Well it depends severely on the learning ability of the user/s.
FFXI si the game where you LEARN the MOST about RPG content and class design.
Everquest 2 is the best of the "OTHER" type of rpg's.
By other i mean linear questing rpg's,that do a ton of hand holding and free handouts.
FFXI is a lot easier now but still has a steeper learning curve.It is NOT a hand holding game nor does it offer free handouts,other than the initial tutorial part.
Reason i think EVERYONE should have started in FFXI of old is becuase they learn the genre before all the repeated copy cat habits.
For ease of just stepping into this genre,i would say Everquest 2.Wow is also easy,but instead of starting in a large city ,you basically start in the middle of nowhere.EQ2 offers more overall contant than Wow and pretty much more than any game,but aside from housing,i woudl argue FFXI offers more.Wow offers many mounts and zones/instances but not a lot more than that.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
I need to introduce someone to MMOs (PVE centric). Curious to get your thoughts as to which ones you think might still be enjoyable and not overwhelm someone while still not boring me to death. WOW? LOTRO? GW2? SWTOR? AOC? Pros/Cons? Best for Groups of 2? Remember, newbies dont understand stats in most cases.
Thanks.
Try out EVE online. I hear it's VERY beginner friendly.
That made me laugh out loud... ^^ Even with the new focus, its NOT new player friendly.
depends, if the guy new to MMOs would like to have his hands held from start to finish or that he looks for a real challenge.
EVE can be simple, I play it for many years, it's not that hard, it just has a few hard rules......but EVE can be frustrating if you are used to a game like WOW.
Yes, he will need his hand held. He doesn't even play video games, let a lone one with a keyboard.
Originally posted by Aelious If the person is used to navigating either keyboard/mouse or console I would say GW2. If not then WoW IMO.
Yup, per my previous comment, he is not used to keyboard/mouse. Per my previous comment, I think I'm ruling out WOW because even if it may be the best choice, the level 20 cap for free to play rules that out. Thanks for the comments though.
Originally posted by Kuppa What kind of gamer is he/she?
He isn't. He has never tried gaming lol. THere was a time I never played a MMO around WOW beta and since then thats basically all I play (not WOW, but MMOs in general..except for Skyrim sometimes too :-). The probably with WOW is I don't like that for a beginner it caps at 20 which is why it appears it is a choice between SWTOR or LOTRO. Ill need to ask him which type of universe seems more interesting on the surface.
Originally posted by Kuppa What kind of gamer is he/she?
He isn't. He has never tried gaming lol. THere was a time I never played a MMO around WOW beta and since then thats basically all I play (not WOW, but MMOs in general..except for Skyrim sometimes too :-). The probably with WOW is I don't like that for a beginner it caps at 20 which is why it appears it is a choice between SWTOR or LOTRO. Ill need to ask him which type of universe seems more interesting on the surface.
Do they know you are putting him/her up for this? If it's willingly I either suggest to get him to something like PS2. Which isn't an MMORPG, but it's an MMO. It's also always easy to get people hooked on shooters. I would stay far away from LOTRO, that's a bit more niche. TOR, WoW, GW2 are good starting grounds.
Both have interesting race/class combos so your friend is more likely to find something that clicks with them. Both have fantastic worlds. You dont have to worry about stats in either until much later on, EQ2 in particular you only need to know fighter = str, scout = agi etc.
I would give the nod to WoW overall though, because of one thing: no game on the market is anywhere near as active for low/midlevel grouping. Even as a dps dungeon finders dont take long at all. And the cross realm stuff (plus people rare pet hunting) makes the zones less empty than most.
Recently I have introduced my nephew (11 yr old) to MMOS, in order to tame his Minecraft addiction, the ones he took to the best were WoW, EQ2, and SWTOR. GW2 was a complete nightmare for him, little social interaction, chaotic public quests. I tried to push for gw2 the hardest since it is sub-free, but alas eq2 and wow ended up being his favorites. So he is playing EQ2, since it's free.
Originally posted by Nevulus Recently I have introduced my nephew (11 yr old) to MMOS, in order to tame his Minecraft addiction, the ones he took to the best were WoW, EQ2, and SWTOR. GW2 was a complete nightmare for him, little social interaction, chaotic public quests. I tried to push for gw2 the hardest since it is sub-free, but alas eq2 and wow ended up being his favorites. So he is playing EQ2, since it's free.
Agree or Vanguard is F2p would also teach him.
" Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Those Who Would Threaten It " MAGA
I guess it would have to be something they are somewhat interested in. Do they read fiction? If so what type? Would a high fantasy setting be more up their alley or are they Star Wars fans?
When I introduced my wife to MMO's it was EQ2 and then LOTRO. It was quite a challenge as it is so easy to take the little things for granted. She was a console gamer with tons of Final Fantasy experience over the years but the kb/mouse combo was tough at first as well as all of the LFG, WTB and FTW! etc. It is an enjoyable experience and now she is an old pro! Just don't tell her I said she's old.
My pick if I had to do it again? LOTRO to start and let them decide if it's (online gaming) something they enjoy. Then expand to other titles if they are looking for something different.
I need to introduce someone to MMOs (PVE centric). Curious to get your thoughts as to which ones you think might still be enjoyable and not overwhelm someone while still not boring me to death. WOW? LOTRO? GW2? SWTOR? AOC? Pros/Cons? Best for Groups of 2? Remember, newbies dont understand stats in most cases.
I guess it would have to be something they are somewhat interested in. Do they read fiction? If so what type? Would a high fantasy setting be more up their alley or are they Star Wars fans?
When I introduced my wife to MMO's it was EQ2 and then LOTRO. It was quite a challenge as it is so easy to take the little things for granted. She was a console gamer with tons of Final Fantasy experience over the years but the kb/mouse combo was tough at first as well as all of the LFG, WTB and FTW! etc. It is an enjoyable experience and now she is an old pro! Just don't tell her I said she's old.
My pick if I had to do it again? LOTRO to start and let them decide if it's (online gaming) something they enjoy. Then expand to other titles if they are looking for something different.
This is sort of where I am leaning toward based on the feedback so far. I agree that most people here take the little things for granted that are second nature to us. I sent a text asking which he prefers, Science Fiction or Fantasy which ultimately will be the decider :-) lol.
Originally posted by keithian And the choice has been made. He prefers a fantasy world. Lord of the Rings it is. Thanks folks :-).
Good pick and good luck! I was just reminiscing with the better half about our first times in an online world. You only get to experiece that once. Have fun!
Lord of the RIngs Online (LOTRO). Theve dont lots of tweaking to get new players involved and I think they do a great job of it. Side note- I played the 20-level free version of WoW when it first broke and was not able to party with anyone (so I gave up) without a sub. Not sure if they've changed that? If it's still that way it might be a put-off.
World of Warcraft, hands down. It was never very "difficult" but they've been slowly dumbing it down to the point of obsurdity. It's like the McDonalds of MMO's now. Accessible, possibly addictive, no real value.
Originally posted by keithian The choice would have been WOW if it wasn't for the level 20 cap. I hated Aion, so there is no way I'm going to have a beginner try that.
No problem .. my recommendation is based on the "current " state of Aion, which from what I understand has evolved significantly from the original form which I hadn't played. Good luck on the LOTRO experiment hope they like it.
Comments
Well it depends severely on the learning ability of the user/s.
FFXI si the game where you LEARN the MOST about RPG content and class design.
Everquest 2 is the best of the "OTHER" type of rpg's.
By other i mean linear questing rpg's,that do a ton of hand holding and free handouts.
FFXI is a lot easier now but still has a steeper learning curve.It is NOT a hand holding game nor does it offer free handouts,other than the initial tutorial part.
Reason i think EVERYONE should have started in FFXI of old is becuase they learn the genre before all the repeated copy cat habits.
For ease of just stepping into this genre,i would say Everquest 2.Wow is also easy,but instead of starting in a large city ,you basically start in the middle of nowhere.EQ2 offers more overall contant than Wow and pretty much more than any game,but aside from housing,i woudl argue FFXI offers more.Wow offers many mounts and zones/instances but not a lot more than that.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Yes, he will need his hand held. He doesn't even play video games, let a lone one with a keyboard.
There Is Always Hope!
Yup, per my previous comment, he is not used to keyboard/mouse. Per my previous comment, I think I'm ruling out WOW because even if it may be the best choice, the level 20 cap for free to play rules that out. Thanks for the comments though.
There Is Always Hope!
What kind of gamer is he/she?
Best
He isn't. He has never tried gaming lol. THere was a time I never played a MMO around WOW beta and since then thats basically all I play (not WOW, but MMOs in general..except for Skyrim sometimes too :-). The probably with WOW is I don't like that for a beginner it caps at 20 which is why it appears it is a choice between SWTOR or LOTRO. Ill need to ask him which type of universe seems more interesting on the surface.
There Is Always Hope!
Do they know you are putting him/her up for this? If it's willingly I either suggest to get him to something like PS2. Which isn't an MMORPG, but it's an MMO. It's also always easy to get people hooked on shooters. I would stay far away from LOTRO, that's a bit more niche. TOR, WoW, GW2 are good starting grounds.
Planetside 2 man
Either WoW or EQ2.
Both have interesting race/class combos so your friend is more likely to find something that clicks with them. Both have fantastic worlds. You dont have to worry about stats in either until much later on, EQ2 in particular you only need to know fighter = str, scout = agi etc.
I would give the nod to WoW overall though, because of one thing: no game on the market is anywhere near as active for low/midlevel grouping. Even as a dps dungeon finders dont take long at all. And the cross realm stuff (plus people rare pet hunting) makes the zones less empty than most.
Agree or Vanguard is F2p would also teach him.
MAGA
I guess it would have to be something they are somewhat interested in. Do they read fiction? If so what type? Would a high fantasy setting be more up their alley or are they Star Wars fans?
When I introduced my wife to MMO's it was EQ2 and then LOTRO. It was quite a challenge as it is so easy to take the little things for granted. She was a console gamer with tons of Final Fantasy experience over the years but the kb/mouse combo was tough at first as well as all of the LFG, WTB and FTW! etc. It is an enjoyable experience and now she is an old pro! Just don't tell her I said she's old.
My pick if I had to do it again? LOTRO to start and let them decide if it's (online gaming) something they enjoy. Then expand to other titles if they are looking for something different.
Runes of Magic , end of dicussion. lol.
This is sort of where I am leaning toward based on the feedback so far. I agree that most people here take the little things for granted that are second nature to us. I sent a text asking which he prefers, Science Fiction or Fantasy which ultimately will be the decider :-) lol.
There Is Always Hope!
There Is Always Hope!
Good pick and good luck! I was just reminiscing with the better half about our first times in an online world. You only get to experiece that once. Have fun!
Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!
Lord of the RIngs Online (LOTRO). Theve dont lots of tweaking to get new players involved and I think they do a great job of it. Side note- I played the 20-level free version of WoW when it first broke and was not able to party with anyone (so I gave up) without a sub. Not sure if they've changed that? If it's still that way it might be a put-off.
*edit* oops! i see you picked! nice
You make me like charity
There Is Always Hope!
No problem .. my recommendation is based on the "current " state of Aion, which from what I understand has evolved significantly from the original form which I hadn't played. Good luck on the LOTRO experiment hope they like it.