The genre in particular, instead of evolving MMO, they are devolving MMORPG into a never ending copy of UO and EQ.

The most recent let down is probably Aion and Vanguard, both trying something which EQ already did and did better.

Originally posted by Waterlily

The genre in particular, instead of evolving MMO, they are devolving MMORPG into a never ending copy of UO and EQ.

I wish they copied UO instead of EQ.

Unfortunately the EQ model is the only one that is really prevailing now and even UO switched to the EQ model. Quite sad.

EQ2.   25 million to make and released a year or two early in absolute horrible condition.  Tons of money has been put into the game since and it will never be anything but a mediocre game.  There is lots of content, lots to do, good raiding but the game is simply not fun to play.  By far the worst game for the money put into it.  For example Vanguard was a 100 times better at release.  If Vanguard got 1/10 of the development mpney after release EQ2 orobably would not exist today which is orobably why SOE does not fund Vanguard.

EQ2's failure  not only made a bad game it killed Vanguard and made WoW's design and gameplay the model for all new games.  A very sad legacy.

World of Warcraft was the biggest let down.  The raiding had gotten quite fun from AQ and Naxx, then to have it all dumbed down to hell in TBC, along with world pvp essentially being removed from the game.  Each bad decision lead to the next and that game became nothing more than a reputation grind.

The fist biggest let down had to be Asherons Call 2 , here we have Asherons Call, an incredible game from like 1999 that even in todays standards has great features that can't seem to be duplicated due to development teams being idiots, Due to cheap companies and customer support.. I dunno what the heck this company was thinking totally revamping the ballpark, totally redoing characters, and basically folling a dumb sheet of customer services rules that are the true reason games suck today.

From there, i think Shadowbane was a let down, due to it's inability to produce siege wars.

Any game by EA, such as Motor City Online, or Earth & Beyond, because EA can't run or develop a game, only buy out its competition, and tell its developers sorry no more money cough up your junk because in my opinion they need to fool kids and steal their money so they get more money to buy out the rest of the competition

Horizons, for its ability to create a HUGE WORLD, with absolutely nothing in it.
Auto Assault - for its pathetic attempt of even trying to be a game
Tabula Rasa for even being released and called a game. Hello, step #1 is develop your classes.. ALL THE WAY THRU not the first 20 levels and make shit up as you go

It all comes down to the initial development.. Some developers honestly think making a game is by drawing skills up on paper and then tweaking them, then adding in this and that. In WoW, you can see how the areas are layed out with complete thought in regards to crafting, leveling, loot drops, pvp, etc etc all properly analyzed.. So as they create a world it works.. Whereas in other lame developers games, they just toss shit out there and no it dont work and no it never will.

If you are not rolling dice, your game is a failure

The Battlegrounds and Honor systems for World of Warcraft. 

SWG NGE

swg

Warhammer without a doubt.

I expected great RvR, which is kind of my own fault after watching Mythic sink DaoC like they did.

Mythic had a chance to grab a large market of pvp'rs and RvR players that weren't happy with many other mmo's out there and screwed the pooch.

Originally posted by Greenie

Warhammer without a doubt.

I expected great RvR, which is kind of my own fault after watching Mythic sink DaoC like they did.

Mythic had a chance to grab a large market of pvp'rs and RvR players that weren't happy with many other mmo's out there and screwed the pooch.

Agreed. WoWHammer without a doubt.

Answer to OP:

The players

I know you were specific to what game but the players themselves are leaps and bounds much more of a disapointment then any of the games.

at least in my view

Originally posted by Waterlily

The genre in particular, instead of evolving MMO, they are devolving MMORPG into a never ending copy of UO and EQ.

The most recent let down is probably Aion and Vanguard, both trying something which EQ already did and did better.

i agree aion was the biggest letdown.i had high hopes for this game .but after playing closed beta .i must say this game sucks. other than graphics it has got nothing .

There's been quite a few - Asheron's Call 2, Vanguard, Age of Conan, Warhammer....but what I consider to be the All-Time biggest let down based on what the game should've been compared to what was released - would have to be HORIZONS!!!!  So sad.

DDO hands down.......I expected so much.....and they delivered such garbage.

Vanguard, it could've been that upgraded EQ1 with today's graphics that many have been waiting for.  We already have enough "clones" of other games, but we haven't had an upgraded EQ1.  And no, EQ2 isn't an upgraded EQ1, EQ2 is SOE's attempt at competing with Blizzard and their mass appeal.

Vanguard.

Oh, the list.

AoC- A mature (an no, not just boobs) game with realistic combat, huge guild battles, and gorgoeus directx10 graphics. Instead we got a perfect starting area and a bunch of bland, ugly open zones, horrendous lag, and so much instancing that the game felt empty.

Warhammer- Characters that grow and evolve, levelling by both PvE and PvP, City takeovers, the works! Too bad watered down graphics, cutting 60% of the content to launch faster, and a lack of players on both sides is going to slowly kill it.

Fury- Uber-realistic battles in where you could grapple with opponents, shift tactics on the fly, and full collison detection. What we got was a lousy clone of Guild Wars without the story, the graphics, or the fun.

Auto Assault- I was so hyped for this game, just because it was an interesting premise. But it was handled poorly.

Tabula Rasa- Finally, a sci-fi MMO that works and isn't an economics class.Unfortunately, it didn't.

The introduction of the "raiding" paradigm.  As far as I'm concerned, this mechanism has not only ruined what could be an amazing genre, but it continues to hold it back from progressing and appealing to the mainstream.

Originally posted by terrant

Oh, the list.

 

AoC- A mature (an no, not just boobs) game with realistic combat, huge guild battles, and gorgoeus directx10 graphics. Instead we got a perfect starting area and a bunch of bland, ugly open zones, horrendous lag, and so much instancing that the game felt empty.

Warhammer- Characters that grow and evolve, levelling by both PvE and PvP, City takeovers, the works! Too bad watered down graphics, cutting 60% of the content to launch faster, and a lack of players on both sides is going to slowly kill it.

Fury- Uber-realistic battles in where you could grapple with opponents, shift tactics on the fly, and full collison detection. What we got was a lousy clone of Guild Wars without the story, the graphics, or the fun.

Auto Assault- I was so hyped for this game, just because it was an interesting premise. But it was handled poorly.

Tabula Rasa- Finally, a sci-fi MMO that works and isn't an economics class.Unfortunately, it didn't.

plz add aion to the list .people who have already played aion china or beta including me  are saying its an epic fail.too much hype ,no results.

When I really think about it, none. I tend to have very low expectations (as can bee seen from previous... another story).

Golden rule when listening to pre game releases etc, from devs themselves, 'treat everything they say as though you are listening to a politician'. Read between the lines as though it was your govenment talking to you and the truth will become clear.

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E.g. "completely free gameplay where players do not only have freedom to sculpt their world but have no npc's or other in game mechanic telling them what to do at all. This game will never hold your hand and our game only rewards those working off their own innitiative. Our game has stats on gear but our combat will rely on player skill first. We want to release now as we know our loyal fanbase has been waiting so long and we feel obliged to let them get their hands on a game we're proud of."

Read: "this isn't an actual sandbox game as such, as they have rules. No, what we have here is there are no mechanics or design features within the game to help you with any of the features such as politics, bounty hunting (that's always a box seller, those boba fans eat that shit up), trade caravans, merc'ing, rp'ing, in fact any of the features we've been hyping for the past half a decade. We have no quests, at all, no missions nothing. We haven't had time to include a tutorial of anykind but it doesn't matter because in truth there isn't anything to really teach. There is no interactive quest log or hints on what to do next but since there isn't actually anything to do, hey, what does it matter. We sat down with this spreadsheet with stats for itemising the gear but Jesus, that shit was complicated, as a result we have decided to randomly generate numbers on the loot. At first this seems foolhardy, but you have to think outside the box, the genius here is the impact those numbers have are completely non existant. The stats themselves proved beyond our capability so we're going to say 'we'd like to leave some surprises for our fans' and then giggle as they stare in wonder at exactly what any of the stats do anyway, all the time knowing they don't really do shit and anyone that actually says anything will be canablised by the rest of the raging mob for having no skill or too stupid to understand (we took more than a littel inspiration from naked king dude on that one). Oh and we're shit outta cash so what little we've got left is paying for kegs and hookers at the launch party, we're just gonna release anyway and see what suckers we can keep on line before they see through the empty ficade of a 'game' we've just made.

See, simples.

Originally posted by xraetherx

Originally posted by darwa

Dark and Light.

 Definitely.

So far every MOSPG since 2004 has been a disappointment due to the fact the MMOs arent MMOs now its becoming passive watered down enterainment for the time handicapped so they dont have time to play ... So lets cut everything that is based on a principle of a MMO cause its a hassle or too much to fit in their 1 hr a day playtime its a rush to the end, gotto have the shinies first thing!!!... Its a ket down that devs wont try to make a game all playstyles will enjoy instead of catering to a group of people that wont even be there in a few months time and move on to the next big shiny MOSPG and ruin it as well...

When so many games started coming out carrying the MMORPG tag.
Sure, any online game where you control a virtual avatar can be called that now.
Does RPG even mean the same anymore with the MMO in front?

To answer the OP - everything after Everquest has been a let-down.

I'd have to say Warhammer Online for me. 1-10 was absolutely amazing, then after that the crappy reality of the game shown through.

I would have said Darkfall, but deep down inside I kinda knew it was gonna end up like a million miles away from what it shoulda\coulda been.