't want Runescape graphics)

 

Everquest 2 is almost exactly this

With 24 classes there you'll have no shortage of spells and skills to play with. The AA system should keep you tinkering with stuff as well.

Its as role-playing friendly as any game out there. Most populated server is the rp server. While many join it because of its population, there are many that do it for the rp and there are lots of rp hotspots. And there is less animosity between rpers and non rpers than there is in games like WoW on their RP servers.

Kind of related, the player housing is utterly amazing. You can customize your place in just about any way you can think of. Well done guild halls are massive things of beauty.

While there is a highly populated PvP server (second most populated server) EQ2 just implemented a battleground type system so you can participate in PvP on a PvE server. Might not be as much as you'd like though, but its still worth mentioning.

High population EQ2 has. Especially if you play on either of the two servers mentioned. Besides possibly EVE, its the most stable population out there. Its actually done something very rare amongst 6 yr old MMOs (WoW included) and has actually shown population growth. Of course there are no numbers that prove this, but SoE has said that there is some growth and in game experiences seem to support that.

Endgame is another strong point for EQ2. Lots of options out there if you enjoy raiding.

As for instancing, well EQ2 is a zone based game. They also place population limits on their zones so you may see 2 or more 'instances' of a zone up, but in reality it feels no different than any non instanced type of world. You are still going to run around and see other people out going about their business. Also of note is though there are 'zones', they are large and especially the later expansions are downright huge. Dungeons are both instanced and non instanced, you can take your pick.

And graphics are in the eye of the beholder. EQ2 sure doesnt look like runescape though, some feel its among the best in the genre. See for yourself

Martinmas

Yeah I would suggest EverQuest 2 for you also. The game just has a crapton of stuff to do and has a great amount of solo, duo and group stuff almost all through the game. The first 20 levels is pretty much all solo work but after that you can find a good amount of content for whichever playstyle you prefer.  Antonia Bayle is the most populated server so that is probably where you will want to make your home if you decide to give it a shot.