Looks like LotRO is the most highly regarded game out at the moment.  Must try it...

Originally posted by Apocamentus

Looks like LotRO is the most highly regarded game out at the moment.  Must try it...

Now what did you think of it? 

1) EQ2

Played at launch and stayed with the game for about 2 years.  I started late on MMO's and this was my first one really.  Loved the graphics, collection, crafting.  Also liked the out of game statistics, got a world first on a quest once

2) Eve

Played for 3 years, not from launch.  Love that the game is on a single server and actions of individuals can affect the game as a whole.  Actual risk of loosing stuff.  Great economy.

That's it.  I haven't played any other MMO's past first 30 days or free trial.

1. SWG - Pre CU was and always be my favorite, I grinded for jedi and got it pre cu, which was so exciting when the slot did  unlock.

2. DAoC - One of my first mmo's. I was an alt junky in this game, so many fun classes to choose from, not to mention the fun RvR.

3. Everquest 2 - Again many fun classes to choose from, lots of lore and exploration to be had.

4. Ragnarok Online - I was in the alpha/beta of this game way back in 1999. Brings back memories and made tons of friends in this game. I revisit it from time to time just because it was my first pc MMO.

5. Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast - This is what got me into playing MMO's.

1) EVE Online, only game that keeps me coming back. It is without a doubt the deepest RPG out.

2) LOTRO, a wonderful job of bringing Tolken to life.

3) COH, superheroes are almost as cool as space

no other MMO kept my interest beyond their trial.

Lineage 2 - The first and the only mmorpg that i played very long and that has the best pvp system ever created and so much drama. Unfourtanelly the bot problem is to high and i dont play it anymore

World of Warcaft. Well played it at the release was a pretty cool mmorpg as a warcraft fan, but after 3 or4 months when i got high lv so the endgame and no pvp and like everywhere the instance and the horrible decission to make it a faction game i never ever played it again.

All other mmorpgs i have played count survive the free test month :O

Originally posted by Quizzical

1.  Guild Wars

Take the common problems with typical MMORPGs (PvP dominated by level/gear, too much time running back and forth, large blocks of real-life time required, lengthy downtime between battles, combat where you spam only a few skills, a major pain or even impossible to respec, can't find a good group, patches are a pain, narrow level ranges to do content, subdivided playerbase so you can't play with most people, too long to level alts, heavily grindy endgame, incoherent storyline, mobs respawn on top of you, kill stealing, ninja looting, aggro system, gold farmer harassment, etc.), and fix nearly all of them.  In a single game.  And without creating a bunch of other glaring problems to compensate.  For a game to manage to do that is extremely rare.

2.  Infantry

Far and away the best PvP ever made, at least in its heyday from late 2000 through early 2002.  PvP is won neither by higher levels, better gear, nor superior numbers.  It's also the nearest to being completely bug-free that I've seen in a commercial online game.  Seriously:  it was more polished than WoW.  It's an MMO, but it's not an MMORPG.  I don't care.  It was a great game.

3.  A Tale in the Desert

The gold standard for crafting.  Your character could learn how to be really good at everything, but you can't, because you lack the player skills.  There simply isn't time for one single player to properly learn how to do everything, even if he were to be able to buy a character off Ebay with all skills maxed.  It's that deep.

4.  Puzzle Pirates

It's all player skill, not character skill.  It has a good trading system and a reasonably deep economy.  The various puzzles for crafting and ship operation add a good deal of variety to the game.

5.  Wizard101

Do one thing, and do it well.  That's better than doing a lot of things, and being mediocre at all of them.  The turn-based combat is deeper than you'd expect, and the game tries very hard to avoid grinding.  You know how in some games, when you need to get some particular drop for a quest, and it can take dozens of mobs to get it?  Wizard101 says, well, you've killed 8 and it hasn't dropped for you yet, so we'll just say that the eighth mob did, indeed, drop what you were after.

I love your right up on Guildwars.  It's so true.  I loved the PvP for those reasons.  Shame it just doesn't have the imersion as other MMOs.

Havne't tried it yet.  I have the trial of Vanguard installed right now so I reckon I'll let that run out first.

 1. LOTRO - Currently playing this game and really enjoying it.  Storyline is pretty good, zones are fun.  I enjoying the crafting and the fact that player made things are useful.  Legendary weapon system is fun to mess around with.  Can't wait to get a first or second age weapon.

2. CoX -  Beta tested and played for a couple years before my break.  I like the combat and different archtypes and the way the powers interact.  The character creation is flexible and fun to tinker with.  One of my favorites that I will eventually return to again because I still have a couple characters I want to finish leveling.

3. EQ - My first MMO and one I enjoyed for about 3.5 years.  World is huge and there is a lot to do and at the time I played, almost direction given to the players.   Very much an explorer's game to start with.  However the game was so group dependent that there were only a couple of character classes that could do anything on their own.  Eventually the time sinks and need to find a group made me give it up. 

4. Wizard 101 - Amazingly fun game.  Combat is card based and building the different decks is a blast.  Graphics are really cute and fits the backstory pretty well.

5. EQII - Nice graphics, interesting character classes but even after a year and half of playing I just could not get used to the differences between EQ and EQII classes.

EVE Online - have 2 subs but not really playing anymore.  However the game in scale and complexity can't be matched

AoC - Started off rough but now I am finding myself playing it more than anything else.  The mature content, skill and fatalities make this game gritty and it feels like the first grown up fantasy game I have played.

Jumpgate - By far the worst graphics out of all 3 but the community and the twitch combat make this game my third choice.  I have never played another MMO that gave me such an adrenalin rush.  Flying a space ship manually with zero G's and trying to fire manual missiles at another player sum it up.

Vanguard - So much promise.  I played with mates and we had a great time however the lack of players at the time made me quit.

Earth & Beyond - my first MMO and you always have a soft spot for it.  Never understood animals flying in space but the game had some great elements and its sad it was shut down.

1.Asherons call

2.lineage2

3.Asherons call 2 but its R.I.P.

4.the Chronicles of Spelborn

5.Saga of Ryzom

p.s Normally i would put Darkfall on 1 but so many reason why i dont even put it in list is of many dissapointments so untill its avaible for europe in more common way not only cc this game is dead for me.

Originally posted by paulscott

Wurmonline - Game I played for the longest the only real mmo "GAME" that is eligiable for this sites requirements(the whole graphical thing that is still a fully player controlled world.   It even puts EvE and Darkfall to shame after you look at aspects like being able to build your house/town/outpost anywhere(literally) on the map amoung a few other touches.

Guildwars - A class based game where it actually made sense to go class based.   This should be a staple for ANY mmo or even gamer.

Runescape - what can I say I'm not the UO hardcore guy I started on this game when I was a kid.   It has some interesting design decisions in that permemently altered how I was going to play MMOs(for great sandbox) from those decisions in the game. 

Mabinogi - sillily enough what I'm playing now.  Biggest laugh in the face to wester MMO developers because an Asian F2P low quality grind endgameless budgetless bad graphic sadist maoistic game gets away from the holy trinity when the best aspect of the game is raiding, while they(our developers) can't imagine a game that is otherwise(holy trinity).

Right PaulScott... I just lost all faith in you, Mabinogi? seriously? WurmOnline? Could you pick worse games? Even The Matrix (which is otherwise the worst MMO game ever published), beats these games.

darkfall- a new try

EVE- still playing

wow- a game will never be surpassed i think

CF- real addicted

lord of ring...

1) EVE online - I love being able to be what I want to be.  One of my Characters just mines asteroids - it may sound boring but it makes a lot of money and it can be very risky.

2) LOTRO - Was my favorite till the new expansion gained a lot of new players and the resulting lag made the game unplayable on my older  computer.

3) City of Villains - loved it.

4) EQ2 - used to love it till it became very boring.

5) Shadowbane - my first love of MMo's - in my opinion  when it was new it was the best PvP game out there.

Waiting for: Champions online.

 Top 5..

RuneScape: This was my first mmo loved it with a passion talked about it dreamt about it cryed about it no lie.  I was a serious addict.  For 5 years.

World of WArcraft:  ahh fuck wow I like but I don't like but I've flown back to it again and again.

Warhammer Online: Our savior from warcraft? Not even a little bit I played for a couple months loved it but slowly began to hate it and now I despise it..

Maple Story is another which I am not proud to announce but I did have fun.. 

Originally posted by Chamberlain

Everquest - Nothing can top the original 3D MMO.  From accidentally attacking a guard while trying to Hail for the first time, to drowning in Qeynos because swimming in an MMO at that time was like something unheard of.  Even at the end, the community was still pretty cool.  And this was a truly hardcore level of MMO.  Find another MMO where you spend literally HOURS in a group, just killing monsters over and over again, only to die ONCE, and have all the experience you gained, and more, get flushed away.   It was frustrating at the time, but the tolerance of the system was because it was the best, and only one doing it, so you really had no choice but to accept it and grind away.

World of Warcraft - I played this longer than any MMO before.  I had never even played a warcraft game before, but that's how cool it was, that's how much it just completely drew you in.  When the game first launched, it was discovery, and exploration, and just so much fun I couldn't wait to get home and play it.  The game runs like a dream, even on crummy computers, without making the graphics look too underwhelming.  In fact, many locations are just downright gorgeous.  With that being said, the game has degraded into a cesspool.  While WotLK has given us some truly breathtaking environments, and some novel new quest ideas, the fact remains:  WoW's community is GARBAGE.  And what's left of the game has been turned into a giant math problem and number crunch, thanks to theorycrafters who have answered the math problem with a single resounding answer:  If you don't have the best gear in the game, you're not worth talking to. 

Warhammer Online - I must say, I bought this right at release, and I still play it from time to time.  WAR takes the "static race-war" concept to a new height, where you feel like both sides actually hate each other.  It's hard to imagine a Tauren mercilessly tearing apart a Night Elf.  Sorry, but the race war in WoW is stupid, and not believable.  But I can definitely see a Greenskin splitting a goody two shoes high elf in half with a giant axe.  The environments are also pretty cool, but what really sells this game for me is the PvP.  And I HATE PvP in MMOs.  But for some reason, this game makes it feel natural, and fun, and it's the only game where I can tolerate lengthy PvP campaigns.  Also, for a game not focused on PvE, public quests are one of the coolest things ever done in ANY MMO, and I would love to see it in future MMOs.

Vanguard - One of the main things I liked about Vanguard was how vast and detailed it was.  Unfortunately, this is also one of the things that eventually made me stop playing it.  Expansive is fine, but when it takes 40 minutes just to find the one person you need in a giant metropolis of a city, that gets a little tiresome.  There are too many people to talk to for everything.  As far as graphics, the models are ok, the jumping animations are pretty bad, and let's face it... they're all the same model with a bit different height, face, and head.  But they all stand the same way, fight the same way, and cast the same way.  That's usually the drawback to MMOs with 15-20 race/class choices.  it didn't take long for me to realize that this was just another grind fest, and after about 20 levels, I realized that it was just kill/gather quests over and over again, except with absurd difficulty.  And I figured if I was going to be bored with generic quests, I might as well just go back and play WoW.

LOTRO - This is the game I'm currently playing, and it has a handful of things that other MMOs don't, but for the most part is still your standard fare.  However there are a few big selling points for me.  Number one is the music system.  This in and of itself could be an entire game, and it really heightens the immersion factor.  Also the fishing is very relaxing, and doesn't require an annoying twitch mechanic like WoW does.  Finally, the almost complete absence of PvP.  PvP in just about all MMOs comes across as malicious and hateful.  It's designed to do this.  In an FPS game, you have guns, you're supposed to be killing people.  In MMOs, it's just like this wrench thrown into what should be a relaxing and fun experience, designed so people who are unhappy in RL can take it out on other players, and then spam them with ignorant emotes.  Thankfully, LOTRO is almost devoid of PvP, and the only PvP it has is well thought out, putting you in the role of a monster, which is the only thing that should be attacking players.

 

Anyway, that's my two cents.  Think of it what you will.

What I highlighted there is the BEST ASSESSMENT of WoW that I have EVER seen bar none.  I totally agree with what you've said, sadly.   And WotLK had some really wonderful new game twists, like the phasing, where your actions really DID affect the game environment.  Loved it.  Just loved it.  But everything else that you said is ALSO true, and that is why I'm no longer playing WoW, after four years of playing it.  That being said, I have almost always (until now) subbed to more than one game at a time.  Here are my five picks:

1) Lord of the Rings Online - BEST GAMING COMMUNITY I have ever encountered, absolutely STUNNING graphics that are SO not done justice by any screenshot I have ever seen.  It uses DX10 if you have it, and if you DO...it's a gorgeous treat for the eyes!  This is the game I am presently playing, also, and I ADORE it.  I'm on Vilya server, and a member of "Bards of a Feather" a "famous" orchestra that plays all across Middle Earth, so yes...I love the music system too. :)  Everything you said about LotRO....I agree with, as well!

2) World of Warcraft - the 800 lb gorilla that I enjoyed so thoroughly because of being in a FANTASTIC adult raid guild, albeit in the end...I just couldn't STAND the game's community any more

3) Ultima Online - So many great things I could say....the sandbox game that ignited my love of MMOs

4) Everquest II - another good community, just barely falls short of LotRO, in my opinion, however

5) Link Realms - a little known true sandbox game that is in semi-open beta and has TREMENDOUS promise

Darkfall

Really nice to read some well thought out and objective write-ups of those MMORPGs we all love (... to hate *smile* )

1) Anarchy Online - The first real MMORPG I played and the one I still have fond memories of. Was introduced by my flatmates at the time and exploring the huge world with some experienced players to show me the ropes was amazingly fun. I loved the different things you could do  to your char. Not only weapons and armour but also Implants played a major role in how powerful your char would become. The whole twinking was tremendous fun. You really depended on other players for some things - I'm not only talking about grouping but also the different buffs you wanted/needed. All classes had short/ and long-term buffs that helped you equip high level gear or gave you run speed or a 30 minute HoT, etc. Fantastic!

These days, the community is not as big anymore, but still sizeable enough to find people quickly. Also, the base game is FREE - always good in my books - and Funcom is releasing new addons quite regularly, considering the game's age. If you like futuristic SciFi games, you should check it out. The graphics are a little dated, but FC are working on an engine update, that looks pretty good, from what I've seen.

2) Planetside - Damn, how much fun! I had the good fortune to be a part of a very fun outfit (Hey Purple Valor) and mowing down enemies with a platoon of Magriders was about as much fun as I've ever had in a shooter style game. As someone mentioned earlier, the sense of allout war can be incredibly immersive. I remember a battle at a bridge with all 3 factions trying to secure a beachhead. There were literally hundreds of players and the action raged on for hours.

I haven't played it for a while, so I won't attempt to say anything about the current state of the game. You can play for free until battle rank 6 (out of 20 ?) which will give you access to every weapon and armour in the game. You just won't have the tactical choices higher level players have.

3) World of Warcraft - The big cheese. I started playing with some RL friends and we had a fantastic time together. They dropped off after a while because of time constraints in real life, but I stayed until I hit the level cap of 60 at the time. For me the game changed radically, then. I loved exploration, questing. Doing stuff in small groups or alone. And suddenly it was all about raiding and farming MC for that epic gear. I dropped out shortly after I hit 60.

When BC came out I joined again and played for about 4-5 levels. I couldn't get into it anymore. It seemed to be more of the same and as I didn't have people I knew in my level range I was just grinding mobs and doing solo quests. Overall I have to say though, that imho WoW is the MMORPG that has been executed the best. Sure, some (haters would say 'all' ;) ) ideas were there before, but it was all so polished. Just a superbly built game.

4) Warhammer Online - Played it for about 2-3 months. Had a fun guild (I'm lucky that way), but i got ground out at level 27. Not much to do on your own, if you're on your own it seemd. PvP was a lot of fun. Frantic screams over TS were hilarious. I got an email recently, offering a 10 day free re-sub. Thinking of checking out what's happened in the last few months.

5) Runes of Magic - Currently playing this one. Looks nice, plays well, is free and the community is not nearly as bad as I expected from a F2P WoW lookalike. We'll see how it pans out and how long I can stick with it

The rest: Vanguard, SWG, Eve,  RF Online and a few others. Played the trials and didn't sub for different reasons.

Hmmm.

Definitely past tense here, big fans of all these games at various times:

EQ, UO, Anarchy Online, WoW, DaoC

Of them, I only occassionally still play WoW now, and by occassionally I mean like 2-3 times year.

1.  Pre NGE SWG

2. LOTRO

3. DnD online

4. Vanguard

5.  WoW