I'm sure it's been mentioned. But, I would recommend filling your time with Tera, GW2, SWTOR or TSW. Fill your time with one or more of these till Wildstar releases. If you enjoyed WoW, you will most likely enjoy Wildstar (similar art style, lots of ex-blizzard employees making the game).
I am a long time veteran MMO player (since WOW legacy, 100s of years ago (seems like)).
I highly recommend "RIFT" as your first stop in the ever expanding mmo universe. It is a huge game with a thriving community and very active developer base. The best part, for you, is the free to play model they have chosen, you can experience the game without restriction to game content. In my opinion it is way better than wow and contains a lifetime of PVE solo experience as well as random multi-player experience through Zone and World events. Of course it has Dungeons and Raids if that is what you are after as well and even a decent PVP.
Guild wars 2 is an excellent mmo but the game needs to be purchased.
Finally keep your I on Wildstar, it is looking promising in its development and some of the developers are ex WOW.
If you want Free-to-Play then I'd say RIFT or even Neverwinter. If you're willing to spend at least $30 for a game and a monthly fee, check out Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
After reading your post, I think you would love Aion
It's free to play and I think you can download it too
There is plenty of stuff you can sell if that's your thing. Grinding alone is something everyone does in Aion, so you would be right at home there
Plus you get to fly in some zones
You're onto something, Adalwulff! I checked out MMOBomb's "First Look" video for Aion and it definitely looked like my style. Funny thing though, the gen chat in the video showed several people complaining about how dead the server was (and I believe the video was about 1-1/2 years old). What's the server population like these days?
looking for a more personal and engaging system for building things in your game.
Cheers, Mojo! TSW and SWTOR are high up on my list, and I hadn't heard of Warframe before you mentioned it. (But I can't imagine a more intriguing premise than "Mass Effect with Space Ninjas" - love it!)
Everquest Next is definitely something I plan to keep an eye on, though I haven't had any experience with the EQ games. (Been contemplating trying EQ2, but I imagine there may well be a mass exodus when Next comes out?)
Originally posted by Sho0terMcgavin
I'm sure it's been mentioned. But, I would recommend filling your time with Tera, GW2, SWTOR or TSW. Fill your time with one or more of these till Wildstar releases. If you enjoyed WoW, you will most likely enjoy Wildstar (similar art style, lots of ex-blizzard employees making the game).
Someone very kindly linked me to the Wildstar trailer and it definitely looked like something I'd enjoy. I'll be looking out for that one for sure (will be fun to start an MMO at launch for once!) Tera, GW2, SWTOR and TSW are likely my Top 4 at the moment, with Rift, Aion and LOTRO in the mix as well. Y'all are excellent at enabling.
Originally posted by crazyed66
Hi
I am a long time veteran MMO player (since WOW legacy, 100s of years ago (seems like)).
I highly recommend "RIFT" as your first stop in the ever expanding mmo universe. It is a huge game with a thriving community and very active developer base. The best part, for you, is the free to play model they have chosen, you can experience the game without restriction to game content. In my opinion it is way better than wow and contains a lifetime of PVE solo experience as well as random multi-player experience through Zone and World events. Of course it has Dungeons and Raids if that is what you are after as well and even a decent PVP.
Guild wars 2 is an excellent mmo but the game needs to be purchased.
Finally keep your I on Wildstar, it is looking promising in its development and some of the developers are ex WOW.
I like your style, Crazyed - and I'm definitely giving RIFT a look later this week. Which server are you on?
Originally posted by juice2000
Ide say FF14,the main reasons being,
So heavily WoW inspired its almost a carbon copy of WoW feature wise.
You wouldnt need to know any of the lore as no Final Fantasy game is connected to another.
It has a massive population at the moment that gets larger every day.
guilds that suit what your looking for are easy to find
it offers single player leveling
abundant group content
if you like rpg's SquareEnix were the kings for them
The deepest and most complex crafting system outside of a sandbox game
Like your gold? because of the crafting system the trading posts will make all your dreams come true
Have a read about the game at least, so your not missing out.
Hey Juice! I wish I had some experience with FF games; I grew up on NES but they were never on my radar for some reason. Reading awesome things about FFXIV:ARR, so I might pick that one up over the holidays when the game sales are going strong.
Tera, GW2, SWTOR and TSW are likely my Top 4 at the moment, with Rift, Aion and LOTRO in the mix as well. Y'all are excellent at enabling.
Scarlett, based on the things that you indicated you are looking for, GW2 may not be a game that would suit you. The game has a lot of positives, but some very big negatives where you may be concerned. Crafting is decent in the game, but fairly inconsequential until very late levels. And forget about making money on the Auction House with the crafting. Because the AH is game-wide, rather than server specific, things are extremely cheap to buy, including gathered materials. Not good for a crafter looking to make some money off their wares. Add in the fact that people can basically buy their gold through the cash shop (gem to gold conversion), and money in GW2 is rather meaningless.
Also, GW2's endgame leaves a lot to be desired. There are instances, but no raids other than larger dynamic events, which aren't more than forced grouping with little to no prep time and very little actual interaction with those in the "raid." Add in the fact that there isn't a lot of vertical progression in the game, which as a former WoW player, I'm fairly turned off by. Statted gear is not an important feature in this game, and it's really kind of hard to stand out from others aside from cosmetically. Even the class "roles" are fairly nondescript, as everyone basically plays a dps/support hybrid. This makes the dungeon crawls chaotic and over-tuned due to lack of actual boss mechanics. Truth be told, the main endgame feature for many who play this game is PvP. And if that isn't something you really love, then it might be a bit dull for you.
And last, but not least, the game doesn't have a sub, but does require to you pay for the box, which is still full-priced as far as I know.
LOTRO: Probably the best pure themepark game aside from WoW on the market. It has one of the best world designs, and is a very deep game. Crafting is WoW-ish, but a bit deeper. It's got a great storyline/lore aspect to it (obviously), and a very large game world with mostly open zones. Lots of exploration, and you aren't forced down corridors from Point A to Point B like in many theme parks with smaller zones. Content is still gated, but exploration is much more viable due to the large, open design of the zones. Turbine really has done a great job of re-creating the Tolkien world. Its also got two forms of Alternate Advancement for max-level characters that will keep you busy: Legendary weapons and Mounted Combat. One of the best appearance options in game to customize the look of your character's armor/gear, and one of the very best communities you will ever seen in an mmo. Just make sure you pick the right server. I suggest Brandywine or Landroval (the server I play on).
Positives: If you like questing, crafting, a great-looking world, and great storyline, then this is a great game. As a F2P player, you can buy bits and pieces of content a little at a time if you don't want to subscribe. Great community.
Negatives: Little to no endgame raiding content. Turbine has pretty much written off this aspect of their game, unfortunately. Combat is sluggish and dull, not nearly as responsive as WoW. Classes are designed fairly well, but you end up with serious skill bloat. Looks like Turbine is going to be addressing both of these issues in their next expansion, however. Game can also be pretty grindy, as you customize/progress your character through deeds that require you to use a skill x amount of times or kill x amount of mobs. And the character models needs some serious work.
/hatsoff, great summary.
I admit I'm ok with the "serious skill bloat" so I wouldn't put it on the Negative list, but maybe that's just me
DDO. It might be a tad old now, but it goes a long way to make itself solo friendly, while still having a fairly good PUG mentality as well, and it was and still is one of the few games to get f2p fairly right.
How do you like your graphics? Western based, Eastern, anime or realistic, cute or rough. Or don't care. How much do you value for them to be current?
How do you like your combat system? Action based or traditional tab targetting? Or maybe something in between Perhaps you don't really mind either?
How much influence does the story play in your gaming? Do you need a strong main plot or you are more into living into a lore heavy world as opposed to playing a personal story?
How much of a crafter are you? Do you enjoy the process or looking more into the resulting wealth, regardless of the system used?
How much influence does a strong or weak community play in your gaming? (this one can be very subjective even for the same mmorpg depending on server)
Do you value solo gameplay over group gameplay? How big a group/raid are you interested in participating in?
How much time do you generally spend per week in an mmorpg? (This usually affects the longevity, since recent titles have less content compared to older ones)
If you have to prioritse a theme, what would you pick first? For example, fantasy, science fiction, wasteland, horror, super heroes, steam punk, etc.
Questions in no particular order. I may post more if I can think of any. Still, you can very accurately pinpoint specific mmorpgs if you can answer them.
Dragon Nest would be a good 2nd MMORPG but one thing you realize is any companie that is not blizzard isn't going to be as good reguarding customer service, quality of product, account sercurity etc even though they made crap expansions compared to bc. I would even try Runescape.
(Been contemplating trying EQ2, but I imagine there may well be a mass exodus when Next comes out?)
Likely not since EQN is designed to be almost nothing like EQ or EQ2, which are nothing like each other.
And Everquest 2 is absolutely the game you should try. It has better crafting than its themepark kin (except for FFXIV), the largest world, and amazing housing. It has the same assortment of tedious quests, but it also has long quest chains that tke you around the world. It has the best racial variety, and the best class choices. And it has a high female population so you wont be swimming in a sea of sausage (WoW has a fairly high female percentage too).
Only downside is the f2p model can be offputting to some people, but its more than manageable and really the game is worth a sub anyway if you decide you like it.
Scarlett, based on the things that you indicated you are looking for, GW2 may not be a game that would suit you. The game has a lot of positives, but some very big negatives where you may be concerned. Crafting is decent in the game, but fairly inconsequential until very late levels. And forget about making money on the Auction House with the crafting. Because the AH is game-wide, rather than server specific, things are extremely cheap to buy, including gathered materials. Not good for a crafter looking to make some money off their wares. Add in the fact that people can basically buy their gold through the cash shop (gem to gold conversion), and money in GW2 is rather meaningless.
Also, GW2's endgame leaves a lot to be desired. There are instances, but no raids other than larger dynamic events, which aren't more than forced grouping with little to no prep time and very little actual interaction with those in the "raid." Add in the fact that there isn't a lot of vertical progression in the game, which as a former WoW player, I'm fairly turned off by. Statted gear is not an important feature in this game, and it's really kind of hard to stand out from others aside from cosmetically. Even the class "roles" are fairly nondescript, as everyone basically plays a dps/support hybrid. This makes the dungeon crawls chaotic and over-tuned due to lack of actual boss mechanics. Truth be told, the main endgame feature for many who play this game is PvP. And if that isn't something you really love, then it might be a bit dull for you.
And last, but not least, the game doesn't have a sub, but does require to you pay for the box, which is still full-priced as far as I know.
Really appreciate your thoughts on GW2, Rebel. And that was something I don't think I had read about, with regards to the AH being game-wide. Guess I won't be able to rely on my WoW tricks, hey?
Speaking of, I never got to experience WoW end-game content (namely, raiding) so I'm not sure I'd miss that much in GW2 since it's not something I particularly look for. Interesting to know that PvP becomes a main feature later on - yet another thing I never really got into.
You've given me lots to think about!
Originally posted by icculus2112
Originally posted by scarlettx
(Been contemplating trying EQ2, but I imagine there may well be a mass exodus when Next comes out?)
Likely not since EQN is designed to be almost nothing like EQ or EQ2, which are nothing like each other.
And Everquest 2 is absolutely the game you should try. It has better crafting than its themepark kin (except for FFXIV), the largest world, and amazing housing. It has the same assortment of tedious quests, but it also has long quest chains that tke you around the world. It has the best racial variety, and the best class choices. And it has a high female population so you wont be swimming in a sea of sausage (WoW has a fairly high female percentage too).
Only downside is the f2p model can be offputting to some people, but its more than manageable and really the game is worth a sub anyway if you decide you like it.
LOL @ "swimming in a sea of sausage". Sounds like a good time to me.
But seriously, a game with a higher female pop is always a good thing. Someone told me once that EVE Online had a notably low female population and its community could be really trollish and nasty to the ladies. Lame!
Help me pop my MMORPG forum cherry by recommending me what would be only my 2nd MMO experience! (WoW being the first and only).
Looking for free-to-play, ideally. Very curious about GW2 but waiting till the Xmas sales roll 'round to see if I can score a great deal on the deluxe edition. Where my WoW experience is concerned, I played for about 6 months but left as my rag-tag guild was dying out and we were never able to get enough people leveled to experience end-game content. (I was the only one out of 12 or so who was leveling a toon for the 1st time; the rest were coming back from extended hiatuses.) To be honest, what I enjoyed most about WoW was the stuff that my guildies complained about: questing, crafting, and rollin' in the gold. Toward the end, I was only logging on to play the AH, which definitely wasn't worth my subscription fee.
So an MMO that's solo-friendly would also be ideal, but having an active community would be aces for down the road. PvP isn't much my thing, nor role play.
And as for my general gaming preferences, I'm a hardcore fan of the Mass Effect trilogy, as well as the Elder Scrolls games, Fallout 3, Dishonored, Dragon Age Origins, and Deus Ex. Not sure if anything quite along those combined lines exists in MMOs, but I'd love to find it. Suggestions?
I know it is not out yet, should be out by early 2014 but Wildstar would be worth checking out. If there is any game that feels like WOW it is that one.
Also since your into Fallout 3 type fps games you might wanna try Planetside 2.. It is free2play
------------------------------ You see, every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with their surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You spread to an area, and you multiply, and you multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.-Mr.Smith
How do you like your graphics? Western based, Eastern, anime or realistic, cute or rough. Or don't care. How much do you value for them to be current?
How do you like your combat system? Action based or traditional tab targetting? Or maybe something in between Perhaps you don't really mind either?
How much influence does the story play in your gaming? Do you need a strong main plot or you are more into living into a lore heavy world as opposed to playing a personal story?
How much of a crafter are you? Do you enjoy the process or looking more into the resulting wealth, regardless of the system used?
How much influence does a strong or weak community play in your gaming? (this one can be very subjective even for the same mmorpg depending on server)
Do you value solo gameplay over group gameplay? How big a group/raid are you interested in participating in?
How much time do you generally spend per week in an mmorpg? (This usually affects the longevity, since recent titles have less content compared to older ones)
If you have to prioritse a theme, what would you pick first? For example, fantasy, science fiction, wasteland, horror, super heroes, steam punk, etc.
Questions in no particular order. I may post more if I can think of any. Still, you can very accurately pinpoint specific mmorpgs if you can answer them.
Hey Xasapis! I'll give your Qs my best shot:
- Graphics (modern or otherwise) aren't the biggest concern, though I'm much more used to playing games with a Western look and feel. Honestly can't think of anything I've played in the anime/chibi genre, with the exception of Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon many, well, moons ago.
- WoW is the only tab-targeted game I've played, and I got into that grove but I'm perfectly comfortable with action based targeting as you would find in games like Fallout, Mass Effect, etc.
- Lore isn't something I've ever been particularly compelled by. Yes, I'm guilty of only skimming quest text and not delving too deeply into back story.
- Always enjoyed crafting in WoW, both for personal use/gain and for the selling prospects. Amassing gold - even if I eventually ran out of things to spend it on - was one of my favorite "side games" in WoW.
- A friendly, chill community with low drama would be aces. To that effect, a smaller community (and subsequently, fewer and lesser populated servers) isn't something that would turn me away, assuming that those people were still active in the game and amenable to newbies.
- I'm a solo gamer at heart, though I eventually came to enjoy grouping in WoW, particularly when my small guild was primarily leveling at an even pace. Required grouping, and lots of it, would generally turn me off.
- Time per week, I couldn't say. Really just depends on how compelling the game is.
- Theme priority would be Fantasy, first and foremost. Then perhaps sci-fi?
I know it is not out yet, should be out by early 2014 but Wildstar would be worth checking out. If there is any game that feels like WOW it is that one.
Also since your into Fallout 3 type fps games you might wanna try Planetside 2.. It is free2play
REALLY looking forward to reading/watching more about Wildstar. Looks awesome!
Even though I love a number of Bethesda's first-person games, I'm generally terrible at FPS games. Borderlands, for example, is one I dearly wanted to love but the rapid motion gave me vertigo. Even adjusting the FOV didn't help. Seriously bummed!
LOL @ "swimming in a sea of sausage". Sounds like a good time to me.
But seriously, a game with a higher female pop is always a good thing. Someone told me once that EVE Online had a notably low female population and its community could be really trollish and nasty to the ladies. Lame!
More like swimming in a sea of virgins . Actually, WoW probably has the biggest population of females that I've seen. LOTRO has a lot of females as well. SWTOR was predominantly male. I think GW2 and Rift had a pretty good mix if I remember correctly.
One thing to consider: If the game you choose has it, roll on an RP server. None of the servers force you to RP. In fact, you really never do unless you actively want to. But the RP crowd is a more mature crowd overall because all the folks like myself who don't really RP, but don't want to play with immature trolls, roll there just for the better community. Landroval in LOTRO is still the best community I've ever played with in an MMO.
How do you like your graphics? Western based, Eastern, anime or realistic, cute or rough. Or don't care. How much do you value for them to be current?
How do you like your combat system? Action based or traditional tab targetting? Or maybe something in between Perhaps you don't really mind either?
How much influence does the story play in your gaming? Do you need a strong main plot or you are more into living into a lore heavy world as opposed to playing a personal story?
How much of a crafter are you? Do you enjoy the process or looking more into the resulting wealth, regardless of the system used?
How much influence does a strong or weak community play in your gaming? (this one can be very subjective even for the same mmorpg depending on server)
Do you value solo gameplay over group gameplay? How big a group/raid are you interested in participating in?
How much time do you generally spend per week in an mmorpg? (This usually affects the longevity, since recent titles have less content compared to older ones)
If you have to prioritse a theme, what would you pick first? For example, fantasy, science fiction, wasteland, horror, super heroes, steam punk, etc.
Questions in no particular order. I may post more if I can think of any. Still, you can very accurately pinpoint specific mmorpgs if you can answer them.
Hey Xasapis! I'll give your Qs my best shot:
- Graphics (modern or otherwise) aren't the biggest concern, though I'm much more used to playing games with a Western look and feel. Honestly can't think of anything I've played in the anime/chibi genre, with the exception of Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon many, well, moons ago.
- WoW is the only tab-targeted game I've played, and I got into that grove but I'm perfectly comfortable with action based targeting as you would find in games like Fallout, Mass Effect, etc.
- Lore isn't something I've ever been particularly compelled by. Yes, I'm guilty of only skimming quest text and not delving too deeply into back story.
- Always enjoyed crafting in WoW, both for personal use/gain and for the selling prospects. Amassing gold - even if I eventually ran out of things to spend it on - was one of my favorite "side games" in WoW.
- A friendly, chill community with low drama would be aces. To that effect, a smaller community (and subsequently, fewer and lesser populated servers) isn't something that would turn me away, assuming that those people were still active in the game and amenable to newbies.
- I'm a solo gamer at heart, though I eventually came to enjoy grouping in WoW, particularly when my small guild was primarily leveling at an even pace. Required grouping, and lots of it, would generally turn me off.
- Time per week, I couldn't say. Really just depends on how compelling the game is.
- Theme priority would be Fantasy, first and foremost. Then perhaps sci-fi?
LOTRO sounds like a best fit to me, with EQ2 and Rift in the running
two other things:
do you like housing? EQ2 is by far tops in the genre with Rift the next best (and Rift;s housing was heavily based on EQ2's)
do you like achievements?
If so than bump Rift up to top slot. Rift's biggest down side (imo) is that its shallow and generic but not sure if you would care about that. It will be the most familiar to you coming from WoW.
LOL @ "swimming in a sea of sausage". Sounds like a good time to me.
But seriously, a game with a higher female pop is always a good thing. Someone told me once that EVE Online had a notably low female population and its community could be really trollish and nasty to the ladies. Lame!
More like swimming in a sea of virgins . Actually, WoW probably has the biggest population of females that I've seen. LOTRO has a lot of females as well. SWTOR was predominantly male. I think GW2 and Rift had a pretty good mix if I remember correctly.
One thing to consider: If the game you choose has it, roll on an RP server. None of the servers force you to RP. In fact, you really never do unless you actively want to. But the RP crowd is a more mature crowd overall because all the folks like myself who don't really RP, but don't want to play with immature trolls, roll there just for the better community. Landroval in LOTRO is still the best community I've ever played with in an MMO.
Great point about the RP servers, Rebel. My main WoW server was Wyrmspring (RP), and though I never got into the role-play, the gen chat seemed less spammy and trollish than on the Alliance PvE server I originally rolled on.
And thanks for the LOTRO server recommendation! So far I've downloaded Rift and Tera from all the awesome F2P recommendations, and LOTRO is next on my list.
Originally posted by icculus2112
LOTRO sounds like a best fit to me, with EQ2 and Rift in the running
two other things:
do you like housing? EQ2 is by far tops in the genre with Rift the next best (and Rift;s housing was heavily based on EQ2's)
do you like achievements?
If so than bump Rift up to top slot. Rift's biggest down side (imo) is that its shallow and generic but not sure if you would care about that. It will be the most familiar to you coming from WoW.
In terms of community its EQ2 > LOTRO > Rift
That's where I'm leaning, Icculus. The only game I've played with housing was Skyrim (I know, not an MMO) - but I did really enjoy that aspect of it. Where achievements are concerned, I remember really enjoying collecting them in ME2 but it's not something that's particularly important to me.
I need to read more about the EQ2 membership options. Is Gold the only way to go, or can you enjoy the game for a good long while on Free/Silver?
I need to read more about the EQ2 membership options. Is Gold the only way to go, or can you enjoy the game for a good long while on Free/Silver?
This depends entirely on you. The content is all unlocked until much higher up. However you cant equip the best gear without being gold or purchasing an unlocker (for 33 cents, or less if you buy your station cash on double days). Also EQ2 has tiers of spells, and you cant use the highest tier as a silver member. However, using fabled gear and master spells is 100% unnecessary until max level. You don't need it. the option many people (subscribers) use for low/mid levels, crafted gear/spells, is available to use. So you can use that.
What people tend to not like is getting a dungeon drop (occasionally a quest reward) they cant use. If you think you wouldn't mind this, then the system should work for you. I would recommend getting the silver upgrade for 5 bucks though.
Now at high level:
If you only have one character using the unlockers in the long run will be cheaper than a sub, provided you dont waste them on very minor upgrades.
Also, you can but game time (called Krono) from other players. If you like to try and make money you could make it your goal to earn enough for the Krono each month and play as gold for free. it will take some time to get there and youll likely have to go gold at some point to do it the first time, but its an option.
If you want to play completely for free, with no hassle, than Rift is best for that.
I think Rift is very close to pre-BCU WoW in game play. I never raided or played end game in Rift, but I have played the FTP and it is the best FTP I have played, and it is not even close.
The LOTRO and SWTOR are not nearly as good when you are a FTP gamer. Also TSW is very skippable.
If you are looking for a FTP I would suggest Rift.
Now if you want to jump at a FTP that is a bit odd, but a ton of fun, I would suggest Vanguard. I have not played in a long time, but I still think all MMO players should play Vanguard for ~6 months. It is a game only a few can play for years, but the depth and breath of the game puts almost all other MMOs to shame. Vanguard will not be around forever, so if you are in a transition MMO period I highly suggest you you play it.
If you are willing to pay a monthly sub there are some games that are worth trying even if only for a a handful of months.
“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Comments
Hi
I am a long time veteran MMO player (since WOW legacy, 100s of years ago (seems like)).
I highly recommend "RIFT" as your first stop in the ever expanding mmo universe. It is a huge game with a thriving community and very active developer base. The best part, for you, is the free to play model they have chosen, you can experience the game without restriction to game content. In my opinion it is way better than wow and contains a lifetime of PVE solo experience as well as random multi-player experience through Zone and World events. Of course it has Dungeons and Raids if that is what you are after as well and even a decent PVP.
Guild wars 2 is an excellent mmo but the game needs to be purchased.
Finally keep your I on Wildstar, it is looking promising in its development and some of the developers are ex WOW.
Ide say FF14,the main reasons being,
SERIOUSLY?
You're onto something, Adalwulff! I checked out MMOBomb's "First Look" video for Aion and it definitely looked like my style. Funny thing though, the gen chat in the video showed several people complaining about how dead the server was (and I believe the video was about 1-1/2 years old). What's the server population like these days?
Cheers, Mojo! TSW and SWTOR are high up on my list, and I hadn't heard of Warframe before you mentioned it. (But I can't imagine a more intriguing premise than "Mass Effect with Space Ninjas" - love it!)
Everquest Next is definitely something I plan to keep an eye on, though I haven't had any experience with the EQ games. (Been contemplating trying EQ2, but I imagine there may well be a mass exodus when Next comes out?)
Someone very kindly linked me to the Wildstar trailer and it definitely looked like something I'd enjoy. I'll be looking out for that one for sure (will be fun to start an MMO at launch for once!) Tera, GW2, SWTOR and TSW are likely my Top 4 at the moment, with Rift, Aion and LOTRO in the mix as well. Y'all are excellent at enabling.
I like your style, Crazyed - and I'm definitely giving RIFT a look later this week. Which server are you on?
Hey Juice! I wish I had some experience with FF games; I grew up on NES but they were never on my radar for some reason. Reading awesome things about FFXIV:ARR, so I might pick that one up over the holidays when the game sales are going strong.
Guys, you all rock. So many great suggestions!
Scarlett, based on the things that you indicated you are looking for, GW2 may not be a game that would suit you. The game has a lot of positives, but some very big negatives where you may be concerned. Crafting is decent in the game, but fairly inconsequential until very late levels. And forget about making money on the Auction House with the crafting. Because the AH is game-wide, rather than server specific, things are extremely cheap to buy, including gathered materials. Not good for a crafter looking to make some money off their wares. Add in the fact that people can basically buy their gold through the cash shop (gem to gold conversion), and money in GW2 is rather meaningless.
Also, GW2's endgame leaves a lot to be desired. There are instances, but no raids other than larger dynamic events, which aren't more than forced grouping with little to no prep time and very little actual interaction with those in the "raid." Add in the fact that there isn't a lot of vertical progression in the game, which as a former WoW player, I'm fairly turned off by. Statted gear is not an important feature in this game, and it's really kind of hard to stand out from others aside from cosmetically. Even the class "roles" are fairly nondescript, as everyone basically plays a dps/support hybrid. This makes the dungeon crawls chaotic and over-tuned due to lack of actual boss mechanics. Truth be told, the main endgame feature for many who play this game is PvP. And if that isn't something you really love, then it might be a bit dull for you.
And last, but not least, the game doesn't have a sub, but does require to you pay for the box, which is still full-priced as far as I know.
Mm we need to talk with murphy, for stick this thread
alot info for new players xd for solo rpg hehehe
/hatsoff, great summary.
I admit I'm ok with the "serious skill bloat" so I wouldn't put it on the Negative list, but maybe that's just me
DDO. It might be a tad old now, but it goes a long way to make itself solo friendly, while still having a fairly good PUG mentality as well, and it was and still is one of the few games to get f2p fairly right.
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
Likely not since EQN is designed to be almost nothing like EQ or EQ2, which are nothing like each other.
And Everquest 2 is absolutely the game you should try. It has better crafting than its themepark kin (except for FFXIV), the largest world, and amazing housing. It has the same assortment of tedious quests, but it also has long quest chains that tke you around the world. It has the best racial variety, and the best class choices. And it has a high female population so you wont be swimming in a sea of sausage (WoW has a fairly high female percentage too).
Only downside is the f2p model can be offputting to some people, but its more than manageable and really the game is worth a sub anyway if you decide you like it.
Really appreciate your thoughts on GW2, Rebel. And that was something I don't think I had read about, with regards to the AH being game-wide. Guess I won't be able to rely on my WoW tricks, hey?
Speaking of, I never got to experience WoW end-game content (namely, raiding) so I'm not sure I'd miss that much in GW2 since it's not something I particularly look for. Interesting to know that PvP becomes a main feature later on - yet another thing I never really got into.
You've given me lots to think about!
LOL @ "swimming in a sea of sausage". Sounds like a good time to me.
But seriously, a game with a higher female pop is always a good thing. Someone told me once that EVE Online had a notably low female population and its community could be really trollish and nasty to the ladies. Lame!
I know it is not out yet, should be out by early 2014 but Wildstar would be worth checking out. If there is any game that feels like WOW it is that one.
Also since your into Fallout 3 type fps games you might wanna try Planetside 2.. It is free2play
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You see, every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with their surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You spread to an area, and you multiply, and you multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.-Mr.Smith
Hey Xasapis! I'll give your Qs my best shot:
- Graphics (modern or otherwise) aren't the biggest concern, though I'm much more used to playing games with a Western look and feel. Honestly can't think of anything I've played in the anime/chibi genre, with the exception of Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon many, well, moons ago.
- WoW is the only tab-targeted game I've played, and I got into that grove but I'm perfectly comfortable with action based targeting as you would find in games like Fallout, Mass Effect, etc.
- Lore isn't something I've ever been particularly compelled by. Yes, I'm guilty of only skimming quest text and not delving too deeply into back story.
- Always enjoyed crafting in WoW, both for personal use/gain and for the selling prospects. Amassing gold - even if I eventually ran out of things to spend it on - was one of my favorite "side games" in WoW.
- A friendly, chill community with low drama would be aces. To that effect, a smaller community (and subsequently, fewer and lesser populated servers) isn't something that would turn me away, assuming that those people were still active in the game and amenable to newbies.
- I'm a solo gamer at heart, though I eventually came to enjoy grouping in WoW, particularly when my small guild was primarily leveling at an even pace. Required grouping, and lots of it, would generally turn me off.
- Time per week, I couldn't say. Really just depends on how compelling the game is.
- Theme priority would be Fantasy, first and foremost. Then perhaps sci-fi?
REALLY looking forward to reading/watching more about Wildstar. Looks awesome!
Even though I love a number of Bethesda's first-person games, I'm generally terrible at FPS games. Borderlands, for example, is one I dearly wanted to love but the rapid motion gave me vertigo. Even adjusting the FOV didn't help. Seriously bummed!
More like swimming in a sea of virgins
. Actually, WoW probably has the biggest population of females that I've seen. LOTRO has a lot of females as well. SWTOR was predominantly male. I think GW2 and Rift had a pretty good mix if I remember correctly.
One thing to consider: If the game you choose has it, roll on an RP server. None of the servers force you to RP. In fact, you really never do unless you actively want to. But the RP crowd is a more mature crowd overall because all the folks like myself who don't really RP, but don't want to play with immature trolls, roll there just for the better community. Landroval in LOTRO is still the best community I've ever played with in an MMO.
LOTRO sounds like a best fit to me, with EQ2 and Rift in the running
two other things:
do you like housing? EQ2 is by far tops in the genre with Rift the next best (and Rift;s housing was heavily based on EQ2's)
do you like achievements?
If so than bump Rift up to top slot. Rift's biggest down side (imo) is that its shallow and generic but not sure if you would care about that. It will be the most familiar to you coming from WoW.
In terms of community its EQ2 > LOTRO > Rift
No matter how cynical you become, its never enough to keep up - Lily Tomlin
Great point about the RP servers, Rebel. My main WoW server was Wyrmspring (RP), and though I never got into the role-play, the gen chat seemed less spammy and trollish than on the Alliance PvE server I originally rolled on.
And thanks for the LOTRO server recommendation! So far I've downloaded Rift and Tera from all the awesome F2P recommendations, and LOTRO is next on my list.
That's where I'm leaning, Icculus. The only game I've played with housing was Skyrim (I know, not an MMO) - but I did really enjoy that aspect of it. Where achievements are concerned, I remember really enjoying collecting them in ME2 but it's not something that's particularly important to me.
I need to read more about the EQ2 membership options. Is Gold the only way to go, or can you enjoy the game for a good long while on Free/Silver?
This depends entirely on you. The content is all unlocked until much higher up. However you cant equip the best gear without being gold or purchasing an unlocker (for 33 cents, or less if you buy your station cash on double days). Also EQ2 has tiers of spells, and you cant use the highest tier as a silver member. However, using fabled gear and master spells is 100% unnecessary until max level. You don't need it. the option many people (subscribers) use for low/mid levels, crafted gear/spells, is available to use. So you can use that.
What people tend to not like is getting a dungeon drop (occasionally a quest reward) they cant use. If you think you wouldn't mind this, then the system should work for you. I would recommend getting the silver upgrade for 5 bucks though.
Now at high level:
If you only have one character using the unlockers in the long run will be cheaper than a sub, provided you dont waste them on very minor upgrades.
Also, you can but game time (called Krono) from other players. If you like to try and make money you could make it your goal to earn enough for the Krono each month and play as gold for free. it will take some time to get there and youll likely have to go gold at some point to do it the first time, but its an option.
If you want to play completely for free, with no hassle, than Rift is best for that.
I think Rift is very close to pre-BCU WoW in game play. I never raided or played end game in Rift, but I have played the FTP and it is the best FTP I have played, and it is not even close.
The LOTRO and SWTOR are not nearly as good when you are a FTP gamer. Also TSW is very skippable.
If you are looking for a FTP I would suggest Rift.
Now if you want to jump at a FTP that is a bit odd, but a ton of fun, I would suggest Vanguard. I have not played in a long time, but I still think all MMO players should play Vanguard for ~6 months. It is a game only a few can play for years, but the depth and breath of the game puts almost all other MMOs to shame. Vanguard will not be around forever, so if you are in a transition MMO period I highly suggest you you play it.
If you are willing to pay a monthly sub there are some games that are worth trying even if only for a a handful of months.
--John Ruskin