I've recently got the itch to start playing an MMO, but I don't know where to start. The only MMO I've ever played for more than an hour or two is FFXIV on PS4. I've been looking at re-upping that, buying GW2, subbing to WoW, or playing The Old Republic.
I already own FF, so I'd just need to buy game time. I've wanted to play WoW for a while, mostly just because it's such a phenomenon that I kind of want in on. GW2 is appealing because there's no sub fee. And I was only looking at SWTOR because I really like Star Wars. I mostly just want a game that will give me good value for my money, not get old quick, will feel like an huge adventure rather than a chore, and has a good community here on Gaf that I can be a part of.
So what should I go with Gaf?
Based on your comments, it sounds like Guild Wars 2 would be worth looking into;
"A good value for my money"
No subscription fees, currently 50% off until August 24th. If you're concerned about "pay 2 win", the in-game cash shop sells only cosmetic (armor skins, mini pets) and convenience items like extra character slots (you get five initially), extra storage and boosters that make activities like crafting and gathering more effective.
"Not get old quick"
The game has a feature called the "Living World" that is basically set up like a television show; over the span of a season which lasts several months, they update the game every two weeks, adding to an ongoing storyline that permanently changes the game world (entire towns are leveled, zones radically altered, etc.), introduces new features (dungeons, world events) and rewards. Something new is always just around the corner. One downside is that before the current season, they didn't have a way to replay each episode, so some of the content was temporary (though the best parts have been brought back).
"Will feel like a huge adventure rather than a chore
Because the game wasn't built with a subscription in mind, there's very little in the way of time sinks. Leveling is a breeze because everything but standing still awards XP, and because the amount of XP required to level plateaus around level 30 it doesn't feel like an uphill battle. There's no gear grind, so you're not constantly forced to play to keep up with the Jonses (players who have taken months or even a year off from the game have come back and picked up right where they left off). You're even automatically leveled to 80 for World vs. World and PvP (you're also fully geared and have your core skill and traits unlocked for this last one).
"has a good community here on Gaf"
Not only is the community here on GAF great (community thread is
here), but the way the game is designed makes it much easier to play with others. You can belong to up to five guilds at once, you can temporarily transfer (called "Guesting") to any server in the region for free (other games would charge you $25
per character to
permanently move) and because there aren't any factions (i.e. Horde vs. Alliance, Exiles vs. Dominion) you can't accidentally pick the 'wrong side' and not be able to play with the guild or your friends. The only real restrictions are that you can't play with other regions (NA can't play with EU and vice versa) and because the World vs. World mode pits servers against each other, you can only play that mode for your home team.
Hope this was helpful, feel free to swing by the community thread or PM me if you have any more questions.
