Lineage 2's free to play model is the one I hope most companies adopt. Say what you want about the gameplay itself (I like it), that F2P set-up doesn't lock you out of anything. Instead of me feeling like it's "Me vs them" to see how long I can go without paying money, I feel no pressure, and instead can look forward to when I feel like purchasing something to make my play a little more convenient. It's a great set-up, and I hope NC Soft is making money from it.

I like L2. Yes, the grind can be a pain at times, and yes, it suffers from some odd lag spikes here and there. Overall, though, the art design is nice, the monster-design is fantastic, and the PvP... I mean, that's awesome. Who doesn't want to raid a castle? Also, open PvP leads to some funny stories I like to tell friends. And that's where MMOs shine to me: Unscripted adventures.

If you're considering L2, try it. In the current market of Themepark MMOs, it's a nice change of pace.

For me, when mobs are perfectly placed in an order from weakest to strongest across the land so you encounter them perfectly based off of your level... that breaks immersion. Maybe because I enjoyed Ultima Online originally, where part of the adventure was suddenly running into that Dragon and you and your young party running like school girls from its wrath that I enjoy the aspect. But even with Lineage 2 I felt that nice ability to explore dungeons and see what they're like. And in Ragnarok Online, again, good ability to be in that first level of your dungeon, and be like, "You know what? I'm going to walk upstairs. I'm going to see what those monsters are like." 

Anyway, a world should feel like a world, not a linear path of progression.

As for the female armor, I don't know why you think that only men dress up their female characters with fan service, but my wife enjoys looking attractive in outfits. So do many of the MMO girls I play with. Also, plenty of female gamers also like fan service with their men. Dante being shirtless with just a jacket on top? Oh come on, like that's practical. Or the fact that you have metrosexual male warriors with emo hair in Korean MMOs wielding giant axes doesn't make any sense. But I'll say it, even though you hate it: It's fantasy. It doesn't take me out of the game. Although I do understand your desire to have both armor types. I just disliked your implications that only men would dress their female avatars that way.

Anyway, "CASH SHOP SALES NOTIFACTION READ NOW LOOK HERE LOOK LOOK LOOK! " on my game screen. That kills my immersion. If I want to buy something, I'll click the cash shop icon on my own. And sometimes I do to browse in my downtime on a game. But by screaming it at me all the time, it makes me just leave the game and never come back.

I dislike instances and instant travel I'm okay with as long as there's an explanation.

OH, and to Aion. The whole lack of being able to fly in certain areas without any explanation. That's stupid. I don't even need a good excuse, just give me something, like "the winds are too strong here," or something. That's not too much to ask for just a little in game explanation.

There you go.

Interesting note: When the NGE came out and people rebelled against it and began leaving, SOE said that they'd rather see the game shut down than to impliment Pre-CU again.

Well, SOE got its wish.

SOE ruins everything it touches, from The Matrix Online to Star Wars Galaxies. They're the dark side of the force.

Horrible company. Rest in peace, Galaxies. You were originally a really great sandbox adventure.

Hey, I was just wondering, because I saw in a previous thread that there is a skill-specific cap of 100 (GM in Ultima). So is there an overall skill cap (like 700-720 in UO)? I wonder because Darkfall looks like it will be fantastic, but I love the diversity of making a unique build.

Secondly, how long will it take me to get up to speed with others? That's ANOTHER reason I enjoyed Ultima, as within just a few weeks, I was able to enjoy dungeons with my fellow guild members (a few years ago).

Anyway, thank you ahead of time!

This game is definitely an 8/10. Anyone who rates it lower is either a.) Forgetting it's F2P, or b.) An RPG purist.

I haven't had this much fun in an F2P or otherwise MMO in a while. 

- Tryken/Ryan

I'm going to have to agree a bit. Minecraft is, in spirit, much like Ultima Online and the original Star Wars Galaxies. UO has kept, and SWG could have kept, their core audiences for years upon years, but I'm afraid SOE squandered SWG's chance. Sadly, the sandbox worlds have been all but forgotten in place of the linear, more appealing WoW system. I'm not insulting it. It's a nice introduction to MMOs, just wish it wasn't the trend-setter and end-all. 

Either way, I'm an Alpha owner on Minecraft. It's solid stuff. Fun, amazing. It gives that unguided feeling of adventure I haven't had in years, the stories that I can tell for years to come of the craziness that can ensue from an open world like this one. Would I say it's the best modern "MMO." No. It has some development to go through. Could it be? Yes, but it's too early to call it. It's definitely one of the most fun experiences.

- Tryken.

P.S. You know. Ultima Online isn't dead. It's still an amazing game with new expansions. They just made boat sailing like walking or running, which is amazing. I wish people wouldn't talk about it like SOE murdered it, even with the Trammel update (there's still Siege). 

I feel the older style of dungeons was MUCH BETTER. They really deserved a perfect score. Why? Because it's true. Dungeons felt SCARY. Dungeons are meant to feel like you're going somewhere dangerous. When I go to a dungeon in WoW, it just feels like "Huh. Looks like we're running this dungeon again. Oh well." In Ultima Online, and even in (dare I say it) Ragnarok Online, dungeons were intimidating. If something went wrong, or upset the dungeon, it wasn't just your party, or you, that suffered the consequences, it was all the players in the dungeon. It felt much more like real life. Others could be put into danger by your actions. Isn't that a thought?

Also, the community is much, much better in older-style MMOs. I remember looking for a party was a blast. Sometimes I'd travel the dungeon, find a fellow adventurer in it, and we'd team up, then create a solid friendship out of the experience. In WoW, they're not even from my server half the time! So I'll never see those guys again. 

I obviously prefer older style MMORPGs. It's just what my passion is. If you like the newer style, great! Good for you. That's cool. But for those of us who've played many years, it's just a good time in the old, epic sandbox fashion. 

I play both P2P and F2P. I think the nicest part of P2P is that (WoW and Aion aside because of gamecards) it keeps the people playing older. As a 22 year old myself, I can get sort of agitated when 14 year olds and such get into clans and cause drama. I'm not trying to say all 14 year olds are bad, but with all those hormones, everything is too dramatic with them (I know I was that way). Anyway, P2P makes sure that only us credit-card holders are playing (for the MOST part). I do enjoy the older crowd sometimes, because I DO like relaxing after a long day. Also I know that, with my subscription fee, comes even footing with every other player (because there's no cash-shop).

Now, as for F2P, it's a lot of fun because I don't have to drop 50 bucks to try the game out. My biggest gripe are games like EQ, where the trial is an island cut off from everybody else in the game. With free games, I can really give it a good, solid shot to see how I like it. The hardest part iwth F2P for me is to wonder how important the cash-shop is. Some games have the cash-shop just for pleasant conveniences, while others make it crippling to stay free. And that's a big risk I hate taking.

Just my two cents.

For MMOs currently open, I think Allods Online looks pretty outstanding (art direction with it).

I guess, though, if I had to pick one, it would go to EVE Online. The graphics in that game are just mind-blowingly beautiful.

Hey, guys. I'm a big fan of Ultima Online. While I love it, I know that my fiancee and I wouldn't mind dabbling in the world of the 3D (gasp!). Anyway, I <3 Ultima Online's open world and raiding for those rare items. When I tried WoW (I'm not saying it's bad), and Aion, both words were just too linear for me! I like exploring and enjoying dungeons.

Anyway, I'll accept a level system. That doesn't bother me half as much as the linear-world thing does.

Any recommendations?

- Tryken

Hey, just wondering if anyone here plays the Half Life 2 mod NeoTokyo. I play as "Tryken," (same name as this one) on the game. It's a free source engine mod (so you can own any source game and it counts, or just download the source sdk for free). Pretty awesome stuff.

It's basically like playing a tactical shooter in the Ghost in the Shell universe. If you don't play, check it out! http://www.neotokyohq.com/index.html .

See you guys in the messed up Japanese future!

- Tryken

This expansion pack was literally three years in the making. That's older than some of the MMOs you guys play. The new client is amazing, giving the option to boost the framerate. The new lands gorgeous. Player events are constant.

People say "39.99" is steep for an old MMO. Yet, all this content is new. You get a free month included, as well. And you get into the MMO with the richest history, tightest community, and longest-running clans in the entire MMO world.

I mean, it's like saying, "Yeah. This place wanted me to pay $50 to see the Mona Lisa. I was like, 'Who'd want to see some old painting?' So I went over to the artist's alley sale and saw some new artists! Most of them sucked."

Give the game a shot. If you're complaining about the controls or "clunkiness" why don't you just check out the options? There you have total freedom to make it feel just fine. And the reason your spells are fizzling is because you're new at a game. See, unlike other MMOs, where low level players can cast something every time, practice includes failure.

Check it out,

Ryan/Tryken

Granted, like in any MMO, I feel as if in the long run, Aion will end up seperating itself. Secondly, to the poster who stated that I would go back to WoW and complain about Star Wars, I even noted that I don't play World of Warcraft?

Anyway, I suppose it's more of a similarity to starting areas. As I've gotten further in the game, I've noticed that more and more areas become unique within the game.

And to the player who hoped he had not flamed me upon his critique: No flame taken. =P

- Tryken/Ryan

I'm not sure if this has been suggested, but for a game like Guild Wars (as much as I love Street Fighter, there's no conneciton there), I suggest Neverwinter Nights, or Neverwinter Nights 2! They're great adventures and good partying if you find a good server.

I think the price tag to start out on either is around $20, and there exists no monthly fee.

Hope that helps!

- Tryken/Ryan

So, after getting my pre-order, and brimming with excitement, I hop on Aion this after noon (EST) for the beta try-out for what seemed to me to be a game unlike any other.

"It's a lot like Lineage 2," a good friend told me.

My prior history, as I'm sure you can tell by my tag, is as an Ultima Online player; however, I have played in many other MMOs. I played World of Warcraft as a Rogue up until level 21. I know many of you can scoff at the amount of gameplay hours I've spent in both games, but I was hoping to light up some issues concerning some similarities.

While playing Aion, I couldn't help but to feel as if I were playing a game from some bizarro world where, instead of the Americans coming out first with World of Warcraft, the Koreans created it first.

Here are my primary issues, and this is entirely open for discussions amongst forum members here (please keep it intelligent and non-flaming):

Texturing - WoW has a unique texturing idea. Why have all the extra edges on a mountain which costs gamers FPS when one can have a smooth slope, but instead, draw on, via the texture (or wallpaper), what looks like edges. What do we get? A game that runs on low end PCs without looking pixelated. Wait. But as I run over to the mountains of Aion in the opening area, I spot the same texture design. I quickly ran down the path to ignore them and go to my next quest objective, until I look down at the "paved road" and realize it's built the same way. Everywhere I look I see the pastel colors and texture techniques of World of Warcraft, NOT Lineage 2.

Screen Layout - Many WoW players could probably agree that the game is a comfortable switch coming from Blizzard's flagship title to NCSofts possibly counterpart. From the map to the hotkeys to the experience bar, I began to realize I was playing a game very similar to something I had experienced before.

Gameplay: From the jumping over fences, random forward flips, I felt right at WoW home when running over the landscape. Even trying to locate a quest objective, it pulls open a map and gives me an arrow that looks, well, a lot like WoW's. Even when I select on a quest, I get the same little mutter in a language I don't understand quickly followed by an old-page colored quest window with a selection of awards from said quest that looks... Well, you know where I'm going with this.

I'm not attempting to bash Aion. I am not calling WoW a good or bad game (personally, WoW never did it for me, but for those it does, more power to them!). I am simply bringing up the issue of similarities between the two games and looking forward to other peoples' responses concerning them.

So, without further delay, discussion begin!:

- Ryan/Tryken

So far I've gotten MEGATEN: Imagine to work (love this game so far), although it doesn't run beautifully, it's quite functional. Also, Jade Dynasty runs very well, as does Ultima.

I should note that I have a high end desktop. This is not, of course, my main computer. There's a free booster, GMA Booster, to make the video card run better. Ends up the built in video card is stuck underclocked. The booster fixes that, and makes it so games are actually pretty easily playable.

Thanks for the suggestions! Lots of fun experimenting I can do, it seems!

P.S. Thanks for the compliment on the avatar. =P

As the title says, with the head-back to college wind blowing, I want something to keep me entertained for those classes which are non-discussion based, and for the inbetweens. So, I'm looking for a free MMO with LOW system requirements. No graphics are too poor (my main MMO is Ultima Online). Anyway, I'd like something that has low system requirements (can work on an Acer Aspire with 1.5 gigs of ram and 1.6 ghz Intel Atom processor).

Ideas?

Actually, those who left the game right after Trammel have failed to experience seven years of updates and changes. I don't call that a veteran. "I played for two years" is not a veteran. "I played for five+ years" is a veteran in my book. Don't judge a game you haven't played (and by this I mean those who say "it's a different game now. And it SUCKS" to these people I say then play the "new" game).

And elves weren't a horrible addition. Just like gargoyles and Stygian Abyss won't be. It's relevant to the Ultima universe.

Keep those MMO fingers busy, my friends!

- Ryan

Actually, I use the KR client. :)

When it first came out it was terrible. I mean, so bad you couldn't even use it. Now, it's actually fantastic. Especially if you use BB-Enhanced skin modification, it is just amazing.

- Ryan

Also, I just wanted to state that:

a.) I write over what I care about. Wouldn't you know, great MMOs that I enjoy happens to be one of those things.

Also, as far as functional art goes. I would agree. Everyone gets bored and moves on at times. I'm a big Street Fighter fan, but I still take breaks of not playing for months at a time before going back into it full force. I think all things like that needs breaks, but I don't see the newer generation going for UO, EQ (despite SOE's horrible, and I mean, horrible management). Much easier to hop into a "free" Korean MMO that you can throw away in a week.

Honestly, I feel immersed in Western MMOs far beyond the scope of any Korean one, thinking back. SWG was amazingly immersive to me. I mean, at this point, the selling point hasn't been "great gameplay, freedom" things like that. The selling point to an MMO has become free*.

* This marks the gold dealers, in-store buyable items and millions of other benefits given to those willing to pay for small advantages.

Isn't it just better to pay one, flat monthly fee and have the same advantage as everyone?

Anyway, hopefully, some of the newer MMO players will try out the ones we've known and loved.

- Ryan