Which f2p mmorpg has the best PvE group-content?

Shaigh

Please explain what makes the group-content so good and a bonus if you post which class to play as a healer.

SavageHorizon

EQ2

Kopogero

I doubt EQ2 has the best PvE content, maeby the most, but it's most likely outdated like the game. Best PvE content MMO's usually release content ahead of players consuming it and sadly OP I can't help you in this regard. I'm just waiting on WOW: Legion.

syriinx

Kopogero said:

I doubt EQ2 has the best PvE content, maeby the most, but it's most likely outdated like the game. Best PvE content MMO's usually release content ahead of players consuming it and sadly OP I can't help you in this regard. I'm just waiting on WOW: Legion.

The last MMORPG that released group content ahead of its players consuming it that i can think of was EQ back in the early 2000s.  

I can't think of a better answer than EQ2 here honestly.  It has a mix of open world dungeons and instances and a good deal of level agnostic content.  

kitarad

My vote goes to EQ 2 too.

syriinx

To further expand on the OP's question-

Really, group content is lacking in most f2p MMORPGs

EQ2 certainly has the most content, but it has balance issues with the level scaling.  And its not always easy to get groups as you level, but with the right guild its doable.

I think it has some of the better 'instances' in the genre, as many of them are not straight forward linear affairs, they may require some backtracking and puzzle solving.  It also has open world dungeons, which many games are lacking.  And it has a wide variety of classes to choose from.

There are 4 types of healers in EQ2.  They all have typical direct heals, but the original 3 had their own unique special heal.  Clerics have a heal that procs when the target is hit, shaman have wards and druids have HoTs.  Each of those three types have two classes associated with them.  And they all bring their own unique buffs.  The 4th type is the channeler, a newer class I dont have much experience with.

Jill52

Pre-Shadowlands Anarchy Online had some amazing group content. Unless you were blitzing missions there really wasn't much to do where you didn't need the help of a good party. Even equipping better gear required the help of others to cast the right buffs on you.

There were a several different classes that did healing:

Doctors were the best and pretty much dedicated healers.
Adventurers were hybrid healer fighter build (think of hunters in any other game but with some healing)
Traders did some leech type healing but their specialty was roots, calms, etc.
Fixers mostly used submachineguns for burst DPS but still had some really good HoTs (heal over time)
Martial Artists were primarily melee fighters but they also had some healing
Meta-physicists (summoner mages) had their healing meatball pet
Agents could false profession meta and use the heal meatball too
(they added keeper class with shadowlands that is a tank with healing auras)

There were so many different types and levels of healer in AO that I may have even missed some.

Unfortunately AO isn't what it used to be. I'll have to agree with everyone else and say EQ2 is currently the best for group content and having healers actually matter.

Nilden

F2P is cancer.

That said Neverwinter, EQ1/EQ2, Planetside 2, LotRO, Wildstar, Rift, SWTOR, and a cesspool of Asian F2P crap.

You can play a medic in Planetside 2 so figured I would mention it. Plus if you get in an outfit running 48 man platoons it's the most group based game there is. It's an mmofps but hey I gave a bunch of suggestions so,  just another out there one. i know you asked mmorpg and pve but hey. I'm on drugs.

Lithuanian

I doubt there is best group content. There is best content for me, OP...not for everyone.
For amazing healer class, I would vote Lotro.
The Minstrel, Lotro's mobile healing/self healing AoE artillery. Nukes, may stun for a short time, has single-target and AoE heals.

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Copperfield

i think lotr aswell..

this game has good ip good story and nice pve.

its a bit old tho.. but still okish

seeyouspacec0wboy

EQ2 or LotRO for sure.

Po_gg

Well, since not mentioned so far (except Jill's AO), I'd add Funcom, they're notoriously making great dungeons / raids.

Don't get me wrong, I really like LotRO too, there was a dungeon thread earlier where I listed GA as one of my all-time favourites, and Hele is an awesome raid. Rift too, and also tough as a nail. (not the game Rift, there's a Rift in LotRO )
For the bonus part, as @Lithuanian said mini would be your pick for a healer in there, rune-keeper is the other main healer but that's not available for free (plus captains and lore masters can heal as well, but it's not their main role and strength)

Still, for the best, I'd say AoC and TSW. AoK and Atzel, Vistrix as raid, hands down among my favourite ones among MMOs. Great class synergies within the raids. Khitai has some great ones as well, but that's not available for free.
The bonus part, AoC has my favourite healer, the bear shaman awesome class. The other two main healers are ToS and PoM, but it's hard to miss anyways, since they're labeled as Priests. (DT can drop some heals too, but it's mainly a tank)

From TSW, I couldn't list one weak dungeon, all of them are great. Maybe just because of the story... but I don't think so. Fun mechanics, nice synergy, sometimes with harsh punishment for mistakes... really fun.
No healer classes to mention because TSW has no classes, it's a flexible game, but the trinity is there, and healing is very important. The three main healing weapons are fist, blood, and rifle, often dropped in pistol as a secondary next to one of them. All have different healing styles, and some dungeons favor one of them more, but never to an extent to make that one a mandatory pick - and with the flexible building you can switch them at will anyways.
(but TSW is not f2p, it's b2p... so maybe not a good fit.)

Distopia

The real question is is this in regard to content for a pre existing group to enjoy (rl friends) or a question of what games have active communities who take part in group content?

makasouleater69

Shaigh said:

Please explain what makes the group-content so good and a bonus if you post which class to play as a healer.

The best grouping I have had in a F2P mmo, is project 1999. It is good grouping from the low levels to the high levels. Plenty of players, and the funnest healer is druid, but the best healer is a cleric. 

Shaigh

I haven't really played mmorpg since TSW was launched so thought I would take a f2p mmorpg for a spin if I can convince my friend to join. From the responses so far It sounds like I should try out EQ2 or lotro first.

Distopia said:

 real question is is this in regard to content for a pre existing group to enjoy (rl friends) or a question of what games have active communities who take part in group content?

Just post what you find important, there's no need for objectivity.

Po_gg said:

The bonus part, AoC has my favourite healer, the bear shaman awesome class. The other two main healers are ToS and PoM, but it's hard to miss anyways, since they're labeled as Priests. (DT can drop some heals too, but it's mainly a tank)

What kinds of mechanism makes bear shaman so fun to play?

Po_gg

Shaigh said:

From the responses so far It sounds like I should try out EQ2 or lotro first.
[...]

Po_gg said:

The bonus part, AoC has my favourite healer, the bear shaman awesome class. [...]

What kinds of mechanism makes bear shaman so fun to play?

Yep, LotRO is a good pick, there are plenty of group quests in the open as well, and GA is well within the totally free part (at the end of the Lone-lands), awesome instance with a great story.


Shammy, interesting question. I'm not really into combat or game mechanics usually, but in this case that was one part of the cause I think... AoC's combo system is fun, and shaman has it as well, as opposed the other two healers which are "regular" casters.
Other part was maybe the design, I always preferred the more unique healers, not just the generic healbots which were common a decade ago... Auto Assault was fun for example  
Also, around that time arrived the rune-keepers to LotRO, the attunement system was nice and refreshing after the slow leveling pace of the minstrels, even with war-speech.

But, the shaman was even better, shaman was something... cool. Fast and skillful melee combat (which was oddly fun even for me who doesn't really care about combat systems), and a HoT-based heal mechanic with directional AoEs, buffs... it was challenging as well, back in the days the stamina was much more used than now. Plus the looks... I mean, "wait, I'll drop some heals on you right away, by smashing the head of this mob here"
Easily the most fun I had while leveling up a healer.

Octagon7711

GW2, it has traditional grouping for PvE and PvP plus dynamic grouping that allows players to work together on challenging content with options to group or not group within the dynamic event.  The event reacts to the number of players present, grouped or not.  No waiting to put a group together, more play time.

Caffynated

I'm quite enjoying priest in TERA, though I'm not level cap yet. It's very different from your typical "I heal! I heal! I heal!" MMO priest. Most of your powerful abilities heal a fixed area around or directly in front of you, so you need to stay somewhat near the tank to clean debuffs and heal him, while also avoiding boss attacks and watching out for the rest of the group. It's a very entertaining change of pace and I'm someone who enjoys typical TAB target MMO firehose healing.

The population is ok and a healer can pretty much just level off of fast dungeon pops without having to do the usual quest grind once you're high enough to start queuing.

wanderica

DDO was good for me back in the day.  I haven't played it in a long time, but there at least used to be grouping at all levels.  I'm sure that's changed as the game has aged, and become more top heavy.  Still though, Lots of dungeon style content to do if you can find a group.  I always enjoyed playing a straight up Cleric.  It's your basic D&D healer, but it's very pure in that regard.  The grandaddy of all the rest, I guess you could say.