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Help me pick the best solo mmo (read criteria)
I've tried a lot of MMOs, but I am curious if I can draw upon your expertise.
Critieria:
Primary: I do not like PUGs. I do not like having to commit to be at a certain time with a regular group. I do not like to have to do "RAID content" while I wait around with a bunch of people. It is FINE if the game has that, but the game needs to have a strong SOLO component as well.
That means either I can recruit minions/NPC bots or play a character not unlike a World of Warcraft Paladin or Shaman who is kind of a jack of all trades, in addition it means I can play through the end game without having to group up to do stuff.
I do not mind quest zones like in Warhammer, where I can run up and join a quest with a group of people. Thats fine.
I was looking very much forward to "Gods and Heroes", where I could recruit minions, develop my own villa, but I've heard that the designers have failed and the player base is bailing so I am just waiting for it to go to F2P model. That game meets most of my criteria (Except the last one)
It can be F2P, have an item shop, subscription based, whatever.
It doesn't have to include PVP, but if it does I like it to be where I can choose to enter battle grounds or contested areas instead of being killed in the lowbie areas.
I love there to be crafting and world building, sandbox style. Istaria was a good example of how that may work and showed a lot of promise.
I like/love strategy to be in a game. If I can build up my own little feif or army, or space colony or whatever, thats fine. This is a nice to have feature. If you think about "Age of Empires Online", you start with a city and then your quests allow you to build it up, thats really a cool idea. I'd love that in a mmo.
The setting can be anything, I really don't care if it's ancient egypt or robot knights or anything in between. I am not favoring elves and dwarves, but really its fine.
The player base can not have bailed/the devs can't be lethargic. Some games like Dark Ages of Camelot, Age of Conan, Istaria, Gods and Heroes could easily meet my criteria if not for this last one.
====================================================
Having said that, I also enjoy RP and a nice storyline, not a bunch of nitwits leveling up a PVP ladder. I play to immerse myeslf in the game world. I won't list that as a criteria because unfortunately thats not always within the developers control.
Okay, thoughts? suggestions? The game list on mmorpg is so extensive, and I've been searching for a long time, I thought I'd just ask.
Comments
if you are willing to scratch crafting off of that list, looks like Guild Wars was made with you in mind...
edit: and since its in your OP, in case you didnt hear AoC went sort of freemium as of late, so its population has gained a SIGNIFICANT boost....like, tenfolded.
if the only thing preventing you from playing AoC was low population, by all means, give it another go now
Guild Wars or DDO
We need a MMORPG Cataclysm asap, finish the dark age of MMORPGS now!
"Everything you're bitching about is wrong. People don't have the time to invest in corpse runs, impossible zones, or long winded quests. Sometimes, they just want to pop on and play."
"Then maybe MMORPGs aren't for you."
Elder Scrolls
Dragon Age
There are plenty of single player games tailor made for you .. you are looking at the wrong genre.
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
Or try Vanguard SOH. Sounds like the Devs might be coming back and the population is growing. It has a ton of crafting, group and solo questing, house and guild house building, three continents to explore, and diplomacy.
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
Thats why my criteria though is "solo".
If its boring solo, that isn't fun. If its difficult solo, that isn't fun.
In Re: age of conan, is it really that soloable?
As to what games I've played, almost every major MMO from WoW, EQ1, EQ2, DAOC, Warhammer online, some older titles like Shadowbane, Istaria, Vanguard (at launch). etc.
City of Heroes, Champions Online, LOTR, Star Trek Online. (I have the lifetime subs for the last three).
I played DDO before it went F2P, been thinking about giving that a go for solo. I also seriously considered Gods and Heroes despite hearing a lot of bad things about it.
My advice is too just play what you have and latch on to one of the new MMO's coming out.Rift is soloable start to end, but all of these games require some sort of teamwork for endgame. You could play a solo miner or something in Eve since you start that game at the end, but why?
The new games will be out soon, get in early if it is an MMO, cause if you blink, you might miss it.
Have a sense of humor, no need to get ALL MODDY !
A Simpson's quote shouldn't be worth a warning. You are lucky anyone is bothering to read this rag.
There is a detailed list of over 100 games on the mmorpg.com games list.
Yes, I have my ears open about Guild Wars 2. The fact it is coming out soon, makes me wary about revisiting guild wars 1.
DDO sounded good, except the item shop's retainers are use and lose. If they were repeatable henchman that I could summon every time that would be worth it.
There has to be something out there kinda sandboxish, that I just haven't noticed on that vast game list that meets my criteria.
Why does it need to be an mmo?
That answer seems obvious to me, but here goes;
I want a dynamic world where people are doing things and has new content released for it.
I just don't want to have to 'group' with a bunch of morons.
I enjoy the strategic elements of planning a good group, but I do not want to have to deal with the "Lol, I am going to TP back to town...seeya!" as they abandon the party midway through etc.
"Dragon Age 2" does add DLC now and again, but it's no where close to the kind of ever changing world of a sandbox mmo. I want to go to a city and see people roaming around. I just don't want to HAVE to hang out with them.
Well, from what you are looking for, I don't think it exists because I would like that game too. Ive treid nearly all of em if I could get it running.I'm still waiting on something new.
You could go play UO for a while.Its fun for the nostalgia if nothing else.
DDO isnt that bad, and you can gain cash shop points slowly while playing. So you could get those hirelings for free it will just take some time. DDO is actually fun to group up in too though. You will wish you had a rogue with you when you come across a deadly trap or even worse a chest you cant open.
I don't really care for cash shop games myself, but I have bought a few things in CO,DDO and EQ2 just because I felt I was enjoying myself while playing enough that the Dev's deserved a little money from me.
I hope you find something maybe I have missed (which is why Im even looking here.)
Let us know if something scratches your itch.
Have a sense of humor, no need to get ALL MODDY !
A Simpson's quote shouldn't be worth a warning. You are lucky anyone is bothering to read this rag.
This thread is kind of like;
"Hey, help me pick the restaurant that serves (x) food and has (y) service"
And people say "Why don't you just buy the groceries and make your own?" or "It doesn't exist"
I believe a solo friendly sandbox exists. Guild wars is close, so is DDO. In fact, DDO is almost perfect if the henchmen were something once you bought them they stuck with you.
It is mentality like this that is ruining this genre. I understand wanting a persistent world, and all the like, but let's be honest... how many of the MMORPGs actually have persistent worlds? If you visited Stormwind in WoW, the likelyhood of it being different than it was two months ago is slim to none, especially without new expansions.
You want a solo game? Go play a single player game. You want a persistent world? Go tell the developers of a single player game. Rumors are on the horizon that this is not that far off. Nintendo I believe is trying to perfect the idea of "Massively Single Player Online games" which are essentially single player games, you can play with your buddies, but everyone's actions have an impact on the world. Sounds exactly what you're looking for.
So I beg you, for the rest of us who actually like playing online games because we DO like the social aspect and we DO like grouping with our fellow "nitwits" as you call us, and we DO like raiding, and we DO like committing to scheduled times... please please PLEASE... go away.
How in the world can a player ruin anything? They just pay the cash for a game and either like it and play it for a while or not.
You really need to put the blame, if there is any to put, on the people that make the games and sell them.
Maybe you should give some thought to what the real issue is. There do not seem to be enough people like you to pay for the dev's to make more games like you want. Seems it is more the way the OP is looking for as the way they are heading.
In the end we, the players , can just play what is put out there. Apparently, the market is not so great for your type of game.
Back to topic:
Sounds like you have tried a lot of games:) Not sure if you will like any you have not tried so far, due to the lower populations. Most likely will have to wait till something new comes along.
I think that GOH has a 3 day trial out now so you might as well take a look and see if it is worth a sub to you. Should be able to tell in that time if it is even something you want to try for longer.
Last thing, i will suggest, is look for the old Guild wars game and the expansions, if you do not have them. See if you can find them on sale somewhere. They have sells quite often. Might be fun to try that again., or for first time.
Games with good crafting and player created content tend to be really bad sologames.
And with the last criteria you can't play Vanguard either that fits the rest.
Without the sandbox criteria Guildwars would work perfect, it allows you to customize your heros you bring with you and for a fee in the store you can even bring your other characters along as followers but it have close to no crafting and no building in it.
Most games with good crafting and good building are unfortunatley free for all sandboxes and playing solo in them is very frustrating at best.
While there are a few hybrid games they are not big and have little support like Vanguard.
I guess you could give Eve a go, it is far from perfect to solo but it fills the rest of your criterias.
I think you should try out GW and Eve and see if one of them catch your eye. GW is B2P while Eve have a monthly fee but both have free trials.
To the OP; Start playing Rift.
There is a lot you can do solo throughout the levelling experience, even if some of it becomes repetitive. There is the option for you to participate in dungeons with a pug, but if you dislike that, you dont have to, and you can roam the world for events that happen regularly throughout the zones. You can join and leave at any time, and still be rewarded for your paticipation.
However the relevance in regards to your post, is that Rift has announced a couple of new features for the game, currently being developed. Which is why I suggest you start playing so that you can familiarise yourself with the game and create your characters now.
the most relevant thing for you is the addition of solo and duo endgame content. Meaning solo epic questlines and instances. This sounds like what youre looking for.
Another new feature incomming to rift, is the option to sign up for tailored events/adventures. The event will create itself depending on how many people sign up for it in a lfg kind of tool. Then you can again leave or stay for as long as pleases you, and reap rewards depending on you contribution.
Important to note that these are incomming features and that they are not present in the game atm. But Rift is incredibly casual and solo friendly. So much so, I doubt it has real credibility as a raid game - atleast in my eyes its a little bleh in that area. I think it sounds like something catering to your style.
There is a free trial for rift, if you go to Trions homepage and signup for an account.
I don't think Rift really fills all his requirements. For one thing is Rifts crafting pretty basic and there is no endgame for soloplayers. No building in it either.
Not that trying it will hurt of course, it is not a bad game but I don't feel it is what OP is looking for.
Well in the DDO store you can buy a hireling folder. In the smallest one you can store 2 different hirelings in a stack of 20. That makes it pretty repeatable if you are only using 1-2 guys for long periods.
EQ2 extended?