I think for me it was a tossup between Bastok and Sandoria in FFXI. I loved leveling near sandoria, but low level grinding near Bastok had 2 really great rewards in LL boots camps while leveling and saving up al the zinc ores you got from worms in the area for a great ninja spell. Since FFXI was my first MMO it holds a specail spot in my nestalgic memories.
The first starter areas in "Saga of Ryzom" (after beta/launch), especially Fyros desert.
Very immersive .. sandboxy, weather changes, day/night cycles and the fauna system with predators coming closer to camps at night and hunting little animals
This is a difficult question to answer objectively I think, for me at least. The best starter zone I ever experienced was the very first starter zone I played an MMO in and that was World of Warcraft's Alliance starter zone. Now my reasons are where it becomes difficult to be objective, it was my first taste of MMO "freedom" that feeling of the unknown, the freshness of having other people run past me and knowing they were real people is unmatched by any experience I have had since or had prior. I've played so many MMO's since and nothing even comes close to the thrill and down right immersion I felt during those first hours upon finding the game.
If i was forced at gunpoint though and couldn't include my first zone, i would then have to give the title to DC Universe online because It felt the most like they achieved what I personally felt was what I had preconcieved a superhero game to be like.
But meh I'm no game guru, just a 30 something guy who loves games.
I cant say they are the best. However for me they are the most rememberable.
I would have start off with Feerott and Erudin (toxx forest in EQ 1) They were original. I remember Toxx forest being so dark. It was kinda spooky. EQ1 all the way around really. Its hard to beat those first time memories.
On newer games. I have to say I was really impressed with Champions. Logging in and seeing the city under siege. It really did a great job of throwing you into the action.
Well, people will probably be sick of a guy like me bringing up SWG, but I hate to in this case. Specifically Pre-CU/NGE days of SWG. Sort of a long story why, but here it goes.
When SWG came out, the player can choose from a variety of places to start out with. The cooler sounding, familiar ones like Theed and Coronet weren't possible because clicking on them told me that they had gotten too large. So, not knowing much else, I chose Doerba Goefel, in the NE mountains of the Corellia map. That was a remote town that only had NPCs. I was out there alone trying to figure out a an MMORPG that had a steep learning curve. I learned alot on my own with trial and error, but it wasn't the greatest experience doing this alone. Only when I was one day getting my a** kicked by some NPCs that a passing by player on a Speederbike saw my struggles, saved my butt, and gave alot of great pointers.
Fast forward another year, and SOE made a very wise decision to have Mos Eisley, Tatooine as the only possible starting area. First thing's first. The "starting area" is not someplace that you can never come back to, like it was a newbie-only instance that some games do. Mos Eisley like all the other cities, villages, player-made towns, are all part of one seamless, open world (for that specific planet). You can go back anytime. Hell, alot of people setup their own houses on the outskirts of Mos Eisley.
Secondly, SOE wisely chose Mos Eisley due to its obvious fame for a Star Wars location. The name will be instantly recognizable to a fan of the IP.
Thirdly, newbies will be there with other newbies also, and they can help each other out.
Next, lots of veteran players were around Mos Eisley. A number of guilds setup their homes close to the city. Just as importantly, alot of crafters / merchants setup their shops nearby also. They were advertising their goods to sell competitively priced gear aimed equally at newbies just as much as they would with established veteran players. But the biggest plus was the community itself. You see, players were very helpful to each other. Many times I've seen a veteran take a newbie to show them the basics of the game and guide them around to see the big game world. Personally, I did alot of newbie training sessions myself, stuff that lasted for hours and hours if the newbie wanted to do so. Showing them the ropes and lessons that I learned the hard way when I was starting alone in Corellia, and them not having to make the same mistakes I did. Seeing them enjoy Star Wars and being part of their "new game experience" on SWG. Just as satisfying is seeing them finally grasp complicated portions of gameplay, stuff I knew that was hard but absolutely critical they learn to be better with the game.
Another boost with the starting city of Mos Eisley was a number of players trying to lend that even larger Star Wars image with the game. You see, eventually when I did those gaming sessions of helping newbies, I did it equipped with Stormtrooper Armor. It surprised the hell out of many new people that you can even join the Empire, much less wear the famed Stormtrooper gear. Another group that really, really helped bring that Star Wars feel were the Role Players. There were Rebel and Imperial guilds out there, and would do their thing and even engage in PvP. I'll say this: Seeing RPers decked out in Rebel-like attire or the uniforms or armor of the Stormtroopers, all doing their thing and fighting, helped bring that actual Star Wars movie feel. Seeing a squad of Stormtrooper players patrolling the streets of Mos Eisley like in ANH was great. Seeing the Imperial and non-Imperial RPers interacting was great, like the Stormtroopers questioning a person (another RPer), who is suspected of criminal activity or possibly a Rebel spy.
The best part was that newbie was able to see and experiene all this, right away in the game. It may be overwhelming, but it was in the "Good Overwhelming" type of feel, because it made everything wonderous.
You see, all those reasons above was why I thought that old school SWG's starting area of Mos Eisley was the best out there. In that version of the game and the people we had at that time, I still believe it stands out as the best today.
"I have only two out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." (First Lieutenant Clifton B. Cates, US Marine Corps, Soissons, 19 July 1918)
And to those hatin' on FFXI zones, this is all I have to say.
This, best memories of any MMO i've ever played, Music, sound effects, enviroment, day and night cycles, rare mob pops, the game oozed with the definition of what an MMO should be.
I did like the shire with its postal run and pie quests too but next time you take a toon through there notice how every single halfling is a miserable btard! In tolkien lore they were happy little party animals but in lotro they give me the feeling they are all about to commit suicide! lol
Age of Conan, Tortage. Without a doubt. A close second or even ranked the same would be Atlas City/The Hollows in City of Heroes, when the game came out in 2004 it looked fantastic and the atmosphere was bang on for a superhero game.
Tie between every starter area in EQ and VG. These games really captured their races and the lore and embraced the RPG side of the game. The Shire works quite well also, but EQ and VG did it with brand new lore.
My fav would be SWG (at launch) but partially that was because it was my first MMO and also because it was the first time I really felt like I was in Star Wars.
Dun Morogh - was awesome my first time through, hell even the 5th time I loved it. After that it got dull (but doesn't everything?)
The Shire - I loved everything about this game (until F2P) but there was just something special about the shire. Even though I never played as a hobbit I would always head over there just to do their quests.
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. --Aristotle
To me, most starting areas suck, but I actually enjoyed the old and new (Cata on) starting areas for the Undead in WoW.
Because I continue to starve for a new MMO, I occasionally find myself logging onto a WoW free trial account, if for no other reason than to just exist in an MMO world with highly themed and stylized environments for a little while.
I most recently played the Undead starting zone as a warlock and was quite impressed by the story the zone told--since most starting zones don't tell much of a story at all, but rather just focus on introducing you to your race's setting. I was a freshly resurrected Undead who was struggling to come to terms with my new identity--that of a Forsaken slave. Meanwhile, I encounter numerous other Undead who were in a similar situation: some who accepted their fate, some who fled in despair, and some who gathered the courage to rebel and fight back against the Forsaken.
My class choice--warlock--also fluidly complimented this power struggle and identity crisis as my class-oriented quests ultimately justified our desire--our need--to enslave other creatures as a means of compensating for our unwilling slavery under the dominion of the Forsaken.
Not to mention the dark, spooky setting is pretty fantastic. And the music altered to a powerful dramatic, sorrowful tune during a few of the more climactic quest moments.
Perhaps it's not quite on the level of professional literature, but it certainly offers much better storytelling than most MMO starting zones.
Quite simply The Shire from LOTRO. I literally felt the peace of being there while knowing what loomed outside. I absolutely loved that starting area...even though you technically don't start there persay.
Comments
Gillinos. Kind of old gothic feel andwere wolves or Worgen as their called.
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
I think for me it was a tossup between Bastok and Sandoria in FFXI. I loved leveling near sandoria, but low level grinding near Bastok had 2 really great rewards in LL boots camps while leveling and saving up al the zinc ores you got from worms in the area for a great ninja spell. Since FFXI was my first MMO it holds a specail spot in my nestalgic memories.
RIP Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan and Paul Gray.
The first starter areas in "Saga of Ryzom" (after beta/launch), especially Fyros desert.
Very immersive .. sandboxy, weather changes, day/night cycles and the fauna system with predators coming closer to camps at night and hunting little animals
For modern MMOs, count me in for AoC's Tortage
This is a difficult question to answer objectively I think, for me at least. The best starter zone I ever experienced was the very first starter zone I played an MMO in and that was World of Warcraft's Alliance starter zone. Now my reasons are where it becomes difficult to be objective, it was my first taste of MMO "freedom" that feeling of the unknown, the freshness of having other people run past me and knowing they were real people is unmatched by any experience I have had since or had prior. I've played so many MMO's since and nothing even comes close to the thrill and down right immersion I felt during those first hours upon finding the game.
If i was forced at gunpoint though and couldn't include my first zone, i would then have to give the title to DC Universe online because It felt the most like they achieved what I personally felt was what I had preconcieved a superhero game to be like.
But meh I'm no game guru, just a 30 something guy who loves games.
WoW, LoTRO, AoC, DCU, EvE, RoM, Champions, Bloodline Champions, Darkfall, Mortal Online, Fallen Earth, SWTOR, EQ2, Guild Wars
I cant say they are the best. However for me they are the most rememberable.
I would have start off with Feerott and Erudin (toxx forest in EQ 1) They were original. I remember Toxx forest being so dark. It was kinda spooky. EQ1 all the way around really. Its hard to beat those first time memories.
On newer games. I have to say I was really impressed with Champions. Logging in and seeing the city under siege. It really did a great job of throwing you into the action.
Ered Luin - LOTRO
Well, people will probably be sick of a guy like me bringing up SWG, but I hate to in this case. Specifically Pre-CU/NGE days of SWG. Sort of a long story why, but here it goes.
When SWG came out, the player can choose from a variety of places to start out with. The cooler sounding, familiar ones like Theed and Coronet weren't possible because clicking on them told me that they had gotten too large. So, not knowing much else, I chose Doerba Goefel, in the NE mountains of the Corellia map. That was a remote town that only had NPCs. I was out there alone trying to figure out a an MMORPG that had a steep learning curve. I learned alot on my own with trial and error, but it wasn't the greatest experience doing this alone. Only when I was one day getting my a** kicked by some NPCs that a passing by player on a Speederbike saw my struggles, saved my butt, and gave alot of great pointers.
Fast forward another year, and SOE made a very wise decision to have Mos Eisley, Tatooine as the only possible starting area. First thing's first. The "starting area" is not someplace that you can never come back to, like it was a newbie-only instance that some games do. Mos Eisley like all the other cities, villages, player-made towns, are all part of one seamless, open world (for that specific planet). You can go back anytime. Hell, alot of people setup their own houses on the outskirts of Mos Eisley.
Secondly, SOE wisely chose Mos Eisley due to its obvious fame for a Star Wars location. The name will be instantly recognizable to a fan of the IP.
Thirdly, newbies will be there with other newbies also, and they can help each other out.
Next, lots of veteran players were around Mos Eisley. A number of guilds setup their homes close to the city. Just as importantly, alot of crafters / merchants setup their shops nearby also. They were advertising their goods to sell competitively priced gear aimed equally at newbies just as much as they would with established veteran players. But the biggest plus was the community itself. You see, players were very helpful to each other. Many times I've seen a veteran take a newbie to show them the basics of the game and guide them around to see the big game world. Personally, I did alot of newbie training sessions myself, stuff that lasted for hours and hours if the newbie wanted to do so. Showing them the ropes and lessons that I learned the hard way when I was starting alone in Corellia, and them not having to make the same mistakes I did. Seeing them enjoy Star Wars and being part of their "new game experience" on SWG. Just as satisfying is seeing them finally grasp complicated portions of gameplay, stuff I knew that was hard but absolutely critical they learn to be better with the game.
Another boost with the starting city of Mos Eisley was a number of players trying to lend that even larger Star Wars image with the game. You see, eventually when I did those gaming sessions of helping newbies, I did it equipped with Stormtrooper Armor. It surprised the hell out of many new people that you can even join the Empire, much less wear the famed Stormtrooper gear. Another group that really, really helped bring that Star Wars feel were the Role Players. There were Rebel and Imperial guilds out there, and would do their thing and even engage in PvP. I'll say this: Seeing RPers decked out in Rebel-like attire or the uniforms or armor of the Stormtroopers, all doing their thing and fighting, helped bring that actual Star Wars movie feel. Seeing a squad of Stormtrooper players patrolling the streets of Mos Eisley like in ANH was great. Seeing the Imperial and non-Imperial RPers interacting was great, like the Stormtroopers questioning a person (another RPer), who is suspected of criminal activity or possibly a Rebel spy.
The best part was that newbie was able to see and experiene all this, right away in the game. It may be overwhelming, but it was in the "Good Overwhelming" type of feel, because it made everything wonderous.
You see, all those reasons above was why I thought that old school SWG's starting area of Mos Eisley was the best out there. In that version of the game and the people we had at that time, I still believe it stands out as the best today.
"I have only two out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." (First Lieutenant Clifton B. Cates, US Marine Corps, Soissons, 19 July 1918)
Gustaberg.
And to those hatin' on FFXI zones, this is all I have to say.
This, best memories of any MMO i've ever played, Music, sound effects, enviroment, day and night cycles, rare mob pops, the game oozed with the definition of what an MMO should be.
I did like the shire with its postal run and pie quests too but next time you take a toon through there notice how every single halfling is a miserable btard! In tolkien lore they were happy little party animals but in lotro they give me the feeling they are all about to commit suicide! lol
Age of Conan, Tortage. Without a doubt. A close second or even ranked the same would be Atlas City/The Hollows in City of Heroes, when the game came out in 2004 it looked fantastic and the atmosphere was bang on for a superhero game.
Tie between every starter area in EQ and VG. These games really captured their races and the lore and embraced the RPG side of the game. The Shire works quite well also, but EQ and VG did it with brand new lore.
WoW is respectable here as well.
West Freeport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ6rOJEvpZM
I leveled all my toons there -- humans, wood elves, whatever.
were you 'one with the wall'?
Also, notice two games that have little to no presence here...yet the game they emulate is on here often.
If you are going to clone WoW, remember what made it special.
Have to say Guild Wars pre-searing and WoW does nice jobs too.
My fav would be SWG (at launch) but partially that was because it was my first MMO and also because it was the first time I really felt like I was in Star Wars.
Dun Morogh - was awesome my first time through, hell even the 5th time I loved it. After that it got dull (but doesn't everything?)
The Shire - I loved everything about this game (until F2P) but there was just something special about the shire. Even though I never played as a hobbit I would always head over there just to do their quests.
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
--Aristotle
Goblin camp - Darkfall.
The original Nektulos forest in EQ. There was always some kind of high level class buffing at the newbie log.
Teldrassil and Darkshore - classic WOW ,great music and i always liked the feeling of those zones
Freeport and Commonlands in EQ 2 - a well designed evil city and then lot of open space for my necromancer to explore
My favorite zone - The Shire in LOTRO .The Old Forest was also on the list until Turbine changed it to a much boring and simpler version.
Teldrassil (Nightelf starting zone) in WoW for me, the music and atmos hooked me from the moment the zone fly-through started.
For as horrible game as it turned out to be, I really like the starter area in Tabula Rasa. I also love Durator in Wow.
Swtor Hutta is my current fav.
To me, most starting areas suck, but I actually enjoyed the old and new (Cata on) starting areas for the Undead in WoW.
1st Everquest(1) - Freeport primaraly because it was my first mmo.
2nd WoW- Forsaken starter area- errrrriiieee music/ favorate race.
Because I continue to starve for a new MMO, I occasionally find myself logging onto a WoW free trial account, if for no other reason than to just exist in an MMO world with highly themed and stylized environments for a little while.
I most recently played the Undead starting zone as a warlock and was quite impressed by the story the zone told--since most starting zones don't tell much of a story at all, but rather just focus on introducing you to your race's setting. I was a freshly resurrected Undead who was struggling to come to terms with my new identity--that of a Forsaken slave. Meanwhile, I encounter numerous other Undead who were in a similar situation: some who accepted their fate, some who fled in despair, and some who gathered the courage to rebel and fight back against the Forsaken.
My class choice--warlock--also fluidly complimented this power struggle and identity crisis as my class-oriented quests ultimately justified our desire--our need--to enslave other creatures as a means of compensating for our unwilling slavery under the dominion of the Forsaken.
Not to mention the dark, spooky setting is pretty fantastic. And the music altered to a powerful dramatic, sorrowful tune during a few of the more climactic quest moments.
Perhaps it's not quite on the level of professional literature, but it certainly offers much better storytelling than most MMO starting zones.
Quite simply The Shire from LOTRO. I literally felt the peace of being there while knowing what loomed outside. I absolutely loved that starting area...even though you technically don't start there persay.