Did your first MMO affect your preference in MMOs you played?

Explorium

As title says...

 

My first MMO was Asheron's Call. And I believe it had a big part of my preference in MMOs.

 

In AC, it was the ultimate sandbox (well, not so much anymore)...I had FREEDOM. I could PvP if I wanted, I could solo if I wanted, I could group if I wanted...I had a lot of freedom in this game.

 

I imagine if say, I played EQ first...I may have developed a habit of wanting to group more and hating anything solo. Now that is not to say I hate grouping, otherwise I wouldn't be playing MMOs. I love interacting with people, trading, grouping (and grouping isn't the only thing a MMO is about in my opinion, a MMO is all about interaction). But, I think if I started with EQ, my opinion would be totally different. Maybe I would like themepark games a lot more than sandbox games.

 

Or if I started with UO, I may have wanted hardcore PvP and what not (before Trammel)...but from what I played in UO, it still gives plenty of options to group if I want, or solo, or countless ways to interact with people. So some ways, my opinion would still be roughly the same as my experience in AC.

Or if I started with FFXI, I imagine I would be a hardcore grouper.

But yes...the point is...do you think your first MMO (or heck if you are a really older gamer...MUDs) affected your preference in MMOs? Or did it not change anything?

VirusDancer

Of the "major" MMORPGs, can basically follow along a line in order of their release.

Ultima Online when it came out... tried EverQuest when it came out, but did not like it.  Played some back and forth between UO and Asheron's Call after that came out.  Not long after Third Dawn came out for UO, found myself playing Anarchy Online.  After a couple of years, ended up trying EQ again.  Again, did not like it.  Then Shadowbane came out.  I gave EQ one last chance when Dungeons of Norrath came out, but it still was not for me and went back to Shadowbane.  Ended up playing Star Wars Galaxies when that came out.  I played both SB and SWG until I got into the beta for City of Heroes, did the pre-order, and played until they added /boombox where I promptly quit.  I went back to Shadowbane through the Throne of Oblivion beta, which was so bad - that pretty much everybody on the server jumped over to the World of Warcraft beta.  Played World of Warfrcraft through early 2005, when I started playing EVE Online.  Later that year, I did the open beta for Dungeons & Dragons Online - but did not like it.

...thus began the rotation of games.

City of Heroes/Villains, World of Warcraft, Anarchy Online, and EVE Online.

I have played all four of those games this year.  I am currently subscribed to CoX.

Admittedly, I have done several trials - betas - etc - during that time.  I have also played DDO and LOTRO here and there; but that is usually only when I do not feel like spending $15 a month on a game but need to meet my MMORPG addiction...

CoX does not make me think of UO in the least.

However, the amount of games played from just those listed (not a complete list) - shows that I am still searching for the game that meets my overall preferences.

I used to say that the game I wanted was a mix of EVE Online, Shadowbane, Star Wars Galaxies, and a couple of others - I forget...

Currently though, I am kind of wondering about what WoW would have been like if CCP had made it... sounds tasty.

Reklaw

Not really, my first was Meridian59, which was fun, then some UO again had some fun, but it was Star Wars Galaxies of which I thought this genre would evolve more into these virtual sandbox-like worlds, unfortunaly for me nad perhaps osme others we where wrong in how this genre would evolve, at the time never thought this genre would turn out in to these more handhold type of games.

thecrap

Hmmm come to think it I have no basis I just play whatever I want and see if I enjoy it or not 

abyss610

Naw my first online semi MMO was Phantasy Star Online for Sega Dreamcast, played for a few months then quit. didn't play anything else i'm thinking for a year or 2 when i got a demo disc in the mail for Everquest Online Adventures.Wich for me technicly was my first real MMO played that for years and that was a hard core group grind game. Lasted the longest in that game,but got sick of not getting in groups with my alts wich was DD classes.

Had a friend get in the WoW beta, noticed he'd get on EQOA less and less and when he did all he could do was gush about WoW.Well one day he described the Druid class to me and i knew i had to try it. He actually talked pretty much our EQOA guilds core raiding members into playing it lol I believe it was around 20 or so of us all ended up going to WoW, that first 6 months to a year was a blast in WoW. slowly tho our crew dwindled down, then our server had an option to split and some didn't want to go but some did so that dropped us even more. till eventually i started getting bored and trying every beta i came across.

honestly i'm not all that picky with MMOs, just has to be fun. tho recently started missing a good ol group grind game. not dungeon grinds but just going out relax and killing mobs over and over for levels no other reason.

Loke666

My first were Meridian 59, but I didn't play it so much since I had a slow 33,6 modem at the time. After that I played Lineage.

Neither have affected how I like my games. I just want to have fun and to get a new experience, I don't like familiar things that feels like I already done them.

In fact the more a new MMO (or single player game) differs from all games I played before the better.

So I might be a bit different from you guys or at least the OP.

bbethel

My 1st was EQ1 i played it but had no idea what i was doing. I played it for about a year but i never really got into the lore or the game much. I was just killing stuff with friends.

The 1ST MMo i really got into was SWG. I did everything. I played all the classes, crafted, read the quest, and explored.

I love sand box games. Becouse of EQ1 and SWG. I tend to stay in the sandbox type MMo's.

KenFisher

Loved Morrowind, liked Oblivion, liked WoW's gear system, always felt a free-roaming game with deep gear would be awesome.

 

So for me heaviest influence is from SP games.

 

Perfect MMO for me would be a massive world, huge population, lots of room to explore (screw the quest hubs), deep gear, trinity style grouping, AH driven economy (I dont have time to sell stuff by hand), lots of crafting producing useful items, consensual pvp (I seldom flag and damn sure don't want to be ganked), and no cash shop.

 

And it would be cool to have a house to keep my stuff in.

 

Not a chance I'll ever get a game like this.  Too many devs think sandbox = pvp-fest.  I'd rather explore or work on my crafting or run dungeons with guildies.

MumboJumbo

Never had the set-up for MMOs until recently so always followed them in a detached way. Biggest influence that I am aware of was Populous (1989): If an MMO with avatars and that sort of terraforming could be created... I would be very happy.

Gabby-air

Originally posted by Loke666

My first were Meridian 59, but I didn't play it so much since I had a slow 33,6 modem at the time. After that I played Lineage.

Neither have affected how I like my games. I just want to have fun and to get a new experience, I don't like familiar things that feels like I already done them.

In fact the more a new MMO (or single player game) differs from all games I played before the better.

So I might be a bit different from you guys or at least the OP.

I'm like that aswell, all of my favorite games have unique gameplay and I go out of my way to look for original titles to play. Granted my first game, runescape definitely set the bar high in terms of content and freedom.

Axehilt

Definitely not.

I was already a longtime gamer at the time, and all the early releases were pretty terrible as games so I didn't stick with any of them.  Wasn't til GW, CoX, and WOW that I felt they were fun enough to last beyond 2 weeks.

gastonKL

Life is a performance, and the world is full of critics. Give it your all like it's your last show.

hugmefelmo

I wouldnt say my first MMO had a large impact on my preference. I think in most cases people only begin to develop what MMO type suits them best after they have played a few different MMOs.

amotholen

yes!

before playing a mmo, i had no idea what i can expect from an mmo. after 1st mmo, after saw lots of right & wrong thing; it effected my game experience a lot; even effected my life a lot.

"lets go party!" 

"yeeaaah which dungeon?"

*...silence....*

"i mean which place?" 

Mizuk

UO was my first MMORPG and since then i just love pwning n00bz and looting their stuff, i also love resskilling them so they cry more. I also love when you paralyze them and they shout ''STOP, STOP, LETS TALK, PLEASE DONT KILL ILL GIVE U..'' Then i do 'Kal Was Flame' and BOOOOOOOM, and they see me loot their bodies.

Moaky07

Nah

 

EQ was my first MMO in 01, but been video gaming since late 70s. I wasnt into PnP in my lifetime, so RP doesnt appeal to me. PvP doesnt appeal to me, unless it is console gaming with friends/family. I also do not enjoy any type of "sims" games.

 

I like some sports games, some RPG types(build your character/solve problems), and adventure games.  I play a few shooters, but am very bad at them. Yes I use easy setting.....bite me!

 

Thus EQ fell in line with what I already enjoyed.

ZANGFEI

I started my online adventure with EQ back in the day when i had no idea what online games were all about.

I must admit i have gone through my fair share of MMO games sense. I have yet to find one that i enjoyed as much as EQ.

I still have and talk to friends from all over the world because of that awesome game.

 

/Salute EQ. and thanks for 6 Years of awesome fun.

Moaky07

Originally posted by ZANGFEI

I started my online adventure with EQ back in the day when i had no idea what online games were all about.

I must admit i have gone through my fair share of MMO games sense. I have yet to find one that i enjoyed as much as EQ.

I still have and talk to friends from all over the world because of that awesome game.

 

/Salute EQ. and thanks for 6 Years of awesome fun.

I agree....much luv for EQ.

 

Wish SOE would remake it, with new GFX, and tone down some stuff.

 

I like a game you have to put some time into, but being at a PC for 12 hrs+ is rather silly. I sat one night in Guk, waiting for my shot at the Fabled loot, and that was the start of the end for me.

 

When you spend 26 hrs straight, waiting on your turn to get something, you realize just how unrealistic things are. 

Kyleran

Not really, my first MMORPG was Lineage 1, and I can't say there's much about that game I miss. (except Blessed Teleport Scrolls, now those I do miss)

However DAOC was my 2nd game and it did influence me in a big way, I've been looking for DAOC 2 ever since.

But even then, my only sandbox style game is EVE which came years later, and perhaps it has influenced my current preference for sandbox games, mostly because they are still new and fresh to me, while theme park style leveling games are sort of old news to me.

Vaen

Runescape classic is first one I've played. It's very difficult to say whether it has affected my taste in MMORPG's or not. I still find if pretty good game, I don't mean how it currently is, as I don't know, but few years ago. It was very open-ended game and the FFA type PvP in WIlderness was awesome, those are some of the qualities I still very much appreciate in a MMORPG, so who knows, perhaps your theory might apply in my case. But then again, I would probably like open-ended gameplay and FFA PvP areas anyway, no matter what MMORPG had I started with. Dunno!

nordamax

My first is Lineage2. And that did impact me alot.

LadyAlibi

My first was UO, and I'd like to say that it didn't really make any difference, since I went on to spend the better part of a decade playing EQ, but I keep finding myself loving PvP games that the rest of my friends and family hate. Lineage 2, for instance. I loves me some player politics, too. So, there might be something of influence in that regard.

Nizur

My first MMO was WoW, but it hasn't affected my preference. Actually, maybe it has. I realized after a few years of playing it that I wanted something different from it. I've found through trial and error that I prefer sandbox games over themepark.

Oracle_Fefe

Runescape, which got me into magic classes, so I went around the MMO Block and stumbled upon WoW where I got a mage and death knight to 80. Went around the block again to stumble into La Tale to try out Bards but slowly got boring. Went around the block again till- you get where I'm going with this.

 

I'm currently trying to look for the block which has the Evy from Vindictus, so I can stumble upon that too.

Daitengu

Originally posted by Explorium

As title says...

 

My first MMO was Asheron's Call. And I believe it had a big part of my preference in MMOs.

 

In AC, it was the ultimate sandbox (well, not so much anymore)...I had FREEDOM. I could PvP if I wanted, I could solo if I wanted, I could group if I wanted...I had a lot of freedom in this game.

 

I imagine if say, I played EQ first...I may have developed a habit of wanting to group more and hating anything solo. Now that is not to say I hate grouping, otherwise I wouldn't be playing MMOs. I love interacting with people, trading, grouping (and grouping isn't the only thing a MMO is about in my opinion, a MMO is all about interaction). But, I think if I started with EQ, my opinion would be totally different. Maybe I would like themepark games a lot more than sandbox games.

 

Or if I started with UO, I may have wanted hardcore PvP and what not (before Trammel)...but from what I played in UO, it still gives plenty of options to group if I want, or solo, or countless ways to interact with people. So some ways, my opinion would still be roughly the same as my experience in AC.

Or if I started with FFXI, I imagine I would be a hardcore grouper.

But yes...the point is...do you think your first MMO (or heck if you are a really older gamer...MUDs) affected your preference in MMOs? Or did it not change anything?

 

I actually did start out on EQ1 first. And I can and do wait a couple hours for a group to form.  But I played a ranger, so when I couldn't get a group, I could solo things a lot of classes couldn't. Which tinted my mind set to,"oh well, guess I'ma try and solo this group quest." it worked more often than not, atleast until the high end of the game. Also playing EQ was never really about level grinding to me, it was about exploring, seeing what I could do, and replacing crap gear that I got 20 levels ago lol. The amount of races and class variety also spoiled me in that I still scoff at games with less than 8 races and 8 classes.

Loktofeit

My preference in games affected the first MMO that I played.