In no particular order since they would be to hard to order
UO (not much I can say, but this game had it right to begin with...and to bad the genre has gotten away from it)
FFXI (best community and social)
L2 (Sieges need I say more)
DAOC (RvR... very fun; 3 faction war etc)
EVE (This games depth is amazing, even though I wasn't able to get into it as much as I would have liked it still demands respect and a spot on the best list)
"In the immediate future, we have this one, and then weve got another one that is actually going to be so were going to have, what we want to do, is in January, what were targeting to do, this may or may not happen, so you cant hold me to it. But what were targeting to do, is have a fun anniversary to the Ilum shenanigans that happened. An alien race might invade, and they might crash into Ilum and there might be some new activities that happen on the planet." ~Gabe Amatangelo
1. DAoC - Put the reason into doing PvP. Atlantis expansion was a hugh PVE time sink that the high level players didn't want. Improvements to the battle grounds were a hugh step backwards and crowd control with area effects were too strong.
2. SWG - Best open feel MMO ever. Bad is they destroyed the game trying to improve it and now it is gone.
3. Vanguard - very interesting races, classes and second best open feel to it. Loved the Diplmoacy. Bad is no love given to adding content and low population.
4. Uncharted Waters Online - Another RvR game with a different pace and feel to it. Old time sailing ships. Bad is slow pace can get you bored.
5. Pirates of the Burning Seas - Was absolutely a blast if you were in a good fleet, Port battles were great. bad is with low population the economy doesn't function correctly and it effects the end game play.
Present:
1. SWTor - Fun getting to max level and doing your story. Unfortunately end game isn't there in my opinion.
2. STO - I like the ships, bridge crew, player made quests. Once again a bit weak on the end game although much better than SWTor.
3. Rift - Love the character skill choices and fun leveling up with plenty to keep you occupied. The end game still lacking for me.
4. EQ2 - Doubt there is a MMo that has more content this MMO. My one complaint is the end game is high level dungeons and raids
3-5. There really are no other mmos close in terms of content or quality.
All time
1. EQ1 Hands down the best MMO ever made. If you did not play EQ1 at release then you realy missed the golden age of MMOs.
2. UO
3. DAOC Speaking of the golden age of MMOs. Like EQ1 DAOC had an amazing community that had what iI would call ethical or honoerable PvP.
4, Rift
5. WoW hard to argue with the quality and innovation. Wows game design chnaged the entire genre, Maybe not for the good but it changed it.
Honorable mention for games that should have been if the games were actually finished
6. Vanguard Pronbaly the besy developed foundation and core of any MMO ever made. Sadly it needed another year plus of develipment and anyone but SOE running it.
7. Horizons Great crafting game terrible adventuring game
8. SWG Same as Horizons but worse because of SOE
9. Shadowbane Wonderful complex character creation system where there were many meaningful decisions that had to be made before one even entered the game. This game could have been huge if the game had been stable.
Most lists are generally the opinion of the writer, but this does not even count as a list because you included 1 new game, 1 unreleased game, and 1 wildly unpopular game. Sorry I meant 2 not so populated games.
Do have a bias for AOC though so accept that one due to population + quality.
Since I like free games though I would have these games in no particular order
I've played some horrible ones, but yeah stuff like Everquest and WoW stood out. Didn't like Rift. Or Everquest 2. Suppose Ferentus, Asheron's Call 2 and LOTRO deserve a mention.
Originally posted by Garvon3 Originally posted by NoamIt depends if your talking now or all time.5. WoW hard to argue with the quality and innovation. Wows game design chnaged the entire genre, Maybe not for the good but it changed it.
Er, what innovations? WoW hasn't contributed a single original idea to the MMO space.
As much as I'm not WoW's biggest fan- you're a ninny if you think that.
4) AOC - pretty dull after Tortage to be honest. quit about 3/4 of the way through the leveling process
After that are games I quit fairly early on such as EQ2, RoM, Forsaken World, STO and EVE. UO didn't interest me and I hated the design and graphics of EQ.
I haven't tried Rift, TSW, TERA, Aion or GW2. My guess is GW2 will be the next one I play but not on release.
I'm not saying it's an all-time great. It's just my favorite MMORPG right now. Yes, I know it just released. I think it's the best one now. Ample discussion elsewhere.
2. WoW
Not now. But it was great for a while. Really great and addictive. Then stuff happened and it changed to be less to my liking. Much less. But I can't forget how much fun I had back in the day. I played for 2 years through BC, then on and off after, then finally off.....
3. Darkfall
These guys tried to make something different. It had lots of flaws and lots of grind, but the closest I've ever found to Morrowind Online. This game had it's day -- sadly, a short one, but I played for a year. Because of that, I'm looking forward to DF2.
4. Mortal Online
Yeah, that's right. Buggy as hell, sometimes, but still...If you can put up with that and you have time to sink into it and you find a guild, then it could be a great experience. Played about 3 months, but just ran out of time to commit to a game like this. I realized what was involved to becoming successful, and it's not grind. You need to be active in a guild. Not a soloers paradise, as far as I can tell.
5. No number 5. That's all I feel worth mentioning for me. Played SWG for a week for a free trial when I heard it was closing down. Seemed interesting, but really can't say more than that. Played all the other big games out except Final Fantasy XIV, which I played in beta. Just 4 worth mentioning of released games.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
Amazing dungeon crawler. Quests are extremely fun and varied, character progression is deep and allows for tons of customization, and the gameplay is just enjoyable.
2. RuneScape
RuneScape is one of those games where you will probably always have something new to do. The sheer amount of features in this game is astounding and makes the game world feel alive and believable.
3.Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard's scope, depth, and difficulty places it among one of the best open-world MMORPG's. It's a truly immersive game with crazy amounts of options for players.
4.World of Warcraft
Polish, accessability, and, most importantly, flare. World of Warcraft is filled with interesting characters, varied quests, and entertaining lore that sets it apart from the rest.
5.Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
One of the most addicting PvP experiences in the MMO realms. It has some of, if not, the coolest character classes in the genre.
I base my list on the "fun" factor..the factor that had me thinking about the game a work, rushing home afterwords and losing myself in it..
5) Eve Online played it straight for 2 years for me and my Game ADD thats pretty impressive
4) EQ 2 Played at release for about 1 year and picked it up again FTP
3) LOTRO as above
2) EQ My starter drug err game
1) Auto Assult I obsessed over it when I was subbed to it. Nothing more cathartic after the long grind at work and the commute home..the logging in and running f%$kers over
No matter how cynical you become, its never enough to keep up - Lily Tomlin
Everquest - Despire major flaws, I played this more than I have all other MMOs combined. Still have a ton of memories about this game (both good and bad, but mostly good), and there's something to be said for a game that makes you stay in touch with people you played with years after they stopped playing. Closest MMO I've played to what my ideal MMO would look like.
Asheron's Call - Loved the huge open world. Probably the only MMO I've ever played where exploring the world was fun. Loved the free form class system. Was not a fan of the allegiance system. Would have liked the class system to be more in depth, having more than four magic schools, allowing you to dual wield and use two handed weapons, etc.
World of Warcraft - Only played during vanilla, but I think vanilla WoW struck a good balance between the major timesinks of earlier MMOs like EQ and modern MMOs where you experience content at a lightning fast rate. Also a good balance between open world and instanced, large and small group stuff (again I'm talking about vanilla).
Dark Age of Camelot - Didn't play it a ton because I was playing Everquest at the time, but liked the faction system and the races. Basically Everquest for PvPers (IMO), and if I had been more into PvP I can easily see myself having got more into this game.
Planetside - Not an RPG, but still loved this game, so I'm giving it #5.
Though UO is not technically the first mmorpg (as we know them today), I believe it's fair to say that UO shaped the mmo format early in its infancy and popularized the genre, thus ushering in a new age of gaming known as the mmorpg.
I guess you could say the EverQuest franchise (which is why I included EQ & EQ2) was the first "wow" of the mmo genre. If UO popularized mmorpgs, EQ (and later EQ2) dominated the scene as the most popular of all mmos, until WOW entered the scene.
I couldn't just leave DAOC out of the list. DAOC, though no longer with us today (though in spirit through GW2), I believe was way ahead of its time. I believe DAOC was the only 3 faction based mmorpg in the market in a time when all other games had only 2 factions. DAOC had some of the most creative and innovative game play in the industry.
EVE Online is still to this day the only truly successful sci-fi mmorpg. As far as I'm aware, I believe it is the oldest running mmorpg in the market, well deserving a spot in the top 5 mmorpgs of all time.
WOW is... well, WOW is WOW and anyone who knows mmorpgs knows WOW. Since early on after release, WOW has dominated the mmorpg genre, crushing any and all competitors (in regards to sub numbers). Though I believe WOW's reign is slowly waning, and whether or not you agreed and/or liked/hated the game play, WOW has certainly earned itself a spot in any list considering the best and greatest mmorpgs of all time.
Arenanet's Guild Wars franchise (to include GW2) I believe fits a similar role to that of DAOC. Neither DAOC or GW1 enjoyed the sub numbers that WOW has enjoyed for so many years; however, both games did enjoy a very strong and dedicated fan base. GW1, much like DAOC was very much its own game and it's still up for debate as to whether GW1 should even be included in the mmorpg genre. From day one GW1 had a unique game play and demonstrated that quality mmorpgs did not always require monthly subs. GW2, though not yet released, embodies the same spirit that made GW1 such a great game. Many people have compared GW2 to DAOC and some have even called it its worthy successor. Though I was hesitant to include a game that has yet to be released (GW2), in today's mmorpg market, it's almost impossible to ignore the mammoth that is at our doorstep and that if predictions are true, will transform the mmo genre much like WOW did when it arrived.
Obviously all of this is my opinion, I was trying to be fair and unbiased.
Comments
In no particular order since they would be to hard to order
UO (not much I can say, but this game had it right to begin with...and to bad the genre has gotten away from it)
FFXI (best community and social)
L2 (Sieges need I say more)
DAOC (RvR... very fun; 3 faction war etc)
EVE (This games depth is amazing, even though I wasn't able to get into it as much as I would have liked it still demands respect and a spot on the best list)
"In the immediate future, we have this one, and then weve got another one that is actually going to be so were going to have, what we want to do, is in January, what were targeting to do, this may or may not happen, so you cant hold me to it. But what were targeting to do, is have a fun anniversary to the Ilum shenanigans that happened. An alien race might invade, and they might crash into Ilum and there might be some new activities that happen on the planet." ~Gabe Amatangelo
Alltime:
1. DAoC - Put the reason into doing PvP. Atlantis expansion was a hugh PVE time sink that the high level players didn't want. Improvements to the battle grounds were a hugh step backwards and crowd control with area effects were too strong.
2. SWG - Best open feel MMO ever. Bad is they destroyed the game trying to improve it and now it is gone.
3. Vanguard - very interesting races, classes and second best open feel to it. Loved the Diplmoacy. Bad is no love given to adding content and low population.
4. Uncharted Waters Online - Another RvR game with a different pace and feel to it. Old time sailing ships. Bad is slow pace can get you bored.
5. Pirates of the Burning Seas - Was absolutely a blast if you were in a good fleet, Port battles were great. bad is with low population the economy doesn't function correctly and it effects the end game play.
Present:
1. SWTor - Fun getting to max level and doing your story. Unfortunately end game isn't there in my opinion.
2. STO - I like the ships, bridge crew, player made quests. Once again a bit weak on the end game although much better than SWTor.
3. Rift - Love the character skill choices and fun leveling up with plenty to keep you occupied. The end game still lacking for me.
4. EQ2 - Doubt there is a MMo that has more content this MMO. My one complaint is the end game is high level dungeons and raids
It depends if your talking now or all time.
Now
1. Rift
2. EQ2
3-5. There really are no other mmos close in terms of content or quality.
All time
1. EQ1 Hands down the best MMO ever made. If you did not play EQ1 at release then you realy missed the golden age of MMOs.
2. UO
3. DAOC Speaking of the golden age of MMOs. Like EQ1 DAOC had an amazing community that had what iI would call ethical or honoerable PvP.
4, Rift
5. WoW hard to argue with the quality and innovation. Wows game design chnaged the entire genre, Maybe not for the good but it changed it.
Honorable mention for games that should have been if the games were actually finished
6. Vanguard Pronbaly the besy developed foundation and core of any MMO ever made. Sadly it needed another year plus of develipment and anyone but SOE running it.
7. Horizons Great crafting game terrible adventuring game
8. SWG Same as Horizons but worse because of SOE
9. Shadowbane Wonderful complex character creation system where there were many meaningful decisions that had to be made before one even entered the game. This game could have been huge if the game had been stable.
Most lists are generally the opinion of the writer, but this does not even count as a list because you included 1 new game, 1 unreleased game, and 1 wildly unpopular game. Sorry I meant 2 not so populated games.
Do have a bias for AOC though so accept that one due to population + quality.
Since I like free games though I would have these games in no particular order
RIFT
AOC
LOTR
D & D
DOAC
Here are my five:
1. Star Wars Galaxies
2. Star Wars the Old Republic
3. Age of Conan
4. WoW
5. GW2 so far in beta
Ajax
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm best MMO's I have played
1. Shadowbame-great suspense and world builder
2. Vanguard- a lot to do outside combat
3. SWTOR-lovd the story lines
4. Unchartered waters onling-very good sailing sandbox
5. AOC-first 20 levels best I have ever played
Worst mmo's I have played-Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
1. Wurm online-controles , graphics, etc
2. Runes of magic- poorly done wow rip off
3. Warhammer online- bad pve and poorly organized
4. Eve online- little dots in space, spreadsheet not a game
5, SWG-had potential to be great
Er, what innovations? WoW hasn't contributed a single original idea to the MMO space.
For me right now:
1 The Secret World
2 Star Wars The Old Republic
3 City of Heroes
4 World of Warcraft
5 Everquest II
I've played some horrible ones, but yeah stuff like Everquest and WoW stood out. Didn't like Rift. Or Everquest 2. Suppose Ferentus, Asheron's Call 2 and LOTRO deserve a mention.
As much as I'm not WoW's biggest fan- you're a ninny if you think that.
My list of MMOs based on time played only.
1) WOW - played the most during vanilla and BC
2) LOTRO - used to be much better than it is now
3) SWTOR - great leveling the first time through
4) AOC - pretty dull after Tortage to be honest. quit about 3/4 of the way through the leveling process
After that are games I quit fairly early on such as EQ2, RoM, Forsaken World, STO and EVE. UO didn't interest me and I hated the design and graphics of EQ.
I haven't tried Rift, TSW, TERA, Aion or GW2. My guess is GW2 will be the next one I play but not on release.
The hipster choice! Meridian 59
1. The Secret World
I'm not saying it's an all-time great. It's just my favorite MMORPG right now. Yes, I know it just released. I think it's the best one now. Ample discussion elsewhere.
2. WoW
Not now. But it was great for a while. Really great and addictive. Then stuff happened and it changed to be less to my liking. Much less. But I can't forget how much fun I had back in the day. I played for 2 years through BC, then on and off after, then finally off.....
3. Darkfall
These guys tried to make something different. It had lots of flaws and lots of grind, but the closest I've ever found to Morrowind Online. This game had it's day -- sadly, a short one, but I played for a year. Because of that, I'm looking forward to DF2.
4. Mortal Online
Yeah, that's right. Buggy as hell, sometimes, but still...If you can put up with that and you have time to sink into it and you find a guild, then it could be a great experience. Played about 3 months, but just ran out of time to commit to a game like this. I realized what was involved to becoming successful, and it's not grind. You need to be active in a guild. Not a soloers paradise, as far as I can tell.
5. No number 5. That's all I feel worth mentioning for me. Played SWG for a week for a free trial when I heard it was closing down. Seemed interesting, but really can't say more than that. Played all the other big games out except Final Fantasy XIV, which I played in beta. Just 4 worth mentioning of released games.
I only come to a top 3:
SWG
TSW
DAOC
These 3 stand out of the crowd.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM
Best is subjective, but here are my five personal favorites, and why.
City of Heroes/Villains/etc...; Travel powers; Costume generator; Superhero genre. Superheroes Rule!
Dark Age of Camelot; Three distinct realms with different classes; felt like a real world. All things Norse Rule!
Age of Conan; Felt brutal in melee combat, darker themes than most games allow. Decapitations Rule!
Horizons/Istaria; Good Crafting, Real Multiclassing; Option to play a Dragon with a lair. Dragons Rule!
Guild Wars 1; Good Multiclassing, felt like a real world, innovative combat. Monk Dance Rules!
Hard to pick a top 5
No offense, but GW2 and TSW shouldn't even be considered until they've been out at least several months.
1. Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach
Amazing dungeon crawler. Quests are extremely fun and varied, character progression is deep and allows for tons of customization, and the gameplay is just enjoyable.
2. RuneScape
RuneScape is one of those games where you will probably always have something new to do. The sheer amount of features in this game is astounding and makes the game world feel alive and believable.
3. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard's scope, depth, and difficulty places it among one of the best open-world MMORPG's. It's a truly immersive game with crazy amounts of options for players.
4. World of Warcraft
Polish, accessability, and, most importantly, flare. World of Warcraft is filled with interesting characters, varied quests, and entertaining lore that sets it apart from the rest.
5. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
One of the most addicting PvP experiences in the MMO realms. It has some of, if not, the coolest character classes in the genre.
EVE might be the only game that deserves to be in a top 5 MMO list.
I base my list on the "fun" factor..the factor that had me thinking about the game a work, rushing home afterwords and losing myself in it..
5) Eve Online played it straight for 2 years for me and my Game ADD thats pretty impressive
4) EQ 2 Played at release for about 1 year and picked it up again FTP
3) LOTRO as above
2) EQ My starter drug err game
1) Auto Assult I obsessed over it when I was subbed to it. Nothing more cathartic after the long grind at work and the commute home..the logging in and running f%$kers over
No matter how cynical you become, its never enough to keep up - Lily Tomlin
Nah .. it has boring combat mechanics, and uninspiring PvE. I would rather play STO.
Everquest - Despire major flaws, I played this more than I have all other MMOs combined. Still have a ton of memories about this game (both good and bad, but mostly good), and there's something to be said for a game that makes you stay in touch with people you played with years after they stopped playing. Closest MMO I've played to what my ideal MMO would look like.
Asheron's Call - Loved the huge open world. Probably the only MMO I've ever played where exploring the world was fun. Loved the free form class system. Was not a fan of the allegiance system. Would have liked the class system to be more in depth, having more than four magic schools, allowing you to dual wield and use two handed weapons, etc.
World of Warcraft - Only played during vanilla, but I think vanilla WoW struck a good balance between the major timesinks of earlier MMOs like EQ and modern MMOs where you experience content at a lightning fast rate. Also a good balance between open world and instanced, large and small group stuff (again I'm talking about vanilla).
Dark Age of Camelot - Didn't play it a ton because I was playing Everquest at the time, but liked the faction system and the races. Basically Everquest for PvPers (IMO), and if I had been more into PvP I can easily see myself having got more into this game.
Planetside - Not an RPG, but still loved this game, so I'm giving it #5.
1. GW2
2. LOTRO
3. FFXI
4. UO
5. EQ
1. daoc
2. eq2
3. eq1
4. ac2
5. wow.
and of the new mmos
secret world the only mmo to date were i like doing quests this is the best of the new mmos to date for me.
1.) UO
2.) Shadowbane
3.) EvE Online
The rest I have never played longer than 6 months....so you can rank everything else under that. lol
BigCountry | Head Hunters | www.wefarmpeople.com