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Save me from total MMO burnout!
After nearly 15 years of uninterrupted MMO gaming, I may finally be done. It's a little depressing - these games have been my primary hobby for most of my adult life. I even met my wife in one back when meeting people over the internet was considered weird. I keep thinking that my next favorite game is out there, but I keep getting disappointment. Maybe I'm wrong - that's why I'm posting. If someone has a suggestion for a game that might get me out of my funk, you'd be saving me from having to take up knitting or online poker.
I tend to float in and out of all of Bartle's archetypes, depending on the game and my mood. I've played UO, DAoC, CoH, SWG, WoW, and EQ2, for at least a year each, with the longest stays in UO, DAoC and WoW. The most fun I ever had in an MMO was in DAoC's frontiers, traveling with huge groups of players looking for enemies to fight, meeting new people and exploring.
I most recently unsubbed from WoW when I realized that Blizzard had tricked me into paying a subscription fee for a 5 year-old single-player RPG. They're so busy protecting the players from one another, they've taken away all meaningful interaction between players. The only time you even notice anyone else is when you join a dungeon, raid or battleground. 24 other players is not “massively multiplayer,” it's the kind of multiplayer that Blizzard gave away for free with StarCraft and Diablo 2.
If there's no random element, human interaction, or persistence, what am I paying a subscription fee for? I can save $15 a month and just send people text messages while replaying Dragon Age for the 15th time. In the immortal words of Johnny Rotten, “ever get the feeling you've been cheated?”
I've also spent at least 6 months in WAR (a buggy mess at the time), DDO (meh), LOTRO (WoW, but with a more transient community and worse graphics) and AoC (loved the newbie area, turns into slo-mo Dungeon Siege).
I'm currently futzing around in Eve Online, and was actually enjoying it for a while. With its player controlled economy and politics, Eve seemed like exactly what I needed. But after a month and a half of playing, I'm beginning to suspect the game is some kind of practical joke. Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun except for me, and for the life of me I can't get anyone to let me in on the gag. You can't join a PvP corp unless you have experience PvPing, and you can't get experience PvPing unless you're in a PvP corp (unless collecting insurance payouts counts). Likewise, you can't get into the economic game unless you already have money. So for a new player, that leaves asteroid mining -- which is exactly as entertaining as watching your hard drive defrag -- and what Eve calls "PvE," which is basically the same thing as mining except the rocks shoot back. I'm willing to put the time in to learn a more complicated game, but I don't want to wait a year or more to get to “game” part of the game.
So... someone, anyone, convince me to give some other game a try. I almost want to give WAR another chance, but I'm not going to put the time in just so EA can quietly shut the game down in 6 months. And don't bring up unreleased games - I've been an Ultima Online 2 fanboy twice in my life, and I don't think I could take another hEArtbreak. 
I just want an MMO that's actually massive and multiplayer, but also entertaining.
Alternately, if someone wants to let me in on the secret to Eve, I'll accept that as well.
Thank you random strangers on the internet!
Comments
APB goes F2P soon.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
you may want to try dungeons and dragons online
it can be fun making multiclass characters - and theres alot of group play doing the missions
EDIT:
nevermind, I overlooked that you tried DDO
EA is not going to shutdown Warhammer anyime soon
DAOC has even less subs, w no expansions in last 5 years and is still running by the same EA mgt
http://www.darkageofcamelot.com/
EQ2 fan sites
I think there are a lot more people in the same boat as you than you might think. Finding a good MMO to devote a lot of time too is very challenging right now because there isn't many quality titles to choose from. It sucks getting into a game super late in its life because theres people who have been there since day 1 who think their shit dont stink or that by somehow being good at a computer game they are superior to other people (kind of the opposite).
I've honestly just been playing a few FPS games while waiting for ArcheAge/SWTOR/GW2 to roll around. I know Brink comes out on the 9th so hopefully that can occupy me until some of the big titles of the year start coming out.
Edit - If you've never played age of conan, there is a new ffa pvp server coming out soon. It just got a nice graphic update aswell, and it looks amazing.
Just go to the Flippy Progression server on Everquest like everyone else. Back to when MMORPG gaming was fun!
I am burnt out from WoW. I want something similar but different at the same time.
Problem I find is mostly all other MMO copy not enough good things from WoW to keep me happy.
I would suggest playing a MMORPG like RIFT which has contents that can be fun while leveling up. And be sure to take your time leveling and playing, instead of rushing for power. I learned that lession from playing Rift. I rushed to get my 44 point branch skills, and now I am burnt out.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
I'm burnt out on all the wow like games, i am not even sure Guildwars 2 will get me back in that genre, allthough i probaly will try it. Right now i am looking in to SCI-FI mmo's and i found "Black Prophecy", maybe you shut give that one at try.
I have to admit, Guild Wars 2 is dehypeing me the more new info comes out. I dont believe GW2 will hold me for long. But I will get it since not much is lost. Even though I didnt like the first game (because it wasnt a MMO in the first place, but most review sites said it was, which was why I was disapointed)
I still believe GW2 wont be take big for long, but will be fun to do DE.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
I was in your boat exactly 59 days ago. I couldn't bear leaving the MMO scence because I've been in it for so long, but I just couldn't find a game that interested me. Until March 1st came along, and someone talked me into playing Rift.
I gave it a try and am deffinitly glad I did. It actually reminds me of the WoW of old. Rifts, Invasions, and Footholds, as well as World Events bring many people together for a comman goal. PVE is actually tough and PVP is fun as hell. I'm probably going to get flamed for that comment because a bunch of people "quit" (even though I'm pretty sure they said they quit, but actually didn't) because of the PVP, and it being "unfair" or "unbalanced" and while I agree at first it was, ever since the release of patch 1.1 it has toned down a bit and become a bit more balanced.
Plater interactivity is a must in this game, as farming minor rifts is possible, but farming major rifts is quite the feat, and farming expert or raid rifts is impossible solo. Raid rifts take about a full raid to complete.
If you have any other questions about the game feel free to ask and I'll get back to you.
Thank,
Talint
Rift is a wonderful game with the same old gameplay everybodys tired of. =p The soul system is great and rifts are fun, i still havent done 50+ of them tho so i dunno.
Ive been playing a lot of single player games as well as a gigantic mix of the freebies. Vindictus is still the best free to play game ive experienced. Black Prophecy is really cool for somethin different.
Im waiting for Tera and Firefall and Blade & Soul and a ton of other stuff we wont see for like 15-20 more years probably. =p
Jeremiah 8:21 I weep for the hurt of my people; I stand amazed, silent, dumb with grief.
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They recently hit a crash bug with the update right before Open Beta, setting it back another couple of weeks. I've been waiting for it all month.
Meanwhile, I'm just wasting time in Oblivion. That's a good time waster right there.
Uncharted Waters online is F2P. Its a sandbox and the cash shop is non intrusive.
Words of an addict... *shakes head*
I really loved Vanguard. It has a great crafting system and the diplomacy part is still one of a kind. I quit playing it after awhile because of performance issues. SInce then they fixed those but the population died off. If nothing else it might be fun for you to give the free trial a run.
On the other hand, you can always play other games while waiting for the new MMOs to come out. Shogun 2 is pretty fun right now
As I remember in Eve you can get all the PVP XP you want in Red vs Blue. Just join up and have at it...
Kinda ran into the same issue. My wife loves themepark MMO's so I play them with her. Rift is her home for now but I have found myself back on FFXI and having a blast. Games been out for a long time and the level cap is soon to raise again. If you are sick of solofest then FFXI should be up your alley. And you won't run out of content. Any questions or comments feel free to shoot me a message. Good luck on your search.
RIP Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan and Paul Gray.
Try Eve again.
CoH accounts that were in good standing will be reactivated for a week during May -- pop in and check it out.
For a better time in EVE join EVE University [E-UNI]. Complete their program and you'll be able to get into any major alliance in the galaxy.
RIFT
For the ultimate MMORP experience!!
Leveling doesnt take to long, however that is the only partially tedious thing that is WELL worth it, the endgame, is really something else, its EXCELLENT and strongly recommended. Something the same, yet also different.
RIFT
RIFT
and
RIFT
again.
Lol Rift is a game for Wow players, its certainly not a game you would advise for a '97/'98 Uo player; just be realist here man. Rift is a noob cake game even a 3years old could play, there is no complexity, no player interaction whasoever, its just an other Wow just as they advertise it. The only interesting part on Rift is the 2millimeter step forward made about spawning and mob patroling factions, but that was done in NWN by amateur coders since like 10 years ago, rofl what a joke if you think about it more than 10sec. They couldn't even go any deeper in that idea since Rift aren't even portals you can actually go in like in Oblivion, i mean this is just plain sad and nothing esle but a farce. And yes i defended Rift during Beta stage, but really the game is so shallow how would you even play more than few weeks is beyound me.
I feel your pain OP, i'm on the same train. I play some indy alpha stage mmo now, but i'm not sure you would like something like that, its a real sandbox with a somehow low population in 2d and perma death, but its even more sandboxy than Uo ever was, pm me if you want to try this. But let be honest you really have to love gaming to play those kind of games, and are ready to experiment furstration, but at least its not frustration from stupidity and superficiality, but rather from low budget and small team work, so its kind of a deal you have to make. In anycase if i wasn't playing some indy games i would have left the pc gaming scene since a decade now. Thats pretty sad to say but AAA titles bring nothing to the scene but money rolling, so nothing for us really. Also the last 2/3 years were the worst in the mmo history, maybe next year it will be better but i wouldn't await the messiah if i was you whatever uber propaganda they are making around. You know why i say that? its because the most themepark next gen mmo SWOTR seam to have the most interesting game play of them all (my personal opinion), the world is bathing into irony as it seam.
Wait for one of the Korean big boys to turn up or... mess around?
TERA, ArcheAge and Blade & Soul are the new breed of MMOs, but none of them will be here anytime soon. SWTOR is WoW in space, but with a very good story element. GW2 is massive hype, no doubt will be great, but don't expect miracles, much like Rift is very well done, just not a miracle worker either.
Personally I've just been floating around free to play MMOs whilst I wait, APB Reloaded is fun, but then I liked it before it already. Vindictus is good in small bursts, and there are various other ones worth a look though nothing that would fill the void of a true MMO.
The MMO landscape isn't as inspiring as it used to be, too much of the same stuff with a new skin out there.
I couldn't help but laugh at this. We've got an OP who's tired of WoW and sick of all the Wow-like games and yet here we have people suggesting Rift. I haven't played WoW myself but even I know that Rift is current'y the most successful WoW clone out right now.
As for my suggestion to the OP, try taking a break from the genre and playing other games like The Witcher 2 (out in 3 weeks) and then come back to the genre in a couple months when you've recovered from your burnout. By then we'll have a whole slew of new interesting games out like: ArcheAge, Guild Wars 2, Tera and Star Wars: TOR.
This might just be a good time to take a break OP. Catch up on all the movies/books you missed while game playing! Haven't played anything since January and the twitching has finally subsided. There are a ton of games coming out near years end or beginning of next year. Looking forward to GW2, Arche Age, TSW and a few others. Gonna have to play SW:TOR because my wife loves the IP, looks fun though. A little down time isn't a bad thing, especially after 15 years.
You need to get away from MMO's or video games in general and find a new hobby, one dealing with the real world. All these new MMO's you see coming out are crap. They are all trying to hit the right combo to be the next big thing. Wait til an MMO comes out and is the next big thing, to the point that you don't have to go on an MMO site to see it advertised.
ìf you want to get into the PvP section of Eve find a corp running in 0.0 and see if you can join.
I'm no PvP expert but have been part of corps operating in 0.0 and taken part in some big battles out there.
There are corps that will take people on with no PvP experience, many will happily advise on skills/loadouts also.