MMOs

[Jockie]

I think the best hope for SW: TOR is that it plays like a co-op version of Kotor, and you can ignore the tacked on MMO features (ie, the pvp sounds like a poorly realised afterthought). If you can find a solid group of 4 to go through all of the content, I think there could be a good time there (or maybe I'm clutching at straws).

I played Rift shortly after launch and although polished, with a couple of clever features, it was still essentially the same as every other MMO on the market. If you really like MMO's then you'll probably enjoy it, if like me you're waiting for an mmo to break the mold and actually be 'fun' on a moment-to-moment basis, Rift isn't the one.

I really hope GW2 can kick start the genre into life and bring about a next-gen of mmo's that don't conform so closely to the wow template. Either that or a more indie MMO can come along and strike the right balance between free-form and hard-core - by which I mean, doesn't have one of those entry-level barriers that say "You must spend 1000 hours cutting trees before you are allowed to have fun"

[Ezhar]

Anyone tried Perpetuum?

I just did. Only an hour in, mind you, but holy crap, did CCP sue them yet? Are the two somehow related? What the hell is going on here? I've played EVE before and Perpetuum seemed like a complete clone, only with planetbound robots instead of spaceships (and a minor improvement with skill points pooling, which EVE should appropriate right back, in my opinion).

The robot setting (and navigating through obstacles instead of flying straight there) does not appeal to me as much as being in spaaaaaaaaace though. New MMOs do appeal to me though, I very much like being one of the "first settlers" in a new world. Perpetuum made me want to play EVE again, if EVE was freshly starting and not all established and due to the time-based skillpoint system everyone else being 5 years ahead of me with no chance of ever catching up.

Also, it made me wonder if Perpetuum isn't more like the sort of game that EVE players had hoped for with Dust 514. You know, EVE on the ground. Instead of some weird console thingy.

[DigitalSignalX]

I'm playing a private server version of AION called Infinite Aion. It's F2P but you can donate for some cosmetic perks and a few non-balance related items like wings or pets. They've got it synchronized up to the latest retail release (2.5). Everything looks and plays the same with a few subtle differences like death penalties, stat caps, and instance scripting. Also about 25% of the quests are not functional. That still leaves a glut of quests left that allow the player to reach level cap though without ever being at a loss. They offer two servers : one with a higher xp/drop rate for the impatient, and then a second 'normal' retail experience.

It's my first experience with a private server and I have to say I'm impressed. They do quest bug updates about every week or two and post them in forums. Any guilt I have over not paying NCSoft has been mitigated entirely by what was essentially the worst customer service experience I have ever been through in my life after many years of playing L2, Guild Wars, and Aion retail. They'll never see another penny from me, so no GW2 :/

[Davee]

Hmm. This is not the appropriate thread to paste my comment I did earlier on RPS about sandbox MMOs on the rise. I will continue looking or create a new one if necessary, but I'll make sure to post a link to it here!

EDIT: Here it is! http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/foru...MOs-the-future

[squirrelfanatic]

Anyone tried Perpetuum?

No. Did you, Jim? I haven't read anything about that (maybe I should check the frontpage for bits of information?). The only "MMO" I have played is Guild Wars. I don't know how many hours I sank into it, but it had to be lots. Now I am not that interested in the new stuff ANet producing for that game, but I will definitely play GW2 when it hits the stores, but maybe more like a multiplayer story driven RPG, not so much as the neverending collecting, looting and trading simulator the first game has become for me in the past.

[Mac]

I suspect my time with MMOs is over, but I am still hoping something will come up...

You know, I feel exactly the same ... having started playing MMO's with Ultima Online, and then 3 years or so with Everquest I have realised that nothing will ever live up to those early years when everything was so fresh and new.

Rift is technically competent, but it is just WoW ver 1.1, and WoW is just Everquest ver 1.1 with cartoon graphics. Add to this the likes of Age of Conan, Everquest 2, Warhammer Online who all deliver a few tweaks on the basic mechanics, but I have the distinct feeling that I have been there and played the same game many times. I appreciate that there are games like Eve, which bring something completely new, but after multiple times of trying to get into it I just can’t – it just isn’t my bag.

The last great MMO for me was Dark Age of Camelot, which introduced me to a fantastic RVR system, which has never been bettered.

In fairness, I am having the same feeling with most single player games these days too. Just look at the coming soon lists, and it is easy to see why – everything of note is a sequel. Even original IP is often developed using the same engine as 1001 other games, hence it plays very similar to 1001 other games. The only differentiating factor between games is the textures...

Given the amount of money it now costs to develop a game, I can understand why publishers and developers are playing it safe, but the lack of innovation is likely to turn more people away in the long term.

[Rossignol]

I'm playing a private server version of AION called Infinite Aion.

Those things seem pretty dubious to me. Private = pirate, surely?

[luckystriker]

Anyone here still playing Rift or can point me towards some useful guides/info/whatever? I just picked it up for $9.99 on the steam sale. I though my time with MMOs was over as well, but somehow my fingers did the walking by themselves and voila I find myself with a new MMO to fool around with. Knowing how obsessive I can get with games this could have been a very stupid decision on my part.

[Vexing Vision]

Currently on a break from Rift (which I enjoyed a lot), but here's a bit of advice:

a) Don't build hybrids until you hit level 40. Pick one soul and put a point into it every level you get (you'll have some spare points to put into other souls).
b) Build what feels cool. (Note: Most cleric characters do not feel cool.) You can switch builds any time, so don't bother minmaxing until you hit maxlevel.
c) Simultaneously level up two builds. (You get your second role very fast.) One build should always be a pure DPS, the other should be: (warriors: tanks, rogues: tanks or support, clerics: healer, mages: healer). If you level both builds up simultaneous (play one build to 15 where you collect all other souls, switch and play to 20, switch again and play to 25, etc) will mean you don't get overwhelmed by suddenly having 35 new abilities.
d) Don't be intimidated. Explore. Experiment. You will never lock yourself down, you can always optimize.

Enjoy!

[luckystriker]

Currently on a break from Rift (which I enjoyed a lot), but here's a bit of advice:

a) Don't build hybrids until you hit level 40. Pick one soul and put a point into it every level you get (you'll have some spare points to put into other souls).
b) Build what feels cool. (Note: Most cleric characters do not feel cool.) You can switch builds any time, so don't bother minmaxing until you hit maxlevel.
c) Simultaneously level up two builds. (You get your second role very fast.) One build should always be a pure DPS, the other should be: (warriors: tanks, rogues: tanks or support, clerics: healer, mages: healer). If you level both builds up simultaneous (play one build to 15 where you collect all other souls, switch and play to 20, switch again and play to 25, etc) will mean you don't get overwhelmed by suddenly having 35 new abilities.
d) Don't be intimidated. Explore. Experiment. You will never lock yourself down, you can always optimize.

Enjoy!

Thank you! I don't quite know what it all means yet, but it sounds pro :)

[Vexing Vision]

You'll know by level 20, which should take you as a first-timer around 2 to 3 weeks. ;)

[Dominic Tarason]

Today, Star Trek Online is getting a major update, which includes a total rework of the ground-level gameplay. It's no longer a standard MMO hotbar game, but more along the lines of Mass Effect Lite. There's a video and some text showing off the new combat engine here:

http://www.startrekonline.com/shooter_mode

The shocking thing is that, unlike Star Wars Galaxies, which tried something similar, this actually works. It's fun to kill a basic enemy with just two phaser shots, or lob grenades over cover at dudes. Also, phaser miniguns and shotguns - reminds me of Elite Force 2 more than a little.

It's probably worth a look now. You can get a retail key for about £2-3 off Amazon these days. Cryptic, for all their flaws, really have been pretty dedicated to making this a better game over the past year.

Next big update, estimated for about a month from now, is the Duty Officers system. You recruit assorted NPCs around the universe, assign them to various stations in your ship for stat bonuses, or send them off on 'off-screen' missions where they can either bring in rewards and gain experience, or maybe just die in the process. Reminds me of the minions from Evil Genius.

[winterwolves]

I resumed playing EQ2 after almost 5 years for... "research purposes" (I'm an indie dev). I am playing the free-to-play edition and it's fun, I never played WoW so cannot compare it though. I can see why the F2P model works, I was tempted to get the gold subscription to avoid all the limitations of the free version...

[Vexing Vision]

I've recently started playing DDO again. It's been my first subscription-based love.

Oh, I played a bit of UO and Asheron's Call and even some Everquest 2, but I usually grow bored with MMOs very quickly (WoW lasted a full week with me). Until DDO opened it's doors, I haven't spent more than three consecutive months in any subscription-based MMO, though there's a few free ones that hold a dear spot in my heart. Rift, which I enjoyed a lot, had a lifetime of three months, but I don't feel like returning there anytime soon.

Knowing where I'm coming from, I was surprised myself to find I was subscribed to DDO for three consecutive years before taking a break.

I dabbled briefly with it when it went Free-To-Play, but stopped when Turbine exiled our EU characters to a different plane than we chose, so disappointed with the whole transfer stuff, I took another break.

And now I'm semi-back. Not very often, not very long, but this weekend I played a lot with the wife and a good friend, and I have to say that DDO's mechanics remain the best and most fun in any MMO out there.

- You can build whatever character you want. A dexterity-based dualwielding fighter? Check. A paladin that's a demon-slaying killing-machine? Check. A rogue that creates mechanical constructions and can disable golems? Check. Just because you're a specific class doesn't mean you don't have a lot of freedom to develop. Or to gimp your characters beyond belief.

- Traps! Real traps. Rogues are not (only, if specced for it) damage deals but are actually there to unlock doors and disable that fun spinning blade that's between you, your barbarian's head and the treasure chest.

- Diablo-esque loot. Random pre- and suffixes plus other attributes make for a fun and rewarding loot system.

- It's NOT hitpoint-trading! A good group, a good tank doesn't need a healer, because they're skilled at damage avoidance. Flanking, dodging, tumbling, active blocking and kiting all make for very rewarding gameplay.

- Limited resources. Managing spellpoints and hitpoints is fun, because they matter.

- No silly "I can't reach the player, so the player shouldn't be able to damage me"-behaviour when you climb up cliffs and shoot down on enemies.

Personally, I am looking forward to City of Heroes becoming Free-to-Play bcause I have a thing for capes and knocking people off buildings. But I'll always return to DDO.


(Also, if anyone's looking for a small, no-drama, heavy-roleplaying, GMT-active guild on Ghallanda, let me know.)

[studenteternal]

Fading out of an EVE stage at the moment, I haven't logged in for a 2 weeks, and will probably cancel soon. however I am keeping an eye on the secret world and Dark Millennium Online, which I want to be good, please be good! (also I want Imperial Guard 'characters' to be a squad of 6-10 dudes to to be balanced with Space marines, chaos marines, et al. :)

[Vexing Vision]

Fading out of an EVE stage at the moment, I haven't logged in for a 2 weeks, and will probably cancel soon. however I am keeping an eye on the secret world and Dark Millennium Online, which I want to be good, please be good! (also I want Imperial Guard 'characters' to be a squad of 6-10 dudes to to be balanced with Space marines, chaos marines, et al. :)

Well, the Imperial guys could come with a customizable Entourage. Kind of like a Summoner-class.

Mhmm. I like that idea.

[winterwolves]

That DDO sounds interesting. I actually forgot it went F2P too, so I think might give it a try shortly :)

[CuriousOrange]

I find it a bit odd that some people enjoy one MMO and not another. At least in the case of enjoying say Rift and not WoW, I've tried them both and they are nigh on identical games with a different theme.

I'm just looking for an mmo that is different. By which I mean one with no hotbars, no action slots or whatever, and next to no stats. I'm hoping Planetside 2 can fill that urge.

[DigitalSignalX]

I'm thinking of trying the new F2P Conan launch with the "unchained" (?) expansion. Anyone else who has tried it can offer some advice/tips?

[Nalano]

Quit Rift a couple months ago. Realized what I learned of all MMOs: The forum's more fun than the game.