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Originally posted by ahmedmk
Imo ... Final Fantasy XI

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Seconded.

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Originally posted by Cursedsei
If you are into insane grinds, FFXI, epitome of the grind part can be found in a few bosses Sony lovingly releases that take 18+ hours to kill.

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Um, Sony? What does Sony have to do with FFXI?

Vanguard

Lotro

DDO

Originally posted by ChrisMattern

 

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Originally posted by Cursedsei
If you are into insane grinds, FFXI, epitome of the grind part can be found in a few bosses Sony lovingly releases that take 18+ hours to kill.

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Um, Sony? What does Sony have to do with FFXI?

LOL, i was thinking the same thing. it is made by square enix...

I would go for Vanguard as the best PvE game out there right now. That said it is not for the light-hearted even thought they adjusted the drop rates and the overall tedious aspect of the game a lot. What I like best is that you can head any direction at any time and you don't have to follow a certain route to progress.

If you are strictly into PvE, VG is worth a try for sure.

LOTRO

I have played Everquest 2, World of Warcraft, Vanguard.... I just started playing LOTRO and am ever so glad I picked it up. Unlike the games I previously mentioned, LOTRO does an excellent job of immersing you into the world of Middle Earth. The quests play out as little stories within the landscape, that all seem to interconnect with the main theme of the game.

While being used to other MMO's of this nature, it wasn't to difficult to get into and start playing. EQ2, WoW, Vanguard all have their strengths and cons, but LOTRO seems to embody the best of all of these worlds.

• Easy to startup and get into like WoW
• Deep, abundant lore driven content like WoW or EQ2
• Large seamless world, detailed and beautiful like Vanguard
• Familiar game systems that help to add to your characters customization such as dyes and dress-up rooms, etc.
• Community that is alive, healthy and helpful

Fortunately LOTRO offers a 14 day trial, and I would inclined to have you download it and give it a go. I recommend before you accept your first quest, to get yourself in the mindset to READ the quest log. Read what the NPC's are saying in regards to the quest. If you don't read, you'll be missing out on something Turbine did so well in LOTRO. The little bits of the story, all connected with this one event in Middle-Earth.

If you don't bother reading, don't bother downloading. My two cents.

LOTRO is my suggestion. 

Gorgeous graphics and quests galore and mature community. Plus, there are expansions planned every year in the Fall.  And they give huge free patches every couple months- sometimes with new land masses and 100's more quests!

I would say WoW and VG.

I think one of the most uneducated comments I frequently see from WoW's detractors is that its too easy.  Tell that to experienced raid guilds who have to work together at a really high level in order to conquer the raid content.  Each boss presents unique challenges and I can remember wondering if my old hardcore guild was ever gonna be able to take down Vael when he first came out. 

PVE in VG has a really cool feel to it.  When you first group through Trengal Keep it is amazing to get up on a high vantage point and see other groups progessing through different parts off in the distance.  Just so cool and immersive and a testament to why MMORPG's should get back to their non-instanced roots. Its also cool to run across someone stranded in n dungeon and be able to escort them to their group or safety. Immersion baby! One other thing about VG that I don't hear people talk about which should get mentioned, are the design of its mobs and their animations.  While there is plently of room for criticism about the character models, the mob visuals and animations are absolutely amazing. 

WAR.

Public quests, public groups.

Final Dungeons in someone else's capital city.

Some great PvE to be had. 

I'd have to go with LOTRO. D/L the trial and see for yourself.

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Originally posted by GreenChaos
WAR.
Public quests, public groups.
Final Dungeons in someone else's capital city.
Some great PvE to be had. 
 

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I'm sorry. No game that doesn't exist yet can be the best anything. Call back when it's released, we'll talk then.

Originally posted by biggdoggid

Bhuma, where would you go for such group play on Kojan?

Unfortunately, group play doesnt become a significant part of the scene until later, starting in your late teens or early 20s. You can probably find groups willing to do the Rajin stronghold on Kojan at a relatively early level, but dont expect a long dungeon crawl there. There is also Magi Hold and the Tomb of Lord Tsang, which you might be able to find groups for. But generally speaking, most people solo through their teens and move from Kojan to either Thestra or Quaila around level 17 or so.

In Qaila you can generally find groups at Skrillien point at around levels 17-22, because is the quest hub for the Hunters League quest line. At around the same levels, you can generally find groups in Thestra around Renten Keep. Lots of groups do the ant dungeon there for great xp, and decent loot at those levels. In both of these cases, you can expect extended periods of group play. After that there are a number of popular and very large premier dungeons, such as Coeterie infinium Sanctuary, Trengal Keep, Dargun's Tomb, Vol Tuniel, and Graystone, which can keep you occupied into your low 40s. There are a lot of good high level dungeons after that, where groups are almost required.

However, the dungeons mentioned above are only the most popular. There are many more, which are less popular and a little more off the beaten path, but which offer great grouping experience if you can find some like minded souls willing to explore and hunt named with you.

EARTH AND BEYOND!!

oh wait...

Well, I actually love Mabinogi.

Originally posted by ChrisMattern

 

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Originally posted by GreenChaos
WAR.
Public quests, public groups.
Final Dungeons in someone else's capital city.
Some great PvE to be had. 
 

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I'm sorry. No game that doesn't exist yet can be the best anything. Call back when it's released, we'll talk then.

Sure it can.  In fact, I've played it and can for 100% without a doubt make the claim that...

you'll hear about it tomorrow.

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Originally posted by blueturtle13
Title says it all

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Everquest.  It truly felt like an entire world not just a game.

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Originally posted by Cotillion99

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Originally posted by ChrisMattern

 

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Originally posted by GreenChaos
WAR.
Public quests, public groups.
Final Dungeons in someone else's capital city.
Some great PvE to be had. 
 

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I'm sorry. No game that doesn't exist yet can be the best anything. Call back when it's released, we'll talk then.

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Sure it can.  In fact, I've played it and can for 100% without a doubt make the claim that...
you'll hear about it tomorrow.

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Not interested; I've seen enough pie in the sky. If I can't play it for real, it doesn't exist, and it's not relevant. Call me back on release day.

A matter of taste really, some prefer WOW, some prefer Lotro and others prefer Everquest. I prefer Lotro because there is always soemthing to do, better character models, only things that are instanced is book quests and some epic ones, the rest of the world is persistent and by far Lotro has the best community.

Ya know what?  At first I said EQ2.  I think I may be having second thoughts on that though. 

I gotta throw in my vote for Vanguard.  It has more variety and content than any MMO Ive ever played.  Just wish it wasnt so demanding (but still fun!)

Alright, I like WAR, but the PvE is THE WORST I HAVE SEEN IN A P2P MMO.

IMO Vanguard, WoW, and EQ2 are the best PvE games. They have plenty of dungeons and raids, and there isn't forced grouping. Although VG is the hardest to solo with, thats only because WoW and EQ2 are EZ mode outside of instances/raids.