Originally posted by Broodwich Why isn't Planetside 2 on this list? If I were to try to get my FPS friends to see what's possible with many people that would be my go to.
Planetside 2 has a horrendous new player experience and retention rate. The difference in population from launch to now kinda support that.
Not to mention it's buggy, has optimization issues, and the devs are pushing more and more microtransactions into the game.
Originally posted by MMORPGtester Your #3) guild wars. is not a MMO in my eyes. to me MMO is: A massively multiplayer online game (also called MMO and MMOG) is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting large numbers of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet. MMOs usually have at least one persistent world.
Guild wars only massively player area is there town, the rest is all instances.
He mentioned GW2 which is a persistent multiplayer world with dungeons and storyline type instances but in the open world players just run around finding events going on, fights with champions and bosses with hundreds of other people taking part. GW1 must be the game you are referring to.
Ten years ago they did, we are all non-MMO players now. You have about as much contact with other players as you have with commuters going into work. You are all on the same transport system but that's your only connection.
Elder Scrolls Online is a horrible example of what the OPa recommends.
If any of your friends, caught up on the story line, keeps playing one hour alone they will "phase out" on quests and will not be able to continue playing with the friends group until they are caught up. Given the difficulty of getting a group of people to reliably log on and off at the same times, strike this from your list.
Terrible social implementation, most people play it solo then group for dungeon or pvp grinds.
Originally posted by blubsterer In my opinion "The Secret World" is missing. Good story, perfect business model for people that don't play very much and enough room to grow ingame if you choose to ...
Personally I wouldn't recommend subscription MMOs to people that normally don't play MMOs. Too much Investment (first buy the game and then pay to play) to find out if it's your cup of tea.
Agree. However stopped to play long ago. Loved game, refreshing new, with W7 64bit also all very smooth ... but could just not swallod down that impossible 7 active keys limit. Hate that in any game, if I would like to play some button masher with no skill need would go back to PS. Same will happen after 1st sub to WS. Also love it, but that impossible 1 active toolbar. But maybe it is just me.
Originally posted by Gorwe Swtor and TSW should really be on this list and preferably in the first two.
WoW REALLY shouldn't be here as well. Just takes up space and I am not that sure that someone not in MMOs would like it.
WoW is on there because at some point in time, the millions upon millions of people who played it were not mmo fans... it was the gateway mmo for a large majority of today's mmo gamers. As such, I think it deserves its spot on this list... watered down as it may be now.
This may sound odd but the one I would add to the list would be EVE online. It is for certain types of players, but if you have a friend that likes that sort of settings and enjoys a more "complex" approach, then it may be worth it to show it to them.
Not to mention the game is pretty easy to get people to try, considering how well made all of their trailers are.
(I do not play EVE Online currently, but I think it is a fantastic concept.)
Not sure I agree with LotRO. It's been a good long while since I last played, but I remember the combat and it's animations being very... bleh. I don't think many non-MMO gamers would find it enjoyable, unless they REALLY enjoy the story/source material.
I think obvious candidates are the more action heavy MMO's. TESO and DCUO were mentioned, but there's also TERA and Neverwinter.
SWTOR, as others have said, is another good choice.
I think it depends on the person's previous experience. I have better luck getting older (50+) people that have never played an MMO into action games than the Asheron's Call style MMO. It is easier for those I have known that were new to the hobby to learn WASD movement along with mouse turning and utilizing the two mouse buttons for most of their actions than to learn WASD, keyboard or mouse turning, tab targeting, and hitting numbers that some of the MMOs on the list require.
i agree mostly with the OP's choices, although i do question whether ESO and DCUO should be on the list.
ESO because although the solo experience is probably okay, and once the game is finally fixed it should be a much better game, but the game actively punishes grouping, at least while levelling, the game is so heavily instanced and phased that even during gameplay in the same dungeon, players in a group are often seperated by phasing, afaik this is something that is still being addressed, the other of course is that none MMO players are less likely to want to cut their teeth on a game that costs that much to play, in pretty much all aspects SW;TOR is far superior and group friendly, its also F2P, no box price and does reward group play very well, and for players who have only played single player games, it is a very easy game to get into. DCUO is the polar opposite of ESO, but, the game lacks content in the way that SW;TOR does not, but if it was just a game that you played for 1 hour every week, it would probably be okay, i don't feel it would encourage people to ease into the MMO genre though, as it is very much an action game and such a niche game that i don't know that it would be all that compelling, i could be wrong but i don't think Superheroes are particularly 'in' at the moment, but at least it does the grouping thing better than Marvel Heroes does, though that sadly isn't saying much.
Sooo Maplestory is not a mmo? Or for that matter, dozens of channel/instance/dungeon based MMORPG's? Can you tell me the exact number of people you need to have per sq foot to qualify as an MMO because "has instances" doesnt cut it. PS2 is seperated by four massive instances too.
Originally posted by DoomsDain Sooo Maplestory is not a mmo? Or for that matter, dozens of channel/instance/dungeon based MMORPG's? Can you tell me the exact number of people you need to have per sq foot to qualify as an MMO because "has instances" doesnt cut it. PS2 is seperated by four massive instances too.
If i remember correctly, its one of the old 2d MMO's, years old, but it probably does support group play, although i am not sure that it really relates to modern MMO gameplay, i would half expect it to appear on the ipad etc at some point, its the sort of game that i can sort of see people playing on their mobile phones too.
WoW for a non mmo player?! Seriously listen to yourself, that would bore anyone in just a few mins with the slow and stating still combat the biginning, bad animations and effects, there's no fun mechanics it's just a regular MMO of grind and farm.
In My (not so) Humble Opinion, there is one game that could easily have knocked DC Universe Online from top spot on this list - but sadly, NCSoft decided to kill off City of Heroes back in November 2012 in response to the declining incomes of its flagship games Aion, and the Lineage series (I and II).
Just think, with how popular DC Universe and Champions Online are, NCSoft could still be raking in upwards of US$25milion (or more) per year if City of Heroes was still active.
NCSoft's shareholders should be in open revolt over the CEO's decision to close what was clearly the company's biggest money earner outside of Korea.
-===- -===- DJ Cavalier -- Gamer Radio Initiative -==- Gamer Radio Initiative (www.gri-network.com) - Serious About Gaming
Not sure how much CoX was earning but this was clearly a triumph of IP over quality of MMO. CoX was the better MMO, but IP means all unfortunately. So DC universe survives and CoX does not.
In My (not so) Humble Opinion, there is one game that could easily have knocked DC Universe Online from top spot on this list - but sadly, NCSoft decided to kill off City of Heroes back in November 2012 in response to the declining incomes of its flagship games Aion, and the Lineage series (I and II).
Just think, with how popular DC Universe and Champions Online are, NCSoft could still be raking in upwards of US$25milion (or more) per year if City of Heroes was still active.
NCSoft's shareholders should be in open revolt over the CEO's decision to close what was clearly the company's biggest money earner outside of Korea.
I agree 100% on this such a shame what they did to the best super hero game of all time combat in cox was 1 million times better then that crap in DCUO. Also the best character creator i have ever seen in any game. Now what do they make on it not even a dime how greedy can you be to shut it down and make 0 profit over some or a lot of profit makes no sense to me corporations are really stupid sometimes or just make bad decisions that they think will help but these people look into the future sometimes to far and you cant always do that. Sometimes you have to take a few beatings before you win one and that's the way of it.
It has some of the best quests around and has very easy entry-level mechanics.
7(8 with auxilary) active abilities which you change depending on situation, no locked role/class.
For the same reason i would never recommned LoTRO - dont get me wrong, i loved that game, but its old-school MMO with crazy complicated mechanics and milion ability buttons.
The similar problem has actualy SWToR - unnecesary hight number of abilities in 3 button bars. Even in WoW it seemed to me easier to juggle abilities then in SWToR.. (except maybe some particular class builds)
The only two games on this list I would introduce to my non-MMO friends are DCUO for the super hero fans, and GW2 for everyone else.
WoW is the 800-lb gorilla. TESO is the Elder Scrolls minus everything that makes the games enjoyable. LotRO is little more than a cash grab for Warner Bros at this point.
DCUO and GW2 are both accessible, friendly, and well-polished, without any major glaring flaws or overt MMO-ness (apparently; I haven't played much of DCUO compared to any of the others, just my initial impression from my brief trial of the game).
Comments
Planetside 2 has a horrendous new player experience and retention rate. The difference in population from launch to now kinda support that.
Not to mention it's buggy, has optimization issues, and the devs are pushing more and more microtransactions into the game.
What a very wise similarity that is
Elder Scrolls Online is a horrible example of what the OPa recommends.
If any of your friends, caught up on the story line, keeps playing one hour alone they will "phase out" on quests and will not be able to continue playing with the friends group until they are caught up. Given the difficulty of getting a group of people to reliably log on and off at the same times, strike this from your list.
Terrible social implementation, most people play it solo then group for dungeon or pvp grinds.
Agree. However stopped to play long ago. Loved game, refreshing new, with W7 64bit also all very smooth ... but could just not swallod down that impossible 7 active keys limit. Hate that in any game, if I would like to play some button masher with no skill need would go back to PS. Same will happen after 1st sub to WS. Also love it, but that impossible 1 active toolbar. But maybe it is just me.
My List
1. Final Fantasy XIV
2. World of Warcraft
3. Destiny
4. Elder Scrolls Online
5. Star Wars The Old Republic
WoW is on there because at some point in time, the millions upon millions of people who played it were not mmo fans... it was the gateway mmo for a large majority of today's mmo gamers. As such, I think it deserves its spot on this list... watered down as it may be now.
This list is pretty good.
This may sound odd but the one I would add to the list would be EVE online. It is for certain types of players, but if you have a friend that likes that sort of settings and enjoys a more "complex" approach, then it may be worth it to show it to them.
Not to mention the game is pretty easy to get people to try, considering how well made all of their trailers are.
(I do not play EVE Online currently, but I think it is a fantastic concept.)
Not sure I agree with LotRO. It's been a good long while since I last played, but I remember the combat and it's animations being very... bleh. I don't think many non-MMO gamers would find it enjoyable, unless they REALLY enjoy the story/source material.
I think obvious candidates are the more action heavy MMO's. TESO and DCUO were mentioned, but there's also TERA and Neverwinter.
SWTOR, as others have said, is another good choice.
Shout out to PioneerStew, you nailed it totally (no sarcasm)
I read the article and I don't know...hmm...? Peanut butter jelly time.
I blog sometimes. http://kibitzknook.blogspot.com/
i agree mostly with the OP's choices, although i do question whether ESO and DCUO should be on the list.
ESO because although the solo experience is probably okay, and once the game is finally fixed it should be a much better game, but the game actively punishes grouping, at least while levelling, the game is so heavily instanced and phased that even during gameplay in the same dungeon, players in a group are often seperated by phasing, afaik this is something that is still being addressed, the other of course is that none MMO players are less likely to want to cut their teeth on a game that costs that much to play, in pretty much all aspects SW;TOR is far superior and group friendly, its also F2P, no box price and does reward group play very well, and for players who have only played single player games, it is a very easy game to get into. DCUO is the polar opposite of ESO, but, the game lacks content in the way that SW;TOR does not, but if it was just a game that you played for 1 hour every week, it would probably be okay, i don't feel it would encourage people to ease into the MMO genre though, as it is very much an action game and such a niche game that i don't know that it would be all that compelling, i could be wrong but i don't think Superheroes are particularly 'in' at the moment, but at least it does the grouping thing better than Marvel Heroes does, though that sadly isn't saying much.
If i remember correctly, its one of the old 2d MMO's, years old, but it probably does support group play, although i am not sure that it really relates to modern MMO gameplay, i would half expect it to appear on the ipad etc at some point, its the sort of game that i can sort of see people playing on their mobile phones too.
Lord of the Rings Online should not be on this list.
Elder Scrolls Online should definitely not be on this list!
The Secret World should definitely be on this list.
the only one who deserve a place in this top is Pokemon and maybe mass effect
anyway here is my top 3 games who deserve to be on top list :
1. Jade Empire - awasome combat for an mmo. i am still waiting for a mmo with similar combat mode. that will be a trully skill based mmo
2. Silver (Infogrames) - superb story. this game rly deserve a sequel
3. Sanity : Aiken artefact. good story, great custom elements, lots of puzzles
In My (not so) Humble Opinion, there is one game that could easily have knocked DC Universe Online from top spot on this list - but sadly, NCSoft decided to kill off City of Heroes back in November 2012 in response to the declining incomes of its flagship games Aion, and the Lineage series (I and II).
Just think, with how popular DC Universe and Champions Online are, NCSoft could still be raking in upwards of US$25milion (or more) per year if City of Heroes was still active.
NCSoft's shareholders should be in open revolt over the CEO's decision to close what was clearly the company's biggest money earner outside of Korea.
-===- -===-
DJ Cavalier -- Gamer Radio Initiative
-==-
Gamer Radio Initiative (www.gri-network.com) - Serious About Gaming
I agree 100% on this such a shame what they did to the best super hero game of all time combat in cox was 1 million times better then that crap in DCUO. Also the best character creator i have ever seen in any game. Now what do they make on it not even a dime how greedy can you be to shut it down and make 0 profit over some or a lot of profit makes no sense to me corporations are really stupid sometimes or just make bad decisions that they think will help but these people look into the future sometimes to far and you cant always do that. Sometimes you have to take a few beatings before you win one and that's the way of it.
Definitely recommend TSW (Secred World).
It has some of the best quests around and has very easy entry-level mechanics.
7(8 with auxilary) active abilities which you change depending on situation, no locked role/class.
For the same reason i would never recommned LoTRO - dont get me wrong, i loved that game, but its old-school MMO with crazy complicated mechanics and milion ability buttons.
The similar problem has actualy SWToR - unnecesary hight number of abilities in 3 button bars. Even in WoW it seemed to me easier to juggle abilities then in SWToR.. (except maybe some particular class builds)
The only two games on this list I would introduce to my non-MMO friends are DCUO for the super hero fans, and GW2 for everyone else.
WoW is the 800-lb gorilla. TESO is the Elder Scrolls minus everything that makes the games enjoyable. LotRO is little more than a cash grab for Warner Bros at this point.
DCUO and GW2 are both accessible, friendly, and well-polished, without any major glaring flaws or overt MMO-ness (apparently; I haven't played much of DCUO compared to any of the others, just my initial impression from my brief trial of the game).