Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Where are the non quest on rails MMORPGs
The mmorpgs I played years ago involved very few quests, the quests it did involve were time consuming, there wasnt many of them but they were atleast fun (because they wasnt rammed down your throat)
Games nowadays dont have a world to explore, the quest path moves you across the world, every mmorpg iv played since iv came back to the genre has been pathetic, only decent game iv come across is Mortal Online (and by decent I dont mean the game itself, it has issues, but the ideas there, i gave up because of the problems)
I dont mind a grind, I actually like a grind, but I hate quest grinds, I hate what we have lets the genre become.
Im looking for a game where quests arnt rammed down my throat, I want a game with exploration, I may stick with Vanguard but what else are there, im open to F2P or P2P, just lost at the moment I cant find anything.
Iv played Vanguard Trial and loved it so next step may to sub? but I would like to try a few more first.
Ex. myth of soma, legend of mir, mu online and eudemons online player.
Current game : Runescape (until pc build is complete)
Comments
Final Fantasy XI...all quests are optional, not even marked on screen and must be hunted down and or earned through fame, and they can be quite vague and difficult to figure out. Or you can just do standard solo/party XP grinding on Fields and Grounds of Valor.
There are some rather impressive storyline "Missions" tons of them in fact which are harder and much longer than most quests, also entirely optional, but they have great cutscenes and stories.
I know you said that the games you played years ago but anyways here goes hehe. A lot fo the older games allow you not to have to rely on quests.
If you can get past the dated graphics you may want to give Ultima Online a try. It's only a shell of what the game was 6-7 years ago but it's still a good game.
You could also try Everquest. You can literally play that game without ever doing a quest if you want to.
For a new game I would say EVE Online. After you finish the tutorial you never have to do a mission again if you don't want to. You could really skip the tutorial too but I wouldn't recommend it.
I know I didn't throw a hole list of games but I hope that help you out a bit.
OP, you are stuck in the past. I hope you realize you can play WoW, Rift, Lotro, etc. and just choose NOT to do quests and just grind mobs to your heart's content. Thereby not having anything "rammed" down your throat and giving you plenty of time to go explore. Funny, I love to explore too but never have an issue doing so when I'm doing quests. It's not hard to say..oh I just killed my last boar...but wait, that looks cool over there, wonder what it is? Off I go. The quest isn't going anywhere niether are the mobs.
In other words, learn to adapt or just find a new genre of games.
Lol... I agree with the OP 100%...
Adapt or find new genre? Dumbest thing I have ever heard... I'd rather not give the theme park child like games my business... i'd rather wait for something better than "adapt".
Then I guess you'll be waiting forever since the market and target audience prefer the quest based leveling system. Also, who says it has to be Themepark just because it has quests and quest hubs? Personally I prefer the Sandpark systems currently being developed. A nice amalgamation of the 2 types of gameplay.
Adapt or find a new genre is my way of saying change your perspective, because THAT is what is holding you back from enjoying current MMORPGs. If not, then that's your problem and you should just move along instead of whining about it.
Yes, it seems I will be waiting forever... the next one that looks like it might be decent is archeage... but no release dates. And yes, the "sandpark" games do look like they may have potential (im assuming your taking about gw2)... but it remains to be seen.
No, that is not whats holding me back... I have tried the themepark games (year+ in wow, and many other after)... the problem is that they are all the same now... new name, new skins, new story, 1 or 2 new features (which dont do much) but basically the same thing. I am bored of these types of games... I don't want an easy game... I want a challendge. The fact that game companies jump on the wow band wagon because they don't want to risk developing something new is what is holding me back.
Its a funny thing, all though its name is Everquest 2 and it certainly has quest hub type gameplay, I don't feel nearly as "directed" as I have in other recent titles such as Aion or Rift, and in fact I spend a great deal of time just wandering around killing mobs for fun and profit.
Sure, i do a lot of quests, but at my own pace and while wandering I've found lots of hidden boxes and stuff that yield bonus quests/items that are off the beaten path.
It's by no means an old school grinder a la FFXI or DAOC, but it's still less directed than most titles out there and populations are pretty strong if you pick the right sever. (Also, there's a F2P option which will let you try before you decide to buy)
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I'm glad you're enjoying EQ2 as you are, but I completely disagree with your assessment of it. EQ2 is the most handrails game I know. Each zone other than dungeons has certain quest hubs. You go through each quest hub in order, doing the quests in order, and by doing so you will be sent to each part of the entire zone eventually, seeing almost all that there is to be seen just by doing the quests. You are likely getting far far less xp by just randomly wandering around killing stuff like you are, compared to if you would follow the handrails.
The zones are medium sized at most, with no zones that feel large to me at all, much less gigantic. The zones are packed to the brim with monsters every 3 feet, adding to the feeling of handrails, "go here, kill this, go back." The world does not feel like an open world at all. It is very unimmersive.
For a questing handrails game though, it's about as good as it gets in my opinion.
Unfortunately for you, we'll be saying the same thing to you in about 5-10years when this "fad" of games on rails dies out completely & all we'll be left with are sandbox games, or hybrids of the two.
I cannot wait
! In the mean time, I'm playing EvE && waiting for a SWG 2.0 in the form of another game (since I already know Lucas Arts won't allow another "sandbox" StarWars game for another 10+years, or unless SWTOR is considered a massive flop).
WoW == handholding railgame
Rift == Best copy of WoW to date
Aion == Asian WoW
you get my point
The Theory of Conservative Conservation of Ignorant Stupidity:
Having a different opinion must mean you're a troll.
That's pretty much whatI do. I don't do every quset and wlll ignore an entire area's quests if they are not interesting.
I only do quests if they seem interesting or if for some reason they impede my progression.
It's very freeing.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
By "adapt" he doesn't mean start enjoying quests, but realizing that you can still grind freely on any mob you want in a themepark game. Shit, when I used to play back in 06, two or three of my friends would level just by grinding on good spawns.
As long as you get a sufficient xp/kill you can still play your way, in a game that suggests playing a different way.
My favorite game lately for just grinding and going where I wanted was Fallen Earth. When it launched, a lot of people did the quests because some gave APs (skill points), there is now 1. a cap on skill points and 2. the ability to get random ones.
I rerolled a new character and just went wherever I wanted mostly grinding mobs to get me the craft supplies I wanted. I was surprised that I actually leveled a LOT faster than by doing quests.
That being said, the quests in FE are better written and more interesting than a lot of MMOs.
"Never met a pack of humans that were any different. Look at the idiots that get elected every couple of years. You really consider those guys more mature than us? The only difference between us and them is, when they gank some noobs and take their stuff, the noobs actually die." - Madimorga
that's mostly what i do in LotRO and Vanguard when i play them.
ive even taken up twelvesky2 just for that grind experience on loads of mobs grouped together.
"There are at least two kinds of games.
One could be called finite, the other infinite.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
it is very freeing. and its interesting that you point that out. in a sense gamers will make of a game what they want. in the worst case this is seen in the constant exploitation of 'bugs' or in mechanics that GMs tell you weren't meant to be used in a particular way.
it could be argued that enough people doing that would begin to show up on the spreadsheet/database these companies review and the market might change a bit.
every game i play i love to do a handful of things: explore, harvest, grind, and craft. and honestly that's about it. yes, im that boring
but i enjoy it so /shrug why not?
best games for doing this for me are LotRO and Vanguard, though i will say you are right that you can do this in almost any game.
"There are at least two kinds of games.
One could be called finite, the other infinite.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse
I remember and enjoyed those days. You'd log in, it was easy to find a group, and you all would set off to explore the zone and its dungeons, looking for an appropriate camp of mobs for your group for a good flow of xp. That game was DAoC for me. Quests were few and far between and were a big deal. There was also an Epic quest chain, a different one for each Guild or College Faction in the game. Your classes belonged to one of several of those guilds. The Epic quest chain was one quest every 5 levels, rewarding you with a magical (item with stats on it) item. The last quest rewarded you with a full suit of armor, which had a unique look for each class and was magical (item with stats on it). Notice how I keep saying "magical items." Statted items weren't a dime a dozen in DAoC, like they are in WoW. Gear with stats on them were rare drops, or player crafted after the Shrouded Isle expansion.
So yeah, I'm with you. I hate quest grinds. In fact, I'm insulted that they'd even consider gathering 5 boar livers so that a farmer can make a pie a quest in the first place. Who in their right mind would read a fantasy book about doing meaningless tasks for villagers in every town in the world? No one, because we all know that quests are inherently epic in nature, take a long time to complete, dangerous, often times require allies to complete, and whose completion is often its own reward.
I found Vanguard to be a decent game. The game has a wide variety of classes and races, with vastly different starting areas for most of the races to get you immersed in their lore, just like the classic MMORPG's did. However, Vanguard is still a quest grind. There are meaningless tasks everywhere in every town you complete. Now, Vanguard does offer more meaningful quests than normal MMORPG's, but they are vast enough in scope or dangerous enough. Yet, there are plenty of areas that are dangerous and need a group. One thing I liked about Vanguard is that not every patch of ground is covered with mob spawns. So you could actually explore an area without having to fight your way through it every inch of the way. That's something I hate about most MMORPG's.
I don't think you're really grasping the spirit of what the OP is talking about. Sure, you can mob grind and explore each zone at your own leisure, but there's a difference between a MMORPG's environment that requires you to mob grind to get to max level or to quest grind to max level. The mob grind MMO environments are designed specifically with quests in mind, so they aren't jamb packed with mobs every inch of the way. Also, almost all environments in a quest based MMORPG are placed there with a purpose in mind. You want to know the purpose behind each place, you'll have to do the quests. More often than not though, that purpose is to clear that particular area out for some vague and shallow reason that is better suited for the town guards or a local teenager than works the fields.
Also, mob grinding in the classic MMO's were only fun when done with others. It was working as a group with other players, learning the strengths and weaknesses of each others class, and learning how to operate as a group to smoothly take down mobs a few levels higher than you to maximize your xp gain. In WoW, you can solo a mob a few levels higher, even Elite mobs. Plus, the socializing and discovering the world with others was a lot more fun than doing it on your own.
In modern MMO's, the only viable way to level is through quests and dungeons. The dungeons is what I consider the best part, since a lot of effort is put into creating them, plus they require a group to complete, and have a story behind it actually worth knowing. The only downside to the dungeons is that they never change, so once you learn the dungeon, it becomes boring. This is a problem when there is only 1 or 2 dungeons per level range. Classic games didn't have this problem, since your group could explore any part of the world and find dangers appropriate for your groups level AND they had dungeons.
Yep, me too. RIFT was the last straw for me. After playing RIFT for a week, I said "enough is enough." I haven't played an MMO in over 6 months. Prior to playing RIFT and the Cataclysm release, I hadn't played MMO's for over 7 months. So I think my time in this genre is coming to an end unless developers start thinking about more than one type of player.
The guy telling the OP to "adapt" or "leave," is a coward. What'll happen when his place of employment starts doing something he doesn't like? Will he adapt or leave or finally stand up for something? What about when his government gets out of hand? Will he adapt or leave, or will he participate in the revolution. Sure, these are different in importance, but the attitude to adapt or leave starts with the little things and become imbedded in a person personality.
There are times when adapting is necessary, then there are times to stand up for what you want. There's nothing wrong with asking for something you want and seeing if a game like it exists. I find that guy offensive to come on here and tell the guy to practically leave the genre or start liking quest grinding, as if it's an absolutely obsurd thing to expect and fight for better MMORPG's, assuming that's the OP's preferred genre of games and a hobby, like it is mine.
So instead of ignoring the thread, you come here to whine about the OP whining?
Oh come one, didn't you know that all it takes to make a game fun and challenging is to change your "perspective?" lol
I didn't say it wasn't a quest hub game, nor that you weren't directed, I said it felt less directed than some more recent titles.
I do the quests by the way, but not in any particular order, and certainly not as part of a clear plan. Could I be more efficient, probably so, but I don't feel quite the same pressure as I did in Rift for example.
It's by no means the sandbox that EVE is, but not a whole lot different than the old school grinders such as DAOC. People tend to forget that npc's in that game were grouped by level, and players progressed from one side of the zone to the other as they leveled up, and eventually moved on to the next higher level zone.
I think all MMO's are going to have some sort of progression system, particuarly of course for themepark style games.
But there are varying degrees of how directed a player is and I feel EQ2 is a bit less than some other titles.
But as you said, that just could be me.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Play Neverwinter Nights 1 instead of dumb cookie cutter MMO's!
Buy Neverwinter Nights 1 here! | Unofficial NWN1 homepage | NWN1 guild on X-Fire
There a few games otu there that would suti you i guess but most are not AAA titles and are developed by indie companies that dont have a huge amount of cash.
you tried one Mortal Online
here are a few others
Darkfall - Fantasy Open world, full loot pvp, graphics a bit dated but should be getting an update soon. If you like PVP this one is for you, yes it will take you time to get as good as the vets but within a few months you will be fighting and making a difference in group battles.
Dawntide - Fantasy Still in beta, again an open world not quest driven at all. Graphics are not very good and game still has bugs that need to be sorted. (Free to play as its beta)
Xsyon - Post apoc, open world do what the hell you want kinda game, you can move land up and down and build everything there is in game. Was very buggy at launch and combat system sucked. Not sure what its like at the moment.
Earthrise - Sc-Fi open world game with PVP and good crafting.. very buggy.
Sadly as open world, pvp, non quest based games are not popular with the kids companies realise they wont make much cash from them.. so this leaves indie companies to try and keep games like this alive.. that sadly means not much cash for the development and rushed out so they can start maknig some cash back.. this usually ends in a buggy game but there can be lots of fun to be had with these games.. at the end of the day tis upto you if you can handle a few bugs along the way then there are games out there for you to try..
Wurm Online would also be another one to try, about as open ended as you can get.
Ah yes forgot about that one i am sure there are a few others as well..
I also agree with the OP 100%, sick of quest games.