So I've been playing World Of Warcraft since it was beta, I went back to EQ for a few months but for the most part have been pretty faithful.

I find now, that my interest in the game as a whole has taken a sharp decline.
I came from the Everquest, and before that Ultima Online.

I enjoy raiding, and while I do like Player vs. Player combat, I suppose I am a tad lame when I admit, I'd rather do it in a controlled enviroment as typically pred/pray becomes a camp or ambush and never very 'organized'.
I don't mind global PVP but frankly, getting ganked by a level 50+ when I'm level 24 gets old, so its not a big draw for me.

I'm a little sick of the whole, Elf tossing fireballs at Dragons, Fantasy-world, though truth be told I'll probably never get away from the Fantasy world.

I'm curious, other than EQ, Wow, has anyone had any exposure and would be willing to discuss the options of another MMO?
I prefer the MMO worlds as they tend to be more of a communidy which I enjoy, I don't like playing single-player games, I'd rather troll a forum

There is a new and forthcoming game that I'm covering called Pirates of the Burning Sea (www.burningsea.com) It looks like it will be totally awesome

I currently still play Ultima Online. I also Play WoW and played EQ and SWG in the past. WoW has me hooked though it took a year to grab me and catch my attention.

Guildwars is another interesting option. Second Life is interesting but costs money to get anywhere in the game. Lineage 2 is another good option to look at

yeah I played Guild Wars but it seemed soo freakin small that I didn't bother once I got past like level 9... I mean, the whole concept is really more PVP than PVE in my opinion.

Second Life scares me, I've been told that the undercurrent of sexual innuendo and outright devience is rampant in that little gem and I have no interest in being associated.

I had completely forgotten about Lineage 2, I tried 1 out, but it seemed again a bit simple.

Deviance, you say? Hmmm.

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The only MMO I have ever or do ever or will ever intend to play (outside of WoW) will be Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Ah, to be a Druchii and murder my way through the lesser races...

Of course, that is also primarily aimed at PvP from what I've read.

Yeah, Second Life is currently fighting off some very interesting legal battles from what I've been told. A wow buddy of mine basically said he had to close his shop down when he realized one of the items he produced was being loosely tied to an apparent underground group of pedophiles/etc.

I mean, the idea behind it is ripe for that sort of activity I'd imagine.

PVP is fun, but frankly I like PVE/Lore better

only problem is that Warhammer online has been delayed for a loooong time, but I still try to hold out the hope of it coming, them druchii is gonna be bad-ass

Warhammer is definately interesting

I still think Pirates will be a good game because you can do anything including PVE. It's really in your hands.

I've tried alot of games....I enjoy PVP but I also like the socail aspect of PVE without the PVP.

And thus my problem...

Basically I enjoy being a single entity creature in a world that is reliant on an orgnization as a whole. I like immersive storylines, and being a part of a greater movement.
I don't know how interested I'd be in playing a ship however... like in Eve I got bored after a night cause I really didn't enjoy moving in that 3d world as a ship.
Warhammer Online looks like a system designed primarily around PVP, which again though I enjoy it just doesn't hold my interest.

Wonder if EQ really is where I have to stick

That's because the original idea was scrapped completely and a new developer picked it up. I'd say it's coming along since Gamespot editors have had some hands on time with a couple of the races and they release new information and interviews fairly regularly.

well, let me know when it comes out, until then, I have to get back to my fledging Hordes of Chaos Army

That's the genius part of Pirates. You aren't a ship. You have an avatar. You command ships and fleets of ships...and you can fight on land (swashbuckling) etc.

Ugh. So very uncouth. Still, I suppose we can't expect much from the lesser races.

We are the most civilised of all the races. We have more ways to torture than any other.

Lineage 2 is way to simple, the stats you get are pretty much done for you as you can only change them by 5 or 10 can't remember and you can get all the skills easily enough. It pretty much comes out being a grinding game, but then again a lot of Korean MMO's are just that.


You could try out Vanguard: SOH a lot of EQ players are playing it or so it would seem and Tim Buckley from CAD praised it (reviewed in this news post) so you might like to check it out. And if I get my copy sometime in the near future (ordered it two weeks ago or so and still haven't got it) I could give you a 10 trail if you ask nicely. .
I've played several MMO's but to be honest I only enjoy them if I find a good guild or group of friends other wise they end up being a bore. First one I tried was Ragnarök on a less than official server and I played that for a year or so with the only think keeping from quiting being my guild. The game play is pretty linear although it does give you a lot more customizations than lineage, WoE [Taking castles with your guild] was great fun though. Guild wars I play on occasion but the guild I'm in is pretty much dead now so it has become a lot more boring but that fact that you don't have to pay every months means it worth buying.

God if I could find a 10day for Vanguard that would be enough to sell me honestly...
Yeah, I looked L2 up last night and I think I stopped laughing about halfway through... it's like a non-cartoon Wow with wierd movement.
I'm a graphics whore, I don't mind the cartoonish of Wow or the "real" of EQ, but I want more than fat cherubish manga, and 2d flat avatars...I enjoy the illusion

Frankly it looked like Vanguard was were my new heart would lie (I mean I was in EQ for 6yrs) but I couldn't login to see if they had a demo available. EQ offers a 10day that you can take advantage of, but I think Van is still too new

Curious, how is the movement though?

I mean, do you click a spot to auto-walk/run to it?
Then "start combat", or is it more of a "you control an avatar"

It's very similar to wow in the movement aspect from whaT I understand. The game is in closed Beta under NDA so they aren't really telling much about that part of it. Will see when NDA is liftedn and open beta starts, hopefully soon.

I know stratics will be havign beta key contest for it (cuz im in charge of it) so you can always beta test it if you wanna try

And where does the game stand on raping and pillaging? Seems to me that the pirates life was pretty much goal-oriented in this direction.

The concept of pirates is fun... I'm just curious how the PVE/PVP steps up...
who would I have to kill to get a beta key?

No killing. Enter the stratics contest when we have it underway. I'll be posting about it here when we have it going.

And no raping, it is a 14+ game, but pillaging is there. you can "conquest" ports and stuff, whether it be as the Brits, the French (Wait...french will surrender..carry on) or Spanish or Pirates.

www.burningsea.com

They talk alot about it there. We're still working on the stratics site for it so i dont have all the answers on PVP/PVE yet

So it seems like a game I know that will be perfect for a friend of mine, though until I get a better look at it I don't know if it will be my cup of tea.

It appears to be, correct me if I'm wrong, a single-player vs. enviroment game. I know it sounds silly, but I sort of like the whole 'quest' and 'raid' and 'progression' stuff...

However, one of my friends is an absolute pirate fanatic, (I mean, I'm sort about her well-being) and I can almost promise you she will be in to the elbows as soon as this releases.

Nope. It has questing and leveling. YOu level up to 50. there is also crafting specialities and other stuff. You can solo or you can group play.

Their version of guilds are called "Socieites" and they are normally faction based.

There are 4 factions/nations for lack of a better term and how you do things will depend n your faction ratings

yeah I saw that, so basically just to get an idea... it seems to me that you can either group or independently board ships, and head off for 'trade/pvp/'defeat the pirate king'' sort of quests.

you can carry X cargo from port A to port B - trade
defend or attack territory to win control of that area - pvp
NPC Pirate/Admiral guy has done bad stuff to us, go kill him - pve

While the concept sounds fun, I wonder the longevity of that concept, I mean, not to throw cold water on the idea.
Its a bit limited, as are all games really, but how long would it take for a PVE Raiding guild who becomes interested in this, to roll the rest of the planet.

Like, say that a EQ/Wow/AQ/etc. raiding guild gets ahold of this game, for the sake of argument they roll pirates.
So now you have 50(ish) people who login every night, listen to one another on vent, and basically destroy the ports nightly.

I would assume, that you can take classes like:
Rogue
Ranged Damager
Medical Personal
Repairing Guy
(Switch the names as you will )

So you have big heavy slow moving ships that can absorb a lot of damage (tank)
Smaller, lighter ships that are basically big water-bound cannons (DPS)
Medical Ships to patch up soliders and repair the other ships (Healer)

Then break it down by people
Big heavy brawler (tank)
Light fighters (DPS, rogues perhaps?)
Medical Personell (Healers)
-

So you have these groups, they go off and explore and destroy and pillage, collect the booty, buy the biggest ships, and now own half the planet.
I KNOW this will happen (just like in EQ, the top-ranked guilds stay at the top. Wow is the same) but I wonder how LONG until the game becomes repeatative...
I enjoy the companionship of questing, the pseudo-thrill of jumping into a video game with e-friends and downing a big boss, etc.

however, i believe, there is a time factor involved as well on gathering resources and building ships. I cant remmeber how it works

dang

I'd definatly be interested in seeing some reviews and such from this game, but I think I'd probably be more hooked by Vanguard, we shall see I suppose

and thats that I suppose...

GIMME THE BUDDY PASS!

I'll PM you a buddy pass when I finally get my copy, two weeks and still no sign of it and apparently there is a shortage in the UK so it may it a while. .

Oh sweet

Thank you so so much!!

I really hate Pirate games. they really get boring after some play time. Quite repetitive and Long! Urgg!