Looking for a MMORPG

Raitsesman · January 2020

Hello community!

It's been REALLY long time since I posted in these forums (like 10+ years, I think?). I also haven't played an MMO in a really long time. I stopped playing them after going to the uni and I have played mostly single-player games for the last 10 years or so (not counting Overwatch, but this came and went).

Now that I have turned 30, and having a stable job and a family, I once again feel this very old craving and so I turn to you, fellow community members, in a need for some advice. I'm completely disconnected with the MMORPG market and I don't know what's out there. Can you recommend any good MMORPG-s?

I used to play WoW and some Asian MMOs like Lineage in the past, but I feel like I want to try something new now, something I haven't played before - a new start if you will.

So here's what I'm sort of looking for:

1) I'm looking for quality and I'm not afraid to pay for it. This means a polished, good looking game with a high development budget, decent graphics and periodical updates/patches.

2) A game with a strong and active community. Playing MMORPG-s is always more fun with new friends.

3) Good (or at least decent?) story and writing. I guess those single player RPG-s spoiled me in that score.

4) Big world and lot's of things to do. I wan to immerse myself in exploring vast areas that are also interesting to explore.

4) A game that is not about to die. From what I've heard, MMORPG market is not doing exactly well right now. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Also, I'm not strictly looking for a specific genre so both fantasy and sci-fi recommendations are welcome (also modern, post-apocalyptic etc.)

Please help an old timer out. Thank you!

Po_gg · January 2020

LotRO.

Err... don't mind me, I suggest LotRO for every occasions

Fits for great story and community and big world with lots of things to do.

Still, maybe not the best one in your case, for point 1.

And maybe 5 (the second 4), though I believe no game's future is set and certain, any game can receive the axe.

Point 1, don't get me wrong, LotRO's vistas and the world is amazing, but gfx-focused posters used to criticize the characters and the overall look, they call it dated.

It ain't have high budget either, but maybe most importantly, it would be too close to Wow, you wouldn't feel the "something I haven't played before".

So, objectively, for all the points, I'd say FF XIV. Polished, good story and community, fairly certain future, and noticable differences from Wow.

AlBQuirky · January 2020

MMOs have changed a lot in the past 10 years. The good news is that most are Free to Play (F2P) so initial investment and trying them out costs nothing but time and hard disc space. There are few buy to play (B2P) options now, too. A little more research needs to go into those games before purchasing.

Another good thing is that most new MMOs are designed for today's "on the go" players, so hours of spot camping are gone. They are also built for solo play, though some players still group and form Guilds.

I don't have any recommendations, just a general take on the state of the hobby/genre. New MMOs are not like the ones you may fondly remember

Eladi · January 2020

Elderscrolls online, high population, lots of content, lots of story. it has its flaws but its one of the best mmo's atm.

ofc this is subject to personal taste.

Amathe · January 2020

Ok. Don't tell anyone what I am about to say. It's a secret.

If you want a game like that, find a unicorn, pluck a strand of its hair, and mix it with pixie dust during a full moon. Such a game will then appear.

Or donate heavily to a kickstarter game (same as the above, but less likely to work).

Otherwise, you are in the right place! Most of us piss and moan all day because such games are no longer being made. Welcome!

olepi · January 2020

ESO is probably what you are looking for. Although it has some PvP issues and the monetization is pretty bad. This is something you probably didn't encounter 10 years ago, you now almost need to gamble with real money to get the loot you want. ESO has full voice acting too.

FF14 is a solid game, lots of population, good graphics. If you like the art style.

You might look at Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, they both have some MMORPG'ish play.

I'm getting my old-style game fix with SWTOR. If you like Star Wars, this could be fun.

Azaron_Nightblade · January 2020

FFXIV meets all those criteria. ESO and BDO hit most of them very well, but are lacking in a few other aspects. BDO scores higher than the other other two in graphics for example, but loses major points in story content.

ultimateduck · January 2020

Of the major MMOs that seem to get the most chatter:

Older MMOs

LotRO is good but getting a bit dated.

FFXIV is also good but a bit dated.

SWTOR has a great story but is stiff and on rails and is a bit dated.

DAoC is an honorable mention because I feel it's the best MMO ever made, but it is very dated.

-I don't mind dated if gameplay is good. All the above have good gameplay.

Newer MMOs

Black Desert is pretty but feels hollow... I don't know any other way to explain it.

ESO is good, polished and has a good story but something was lacking for me, but I don't know what. Regardless, it's a solid game.

Guild Wars 2 is super polished and easy to get into but character progression is very shallow and unsatisfying.

ArcheAge Unchained is probably the best newer MMOs out but has a history of being a little buggy and run poorly by the developers.

I'm sure I missed quite a few but these have been the ones that stuck out for me.

Path of Exile is not an MMO but super fun and it's free to play if you want something in the mean time.

Iselin · January 2020

Raitsesman said:

3) Good (or at least decent?) story and writing. I guess those single player RPG-s spoiled me in that score.

If this one is important to you, its Elder Scrolls Online hands down. It also meets your 1 and 2 and both 4s

Iselin · January 2020

DMKano said:

BDO - you said you are not afraid to pay for it- this is literally the game designed for players who are not afraid to pay.

I liked a lot of things about BDO when I played it but the story is assinine.

alkarionlog · January 2020

DMKano said:

BDO - you said you are not afraid to pay for it- this is literally the game designed for players who are not afraid to pay.

but he said quality

there is none so there is no MMORPG for him to play

Utinni · January 2020

Only games that fit your criteria are WoW, ESO, BDO, and FF14. There aren't any "hidden gems" out there that are AAA efforts with large playerbases.

Sovrath · January 2020

DMKano said:

Iselin said:

DMKano said:

BDO - you said you are not afraid to pay for it- this is literally the game designed for players who are not afraid to pay.

I liked a lot of things about BDO when I played it but the story is assinine.

I wouldnt know because I've 100% ignored every mmo story since like 2003.

I dont think I've read a single quest in over 10 years and BDO can be played without ever reading anything - autopathing

I am sure the story is crap, but I dont play MMO games for stories, because to me mmo stories just dont work (due to the fact that NPCs treat you as if you are the only player and ignore the fact that there are 1000s of other players)

yes, they purposely ignore the other players. They do it to annoy you. I know because they told me shhhhh!!!!!

Iselin · January 2020

DMKano said:

... because to me mmo stories just dont work (due to the fact that NPCs treat you as if you are the only player and ignore the fact that there are 1000s of other players)

Yeah we all know that. But if you can get past that kludge, there are huge differences in the quality of what story telling they do have. Some barely bother to cobble something together and others do it very well.

The OP is not an MMO virgin so I'm sure he knows about this but still he listed it as one of his criteria.

Some people just like to kill stuff and they don't care why they're killing stuff. That works for me in loot grinding ARPGs but in MMOs I rather kill all those mobs in my way because the Wilderking is dying and I'm trying to help the new Wilderqueen establish herself. Story context in MMOs matters to me even if I'm one of 10 million players doing the same thing with the thin story telling device that it's all up to just me to fix it.

klash2def · January 2020

ESO

blamo2000 · January 2020

As others have said - ESO, GW2, FF, and SWTOR are probably the big names. The newer version of Secret Worlds probably fits too. Maybe Rift and TERA also.

There is also that new Bioware MMO, and GTO, the new cowboy game, Destiny, and that modern post apocalypse game set in NY that just came out with the second version not too long ago if you are looking for MMOs and not exclusively looking for an MMORPG.

My personal advice would be to check out DDO; most hate it - but if you try and it grabs you - you will love it almost as much as you love your children.

Foreverdream · January 2020

I turn 30 in a week, I too had this itch too, and i sated mine!

What you're asking for though sounds like you've only left yourself with very few options,

Do you want a MMO or a pick up and play game similar to wow? I dont consider it a mmo anymore because it basically a lobby game. Sit in org and what for you dungeon, pvp, raid whatever.... Kinda lame.

If you want something to actually sink some time in, a character that you can be proud of, or just like knowing the community i'd suggest Age of conan.

It does not check off all your boxes, but what it does, it does awesome. Quality is superb(some quirky bugs), games been going strong almost 12 years, and the graphics still hold up to modern mmos. (except bdo..)
You wont max a char here in a month. Thats just one full AA skill which they'res a lot of.. a whole tree in fact.

It's f2p so you're out nothing from giving it a shot. You can subscribe though which will give you bonuses + the ablilty to time train AA skills.

https://imgur.com/HhlUO8y

https://imgur.com/04Nj4qU

ultimateduck · January 2020

Foreverdream said:

I turn 30 in a week, I too had this itch too, and i sated mine!

What you're asking for though sounds like you've only left yourself with very few options,

Do you want a MMO or a pick up and play game similar to wow? I dont consider it a mmo anymore because it basically a lobby game. Sit in org and what for you dungeon, pvp, raid whatever.... Kinda lame.

If you want something to actually sink some time in, a character that you can be proud of, or just like knowing the community i'd suggest Age of conan.

It does not check off all your boxes, but what it does, it does awesome. Quality is superb, games been going strong almost 12 years, and the graphics still hold up to modern mmos. (except bdo..)
You wont max a char here in a month. Thats just one full AA skill which they'res a lot of.. a whole tree in fact.

It's f2p so you're out nothing from giving it a shot. You can subscribe though which will give you bonuses + the ablilty to time train AA skills.

https://imgur.com/HhlUO8y

https://imgur.com/04Nj4qU

Holy cow. Age of Conan is still around? That game was beautiful for its time. I can't imagine the player base is very good. I'm not sure if that matters to the OP.

Truth be told, I am in the same boat as you. I find myself looking at old games quite often because the new ones just seem to lack what's needed to get a person hooked. I find myself moving on to VR more and more and splitting my flat screen time between Path of Exile and ArcheAge Unchained, which is maybe 3 or 4 hours a week. Back in the day all my time would be sunk into whatever MMO I was into. While it's cool that there are so many decent free options to play, it's sad that they just don't seem to grab me like they did back in the day.

BlazerX · January 2020

BDO is fun while the "free" stuff is active in the game. Once that wears off and you have to look around in the CASH SHOP for things like weight limit increasers or value packs, you will wish you NEVER played this game. The CASH SHOP is what drove me away after looking and browsing in there for a moment. It was absolutely DISGUSTING how much they ask you to PAY for something like a value pack, it REALLY pissed me off.

ESO has a good story and casual feel but at end game it is piss poor. They make you do a stupid ass mechanic called ANIMATION CANCELLING to be competitive and you literally PAY people to carry in end content to get gear. After awhile it gets really annoying and pathetic and literally stupid. End game is hollow in this one.

Archeage Unchainded is more FARMVILLE than a real MMORPG. literally. Was not a game for me even though I played it to max level and started to get those skill points, etc.. Just was not my cup of tea.

I'm looking for a new MMORPG myself. Really wanted to like BDO with its satisfying combat and absolutely gorgeous graphics but the greed in it made me truly feel dirty for playing that game and made me disgusted.

I'm holding out for Project TL or maybe even that new Amazon MMORPG. Hope those are any good...

ah or maybe even the updated Lineage 2 with its rumored, updated and "remastered" version.

Raitsesman · January 2020

Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys!

The most mentioned ones here seem to be ESO, BDO, and FF14. Also GW2 and SWTOR, although a bit less.

I did some research on those titles and I think I'm going to try out FF14 for now, as it won quite a few gaming awards this year (with an expansion apparently?) and it seems to be generally praised all around for regular content, good community and great story telling. There is also some talk about a collab with Nier Automata? I really liked that game as a JRPG.

Not sure if FFXIV will fit me though, so BDO and ESO are next in the cards, should I decide to try something else. Both seem good but BDO seems to be lacking in story (or so they say). I gotta admit, BDO looks best though, visuals wise. ESO seems promising as well, although I'm not sure about the art. It looks very....brown? Or maybe it's just me.

Both ESO and BDO also seem to be more advanced than FFXIV regarding gamepaly and combat mechanics. I will just have to check out how FFXIV is in that department.

Further feedback, both positive and negative, is welcome regarding those titles, since I haven't 100% made up my mind yet.

Thanks a bunch!

AlBQuirky · January 2020

I hope you find a new home

Foreverdream · January 2020

ffxiv=wow in a different skin so if thats what you want go for it.

story is meh until 1st expansion though. Be ready to spam space bar.

bdo is 5 bucks? so not only you gotta buy then they'll nerf you to the ground until you pull that wallet out for valuepacks.

( shoulda tried aoc, at least its free to try!)

Po_gg · January 2020

Foreverdream said:
( shoulda tried aoc, at least its free to try!)

I wanted to drop in AoC as well (my other usual suggestion besides LotRO

) but it ain't a fit for all points, just like LotRO.

Great story, big world, lots to do, good and active (though not really large) community.

Partially even the other two points are fit - but only partially.

Point 4.2, the future: it's secured, won't die. But why is that? Because AO is still here, so apparently Funcom only kills active games (RIP TSW...), not those on maintenance mode - and AoC is in maintenance mode since 4-5 years now...

Point 1, Polished, good looking game: sure, just look at this recent thread https://forums.funcom.com/t/the-beauty-of-age-of-conan-s-world/75205 pretty good from a 10 years old game.

But the rest of Point 1, high budget and frequent updates, it's the total opposite, maintenance mode.

So, not really a fit for OP's criterias.

A good game, I still play it myself, but not for someone who needs an actively supported and updated game...

sniperbait · January 2020

Raitsesman said:

Hello community!

So here's what I'm sort of looking for:

1) I'm looking for quality and I'm not afraid to pay for it. This means a polished, good looking game with a high development budget, decent graphics and periodical updates/patches.

2) A game with a strong and active community. Playing MMORPG-s is always more fun with new friends.

3) Good (or at least decent?) story and writing. I guess those single player RPG-s spoiled me in that score.

4) Big world and lot's of things to do. I wan to immerse myself in exploring vast areas that are also interesting to explore.

5) A game that is not about to die. From what I've heard, MMORPG market is not doing exactly well right now. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Also, I'm not strictly looking for a specific genre so both fantasy and sci-fi recommendations are welcome (also modern, post-apocalyptic etc.)

Please help an old timer out. Thank you!

Ok, so Im sure a lot of people will say that the game Im about to suggest for you is basically none of the requirements you are listing above, but if you really want a game that has deep gameplay, cool stories, lots of places to explore, interesting dungeons and based in a fantasy world, it would be an injustice not to recommend Project Gorgon to you.
As far as quality goes, graphicwise its not a beautiful game. It is being worked on as far as that goes and will get better, but will never be FF or BDO. The graphics it does have contains their own charm tho and if you can look past the visuals the gameplay itself is pretty amazing and beyond all of these themepark clones.
Also, one thing that you may or may not like is that there is currently no open world or realm PvP. There is a dungeon you can go to that will PvP enable you but its only in that area so its all consensual. The Devs want to focus on the PvE of the game first and foremost. There is also no penalty for death, not even a corpse run (some people seem to like being punished for death in game but in Project Gorgon you actually get rewarded XP for death and it unlocks special abilities and secret areas).
The place where it shines is your 2nd thru 5th options. I can honestly say I have never met a better and friendly community than Project Gorgons. They are very active and the most helpful people you will ever meet. I had honestly given up on getting back into a community after a few current popular mmo's. So toxic! The guys and gals in Project Gorgon are awesome though and if you really are someone who holds community and friends above all else then I really do believe you will find a new home there.
The world is huge and there are a crazy amount of things to do and see. If exploration is your thing, this game has it in spades. So many different classes you can mix and match and crafting is lots of fun and actually has a purpose!
The game is in EA on Steam (but please dont let that deter you) and is really just getting started. This game will NOT fail to deliver and continue long into its life span. Even in EA it still has way more features and places to explore than games that have been released for years.
I dont really ever recommend games to anyone and rearely even post on these boards and I have no stake in Project Gorgon other than I think its a great game and Im not ashamed to sing its praises. I think if it had more advertising it would be way more popular than it is.
There is a free demo on Steam for it, so if you get in the game and its just not your thing or cant get past the graphics I understand, nothing lost nothing gained. The full game is 39.99 and worth every penny. There is no sub currently and no in game shop. No pay to win either.
I really think if you gave it a chance though Raitsesman that you will find something in it you never expected and hopefully join our community and relive what mmo gaming used to be.

Heres a few videos that may help as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FVyKFtN5zo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BZz5-fSu6g&t=9251s

Thanks for checking it out and I really hope we will see you in game!

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