How to find your next MMORPG
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Overview
Finding the next MMORPG that you will enjoy is a very easy thing to do. Because the question itself is simple: “What do you like?” Unfortunately, this simple concept has become lost in a plethora of technical game features, aspects and elements that buzz about your head taking your eye off the goal. Almost like a used car salesman using distraction to avert your attention from the fact that the car he’s showing you is lime green.
Like many players, you have probably played several MMORPGs already. Generally there is one that sticks out in your mind as “The Best MMORPG I’ve played” and from now on you compare all games you play to that one. However all games are unique (yes, even those Korean Lineage clones) so you will never find the same experiences within 2 games.
You can, of course, just randomly pick a game to try by following the hype from the message boards, click the link of a cool flash banner, or grab a random box at electronics boutique. But that’s all luck of the draw, and likely not going to work. Below I will try to give you a simple stepwise process as to how to choose your next game and give suggestions of game take a look at. Like many methods, the first step is the most important.
Decide what you like.
Yea, it seems obvious, but it is almost always done wrong. People ask “I liked game X, Game Y, and Game Z …so , what should I play?” As I mentioned , each game is unique. What you need to ask is what did you like about those games. You need to get to the specifics. To help you, lets break each MMORPG down to types, and you can decide which type of game you prefer.
Are you PVE or PVP?
Although many MMORPGs have both PVP and PVE elements to it. When you break a game down to its roots, you will see that certain games start with a PVE foundation and then add PvP and others have a core PvP aspect, and build PVE around to support it. Right now the most common type of MMORPG is PVE (this includes the most popular of all time, World of Warcraft).
So think back to the games you’ve played. Was it the PVE aspect of the game that made you play, or was it the anticipation of PvP that made you happy?
PVE
For PVE based games, the people who truly like them are those who like to play and fight alongside other players. People who enjoy PVE MMORPGs don’t want to solo, because then they could just buy a FPS. The true mainstay and attraction of MMORPG is the fact that you can interact with thousands of other players from across the world. These players usually enjoy grouping, participating in guilds (both small and large), and fighting together against a mythic creature, god, etc. PVE players like to see accomplishments and take pride in the rarity of their armor/weapons/items.
PVP
For PvP based games , the people who truly enjoy them are those who like to confront and battle for individual supremacy against another player. These players want 'name recognition' on the battlefield. They hope to see people calling out their names "Dammit its XXXX" or "watch out for XXXX". However, this is very difficult to achieve when a game has >2000 players on a server …and many times they take their fights to the message boards. PvP players are not all loners, and many prefer the dealings of fighting guild or troop. Although its nice to have shiny, glowy, rare impressive objects, to PvP players it only matters if it helps them win a battle. They don’t measure themselves by objects, but by results and standings of how they fare against opponents.
Most players are a combination of the two (like everything in life) The question is side are you 51% in. figure that out and you'll likely have a lot better time in your next MMORPG.
Casual or Hard core?
There are Hard core players in every game. The question is more, do you need a game that can cater to a more casual style of game play and still allow you to meet your goals within a game. Many games have casual content, however there are certain games in which the design is such that unless you are hard core, you will never be able to reach the full potential and it may leave you with the feeling of a second class citizen.
I find that it is the PVE component of games that truly require time commitment. PvP games can be more forgiving of going AFK or intermittent playing (sure you may die, but when you return you just get back into the fray). So if time of playing is the main factor, look into the PvP aspects of your current game, or look at games which are based more on PvP. However, PvP and PVE success is inter-dependent, very often (WoW is a good example) success in PvP is directly proportional to your PVE success in gathering equipment. If you are a casual player, you need a game where the PVE requirement (gear) for PvP success is able to be obtained in a less aggressive manner.
Game Theme
It is an unfortunate aspect of the state of the industry that 90% of MMORPGs have a fantasy theme. A very small minority have SCI-FI themes. An emerging theme now is Piracy (which is obviously originating from the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy). Even if your options are very limited, stick to the theme you love. If you truly envision yourself as a ninja, don’t try to be a pirate.
Technical aspects
These are intrinsic aspects of the game which I place at the bottom of my priority list. However they are very important, but many times they are not something that you can anticipate until you’ve actually played the games. These aspects include
1. Fun
2. Server Stability
3. Graphics
4. Character Customization
5. Community
6. Roleplay
7. Sound
8. Cost
9. Crafting
Best thing to do here is a bit of research on your own. Head to the main MMORPG discussion boards like MMORPG.com, Vault Network, Onrpg and others and ask about the particular aspect (“How is Tabula Rasa’s character customization?”). Through all the flames and trolling that goes on, if you ask a question honestly and respectfully, you are almost assured to receive an answer.
I honestly put graphics at the lower end of my MMORPG priority list. Gameplay must be first and foremost. Its nice to have all the sparkles and the oos and ahhs, but if it lags your system or distracts form the game, its no good to me.
Suggestions
PVE based Games
End-Game Raiding (Hard Core oriented)
World of Warcraft, EverQuest 2, EverQuest, Lineage II, Final Fantasy XI, RF Online
Solo Ability (Casual friendly)
City of Heroes / Villains, EVE Online, Final Fantasy XI, Lord of the Rings Online, Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, Tabula Rasa
Grouping Instances
World of Warcraft, EverQuest 2, EverQuest, RF Online, Lord of the Rings Online, City of Heroes / Villains
PvP Games with a significant amount of PVE content
Guild Wars, Dark Age of Camelot
PvP Based Games
Kill Anyone (Hard Core oriented)
Ultima Online, RuneScape, Guild Wars, Lineage II, Fury, Shaiya
PvP Games (Casual Friendly)
EVE Online, Dark Age of Camelot
Full Looting
EVE Online, RuneScape, Shaiya (Item drop in PvP)
Open World Objective Based PvP
Dark Age of Camelot, Shaiya
Open/Free World PvP (Can be attacked anywhere by anyone)
EVE Online, RuneScape, Lineage II
PVE Games with a significant amount of PvP content.
World of Warcraft, EverQuest 2, City of Heroes / Villains, Star Wars Galaxies, Lord of the Rings Online
| Players who generally agree with this article said | Some players would add these changes |
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| Jsw40 I'd say your best bet lies with WoW. It's the most healthy MMO out right now, and it honestly has a lot of depth to it. The neat thing about World of Warcraft is that it can be time-consuming and deep or simple and easy all at once. |
DevilXaphan I could recommend RF Online (rising force online) as it is a free game and it is a constant PvP with PvE, and its RvRvR. So you have a choice of three races and its easy to learn after a week of play as you find out how to upgrade gear/weapons and it does have a cash shop. |
| Orthedos WoW is an all rounded game, but some players feel turned off, b/c the game is infested with leet kids, you know the kind. Good thing is you do not need to group with them, bad thing is they make gaming experience sometimes unforgettable, in the wrong way. |
AbIeL Wait for age of conan |
| Daylight01 If you like the fantasy thing like wow then maybe keep your eye out for AION or maybe AoC,Of the games out now I wouldnt go near SWG you wont enjoy it basically as it is a dying game with low population,Maybe eq2 can keep you going till 1 of the new games come out,Also keep an eye on TCOS as a sleeper hit if you like to think as you play instead of just mashing some keys |
Aczero Wait for Warhammer Online |
| Areteseeker I thank you for this info. Maybe cna make up my mind if i keep playing WoW or to change to PotBS |
Tsnr I would change the part where you said "pvp games can be more forgiving of when you go afk". Hell I would probably include a section on risk versus reward, or difficulty. It makes a big difference in a game if you get no death penalty and jump back into combat or if you lose hours of work. |
| Tsnr2 Add a section for "difficulty" it makes a big difference to alot of players if they have a large or small death penalty. Its almost as crucial as the time you need to invest as some players love a challenge and others give up if they have to regrind a level. |
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| Pteranodon I must be one of a minuscule minority. I enjoy on-line games and PvE, really ACTIVELY dislike PvP, but my style of play is solo. I have tried and tried to be sociable in guilds but I just can't manage it. Maybe being 50 and having precious little in common with my other guildies is the main factor in that :). However, I will be returning to my half dozen or so 40 WoW characters after a few months playing DOMO (Dream of Mirror Online - GameTribe - EU, Aeria - NAmerica) which is superb for PvE (there is no PvP apart from a few instances and dueling) and for the social side, but I return to seek out the solitary splendour of WoW! |
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| Pteranodon Oh, and many thanks for the article which has pointed me in a couple of other directions |
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| Kedoch No mention of DDO? It fits in perfectly with a PvE game as PvP, last I played, was nearly non-existent with the exception of tavern brawls in designated areas. Even has some raid content which I consider rather unique, though my experience there is limited to DDO and EQ2 (Pre-KoS). Otherwise nice article. |
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| Nethervoid A LOT more should be added to this article. Breaking down PvE content into some typical sub-categories would go a long way to a better choice in a new MMO. In fact I would say without this sub-categorization the article probably won't really help much. There are a LOT of games which fall in the categories you laid out that are still so different from one another a person could play one and love it and play a different one (in the same category) and completely hate it. PvE sub-categories: Raiding Questing Grouping Crafting Gathering Housing Selling Dungeon type PvP sub-categories: RvR/GvG Empire building Ladder systems Market PvP Gear through PvP Full loot/Full open PvP There are so many variations on all of these. As well, a person needs to know what sub-categories they like and which they don't, and then knowing this must decipher from forums or FAQs if the game under scrutiny fares well or not in each of these sub-categories. |
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Uh.. you had runescape as an attack anywhere game... huh? |
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| Shorun PvP in a PvE game sucks. You have to have the best gear not to be owned by fat, lonely, workless men whose names begin and end with xXx. That's such a crap and done in every second mmorpg I know. The biggest crap in this sight is World of Warcraft. I play it, but only PvE. Well I could get myself owned about 10 million times to buy the pvp gear, but thats just crap. People! Never buy a PvPvE game because you like both! Rather buy Guild Wars / Fury / Whatever AND a PvE Game! |
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| Cephus One of the things that you really need to address is the general age/maturity of the players. If, as is the case for myself and Pteradon above, you're an older player, you really don't have anything in common with a game composed primarily of 12 year olds. Further, there is a sizable number of people who really want active roleplaying, not just going around killing things. They want to jump on, find a bunch of people to play with, have an adventure, and leave. |
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| Lady Attis Even though I find the conclusion that EVE's pvp is casual to be surprising it tends to pan out from the stories I read from friends that play it regularly. But there is probably one category I would add to the analysis: degree of 'control' of gameplay options. What I mean by that phrase is that some games force you into a certain track to access content whether it's reputation grinding of one sort or another or one must complete a pre-determined set of quests to unlock some other areas. All in all, this category would assess how much control a player has over the access to the content; how little or how great the player can decide to go off and do some other part of the gameplay. Games like Ultima Online, EVE, even CoX tend toward a larger 'open' field of gameplay versus games that are on 'rails' like SWG (NGE), WoW (especially at end game with raid dependent content), and EQ2 (similar situation as WoW). This degree of choice I think is important because often a player will burn out doing the same task or set of related tasks unless there are other options of play in the same game. Granted, a game cannot be a every game, but MMOs should strive for a meta-game-like quality as to reduce this burn out and retain customers (and to show that games can evolve). |