2008 Reader's Choice Awards: Best Overall Game
MMORPG.com wraps up our nominations for the 2008 Reader's Choice Awards by asking our readers what active, currently released MMO is the best overall.
Well, this feature marks the last of our nominations for the 2008 MMORPG.com Reader's Choice Awards and we save the best, and possibly most interesting, for last.
While in all of our other categories, the editorial staff here at MMORPG.com provided a list of nominees for the various awards, this time around, we're throwing the doors wide open to any released game on our Game List.
In case the above text hadn't given it away, it is time for you to decide which MMORPG is the best overall, regardless of launch date, genre, business model, or any other restriction (other than the game's release and current active status of course).
Voting for all of the awards will close three weeks from today on December 31st. The editorial staff here at MMORPG.com would like to thank everyone in advance for participating in our awards. While we could have given out Editor's Choice awards, we know that no one knows this genre like you, the players and so have made the MMORPG.com Reader's Choice Awards an annual event that will continue well into the future.
Happy Voting and Happy Holidays from the staff and volunteers here at MMORPG.com.
first in a legendary thread
This is going to be a rough thread, and a difficult vote.
Do you value graphics at the time over content or scalable?
How about support and how many hours you got for your money.
Content is always my answer. That, and I don't play a game wherein I don't have a house or ship of some sort.
Thus, my picks start with a winnowed field!
You didn't include The Chronicles of Spellborn in the list. It's an active, currently released MMO, so what's the hold up?
Vanguard! Although maybe that should be 'Most improved'.
I'd say WotlK but I'd get a better reaction by eating a baby around here.
Furcadia is going to win, hands down......
lol ok, seriously, I chose DAoC, had a blast in that game.
I'm going to guess because it is not released in the U.S. just yet.
I had to vote for Tabula Rasa. Although it's going kaput next year, Deployment 15 is amazing. First person view, the most detailed I've ever seen as in the fact you can see your feet, chest, arms, gun, hands, when you dance you stay in first person view and it moves as if dancing, and you see your feet below you doing the same. It's really an awesome view. Only issue is some badly stretched low-res textures (being they didn't model new arms, I think they just zoomed the camera way in on the same model) and some bad clipping issues.
The introduction of Earth is simply mindblowing also.
The PlanetTr.com forums are right, Tabula Rasa went out with a bang. And what a bang it was.
Uh...isn't that only on the PTS? But, I agree, TR really is great fun now, and is leaving before it's time.
I voted simple. WoW is the only MMO here, with everyone else trying to copy them...except for the Asian Grinders.
I guarantee at least 98% of everyone who votes here has played it, and what other game can make that claim?
TCoS has not been fully launched and is not currently available in the North American market.
In the future, these lists really should be organized in some fashion. I shouldn't have to rely on control+F to find the title I was looking for.
The list wasn't even alphabetical 0_0
Uh...isn't that only on the PTS? But, I agree, TR really is great fun now, and is leaving before it's time.
I voted simple. WoW is the only MMO here, with everyone else trying to copy them...except for the Asian Grinders.
I guarantee at least 98% of everyone who votes here has played it, and what other game can make that claim?
Yeah, it's on the PTS now. But I count them all the same. The devs should still be acknowledged for the awesome work. DG will probably easily find a new publisher. If not go the RF Online way and publish it themselves.
Wow! That is a list of some greats!
This year has seen some extraordinary games and expansions.
I read a post about World of Warcraft being "the only MMO on the list" worth the name, and that the reason for this was that alot of visitors here had played it. I simply do not understand that. It seems like false logic :) Just because alot of people smoke does not make it the only way to breathe, does it? And I do not agree that everyone is copying WoW - WoW on the other hand DID copy previously published games, like EQ f.x.
My vote must go to Lord Of The Rings Online, especially after the Mines Of Moria expansion. The game is unbelivably rich in atmosphere and one of the most beautiful games on the market today. Also, it is not a grindfest feeling like going to a hard days work like alot of MMO's of today.
I would like to pick a couple more from the list, but alas, there could be but one Best Overall Game to rule them all.
Baruk Khazad!
that would have to be Ryzom
of course!
I have to agree, the only real choice here is Lord of the Rings Online. When judged in every facet there is simply no other current MMO, AAA or otherwise, that rises to LotRO's standard.
I had to vote for EVE of course. Game with an ultimate freedom that is and deserves it.
i had to pick lotro bc of what turbine has done to that game. but jeez this is a hard choice to pick and i doubt which ever game is going to win will win only be a tiny margin
-Openedge1
They're just choice awards man, you vote for what in your opinion was the best overall game. Not which has had the most players or is the most financially successful. If you thought WoW sucked but played AC1 for 5 years then vote that.
Really a difficult question with so many variables...
Best pvp for an mmo? Easily AC1 if talking RPGs only. Planetside if including FPS's
Most innovative features ever brought to the table? Anarchy Online. Hell games like Warhammer are still trying to implement features it had years ago like item linking.
Most time consuming and likely to make you lose your job and forget how to make love? Probably WoW. (j/k)
So on and so on...
Since I'm more of a FPS gamer I only have two choices as to what has been the best for me...World War 2 online or Planetside, which I have to go with Planetside as my vote here overall since I played the thing for 4 years.
Unfortunately you can only vote for one but If I had my choice of what IMO has been the best overall Massive RPG. Ultima Online by far.
No other game since UO has created such an online world where you and the other players created the content for yourselves. You didn't run around mindlessly knocking out generic quests or raids until you hit max level just to then pay for a virtual chat room until the next expansion was released that gave you something worthwhile to do again. Of course then you finish the content it had to offer and find yourself waiting for the next expansion to repeat the process.
The only MMO's I at least consider to even deserve the tag of RPG were UO, AC1 and SWG's. Out of those UO was simply the best. All opinions of course and it's not like I've played every single MMO out there.
So yeah...Planetside. NC Markov baby.
This will be a hard one for those who insist you have to have played all the nominated games in order to cast your vote....
WOW isnt the first MMO , EQ2 and Lineage are out long before... :D
I would never compare wow with another game in this Genre , they copy at least all from another, cause it depends on that Genre. At least all these game copy from the book Lord of the rings :D , which is biggest quest ever, bring the ring from point A to point B :D
dunno which game i decide for myself.... maybe ...... hmm lets see the list again
greetings
To be honest, the way this voting is going on now is never going to give a correct outcome.
For example. I think LoTRO is a better game than WoW, so I vote for it. Now, guess what happens. Lots of people will just vote for the game they play/ played alot and then the game with most active mmorpg.com readers and thus subscribtions will win. Easy as that and guess once more which game (if it would be an MMORPG) has the most subs?
Right. Conclusion: You can't say this game is best overall because it is played/voted for more than another game.
Games should be compared on content base. Now, it is a bit more complicated to create such a survey, I'm aware of that.
Anyhow, this is why I must add that Dark Age of Camelot was the best game ever from release since ToA, but there is no chance that it will win since it's not known enough.
Sadly enough, it could use a little more attention with its potential.
Good God that is one helluva list!
It is also the only one of the Awards lists that actually had me thinking. There are some really good games in that list - some were great in their day but are either out-dated or are becoming more and more dumbed-down; some are improving with time over rough starts; some are classics that still have a loyal following (and always will until the servers are taken offline); and some, even though good in their own right, just never quite got off the ground and achieved star status.
I finally decided to give Lord of the Rings Online my vote, but it was with reservations due to two major factors (to my playstyle anyway) and a few other irksome but less cumbersome issues (like the finite fishing hobby) - the terrible housing system and the overly restrictive storage. There are so many other games that handle these two areas so well (EQ2 for example) that there just is no excuse for these two issues to even BE issues.
But when weighing all of the other factors - gameplay, beautiful graphics and awesome sweeping vistas and seamless landscapes, great backgound music scores, engrossing storyline & lore (and all the little details that one stumples upon from Tolkien's books), great quest lines, customer support and the dev team's high visibility and community participation, the continual free content updates (that often are as large as some other games' expansions), and the massive, record-breaking scope of the Mines of Moria expansion - no other game that I have played or did any extensive reasrch into can quite match it. Even the nostalgia of my first MMORPG - EverQuest - nor its sequel with equally fond memories - EQ2 - nor even great games like Dark Age of Camelot and Ultima Online can quite compare to what Turbine has done thus far with LOTRO.
EDIT - Wow. That was weird. I was typing that and posted before seeing your posts HoldMe & Zarkor. I was NOT trying to disagree with you. You both, in fact, make some valid points and kinda confirm my own thoughts since those games were in my top list of choices.
Guild Wars. Most bang for the buck, best balanced PvP and challenging PVE (hardmode). Especially the last part is rare nowadays (I dont see a timesink as challenging, but boring.)
Star Wars Galaxies will be a second for me. I know it isnt polished and has a lot of bugs. But it offers simply a lot of different features (that I enjoy) in one single MMO. To bad that they introduced lootcards in that trading card game and do nothing about afk-combat and bots. Although this made my choice for Guild Wars easier.
That hasn't been the case in years past.... Not to poop on your theory, but I don't know if WoW has ever won this particular award...
Would you likes omething to wash that baby down with?
That hasn't been the case in years past.... Not to poop on your theory, but I don't know if WoW has ever won this particular award...
Ah, well I'm certainly not the person to keep an eye out for polls such as these, so I won't disagree with you on this one.
It's just that I have the feeling that in general ther majority of polls similar to this one, the outcome lies somewhat in the same direction, if you know what I mean. I may have exaggerated my example, but the essential idea is still true though I believe.
Well, I must admit, LordAdder, that you have given me new hope in MMORPGs, as you seem to have also experienced quite alot of other MMORPGs besides LoTRO. Including DAoC, which makes your comment way more valuable to me than say 5 others who haven't experienced it in its glory days.
I will surely be doing some research about LoTRO in the coming days and see wether it could be as good for me as it is to you. Perhaps you might have any advice for me as an ex-DAoC player?
Cheers
I have to agree, the only real choice here is Lord of the Rings Online. When judged in every facet there is simply no other current MMO, AAA or otherwise, that rises to LotRO's standard.
What I underlined, enlarged, and highlighted above....is the very problem with this sort of "best of" type contest. How can any of us POSSIBLY, with any sort of integrity, vote for the "best overall," when we haven't played so VERY many of the games listed.
Okay, granted, I have played probably more than most people, and I'm very sure a lot of you have as well. And yet still...I doubt is anyone can "judge every facet" of any other than the games they have most loyally played.
For instance....I actually do have a sneaking suspicion that LotRO is probably quite amazing. However, I only played it for a few days in a trial, not near long enough to "judge every facet," and therefore, I cannot vote for that game. I would only be able to judge up to about level seven....not very thorough, huh?
So essentially, this game becomes, above all...a POPULARITY contest, like all other "best of" contests, because the "best" is subjective, for one, and secondly....none of us really have the right to judge things we haven't known.
I voted....for nothing.
I simply don't have enough exposure to the vast majority of those games to dismiss them with the tick of a button.
Obviously I've not tried every game on the list, but this vote is still easy.
LotRO
It's the only mmo of all I've tried that has held my attention. Lifetime subscription FTW!
Voted for TR for it to go out with one last bash!
with some of the limited choices in the other categories, perhaps the readers should've nominated games in other categories as well.
Uh...isn't that only on the PTS? But, I agree, TR really is great fun now, and is leaving before it's time.
I voted simple. WoW is the only MMO here, with everyone else trying to copy them...except for the Asian Grinders.
I guarantee at least 98% of everyone who votes here has played it, and what other game can make that claim?
this isn't even a good troll.
so, since wow copied eq, and it's lore is based off the warhammer ip... what are you trying to say?
Planetside fan.
I don't understand how people can be arguing between LotRO and WoW when a game like EVE exists. Clearly the superior game in all facets.
Dear God Man. How long did that take to make :P
That hasn't been the case in years past.... Not to poop on your theory, but I don't know if WoW has ever won this particular award...
Almost no one here plays WoW so I think Zarkor's theory is hitting the nail on the head.
I loved Dark Age of Camelot and glad to see it made the list, but sadly as other have said it isn't widely enough known anymore to have a chance. I have to say if it was still up and running at its best it would have my vote, but with its slow agonizing downfall, my vote must go to Lord of the Rings Online. If nothing else for its expansiveness and helpful dev team, who seems to want to keep a general approval of the game.
You will still have my gaming heart forever Dark Age. /cry Oh God I feel retarded.
EVE
I voted for maplestory.
Almost went with EVE. Really tough choice, actually.
I voted for ... City of Villains! I went with the criteria of fun. The game is fun for me. I got to have my nostalgia feeling when I came back to the CoX franchise. My first mmo was the CoH beta. Good times! Good times.
Wheres the none of the above option they are all pants, the MMO industry is so stale at the moment roll on DF Aion and Football Superstars
Wait what noone voted for aoc?
We tried that one year. It was called the year that EVE Online won everything... even categories not appropriae for it. We learned from our mistake and we won't be doing that again.
We honestly feel that editorial nominations are the best way to go in terms of doing these awards. In the other categories, the selections were limited because it was appropriate to do so. In this category, we had selected nominees, but felt that an open vote was more appropriate.
LoTRO gets my vote.
P.S. Alphabetize FTW!!!!!!!!!
Hmmm, probably Ultima Online or Dark Age of Camelot.
I vote for Ragnarok Online.
.... why?
LotRO - And you can't even question innovation on it now with every game copying legendary items, quests with voiceovers and whatnot left and right :)
Vanguard is close second, but it still lacks the polish LotRO has - but the game itself is not the trainwreck it was anymore.
Well, there is hope..
Origins will be coming out, sometime. Allthough this is very vague, I'm pretty sure it will.
Lots of Euro and US players plan on starting there again so server activity will be np, AND we will have OF back!
I even heard a small rise on the server population because so many people dislike WAR.
PS: rturja, when have you played DAoC and for how long?
Is it me or was world of warcraft not on the list?
It is, ctrl+f is your friend.
Played DaoC at Euro beta back when and then couple of months at 2006 or so. I liked some aspects of it a lot, but I'm a self confessed PvE'r - I did like DaoC and WAR a bit more than your regular PvP, but just found out both times that bashing real people behind their characters does not give me any sort of jollies.
From the two - at least at the moment DaoC is far better game IMHO.
I hate to use the well-worn McDonald's cliche but 98% of us have eaten at McDonalds and 97% of us wouldn't pick McD's as the best restaurant with the best food:)
And to say that every game on the list is a copy of WoW shows your age! WoW came out in 04 and there were MMO's in the 90's. WoW COPIED so much from the earlier MMO's and repackaged it with neon colors and sexied-up characters. They also made the leveling curve 10% as hard as the previous MMO's and hit the Pixelated Lottery Jackpot.
I would gladly give WoW an award for the "MMO that Mainstreamed Gaming" or the "MMO with the best Game Engine" because they deserve accolades for bringing Gaming to regular people using regular old PC's. They expanded our gaming world in so many ways and brought attention and future funding to our industry and that's wonderful!!
LoTRO gets my vote for Best Overall Game in 2008.
I might be the only lonely vote for Warhammer Online here! Either way, here are my reasons.
Only MMO in 2008 (that I have chosen to play, so games like PotBS I never got to try out) that I have paid a subscription for (beyond the free first month).
Company quick to respond to community issues and bring patches (its been what, 3 months and they have released several patches with most of them including extra content and fixes).
Its build around a universe I like (just too bad it is not WH40k!!!
).
RvR/PvP based game, which I have been looking for, with some controls (Darkfall is not for me).
This game also has a huge room for improvement which means the game will only get better as it ages (if the content and patches keep coming).
So there are my reasons I am voting for Warhammer Online. If I had to pick a 2nd, unfortunately it would have been WoW for a lot of the same reasons above. I do have my eye on future 2009 MMOs but currently I can see Warhammer Online keeping my interest for a while.
Vanguard , has it's problems but it is the best one out there.
For those of you suffering from grave ethical dilemmas and personal angst about voting for just one game when you haven't tried *ALL* of these games, I think you are being a bit silly.
In a vote of this kind, you are actually voting "based on my knowledge and experience". The poll should not need to add those words, but they are certainly implicit, so chill out.
Just vote for the one that you think is the best overall of the ones you've tried.
Sheesh. That said... I am voting for LotRO. :)
The best game overall is WoW. We all like a polished game with lots of features and content. Well, WoW has that, a large population to ensure you can always get a group, plus it has the little things that make WoW what it is...special.
<lifts mug of ale>
Here's to hoping Darkfall will be the best overall game next year. <Cheers>
Best overall ?
LOTRO
EQ2
hmm gonna go with WoW for all around game play and the graphics update sealed the deal for me
I picked LOTRO, mainly because I hated the game when it launched, but after playing it with the next Moria expansion, I don't think I have ever seen an mmo have such a turn around on me as this one. It has improved in sooooo many ways that it deserves my vote.
I'm hoping that next year, I can say the same for WAR, as I really do think that game can grow and become a ton of fun.
While I love WoW, it hasn't really broken it's mold, just given us more of the same, which is fine, but compared to LOTRO and how they develop content through the year, every mmo company should take a page out of Turbines playbook.
Guild Wars gets my vote. It doesn't have all the complexity issues other games have. Yeah we don't have the hype of a WOW or other games but Arenanet does things alot better than most companies to make gaming more fun. There is no major grind in Guild Wars at all, there is no forced raiding to obtain the best gear, Guild Wars requires some skill. Guild Wars still has the best pvp today. Guild Wars launch was probably one of the best launches for a game. No long downtime for maintenance, infact when there are issues in Guild Wars all we do is log out, get the update and log back in and start playing again. The combat system is more fluent than most games. The character models look better than most games. No monthly fee, so that means I don't feel obligated to play a ton of hours a month to justify that 15 a month payment. I can put the game down anytime I want and come back anytime. Map travel is probably one of the best things because I don't have to waste 15-20 min riding on a mount just to get to the next town. Guild Wars does has it's shortcoming but you aren't going to find a more solid game from top to bottom.
I picked LOTRO. Only because it's the only game I went back to that improved content, but didn't have to improve bugs and gameplay stuff. No four missing classes due at release date, no faulty DX-10 to patch in later, not a lot of broken promises. They just lacked content.
But looking at the 2008 list, I really can honestly say....
COME ON 2009! SAVE ME!
I voted for lotro
That's the game that surprised me this year
A bought it and I had lot's of fun, I'm not active at this moment
but I'm planning to resub in a week or 2 ^^
Voted Guild Wars, been playing since it came out and still an awesome game
I voted for EvE-O. That game is like wine, simply gets better with time. Not a game for everyone but its, IMO, the best game period.
Honorable mention to Atlantica.
Can I have two votes? I can't decide between StarQuest and EVE.
StarQuest because of their totally awesome Devs and addicting gameplay.
but...
EVE because the game is more mature and has totally awesome graphics.
Sigh, will the decisions never end?
I voted for The Sims Online as it is simply amazing.
It is so good a game that I will play it FOR-EVAH!
Flipped a Coin again.
I had to chose between Wurm and Eve.
Eve because i'm enjoying it since '06, Wurm because..well, i don't love Wurm itself, i love the idea of it.
The coin decided that i had to give Wurm some credit, so i did.
I am not much for posting reviews, but I pick starquest. I have played in last 10 years close to 30 Mmorpgs. while starquest is not easy learn in begining and gives som bad first impressions. the game content and sandbox feeling is the greatest. its the only game ive played long then 3 months straight. I have now been playing over 12 months !!!!
Planetside is where it's at. Nothing else on that list really compares. All I saw was a bunch of RPG grind stuff.
Aye voted on StarQuest Online as well.
Have sticked with the game for 3 years now, there is no escaping
Voted starquest too.
I like starwars online too and eve but for an up and coming game with developers that actually listen to what you actually want (and actually put it in the game), you can't put beat SQO.
Not for everyone I know but been playing for quite a few months now and nothing else has took my fancy. It is the game I have wanted to play since I was a nipper, a true "sandbox" title in space!
Even StarTrek online lost my "vote of confidence" when they announced the limited bridge use
maybe they will sort it out after it's released but for now SQO has it all for me and is being added to all the time plus the community is very friendly too! 
seems to me if i'm only playing one game, by default it has to win (for me) ... so....
EQII is my vote.
Has to go to EVE Online for me and while I find the game boring... I find everyother mmo boring too. I think CCP have the best business model and have done the best job improving on EVE each time with free expansions and just pushing the bar really with innovation. The only problem I have iwht them is the whole selling time cards for ISK.
StarQuest Online FTW !!!!
ah sod it, I voted Everquest. Why? It's the one that inspired the others, the one that drew me in like no other, the one that introduced me to 'fantasy'. It's admittedly shit now but for the reasons stated that is my nomination.
I have to agree, the only real choice here is Lord of the Rings Online. When judged in every facet there is simply no other current MMO, AAA or otherwise, that rises to LotRO's standard.
I got to disagree, the game looks great MoM looks great but it just didn't bring enough to the table. 2 years and no serious expansion out of the Entenmoors, the "high end Raid " community are just huge negatives for this game.
My vote went to Vanguard, the game is huge, has a lot of things to do beside trying to get 1 of 4 different sets of armor. The Crafting in VG is absolutely the best, the game world is pretty gorgous and the over community sad as it may, is better then LotrO community right now.
Maybe if I was still level 30 in LotrO I would have voted ofr it, but as a higher characterI got to say it is completely left the path of independent success and is following the "WoW clone highway " at this point in end game material.
Next time, please put the choices in alphabetical order. Thanks.
BTW, if WoW doesn't win then it just goes to show that the people that post here aren't a true sampling of mmo players.
Why be a spaceship when you can be in one, or planetside, or exploring or bounty hunting or building things or...to many opitions to mention. I voted for StarQuest Online.
Since I started playing I haven't gone back to Entropia Universe, EVE or any of the others I was playing. With the regular updates, the active development support and the upcoming 1st person options, for content, it beats so many other games out there.
30 day free trial to boot.
My vote is StarQuest Online.
Asheron's Call because that, to me, was a time when MMO gaming was good.
Starquest online since it has from the start what CCP is trying to develop right now infact aside from graphics Starquest beats EVE in every category that i can think of
I voted for Everquest..
I've played it foreverrrr,
and although the graphics are not the best,
its still a great game.
Its the original MMORPG.
Also, since im a totally hot nerd girl,
i think my vote should count as two .
Eve, hands down. Best growth, great story line, awesome improvents, great expansions, great customer service, pays attention to the player base..I could go on.
I had a hard time chosing between City of Heroes and Lord of the Rings online. Of course, my real choice would be Pre-NGE Star Wars Galaxies if that were an option.
Where is Atlantica Online?
Age of Conan is the best game I overall (Single player or MMO) have played in a long while, and the amount of contet they patch in there week is just insane. AoC hands down.
Guild wars, its free, balanced PvP and GW2 will be better than WoW and be free!
You definitely have a point there, but Guild Wars isn't techinically a true MMO. (not that it doesn't make it eligible)
However Guild Wars 2 isn't on the list, but it sounds like its going to be great. I personally didn't like the only 8 skills method used in GW, but that personal.
So I support you in it having balanced PvP and being better than WoW, but not my favorite. Only opinion however.
all in all there are some MMOs that out shine others...some by far
But TBH i believe that LOTRO has to be the best overall....not that i enjoyed it more then others, i did like it however, but turbine knows what they are doing with this game...keeping the player base happy and a constant number of subs has this game at the top of my list...i look at overall from a player base not from person to person.....LOTRO gets my vote
I voted for City of Heroes.
I was first torn here, but considdering the amount of very good changes in AoC lately I went with AoC.
Lol! I voted for Rakion, even though it's not an MMORPG.
I got to disagree, the game looks great MoM looks great but it just didn't bring enough to the table. 2 years and no serious expansion out of the Entenmoors, the "high end Raid " community are just huge negatives for this game.
My vote went to Vanguard, the game is huge, has a lot of things to do beside trying to get 1 of 4 different sets of armor. The Crafting in VG is absolutely the best, the game world is pretty gorgous and the over community sad as it may, is better then LotrO community right now.
Maybe if I was still level 30 in LotrO I would have voted ofr it, but as a higher characterI got to say it is completely left the path of independent success and is following the "WoW clone highway " at this point in end game material.
Solareus, no offense intended but I think something has gotten into your craw about lotro.
Not that you should change your vote but it seems that you have been playing lotro since its start and suddenly you are decrying it, even though up to now you have loved it.
I really don't see this vast difference in lotro. It plays pretty much the same as it did before but with more content.
Another vote for Lotro here.
Even though it's not what I want in my dream MMO (I prefer something more like Earthrise), it's a great game, and the polish is top notch. It features massive free content releases, and the insane new expansion, Mines of Moria. Kudos to Turbine for a smooth launch, and continually improving/expanding the game. This is probably the best quest theme-park game available today.
----------------------------
Things that need improving in Lotro:
Lotro's crafting and non-combat gameplay options are on par with all the other current gen MMO's. That is to say that it is shallow and boring. I would love to hear from Turbine that they were going to revamp this whole part of the game to make it a richer experience, but that's a long shot. If you enjoy crafting in WoW, Guild Wars or any games with similarly yawn-inspring crafting/resource systems, then you will be at home with Lotro's system.
Even though most of the game's graphics are top-shelf, player animations from general movement to combat could be spiced up. They are a bit stiff and boring, but probably on par or close to par with all the other current games. WoW's animations, while nothing mind blowing, feel smoother. This is one (and possibly the only) area where I enjoyed AoC. Combat animations in AoC were much more engaging.
Like all other instanced player housing I have seen, Lotro's is used for little more than additional storage by most players. This stems from the fact that there is very little reason for people to use or visit homes. You cannot craft or vend crafted items in them, and decoration options are very limited. Since the instanced zones for homes serve no other gameplay purpose, people rarely visit them, creating less incentive for owners to decorate their homes. I let mine run out of rent money, and haven't found a reason to pay it back up.
Voted LotRo also and I 100% agree with the above.
Also add the very annoying shouts that can't be muted without muting the whole sounds effects and the lack of mouse look toogle that makes the game painful to play for people using mouse to steer.
Well, I had to go with my old time favorite EverQuest. When that game first came out, MMO's were better than sex, ok not better, but just as good. Can you believe SOE was behind it?
you mean voiceovers like EQ2 had before it came out? Wish i had there time machine/
ROSE online, cause it gives me this happy feeling when I play it.
99% nice people, always fun to chat with people, and an ever lasting grafix quality (beat that WoW)!
I've quited this game for long. But as time goes by and I play diffrent game It somehow pulls me back to it!
I voted for Lord of the RIngs Online.
Out of the ones I have played, Everquest, EQ2, World of Warcraft and Age of Conan, Lotro is the only one I still keep coming back to.
Also all my friends that were in WoW with me also went over to Lotro.
I am not a PvsP buff, I like good story, emersion and good graphics, I do not play allot, I only reached 50 recently and have still not explored all Lotro has to offer.
I play about 15 hours a week, max, and based on those time constraints Lotro gives me what I need.
LOTRO
Would have been EQ2, but SOE have screwed that for me, so..
EvE
I votes StarQuest Online, I played Eve for 2 1/2 years, and while it's prettier (in some ways) than SQO, I like being a person in a ship or on a planet, instead of a ship. I like sitting in a bar having a beer with an alien, I like the fact I got arrested for selling the drunk alien hyperdrive technology, and I'm really disappointed he never calls after our first date
Ikkinak, call me !
Isn't "ambulation" coming out next expansion? (walking around in station)
Asheron's Call.
I voted for Atlantica. I'm currently playing some beta games released just trying them out. But so far, if my computer didn't lag as much as it does, I would be playing Atlantica. After playing through half the games listed on the official MMORPG game list, I would say Atlantica gets my vote. I enjoy the battle system, and how you can recruit new members is incredible.
I've voted for Regnum Online because of its gameplay, wonderful community and great developers.
AoC gets my vote
Listed in alphabetical order would be nice.
How do we view the current status of the poll? LIke a bar graph or something.
Didn't know you fancied eye sticks
Eveonline without a single doubt in my mind .
- free expansions
- free content all year around
- solid gameplay
- bright futur ahead
- innovations
- even the client is kinda free 20$ plus a free month
- it's sci-fi game that suceeded
- best pvp imo
-single shard world
- great backstory
- etc....
EVE Online.
Tough to choose out of the games I currently enjoy. CoH/CoV is still great fun, FFXI will always be a favorite, and I'm just not far enough into Starquest Online to really have a feel for it, But EVE is the game I always look forward to.
Isn't "ambulation" coming out next expansion? (walking around in station)
Big woopie
In SQO, I can walk around in MY station, my ship, my colony, or my homeworld. As of this morning, I can do this either in 3rd person or 1st person views
Didn't know you fancied eye sticks
Oh yeah, they make me
Regnum Online FTW!
Hard to compete with P2P games... but I just love this great RvR F2P
Voted WoW, now flame me like usual!
OMG YOUZ VOTED FOR WAT YA THAUGHT. HOU DARR YO.
Can't wait to see the results. I think everyone will be surprised by them.
We we be able to see them all and the count when it's all said and done?
(not double post just want to seperate the joke and the real)
Ok ....what would i vote for if i was a metrosexual or a bus boy at Denny's?..well it might be a cute 12 year old guild leader in vent, kiddie cartoon game like Wow or maybe Lotro...OMG! maybe i can meet Frodo in the game someday. and he will hug me or let me see the ring...lol!... /lame, Nope! I like nice graphics and inovative combat because afterall these mmog's are VIDEO games right? they don't call them MMOTG massively multiplayer online TEXT games ? so having nice looking graphics from this decade are inovative and make me happy. Anyway it's a no brainer AOC gets my vote. Funcom did a lot of things wrong at launch , but at the same time they did a lot of things REALLY well and seem to be working hard at getting the game where it should be .
I challenege any non- wow zombie to play AOC for 10 or more days and then try to play Wow or lotr again...trust me it wont be a easy task...my second Choice would have been Vanguard , but the huge death penalty made my choice easy..
neocron 2 all the way.
Voted Ryzom, simply because it's the most enjoyable game I ever played, because it dares to be different in many ways, and because its name doesn't end with "Online". I hope it will have a long and happy future in the hands of its new owners.
All Vanguard needs is the long-forthcoming new character models and an overhaul of all character animations. If they did that, I'd give it a shot.
Ditto.
WoW is, has been and always will be a kid's game. A player can't immerse themselves in something that looks like a cartoon. AoC strives for as realistic a look as possible without completely killing rigs. The more MMO developers that strive for photo-realism in the future (and make no mistake, photorealism is the ultimate goal), the more they will have not only my attention, but my dollar. AoC has the most impressive graphics of any MMO available (Aion will give it a run). As a result the world is more immersive.
AoC will be the game it was originally conceived as within a couple of months. It's only and HUGE fault lay in the fact that it was released before it was completed, (IE: Gems, Crafting issues, some Class Balancing, Lag and Memory Leaks etc. Had it been released as conceived and advertised (both on and off the retail box), complete with DX10 and the smooth-running client it now has, AoC may have kept more of its original purchasers and added even more, because they wouldn' t have wasted all this time playing catch up.
It's easy to criticize the game AoC was. Many opinions of it seem to be those of people who played it at launch and quit, frustrated. Can't blame them for quitting but if they haven't played AoC lately, they don't realize just how much client stability and gameplay (PvP in particular) has been improved and how many problems tended to.
However, it is tougher to criticize the game it now is and will be within a few months time and after the forthcoming expansion.
Lag Spikes, Client Crashes and Memory Leaks are virtually a thing of the past. and with the new Game Director on board and in communication, the players have witnessed extensive improvements already.
PvP is almost where they want it and AoC is shaping up both nicely and speedily, as evidenced by more players I've personally seen come back since the large and impressive patches went online.
Servers will be begin being merged next week and DX10 will be available in AoC in a few weeks and, unless you're blind, AoC looks incredible and will ONLY get even-better looking. Wow will ALWAYS look like a kid's game. - like Monsters designed by Mattel's Care Bear team. Even WoW2 would likely follow a similar family-oriented design sense.
The bottom line with me is this:
AoC is the most detailed, realistic-looking MMO on the market. Nothing comes close. It was released with problems I'm willing to wait out because I mostly solo and don't PvP, so I haven't raced to 80 and wondered why I've run out of content (a mostly legitimate issue, but along with the game being too generous with xp -another subject), even though ALL MMO's are finite in content upon release. It ocmes down to the fact that now that I've found the level of detail, level of immersion, blood, lighting, music and combat animation and directional combat and shielding AoC offers, any other MMO available is a step backward. They just look old-tech with old and/or family graphics. AoC will be where I want it to be soon enough.
...and after that I'll be looking at Aion and any other non-cartoony game. Killer graphics representing the next step towards photorealism in an MMO need only apply.
"Huge" death penalty? What "huge" death penalty are you talking about. You die and go to a rez point and lose a miniscule amount of xp. At least it puts some semblance to staying alive as opposed to using death as a way to travel, like most games.
EVE Online.
EQ2, just because I still like the diversity. But Eve wins like every year *gg*
Voted ROSE online in hope more people play it. :P
AoC.
I voted Warhammer simply because I'm playing it the most right now, and I really enjoy some of the things they've done in the game.
If I hadn't picked Warhammer, it would be Everquest 2 as always. Just an awesome game, just wish I could get the new expansion for it somehow
Graphics do not matter in the remotest sense. After being in a good game for 5-15 mins you won't even see the graphics unless the designers want you to, and trust me NO mmorpg company wants you to even AOC.
I lolled. I really did, then I cried.
Dark Age of Camelot.
I lolled. I really did, then I cried.
Dark Age of Camelot.
SignusM. You're doing it wrong. You hating a game does not make it bad.
I voted AoC. There are now othere game that have such fantastic combat, graphics effects, immersion and lore. Love the game. It si actually up there comparing to any game I've ever played.
I am a lifetime member of LOTRO so the choice should of been easy for me. But it was really hard.
As much as I love LOTRO and I do still play it. My choice was
RYZOM
If you consider the age of this game it is awesome. It has the best community ever in any game. You have levels to do that will go for a longgggg time. I am so glad it is back and we are hoping the best for it and the new owners. Feels good to be home in Atys.
I just hope marketing for the game is done better, it was not marketed and a lot of people never knew about it. The crafting is great and so are any of the skills, they make you think really think. People that want just a mineless game and want something hanging over heads to say "click here". don't bother as this game makes you work for every level of the 250 levels in the 4 professions. You actually have to roam around a hugh area to look for one tiny NPC. Some of them roam so it makes it even harder and more adventureous.
also I have played quite a few of the games listed.
I'd say LOTRO. Its still not the perfect game, but better than anything else.
Lotro for me especially now with awesome Moria expansion , its in a class of its own !
I voted for Oz WOrld. Not ecause it wis the best game ive played. But because I like the idea and teh description fo the gamee. Maybe ill play it some dehy.
P.E. Maybe dey sud call dis favoutrite games instead of beast game.
Looking through the posts I can see which games at least that have cused the most debating.
As said. It will be AoC for me. There is just something special about this game that keeps me facinated.
World of Warcraft.
Entirely finished playing it, didn't even buy the recent expansion, haven't look at it in years. It just, is, the best. Sure, there are hundreds of thousands who never liked it, but most haters at one point poured a lot of time into it and they loved it. It's just become cool to bash the most popular and successful MMO ever (a fitting definition for arrogance you might say). But really, besides your own extremely biased opinion, what is this poll really about?
Everyone elses extremely biased opinion. And that's only mine.
AOC.
I made the mistake? of playing it BEFORE Warcraft, a friend gave me a 10 day wow trial and after AOC, WOW blows IMO.
when does the voting end on this?
For those of you whom have not seen Lord of the Rings yet, I have made a tribute video that includes some scenes from the new expansion Mines of Moria.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4INrPezUkc
Enjoy.
Lol /signed.
there should be Starwars galaxies PRE-NGE
This is like asking whats the best GEM. Some would say "lump of coal". Then we just have to sit back in wonder how some vote when the publishers of "blah blah mmo" have lied, cheated and lmao people are still paying to play that MMO.. "BLINK"
And we keep reading "WOW " is just kids or "WOW" ripped off everything from this or that MMO. Yet ask them what did they rip off.. its a.. .. yeah they have no idea .. no clue. And what MMO do you play that has not taken ideas from another MMO???? LMAO.. Well? THEY ALL DO! And I dont think 10million KIDS play WOW. Nope .. kids play AoC,EQ2/EVE/WAR.. blah blah... yep the kid is YOU! So hush and enjoy the game you love to play.
Best overall is hard and as we can see very subjective. SWG and way before it got runied :(
Rofl, best advertised ain't best overall content. FAR from it.
Besides on PvE aspect, LOTS of MMORPGs > WoW.
Another vote for StarQuest Online
Sandbox = FUN
SQO for me too !
Warhammer of course. What else could possibly be better than RvR?
Noob
I'm a Regnum junkieeeeee!
Has my vote!
Up to a few weeks ago I would have said EQ2. But they added Micro- Transactions AKA "easy mode". So now I am not sure. I guess either EQ1 simply for all the bench marks it set, or ... WAR because its the only game that came out in 2008 that was worth its salt (and has crazy-mad potential). LOTRO is a nice post card, but unfortunatly it only takes me 1 min to read all the content of a post card (its pretty but thats about all). VG could have been outstanding but the game just lacks the backing to make it what it should be and SOE is much more focused on new money to be bothered with improving old content in any real and meaningful way. Verant, Sigil, ... all these great companies ruined by SOE (but... thats another story).
Tough question. Actually kind of a simplistic and under thought-out question. In fact the poll itself is poorly arranged. But since I am here and since I got nothing better to do, thats my 2 cents.
WAR for the win.
Originally posted by Zorndorf
Of course it's World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. 3 simple reasons.
You will soon find, the reasons are far from simple.
-The best MMORPG score EVER given to an MMORPG expansion on ALL professional reviews combined. 93%.
Yeah, that convinces me. Now I truly believe that this game is The Best. Completely gone from my mind is all the evidence of paid off reviewers. I do not need someone to tell me a game is good. I can make up my own mind. You should try it, and stop trusting all those "professional" reviewers, who actually does all the reviewing to make money. Hence Professional.
- New techniques used - that were never used before in MMORPG's.
It costed 200 million dollars to develop and maintain it in the last 3 years and you can feel it in every inch of Nothrend.
It took 3 years? Why? No, I could not feel the 200 millions while grinding myself through "Nothrend", nor could I understand where all those thousands of manhours went in the production. Sorry. You know, I have found out why diehard wow:ers spaz out to WotLK's supposedly Greatly Improved Qualities. They are simply not used to anything better, and ANY improvement, even if it's only new wallpaper in the candystore, is a revolution for them.
Rest of the Fantasy stuff is a laugh compared to the World .... and the World of 11.000.000 PAYING subscribers agree.
Oh, I was not at all convinced before, but now that I know there are 11 millions... paying!... customers, I can safely join the flock, blend in, be one of the herd. I have a need of reassurance, and feel very insecure, when I am playing a game having considerably less... paying!... customers, just as I would wearing clothes not featured in the latest teen mags. Or NOT! You know about "Lowest Common Denominator"? You do? And you call that "Good"?! Oh, my!
The guys pushing LotrO are the real joke in town these days. Ever even heard of smooth animation ?
LOTRO, you say? You are implying that LOTRO does not have smooth animation? Or are you just saying that persons liking LOTRO are so uneducated as to have never heard of the term "smooth amnimation"? The last time I looked, smooth animation needed a rig that could handle it. with todays high graphical standards, every game worth admirind for it's graphics, needs a pretty powerful system to run on. I don't know how to tell you this but, WoW does not a powerful PC need. Ergo, WoW is not a beautiful game woth admiring. LOTRO is. Period!
64 % marketshare in the westen market and still mmorpg.com are blinded by hate.
No, MMORPG.COM is not a site populated entirely by sheep and paid yes-sayers. It is a site that lives in it's forii (fora? forums? Not a native english speaker, sorry) and therefore it contains the voices of the gamers themselves, not the Corporate Voice. The reason you do not see much WoW love here might be, oh this will be good, that those who actually love WoW are, on the average, too young to actually have an opinion beyond "OMGROTFLURPWD!". Wich leads to you, who seems to have an opinion... Should you not play a game for grownups instead? :) You take the word "Hate" too lightly to be THAT grownup though...
MMORPG.COM became a joke of itself these days.
Nope, I do not agree. I actually love this place. On the other hand, I love both humor and jokes too, so maybe it is a marriage made in heaven? Oh you meant "joke" as in something bad, worth ridicule, or perhaps worthless? If that is the case, you will have a serious hard time growing up and facing a harsh reality. In the real world we need to accept other peoples opinions without belittling them, or we will be eradicated (or PWND!). I could just as easily let your little post slip through that crack, but something in your tone..... I'll make an exception for you :D
Keep it real y'all.
Oh, and LOTRO FTW!
damn, go Mixxaton
I too agree LotrO is better than WoW, but my personal preference goes to Ryzom still. Great game, why? :
- mostly great community,
- bit dated graphics but (in its own way of course, comparing pears to apples here) they beat WoW's, hehe.
- Freedom to create your own actions and instances,
- crafting system that plays easy but still allows loads of tweaking for more advanced players,
- classless system but with so many levels to gain that not everyone is maxed in everything, so no 2 characters are the same
- meaningful harvesting system that's more than just "click and wait for bag to fill"
- mix of fantasy and sci-fi
- new owners are about to get the game back up to speed with bug fixes and small patches, after which they'll move on to content patches.
- ... i could go on...
Sadly, WoW got no competition. While personal taste differs, it's the most polished game out there, offering gameplay for both the casual and hardcore and everyone in between. It's ability to draw the masses even after 4+ years deserve a mention aswell. So my vote go to Blizzard this time. I'm not playing any mmo at the moment though. None of them interest me anymore, even the old ones fail to grab my attention. Think I need a good break from everything mmo...
woa! did not see Ultima online till I realized the list was not on alphabetical order :)
I've noticed a lot of people choosing LOTRO... Lotro is a very fun game, and it's also the closest thing in the last 9 years to what Everquest used to be (they aren't that close, but they share some qualities that no other game has picked up on). If this poll was about the best MMO Game overall (doesn't matter what time period patch wise) my vote goes to EQ hands down. But for 2008 and not 2000 hehe, it's LOTRO's day.
bonus message; lotro's dev's read their feedback
I have noticed AoC getting a lot of votes. Looking forward to get to read the results.
ymmd. Thank you.
EVE
It's beyond casual now.
EVE.
The PhD of PC Gaming and the sovereign Queen of MMOs. Wins every year for a reason.
I will even go so far as to predict that it will win next year, in several categories that it hasnt been in. See you in 12 months and another win :)
Yours in Caldari Plasma,
Star*Dagger
True, CCP asks its players on the main website to sign up here and vote for EVE every year.
MMORPG.COM calls it the mmorpg.com awards but in reality the awards aren't picked by mmorpg.com's community, they are picked by EVE Online's community.
mmorpg.com might as well hosts the awards on eve-online.com
Haz voted! Regnum Online!
youtube.com/watch (Video)
Bye!
True, CCP asks its players on the main website to sign up here and vote for EVE every year.
MMORPG.COM calls it the mmorpg.com awards but in reality the awards aren't picked by mmorpg.com's community, they are picked by EVE Online's community.
mmorpg.com might as well hosts the awards on eve-online.com
I am sure ccp would allow that!!
Now get down into 0.0 where the REAL pvp in MMOs is found!
S*D
The list of games is way to long! But atleast a little game called WoW was on the list to vote for. :) Love it or Hate it Wow still leads the pack.
Popularity doesn't equal quality, I think the last 8 years has illustrated that quite well.
S*D
World of Warcraft without a single doubt with an honorable mention to Lord of the Rings Online.
There isn't a game on that list that I
can think of which would offer me as many game play choices if I
were to switch from WoW to that game. In essence it is like losing options even if I
did find that new game more fun, the truth would still be that overall it had less things to offer in comparison.
That is why I think overall World of Warcraft has no real competition that I have experienced. That isn't to say there are not some fine games on that list, but in comparison WoW offers far more overall activities.
Just my $.02
You don't even have to look to popularity, review scores, awards, all point towards WoW as the game to beat in terms of quality.
You don't even have to look to popularity, review scores, awards, all point towards WoW as the game to beat in terms of quality.
Popularity has nothing to do with it. Even Eve is a better game than Wow, just because it is a bit hardcore compared to others does not exclude it from consideration. Let's face it Wow is getting a bit long in the tooth despite the expansions. They have really added nothing new at all lately. I would even vote for Lotro over Wow.
I find this kind of funny, as I find WoW incredibly restricting when compared to my favorite game, SWG(pre-NGE)
I find this kind of funny, as I find WoW incredibly restricting when compared to my favorite game, SWG(pre-NGE)
That is strange since SOE has done nothing but convert SWG from a sandbox game into a straight out WoW clone in space. Everyone has their personal preferences, but that doesn't really change the options.
I find this kind of funny, as I find WoW incredibly restricting when compared to my favorite game, SWG(pre-NGE)
Uhh..My absolute favourite mmo is Anarchy Online. It's still a joke compared to WoW.
Popularity has nothing to do with it. Even Eve is a better game than Wow, just because it is a bit hardcore compared to others does not exclude it from consideration. Let's face it Wow is getting a bit long in the tooth despite the expansions. They have really added nothing new at all lately. I would even vote for Lotro over Wow.
WoW is not only more popular than EVE, it received Higher review scores, more awards, more recognition and more sales.
I voted for Everquest Online Adventures. This game is the first console (PS2) MMORPG ever. It has been around since February 2003 and has a very dedicated and loyal fan base.
After five years, many of its players would like to see a sequel issued for the PS3. Most prefer playing on a console rather than a computer for the sheer simplicity of the game when compared to it's PC counterparts. No upgrades of hardware are required to play when an update is released. A sequel to EQOA would make the already good game even better.
Whole Familys play the game. Including my own.
EQOA has a vast playing field. 500 square miles. Many races and classes. We all hope that there is more to come. W win as the Best Overall Game for 2008 will mean much to EQOA players. Their five years of dedication will be finally recognized and hopefully more people would join us in the game. The more people, the better the chance of that hoped for sequel.
Are you really defending WoW against EVE, I am just trying to imagine such a thing happening in reality, lol.
There is more complexity found in character creation in EVE than in all of WoW. Ponder this.
LOL,
S*D
For me, this was easy once I gave it some thought. EverQuest (first one) gave me the best gaming experience I've ever had in any MMO so far (...well there was Diablo2 but... well anyway, not on the list).
No other MMO game really comes close to giving me the same satisfaction for playing it so... easy decission.
There are no rules for this, so I did not include games/expansions I haven't played into my final decission. But, that means I'm thinking of the EverQuest that doesn't exist anymore (apparently), which some may say as unfair. So, my other choice for this would be, Warhammer.
Bah, can't believe I did this big writeup thing here, not like anybody cares, sheesh.
When will the 2008 awards be announced? Did I miss it?
The results were viewable for the last few days but have now disappeared. LoTRO won with 12% with WoW coming in second place at 11%.
dammit n how could Requiem just got 1,7% ?
What the hell are you smoking? It doesnt matter what your character look like cause you can't exit your ship. Granted Eve got a load of ships that got different looks, but WoW got a shitload of weapons and armor that look different. Want complex character customization go play CoX. Make a joke of both Eve and WoW characters without even trying. To say Eve got more complex character customization than WoW is wrong though.
What the hell are you smoking? It doesnt matter what your character look like cause you can't exit your ship. Granted Eve got a load of ships that got different looks, but WoW got a shitload of weapons and armor that look different. Want complex character customization go play CoX. Make a joke of both Eve and WoW characters without even trying. To say Eve got more complex character customization than WoW is wrong though.
I think what stardagger meant was not graphical customization but actual character/skill customization. Eve definitely does have way more skill customization than every MMO...with Anarchy Online being probably the only exception.
Eh no there isn't, and complexity =/= quality. A simple game can be better than a complex game, and vice versa ofcourse.