If you've never played WoW, it's really the best recommendation.
Guild Wars 2 was fun for about a month, it feels more like a single player RPG with other people running around. Dungeon groups, raids and PVP in WoW are all superior to GW2 (my opinion), but there's a reason it has so many subs. Sure they're in decline, but they still tower over all other MMOs and that's over a year with no new content (which won't matter to you since it's all new).
SWTOR is worth playing through for some of the stories, though the F2P model is often very intrusive so I'd recommend subbing for a month if you do try it.
Have no idea what state RIFT is in now, as I dropped it not too long after it went F2P, but iirc it didn't have a bad F2P setup. Basically just need to get some role slots and consider buying the expansion souls, but you can dabble with it and get a lot of enjoyment out of the 1-60. Trion seemed to be pushing content a lot, too, though again, not sure if they kept it up.
I got turned off with post-Storm Legion raiding and their absolute distaste for PvP (at least in how they prioritize content gen). Conquest was a neat attempt but needed refinement and they borked PvP balance w/ SL and I still don't quite know if it ever recovered. After SL dropped they seemed to ignore it almost entirely.
I don't recall the last time I watched a company make such Face-Heel turn for PvPers as Trion did w/ that game.
You can't go wrong with WoW. The only downside with the game is the long wait for content at the end of an expansion's life, but you've already got 10 years of content to keep you busy, so if you've never played the game before, that's not gonna bother you.
There's a reason why people always go back to wow ( this is coming from someone that has played every mmo and hadn't been subbed in wow since December ), there's just something about it
Yeah, played all the major ones that have come out and I eventually went back to WoW. Haven't played it in over 2 years though. GW2 was the closest but the endgame was just lacking and too many issues with PVP (when I played) which I'm sure has been ironed out. I will probably install them both again come this winter.
I just ordered MOP for $9 on Amazon ... so that was cheap. I just hate paying monthly so probably won't sub until later. I started in 2004 and will end it, but the 10 year anniversary is something I probably will have to be a part of and that's coming up awfully fast.
EDIT: Damn, last time I paid for a month was December, 2010. Didn't realize it had been that long!
It's fun depending on what you want out of it. If you're into hardcore PvE and want to join a big guild you will love it. If you're into PvP or casual PvE then you probably won't enjoy it as much once you hit the cap.
It doesn't require any crazy specs but it does have some performance issues.
I've played WoW for almost 10 years. It's a great game. One of my favourites of all time, or even my single favourite game. It's massive, polished, has fantastic sound, great art, loads of in-depth lore to read, it's very well populated with players, it's well maintained by Blizzard, it offers competitive play and casual play and above all, the gameplay is fun and strategic.
The main reason I think the game has done so well is the way the classes and abilities are designed. Each class feels and plays unique. I haven't played another MMO in which classes stand out and have as much individuality as they do in WoW.
The sound and visual design of abilities are unique and instantly recognisable. The way classes interract with their abilities is why I think it's such a fun multiplayer game.
Oh and the raid boss mechanics are often really well designed, which makes playing in a team trying to down them really fun.
An arena player made a video a couple of years ago saying why he plays and he gives a few good points.
Guild wars 2 is a great b2p game, one of the best MMORPG out on the market and on sale.
Don't play wildstar YET, it will probably go f2p or b2p within a few months especially given how poorly it performed (sales wise it made less money than a 2 year old game) and it doesn't hurt that apparently the content there is unnecessary mundane and boring.
You could wait for destiny since apparently is the second coming.
I've played Guild Wars / Guild Wars 2 / SWTOR / LOTRO and none really come close to WoW. (GW2 is the best of those IMO) The reason people play other MMO's is because they got burnt out on WoW or completed the available content and wanted another MMO to play.
Play WoW. The adjusted much of the old content so that you can solo it, so the lack of people playing old content won't be a problem for leveling. WoW has the most amazing game world to explore of all the named MMOs IMO. While other games might have good mechanics, none can match the art and world design that WoW has. The game is worth playing just to level up and explore.
From what you said you're looking for I'd try GW2. I never played wow or wildstar. I like swtor actually but i dunno if i'd recommend it. I played 14 for a very very long time (and still do sometimes =) ) but I think gw2 might be more fun for what you're looking for.
WoW is still the king if you enjoy the trinity. Wildstar just doesn't feel right with their telegraph system, not a lot of satisfaction in the combat. GW2 skills being tied to weapons is hot garbage. TOR story might be worth experiencing if you enjoy that universe but has no legs. FFXIV is incredibly grindy and slow as most asian MMOs are, some people are into it but I can't deal with it.
I was sort of in the same situation as you. In the end it came down to between WoW and FFXIV for me, I thoguht abotu GW2 for a bit but the friends I had irl who used to play it bailed on it so I didn't really want to get into it anymore.
I thought about WoW for a while but in the end I went with Final Fantasy XIV. WoW was pretty attractive but it's age and size ended up pushing me away. I didn't know what I was going to be getting into with a game that's existed for almost 10 years now. I'm sure it doesn't matter how old the game is since the quests are probably essentially the same no matter when you start but I couldn't be sure that I would get a sense of community until I reached the end content. Conversely, FFXIV is still fairly new, ARR just became one year old and the GAF group is already huge. I still can't really play with them since the majority is in the end-game but even while I'm doing the intro "kill X things" quests I see GAF players running by, some new some old. The other thing is that being a JRPG (and more importantly - Final Fantasy) fan, the world spoke to me more. Seeing classic FF names, jobs, outfits, etc. is a big plus for me.
I should give WoW a fair shot at some point, I mean it is free till level 20 or something and I know one guy who's been clinging to his subscription so I could always try to play with him.
FFXIV is the best MMO I've ever played, so I would recommend that. End game content can be a chore, but I think it's a problem with all MMORPGs. But at least the path to max level is fun and doesn't need a lot of grinding.
The community is also really good. Except for the Hunts in the end game, I've never seen people being shit to other players, people were really helpful and patient with me as I leveled up, and I'm a Tank, the job that always gets all the hate.
Eh. no different from other MMORPGs I played (like I can use Brandish Spear with a sword or Greatsword in RO), and obviously skills involving blowing trumpets won't make sense if you have a mace. And you still have Utility skills. If anything, it adds more depth to what weapons you use.
Eh. no different from other MMORPGs I played (like I can use Brandish Spear with a sword or Greatsword in RO), and obviously skills involving blowing trumpets won't make sense if you have a mace. And you still have Utility skills. If anything, it adds more depth to what weapons you use.
Yeah but your entire ability bar changes based on the weapon equipped. It's not like "X ability only works with a dagger equipped" that's absolutely fine when 90% of your abilities are universal. No other MMO I know of does that and there's a reason.
GW2 - a major disappointment for me. End game is incredibly boring, you can buy in game money with real cash and dungeons are a cluster$@&$.
SWTOR - the nickle and diming is strong with this one (pay to hide helmet visual??), but storyline is voiceacted and interesting. PVP is surpringly fun.
FFXIV - quite good, but end game and crafting are a grind. The game also forces you through a series of linear hoops to get to the stuff you want to do.
TERA - fantastic combat, let down by some of the most mind numbing questing you've ever seen. Pretty graphics.
ESO - OK as a single player romp in The Elder Scrolls world, but not a very good MMO. Buggy as hell and lacks a compelling endgame.
Wildstar - very good. Combat is action oriented, visual are charming and community is cool. Questing falls into the same old MMO troupes, though.
DCUO - my favorite F2P MMO. Action combat and DC theme are high points, but environments are limited and end game isn't stellar.
Secret World - wonderful quests and unique modern day setting, but progression isn't very exciting and much of the main leveling content weaves through single player instances (so you have to complete them separately from friends).
WOW - still the best, after all these years. Amazing PvP, the most content in an MMO and large community. Graphics are dated, but continue to improve each expansion. Warlords looks amazing.
Firefall: Free to play, first person shooter, buggy, has nice visuals, lots of grind, campaign isn't too bad, the voiceovers are laughably bad, I keep playing it and I don't know why.
Marvel Heroes: Diablo-like, free to play, grind like crazy to earn new heroes, entertaining campaign, pretty fun and easy.
Star Trek Online: Free to play, much improved since launch, you can be a Gorn, ground missions are terrible but space missions are kinda cool, campaign on the Klingon side isn't too bad, lots of lore.
Warframe: Third person shooter, free to play, Monster Hunter levels of grind to earn new Warframes, pretty pick up and play, lots of variety in the missions, looks amazing.
WoW: Sub, huge legacy, loved my time with it but I could never go back, it's as big as it is for a reason but it hasn't aged well, very dedicated community, UI is garbage and you have to install plenty of mods just be competitive. Great question, some of the best in the genre, but the end-game gear grind is a total buzzkill.
ESO: Sub. Tried it for a month, didn't go back. Combat felt bad, didn't like that my friends and I kept getting phased out from each other due to being on different quests, so you can't help each other, expect it to go F2P eventually.
FFXIV: Sub. Tried it for a month, looks great, has an insane amount of grind, pretty formulaic and relies on very established gameplay mechanics and tropes, but it's still pretty good. If it was F2P, I'd probably play it.
WildStar: Sub. Pretty much trying to be WoW 2.0. Good combat, total grind, I didn't last a month. If it was F2P I might try it again.
Neverwinter: F2P. Microtransactions up the wazoo. It's not bad, the combat can be pretty interesting in dungeons, which tend to be well designed, but it feels very lifeless.
DCU: F2P. Pretty fun, but a grind, lots of microtransactions, and it hasn't aged well.
TERA: F2P. Combat is engaging, but the quests and endless grinding are boring as sin.
Planetside 2: F2P, First-person, pretty epic battles when you make it there, but most of the time you seem to be running around alone. Need to go try it more, to be honest.
GW2: Buy once, play forever. Nothing locked behind paywalls, microtransactions are for cosmetics or convenience. After playing almost every MMO out there, GW2 gets my vote because it does things in ways I like: no grind (unless you want to), every profession is potent (since it's unity instead of trinity), it feels more like a Golden Axe Online brawler, and that's cool, has constant content updates (Living World), and it doesn't try to band-aid things with some kind of "end game" - the entire game is the end game. You don't stop doing content just because you hit level 80, everything remains viable and worthwhile. PvP has normalized stats and armour, no grinding for gear, World vs World has epic three-way server battles with hundreds of players, and the combat in GW2 remains the best I've ever played, though this is obviously idiosyncratic. It's not going to be to everyone's tastes.
Ultima Online remains the true king of the genre, everything else is just a pretender to the throne.
I'd say it's the best F2P MMO, definitely in terms of the business model. All the base classes are unlocked for free,there are some Souls that need to be bought though, and you can level to 60 without paying anything. I like how you can do pretty much everything cross faction too.
I own pretty much all the big MMO's out there. WoW is still the funnest for me. It may be old, but it plays so, so well. If you're looking to start off in MMO's that's what I would choose.
Wildstar is actually pretty challenging and you need to be committed
SWTOR is great, but the lack of a busy community state side can be an issue.
ESO...imo, terrible. It's a half baked ES game and a half baked MMO with neither of them doing well.
Lord of the Rings online is pretty fantastic and the community amazing but there's certain things the game lacks. F2P
Guild Wars 2, PVP is awesome and questing isn't bad either. Still your stero typical fantasy MMO world.
Secret World, probably some of the craziest and best lore out there but hard to get into.
Rift is still really solid, but I think most of the community left for wildstar.
Star Trek Online has actually gotten way better since launch. Worth a shot and it's F2P.
Eve Online...a beat unto its own. Enter if you dare.
WoW is the best for learning how an MMO works and plays. Then branch off.
Yeah but your entire ability bar changes based on the weapon equipped. It's not like "X ability only works with a dagger equipped" that's absolutely fine when 90% of your abilities are universal. No other MMO I know of does that and there's a reason.
Just 5 attacks really. You still have another bar dedicated for utilities. And you can still mix and match.
Also RO did that. Stuff like Dancers and Bards being unable to use their Archer skills unless they use bows, and then there's the Assassins picking you between katars and daggers, etc.
In Guild Wars 2 you don't have to worry about SERVER transfer, i am not the same server as the Gaf guild and we all play together because of MEGA SERVER, all North American servers are now under one roof in PvE, only reason to choose a server is for World vs World vs World...just another reason to choose GW2 OP..
SWTOR is worth playing through for some of the stories, though the F2P model is often very intrusive so I'd recommend subbing for a month if you do try it.
This here. I prefer FFXIV and would suggest that for the long run, but SWTOR is worth it alone just to play through the stories for each class. I absolutely loved going through the Sith Warrior story line.
And again it's F2P so you can just hop on and off whenever you like.
I'm a long time FFXI player so I'm a bit more biased towards FFXIV though I do have a lot of fun and there's always plenty to do. I'm really waiting for the Golden Saucer and some card game action.
In Guild Wars 2 you don't have to worry about SERVER transfer, i am not the same server as the Gaf guild and we all play together because of MEGA SERVER, all North American servers are now under one roof in PvE, only reason to choose a server is for World vs World vs World...just another reason to choose GW2 OP..
I alternate between Maplestory, WoW, and City of Heroes back when it was around. I want to get back into WoW real bad, and playing the warcraft rts games (3 epecially) make the various WoW expansions' villains much cooler
And the Draenor expansion looks rad as heck, not as cool looking as Mists did to me, though.
Maplestory is real fun, especially questing with friends, the side scrolling platformijg aspect sets it apart for better or worse.
City of Heroes was rad as heck, and they nailed the f2p model imo. Too bad ncsoft axed it for no really good reason
WoW: Sub, huge legacy, loved my time with it but I could never go back, it's as big as it is for a reason but it hasn't aged well, very dedicated community, UI is garbage and you have to install plenty of mods just be competitive. Great question, some of the best in the genre, but the end-game gear grind is a total buzzkill.
This isn't really true anymore. Default UI is pretty acceptable now, it even has an approximation of Grid and Arena Master frames built in and most major boss mechanics have a DBM style warning. While addons will give you an edge they are not nearly as important as they were in the Vanilla/BC/WotLK eras.
So, ever since FFXI (the only MMO I've ever really gotten into) committed seppuku with the seekers expansion I've been desperately trying to find another MMO to enjoy
So here's my experiences
WoW: Got to level 20 or so, felt the questing for levels was incredibly bland and a complete chore, gave up.
Tera: I was enjoying the combat for quite some time, but after questing that was even more mindnumbing and a chore than WoW, the combat stopped proping the game up and I gave up around level 56
Wildstar: Played the beta for 15 minutes, couldn't stand the art style
SWTOR: Participating in CSs was cool, but the questing was mindnumbing and the combat was incredibly boring. Gave up at level 13 or so
FFXIV: I played this for 7 months or so, only because its what most of my FFXImates decided to do after XI turned to shit. Combat is super spammy and playing any class well is pretty easy. All encounters are incredibly scripted and any difficulty comes from memorizing patterns or figuring out gimmicks. Most not dying is focused on dodging instead of more RPG style mechanics. After 6 months every piece of gear was rendered crap by gear from the new update. (I believe this is the WoW model for handling gear?)
About the only good thing I have to say about this game is that decorating the free company house was pretty fun.
So...my recommendation is to avoid the MMO genre as it currently stands and for now play things like Destiny, borderlands, and other games with MMOlike styling. Either that or go beg sega to localize PSO2. I've only hit level 30 playing on the japanese servers but I'm enjoying the crap out of it.
I stopped playing midway through Cataclysm, and they were still a 100% requirement if you were bothering with raids and most high-level content. And if you just didn't want to kill yourself dealing with armour sets, weapon sets, crafting, bags and auction house use. Good to hear they've improved the UI since though. I would still recommend WoW to anyone who's never tried it, since it's something anyone even remotely interested in the MMO genre should experience.
While many MMO's rely on a healing class to support the player population, Guild Wars 2 strives for new group dynamics by giving every player the ability to both heal and revive their fellow adventurers with very little effort. And while each successful resurrection rewards the healer with a handful of experience points, the amount is too small to matter much. Why, then, do other players consistently go out of their way to resurrect fallen strangers?
During my most recent bout of weekend play, I began to ask the strangers that resurrected me why they were compelled to save a stranger. No easy task, mind you, as sparking philosophical discussions in the midst of battle can cause its own set of problems. And while most of my healers ran off without responding, no doubt preoccupied with their own quests, I did receive some illuminating answers.
One player noted: "I hate it when I die in battle" -- a touching answer revealing his wish to save others from his own frustration. Similarly, another traveler -- an Elementalist partial to fire -- said "I just like being nice."
These responses represent a bead of water in the veritable ocean of players, but they still tell us that the benevolent and compassionate do exist in the Guild Wars 2 community. We are a social, cooperative bunch. Without a sense of togetherness and community, an MMO just wouldn't be the same.
The benevolent and compassionate do exist in the Guild Wars 2 community.
The play in Guild Wars 2, of course, was designed with player cooperation in mind. The developers at ArenaNet set out to create a more collaborative world, separating the competitive elements into isolated systems that require an opt-in. Gone are the days of ambushes during your stroll through the countryside.
Instead, players always share experience without any fear of kill-stealing. Furthermore, dynamic events encourage -- and often require -- multiple players working together to complete. Even the charming jumping puzzles and hidden nooks that dot Tyria can be better found when tailing an experienced adventurer.
IGN Live Presents: Guild Wars 2
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But no matter how much ArenaNet pokes and prods, nudging players towards merry fellowship, no one is forcing players to resurrect a stranger off the well-trodden path. No high council watches from the mountaintops and dispenses judgment on those that ignore the needy. If you run right by a fallen player without helping, the Guild Wars 2 community will not care. It's just a game.
Gaf, I too am struggling to pick an MMO to play, and I'm hoping someone will be able to help me out. I miss having an MMO to spend time in, but I'm having trouble finding one that makes me want to keep playing it. WoW was the last one that worked for more than a couple of months, before that the games I spent tons of time in were EQ1, DAoC, AO, and SWG. I did spend a couple months playing GW2 but it couldn't hold my interest, which you will see why below.
My number one requirement for an MMO is that it must have defined group roles, and I actually enjoy the "Holy Trinity" group setup. My absolute favorite MMO experiences have been EQ playing as a bard, and WoW playing as a Druid. On the other hand, I loved everything about GW2 except for the lack of defined class roles and that ended up driving me away from the game.
My second thing I would look for is stuff to do other than killing/questing. Housing, good crafting systems, in-depth resource gathering, worthwhile exploration, etc are all things that would fall under this. Other examples I can think of would be class skills that let you make your own fun, such as many of the bard and enchanter class skills in EQ1 like levitation, invisibility, changing into other races/objects, etc.
My third priority would be that the game has to still have a decently active community. So a game such as EQ1, as much as I loved it, is out. WoW is borderline out due to how hard it would be for me to catch up to the majority of the player base, but I'm not completely ruling it out.
I guess my final thing I should mention is that I'd like a game where you can solo, but grouping is encouraged and rewarding. I'd like to be able to kill stuff on my own when I don't have much time but also be able to find a decent group when I do have more time to spend playing.
So, having said all that, the games I'm currently considering are:
WoW - It's getting rather old and I'm afraid I'll never really catch up to most of the players so it doesn't seem like the best option, but I'm willing to give it a shot if the consensus is it's the best option.
Rift - I've spent maybe 15 hours trying out this game near release,and it seemed decent. I'm worried about a lack of content as I remember there was a complaint about small world size at release.
Wildstar - I was really interested in this game, however I've heard less than glowing comments about this game since release and now am unsure if it's for me. I do like how there seems to be more defined group roles ala WoW though.
FFXIV - I tried the game before it got revamped, and it seemed decent. I didn't like how linear the map felt, and from what I've heard it's still rather restrictive. I'm also not a big fan of classes being tied to weapons.
ESO - I like the though of a huge world to run around in, and I enjoy the Elder Scrolls lore. I've heard the combat is not very good and grouping is fairly terrible in this game, which if true would be a deal breaker for me.
Archeage - This game has my full attention, I love sandbox type games. It's still in beta however, but I would be willing to become a founder if it was worth it. I'm also unsure about how good combat is in the game, and if there are roles in groups or if it's more like GW2.
GW2 - Yes I know I said I was driven away from the game earlier, but if there are no better games then I'll give it another shot with high-level gameplay (only got to mid-levels before).
I'm really hopeful I can get some help with this, I really miss playing MMO's but have had trouble finding one to stick around in since I stopped playing WoW a few years ago (other than GW2 for a couple months).
