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Best group-based mmorpgs?
fivetigers
Member UncommonPosts: 208
in LFGame
I'm looking for some games where grouping is more or less required, and I don't mean just for endgame raids. I'm looking for something where you want to/need to be in a group right from lvl 1. If there's not a game like this, I'll gladly accept the closest thing anyone can come up with.
I've played DDO and just recently tried FFXI, I'm looking for any other suggestions.
Thanks.
Me
Her
Comments
"EVE is likely the best MMORPG that you've never really understood or played" - Kyleran
I also been in deep search for solid group based MMO for what seems years now. Most current day group play is more or less defined by "zerg". Cant complete content ? shove 4+ more dps and the job is done. I suppose FF11 vanilla sort of ruined me in a way. The classic party format was so exillarating. The survival of the party hinging on every single member. The healer could cause a wipe, the tank could cause a wipe, each dps could cause a wipe. Each role was extremely important and well defined. Now it seems almost all classes are hybrid dps in a way and can solo 90% of a MMOs content.
I till feel lost. There are either:
1. solo MMOs
2. Zerg MMOs
3. Themepark MMOs
All are mindless and all are gearchecks. FEZ was a nice exception while it lasted but of course that didnt last. All we have left are themeparks that slightly breaks the mold like TERA or Rift.
Currently I am pinning my hopes that FF14ARR will be the exception. But I have a sinking feeling that ARR will be far more close to WoW then anyone actually wants. Turn based combat was what made FF11 and to a extent FF14 fun. From what I can see, FF14ARR is focusing much more on hotkey ability and not so much on the turn based expect.
I have played and liked Vanguard.
Also Guild Wars too. At least back when I played it you needed a party most of the time.
Me
Her
Let's see... things you can do in a group in Vendetta Online;
Trade - Trading is useful in groups because some of the most dangerous routes that go through lawless territory are also the most profitable. If you group up, you can have one or more persons act as escorts or scouts. The flip side of this is that pirates also often work in groups to try and take you down.
Mining - Mining in groups grants bonuses to your extraction rate, and it's also useful to hang out with some of the old-time miners because they can show you the best spots for mining and where some of the rare ores are.
Hive Skirmishes - These battles will automatically group you with other players. There are three competing, dynamically expanding Hives that need to be pushed back so that sectors of space can be opened up for mining. Also, the more territory a Hive controls, the stronger its Queens and Leviathan become. Hive bots will also sometimes drop rare materials that can be used in manufacturing or weapons and equipment that can be used or traded to other players. Some materials from the Hive are used heavily in manufacturing player-owned cap ships.
Levi Hunting - As stated before, the more territory a Hive controls, the stronger its Queens become. The more Queens there are, the stronger the Leviathan becomes. Therefore, taking down a Leviathan is a group effort that requires battling the Hive across many star systems for hours. The Leviathan will sometimes have some very useful items in its wreckage. The sector the Leviathan lives in is also a host to many Xithricite asteroids, which can be mined provided you are able to dodge the hostile bots at the same time. Taking part in a Levi battle is a sight to behold, with many cap ships, fighters, hive bots, and Queens all together.
Border Battles - Territory can be dynamically conquered in the Deneb star system by taking part in the many Border Skirmishes that continually happen between the Itani and the Serco. These will involve some larger battles between fleets of opposing cap ships, and smaller fighter sweeps as well. In order to take part in these battles you must be a part of either the Serco or the Itani military, and you will be automatically grouped with anyone else on the same mission. Note that these are all sandbox-type battles, *not* instanced in any way.
Conquerable Stations - You know what? Just play the game. It's awesome.
Inc writes about planned expansions to the PvP and PvE content here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/guild/vendetta-online/posts/396121
Make sure to support the Kickstarter, while you are there.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Authored 139 missions in Vendetta Online and 6 tracks in Distance
Old - EQ, daoc, ac, uo
Dead - swg, coh
Or you don't like the sound of - eve
Very odd you mention Guild Wars. Both GW1&2 are gross examples of the solo MMO. Leveling almost designed around the concept that the player will be solo most of the time. Same applied to gearing up, drop rates were so low that any form of group party was a massive disadvantage. Of course GW2 is far more worse with the quesi-party system discourages any real parties and a non-functional instance system. And lets not ignore that in the process of throwing out the holy trinity you end up making everything one big zerg.
But overall its odd to make a "group mmo thread" and then list one of the main perpatrators of solo MMOs.
Me
Her
+1.....except for what kind of balls are you referring to?
Raiding is .01% of a MMO content. Same applies to GW, sure there were things that required gearing up and leveling up companions but it till could be done solo. But the main issue is that this "group play" was till on 0.01% of the game. Leveling is what defines MMOs, not endgame.
If you can progress all the way through a MMO completely solo without any real disadvantage, that means the game failed at being group based.
This leads me to ask. Do you really want a group based game from lv1 to cap ? Or do you want a game that you can level solo and just do group content on the side ? The latter is more or less the very definition of a themepark. IE WoW, Rift, Tera, SWTOR. Definitely plenty to go around.
If the answer is the former...you might want to try PSO2 JP. Leveling is far more productive in groups, loot is unique so also helps to farm in groups. Bosses are near impossble solo sense you can end up fighting 2 or 3 at a time. Also its very much a fantasy game. If you are familiar with PSO or PSU then you know what your getting in terms of combat, location, and mobs.
If your going to play a space game, I would say EVE since I never played Vendetta Online. OP, what are you looking for? Do you want to play something with group content and sandbox? Go check out the new Darkfall: Unhollololy whatever. I tried Vanguard ( a few times ) and it was bizoring.
I used to be a big supporter of FFXI, but now its just a xergfest. Get 95, get paper, get armor to get another job to 95 to get paper to get armor- Bizzoorrring.
Wow is just...wow. Its very top heavy now and only a few servers are popping. But its graiding (grinding and raiding) at its finest and their new system of upgrading armor is just to keep people playing. Theme park fun. Because theme parks are fun to begin with. But no one wants to live in a theme park.
There are a ton of freemium games out there. Lotro isn't bad at all. But there are a few expansions deep. Runes of magic has a lot of content, but the cash shop will catch up with you at the higher levels. I don't know your budget, but Rift has some really great group pve content, but the pvp is lacking. It is a sub game with a $30-40 expansion. Try the trial, if you like it invest. It really is a quality game.
Aion is also a quality sub game, but again, its going to cost you moolah up front. And The Secret World is just a whopping 30 bucks one time onry, Guild wars 2 as well, but 60.
Lets recap:
Cheapo route: runes of magic, vendetta, Lotro, DDO, Atlantica Online (turn based combat MMO that you build your own party, free-cashshop-fun) and most stuff on steam.
Got some loot: EVE, Vendetta Online, TSW, GW1 and Ryzom is only $11.00 (has a great community)
Money is no object buster: Wow, Rift, Aion, GW2
The bottom line: all of these games have group content, just have to find 1) what fits your budget and 2) a group.
Good luck and let me know how your travel went.
Ink!~
Unfortunately I dont think anyone groups much in EQ anymore......Maybe at level 80+ but not much before that.
Why comment on a game you clearly never played properly or know nothing about? I played guild wars 1 for around 7 years and 95% of the game can't be done solo.