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LF non-gear-intensive multi-option game to get acquainted with some people
Per the title, I'm trying to re-orchestrate my priorities while I'm waiting for GW2. In the past few months I've run the gamut in hopes of finding something to hold my attention, with no success whatsoever. I've tried LOTRO, AOC, FW, Mabinogi, Perpetuum, and even took my seven days on Rift and resubbed a month to Aion.
The most success I've had so far has been playing EQ1 on P1999 (which I highly recommend if you're nostalgic and can tolerate the fact that EQ1 has not aged gracefully at all), and I'll probably stick with it if nothing else comes along. In the meantime, though, I wanted to send out some feelers to get some feedback, and a lot of it goes to the fundamental themepark-sandbox dichotomy.
I want a game where I can actually get to know the people I'm playing with. The old sandboxes were great for that because of the downtime that we hated so much. Unless you were pulling, you actually had time to talk. That meant you got to know people. Trouble is, people aren't always available, and for a lot of classes unless the group was very efficient, it was often more effective to solo. And I like to solo; on live I played a Druid, and there I'm playing a Shaman. The point is the option to group or solo--not one at the expense of the other, and not one for certain content at certain stages of the game and another for other content at other stages.
Maybe it's just a function of the times that games tend to be more quiet, or maybe it's just guild compartmentalization, but I miss zone-wide and pug conversation. So I'm LFGame again, because even though EQ is great for the nostalgia, I've seen the world before, and let's face it--it looks like ass.
My primary requisites are that the game have a community of active players and that it be able to promote non-instanced grouping in addition to soloing. Unfortunately this disqualifies Rift, WOW, (I'm not sure about Aion) and the like. It certainly doesn't hurt if it looks like it was made in this decade too. The problem I've experienced with those games is that while you might get acquainted with your guild, you're never going to group outside of a dungeon. Inside a dungeon you're instanced, and on top of that the game mechanics (move-kill-click-click-click) makes it hard for any party members to carry on a conversation. So in a way I guess I'm looking for an old-school camp-style grinder. If there was a populated FFXI classic server or emulator that was set up the way the game was a few years ago (before mentoring, Abyssea, etc.), that's what I'd be playing.
I don't mind quests. This isn't a "sandbox or gtfo" thread--I know already that if I narrow it down that much I'll cut every modern game out of consideration. But the deeds in LOTRO killed it for me because of the content lock--I might have just subbed to avoid the issue, but the aesthetic, beautiful though it may be, just turned me off somehow. I can't really explain it.
Additionally I add the caveat that I'm not interested in a dungeon gear grind. I'll camp for gear, but I don't want to have to run an instance a dozen times for it. Maybe that sounds silly to you, but those of us who remember the high times can testify that at least when you were wait-listed for a popular spot you could be doing something else, and when you got the spot, you had a chance for the drop every few kills, instead of having to run the 30-90 minute dungeon every time.
Honestly, I don't expect any encouragement, but I think this discussion is worthwhile, and I'd be delighted if someone can mention something I've overlooked. As much as I'm excited about GW2, I have a feeling that the dynamic events will either make or break my hopes for a return, since I get the impression that the game will be frenetic enough to stifle communication, even if open-world content is localized by event.
What ever happened to camp? I like camp. Lizard camp, goblin camp, lf1m for bandits/crocs/pugils/Emperor. In fact I think I could be perfectly happy with a setup that combined both approaches in a very broad sense: "Kill 300 spiders and come back to me for a boatload of gold." I realize that stuff is potentially boring, but it's an option that demands support from the game in order to be viable. Soloing 300 spiders is boring for a lot of people. I get it. Killing 300 spiders back to back with five other guys while you talk about politics and religion is quite a bit less boring, and soloing 300 spiders one at a time for fantastic experience over a week and a half while you drink beer and talk with a zone full of strangers isn't boring either (my whole inspiration for playing a Sham in EQ is to get to the giant camp in Everfrost and make it my home, all because I remember a drunk shammy who entertained me there on live many years ago).
I know this is perhaps more of a rant (or a lamentation) than an actual request for games, but I'm asking, since I can, if this experience is still out there anywhere other than in the remnants of the original games themselves.
Peace and safety.
Comments
The hard part about recommending mmorpgs to people in the LFG forum is that once the individual who is looking for a game lists about 5 or more requirements or characteristics they are looking for in the game, most if not all mmorpgs are excluded. To say it another way, the pool of games is so limited, and the games in that pool are so similar, that listing more than just a few things you want in the game usually means that there will be no games that fit the bill.
This isn't a criticism of you or anyone else. Nor am I suggesting people limit their list of what they are looking for. In fact, I think the more information people give, the better. My comment is just a reflection on the current state of the industry. It's sad to have to have to recommend games that are only partially what people are looking for.
So anyway, unfortunately all I can recommend is a game you are already playing, plus one that is somewhat inconsistent with the rest of your requirements: EQ1 on Fippy Darkpaw, and Vanguard.
If you're only wanting to know if you've overlooked some hidden gem of a game somewhere...the answer is you haven't. And there are a whole lot of people in the exact same boat as you.
Like I said, I don't expect any legitimate recommendations unless there's just something completely surprising. I realize that what I'm describing is something that currently just doesn't exist in a modern generation game, and I appreciate that most of the threads here, like this one, are desperation. I think of this board more as a support group than an actual source of information. It's a testament to the dissatisfaction of a lot of players with where the genre is right now, and I have to throw my hat in there.
That said, while I have no expectation of a "the game you're looking for is ______", I think the discussion is at least potentially worthwhile. The things I'm looking for might not exist all together, but I know some games have strong points in certain areas and weak ones elsewhere. I'm willing to compromise if the price is right, but it would be disingenuine of me to not articulate my ideal criteria.
I actually considered Fippy--it's what led me to P1999, since to be perfectly honest, I just can't justify paying anyone a monthly sub to play EQ, classic or otherwise. Also, since I quit playing during the game's prime, once the progression gets past a certain point, I'm out of expansions and there's no way I'm paying for any more. The game has already generated enough revenue to retire plenty of people.
Vanguard had McQuaid attached to it, which was at least as bad a strike against it as SOE at the time it was developed, and that kept me from ever seriously considering it. Now, though, my research leads me to believe that the game is basically a board meeting away from going the way of SWG. That's not to be judgmental about the quality of the game or its community--only to say that I understand the community is too small to support the size of the game world. If someone can show me something empirical to the contrary, though, I'd be delighted to see it. Short of that, however, even forgiving SOE and Brad's involvement, I can't justify putting money into something that has a reasonable possibility of shutting down before it even serves the purpose I'd be paying for (holding me over until GW2).
Peace and safety.
I just resubbed to WoW untill GW2 or something else comes out. I know WoW... After quitting so many times I keep returning.
But this time around I took a diffrent approach. No more gear grind to the infinite for me. Yes I do the occasional dungeon and raid. But only with friends/social people. I really don't care if we kill 1 boss or 20 anymore.
You'd be suprised, if you really look for a good social guild in WoW. You can really find a bunch of potential friends to just hang around with. Sitting in goldshire chatting for example.
My big mistake has always been; joining a (hardcore) raiding guild. They are not as they used to be. Now pretty much every person is in those because they NEED those other persons to get their gear. Most of those guilds are quite or have a very few people chatting from time to time.
Taking a diffrent approach to something might be a breath of fresh air. Go for a (big) social guild and you'll see the "GOGOGO", "WTFTUURD", "WHERE MY EPIX" community vanishes before your eyes.
This is comming from a person who played WoW on and off since launch.
PS: I've Found that RP servers are overall more mature for this, at least in EU.
Well, there's this:
Link 1
Link 2