Poll: MMOs: Do you play them?

[cjspyres]

I play EVE Online. It's easier to part with my $15 every month if I'm playing a game where making other players buttmad is not only allowed, but encouraged. It's basically a griefing tax, and they let you play the game as a bonus.

Eh,I don't really see the point of playing a game if it's only to piss other people off. Even if I don't particularly like playing EVE online, I absolutely respect the idea of it. It's amazing really. A completely player driven world. It's just a shame that some of the "players" only want to grief.

As a side note, there is a difference between griefing and playing a game with the intentions of defeating your opponent.

I'm aware of the difference between fighting and griefing. Being a member of Goonswarm I'm very familiar with both. The Eve player base (which is horrible) would make anyone want to be a griefer in between all the wars of conquest.

Yeah, I've heard pretty horrible stories. Although, I am pretty excited about Dust 514. It seems interesting enough, and from what I understand, it will have repercussions in EVE Online.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I played FFXI hardcore for 3 years in college. I continue to nostalgia hard over that game.

Since then I've tried Guild Wars (yeah yeah, "CORPG"), Perfect World, NeoSteam, FFXIV (spent a year of my life getting hyped for that game), Fantasy Earth Zero (for like 2 minutes before deleting it from my computer), LOTRO, Champions Online (I did make it out of character creation eventually, but I had to keep coming back to make more characters; too fun), and SWTOR. I would try out STO, but it's being fussy about my Perfect World account and I don't care about it enough to make it work.

Still playing SWTOR (but about to cancel my sub since all my friends have quit) and waiting for GW2. I don't think I'll be able to play a subscription-based game ever again.

 

[Iwata]

None.

I considered playing EVE Online for a while, but one of my closest friends is so obnoxious about it that he made me realize I'd never want to be part of that community. He also succeeded in being so inflexible about it that he drove two other people (also friends of ours) out of the game out of sheer douchiness when on the subject matter. In fact, he often talks about games, but doesn't know a single thing about them, because he hasn't played a single game other than EVE for years now, and refuses to, casually dismissing them and insulting their communities.

It really is enough to make you hate the game without even trying it.

 

[Killspre]

I play League of Legends and Fantasy Earth Zero

 

[littlewisp]

I do, but more and more I wonder why I do and how I can get myself to stop (the guilt from online gamer buddies is what keeps me going, especially when I take time off and my guild leader goes 'please don't ever do that again. J/K. But seriously.'). Eugh. I'm such a sucker.

 

[default]

Realm of the Mad God! Best MMO ever <3

 

[babinro]

What MMOs do you play or have in the past?

WoW - Trial account, about 5 hours worth
D&D Online - F2P - about 20 hours worth
Guild Wars - Roughly 2 years worth with all but the last expansion
SWTOR - 3 months worth, played a ton within that time though. Would still play if it used the Guild Wars or F2P model.

And what do you think makes the standard MMO grind-to-victory model so compelling?

Nothing.

I play MMO's for story, not 'end game'. I'll typically play multiple classes through the story to experience different game play types. After that the game loses all fun factor as I see no merit in grinding for gear so that you more effectively grind for gear.

For what it's worth, I share the same feelings with games like Diablo. The game ends for me once I best the highest difficulty. For a lot of people, that's where the game truly starts.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Nope. Never really appealed to me.

 

[LilithSlave]

I play them occasionally. But the gameplay gets boring quick, and they never feel truly engaging.

Usually I get trapped in by some Eastern designs since the PC is so lacking in games with Eastern themes and aesthetics, aside from MMORPGs. The only pay to play games I've played are Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV, and Tera Online. None of which were super impressive.

I'm a jRPG person, and MMORPGs are nothing like jRPGs.

 

[malestrithe]

Not a fan of the MMO experience.

When I do play multiplayer, I prefer it when everyone is in the room. That way, I can administer necessary love taps to the douches.

 

[Songblade]

I picked None. I lost a couple friends to Everquest then Wow ... they just kind of dropped off the face of the Earth. I didn't want to follow suit.

Also, I have an addictive personality - so I made a choice long ago not to get into MMOs as I'd most like spend a LOT of time in them.

Skyrim's bad enough! 300+ hours now? Guhhhh.

 

[Terminate421]

I don't hate MMOs but they're certainly good time wasters.

I respect WoW and currently am trying again at the moment but now I figured out that it is so much easier to level up and gain money now than before. Also Deathknights are kinda fun.
I really only play with my friends.....

 

[Vault101]

I don;t understand the apeal

story?- I get laughed at for the even the suggestion

gameplay?- well that must be it, though Im terrible at stats

I mean who wants to be chanied to a game for years?

 

[BENZOOKA]

I don't. Tried one for two months, and that was eight years ago.

There's barely anything enjoyable about the genre.

 

[Alssadar]

I got a Paladin to level 63 on my bro's account... over the span of three years. And that's all I could really take.
The whole MMO experience was rather ruined as it's all "Level up! Get gear! Replace gear! Repeat, FOREVER!" The content is rarely different, and, despite Blizzard trying to change things, I'm not big on endgame content when you've already upgraded all you can be.
The MMO experience falters with story or dramatic plot as there are simply other people to get in the way.

However, I did enjoy the good "Anal [Insert spell/quest/achievement for innuendo]" jokes in trade chat.

 

[Erttheking]

Used to play Runescape, not anymore though, but I do remember those days with fondness. I may give guild wars 2 a shot.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Caught site of this when I was swapping MoS songs, playing LotRO right now, good game, decent story, and some really good landscapes. I will admit some of the NPC's are stupid as hell though. Oh, and people, it's F2P up to a good point, so the only thing it costs is some of your time.

Used to play LotRO a long time ago, before it went F2P and that was definitely the MMO I put the most hours in, I loved that game a lot, and the Moria expansion was goddamn amazing for a Dwarf fanboy like me.
Now I have discovered my attention span sucks for MMO's, I play for a month and then I start playing other stuff. Thus wasting a month worth of money.

Oh, and it's F2P up to a good point, bout halfway through, so the only thing it costs is some of your time.

 

[Fleetfiend]

I'm surprised you didn't put LoL on the poll...

Anyways, Guild Wars is the only MMO (besides Runescape, back in the day) that I have ever really put much time into.

 

[Crazy Zaul]

Spoiler: MMO History

Played WoW for about 3 years with a total of about 8 months of not being subbed throughout that time.
Tried Aion - Didn't like it
Tried GW1, Kinda liked it but kept getting killed by higher level mobs and couldn't find any easier mobs or quests so gave up. Could have tried one of the other campaigns but assumed they would have the same problem.
Tried Star Trek online and it was total shit. Well actually TOR could probably learn something from its space combat but its ground combat was REALLY bad.
Tried Rift - Had potential but just wasn't quite good enough. Went back a year later after disappointment at TOR. Still wasn't good enough.
Played TOR for a few months, 'quit' but then came back when they gave out the free month. Still playing it a bit. I still think its pretty crap but there's just nothing better than it at the moment. Which is the exact situation WoW was in until TOR came out.
After A LOT of consideration decided not to bother with TERA.
Still not sure about Diablo 3
Most likely will get GW2.
Not sure about TSW, looks good but most people seem to think Funcom are just plain crap, and it will probably have population issues due to the total lack of marketing.

MMOs are 'compelling' because of the psychological reward systems they use. Compelling as opposed to fun that is. Before I quit the 1st time,I carried on playing WoW long after it stopped being fun cos the way it was designed back then it felt like there were things that just needed to be done even if they weren't fun. And it was my 1st MMO and I didn't know any better. Its kinda weird how you can become addicted to something you don't actually like doing. Not that I was bad enough to count as being addicted.

Generally I just play several alts to max level then don't bother with the endgame gear grind cos its so boring and pointless, nothing more than the pursuit of bigger numbers.
I play the endgame in WoW cos is actually good and easy enough for me, but only for a month or 2 after each patch before I get sick of it.
Haven't even attempted any of TORs endgame, waiting for the group finder.

Luckily MMOs are finally starting to move away from the 'Time sink > fun' model and trying to be actually fun at the expense of being a lot more casual.

 

[Kae]

I do but really really casually, the ones I play the most are Mabinogi and DDO, but my current PC does not run DDO, so that's out and the other one I play very rarely, like maybe and hour a month, I'm just not to into that sort of stuff it's just that the progression in MMOs is too slow for my taste, that's why I prefer co-op hack and slashers, the loot comes faster and leveling is not really painful like it is on MMOs, that's why I liked DDO it felt like that but I lost my PC before I could get too far in that.