Star Wars Galaxies, thought I didn't have MMORPG playing rl-friends, I did have several online friends who'm I knew from other games going into SWG. Most of my rl friends don't game and the few that do either play RTS or FPS games. None of my rl friends play MMORPG's.
My friends list in that game was far larger than in any MMO I have played in. It used to have a respectably large and very tight knit and interdependent player community. Grouping was a natural, beneficial thing that most got into. For me it was natural to be in groups there and it wasn't forced by overall gameplay. It was the last MMO I played where I felt awkward **not** being in a group, even if it was a PUG. And PUGs there didn't have the reputation that it does in other MMORPGs. Yes, you still will be dealing with bad PUG execution, but players in those groups talked and socialized with each other. And groups in old school SWG tend to stick together for long periods and not disperse at the first sign of a "completed quest" like it does in so many other games.
The Pre-CU/NGE system had a steep learning curve to actually "get it" but things are helped by a wonderful community where veterans regularly took under the wing newbies to show them how to play. I'm not talking freebies and handouts, I'm talking showing them the basics of gameplay, combat, etc.
My friends list in that game was far larger than in any MMO I have played in. It used to have a respectably large and very tight knit and interdependent player community. Grouping was a natural, beneficial thing that most got into. For me it was natural to be in groups there and it wasn't forced by overall gameplay. It was the last MMO I played where I felt awkward **not** being in a group, even if it was a PUG. And PUGs there didn't have the reputation that it does in other MMORPGs. Yes, you still will be dealing with bad PUG execution, but players in those groups talked and socialized with each other. And groups in old school SWG tend to stick together for long periods and not disperse at the first sign of a "completed quest" like it does in so many other games.
The Pre-CU/NGE system had a steep learning curve to actually "get it" but things are helped by a wonderful community where veterans regularly took under the wing newbies to show them how to play. I'm not talking freebies and handouts, I'm talking showing them the basics of gameplay, combat, etc.
this 100%
Brings back good memories.
What I loved was camping, and nope not the camp boss type of camp, but pure a socializing camp, set up camp, talk about your adventure's, have entertainers do their things, doc's working in camps, or just random talk about just anything. Unfortunaly the rush to cap lvl type of player didn't have time for this as they want to play these games like jobs and are always in a hurry. Overall the whole social experiance we had has changed allot, where people for some reason think grouping is a social feature, where in most of today's MMO grouping is actually the least social feature I have seen, due to how people group which is a far cry from being solo, as Warmaker said these day's it's "quest complete bye" But I don't blame today's games as with the grouping feature, as it's the people that came into this genre the last few years carry a much larger blame towards what this genre is today. But then I also blame the already left community of SWG for wanting the NGE, while not in the form SOE gave us but still SOE tried to appeal to those who left instead of trying to appeal to those who actually still where playing. If SOE/Lucas only had the patience like CCP SWG might have grown steadely if they continued to fix things that where broken instead of changing most of the game.
Don't get me wrong I am 100% positive something during pre-cu had to change, but simply wasn't expecting that SOE would listen to those who already left or stopped playing but where loud as hell on forums and yes WoW also played a obvious factor.
Comments
Star Wars Galaxies, thought I didn't have MMORPG playing rl-friends, I did have several online friends who'm I knew from other games going into SWG. Most of my rl friends don't game and the few that do either play RTS or FPS games. None of my rl friends play MMORPG's.
Guild Wars
Vanguard
1. Everquest
2. Everquest II
3. Lord of the Rings Online
this 100%
agree with Pre NGE SWG
Brings back good memories.
What I loved was camping, and nope not the camp boss type of camp, but pure a socializing camp, set up camp, talk about your adventure's, have entertainers do their things, doc's working in camps, or just random talk about just anything. Unfortunaly the rush to cap lvl type of player didn't have time for this as they want to play these games like jobs and are always in a hurry. Overall the whole social experiance we had has changed allot, where people for some reason think grouping is a social feature, where in most of today's MMO grouping is actually the least social feature I have seen, due to how people group which is a far cry from being solo, as Warmaker said these day's it's "quest complete bye" But I don't blame today's games as with the grouping feature, as it's the people that came into this genre the last few years carry a much larger blame towards what this genre is today. But then I also blame the already left community of SWG for wanting the NGE, while not in the form SOE gave us but still SOE tried to appeal to those who left instead of trying to appeal to those who actually still where playing. If SOE/Lucas only had the patience like CCP SWG might have grown steadely if they continued to fix things that where broken instead of changing most of the game.
Don't get me wrong I am 100% positive something during pre-cu had to change, but simply wasn't expecting that SOE would listen to those who already left or stopped playing but where loud as hell on forums and yes WoW also played a obvious factor.
SWG Pre CU
WoW Pre Battlegrounds
Planetside pre CC
Everquest 2 beta
Everquest
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
World of Warcraft.. by a long shot
I challenged my reflection to a staring contest....4 days later i won
RuneScape, met great people there.