Hey, you. You're finally awake...
Hello guys, gals and my other pals!
I personally love playing MMOs (I got to 40 in Zenith in a few hours...) and couldn't find a thread where the Meta Community could come as one and discuss any type of MMO, so I decided to create this! This is meant for any and all MMO discussion, whether it's VR, PC, Console or even Mobile so please be respectful to others and what platform they're coming from.
I'll start off our thread by expressing my thoughts on all the MMOs I've played, please chime in with your opinions and any suggestions you may have!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Black Desert Online - I enjoy this MMO possibly a little too much. Purchased this right on launch on March 1st, 2016 and have tried most of the other MMOs on this list in order to try and quit this game, but there's no escape. Truthfully, this is the MMO I have the most knowledge on and others won't have as much writing. BDO's graphics are far superior to any other, I've yet to see an MMO compete with them in this area. The combat is one of the reasons I'm hooked, it's not like traditional combat with the 1-9 keys, rather a plethora of combinations needed sort of like a fighting game. The downside is definitely the gear progression, you're basically gambling in order to make progress. While other MMOs have different sets of gear, BDO only has a handful and is instead upgraded through a percentage based gamble with your punishment being a downgrade in gear if the enhancement doesn't succeed and it's only worse with accessories, where they completely break if you fail. There are ways of protecting these items from downgrading, but they cost tons of in-game currency and usually isn't seen as something worth doing. This is a MMO for those who enjoy PvP, although it'll take you some time to be able to keep up with the open-world fights, there's plenty of content for new players who just want to PvP. Arena of Solare pins you in a 3v3 with randomly selected classes with equalized gear, you also have Node Wars which can be up to a 50v50 fight where your Guild claims territory for money and has a gear cap as well in most cases to keep the fighting fair. A very unique game, but not a game for everyone.
Dragon Nest - The graphics may look adorable, but this game is fast-paced and full of action. Surprisingly, the combat in this game can be more intense than other more popular titles on this list. The game was very skill-based and it showed you with the PvP scene as experienced players would win on low level characters without breaking a sweat. The environment may be a bit empty while exploring, but the towns are full of personality and very welcoming.
Elder Scrolls Online - I tried my hardest to get into this MMO, I had a group of friends to play with and I think I lasted a week before I stopped playing. I first started playing in 2018, I believe, the best time I had then was exploring with friends until we found a weird temple. Don't remember the area this was in, but there were a group of players that suddenly appeared and took a bite out of us. We turned into vampires and thought this was hilarious, especially when we found out that people pay tons of money for this to happen and our group just got it for free. I tried to give ESO another try in 2021 but the combat just wasn't enough for me, you're limited to a weapon with only a few skills and it just feels very minimal to me. I'm sure the story is great and the world is vast, but I just couldn't bring myself to continue with that style of combat.
Final Fantasy 14 - This is another MMO I can't get into because of the combat. I recently tried playing once more, but was suggested the healing path instead, and it's been a blast! The combat may not be for me, as I believe other MMOs do it better, but the complexity of FF14's buff system and HP management has made the game a whole other experience. I've tried to force myself to play this and even dropped money on getting all the expansions a few months ago to get incentivized with a "I bought this content and can't refund it" type of way but had no luck until playing healer. I enjoyed playing Black Mage, but I continue to get pushed this idea of "the game gets better after you finish base content" and this strays me a lot from pushing forward in content. If there was a way I could skip the base game, I'd probably get into it much more since it's an MMO greatly known for the story-telling. Also, the dungeons/bosses and homes players can create look insanely cool.
Free Realms - This must have been the best way to introduce a younger audience into the world of MMORPGs. Free Realms was set in a fantasy world with real elements mixed-in for a fun experience. There were three major jobs, Combat, Crafting and Freestyle. Some had everyday jobs that players could do for money with a fun twist, such as Postman, Chef and Pet Trainer. The other jobs were there for adventuring, ranging from Wizards to Brawlers. The overall game was very basic and it was more social environment for its players.
Flyff - Fantastic game, even now with their latest browser version, it's become more accessible for all players. The game itself is very simple and doesn't have too many complex mechanics, a big aspect of the game is being able to fly for travel. It's not a huge game and if you're looking to complete an MMO at 100%, this may be the easiest game to complete that in.
Guild Wars 2 -
Lost Ark - I didn't get into this one much, the eagle-view camera really didn't bother me since I play League of Legends from time to time. The game did seem to have a lot of potential but it's now heavily affected by votes, the reason I stopped playing is because the world is locked behind the main-story and that's not very enjoyable to me. I'd be willing to try it again but would also love to hear thoughts about this MMO if anyone has played it actively.
MapleStory -
MapleStory - I would like to shake the hand of the person responsible for this mess.
New World - I'm disappointed in the flop of this MMO, it had great potential but it didn't really take off like most players expected. This was fantastic at launch and continued to be entertaining and engaging until the PvE content was completed. PvP wasn't anything special either, it gets very repetitive after a few wars. The best part of this game for me was the leadership aspect I fell into, on my server I was lucky enough to be the head of multiple companies/guilds thanks to being the first to purchase a territory. It was a great experience being able to supply starter groups with gold and have them join in the fight. I don't think I could ever pick this game up again, it's a great experience for both New and Veteran MMO players, but it's not something I think most players would stick out long-term.
Old School RuneScape and RuneScape - see gif
I'm putting these two games together because RuneScape has genuinely had a very special place in my heart, this is what introduced me to the MMO genre and allowed me to experience everything else within this list. I actively played this daily from 2009 until Evolution of Combat in 2012. This update changed the entire game and tried to compete with the World of Warcraft formula but it didn't workout for them. I remember when thousands of players dropped off the game instantly with this. Nowadays, that combat is optional and they've also released Old School RuneScape. While both are very different, they're also extremely fun. OSRS is very grindy and tends to be a bit more complex because the stats of your gear actually affects your gameplay greatly. RS3 is more of an semi-AFK game with more skills and content as well as improved graphics. Both still receive frequent updates to this day. I don't believe the new-player intake is high with this MMO, but I heavily suggest everyone to give it a try, even just for a day. Please, do yourself a favor and give this game a good honest try for a day and experience one of the greatest stepping stones in MMORPG history.
Phantasy Star Online 2 -
Phantasy Star Universe -
Pirate101 - Unlike Wizard101, it's not a surprise that this game is still going. Although it's been some time since I've actively played, the overall system is improved from Wizard101. The combat is pretty similar to that of fire emblem and is not card-based like Wizard101.
Pirates of the Caribbean Online -
Star Wars: The Old Republic - Fantastic story telling, even if you're not a Star Wars fan you'll definitely enjoy this story telling. I only played through the base game but have seen clips of the expansions and it looks great to play. The combat is very similar to Final Fantasy 14 but to me seems very fluid, majority of your skills are able to flow into one another and work very well in combinations. The player-base is something I don't see increasing anytime soon, it's a game being held up by the Star Wars community but is on par with FF14's story-telling.
Vindictus - I experience with this game is really just through Karok, it's the only class that I bothered to actually commit to. This game's combat is amazing and very fluid, the way that you pick your skills is very unique to each player. The cosmetics and world were beautiful, and the story was very captivating. A majority of the classes are very quick and mobile but nothing could pry me from Karok. I loved how he was the only one who could literally fist fight dungeon bosses that were twice his size. The player market was always active, trades happened quick, even with rare loot items. Although other MMOs have greatly improved on this game's concept, they've announced a continuation, Vindictus: Defying Fate, that I'm very excited about.
Wizard101 - I added this to the list for the same reason as RuneScape, it's incredible knowing this game is still up and running. I haven't played this in many years but ran into some clips of how the game state is right now and it actually seems very fun. A lot of quality of life changes have been made and they're even rewarding players who have a membership by adding a loyalty system to the game, the rewards look really cool too. I've thought about playing this again recently as a game on the side, it can be complicated if you get into the PvP aspect of it and the overall game is very colorful and welcoming for any type of person.
World of Warcraft - This is definitely a "save the best for last" moment, although I haven't played this MMO as much as the others. Whatever opinion you may have of this game, you can't argue with the numbers it brings in monthly with the player-base and to this day it holds the record for most players in an MMO. I wish I had the opportunity to play this when it was first introduced, I've heard nothing but good things about all the content up until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. I personally began playing when the Legion expansion was released and continue to main a Demon Hunter (For The Horde!) to this day, the newest expansions haven't grabbed my attention and I quit playing once Burning Crusade was introduced for Classic. I've read good things about Dragonflight, the overall story is fantastic and it takes the top place in a story-driven game in my opinion. Lately, it hasn't been on par with the content FF14 has released, but the original story with the first few expansions is mind blowing and I will continue to support Illidan through his journey!
