I have wanted to dive headfirst into an MMO for literally years now. I love the idea of massive player run economies, forming guilds, and the whole gaming-based-on-interpersonal-interaction thing. 

Try Wizard 101.
Not saying you will like it, but in my opinion it is at least something turn based in the ocean of actiony combat.
Uncharted Waters Onlined also was slower paced.
Puzzle Pirates...

I am actually sick of suggesting old games. Is there anything new turn based or slower paced?

Sadly all the economy stuff and persistent world eat away from the combat stuff in development so there really aren't MMOs like that with good combat. Nevertheless if you are looking for something different, check out Atlantica Online. Upcoming GW2 might fit your taste.

GW2 has a nice balance of "click and wait" and twitch. You're frigin skills that have cooldowns, but it's less about hitting the button every time it lights up and more about figuring out which buttons to press when. And movement, positioning, and timing are all important.

The Secret World isn't bad at that either, even though I didn't feel it was for me personally.

Originally posted by Herodes

Try Wizard 101.
Not saying you will like it, but in my opinion it is at least something turn based in the ocean of actiony combat.
Uncharted Waters Onlined also was slower paced.
Puzzle Pirates...

I am actually sick of suggesting old games. Is there anything new turn based or slower paced?

 

Thanks for the help! I'm not necessarily set on something turn-based - I'm just hoping for skill based. I love sports games (FIFA 12 is a favorite), but still its skill and strategy, not twitch focused. Is there any real skill to Uncharted Waters?

Yeah... puzzle pirates. I'm so proud.

Originally posted by Quirhid

Sadly all the economy stuff and persistent world eat away from the combat stuff in development so there really aren't MMOs like that with good combat. Nevertheless if you are looking for something different, check out Atlantica Online. Upcoming GW2 might fit your taste.

Is Atlantica really strategy focused? I looked at it a bit, and it seemed more about memorizing the system than intelligent tactics. Maybe I'm missing something?

Originally posted by terrant

GW2 has a nice balance of "click and wait" and twitch. You're frigin skills that have cooldowns, but it's less about hitting the button every time it lights up and more about figuring out which buttons to press when. And movement, positioning, and timing are all important.

 

The Secret World isn't bad at that either, even though I didn't feel it was for me personally.

Doesn't GW use the WOW type system? Is there any real strategy to it?

What's combat in the Secret World like?

Originally posted by spchariot

Originally posted by terrant

GW2 has a nice balance of "click and wait" and twitch. You're frigin skills that have cooldowns, but it's less about hitting the button every time it lights up and more about figuring out which buttons to press when. And movement, positioning, and timing are all important.

 

The Secret World isn't bad at that either, even though I didn't feel it was for me personally.

Doesn't GW use the WOW type system? Is there any real strategy to it?

 

What's combat in the Secret World like?

GW2 uses a hotbar mechanic like most other MMOS, but a couple thigns to note:

1) No global cooldown.

2) (sort of ) No auto attack. All builds have a skill that defaults to auto-on, but any one skill can be toggled as an auto fire at any time.

3) Combat is not about standing there and firing off your optimal rotation. You'll die in about 2 seconds that way. Kiting, dodging attacks, etc is more important. And thinking about when to use attacks is important. Do you fire that attack off now?, or wait until you can get some use out of the secondary effect (most skills have a secondar effect).

TSW is very similar. I just didn't liek the way it flowed compared to GW.

No one suggesting TERA yet? What is wrong with you people? Best combat system ever seen or ever will be seen in an MMO. I have been playing since release and now I couldn't care less if any of these so called coming of christ games even even release any time soon as I will be right here playing TERA!

Originally posted by Wrender

No one suggesting TERA yet? What is wrong with you people? Best combat system ever seen or ever will be seen in an MMO. I have been playing since release and now I couldn't care less if any of these so called coming of christ games even even release any time soon as I will be right here playing TERA!

Tera uses a hack and slash system right? Is there any real strategy, or just twitch?

Strategy really shines in groups and you can actually learn to do combat entirely in Cntrl+Z mode (removes interface) and the graphics are mindblowing without any onscreen clutter. True the quests can be kinda bland but the look and feel of the game is exceptional and the right guild can have some very good social interactions between players as well.

Originally posted by Wrender

Strategy really shines in groups and you can actually learn to do combat entirely in Cntrl+Z mode (removes interface) and the graphics are mindblowing without any onscreen clutter. True the quests can be kinda bland but the look and feel of the game is exceptional and the right guild can have some very good social interactions between players as well.

Is there guild v guild combat?

For something different, you could try Fallen Earth. It's kind of a FPS style combat with skill based evolution and RPG stuff in it. Crafting is not so bad, most of the good stuff is crafted by the players and it has a HUGE territory to explore. If you're looking for a new way to fight in a MMO, give it a good try.

Originally posted by spchariot

Originally posted by Wrender

No one suggesting TERA yet? What is wrong with you people? Best combat system ever seen or ever will be seen in an MMO. I have been playing since release and now I couldn't care less if any of these so called coming of christ games even even release any time soon as I will be right here playing TERA!

Tera uses a hack and slash system right? Is there any real strategy, or just twitch?

Tera has had mixed reviews regarding it's combat.  While it's true that it is more action based than the traditional tab target system of most MMO's it's certainly not a standard button masher (well, you could but you are doing it wrong if you did).  When you click a button to attack you are locked into the attack animation.  This means you can't move again until the animation is complete, that is where the strategy comes in.  You need to be mindful of when you move out of the way of incoming attacks, the distance at which said animations will travel and how long they take to complete.  Certain mob moves (typically very powerful ones) have an animation to let you know they are incoming.

A lot of people who were looking for purely action based combat didn't like TERA's animation lock style and moved on.  That said, i if you are looking for something that offers a little more thought than the standard fare yet not quite as much as turn-based combat TERA does deliver in that department.  Sadly the story is fairly weak but the visuals and PvP can be fun, this includes GvG.

Originally posted by spchariot

 

Oddly enough, I think the MMO I've gotten the most into is the kids game Puzzle Pirates. Though it's not um, really my style, your success is actually based on your skill, now grinding, reflexes, or packing your brain with facts about ship specs. 

Since when is Puzzle Pirates a kids game?  Are adults not allowed to like good games unless they're rated M for mature?

Actually, you might want to look at a couple more recent games that Three Rings also made, besides Puzzle Pirates.  Bang Howdy isn't really an MMORPG, but its combat might be up your alley.  Spiral Knights is also pretty good, though I'm guessing you'd think the combat is too twitchy.

You might also want to try the ship combat in Pirates of the Burning Sea.  But only the ship combat; the land combat is terrible.

Atlantica was mentioned above, and it does have a nice combat system.  Unfortunately, everything else in the entire game is awful.  And I do mean everything:  pay to win item mall, scheduled maintenance during prime time, extreme levels of grinding, new party members that start at level 1 so they're a major pain to level, the most linear quest system I've ever seen (most of the game's quests seem to be in a single, extremely long quest line), a mob pulling system that is wacky and unworkable, etc.  But the combat is good.

Uncharted Waters Online has lots of nice side features.  But it's not the game you're looking for if you're mainly into combat.  The ship combat is all right, but the land combat is decidedly mediocre.  You should give it a try if you're into exploration, though, as exploration is about as important of a part of the game as combat.  Some things in the game strike me as making things complicated for the sake of making them complicated, so don't be surprised if you spend an hour trying to figure out some stupid detail before giving up and asking for help.  UWO doesn't have anything that you can point to and say, that's the main thing in the game.  It's a very open-ended sandbox, and it does have both ship combat and land combat, but combat isn't the main point of the game.

Guild Wars combat is superficially similar to WoW, but there are major differences--and Guild Wars is a lot better.  For starters, Guild Wars combat has a much faster pace than WoW.  Nearly everything is built for a group, and you can take AI party members with you.  Nearly all of the game's skills have conditional effects, so mindlessly spamming something is highly ineffective.  Not that you could spam a particular skill, as most of them have substantial cooldowns.  And you only get eight skills on your skillbar at a time, but you can respec everything for free whenever you want in any town or outpost.

Or you could try A Tale in the Desert, which doesn't have combat at all--and therefore, doesn't have bad combat.  It's mostly a crafting game.  Hardcore PVP crafting.

Originally posted by Rhavens

For something different, you could try Fallen Earth. It's kind of a FPS style combat with skill based evolution and RPG stuff in it. Crafting is not so bad, most of the good stuff is crafted by the players and it has a HUGE territory to explore. If you're looking for a new way to fight in a MMO, give it a good try.

It seemed interesting - is there any real strategy to the gameplay?

Originally posted by miguksaram

Originally posted by spchariot

Originally posted by Wrender

No one suggesting TERA yet? What is wrong with you people? Best combat system ever seen or ever will be seen in an MMO. I have been playing since release and now I couldn't care less if any of these so called coming of christ games even even release any time soon as I will be right here playing TERA!

Tera uses a hack and slash system right? Is there any real strategy, or just twitch?

Tera has had mixed reviews regarding it's combat.  While it's true that it is more action based than the traditional tab target system of most MMO's it's certainly not a standard button masher (well, you could but you are doing it wrong if you did).  When you click a button to attack you are locked into the attack animation.  This means you can't move again until the animation is complete, that is where the strategy comes in.  You need to be mindful of when you move out of the way of incoming attacks, the distance at which said animations will travel and how long they take to complete.  Certain mob moves (typically very powerful ones) have an animation to let you know they are incoming.

A lot of people who were looking for purely action based combat didn't like TERA's animation lock style and moved on.  That said, i if you are looking for something that offers a little more thought than the standard fare yet not quite as much as turn-based combat TERA does deliver in that department.  Sadly the story is fairly weak but the visuals and PvP can be fun, this includes GvG.

Interesting. I'm not interested in pure action - I wonder how much strategy there is?

I started the free trial - yikes, the storytelling isn't amazing is it. I don't mind turn based, but I've found they often focus on who knows the system better, not who can think better. Maybe Tera is worth a second look - does have long-term depth do you think? Any other suggestions?

Originally posted by Quizzical

Originally posted by spchariot

 

Oddly enough, I think the MMO I've gotten the most into is the kids game Puzzle Pirates. Though it's not um, really my style, your success is actually based on your skill, now grinding, reflexes, or packing your brain with facts about ship specs. 

Since when is Puzzle Pirates a kids game?  Are adults not allowed to like good games unless they're rated M for mature?

Actually, you might want to look at a couple more recent games that Three Rings also made, besides Puzzle Pirates.  Bang Howdy isn't really an MMORPG, but its combat might be up your alley.  Spiral Knights is also pretty good, though I'm guessing you'd think the combat is too twitchy.

You might also want to try the ship combat in Pirates of the Burning Sea.  But only the ship combat; the land combat is terrible.

Atlantica was mentioned above, and it does have a nice combat system.  Unfortunately, everything else in the entire game is awful.  And I do mean everything:  pay to win item mall, scheduled maintenance during prime time, extreme levels of grinding, new party members that start at level 1 so they're a major pain to level, the most linear quest system I've ever seen (most of the game's quests seem to be in a single, extremely long quest line), a mob pulling system that is wacky and unworkable, etc.  But the combat is good.

Uncharted Waters Online has lots of nice side features.  But it's not the game you're looking for if you're mainly into combat.  The ship combat is all right, but the land combat is decidedly mediocre.  You should give it a try if you're into exploration, though, as exploration is about as important of a part of the game as combat.  Some things in the game strike me as making things complicated for the sake of making them complicated, so don't be surprised if you spend an hour trying to figure out some stupid detail before giving up and asking for help.  UWO doesn't have anything that you can point to and say, that's the main thing in the game.  It's a very open-ended sandbox, and it does have both ship combat and land combat, but combat isn't the main point of the game.

Guild Wars combat is superficially similar to WoW, but there are major differences--and Guild Wars is a lot better.  For starters, Guild Wars combat has a much faster pace than WoW.  Nearly everything is built for a group, and you can take AI party members with you.  Nearly all of the game's skills have conditional effects, so mindlessly spamming something is highly ineffective.  Not that you could spam a particular skill, as most of them have substantial cooldowns.  And you only get eight skills on your skillbar at a time, but you can respec everything for free whenever you want in any town or outpost.

Or you could try A Tale in the Desert, which doesn't have combat at all--and therefore, doesn't have bad combat.  It's mostly a crafting game.  Hardcore PVP crafting.

Good point - I had more fun playing Puzzle Pirates than just about any other MMO. I don't care what the marketing is. I'll look into Three Rings more - alas, the whole point is to try and find a combination between an MMORPG and good, simple gameplay. None of their games seemed of interest right off the back, but we'll see.

It's amazing that there is no persistent MMORPG whose central mechanic is as deep as a good Flash game! There's got to be something out there.

I tried a trial of Pirates of the Burning Sea - the ship stuff was fun, but I left quickly - it may have been the land combat that turned me off. If I'm going to get invested in something, there's no point in it not being fundamentally solid. "Complicated for the sake of complicated" is a bad thing in my book.

Do you think Guild Wars is good enough to get invested in? I'm typically very suspicious of WoW style, but I like the focus on GvG.

A Tale in the Desert looks interesting - PvP is PvP, who cares what the mechanic supposedly is. A 24 hour trial is a little disappointing - is it worth trying?

Thanks so much for your excellent help! Please keep the information coming.

Originally posted by spchariot

A Tale in the Desert looks interesting - PvP is PvP, who cares what the mechanic supposedly is. A 24 hour trial is a little disappointing - is it worth trying?

Opinions differ on whether ATITD is PVP, PVE, a mix of both, exclusively one or the other, or whatever.  It's a very strange game, but you need to try it if you think you like crafting.  At first glance, it will probably seem like pure PVE, but once you start fighting with other players over how society ought to allocate resources, calling it PVE doesn't seem right anymore.  Especially once you figure out that players can permanently ban other players.

The 24 hour trial is 24 hours of game time, not 24 hours of real-life time.  If you play an hour per day, it comes to 24 days of real-life time.

Try Wakfu or Dofus, their combat system is like playing Final Fantasy Tactics online and it's really tactical. They both have a lot of Sandbox elements, Wakfu more than Dofus.

Wizard 101 combat is played like a card game and requires a lot more thinking that WoW-style combat, but the animations on that game are painfully slow and it's a kids game so no player run economy, forming guilds, or such. But if you're looking for different combat it's unique. Pirate 101 will have a combat that looks a bit like chess style, or Heroes of Might and Magic style, but it'll also be a kids game I'm afraid and it's not released yet.