In The List this week, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy takes a look at five games that really deserve more attention from MMO fans. The list is both nostalgic and perhaps just a bit controversial. See if you agree with Bill's choices of MMOs that deserve our attention, then leave us a couple thoughts in the comments.

This is by no means a definitive list of games worth playing, but rather a guideline for what the MMORPG.com staff thinks are titles that deserve a second look after a long haul towards self-improvement.  Don’t get all hate-filled if we don’t list your game here… it’s not personal.  Take a look at the games we think deserve a second look and see if you agree!

Read more of Bill Murphy's The List: Five MMOs Worth a Second Look.

Good list.  I agree with eveything on here and I've actually tried many of them in the past couple of months. 

While AoC and Champions aren't my cup of tea they aren't too bad in their current state. 

I'm really enjoying Vanguard quite a bit and rarely encounter a bug.  And those I haven't tried (Darkfall and FE) I plan on trying out soon.

I disagree witht he list. A MMO, mostly because they're time consuming and require money to keep playing, only has one shot to grab you. I've played all of those games and had good reasons for leaving them. I don't like the current way MMO's are giving out quests, so most of the games on that list suck in that regard; I don't like the Post Apocolyptic setting, so Fallen Earth is off the table; but I'd dare say Darkfall is different.

I didn't like Darkfall the first go around, but because there's not really any other competitors for Darkfall, it has a shot of getting a second look from me once Darkfall 2.0 releases.

So long story short, if your game isn't totally unique, then you have 1 shot to get my subscription, because there are always newer games on the up and coming I will wait for and play if all you're going to do is copy the worst feature in MMORPG's (quest grinding). I just abhor redoing quests that much! I would rather not play the game again than have to regrind out the same quests.

Yesterday I downloaded Age of Conan, Today I removed it again and ran away screaming. why?

the whole free to play thing is just a huge hoax. There are so many restrictions that playing free just isn't possible. I mean a 2 gold maximum??!!

Originally posted by Hoekzema

Yesterday I downloaded Age of Conan, Today I removed it again and ran away screaming. why?

the whole free to play thing is just a huge hoax. There are so many restrictions that playing free just isn't possible. I mean a 2 gold maximum??!!

 

The two gold limit doesn;t effect free players at all. Hell, you wont even get two gold until you are well past level 60 (and really by then if you enjoy the game that much I would definitely consider going freemium). Only a bitter veteran would really have an issue with the gold limit. In fact the gold limit is a great thing as it helps prevent gold spammers from using free accounts to harrass us as much :p

AoC has way more free content than say LOTRO as an example, you really won't notice the restrictions until you invest serious time in the game. If you were genuinely a new player and only tried it at the weekend and felt effected by any of the free player restrictions there is no way you actually gave it a fair chance 

Originally posted by nate1980

I disagree witht he list. A MMO, mostly because they're time consuming and require money to keep playing, only has one shot to grab you. I've played all of those games and had good reasons for leaving them. I don't like the current way MMO's are giving out quests, so most of the games on that list suck in that regard; I don't like the Post Apocolyptic setting, so Fallen Earth is off the table; but I'd dare say Darkfall is different.

I didn't like Darkfall the first go around, but because there's not really any other competitors for Darkfall, it has a shot of getting a second look from me once Darkfall 2.0 releases.

So long story short, if your game isn't totally unique, then you have 1 shot to get my subscription, because there are always newer games on the up and coming I will wait for and play if all you're going to do is copy the worst feature in MMORPG's (quest grinding). I just abhor redoing quests that much! I would rather not play the game again than have to regrind out the same quests.

I sort of agree, at least for your "One shot". The stuff about certain games sucking cause you don't like them I find amusing. But I liked Vanguard when it came out, but the late-game issues really killed it for me. Even after I hear about everything that has been fixed I feel like I can't go back and that ship has sailed (built and sailed). Darkfall is interesting with their 2.0 release cause its a relaunch, although if there is no character wipes then they might not see any new players and will lose old players due to change... 

But in the past not many games have failed and were given a second chance, typically they fail and disappear. But recently we have seen lots of re-launches or planned re-launches of games and we will see how they do. Darkfall 2.0, FFXIV and APB are just a few off the top of my head. 

I agree with that list but would also add Star Trek Online to it also. I played FE and Conan and enjoyed those games. Was a raid leader In AOC for a time. While I havent tried the others I wouldnt mind giving them a shot except Darkfall.

***Raises Plunger in salute SBford for good article.***

But as our re-review coming this month will attest to, the Saga of Heroes has come a long way in recent months and deserves much more attention than its getting.

Yes.

Originally posted by Hoekzema

Yesterday I downloaded Age of Conan, Today I removed it again and ran away screaming. why?

the whole free to play thing is just a huge hoax. There are so many restrictions that playing free just isn't possible. I mean a 2 gold maximum??!!

To each their own. I started to play again shortly after becoming free to play, after bugs, incomplete content the quickly diminishing population drove me away at release, and having a blast so far.

I'm playing two chars (a guardian and barbarian, levels 5 and 44 respectively), taking my time leveling and having lots of fun and haven't paid a dime so far. Of course the restrictions can be annoying, like the limited bank space (though you can make another char on a different account, create a guild of one and use the guild bank *wink wink*) or getting quests and realizing they're for a premiun dungeon, but not that much, IMHO.

Of course, it depends on your mind set. If you go into a MMO with the idea to reach level cap as quickly as possible, getting the best gear for your class and raid the big baddies... well, of course F2P isn't for you, you'd have to either subscribe or go to a different game. Personally so far I've gotten more than a month's worth of fun and I'm about halfway with my first character and a couple others to play if I feel like it, without paying a dime... works for me. When I reach the level cap I'll see if I go premium or just to a different game, but I don't see it as "all that work for nothing" if I do, instead I see it as "it was really fun, let's see what else to do now".

Well, I've played 3/5 titles here, AOC, FE and VG and have to say though I've been tempted to go back to each, in the end they are still quest oriented, standard theme park MMO's at their core and don't bring enough to the table (even for free) to go back to.

DF is a bit too hardcore for my tastes, and I'm not into wearing tights so CO won't likely happen.

I really am a one shot sort of person, so much so that I'm starting to believe that I should hold off trying new titles for at least 6 months after launch, when it seems like a lot of titles really start to come together well and are showing their best face more.

EVE, DAOC were the two games I've played the longest (3.5 yrs and 2.75 yrs respective) and in both cases I started them well after launch.  (WOW being an 18 month experience from launch)

Darkfall?!? Are you crazy?? Even the most hardcore fanboys now are pissed at Aventurine's game.

This is what I mean about mmorpg, they are always hyping crap. Why not give us a real critical review of games instead of just selling out for access to developers who know you'll give them a nice review at the end - no matter how bad their game is ?

I went back and tried VG with the 45 day free time and AoC after went F2P.  It didn't take but a few hours or less to remember why I wandered away from them.  If the other games on that list have similar issues then it's not worth the time and bandwidth to download them (again).

The article was a little too short Bill.  Nothing in the game summaries piqued my interest into giving these games a second (or first chance in the case of Fallen Earth) chance.  I'm starting to become a firm believer in "You only get one first chance."

AoC is worth a second look.  I gave it a try after going F2P.  The bag space limit and boring questing did me in though.  I just stopped wanting to log in somewhere around level 31 I believe.

I also started playing AoC after it went f2p. It's a great game now. It's biggest problem was the lack of population. Now that it is f2p, there are a lot more people playing it. I also haven't spent a penny on it.

I'd say #6 would be RIFT.

Granted, they are doing pretty good with their numbers so (unlike these games) didn't really "flop" as they say.

However, after playing in Beta and at launch I shelved it after about a month.

Recently coming back, I'm enjoying the game a whole lot more. I can't really put a finger on what has changed, but I think in general the game has just matured... if Trion has and is doing one thing well it's updating this game and adding to it.

Vanguard deserves new players, and for those calling it themepark, it really isnt aside from the quest giving,its crafting system alone slays most sandbox games, and don't get me started on the diplomacy system. Heh, mmo players make me laugh, they won't support this good game but then cry when more games like wow get made.

You got another fantastic game like Ryzom out there, which is pretty much free and most of the sandbox preachers are even on that one either.

DF might become interesting. Is there any info released on 2.0 graphics/features?

I did recently go back and give Vanguard another try and am loving it. I also was tempted to go back and try AoC again but time limits these days mean I only really have time for one game. I think the 'only one shot' mentality common in MMO gamers is a terrible one, at least in something like an MMO which can clearly improve. I had been trying so many new MMOs for a while and now having decided to stick it out in an older one I don't have to keep jumping from new one to newer one only to find it doesn't have what I want. 

Originally posted by DarkPony

DF might become interesting. Is there any info released on 2.0 graphics/features?

I'd check out DF if they figured out the most important thing they could do to "save" their game -

Trammel/Felucca split.

FFA PvP full loot is fine and fun and dandy, but not 24/7 for most people.

Gimme Ultima Online post-Trammel split circa Factions PvP system - I'd be in.

Originally posted by Maquiame

Vanguard deserves new players, and for those calling it themepark, it really isnt aside from the quest giving,its crafting system alone slays most sandbox games, and don't get me started on the diplomacy system. Heh, mmo players make me laugh, they won't support this good game but then cry when more games like wow get made.

You got another fantastic game like Ryzom out there, which is pretty much free and most of the sandbox preachers are even on that one either.

 

 This guy has it right. if you want a game where you don't have to get to max lvl before you can have fun and do dungeons and cool questlines, then vg is for you. crafting and diplo alone are better then other full games.