MMORPG and other games?

Hey all

I am thinking of getting a new PC game and have enjoyed the World of Warcraft trial so far. I am wandering whether to go and get the WOW Battlechest (the game, expansion and the 2 guide books) or whether there is a better MMORPG game that may be cheaper to play.

I am thinking of Guild Wars or Lord of the rings or something along those lines. I like a nice enironment where people will help each other and is fairly active (i.e not one where there are rarely anybody on now).

I would prefer the game to be as cheap as possible but am open to suggestions.

Cheers :)

Why don't you try LOTRO?

I personally liked it more than WoW. It's pretty much the same but has better story, environment, atmosphere and community (my experience).

Depends on the type of gamer you are.

Do you like Player-vs-Player? Guild Wars (GW2 coming soon)

Do you like Realm-vs-Realm? Warhammer Online (coming soon)

Do you prefer Player-vs-Environment and crafting? Don't get an MMO, get NWN2 or Oblivion:ES

I don't personally recommend WoW and certainly not LOTRO or any Turbine products.

I don't understand what Realm vs Realm is sorry, (I am guessing alliance versus alliance such as Team A versus Team B)?Garfield360UK

When you join the game you choose a side, for example Good or Evil.

RvR simply means Good vs Evil throughout the world. You could get into a battle at anytime while exploring near the other realm's territory. This type of game has constant wars going on and you simply chose what side you're on when you make your character.

Wouldn't that definition be better known as territory vs territory? Instead of realm as most people are use to the WoW realm system that refers to it's servers.Cdscottie

The idea with Warhammer is that the territory expands as the alliance you're on grows in power. WoW has a very static approach to this, whereas EA Mythic has decided to make the RvR combat system a central role in how the storyline evolves for everyone.

[QUOTE="Cdscottie"]Wouldn't that definition be better known as territory vs territory? Instead of realm as most people are use to the WoW realm system that refers to it's servers.SKaREO

The idea with Warhammer is that the territory expands as the alliance you're on grows in power. WoW has a very static approach to this, whereas EA Mythic has decided to make the RvR combat system a central role in how the storyline evolves for everyone.

You are talking like RvR didn't exist before WAR.

You are talking like RvR didn't exist before WAR.

RK-Mara

The idea may be the same, but the implementation is far different.

Any other thoughts? Is World of Warcraft the best one for me to get?Garfield360UK

Not to be rude but I don't have any idea what made you think WoW was even worth the bandwidth you spent to download the trial. You also said you wanted something worth the money, and getting into a new MMO and starting fresh with everyone else, or buying a non-subscription game such as Guild Wars is clearly a more logical choice. Ultimately, asking forumites to make the choice for you is not such a great idea. Take the facts that are available, weigh them with your personal opinion and make the most suitable choice based on your interests.

Any other thoughts? Is World of Warcraft the best one for me to get?Garfield360UK

Any other thoughts? Is World of Warcraft the best one for me to get?Garfield360UK

If you enjoy the PvE-grouping you experience in WoW, very few titles will be able to compete.

You should know that, WoW end in raiding (10+ players doing 1 activity for hours). Same with most similar games (LotRO, DDO, EverQuest 2). Vanguard is the embodiement of WoW logic pushed to the extreme, making it harder, grindier, requiring you to do other activities...it is definitely a niche game, and it is definitely requiring that you master everything if you want to master anything...See, EQ2, Vanguard and LotRO, they are pretty much the game after WoW (WoW been an overgrown tutorial if you want).

Runescape is totally free, but...well...I don't want to dirty talk it, try it if you want. Dungeon Runners is also "free" (there is a $5/month "optional" catch, not that bad).

If you don't mind a different setting, IMO, City of Heroes/Villains is ahead of WoW about 5-10 years...Blizzard next MMO will prolly be a LOT similar to this game, but in another setting.

MMOs are built in a way that a casual can enjoy just any of these...but they try to "grab your interest". If they succeed, there is only a precise way to enjoy a MMO after a point (WoW is raiding, DAoC is RvR/Raiding, EQ2 is raiding, City of Heroes is the only MMO which you are not forced into a gameplay you may dislike). So, in WoW example, they will try to interest you with solo/grouping feature...but in the end, you will be "trapped" in 10+ raiding encounters all the time and...most peoples just don't like that. This is poor design in my book, everything is done to keep you subscribed 1 more month, even at the cost of ruining everything else...

Hey all

I am thinking of getting a new PC game and have enjoyed the World of Warcraft trial so far. I am wandering whether to go and get the WOW Battlechest (the game, expansion and the 2 guide books) or whether there is a better MMORPG game that may be cheaper to play.

I am thinking of Guild Wars or Lord of the rings or something along those lines. I like a nice enironment where people will help each other and is fairly active (i.e not one where there are rarely anybody on now).

I would prefer the game to be as cheap as possible but am open to suggestions.

Cheers :)

Garfield360UK

If you are enjoying what you have seen so far in World of Warcraft, it stays true to that all the way up to level 70. Right now there are not enough MMORPGs out there that are worth sticking around until endgame. Many people are waiting for the releases of Conan and Warhammer Online as the next big thing. I would suggest that you buy the WoW battlechest, it will give you a decent amount of entertainment. Lord of the Rings Online is an excellent choice as well for when you finish up WoW, unless you stick around to raid/reputation grind/pvp in WoW. EverQuest 2 is another great choice that offers tons of content and has a great community of players.

If you are enjoying what you have seen so far in World of Warcraft, it stays true to that all the way up to level 70. Right now there are not enough MMORPGs out there that are worth sticking around until endgame. Many people are waiting for the releases of Conan and Warhammer Online as the next big thing. I would suggest that you buy the WoW battlechest, it will give you a decent amount of entertainment. Lord of the Rings Online is an excellent choice as well for when you finish up WoW, unless you stick around to raid/reputation grind/pvp in WoW. EverQuest 2 is another great choice that offers tons of content and has a great community of players.

Kragspire

But once you reach 70, you are betrayed if you plan on advancing your character further. Instead of solo/grouping as you always did, you are now required to Raid/PvP. This is a fundamental change, and it happens at the max level. Of course you can advance your character somewhat in solo/group at 70, but it is a pale advancement compared to raid/PvP. Thereby, you are betrayed at that point and forced into a foreign gameplay which has very little to do with the game up to that point.

[QUOTE="Kragspire"]

If you are enjoying what you have seen so far in World of Warcraft, it stays true to that all the way up to level 70. Right now there are not enough MMORPGs out there that are worth sticking around until endgame. Many people are waiting for the releases of Conan and Warhammer Online as the next big thing. I would suggest that you buy the WoW battlechest, it will give you a decent amount of entertainment. Lord of the Rings Online is an excellent choice as well for when you finish up WoW, unless you stick around to raid/reputation grind/pvp in WoW. EverQuest 2 is another great choice that offers tons of content and has a great community of players.

Anofalye

But once you reach 70, you are betrayed if you plan on advancing your character further. Instead of solo/grouping as you always did, you are now required to Raid/PvP. This is a fundamental change, and it happens at the max level. Of course you can advance your character somewhat in solo/group at 70, but it is a pale advancement compared to raid/PvP. Thereby, you are betrayed at that point and forced into a foreign gameplay which has very little to do with the game up to that point.

...which is why I made sure to suggest some other MMORPGs after hitting 70 in WoW =P

[QUOTE="Kragspire"]

If you are enjoying what you have seen so far in World of Warcraft, it stays true to that all the way up to level 70. Right now there are not enough MMORPGs out there that are worth sticking around until endgame. Many people are waiting for the releases of Conan and Warhammer Online as the next big thing. I would suggest that you buy the WoW battlechest, it will give you a decent amount of entertainment. Lord of the Rings Online is an excellent choice as well for when you finish up WoW, unless you stick around to raid/reputation grind/pvp in WoW. EverQuest 2 is another great choice that offers tons of content and has a great community of players.

Anofalye

But once you reach 70, you are betrayed if you plan on advancing your character further. Instead of solo/grouping as you always did, you are now required to Raid/PvP. This is a fundamental change, and it happens at the max level. Of course you can advance your character somewhat in solo/group at 70, but it is a pale advancement compared to raid/PvP. Thereby, you are betrayed at that point and forced into a foreign gameplay which has very little to do with the game up to that point.

You sound like you'd rather not have anything left to do at level 70. The game has to end somewhere...

I will have a try perhaps on Lord of the Rings online. I can see the arguments against World of Warcraft as some of it seems a bit repetative like doing the same style missions. I shall see, I do enjoy the game so far as there is lots to see but sometimes it feels a bit lonely in that people rarely speak to you or invite you into a group but don't seem to do much.

I like the style of the game and that there seems to be lots of depth in that you can do proffesions and all sorts of other things when you are leveling up.

I would love to know who recommends LOTRO. Its the worst game let alone MMO I have ever played.SKaREO

I recommend LOTRO. There's many better MMO's but in my opinion it's the best MMO to start with. Games like EVE Online would be too much for a newcomer. WoW is another great MMO to start with but like I said before, I enjoy LOTRO more. Skareo, you should remember that everyone isn't like you. For example I'm not a big PvPer and Garfield doesn't sound like one either. Just because LOTRO and WoW don't have great PvP, they aren't bad games.

I'm not sure what you are doing in this topic if you don't even enjoy MMO's.

Hmm, maybe MMORPG games arent for me then, I quite liked World of Warcraft at first play but its starting to drag a bit in the missions you are required to do. Don't get me wrong, I am not flaming the game as I have had some enjoyment from it and its got great depth if you are looking for that.Garfield360UK

Why wouldn't they be for you? Because Skareo doesn't like them? I still recommend to download the LOTRO trial and see if you like it more. Many of the quests are the same kind of boar killing as in WoW but the game actually has a storyline. Even the boar killing quests feel like part of the bigger LOTR story. It does have more interesting quest too. Epic solo/fellowship instances at low level, exploration deeds et cetera.

I think a lot of people who recommend LOTRO are the ones who bought the lifetime membership for $200 when it came out. I played it through beta and up to level 50 and it was the most boring, unthoughtful, unbalanced MMO with a poor economy and very boring and repetative crafting system. Overall it was not a unique experience at all, the graphics engine was almost identical to Guild Wars for both LOTRO and DDO which lead me to wonder, why would I pay monthly for the same thing I bought in 2005 with no subscription fees?

Anyway, to answer your question, I'm in this topic because I wish someone would have given me this advice when I started looking for an MMO to play. I would have saved a lot of time and money.

The same thing? Fully instanced world with almost no real crafting features doesn't exactly feel the same thing to me. Guild Wars isn't even a MMORPG. Yes, Guild Wars is a fun game - for 200 hours. That's already a lot but not even close to what MMORPG's offer.

I started playing MMO's with Ultima Online and it wasn't even near to what I would call positive first impressions. It took me ages to learn the basics and play the game and now I'm glad that there's MMO's which can make the transition a lot smoother. UO is a fantastic game once you learn the basics. Learning them can be a lot funnier with another game.

Another reason why I recommend LOTRO over WoW is that most of the MMO newcomers who start with WoW, keep playing it for 2 years and forget about those better games like EVE Online.

DDO is instanced though, and it got left to hang once Turbine started pushing LOTRO out the door. I know a lot of very upset people because of that, myself included. Mara is right, if you enjoy running into random people in the open landscape, and double clicking to chop the wood, then double clicking to craft it into a bow, than a true MMO like WoW or LOTRO might be for you.

Like I said, I'm all about the end game content, joining a guild, and PvP combat that is fun, so instances don't bother me that much, although it does feel lonely outside of towns at times. Warhammer Online is going to be a much better experience than all the other MMOs in my opinion.

Seems like we have the exact opposite tastes. I stop playing as soon as I hit the max level. The way up is the most important part for me.

Garfield can't know if he's more like me or you before he has tried an MMO.

Isn't Turbine still patching DDO? Not as frequently as LOTRO though but I've heard that LOTRO is growing at an amazing speed. You can even play as a chicken now.

I was just thinking the costs are quite high and then you would have to put lots of time to get things out of the game which I can not do all the time really.

I am not really a player versus player for this type of game as I don't like the idea of having all my items taken etc when I die (I assume thats what happens but I don't know for sure).

I was just thinking the costs are quite high and then you would have to put lots of time to get things out of the game which I can not do all the time really.

I am not really a player versus player for this type of game as I don't like the idea of having all my items taken etc when I die (I assume thats what happens but I don't know for sure).

Garfield360UK

That won't happen. Technically you don't even die in LOTRO. Your character has morale, not health. When you run out of morale, you fall back to the nearest friendly camp. And LOTRO doesn't require a lot of time, that's why I'm recommending it. Only 30 minutes to play? Do one quest. Three hours? Do several. Or just explore and craft.

trial.lotro.com