What happened to Sci-Fi? That seems to be something a lot of sci-fi fans are wondering in the MMO world. I myself am asking this same question right now. After reading through some stuff on the forums I felt I had to write this and discuss our strife with fellow MMORPG.com gamers. So, what of the sci-fi industry? Pain...suffering...death, I sense. Seriously, I am pretty sure it died with SWG.

Why did it die with SWG? This is just my silly opinion, but think about it. I used to play it and that game was booming before the CU. I mean, for any of us who played, SWG provided many different choices to players to truely create "their own destiny". I remember being able to play as an entertainer, make money, then go out and buy a friggin pistol and kill Worts with it. Every different thing seemed to have a role and no level mattered. Skill mattered, fun mattered, and the player environment mattered. It allowed for fun solo fun and team fun as well. If you wanted to party up for a big hunt, you could. And then the loot you got off Banthas, you could sell to a doctor. If you wanted to solo, you could head out and do it- if you were good enough. I could go on and on with this, but the point I'm making is that out of some stupid, crazy reason, I think SOE killed the game with their Combat Upgrade.

So... what did this have to do with the rest of Sci-Fi gaming? Well, after that, lots of my fellow SWG players, guild mates, and friends left the game. We went on searching for new options. I tried out Anarchy Online, but quit after a few months of subscription. Just not what I was looking for. Out of date graphics, goofy gameplay, childish people always dueling you... just wasn't what I was looking for as a PVE type person. Tried RF online.. did not like this much at all. After playing the pre-CU SWG, there just wasn't much to suit my tastes. I've looked around at several f2p sci-fi games and upcoming games, and the only ones that look promising is the KOTOR online game. I have no idea about the Star Trek game, never was a Trek fan. But as far as the entire genre goes, it has been on hold for a couple of years after the downfall of SWG.

So... what burried sci-fi? Fantasy-based MMO's. The fantasy genre has dominated the freaking community. I myself fell victim to its power and enjoy the power very much. They hit the ground running and never stopped. All the games I've played have good, constant updates. The updates actually are fun and improve gameplay unlike the CU in SWG. There is a large player-base in almost all fantasy games as well. The movie industries have been producing more fantasy movies, console games such as Oblivion have been long time hits, and other outside influences that I haven't discovered yet have been pushing these games. Look at World of Warcraft.. it is probably the most well-known MMO ever, and it is fantasy. I know that may not have much to do with it, but hey.. it's not Sci-Fi. And in order for Sci-Fi to be a front runner, it has to produce something that grabs peoples attention- and frankly, it has never done that. 

Star Wars Galaxies may have been this universe's only hope at obtaining global focus on MMO sci-fi- but SOE decided that would make to much sense and stepped on it. They too, have been a fantasy loving industry... Everquest. I too, share your suffering sci-fi community. To those of you who do not agree that the CU killed SWG, then you never knew the game (nor were you probably any good at it). If you think there is some amazing sci-fi game out there, then I would have to disagree. Until it grabs hold of the MMO gaming industry by the throat, then it just isn't good enough.

Till then... I will be playing with elves, orcs, and dwarves in some middle aged, fantasy kingdom...

Everyone likes a little something for free, right? Well that has been my case in the past few months, especially after the purchase of my new laptop. There are some out there who may bash my particular interest in free MMO's, but in my opinion this is where a lot of interesting creativity shines. Most pay to play games are of course, better, in a sense. They have higher budgets, bigger staffs, and gigantic industries to back them. With free MMO's, this isn't always the case, and it is up to the individual small developers to work around this problem. So, at times, they produce a really cool game that attracts quite a few players to invest in the economy of the game via real cash markets. I have caught myself many times investing in these markets, and have even subscribed to a few that I really enjoy (i.e. Dungeon Runners). So, what's so great about free MMO's?

Well, for one, they're free. But beyond the free factor, some of them have some really interesting ideas and themes behind them. Now, of course, we can't jump into a free MMO expecting something like World of Warcraft. If you do this, you're probably going to come out disappointed. But, you can find something that's pretty close. I came out of World of Warcraft after some pretty bad customer support on their side. Irritated with it, I withdrew my subscription. In my opinion, they were way to arrogant and careless about their subscribers. I guess when you have millions playing like they do, you don't have to worry about an individual like me. But on a good note, I ran across Runes of Magic and I have really enjoyed its similarities to the monster MMO . The developers of Runes of Magic did a really good job of combining several elements from many MMO's, and made them better. If you are looking for an automatic free replacment for that pay to play MMO, if you're feeling a little cheap, or you're just wanting to try some new- download RoM. I've never enjoyed a free game more than RoM and I am really anticipating the full relase after the open-beta.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a sense of humor in an MMO, try out Dungeon Runners. It's full of crazy humor, whacky item names, and gives you a few minutes of good fun. I have even subscribed to it to enjoy all of the game's benefits. I'm not a tight-ass, but if there is something worth investing in that I truely enjoy, I will. Dungeon Runners has several features I find exciting and fun, such as the instance-based dungeons that are unique to you and your party. The graphics are easy on the eyes and resemble WoW and the gameplay is pretty smooth for the most part. I have not had any trouble finding a quest or something to do, as there is a plentiful supply of needy NPC's in this game. The community in game also seems pretty active, the chat screen is constantly running with real people, not spam. The game really presents itself well and markets the cheap five dollar monthly fee great. This is a good bang for your buck, or if you want to go free, it's still enjoyable.

If you're looking for something new and exciting, check them out. You don't have to go running to GameStop or start shopping online for a new game. There are plenty of them right here online for free that would love your support. Freebies provide a new insight to the fun world of MMO gaming and new, creative themes. I think just the variety and excitement of a new game is what has me hooked on them. It just amazes me how many neat ideas are out there, but just never get the credit they deserve. So, the moral of this ramble is to not turn it down just because it's free. In fact, I would give it a good look just because it is. You may just surprise yourself. =]

And if you're stuck on where to start, try these: Runes of Magic, Dungeon Runners, GuildWars(even though you have to pay for the initial game, theres no monthly fees) , Atlantica Online, Rappelz, Anarchy Online (good PvP, imo). Give them a look through. There are plenty more, but those are just off the top of my head.