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Returning to the mmorpg world
eidolonnight
Member Posts: 13
I played EQ back in the day. Got it when it was released, and I played it up through the third expansion. I quit around the time they upped the prices. Now I'm looking to get back to the mmorpg scene. I could go back to EQ, but Sony seems to have raped the glorious game it used to be. EQ2 looks decent, but I'm wary of handing my heart over to Sony. WoW is popular, and a lot of EQ vets seem to have switched over, but I read the forums and they're full of people leaving WoW. I played EQ for close to 3 years, and I want some ong term commitment, not a one night stand.
So, does anyone want to push me in the right direction? I'm open to any suggestions.
Here's what I loved about EQ. Maybe it'll help.
- exploration (I loved running around the continent and I even did tours with my bard)
- raiding with my guildies (I was the brewer, and nothing is better than a drunken raid)
- character customization (I love a shiny new set of armor)
Comments
I would recommend Star Wars Galaxies. The game has huge areas available to explore both on the ground and in space and unlike most MMOs, these are free-roaming maps - there are no restrictions on where you can go or what direction (except for Kashyyyk and Mustafar to an extent). With Chapter 7 coming out in the next couple of weeks, exploring will become a rewarding experience.
There are also a good number of instances available for raiding. From the Corellian Corvette to battling HK-47 on Mustafar. Again, Chapter 7 will also be introducing more highend instances that will be the hardest content in the game.
SWG probably has the best character customisation available amoungst MMO's. Every feature of your character is customisable and there are literally thousands of combinations of clothing and armour available to differentiate your character with.
Additionally, SWG is a change from all the fantasy styled MMO's out there and has alot of unique features that you won't find in anyother game. The housing, player cities, the space game, crafting and more are all rather unique in SWG.
I'm sorry, but SWG 3 years ago maybe, but not now. It has some of the most "cookie-cutter-esque" characters I have ever seen. Ever since the NGE was released there are only 9 classes, and each classes is essentially the same as the others to begin with. Once you reach lvl 90 there is nothing left to do. The PvP has been crap since NGE. Economy has gone to hell as nothing crafted will ever be as good as something looted. Nobody plays so no guilds, no player cities.
yes it appears alot of people are leaving WoW, but keep in mind the game (at last announcement) has 8 million subscribers. that's 8 freakin' million.. this is roughly 25x the population of most other games, so bitching and complaining that you'd normally see on a forum is exponentially increased.
also, the game is getting old and a lot of people have just played it through completely.
i'm not a warcraft fan at all, but i do believe it is a solid game, and offers a ton of content for its players. it would be a very good way to get back into the swing of playing mmos, and maybe, based on what you like and don't like about WoW, find a game that better suits your play style.
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TheCore
Cant believe I am going to say this because I have quit now. But Vanguard is probably the best bet for what you are looking for if your rig can handle it. Plus you get the benefit of having a game massively improved since launch. I played it for over 4 months and I played it a lot since I had an injury and was off work. (7 hours a day at least). I loved the scenery and its big enough to get lost and really explore. Diplomacy, crafting and combat keeps you going for a long time. One thing I did love about the game was the armour and weapons. They are really detailed. Plus the mounts are very cool and there are 2 quests to get a hell hound and a unicorn.
I guess I burnt myself out on it but I also went through the bug ridden launch. Otherwise I hear a lot of good things about EQ2 and the player base should be well established. Vanguard was pretty mature to.
Hope this helps
Honestly , based on what you listed you may very well like WoW. Your right that many people are saying they are leaving the game...but not as many as you think are. People are waiting for the next big flock of MMORPGS (WAR, AOC, and others) before they leave their current game. Give WoW a free trial run and see if you like it, you can then play it and try the new games when they emerge.
Good luck
Torrential
Torrential: DAOC (Pendragon)
Awned: World of Warcraft (Lothar)
Torren: Warhammer Online (Praag)
Personally, I would suggest you wait. I would bet current MMO's won't live up to your past experience in EQ and you'll just be dissappointed. The MMO market seems to be in a bit of a slump right now. Not the best time to make a return IMO.
I'm going to have to recommend EQII
Laura "Taera" Genender
Community Manager
MMORPG.com