I had this happen with EQII and WoW. I changed my information to made up details. This kept me from getting charged, and since it was a cancelled account, they could not argue the lack of payment. I did get an email from WoW from the second attempt to charge me, trying to convince me to return to the game.

During the time that I played, I was recovering from injuries, and was in college after. I realized that I could no longer play that much once work started. However, I have changed my play style considerably. I think that is why I enjoy the game I currently play. I am not trying to advertise this or that, so I will leave it at that.

The play style in which I conducted is not too far off the aim that these games push. When a game has a focused pvp system, it is better to have the best items. Games like LOTRO and Guild Wars, aimed at pve mostly, make it easier to not worry about being first.

I by no means generalize all MMO's as one play or another, but only generalized the rapid growth and strongest years of an MMO. This however will change as well, as people become wary of going from one MMO to another. After all, starting over can become annoying after so many times.

On a side note:  Even the game masters for WoW stated that the game was orientated for end game, and the leveling was just a grind-fest. Shortly after the forum thread that pasted this converation, there was some added content for mid-level questing and the like, but it didn't change that the feel was even with the in game support personal.

I played World of Warcraft from release and left the game shortly after toying around in the black temple. I was in the strongest guild on the server, as we were usually the first to get through end game things. While this was great fun, I found myself on a constant race with a few other guilds to be first. For many of us, the PvP had become boring and offered little satisfaction, other than hearing those complaints afterwards from the losers. I played a mage (arcane/frost), and our group, though the druid was a complete putz, had all our BG gear nearly immediately. However, what did that get us?

In the end we had our armor, weapons, keys, mounts, and pretty much everything else. It took 3 weeks to get to level 60, then no time to 70. The only reason it took long to get a nether drake was due to my losing interest... Having all this, I still lost interest. How can we have such great success, and yet no satisfaction?

In short, I just found this game to nothing but a race. There was nothing to capture the heart of the player. The only players rewarded were the ones that played 8+ hours a day, which we did. I have no problem doing that, as I have done that on UO, EQ, SWG, WOW, Guild Wars, EQ II, even NWN (not NWN 2), and now LOTRO.

Such as it goes, most games start out grand, but few ever carry that torch beyond the first expansion. WoW has been no exception to that.

Guild Wars is a remarkable game. It contains that of a single player rpg, combined with some of the most liked aspects of a MMO-rpg, to form a selective rpg, with an mmo feel. I know of no other game before this that has done this.

Because of its unique design, the game holds a new feel for longer than NWN, Diablo, and other games that reached potential. However, this game still follows a law. It is limited by its own premise, not able to expand beyond for challanges larger than your group. The game has definatly been exploited due to this.

Every game has a share of exploits, but none so much as a game that has a low cieling. Looking back at Diablo, we can easily see how the Necro or huntress took an advantage. Some changes were made, then everyone played the palidan. This continued until it was no longer supported.

Guild Wars has provided a freedom from these things however. You do not have to see these people beyond the cities, unless you so choose to.

There is one strong appeal that I keep to this game, for this is the second ever that I have had the chance to experience in this case. The first, Ultima Online, from 8+ years back. The gear does not define the character so much as the skills. WoW, EQ, EQII, and all the generic games with different masks, they are about getting the newest and best armour and weapons. In Guild Wars, the best gear does completly nothing for you, if you do not have your skills.

The PvMP of the game is completely separate from the PvE. As thus, you do not have to worry about getting steak on your salad. There is those that do like the PvMP (player versus monstor player), and for that, it will at least remain, if not expand. I do not venture to this aspect of the game, but on a rarest of occasions, but I do not see reason to request it removed. If it is for nothing else, it brings more to the game, and for that I am thankful.

At any rate, I would not even consider going into a vegetarian restaurant. Make mine med. rare please.

I have grown rather fond of the quest system in LotRO, for the fact that:

One is rewarded in multiple ways: There are slaying and location deeds, experience, quest rewards, skill usage deeds, and practices of multiple play styles.

The quests can be bland, but there are so many that one could pick and choose the ones that match their fancy.

The quests help to identify all levels of the game. There are some areas that one would not go, if not for a quest to say, look at that water fall. Suddenly you find it is hiding a cave, and you feel warpped around a whole new sensation of discovery.

Quests are not only for leveling. There is many story lines in this game. As many quests in many games, they associate with each other. However, LotRO has taken it to a knew level. There is the epic story line, of course, but there is also side stories to that, optional if I may. In addition, there are quests that will take you as far as the epic quests, with lesser rewards, other than a good story to keep you going.

If you must, go kill those 200 wolves, but know that is your choice. LotRO has taken that step to not only provide quests for the casual gamer (common quests), but also the story seekers (epic and the like), thrill seekers (riddles and challange quests), end gamers (rift, helegrod...), and even the ones who don't know what they want (Carn Dum, and such like instances with mild story, thrill, and riddled approach to fights). Be not faint of heart, for there is more than one level of gamer, and LotRO seeks to fit them all.