Looking for a new game potentially

kinawarrior

Brief history of my gaming career - i played Everquest for around 12 years, on and off.  I played in guilds, led guilds, 6 boxed at one time, etc.  I really enjoyed the game, but it became dead and impossible to solo content (hence the 6 boxing).

I played Neverwinter on the xbox for a brief period, roughly 6 months maybe, and I enjoyed that game also.  However, I didn't like the timegating (had to do dailies every single day for x days to get y upgrade).  I also didn't like the pay to win aspect, and i spent way too much money.

I played Order and Chaos for a long time on mobile, but again, i ended up playing multiple devices at once to do content.

Right now I'm playing FF14.  I really do enjoy the game, but the end game is just lacking for me.  I also am not a huge fan on the combat system, spamming rotations, etc.  I like games where the more powerful your gear, the more powerful you are.  FF14 has that, but not really.  The end game Savage raiding is bairly any better than what you can buy on the marketboard, and the true end game of Ultimate is just for visual effects.

What I'm looking for is a game where I can solo level.  Then, I want a good queue system (LFG in EQ was impossible, Duty Finder in FF14 is awesome) to group me with people.  I don't really have ambitions to do end game raiding, at least not like 5 nights a week or anything.  But, i do want like, one step below end game raiding, something that I can just find a group and go do, but gives good rewards.  FF14 has this step below, but the rewards suck.

I want a game that is gear rewarding, like you run a dungeon and can actually use the gear you obtain from it, not junk you simply vendor.  I want some carrots on a stick, like kill this boss and it might drop a weapon you want.

I'm not opposed to WoW, but i am afraid of the community.  I have had enough ass hats in my life in video games, i don't want to be stressed out over something I messed up on, but i don't want the game flooded with noobs either.

I also like trinity games the most - games where you need a tank, you need a healer, etc.

Cryomatrix

Kenshi is on sale in the steam store, it is a singe player game and completely not what you are looking for, but, you know, i had to.

Try ESO or archeage . . .  Both games ive never really played.

I hope my post was remotely helpful, even though it isnt. Wait for more useful responses.

Scorchien

Best option for you is still Wow , find a good guild , and if you que and find some toxic folks just Leave Instance and reque ..

kinawarrior

I'm looking into WoW, and it seems the new expansion reworks the new players, so I'll wait until that is out before trying it.

I played ESO on the playstation, and I did enjoy it some, so i may give that one another try.  I also am looking into Archeage like mentioned.

Ungood

I was going to say give ESO a try.

as a side mention, I would suggest Dungeons and Dragons Online, as a game to try, it's old, buggy, and plays like a junker car that was used for mudding one too many times by a bunch of drunks, but might be a fun game to test out.

YashaX

kinawarrior said:

I'm looking into WoW, and it seems the new expansion reworks the new players, so I'll wait until that is out before trying it.

I played ESO on the playstation, and I did enjoy it some, so i may give that one another try.  I also am looking into Archeage like mentioned.

ESO is a great game, but its not very gear-progression based (you mentioned "I like games where the more powerful your gear, the more powerful you are"). Archeage, BDO, Tera, and other Asian mmos are very gear based.

Wow is probably the best Western mmo that ticks most the boxes you mentioned, except for the combat system which is rotation based I think.

TwistedSister77

Another vote for ESO... the gear doesn't make you OP, but is generally useful.  Very easy to get into groups and the dungeons are fun.

Solo content is great, with all voice acting and interesting quests, and you can go anywhere.  Also, with the mega server and level scaling... there are always people around (no noobie dead zones)... which is great for world bosses and atmosphere.

(Not sure about the Playstation experience/pop... I play on the PC).

Wizardry

While people wasting their time and money on multiboxing you can play FFXi that has mini quests to attain NPC's to use in your own party.
Pets...npc etc etc in other games have always been real lame,like you combined with your asssociate are barely better than 1 single player.
The way FFXi combat is designed it allows for very strong pets and very strong npc companions.
However to make sure not to dumb down the party aspect of the game they always took that into account.So my point is that these NPC's you can attain are from the actual game and are quite good,pretty close to a real player but doesn't think much.So because they don't think and react like a real player they will never replace areal player but for 99% of the game the yare fine and really good and imo also fun to use.

I haven't played in a long time but there must be close to 100 or so npc's you can acquire but some are only had during seasons or events.However once you have them they are in your inventory forever.I am pretty sure that FFXIV also adopted the same system but class design in FFXIVB is very handcuffed,everyone just feels the same as if designed for pvp or something.

For example a Ninja class in FFXI is way more fun than most any class in any game and of course the Beastmaster is amazing.Point being you can SOLO until end game and even then you"can"but is a massive grind that I do not like and left the game.If you just want to enjoy a very deep game without getting into end game,FFXi could be played for years and still have stuff to do.

Wizardry

@op ;

You see you mentioend something that I think even you missed.

You stated you prefer games where you become stronger when your gear does.Does that even make any sense at all,no it doesn't and why I left games like FFXIV/FFXI and WOW.

YOU and YOU alone should be responsible for your abilities and not your gear and that is the way FFXI was at one time but everyone is so enthralled with loot that games have been dumbed down to simple loot  grinders.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

kinawarrior

Wizardry said:

@op ;

You see you mentioend something that I think even you missed.

You stated you prefer games where you become stronger when your gear does.Does that even make any sense at all,no it doesn't and why I left games like FFXIV/FFXI and WOW.

YOU and YOU alone should be responsible for your abilities and not your gear and that is the way FFXI was at one time but everyone is so enthralled with loot that games have been dumbed down to simple loot  grinders.

There is player skill and there is gear.  When you reach end game, if there is no carrot to get, no gear to get, then why do end game?  If end game gear is only marginally better than something you can buy from a market board, then why even do end game?

That is where I am with FF14.  When I play a DPS, i'm always towards the top.  so "skill" wise, i'm the best.  But, once I reach level 80, i go to the market board, buy a full set of 490 gear, and I've already achieved, basically, best in slot gear.  I know it is not BIS, but the true BIS is only marginally better, so why even bother.

There is no progression of your character once you reach end game, and that is why I'm becoming bored.

You should reach end game, then end game should have tiers of content, and that content should be based on gear, and skill.  I dont' lump skill into this because no one should be raiding if they suck.

Everyone has their "carrot", mine is gear and progression.  It is not glam, it is not titles, it is not awards, it is gear.  I make myself stronger with gear, that is what I want.

kinawarrior

TwistedSister77 said:

Another vote for ESO... the gear doesn't make you OP, but is generally useful.  Very easy to get into groups and the dungeons are fun.

Solo content is great, with all voice acting and interesting quests, and you can go anywhere.  Also, with the mega server and level scaling... there are always people around (no noobie dead zones)... which is great for world bosses and atmosphere.

(Not sure about the Playstation experience/pop... I play on the PC).

When you reach max level, can you do all the content regardless of the gear you have?  or, is it like you have to do xyz dungeons to get this level of gear, the you are able to do this level of content, etc etc?  What I don't want is the ability to get max level, then just have almost best in slot gear handed to me via market board, or quest, etc.  I want some grind to achieve levels of end game.

kinawarrior

Rhoklaw said:

Don't waste your time with ArcheAge, it's a dying game.

I installed this game and had a hell of a time even getting started, errors, firewall crap, etc.  I may still give it a go until the new WoW expansion comes out.

kinawarrior

Scorchien said:

Best option for you is still Wow , find a good guild , and if you que and find some toxic folks just Leave Instance and reque ..

I started a character to level 10 or so a while ago, but I couldn't get past teh entry level graphics.  now i read it gets better with later levels, and the new expansion is suppose dot rework new players leveling all together.

Ashujo

You may want to try Black Desert Online. Very gear based but since it's also an action combat mmo, is also skill based

EDIT: Can you buy a decent amount of the gear? Yeah. But, the time spent farming for enough gold to buy everything you want would better spent getting the gear for yourself.

Kyleran

kinawarrior said:

TwistedSister77 said:

Another vote for ESO... the gear doesn't make you OP, but is generally useful.  Very easy to get into groups and the dungeons are fun.

Solo content is great, with all voice acting and interesting quests, and you can go anywhere.  Also, with the mega server and level scaling... there are always people around (no noobie dead zones)... which is great for world bosses and atmosphere.

(Not sure about the Playstation experience/pop... I play on the PC).

When you reach max level, can you do all the content regardless of the gear you have?  or, is it like you have to do xyz dungeons to get this level of gear, the you are able to do this level of content, etc etc?  What I don't want is the ability to get max level, then just have almost best in slot gear handed to me via market board, or quest, etc.  I want some grind to achieve levels of end game.

Archeage is the game for you then...

YashaX

kinawarrior said:

TwistedSister77 said:

Another vote for ESO... the gear doesn't make you OP, but is generally useful.  Very easy to get into groups and the dungeons are fun.

Solo content is great, with all voice acting and interesting quests, and you can go anywhere.  Also, with the mega server and level scaling... there are always people around (no noobie dead zones)... which is great for world bosses and atmosphere.

(Not sure about the Playstation experience/pop... I play on the PC).

When you reach max level, can you do all the content regardless of the gear you have?  or, is it like you have to do xyz dungeons to get this level of gear, the you are able to do this level of content, etc etc?  What I don't want is the ability to get max level, then just have almost best in slot gear handed to me via market board, or quest, etc.  I want some grind to achieve levels of end game.

You have to do the dungeons and raids to get the gear dropped there because it is bind on pickup, and cannot be sold or given to other players.

However, there is no "gear score" type mechanic in the game, and the game is designed around horizontal rather than vertical progression.

In some games it is very clear that one piece of gear is stronger than another, for example your current sword might have 300 attack power and the next tier of sword has 500 attack power. Its not like that in ESO. Once you get to max level and 160 champion points every piece of gear is relatively similar in power.

However, there is a tremendous variety of gear. So going back to the sword example, in ESO there might be 50 or more swords at max level of similar power, but one might have more raw attack power, another might add to poison damage, knockdown, chance to stun, summon a demon, etc.

So in ESO you won't necessarily have the feeling of getting progressively stronger, but there is the potential for a massive grind for gear if you are interested in more than simply "what is the gear with the highest dps". 

For reference here is a list of all the gear sets in ESO: https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Sets

Some of those sets can be traded or crafted, but most of the better ones can only be obtained by grinding dungeons/trials. That should keep you busy for a while

Ashujo

YashaX said:

kinawarrior said:

TwistedSister77 said:

Another vote for ESO... the gear doesn't make you OP, but is generally useful.  Very easy to get into groups and the dungeons are fun.

Solo content is great, with all voice acting and interesting quests, and you can go anywhere.  Also, with the mega server and level scaling... there are always people around (no noobie dead zones)... which is great for world bosses and atmosphere.

(Not sure about the Playstation experience/pop... I play on the PC).

When you reach max level, can you do all the content regardless of the gear you have?  or, is it like you have to do xyz dungeons to get this level of gear, the you are able to do this level of content, etc etc?  What I don't want is the ability to get max level, then just have almost best in slot gear handed to me via market board, or quest, etc.  I want some grind to achieve levels of end game.

You have to do the dungeons and raids to get the gear dropped there because it is bind on pickup, and cannot be sold or given to other players.

However, there is no "gear score" type mechanic in the game, and the game is designed around horizontal rather than vertical progression.

In some games it is very clear that one piece of gear is stronger than another, for example your current sword might have 300 attack power and the next tier of sword has 500 attack power. Its not like that in ESO. Once you get to max level and 160 champion points every piece of gear is relatively similar in power.

However, there is a tremendous variety of gear. So going back to the sword example, in ESO there might be 50 or more swords at max level of similar power, but one might have more raw attack power, another might add to poison damage, knockdown, chance to stun, summon a demon, etc.

So in ESO you won't necessarily have the feeling of getting progressively stronger, but there is the potential for a massive grind for gear if you are interested in more than simply "what is the gear with the highest dps". 

For reference here is a list of all the gear sets in ESO: https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Sets

Some of those sets can be traded or crafted, but most of the better ones can only be obtained by grinding dungeons/trials. That should keep you busy for a while

If it doesn't keep him busy for awhile, its about to keep me busy for awhile!

Sid_Vicious

I think that right now one of the best options as far as MMORPGs go would be Darkfall as its still running... as its a beautiful world and such a unique experience that is absolutely satisfying while solo for many reasons but the game will likely have people playing until it is gone... the fans have been quite hardcore although most are burned out and have quit the game, there is a continuous flow of newcomers as well as people coming back to it to see the changes. It is definitely one of the best games out there still to this day... and YES I am referring to the PVE part of it such as the daily dungeons and the exploration along with the thrill of a potential PVP encounter out in the wild. Unlike before when the game came out, people you come across in the wild are much more likely to befriend you rather than grief... as that has pretty much become something of long lost past. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU5PVQYo2q4&list=PLa6s_SyQPrQ3c-GprjFCRhjWoOwK9g-Ox&index=1

Albion Online is also a really fun game as you may build up an endgame toon in just a month or two with a build that is better than the average player while able to hunt people in the wild for open-world PVP along with extreme crafting/trading opportunities! You may live like a bandit or be more like a mercenary that is hired to guard the trade wagons in route. You may start to PVP during your first day by joining the arena as soon as you are able to get the gear required for it while able to actually WIN as well since the character stats are evenly matched for those fights! It is extremely fun to purchase an island while decorating it to the extreme and when I was playing I really enjoyed being a guild leader as I had made tons of quests for my members to go on and stuff like that as its such a sandbox game and there is plenty of room for this! Just like in Darkfall, a player really has a lot more opportunity than in other games, to run it as if playing 'Dungeons and Dragons' or something similar while being the 'Dungeon Master' for everyone else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG-EfL_Aqyg&list=PLa6s_SyQPrQ2-QqCqeJSMH_QJZafrlzw-&index=1

Both games may be run for free while both are worth investing money regularly. I had kept a blog going for both games a bit which was ridiculously fun! Just make up some storyline and record everything that happens in the game as if its real and you are a novelist or something?! I imagine that starting your own blog or perhaps making some youtube videos would definitely enhance your experience! Maybe stream some or something along those lines? Check out my blog https://watchersoftheheavensbelow.blogspot.com/2020/02/crone-of-mountain-cross.html

I really enjoyed revisiting Vanguard: Saga of Heroes recently as the emulator project ran by the fans of the game has really made A LOT of progress!!! If you wanted to try every different class and race up to level 25ish you would really discover everything that the game has to offer for the most part while there are people to play with found on their discord and they always have developers working on adding more content. The crafting is now functional almost up to level 20 I think? Making a twink toon that is decked out in your own crafted goods sure is a lot of fun! The side-games such as using the crafting table or diplomacy are really interesting and fun to relax... along with some good music in the background perhaps? If you try out this game than I definitely recommend not using any of the 'end-game' items that are free or even the lower level ones as it would really take away a lot from the experience one gets from obtaining some good gear or some good drops from mobs. If you have never played this game I definitely recommend checking it out... just get one character to level 30 at least or many of them to level 10... right away you may unlock a figurine for flight that really makes traveling easy. The community is very tight and nice people. I will like revisit this game from time to time for many years to come just for nostalgia purposes and the general relaxing feel of the game similar to the original Everquest.

Sid_Vicious

Conan: Exiles would be my last suggestion as it is an extremely good game that allows you to build up your own base anywhere in the world and you can get involved in wars with other players that end up summoning Gods and Goddesses while destroying their structures! I really feel that this game cannot get old or that I cannot get sick of playing it thanks to the crafting and construction that allows a player to really put together whatever is desired as far as a place to live or something that is pretty to look at for other players. I made up my own lore in this game and really have enjoyed the roleplaying servers where I would get into building something like a large temple to some God or Goddess that is filled with riddles for others wandering by to solve! I really came up with many riddles and cool things to check out as far as my constructions out in the wild... probably made it very hard for people coming across it to want to damage it like they had originally intended when they had set out as they had logged in to fight and destroy something! I typically would build different structures that are filled with riddles and I decorate things in a way that would really potentially 'blow someone's mind' as far as learning something new or realizing some philosophical teaching that I had snuck into some riddles. I would do things such as make an area for every color including black and white... orange being the bar, etc. It was really fun decorating the place with my slaves (dancers) and every time that I start fresh on a new server, building back up several structures is always done differently even when I am following the same designs that I have used before! Legos were my favorite as a child so I would enjoy this game much more than the average person as the average person is extremely boring and does not seem to know how to really get into what the game has to offer. The average person builds a square that they live in that has little to no decorations while they are too afraid to make anything good since any of it may be lost while logged out. Sad how people would let that prevent them from enjoying the game. The fact that others may raid my house and see everything really made the game much better as I would get heavily into the art and construction so that everyone would admire my work while learning a few things... I would also find clever ways to always trick invaders and my best treasures would never be found even though they would blow up many things and do tons of damage! You are allowed to charm pets so that is a great addition as well! Getting thralls or slaves is really one of the biggest parts of the game. I really think that if I had played it like other people though I would die of boredom as there is SO MUCH A CLEVER PERSON CAN DO with their buildings, decorations, and strategies. Some buildings really were turned into the perfect battleground should any enemies come and pay a not-so-friendly visit. This would be a great game to take screenshots of, start a blog for, or share a youtube video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yryYAEgbxlc&list=PLa6s_SyQPrQ0UtqLwozG89qKAkOpD0UiB&index=16

My future likely has Albion Online (as a PVP guild master who makes quests for members) and Conan Exiles (as a server admin roleplayer making quests for others)... while I will most definitely spend some time crafting, diplomacy, and completing dungeons for everything in Vanguard on occasion. I've played Darkfall more than the other games BY A LOT so am a bit burned out from it... I would likely revisit it SOMEDAY though, especially for some kind of promotional thing when I am able to grow my audience more from the work that I am now keeping myself busy with day to day. For the most part, I am done spending any significant time playing video games though... just simply do not have the time anymore as there are so many other important things for me to do.. I would definitely be extremely satisfied if I was gaming though... unlike the last several years when I felt like I couldn't find anything and was waiting for many years for something good to come along.. I no longer would feel like this as making a blog that is really nice along with doing things as a roleplayer that makes his own lore and content is especially fun to do and would absolutely take up loads of time and keep me very happy. Oh yeah... and then there is Star Trek Online.

I really love everything Star Trek but cannot watch television anymore... as I find it hard to enjoy anything thanks to 'remote viewing' and my 'psychic abilites' . .. but this online game is REALLY FUN and absolutely can easily take up hours and days at a time in an instant as I would get into reading everything in the story as I would go through the quests and also take part in the PVP aspect of the game... really enjoyed playing it while everything is in 'hard mode' or whatever... the spaceship combat is extremely fun once you get used to it and familiar with good strategies. My only gripe about this game is that it is not grindy enough and advancement definitely happens TOO FAST! I really had a lot of fun with making my own crew and exploring all of the quests that the game has to offer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-xWzAKMC_s&list=PLa6s_SyQPrQ2gX_oibd9_6wYVLrgwxXpt&index=2

Astro6

If your looking for something new and free i would give Phantasy Star Online 2 a try i have close to 2000 hours has more content than anything out atm.

There are single player raids, group raids game is not pay to win you can't buy anything but cosmetics you can play any class on your main and combination.

I have played every mmo out there this game is more action combat they release more content than any game atm in 1 year they have released 8 years worth of content on the north american servers.

As soon as i got best gear they have upgrade options that use your old gear as upgrade option and carry over stats to new gear.