The promise of "new content every month" is coming from the same company that suddenly and completely altered an MMO without much player feedback (if any).  If you are willing to believe what they promise, then go for it.  I'll wait and see, because right now, even with the addition of crafting, the game doesn't seem deep enough or content rich enough to warrant a standard subscription.

Good news.  I hope I am picked for beta now that they're expanding it.  I'm anxious to test it.  I may have not given Fallen Earth as much of a chance that it deserves, but Earthrise has been another mmo I've been watching and willing to try.

I am still intereted in the game and will likely try it, especially if the first month subscription is free like most MMOs are.  I don't agree with this Open Beta being necessary, though.  Single player games usually will release demos, which is nice, but Beta is for testing.  We are fortunate to be able to test and try out an MMO that offers an Open Beta, but think back on how many games you purchased for your PC or any system that you didn't try before hand.  I say as long as the first month is free, Open Betas for MMOs are as bonus to us and should not be a requirement for you to buy.  Who knows, Earthrise could turn out surprisingly good.  I admit, I would be very surprised.

I hate when our holidays show up in fantasy lands . . .  although, if there are elves at the North Pole, maybe there is room for some cross-over?

My vote is for Word of Warcraft: Cataclysm.  I haven't played the other games for a while, but the scope of Cataclysm is far beyond what any of these other mmos have done, and having played Catalysm, it is extremey re-freshing and fun.

I remember those 12-15 hour MMO sessions in EQ, SWG, FFIX, etc.  I miss them . . . and I don't.  I'm glad to have a wonderful family, and I really enjoy spending time with them, but I still play mmos, just not as hardcore.  So the best point made by the OP was mmo developers giving us time-restricted players a break here and there, and it's appreciated.

That said, I prefer hardcore mmos, the ones with a steep death penalty, the ones with complexity and lots of depth.  There are few of these types of mmos left, but I guess that's alright since I've got no time for them anyway

I'm feeling the urge to come back and try this mmo again.  It was fun the first time, I just didn't have the time to really invest in it.  Looks like there are going to be changes for the better?  The game was a breath of fresh air compared to all the sandbox mmos out there nowadays.  I hope it keeps improving.

Originally posted by WSIMike

I had the same problem. My bank has ClickandBuy on its "Fraud Table" due to customers claiming fraudulent charges from them previously. I had to go into my bank and request that they lift the block on my bank account so I could use it.

 ClickandBuy was used for Dark and Light.  I remember that horrible time and I had to repeatedly call them to try to get my account and payments for that mmo cancelled.  I insisted on my money back and dealing with ClickandBuy lasted months, until they finally gave in and reimbursed me.

Multiply that times thousands, and I can understand why they are overly cautious.  Needless to say, my account was also blocked . . .

Not interested . . . if I want something "funny", I'll go watch Family guy.  When I am on the PC, I want to shoot stuff and blow things up (not reconstruct the world).  Interplay is going the wrong way with this one.

An MMO without character progression?  No thanks.  Even FPS and RTS games have progression these days.  Why remove key parts of the game when there is still so much more that can be added to make MMOs even better?

If it has to do with balance issues, expecially for PvP, I will listen to the agruments for it, but otherwise, progression is key in any RPG, and is common in many different types of games.  I just don't see the reasoning behind this?

I really enjoyed Tabula Rasa.  Despite its flaws, it did do some things right, and to me it was fun to play.  It was cancelled too early.  The things that players were complaining about could have been fixed.  It wasn't like Warhammer Online, where to fix the game its core had to be changed (which is a big no - no, I am looking at you SOE).

I am hoping some company picks this up again, like Gods & Heroes has been brought back to life.  Sometimes, as with Saga of Ryzom, the new owners/devs can actually improve the game.  The problem is that many players will have already written the game off.   

I know what you mean about RF Online.  I played it quite a bit myself, and enjoyed it. 

Try Aion.  It's got some qualities that RF Online had, only it doesn't nearly have the charisma.

When Cataclysm is released, there will be a whole new world to explore.  I'm pretty sure many players would want to see the new zones. 

One thing I hate about mmos is running to a dungeon to join a group then it disbands shortly after getting there.  Then I have to wait for another group at that Dungeon.  At least now, when an opening occurs (anywhere), I can quickly get into the action.

I am a huge fan of a singe server, no zones, limited instances, and open world mmos.  Community and the social aspect of mmos is very important to me, but as I get older and assume more responsibility that limits my time at the PC, I appreciate these game mechanics that allow me to accomplish things without much hassle.

Well it was only beta, the boxes were pre-order boxes most likely.  Because it was only beta I won't talk much about the game.  I'll only say I enjoyed testing it and thought it had great potential to be something fun and different.

The thing that really pulled me in were the developers and they way the communicated with the testers and people on the forum.  The forums were nice, too, and the community that was building was excellent.

I hope it all comes back, and that the game is made in its original concept, because it did look like they had something good going.   Although there were problems with the game, it was nothing that would make a developer ot pulisher throw their hands up and quit.  I always thought it was internal strife in Perpetual Entertainment that led to the downfall of Gods & Heroes.  After the Star Trak Online debacle, I was certain that this was the case.

I love Darkfall, but regretably, I had to leave it for the same reasons . . . I just don't have the time.  I think it could be possible to enjoy it without playing totally hardcore all the time, but that is how I really want to play Darkfall.  I don't want to be mediocre.  I want to play it and make a name for myself in some respect.  Hopefully, there will be a similar type of game around when I retire and the kids have moved out!

I am excited to hear that they are trying to bring back old testers.  I was a Core Tester and was very dedicated to the game.  I hope they bring that program back, it really helped me stay focused and made me feel even more connected to the game than any other beta ever did.

I'd take part in the community forum.  I was a Core Tester for Gods & Heroes and really loved it.  I am excited that it's coming back, but will be keeping a close eye on its development.  I am happy to hear that old developers are being sought.  It was a great community that was very dedicated to the game.

My initial experience with DF was excellent, mostly because I met a fantastic RPer and it just made the game that much better.  You just have to find the right people I guess, there are RPer out there in Darkfall.

The way the RP was explained is somewhat true, as I did feel like things that were going on around me were for real and not simply imagined.  Sometimes, though, emotes can really help.  You may see me standing there in the midst of a brawl, but if I am terrified, you'd never know unless I could express it somehow (beside running!).   I wish DF had many more emotes and moods, like the old SWG had, so that characters emotions and feelings could be expressed for RP purposes.

Originally posted by bigitups

 I don't understand, there was an open beta for like 3 weeks. Why did you buy the game lol? you couldn't find out during the open beta that you weren't going to play the game?

There's a smart consumer for you...

I pre-ordered and could not download the client.  I tried for a week and it kept getting to 97% then re-started.  It's as if there was a greater power preventing me from getting involved.  I did buy the game today and will see for myself what it's all about, although, after reading these forums, I'm interested to find out if it's really the game itself people are pissed at or Cryptic for not delivering the mmo that people wanted.  I wrote it before, just because it's something you aren't interested in or didn't expect, it doesn't mean it's all bad.  If I get the nerve to open it tonight, I'll post my initial thoughts tomorrow

Originally posted by onetruth

I agree with all of the OP's points except for the thread title.

Unfortunately it is exactly what the community wants, because the community has changed from folks who like deep, involving virtual world games to folks who like fast-paced instant gratification.

I don't fault Cryptic for going after this demographic, they're out to make a buck.  It's just a shame that big IP's like ST aren't given a deeper treatment.

Exactly, I totally agree.  I am drawn to mmorpgs with depth and complexity, even at a much higher difficulty level to learn and master, but I understand how mmos are changing and I cannot find much fault in mmos that cater to a different type of playerbase.  I do play games like Guild Wars sometimes, and although it isn't really my cup of tea, it isn't bad by any means.  I may give STO a try, but I get the feeling I won't be staying very long