Lv 1-9 chat in eq2 was used as a global chat so the difference in quality of chat has more to do with the type of game eq2 is compared to tera.Different type of games attract different types of people this is why eq2 or lotro have better and friendlier communities.Local chat in tera is much better than general but that does not mean that general chat is the same in all mmos. About guilds ,depends from person to person ,I for one only join small guilds and when invited by people I already know and like ,not interested in joining a guild only to be able to enjoy parts of the game.

I'm playing Rift and still subbed to LOTRO. Both are decent themeparks with rich worlds and an endgame focused on raiding. In both you'll find plenty of grind if you want the best or to see the top tier content. Both support RP and have plenty of "fluff" content including events, cosmetics, vanity items, useful crafting, housing, etc. And both have robust economies to get what you want as well as very little in the way of spammers and hacking.

Notable Pros
LOTRO - Lore - the game adheres to the excellent story by Tolkien
LOTRO - Environment - really makes you feel you are in story locales
LOTRO - Mounted Combat - takes some getting used to but this is fun
LOTRO - Mature playerbase, supportive community
Rift - Dimensions - da bomb. Sandboxy housing in a themepark ftw
Rift - Leaderboards for everything for the competitive and achievers
Rift - Crisp graphics
Rift - Very flexible character creation and abilities options

Notable Cons
LOTRO - Avatar graphics are quite dated
LOTRO - Performance is a major issue and complaint these days in Rohan
LOTRO - New level cap is 85, long way to level from scratch even if it's fast
Rift - SL Carnage quests get old
Rift - Community is a lot like WoW

Just my nickel, hope it's useful.

Originally posted by memphis12

I don't get my new laptop until next week so I'm currently watching videos and asking questions on various mmo sites. I have narrowed my search for a good mmo for me to Rift, Guild Wars 2 and Tera. 

I played, loved and breathed Rift for a long time. But, family life came along (kids, fiancé etc) and I left. Money is not important in my decision .. Just the best MMO out of these 3. I know they all differ from one another, GW2 more than most .. But I thought if I good get some input from you guys then it might help me along. 

**snip**

I know everyone's choice is personal to them, and the reasons for that choice might be what turns me off from the game, but I'm curious all the same. 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Best advice I can give you is this:

Rift: Great game. Perfect for those who enjoyed WoW, prefer that type of MMO, but want something different enough to feel like a new game.

TERA: Good game. Perfect for those who like FFA PvP, and want a more action-oriented combat system. PvE is extremely grindy / lackluster, though the dungeons can be fun at times. If you were / are a big fan of lineage-type MMOs, this one might be for you.

GW2: Great game. This game is for people looking for a different type of MMO. It's perhaps the most unique of the 3. If you want to try something very different, GW2 is definitely worth giving a shot. However, it's also a bit of a gamble, because of how unique the game is in many areas. It's also not a game that's really focused around a carrot, per-se. So if you know you are the type of gamer who wants to always be chasing that 'next coolest thing', GW2 probably won't hold your attention. It has good PvP, I enjoy the PvE, but I don't play it as regularly as I used to. For me, GW2 is currently an MMO I hop into for a bit here & there to have some fun without too many strings attached.

- Really, it all depends on the type of gamer you are. Each of the above 3 caters to a different crowd. All of the above 3 will have people claiming they are the best for w/e reason. If you're trying to avoid making a bad choice, figure out what type of gamer you are / what crowd u have the most fun with / what types of things you enjoy most in your games. Then, go with the game that seems to match your tastes best.

Originally posted by Raventree

Originally posted by Gravarg
I'm currently playing Rift and WoW.  There's just nothing that beats either of them in any category, so why play anything else :)

I'll second this.  As someone who played WoW for about 5 years until I could no longer bring myself to log in anymore, Rift is another fantastic option.  Honestly, if I had started with Rift, WoW would have seemed pretty pathetic because of Rift's newer systems, better graphics, and awesome class flexibility.  Only WoW can boast 9-10 million players, though. 

 Its amazing how many ex-WoW players Rift stole by basically copying the game...To me it sets a very bad precedent.....There are lots of WoW clones out there but Rift is a WoW copy......

Hi,

I tried all three, but must admit that with Tera, and Rift, I only hit the start zones before I said enough is enough.

I value graphics, and Rift just didn't do it for me, although I can see some peoples appeal for the game.

Tera/Tera: rising  

This might be action based, but don't be fooled.

With my class atleast I ended up special attack, special attack dodge, special attack, special attack, dodge, VERY Boring , and very clunky indeed.

Guild Wars 2, is the littlest evil in all of this, as they truly try to atleast hide the grind, and you do not have gear grind, or maybe just a little.

To get to decent gear will take you two days at 80, and I would say for a family person, it's just the right amount of casual.

It has the best graphics of the lot, it is buy to play, though you get a cash shop, and the story is relatively gripping.

Originally posted by memphis12

Originally posted by nolins12
There are no raids in GW2 either, if endgame is what you are looking for definitely stay away from GW2, your worries about the lack of the holy trinity are correct.

Thanks for the input. Another that is in the back of my mind is LOTR (played that for a while also) 

To be honest raiding isn't my priority, but I do like challenges and things like raids to look forward to. 

 

What would be your personal choice out of the bunch? 

Lotro has changed a lot since it went F2P, so i would read up on it first, if you decide to go back.

1) Rift

2) Secret World

3) Tera

4) GW2

That's my ranking.  I don't see TSW in your list, but I would definitely consider it.   I'd give Rift and TSW a tie if I could.  TSW has a great story and the instances are all fun.  Instance runs are all about the boss fights.  There is little to no trash in instances.  Rift has great polish and just feels good all around.  If you want more dynamic combat then I pick Tera over GW2.  Tera's combat is much more fluid.  The dodging feels more natural and precise.  I prefer dedicated roles and I couldn't seem to get past that in GW2.  Running pugs in instances was hard and not rewarding at all.  It was every man for himself.  Occassionally you'd find a group that was organized and talked out combat.  However, I still missed defined roles.

Though honestly I'd pick either Rift or GW2 if I where you, I don't think for you, that you could go wrong with either one, Rift is a good traditional MMORPG IMO, for me if it weren't for the sub and tab targeting I'd be playing it alongside Guild Wars 2. 

But yea I voted GW2 yet I wouldn't be dissappointed if you chose Rift and prefer it over GW2.

if you are willing to pay sub, then imo Rift is your number 1 choice.

between tera and gw2 imo go for tera. better combat system and most of all, NOT A FRIEND WITH EVERY1 in the open world. yes you can and be killed out there and this is the reason i dont play gw2 anymore and i wont came back untill such an option gets in the game. at least for the guilds you are in war with. this is GUILD WARS ffs...

If you have other responsibilities in life you cannot go wrong with GW2.

It provides quick access to all facets of the game with minimal commitment.

However, you are rewarded by investing even small amounts of time in researching the meta.  If you are a person who enjoys continually improving your gameplay over time, GW2 is the best and most rewarding.

EDIT:  Voted GW2 obviously, but I believe you would have fun in Rift as well.

Thanks for all the help guys. I've decided to go with Tera first and see where I go from there. Tera was last on % from people on this forum but the comments and other forums have helped make my choice a little easier. 

A very nice community on this forum. Thanks again :-) 

Rift is a solid PvE game with proper endgame.  It's the only of the 3 that meets that criteria.   If you're more into PvP, one of the other game is probably better.

You can also try TSW - really great PvE themepark game.

Originally posted by Manolios

if you are willing to pay sub, then imo Rift is your number 1 choice.

between tera and gw2 imo go for tera. better combat system and most of all, NOT A FRIEND WITH EVERY1 in the open world. yes you can and be killed out there and this is the reason i dont play gw2 anymore and i wont came back untill such an option gets in the game. at least for the guilds you are in war with. this is GUILD WARS ffs...

This always makes me laugh, because realistically, the combat systems between GW2 and TERA are nearly identical (minus the prevailance of animation lock in TERA). It's a shame this isn't allowed to be talked about much on these forums, but GW2 has a widely known mod that literally makes the game play just like TERA (by doing nothing more than switching around a few keybindings, and adding a retical).

As for open world PvP, if that's all you're looking for, I'd probably go with Rift over TERA. TERAs got ganking for sure, but it's also tied to a political system (in which the open PvP can, and often does, get turned OFF). I play TERA off and on now that it's free, and honestly the PvP in that game is nowhere near what it was at launch. It's mostly battlegrounds now, with a few random PK fights here and there, or the occasional guild battle.

Originally posted by arieste

Rift is a solid PvE game with proper endgame.  It's the only of the 3 that meets that criteria.   If you're more into PvP, one of the other game is probably better.

You can also try TSW - really great PvE themepark game.

Actually, TSW is a good suggestion for PvE. The game doesn't have a ton of longevity, but it's a really enjoyable ride for the story.  The lore of the game is pretty interesting, and it's a fun game to get lost in for about a month. I also think it's F2P now? Unless I'm wrong about that.

Originally posted by Skooma2
I've played all 3 and., IMHO, they are all crap.  You can do better with most other AAA games.

Suggestions?

Taking into account the changes made to ftp model's for certain game's,my list of game recommend's (strictly mmo and no arpg) would look like this.

1) TSW

2) EQ2

3) Lotro

4) Tera

5) Rift

6) GW2

7) Swtor

I base this off playing said game's and the experience they offer,plus the btp/ftp value I feel they offer.