My vote goes towards Final Fantasy XIV. If you didn't like ESO before you might not like it as much now. Since you've never played Final Fantasy before, playing it now is going to be like a new experience for you. Its a pretty good game.
1. Have multiple sclerosis with serious hand tremors at times
2. Some loss of vision (small text difficult)
3. Stress is a component of my disease so random squads are a problem
4. I'm more finesse than wham-bam, more methodical than running around with my hair on fire
5. Horrible at PvP for the above reasons
Looking for a game that:
1. Offers meaningful alternatives to continual PvE/PvP combat
2. Has excellent, non-cartoonish or non-anime graphics
3. Possesses rich, meaningful lore
4. Has a good crafting/gathering/farming function
5. Possesses a solid, player-driven economy uninfluenced by external gold/resource buying
6. Preferably a mostly open-world/sandbox environment
7. Game mechanics should lend themselves to mouse/keyboard macros and voice command (i.e., Tazti)
8. A battle pet and mature, helpful player community are huge plusses
I hope you're still doing okay and that for now the tremors are the only thing you really suffer from. I can't start to imagine to be disabled like that. I'm under rheumatologic examination myself (chronic fatigue and pain syndrome already established - luckily not MS) and unable to play for long with mouse/keyboard of controller for that matter.
I'm playing Elite Dangerous myself with VoiceAttack and I think I know what you mean with point #7. Depending on how bad your tremors are you should play with either controller or mouse/keyboard for movement. I think a lot of MMOs will lend itself for this kind of gameplay, because of the hotkey links they give. To limit the number of spoken commands I can only think of a couple of games to play though, because most MMOs do use double keystokes to access all hotkeybars available.
With all the above in consideration I think the one game for you to play would be Neverwinter (by Cryptic/PWI). The lore is good, the number of skills on the hotkeybar limited. If you want a sandbox with good crafting and player driven economy EVE online (ships have only a few commands you can use) is an option (you can enlarge the UI, not sure if it'll get big enough for you to read though). I also think Final Fantasy XIV might also be an option. It's mainly PvE based and with macros you can easily access all hotkeybars (been way too long I played it so not sure how to access them precisely anymore).
In general, I've kinda given up on MMORPG gameplay because of my disabilities and have switched to single-player (anime) RPGs. These games tend to be slower paced and are widely available on the PS3 so I can play with the controller ;-)
Here's the deal -- I used to be quite athletic, running several 10Ks and half marathons a year; something I did until I couldn't. Nicely animated MMORPGs allow me to create characters and do "physical" things which are now beyond my grasp.
I feel you. I used to cycle a lot (4K km touring a year along side my regular home<>work cycling) as well as hiking. Now I'm already glad I can cycle/walk half an hour a day to do my grocery shopping and most of the time even that's already pushing my limits Never through about (MMO)RPGs to use them to do the physical things I can't do anymore. Not sure it'll work for me though ;-)
I understand exactly where you are at as I also have M.S., and am a MMO addict. I was diagnosed 12 years ago, and things have been a challenge at times since my first major flair.
I played FFXIV:ARR at launch and enjoyed it, but it gave me several challenges that finally made me stop playing. The worst was the graphics in combat causing almost migraine headaches and vertigo. While the game is tab target and hotkey, positioning and dodging are extremely important.
A lot of the game is soloable except for main story line dungeons every five levels. These REQUIRE 4 man groups to progress. Sadly, I encountered ALOT of people who were very rude to anyone who made the slightest mistake.
Currently I am playing ESO and having a great time. It is 90% soloable I would say, so if I mess up its just me, but I get the social aspects of my guilds and playing around others.
Also, I read an article on Elite Dangerous. I don't know if you are into scifi games, but it caught my attention. It was presented to be based around not only fighting, but exploration and harvesting. Also, the article said you don't have to play online. You can play solo against NPC's, but everything you do is loaded to the server because it affects the economy.
If you decide to play FFXIV I wish you the best of luck with it! I just wanted to share my personal experience with it because you have to purchase the game, they just launched an expansion, and it requires a monthly sub.
I wish you the best with whatever you decide to play, and hope you enjoy it
Please excuse any typos as my fingers don't always go where I tell them to...When people mention my bad or slow typing I tell them I use the two finger method and one of them has a stutter and the other types with a lisp...
OP, i dont know what to suggest with all those requirements. However, if you have problems with your hands i dont recommend playing with the mouse. I have problems with my right hand (i thought it was carpal tunnel but it seems to be some kind of neuropathy) and i noticed that playing with a gamepad doesnt affect me. As soon as i grab a mouse for more than a few minutes i feel like i want to cut off my hand. Just thought you might want to consider trying a gamepad (of course with a game that supports it)
Originally posted by rojoArcueid OP, i dont know what to suggest with all those requirements. However, if you have problems with your hands i dont recommend playing with the mouse. I have problems with my right hand (i thought it was carpal tunnel but it seems to be some kind of neuropathy) and i noticed that playing with a gamepad doesnt affect me. As soon as i grab a mouse for more than a few minutes i feel like i want to cut off my hand. Just thought you might want to consider trying a gamepad (of course with a game that supports it)
FFXIV is the only thing that comes to mind for the OP maby forsaken world.
We in the same boat Rojo, with me its my left hand, WASD + FPS and lotsa MMMO's with 12343211232432211 ...
Solved alot by getting a GOOD chair with arm rests that are as high as my desk.
A good light mouse (razer death adder chroma) and using my fingers to move the mouse not my whole hand.
But neuropathy is a biatch i have it in my feet to, they are allways tingeling like when u have a "sleeping leg" numbness.
The soles of my feet feal like the are insensitive (witch they are not)
And stepping on the smallest thing a screw, sugarcube or even a wire makes me have pains u cant imagine and last for hours.
Not to mention from time to time my feet swell up and (nerves affect the fluid balance in your feet to)
Originally posted by rojoArcueid OP, i dont know what to suggest with all those requirements. However, if you have problems with your hands i dont recommend playing with the mouse. I have problems with my right hand (i thought it was carpal tunnel but it seems to be some kind of neuropathy) and i noticed that playing with a gamepad doesnt affect me. As soon as i grab a mouse for more than a few minutes i feel like i want to cut off my hand. Just thought you might want to consider trying a gamepad (of course with a game that supports it)
FFXIV is the only thing that comes to mind for the OP maby forsaken world.
We in the same boat Rojo, with me its my left hand, WASD + FPS and lotsa MMMO's with 12343211232432211 ...
Solved alot by getting a GOOD chair with arm rests that are as high as my desk.
A good light mouse (razer death adder chroma) and using my fingers to move the mouse not my whole hand.
But neuropathy is a biatch i have it in my feet to, they are allways tingeling like when u have a "sleeping leg" numbness.
The soles of my feet feal like the are insensitive (witch they are not)
And stepping on the smallest thing a screw, sugarcube or even a wire makes me have pains u cant imagine and last for hours.
Not to mention from time to time my feet swell up and (nerves affect the fluid balance in your feet to)
Yupp, its pretty annoying. I have a decent mouse, Redragon Perdition, but my chair doesnt have arm rest so it makes everything worst. With that said i dont want to get a better chair at the moment because i need to upgrade my entire PC. If i keep buying stuff ill never get there lol. So meanwhile, i have to rely on the gamepad for most of my games. And if the game doesnt support it then i make sure i just play open world PvE so i can rest my right hand while traveling looking for stuff. With that said, i might have to consider getting a good chair first anyway... gotta start somewhere.
Twelve years ago, I would have suggested the excellent Star Wars Galaxies. WE shall just have to wait till they make a game as good, rich and immersive again. Good luck with your search! Sorry not to offer a better suggestion.
I still would say give final fantasy xiv a chance. Indeed some of the "forced" dungeons and trail will be too hard. But the crafting and gathering part is so nice. I love just walking around in the world. One of our free company members does nothing more then gathering and crafting. When he needs to have a fighting class to level up and comes to a bit to difficult fight. We send in our best players to help. Most of the fights, esp the trails, can be finishid with 1 man (or woman) down.
It is a mmorpg. And what I tell can shock some of the other players these days but communicate. I know maybe OP does not like to be open at start about what kind of problems she has. But in the time i have played i have seen very nice people.
And as a new player looking for honest help for the "forced" story dungeon/trails its even getting easier. The now level 60 players can team up with you and if not a full team can fight as lvl 60, no kill xp, but it gets the job fast done.
Not sure, but if you are from the usa, try visit the channel from mrhappy on you tube. He is a very kind and helpfull person. And is in a very very big free company. Explain the situation in a pm. I would not be suprised if he has no problems you sign up with them.
And for eso. I tried that. Sorry, but the economy is just bad. Gathering is nice, crafting can be. However the biggest problem I had was with the end fight at level 50, to continue to the veteran ranks. It was so hard jumping around to avoid all kind of things, I just could not finish it. In the end I had a very good ingame friend to finish the fight on my account. And the community is less friendly then the community in final fantasy xiv.
I would say to the OP keep trying. I agree. For someone who is bound to house more then others a mmorpg is dream away kind of experience. But being in a nice guild/free company/clan is a pre for that kind of feeling. I hope you find your dream mmorpg and have there a nice relaxed time.
Very different type of mmo the only thing I can compare it to is Eve Online but a fantasy version.
Crafting, Building, Sandbox, Open world, player driven economy, trading, politeness (you name gets around if you steal and do bad shit), grinding, skill based.
What its not. Lore, Combat(there is combat but not to impressive), dungeon/raids.
I like to call it mine craft for adults.
Word of warning its a big learning curve but the community is extreamly helpful. And wiki help a ton.
Thank you, all, for your continued suggestions. Last night I ordered FFXIV:ARR and the recent expansion from Amazon. They won't arrive for a couple more days, which is good because I'm an inveterate researcher and this will give me time to delve into FF lore, game mechanics, races, classes, etc. I'm quite looking forward to trying something new.
I think I've outfitted myself nicely for gaming. I'm unable to move about much; thus, I spend most of my time in my bed, that being an adjustable Posturpedic. My "screen" is a 55-inch flatpanel setting atop a table at the foot of my bed. I've a quite excellent 7:1 sound system that really puts me into any game I play. Mouse and keyboard are by Razer (Naga mouse, Blackwidow keyboard). As I'm a geek at heart, I quite enjoy creating macros and tweaking them to perfection. Having both the mouse and keyboard give me a wonderful potential arsenal of commands.
For the most part keystrokes give me little problem, especially with this keyboard's excellent mechanical response -- I don't think I've lost a lick of typing speed. I've played other games, like TSW, where dodging and positioning were accomplished via keyboard and this gave me no problem whatsoever; therefore, I don't believe it will be an issue with FFXIV. Tazti, while not a perfect voice command app, should suit as well. The trick with Tazti is finding unique-sounding commands and keeping the list relatively short. Coincidentally, I have tried a trackball and touchpad, but lightly engaged fingers and thumbs are even more spastic (the opposite of Parkinson's).
My problem with mouse clicking is exacerbated by stress. For instance, in one game my character's class was the default boss puller in a particular dungeon, where it was necessary to use a pet to lure the boss from amongst a herd of nasty mobs. Done poorly, the boss would one-shot me or the surrounding mobs would swarm and overpower me. I found that some days my hand was too shaky to click the tool bar icon that unsummoned the pet. I overcame this with Tazti voice commands.
I've not given up on ESO altogether, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from having paid for what was essentially beta testing after launch. And from reading the official forums and Tamriel Foundry, it seems the game is still experiencing the kinds of issues that I, as a gamer in general, want to avoid. I'll continue to check back on it. I love ESO's lore and the game will always have a certain appeal for me.
And, yet again, thank you ever so much for your kind and helpful responses. Thanks, too, to the member who PM'd me. I tried responding but kept getting error messages.
P.S.: I've been reading up a bit on Wurm. It sounds intriguing and may be a potential winner for me -- I've played Sims 3 off and on for years solely for the building aspect. Alas, I'm a one-trick pony (one game at a time); so, for now, it's going to be FFXIV. If that doesn't work out I'll definitely be giving Wurm a try.
I'm surprised you haven't tried FFXIV. It checks off on all of the criteria on your list. It is immersive with lots of content, deep crafting and gathering professions, dungeons, lore, story, pleasing environment, vibrant economy, slower paced combat, friendly community, etc. Give it a shot. I think you will like it.
Originally posted by Mensur
Originally posted by Phry Think the best game, imo at least, for you would be FFXIV;ARR, its PVE, what little pvp is in the game is largely ignored and is completely separate from the rest of the game anyway. I have found the community there is very friendly, and i am sure you would fit in alright particularly if you are a keen crafter, its not all that complicated either. One character can learn all the skills in the game if you are of a mind to, although the shear amount of grinding to do that would be a bit intense i think, but there is a lot of lore and its a game with a good story line. I think the fact that all the players in the game are effectively on the same side helps, its more of a cooperative game, and one where social skills are a definite asset.
I agree with this dude!
I'm gonna reiterate what these souls are saying.
+1
oh look like she ordered the game already , hope u find your home in FFXIV
Thank you, all, for your continued suggestions. Last night I ordered FFXIV:ARR and the recent expansion from Amazon. They won't arrive for a couple more days, which is good because I'm an inveterate researcher and this will give me time to delve into FF lore, game mechanics, races, classes, etc. I'm quite looking forward to trying something new.
I think I've outfitted myself nicely for gaming. I'm unable to move about much; thus, I spend most of my time in my bed, that being an adjustable Posturpedic. My "screen" is a 55-inch flatpanel setting atop a table at the foot of my bed. I've a quite excellent 7:1 sound system that really puts me into any game I play. Mouse and keyboard are by Razer (Naga mouse, Blackwidow keyboard). As I'm a geek at heart, I quite enjoy creating macros and tweaking them to perfection. Having both the mouse and keyboard give me a wonderful potential arsenal of commands.
For the most part keystrokes give me little problem, especially with this keyboard's excellent mechanical response -- I don't think I've lost a lick of typing speed. I've played other games, like TSW, where dodging and positioning were accomplished via keyboard and this gave me no problem whatsoever; therefore, I don't believe it will be an issue with FFXIV. Tazti, while not a perfect voice command app, should suit as well. The trick with Tazti is finding unique-sounding commands and keeping the list relatively short. Coincidentally, I have tried a trackball and touchpad, but lightly engaged fingers and thumbs are even more spastic (the opposite of Parkinson's).
My problem with mouse clicking is exacerbated by stress. For instance, in one game my character's class was the default boss puller in a particular dungeon, where it was necessary to use a pet to lure the boss from amongst a herd of nasty mobs. Done poorly, the boss would one-shot me or the surrounding mobs would swarm and overpower me. I found that some days my hand was too shaky to click the tool bar icon that unsummoned the pet. I overcame this with Tazti voice commands.
I've not given up on ESO altogether, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from having paid for what was essentially beta testing after launch. And from reading the official forums and Tamriel Foundry, it seems the game is still experiencing the kinds of issues that I, as a gamer in general, want to avoid. I'll continue to check back on it. I love ESO's lore and the game will always have a certain appeal for me.
And, yet again, thank you ever so much for your kind and helpful responses. Thanks, too, to the member who PM'd me. I tried responding but kept getting error messages.
P.S.: I've been reading up a bit on Wurm. It sounds intriguing and may be a potential winner for me -- I've played Sims 3 off and on for years solely for the building aspect. Alas, I'm a one-trick pony (one game at a time); so, for now, it's going to be FFXIV. If that doesn't work out I'll definitely be giving Wurm a try.
I think FFXIV is a great choice, personally I think you are going to love it. The story, the lore, the crafting will be right up your alley. If you are able try your best to get on Balmung the unofficial rp server. The rpers will give you alot of stuff to just enjoy and watch by watching them play basically living npcs. Especially in hotspots like the Quicksand in Ul'dah and the Drowning Wench in Limsa Lominsa during EST primetime.
It sucks getting on Balmung because its so popular amongst roleplayers but if you don't mind getting up around 5-7 am est you can make it in.
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
It sucks getting on Balmung because its so popular amongst roleplayers but if you don't mind getting up around 5-7 am est you can make it in.
Actually, that's perfect for me, as I'm an early riser -- invariably online by 5am Central Time. I love lore, I love to write and usually create a lengthy backstory for my characters, but I'm not much of an RP'er, probably because my few experiences with it encountered ego, drama, and a bit of duplicitousness. My play style has been characterized as "Type-A personality meets fun." In short, I'm most content grinding mindlessly for hours on end whilst listening to an audio book. Most players deplore grinding and repetitive dailies -- I adore the regularity and predictability of these activities, especially when they can advance my economic aims in some way. My entire multiyear experience with WoW was essentially confined to skinning hides, gathering a large consortium of wholesaling skinners, and playing and ultimately dominating the commodities market on hides. Utterly boring for most, completely satisfying for me.
I love a good farming session when you get into that groove where you flow smoothly from pack to pack. Note those who use the word 'grind' as some form of derogatory term, grind is only crap if you do it when you don't want to do it!
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
I'm playing Elite Dangerous myself with VoiceAttack
This. I am using VoiceAttack for immersive gameplay. Like Elite Dangerous.
BUT:
Some MMO's/other games state they can ban you for using this program if they find it running in the background as it can be used to create macro's for automated play. It goes far to macro play with this program and I am sure there are much better programs to do this but if you are really good at it with for example VoiceAttack it can be done up to a point.
A friend of mine has been banned from EVE Online for using VoiceAttack for the above reason. He has arthritis and has problems using the keyboard with locked fingers.
He uses remote npc drones to attack in PVP/PVE, instead of recalling them/sending them to attack a target through the keyboard (for example ctrl-R or whatever key comb he can use) he just says "drones come back/drones attack". He also used it for firing guns with F1-Fx keys, so he has to say it manually when any other person is faster with just pressing the F keys. Still he received a temporary ban for this from CCP for breaking the EULA.
I was considering using it in EVE myself at that point for immersive gameplay as I enjoyed it so much in Elite Dangerous and thought it would be fun to use in EVE.
Adding to the EVE situation: turns out CCP is thinking about creating a ingame voice program for the near future so they don't want players to already use non-CCP programs for voice control.
GTA5 and H1Z1 are also risky to use as ppl are at risk there too if they find out players are using VoiceAttack they can be identified as cheaters and Gl getting unbanned then.
Although imo voice commands are a great way to easy play for ppl not quick enough to mash buttons/keyboards or for players who just have disabilities or just to have some immersive gameplay, many gaming companies are not happy if you use such programs.
If you plan to use this or any other voice control program, be sure to ask the devs/Customer Service for approval if you have any doubt. (most game companies won't say it is ok to use it however, saying to use such programs at your own risk)
Good luck!
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
You know, I expected some kind of typical douchery this site is full off but oh man, this was such a great read. As everyone else has suggested FFXIV is a great choice when it comes to a good mmo. I'd recommend a caster type as they have longer rotations with more casting so it's less spamming the buttons and more about being in the right place.
The lore is also great, I generally just skip and ignore lore in general mmo's but I have read pretty much everything and gotten invested in several npc's for that reason.
If you do decide to continue playing it and are in a need of a guild with social people you can always hop on Balmung, or for that matter any other server people are playing at as stated before, pretty much all of us are quite friendly.
The speed of the mole and the power of steel is my weapon
Although imo voice commands are a great way to easy play for ppl not quick enoughh to mash buttons or for players who have disabilities, many game companies are not happy if you use such programs.
If you plan to use this, be sure to ask the devs/Customer Service for approval. (most won't however, saying use it at your own risk) as they create games with the thought that 'everyone has perfect hearing, have perfect eyesight and have no disabilities whatsoever'.
This is a good point, Muke.
I'm unfamiliar with VoiceAttack; however, with Tazti voice commands emulate keystrokes -- and knowing that repetitive, identically timed keystroke combinations can raise a flag, I generally do not create multiples. The same cannot be said for my mouse/keyboard macros. Notwithstanding, I've been using such macros for several years across multiple MMOs and have never been questioned. For one, I'm an innocuous player -- not an elite who'll be reported. I don't PvP, so my macros give me no direct advantage over others. I get that with respect to some games' terms of service I am in violation, but without my macros and voice commands I would not be playing the game at all and, consequently, respective game operators would not derive revenue from me. I don't feel guilty about it, and as my crutches give me no particular advantage over other players, I'm content to run the risk. I'm very much a straight-arrow person and I'd be too racked by guilt if I actually thought I was cheating in some way.
I guess I'm kind of a wimpy girly girl when it comes to class preferences, as melee types don't suit me. I definitely prefer caster/ranged classes, especially when I can use a pet as a meat shield. And as I've hinted at above, my mind is invariably on economy -- avoiding equipment repair overhead, which is usually higher for melee types. I know this may seem incidental, but when grinding for hours, days on end, it can add up in a hurry. And you're right about skill usage, ranged magic attacks generally do work better for me.
First, welcome to the FFXIV world, I hope you will have a nice time.
Second, give the summoner a try. When you get the tank pet, it gives you a bit extra time to respond to things happening. It seems the tank pet has a kind of radar thing, before I see something it starts to respond allready to the danger before the danger can attack me. In the main quest solo part sometimes mobs attack you when entering a quest point, and to survive it, the tank pet helps a lot
And remember, unlike most other mmo's, one char can do everything. Want to be a crafter, chance your gear and you are a crafter. Want to be a ninja, chance the gear, and a ninja you are. So no need to make alts. So if not like the summoner, try something else
Thank you all so very much! I am installing FFXIV:ARR as I write this. I've been all over the Wiki and other resources, and I've watched a number of YouTube videos. I think I'm ready to commence my next adventure.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what kind of reaction my original post would garner, but you've been extremely kind and helpful and I certainly do appreciated it.
1. Have multiple sclerosis with serious hand tremors at times
2. Some loss of vision (small text difficult)
3. Stress is a component of my disease so random squads are a problem
4. I'm more finesse than wham-bam, more methodical than running around with my hair on fire
5. Horrible at PvP for the above reasons
Looking for a game that:
1. Offers meaningful alternatives to continual PvE/PvP combat
2. Has excellent, non-cartoonish or non-anime graphics
3. Possesses rich, meaningful lore
4. Has a good crafting/gathering/farming function
5. Possesses a solid, player-driven economy uninfluenced by external gold/resource buying
6. Preferably a mostly open-world/sandbox environment
7. Game mechanics should lend themselves to mouse/keyboard macros and voice command (i.e., Tazti)
8. A battle pet and mature, helpful player community are huge plusses
Games I have tried:
1. WoW -- played for a long time and did well with economy -- left because of changing player population and expansions
2. SWtOR -- sucky economy and little to do but combat
3. TSW -- bad economy (when I played) and the environment bummed me too much
4. PWI -- totally P2W, found a good private server, but end game is all about PvP and crafting is meaningless
5. GW -- played for a long time -- weak economy and little to do aside from combat
6. LoTRO -- hated the player animations
7. EVE -- played briefly -- there was no *me* in the game
8. PoTBS -- great game theoretically -- ship fighting, crafting great, land-based fighting was too hard for me
9. ESO -- weird economy and the fighting mechanic was difficult for me. Quit one month after game launch, may try again
Bit more background:
1. I'm 32, medically retired professional woman
2. Other than my disabilities, I'm quite hardcore, often playing as much as 16 hours a day
3. I'm very goal driven and will put in the time/effort when there's a meaningful goal
4. My character(s) become an extension of me, so I hate dying in game
5. I place greater value on politeness than on being first to the prize
6. I know all the dirty words (some in multiple languages), but I'd rather not hear F*** in every sentence
I realize, given the current player/gaming environment, I may be asking for the moon, but I'm hoping someone can offer something I've overlooked.
Thank you in advance!
Your best bet is ultima online. Best pve I've played. Many choices, taming, magic warriors, ect. Not many pvp, some do just ignore them like most people do.the enhanced client has nice graphics. 17 years of life, plus , 7or 8offline games for lore. As far as crafting goes there is no better crafting than uo. Random stats, complex crafting, can make best items in the game, always new items due to the randomness of the system, random resource gathering. Can grow plants, mine, log, leather hunting, special ingredient hunting, and alot more.
There is so much to do. From hunting npc pirates, to dungeons, taming, treasure hunting, fishing special hidden treasure, crafting, housing, boating, running for mayor of a city, quests, and a lot more. The game is 45 dollars for all expansions. There is a new one coming out.
Comments
I hope you're still doing okay and that for now the tremors are the only thing you really suffer from. I can't start to imagine to be disabled like that. I'm under rheumatologic examination myself (chronic fatigue and pain syndrome already established - luckily not MS) and unable to play for long with mouse/keyboard of controller for that matter.
I'm playing Elite Dangerous myself with VoiceAttack and I think I know what you mean with point #7. Depending on how bad your tremors are you should play with either controller or mouse/keyboard for movement. I think a lot of MMOs will lend itself for this kind of gameplay, because of the hotkey links they give. To limit the number of spoken commands I can only think of a couple of games to play though, because most MMOs do use double keystokes to access all hotkeybars available.
With all the above in consideration I think the one game for you to play would be Neverwinter (by Cryptic/PWI). The lore is good, the number of skills on the hotkeybar limited. If you want a sandbox with good crafting and player driven economy EVE online (ships have only a few commands you can use) is an option (you can enlarge the UI, not sure if it'll get big enough for you to read though). I also think Final Fantasy XIV might also be an option. It's mainly PvE based and with macros you can easily access all hotkeybars (been way too long I played it so not sure how to access them precisely anymore).
In general, I've kinda given up on MMORPG gameplay because of my disabilities and have switched to single-player (anime) RPGs. These games tend to be slower paced and are widely available on the PS3 so I can play with the controller ;-)
I feel you. I used to cycle a lot (4K km touring a year along side my regular home<>work cycling) as well as hiking. Now I'm already glad I can cycle/walk half an hour a day to do my grocery shopping and most of the time even that's already pushing my limits
Never through about (MMO)RPGs to use them to do the physical things I can't do anymore. Not sure it'll work for me though ;-)
have you tried using a trackball instead of a regular mouse?
something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010BIRDAK/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_g147_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=1F977BKPWWFEPFF1HWRX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2128201542&pf_rd_i=172499
It doesn't move you control the camera/pointer with the ball under your thumb.
You could even velcro it to the desk or table.
also some type of custom heavily padded cradle for your forearm (not just wrist but from elbow to wrist)
this would take some of the strain of your arm and wrist muscles might even reduce the tremors over time.
I understand exactly where you are at as I also have M.S., and am a MMO addict. I was diagnosed 12 years ago, and things have been a challenge at times since my first major flair.
I played FFXIV:ARR at launch and enjoyed it, but it gave me several challenges that finally made me stop playing.
The worst was the graphics in combat causing almost migraine headaches and vertigo. While the game is tab target and hotkey, positioning and dodging are extremely important.
A lot of the game is soloable except for main story line dungeons every five levels. These REQUIRE 4 man groups to progress. Sadly, I encountered ALOT of people who were very rude to anyone who made the slightest mistake.
Currently I am playing ESO and having a great time. It is 90% soloable I would say, so if I mess up its just me, but I get the social aspects of my guilds and playing around others.
Also, I read an article on Elite Dangerous. I don't know if you are into scifi games, but it caught my attention. It was presented to be based around not only fighting, but exploration and harvesting. Also, the article said you don't have to play online. You can play solo against NPC's, but everything you do is loaded to the server because it affects the economy.
If you decide to play FFXIV I wish you the best of luck with it! I just wanted to share my personal experience with it because you have to purchase the game, they just launched an expansion, and it requires a monthly sub.
I wish you the best with whatever you decide to play, and hope you enjoy it
Please excuse any typos as my fingers don't always go where I tell them to...When people mention my bad or slow typing I tell them I use the two finger method and one of them has a stutter and the other types with a lisp...
Good luck, and be well.
FFXIV is the only thing that comes to mind for the OP maby forsaken world.
We in the same boat Rojo, with me its my left hand, WASD + FPS and lotsa MMMO's with 12343211232432211 ...
Solved alot by getting a GOOD chair with arm rests that are as high as my desk.
A good light mouse (razer death adder chroma) and using my fingers to move the mouse not my whole hand.
But neuropathy is a biatch i have it in my feet to, they are allways tingeling like when u have a "sleeping leg" numbness.
The soles of my feet feal like the are insensitive (witch they are not)
And stepping on the smallest thing a screw, sugarcube or even a wire makes me have pains u cant imagine and last for hours.
Not to mention from time to time my feet swell up and (nerves affect the fluid balance in your feet to)
Yupp, its pretty annoying. I have a decent mouse, Redragon Perdition, but my chair doesnt have arm rest so it makes everything worst. With that said i dont want to get a better chair at the moment because i need to upgrade my entire PC. If i keep buying stuff ill never get there lol. So meanwhile, i have to rely on the gamepad for most of my games. And if the game doesnt support it then i make sure i just play open world PvE so i can rest my right hand while traveling looking for stuff. With that said, i might have to consider getting a good chair first anyway... gotta start somewhere.
I still would say give final fantasy xiv a chance. Indeed some of the "forced" dungeons and trail will be too hard. But the crafting and gathering part is so nice. I love just walking around in the world. One of our free company members does nothing more then gathering and crafting. When he needs to have a fighting class to level up and comes to a bit to difficult fight. We send in our best players to help. Most of the fights, esp the trails, can be finishid with 1 man (or woman) down.
It is a mmorpg. And what I tell can shock some of the other players these days
but communicate. I know maybe OP does not like to be open at start about what kind of problems she has. But in the time i have played i have seen very nice people.
And as a new player looking for honest help for the "forced" story dungeon/trails its even getting easier. The now level 60 players can team up with you and if not a full team can fight as lvl 60, no kill xp, but it gets the job fast done.
Not sure, but if you are from the usa, try visit the channel from mrhappy on you tube. He is a very kind and helpfull person. And is in a very very big free company. Explain the situation in a pm. I would not be suprised if he has no problems you sign up with them.
And for eso. I tried that. Sorry, but the economy is just bad. Gathering is nice, crafting can be. However the biggest problem I had was with the end fight at level 50, to continue to the veteran ranks. It was so hard jumping around to avoid all kind of things, I just could not finish it. In the end I had a very good ingame friend to finish the fight on my account. And the community is less friendly then the community in final fantasy xiv.
I would say to the OP keep trying. I agree. For someone who is bound to house more then others a mmorpg is dream away kind of experience. But being in a nice guild/free company/clan is a pre for that kind of feeling. I hope you find your dream mmorpg and have there a nice relaxed time.
Hello Crescenda,
I'm an MS patiant myself, sry to hear it's affecting your hands as well.
I'm playin FFXIV ARR atm. the combat is quite nice for me personally.
Maybe you should check it out.
The people are very friendly too, even the ones you meet for only 10 minute dungeon.
worth checking out imo
have a nice day,
Wurm Online
Very different type of mmo the only thing I can compare it to is Eve Online but a fantasy version.
Crafting, Building, Sandbox, Open world, player driven economy, trading, politeness (you name gets around if you steal and do bad shit), grinding, skill based.
What its not. Lore, Combat(there is combat but not to impressive), dungeon/raids.
I like to call it mine craft for adults.
Word of warning its a big learning curve but the community is extreamly helpful. And wiki help a ton.
Thank you, all, for your continued suggestions. Last night I ordered FFXIV:ARR and the recent expansion from Amazon. They won't arrive for a couple more days, which is good because I'm an inveterate researcher and this will give me time to delve into FF lore, game mechanics, races, classes, etc. I'm quite looking forward to trying something new.
I think I've outfitted myself nicely for gaming. I'm unable to move about much; thus, I spend most of my time in my bed, that being an adjustable Posturpedic. My "screen" is a 55-inch flatpanel setting atop a table at the foot of my bed. I've a quite excellent 7:1 sound system that really puts me into any game I play. Mouse and keyboard are by Razer (Naga mouse, Blackwidow keyboard). As I'm a geek at heart, I quite enjoy creating macros and tweaking them to perfection. Having both the mouse and keyboard give me a wonderful potential arsenal of commands.
For the most part keystrokes give me little problem, especially with this keyboard's excellent mechanical response -- I don't think I've lost a lick of typing speed. I've played other games, like TSW, where dodging and positioning were accomplished via keyboard and this gave me no problem whatsoever; therefore, I don't believe it will be an issue with FFXIV. Tazti, while not a perfect voice command app, should suit as well. The trick with Tazti is finding unique-sounding commands and keeping the list relatively short. Coincidentally, I have tried a trackball and touchpad, but lightly engaged fingers and thumbs are even more spastic (the opposite of Parkinson's).
My problem with mouse clicking is exacerbated by stress. For instance, in one game my character's class was the default boss puller in a particular dungeon, where it was necessary to use a pet to lure the boss from amongst a herd of nasty mobs. Done poorly, the boss would one-shot me or the surrounding mobs would swarm and overpower me. I found that some days my hand was too shaky to click the tool bar icon that unsummoned the pet. I overcame this with Tazti voice commands.
I've not given up on ESO altogether, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from having paid for what was essentially beta testing after launch. And from reading the official forums and Tamriel Foundry, it seems the game is still experiencing the kinds of issues that I, as a gamer in general, want to avoid. I'll continue to check back on it. I love ESO's lore and the game will always have a certain appeal for me.
And, yet again, thank you ever so much for your kind and helpful responses. Thanks, too, to the member who PM'd me. I tried responding but kept getting error messages.
P.S.: I've been reading up a bit on Wurm. It sounds intriguing and may be a potential winner for me -- I've played Sims 3 off and on for years solely for the building aspect. Alas, I'm a one-trick pony (one game at a time); so, for now, it's going to be FFXIV. If that doesn't work out I'll definitely be giving Wurm a try.
+1
oh look like she ordered the game already
, hope u find your home in FFXIV 
I think FFXIV is a great choice, personally I think you are going to love it. The story, the lore, the crafting will be right up your alley. If you are able try your best to get on Balmung the unofficial rp server. The rpers will give you alot of stuff to just enjoy and watch by watching them play basically living npcs. Especially in hotspots like the Quicksand in Ul'dah and the Drowning Wench in Limsa Lominsa during EST primetime.
It sucks getting on Balmung because its so popular amongst roleplayers but if you don't mind getting up around 5-7 am est you can make it in.
Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!
Actually, that's perfect for me, as I'm an early riser -- invariably online by 5am Central Time. I love lore, I love to write and usually create a lengthy backstory for my characters, but I'm not much of an RP'er, probably because my few experiences with it encountered ego, drama, and a bit of duplicitousness. My play style has been characterized as "Type-A personality meets fun." In short, I'm most content grinding mindlessly for hours on end whilst listening to an audio book. Most players deplore grinding and repetitive dailies -- I adore the regularity and predictability of these activities, especially when they can advance my economic aims in some way. My entire multiyear experience with WoW was essentially confined to skinning hides, gathering a large consortium of wholesaling skinners, and playing and ultimately dominating the commodities market on hides. Utterly boring for most, completely satisfying for me.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
This. I am using VoiceAttack for immersive gameplay. Like Elite Dangerous.
BUT:
Some MMO's/other games state they can ban you for using this program if they find it running in the background as it can be used to create macro's for automated play. It goes far to macro play with this program and I am sure there are much better programs to do this but if you are really good at it with for example VoiceAttack it can be done up to a point.
A friend of mine has been banned from EVE Online for using VoiceAttack for the above reason. He has arthritis and has problems using the keyboard with locked fingers.
He uses remote npc drones to attack in PVP/PVE, instead of recalling them/sending them to attack a target through the keyboard (for example ctrl-R or whatever key comb he can use) he just says "drones come back/drones attack". He also used it for firing guns with F1-Fx keys, so he has to say it manually when any other person is faster with just pressing the F keys. Still he received a temporary ban for this from CCP for breaking the EULA.
I was considering using it in EVE myself at that point for immersive gameplay as I enjoyed it so much in Elite Dangerous and thought it would be fun to use in EVE.
Adding to the EVE situation: turns out CCP is thinking about creating a ingame voice program for the near future so they don't want players to already use non-CCP programs for voice control.
GTA5 and H1Z1 are also risky to use as ppl are at risk there too if they find out players are using VoiceAttack they can be identified as cheaters and Gl getting unbanned then.
Although imo voice commands are a great way to easy play for ppl not quick enough to mash buttons/keyboards or for players who just have disabilities or just to have some immersive gameplay, many gaming companies are not happy if you use such programs.
If you plan to use this or any other voice control program, be sure to ask the devs/Customer Service for approval if you have any doubt. (most game companies won't say it is ok to use it however, saying to use such programs at your own risk)
Good luck!
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
You know, I expected some kind of typical douchery this site is full off but oh man, this was such a great read. As everyone else has suggested FFXIV is a great choice when it comes to a good mmo. I'd recommend a caster type as they have longer rotations with more casting so it's less spamming the buttons and more about being in the right place.
The lore is also great, I generally just skip and ignore lore in general mmo's but I have read pretty much everything and gotten invested in several npc's for that reason.
If you do decide to continue playing it and are in a need of a guild with social people you can always hop on Balmung, or for that matter any other server people are playing at as stated before, pretty much all of us are quite friendly.
The speed of the mole and the power of steel is my weapon
This is a good point, Muke.
I'm unfamiliar with VoiceAttack; however, with Tazti voice commands emulate keystrokes -- and knowing that repetitive, identically timed keystroke combinations can raise a flag, I generally do not create multiples. The same cannot be said for my mouse/keyboard macros. Notwithstanding, I've been using such macros for several years across multiple MMOs and have never been questioned. For one, I'm an innocuous player -- not an elite who'll be reported. I don't PvP, so my macros give me no direct advantage over others. I get that with respect to some games' terms of service I am in violation, but without my macros and voice commands I would not be playing the game at all and, consequently, respective game operators would not derive revenue from me. I don't feel guilty about it, and as my crutches give me no particular advantage over other players, I'm content to run the risk. I'm very much a straight-arrow person and I'd be too racked by guilt if I actually thought I was cheating in some way.
@Bakoryo
I guess I'm kind of a wimpy girly girl when it comes to class preferences, as melee types don't suit me. I definitely prefer caster/ranged classes, especially when I can use a pet as a meat shield. And as I've hinted at above, my mind is invariably on economy -- avoiding equipment repair overhead, which is usually higher for melee types. I know this may seem incidental, but when grinding for hours, days on end, it can add up in a hurry. And you're right about skill usage, ranged magic attacks generally do work better for me.
First, welcome to the FFXIV world, I hope you will have a nice time.
Second, give the summoner a try. When you get the tank pet, it gives you a bit extra time to respond to things happening. It seems the tank pet has a kind of radar thing, before I see something it starts to respond allready to the danger before the danger can attack me. In the main quest solo part sometimes mobs attack you when entering a quest point, and to survive it, the tank pet helps a lot
And remember, unlike most other mmo's, one char can do everything. Want to be a crafter, chance your gear and you are a crafter. Want to be a ninja, chance the gear, and a ninja you are. So no need to make alts. So if not like the summoner, try something else
Thank you all so very much! I am installing FFXIV:ARR as I write this. I've been all over the Wiki and other resources, and I've watched a number of YouTube videos. I think I'm ready to commence my next adventure.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what kind of reaction my original post would garner, but you've been extremely kind and helpful and I certainly do appreciated it.
Your best bet is ultima online. Best pve I've played. Many choices, taming, magic warriors, ect. Not many pvp, some do just ignore them like most people do.the enhanced client has nice graphics. 17 years of life, plus , 7or 8offline games for lore. As far as crafting goes there is no better crafting than uo. Random stats, complex crafting, can make best items in the game, always new items due to the randomness of the system, random resource gathering. Can grow plants, mine, log, leather hunting, special ingredient hunting, and alot more.
There is so much to do. From hunting npc pirates, to dungeons, taming, treasure hunting, fishing special hidden treasure, crafting, housing, boating, running for mayor of a city, quests, and a lot more. The game is 45 dollars for all expansions. There is a new one coming out.