UO.

No other game has attempted to match it's scale by intergrating an open world with player housing, open PvP, an amazing skill system that allows such a variety of builds, and all the fluff to go along with the meat.

Not a moment went by that I lacked something to do, unlike most modern MMOs where there is only one thing to do: grind levels endlessly.

From fishing, to baking, to beating things with poisioned blades, everything has a purpose in the game world.

EVE is the only game that comes close to this open world, but unless you like spreadsheets, it is dreadfully boring. I spent several years chasing carrots before I realized how little content was in the game.

PvE: Vanguard and WoW

PvP: EVE Online

Overal I think EVE is way ahead of any other MMO on market. Sandbox MMO in true sense that provides impressive freedom.

Can't really elect a 'best mmorpg' because none of them combine everything for me.

City of Heroes = had best custimization I really enjoyed it.

Guild Wars = had nice PVE and pvp, though limited, was fun.

EVE = great PVP, excellent. But the missions, ratting, and mining all blow nutz. all the fun activities are player driven

This question really doesnt need to be voted on.. sure you will get your random guy coming here and saying FF, Eve, DoaC, UO.  But if you round up all the online mmo players and ask them what game they like best.. Guess what.. WoW will win hands down.  There are more players playing that game than all those games put together. So yah, I had the funnest time in DaoC and SB, but WoW is still the best MMO ever made, if you take majority vote.... but those guys are actually playing the game.. not here trolling like us =P.

 Darkfall online or SWG or EVE all taken their effects in different ways, never was much of a themeparker and I like the freedom in sandbox'es would of probably voted UO but was too dumb enough to buy it when it came out :).

Darkfall is not a themepark nor a complete sandbox but its a big box with some sand and a planetside ride, planetside would of won if they would of had more rpg to it :)

I would choose UO.

The ultimate freedom compared to every single game out there. Revolutionary classless system. OPEN ENDED house customization. Unlimited amount of item space (well stretched it a bit, but still you can hold WAY more items on your avatar than any other game out there) The list goes on. True RPG to its core, make your own quests, treasure hunts, become anyone you want, you shape your own world. The list goes on. Everything UO had, I wish every other game out there had. My very first MMO will be the best and most memorable.

Best PVP: Meridian 59 (which for some reason all but one person here actually remembers, but it predates UO and EQ) which BTW Mortal Online is copying the flagging concept from M59, which is quite cool, IMO.

Best PVE: EQ ...hands down

Quoting Nsane30.

Most of my responses were other games, not WoW. WoW is not the best game on the market, tho it is popular. It isnt the best. WoW Origonal was the best and earned game of the year for it for PC. But BC and WOTLK both blowed and the ratings showed.

Originally posted by Azzthuras

Quoting Nsane30.

Most of my responses were other games, not WoW. WoW is not the best game on the market, tho it is popular. It isnt the best. WoW Origonal was the best and earned game of the year for it for PC. But BC and WOTLK both blowed and the ratings showed.

BC and WoTLK recieved very good ratings in game press and among players. They blowed only for those, who played wow for ages and got tired of it

Originally posted by ArcheusCross

Originally posted by grandpagamer

Im hoping i havnt played it yet.

 

Wow, that was actually a pretty deep answer for a short sentence. Yeah, ill bite.

I agree. I hope I havent played it yet. Watching Mortal Online. And hoping.

Exactly the same here. Mortal Online is the game im waiting for and hoping it doesnt dissapoint. But, if i had to choose an mmo that "didnt bored me the second i logged in", than it is LOTRO. 

Im sad that i didnt play SWG back in the day...

 My vote is for Eve

Could never get into the game.  Couldn't really understand the appeal.  But its one of the few games that is continually growing and building in numbers.  The developers have remained loyal to a consistent vision, where most developers change their vision to garner a more mainstream audience.  So many games I've played, I got burned out on because the game was made 'easier' or made parts of the game 'obsolete' (I'm looking at you EQ, DAoC, and EQ2!!!). 

My other vote would go to FFXI

Square-Enix has done an impressive job of retaining the overall feel and atmosphere of the original game while still making healthy compromises to make the game a little more accessible and forgiving to casual players.  That, and its the only true cross-platform out there and has carried this torch alone since its release 4-5 years ago(US release that is).

The best is yet to come......

EQ is my personal favorite as Best MMORPG.

Originally posted by avalon1000

The best is yet to come......

good one...

there are new MMORPGs that will come out eventually...

but as of now, i think WoW is still the best among all the better games we have.

Everquest

Most MMO's since have been based off this game, including WoW.

Originally posted by djFEVA

The title "Best MMORPG" is like polling farmer's market and asking "What's the best fruit?"

The word best is very subjective, and thus superfluous, because everyone is entitled to their opinion. Players look for different things in their game. What one player favor may be boring or down right irritating for others. I look for a deep storyline that doesn't make leveling seem like a chore or end game a repetitive cycle of raiding for gear for raiding (same holds true for PvP, although I'm not a big fan of PvP). I've read quite a few threads of gamers who gear for PvP, and that's an aspect they look for in a game. Obviously, I'm going to differ in wildly in opinion about what's best.

With that being said, I haven't played enough MMOs to be able to judge... that'd be like asking someone who's only eaten apples their opinion on best fruit.

I do like reading other people's opinions on their favorite for best. I'm in the market searching for a MMO to play, and this is a good source to start doing some digging =)

I'm very impressed at the level of civility I've seen (*thus far*). Usually, a post with this type of question would generate a lot of dispute, which has great potential to get very ugly.

Limes are the best fruit.
No question.

Originally posted by Inf666

But if I were allowed to take a single MMO to an isolated island it would be... SWG before the doomsday patch.

I am with inf666 on this one, my first mmo was everquest, although i never got it to work on the gateway i had, the sound wouldnt come on and i gave up on it for some reason, been awhile ago.  Star wars galaxies was my first mmo i ever spent any amount of time on. 

Best Classic MMO - DAOC (pre TOA/New Frontiers)

Best modern MMO - EVE (hands down)

DAOC up to and through SI but no further. The game is now a travesty compared to what it was then (hence, why so many wanting an Origins server).

SWG at launch. Sure it ran like crap, looked like crap (because if you had a mediocre computer you had to turn the graphics way down), and it was buggy as all heck, but man was it fun. A true world where you could make your own existence and make a life for yourself however you wanted.