What to play? What to play? [MMO's] [Archive]

Lorini

11-08-2008, 09:53 AM

So we have Eve Online releasing Quantum Rise on November 11th. Blizzard releases Wrath of the Lich King on November 13th. Turbine comes in with Mines of Moria on the 17th, and Sony Online Entertainment rounds out the week with Shadow Odyssey on the 18th. Note that Quantum Rise is free, all the rest cost $40, although Shadow Odyssey and Mines of Moria will come with one free month.

So what will you be playing two weeks from today?

Athryn

11-08-2008, 09:57 AM

Wrath, of course.

HRose

11-08-2008, 09:58 AM

None!

Supertanker

11-08-2008, 10:05 AM

Even if I wasn't really looking forward to it, inertia would demand I play WotLK. I hate the early levels & feeling weak; other games need to figure out some way to confirm I have high-level WoW toons & give me a high-level toon in their game if they ever want me to switch.

malkav11

11-08-2008, 10:25 AM

Warhammer Online, of course.

Skorin

11-08-2008, 10:39 AM

I'll be playing Wrath, but I'm sorely tempted to try out the Mines of Moria expansion. I'm pretty sure my Nimrodel kinship is long dead, though.

idrisz

11-08-2008, 10:42 AM

Wrath here too, starting to play with my warrior again.

Anyone know if they going to end Arena Season 3 at beginning of WOTLK?

Athryn

11-08-2008, 10:47 AM

Wrath here too, starting to play with my warrior again.

Anyone know if they going to end Arena Season 3 at beginning of WOTLK?

It's already over. The new season begins 12/16.

idrisz

11-08-2008, 10:48 AM

It's already over. The new season begins 12/16.

So they going to wipe Arena points at start of WOTLK?

maybe I should spend all my points..

Athryn

11-08-2008, 10:52 AM

So they going to wipe Arena points at start of WOTLK?

maybe I should spend all my points..

They reset once you hit level 71, if I recall correctly.

Edit: Yeah, here's the source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/11/6751765463-arena-end-reminder-updated.html)

We wanted to remind everyone that Arena season 4 is coming to a close. During next Wednesday's maintenance on November 12th, all arena teams, as well as ratings, will be wiped and arena charter NPCs disabled. However, arena points will persist until the beginning of the next arena season, or until a player reaches level 71. Thus, Arena points will be rewarded for rated games played this week and players will be able to purchase Arena items that do not require a team or personal rating. Upon the close of Arena season 4, players at level 70 will continue to be able to play skirmish Arena matches against other level 70 opponents even after Wrath of the Lich King launches

Arena season 5 is currently scheduled to begin on December 17th, and once that happens players who have reached level 80 will be able to compete in rated arena matches where they can gain arena points which can be used to purchase level 80 arena gear, as well as compete for end-of-season rewards. Players who remain at level 70 after Season 5 begins will only have access to play skirmish arena matches against other level 70 players. However, two new skirmish brackets will be made available (71-75, 76-80) for players who wish to hone their arena skills while leveling in Northrend.

So I was slightly off on the date, it's 12/17. And the season ends on 11/12 (for some reason I thought it was already over.)

RobotPants

11-08-2008, 10:53 AM

There's no point wipe, but I imagine gear that requires a rating won't be purchasable.

Athryn

11-08-2008, 10:55 AM

There's no point wipe, but I imagine gear that requires a rating won't be purchasable.

Yes there will be, when a player hits 71. See my above post for reference.

idrisz

11-08-2008, 10:56 AM

Haven't played for a while, but I think S2 gear is rating free. I just have enough Arena points to purchase Merciless Gladiator Gauntlets.

RobotPants

11-08-2008, 11:05 AM

Yes there will be, when a player hits 71. See my above post for reference.

Yeah, I was thinking honor points. I admit I've never paid much attention to the Arena goings on.

And actually, it sounds like idrisz isn't talking about Arena points. The Season 2 gear is purchasable with honor points and tokens. And while were at it, it should be noted that we're on Season 4 already. :)

idrisz

11-08-2008, 11:07 AM

One thing I hate about restarting an MMO after expansion is now I have to find another guild so I can do all the 5/10 man instances.

Gordon Cameron

11-08-2008, 11:12 AM

Lich King if anything... I still keep meaning to put more time into LOTRO, but there just isn't enough time to put, at the moment.

idrisz

11-08-2008, 11:15 AM

Yeah, I was thinking honor points. I admit I've never paid much attention to the Arena goings on.

And actually, it sounds like idrisz isn't talking about Arena points. The Season 2 gear is purchasable with honor points and tokens. And while were at it, it should be noted that we're on Season 4 already. :)

Sorry about the confusion, I was actually talking about the Arena points, I didn't know you can purchase S2 gears with honor points, I take a look on the honor merchant, but I know Honor point carries over after expansion, so I saving as much as possible.

Athryn

11-08-2008, 11:23 AM

One thing I hate about restarting an MMO after expansion is now I have to find another guild so I can do all the 5/10 man instances.

Come to Moonrunner, unless of course you play Horde.

Fugitive

11-08-2008, 11:26 AM

I'm tempted by WotLK, but I stopped playing when I fell too far behind the group of friends I was running with, and I don't want to spend a couple months catching up only for them to have gotten sick of the expansion and stopped playing at that point...

RobotPants

11-08-2008, 11:50 AM

How far behind are you, though? Leveling is pretty quick nowadays.

Sam Jones

11-08-2008, 11:57 AM

Tabula Rasa is still a rip-off at one dollar. (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=285793)

Joe M.

11-08-2008, 12:07 PM

Lich King. Unfortunately. Blizzard really is the heroin dealer of game companies.

idrisz

11-08-2008, 12:11 PM

Come to Moonrunner, unless of course you play Horde.

Yeah, I think I stick with my undead warrior/priest. starting another character at this point probably just going to make me quit WOW.

Mordrak

11-08-2008, 12:48 PM

I torn between friends when it comes to MMOs. One group of friends only plays on PVP servers, the others don't and both are into hardcore raiding. I prefer world PVP, but suck at it, and I am not a very good raider. If I play on the PVE server, there's not much to do after I hit the level cap (which if I do with my raiding friends, I'll be geared well quickly after launch). If I pug the end game 5 mans, which means a string a failures and less dungeons per night... for a longer but excruciating experience.

And then I'm basically spent until the next expansion... it's a vicious cycle.

I'll probably end up getting Wrath anyway, but what pisses me off is there isn't going to be a downloadable version day and date with the retail release. I'm going to be up waiting for hours in line until midnight on the 13th*.

Athryn

11-08-2008, 12:50 PM

I'll probably end up getting Wrath anyway, but what pisses me off is there isn't going to be a downloadable version day and date with the retail release. I'm going to be up waiting for hours in line until midnight on the 18th.

You know there's going to be a ton of boxes on the shelves, so unless you're getting a CE, you don't have to wait in line, right?

Mordrak

11-08-2008, 12:56 PM

You know there's going to be a ton of boxes on the shelves, so unless you're getting a CE, you don't have to wait in line, right?

Um, if I want to play at midnight I do (well 12:30-1am)....

Athryn

11-08-2008, 12:59 PM

Um, if I want to play at midnight I do (well 12:30-1am)....

Waiting a few hours isn't going to make you suddenly 5 levels behind. :P

And people say I'm a bad addict!

Mordrak

11-08-2008, 01:04 PM

Waiting a few hours isn't going to make you suddenly 5 levels behind. :P

And people say I'm a bad addict!

If I don't get in on the initial rush, I won't really get to play with them. We take about a few days off work to play through. So it'll probably be ~midnight until 8 or 9 am, then 3 or four hours sleep and 12 hour days after that until we hit 80... then we'll twiddle our thumbs until raiding starts. I'll do that for a few weeks until I realize, I'm still out of league no matter how much I try and focus. Then I start to play less and less until I cancel my account until next time... heh.

Athryn

11-08-2008, 01:17 PM

If I don't get in on the initial rush, I won't really get to play with them. We take about a few days off work to play through. So it'll probably be ~midnight until 8 or 9 am, then 3 or four hours sleep and 12 hour days after that until we hit 80... then we'll twiddle our thumbs until raiding starts. I'll do that for a few weeks until I realize, I'm still out of league no matter how much I try and focus. Then I start to play less and less until I cancel my account until next time... heh.

That's why you just slow down and enjoy the ride? If you're going to go balls to the wall like that, of course you're going to get burned out.

It's a game not a sweatshop. Granted, I'm going to be leveling a ton, but not at a backbreaking pace like that. No wonder you cancel immediately. :P

Mordrak

11-08-2008, 01:28 PM

Well, I play to play with old friends, less for the game itself. If I don't do this, I really don't get to play with them because by the time I hit endgame, they are already raiding. But that's neither here nor there, Blizz just needs to get on digital distribution. Heh.

idrisz

11-08-2008, 01:31 PM

it's not so bad if you are a healer, you can still contribute in raid or group even if you are a couple levels lower than your friends.

Athryn

11-08-2008, 01:40 PM

Real friends don't care what level you are! :P

RobotPants

11-08-2008, 01:47 PM

Aeon221

11-08-2008, 01:48 PM

Holy crap, Mordrak! I realize this sort of gaming isn't completely unheard of, especially in MMOs, but it's still just so alien to me. There's no way in hell I'm giving up sleep to play any game. I might stay up all hours of the night to play, but you can bet I'm still getting a good 7 hours after that. I play to enjoy myself, but what you're describing sounds more like a horrible job.

Yeah. I would, and have, done stuff like that to prep for exams or to finish a project. Hell, I think I got three hours of sleep last week. But for a game? Eff that!

Mordrak

11-08-2008, 02:05 PM

Real friends don't care what level you are! :P

It's pretty typical MMO behavior, people leaving friends behind. I'm surprised you haven't encountered it. Even friends have different schedules/playing habits. It's hard to synchronize progress in typical MMO settings, until you hit a hard barrier like raiding.

Yeah. I would, and have, done stuff like that to prep for exams or to finish a project. Hell, I think I got three hours of sleep last week. But for a game? Eff that!

Well, it's really only the first night where I lose sleep. It's not like that every night. Heh. And it's partly exciting. I'm the explorer type player, so I like pushing ahead and seeing the zones with friends.

RobotPants

11-08-2008, 02:07 PM

I thought the typical "explorer type player" behaved in pretty much the opposite fashion. :)

Aeon221

11-08-2008, 02:11 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AXPnH0C9UA

Creole Ned

11-08-2008, 02:41 PM

I'm an explorer type player and I won't be sacrificing sleep for any MMO expansion, even if it promises me riches and donuts.

I'll be picking up WotLK and enjoying the new 70-80 quests. Inevitably I will make a death knight at some point, too. As the day draws nearer I find myself increasingly restless with WoW. I don't like soloing much anymore and I find it a bit boring to just run a level 70 through instances all the time so there's not a whole lot pulling me in right now. New areas and quests will be a big help.

But I've also pre-ordered the digital version of the Mines of Moria expansion. Despite various issues with LOTRO I find myself enjoying the world it presents. I just unlocked monster play and got to be a spider, spitting venom and webs at other players (who rudely killed me in return).

Athryn

11-08-2008, 02:42 PM

It's pretty typical MMO behavior, people leaving friends behind. I'm surprised you haven't encountered it. Even friends have different schedules/playing habits. It's hard to synchronize progress in typical MMO settings, until you hit a hard barrier like raiding.

Leaving someone behind doesn't necessarily preclude one from hanging out with them. I help out lower level members of my guild all the time with things. I'm lucky in that generally the friends I play with all have mostly the same schedule.

Plus I have my DK to level up when my friends aren't online.

Gordon Cameron

11-08-2008, 02:56 PM

I find having a (very) high level buddy along actually detracts from the fun. It becomes an escort, reducing me to irrelevancy, and then I'm barely playing the game. I often offer to help others who are below my level, but I seldom like having big brothers around on my own lowbies, unless I really need a dungeon escort for a specific quest or item. Large level differences can interfere with the ability of buddies to play together when the game doesn't have a good sidekick system IMO. Though you can always chat, and of course it's good to keep secondary alts that you play without friends.

Lorini

11-08-2008, 03:02 PM

I realized I didn't answer my own question:) I don't see myself buying the new EQ2 expansion, basically because it doesn't seem to have much for lowbies. I might turn my sub back on for Eve because that expansion looks interesting, particularly the certificate thing. I will be buying WotlK but I'm getting disillusioned with WoW after 4 years and I wonder how long I'll be playing once I hit 80. I'm not sure about Mines of Moria. They are addressing one of my main complaints about LOTRO with the addition of the Runekeeper, so that might be fun. I'll see. I have a ton of board games to buy this month too, so something may have to give.

Creole Ned

11-08-2008, 03:04 PM

Having a highbie run one of my lowbies through the game (in any MMO) is just boring. I guess if you're just grinding to get to the level cap and do nothing but raids or PvP it's fine but being a "journey, not destination" kinda guy, it does nothing at all for me.

Athryn

11-08-2008, 03:07 PM

Let me clarify .... I'm usually talking about group quests and dungeons here, and I don't usually outlevel my friends by more than a level at the most. :)

Mark Crump

11-09-2008, 11:11 AM

WOLTK will be a relase day purchase for me.

I'd love to get Mines, but not being actually close to level 50 makes that a "later" purchase.

I've actually been messing around with D&D Online.

Mordrak

11-09-2008, 01:16 PM

I've actually been messing around with D&D Online.

How's that been going? I always thought about giving that try once they get all 20 levels in. However, with 4th out now.. I wonder if WotC is going to get a 4th Ed MMO started.

Gordon Cameron

11-09-2008, 01:20 PM

Holy crap, Mordrak! I realize this sort of gaming isn't completely unheard of, especially in MMOs, but it's still just so alien to me. There's no way in hell I'm giving up sleep to play any game. I might stay up all hours of the night to play, but you can bet I'm still getting a good 7 hours after that. I play to enjoy myself, but what you're describing sounds more like a horrible job.

At the peak of my WoW addiction I would bargain myself down to 4 hours' sleep a night in order to play more of it. Fortunately I am past that stage.

Munky

11-09-2008, 04:33 PM

I hate the early levels & feeling weak; other games need to figure out some way to confirm I have high-level WoW toons & give me a high-level toon in their game if they ever want me to switch.
I kinda of agree with you. However, in the Moria beta you could autolevel new characters to the cap, with a full array of traits and pretty darn good gear (I swear I had quest/deed completion messages popping on my screen for over ten minutes). And I hadn't a clue how to play a Runekeeper. Not a clue. Starting one from scratch and just going through the leveling process, with abilities introduced slowly, it's a breeze.

Mark Crump

11-09-2008, 04:43 PM

How's that been going? I always thought about giving that try once they get all 20 levels in. However, with 4th out now.. I wonder if WotC is going to get a 4th Ed MMO started.

It's going ok. There's a decent community there, and there's usually a group of some nature happening.

I don't really like the "group only" parts, but at least the quests I was working on today I didn't have much trouble soloing with my level 3 cleric.

I'd be surprised if they do a 4th Ed mmo. I know people would like to see them rework DDO to fourth ed, but I don't see that happening.

What I do love about he game is the instances. They've done a better job at making the game soloable, and the people I've grouped with were actually fairly nice people.

metta

11-09-2008, 05:37 PM

Wrath. Leveling is a doddle now.

JMR

11-09-2008, 06:43 PM

Get of those gay spell casting MMOG's become a grizzled, pot bellied, Obama fearing, redneck rivet counter in BattleGround Europe. They're having a free trial at the moment.

http://www.mmorpg.com/giveaways.cfm/offer/24/WWII-Online-14-Day-Trial-Offer-w-Bonus-Contest.html

Aeon221

11-09-2008, 06:57 PM

At the peak of my WoW addiction I would bargain myself down to 4 hours' sleep a night in order to play more of it. Fortunately I am past that stage.

You have unlocked Achievement: Aeon Facepalm.

WarrenD

11-11-2008, 06:16 AM

Mines of Moria.

The welcome back weekend has hooked me bigtime, can't believe all the new content added already since I last played six or seven months ago.

The new Legendary equipment feature coming in MoM is a great idea for a different type of end game idea, being able to really get hold of some of the best gear without raiding all the time really works for this mainly time limited PvE player.

Just spent the last couple of months in the WoLTK beta and had some fun but got bored a little too quick compared to the last expansion.Lots of really good looking and interesting areas to explore but didn't see enough different game mechanics as I got towards the end game.

DTG

11-11-2008, 07:04 AM

Moria. I only have a level 26 minstrel at this point (Nimroedel), but I'll get it anyhow. I logged onto my WoW account a couple of weeks ago after the big patch, saw I had to respec my 70 Druid and 67 Warrior, and closed it. Plus, LOTRO has spoiled me with respect to graphics and lore. It looks better, and I get the backstory since I was reading the stuff since the 70's ...granted, with a 20-year break before the movies came out.

Spect

11-11-2008, 07:18 AM

I'll be in Wrath.

EQ2 got too boring for me. LoTRO likewise, and EVE can suck it since they hate soloers and "carebears".

ridge

11-11-2008, 08:14 AM

My rankings go: 1) Mines 2) Wrath 3) Warhammer and 1) Eve (really good, way too time intensive for my tastes and it deserves a seperate category). First, Lord of the Rings, this game is the most innovative and the aspect of monster versus player is a gem (got a rank 9 defiler on brandywine).

Next is Warcraft - simply the best, classic, polished, fun mechanics in a pve game (went through rage nerfs and stopped hard core raiding as a main tank after killing the early version of gruul, once bugged and once really luck) - not going back to warcraft, because it has run the life cycle for my tastes.

Finally, the game that I will continue to play in the next two weeks Warhammer. Why rank it last? Oh, it is a real middle of the road, overhyped game. In fact it fits right in that category of big talk, little bang. Most of the rvr talk has become one scenario map along with the drudgery of kill 10 bears and click on the dirt. So why stay? I got two tier 4 healers (zealot and archmage) and the low levels on an open server are fun when you can find actual pvp. I give the fun factor another few weeks.

RobotPants

11-11-2008, 09:07 AM

Not to be argumentative, but what makes LOTRO innovative?

Marcin

11-11-2008, 09:09 AM

Wrath. I like the mechanics of Warhammer questing and fighting more (although the 3.0 changes in WoW certainly shook things up a bit), but WoW has the crack factor.

Besides, everyone I know is playing WoW instead. :/ It's too bad for WAR ...

Foxstab

11-11-2008, 09:15 AM

I'd be telling you to go play warhammer online, but honestly, it doesn't matter what you play, it can even just be descent 1 or diablo 1 or doom 1 co-op or one of those worst-mmos-ever korean-clone-shop-produced level 1-50 pve switch level 50+ pvp grinders...at the end of the day what MMOs are all about is socializing, so, just go where your friends are, I guess, or lure them to where YOU want to go, if you can.
So long you do it with your friends, you should enjoy it, even if the entire game is a babbling cesspool.

Personally, I've nigh given up on MMOs, in the least of them living up the "RPG" portion of the acronym.
I'm going to wait and see how STO and SW:TOR will hold up, but these are likely to be my last ventures into the MMO "genre" before I discard it in its entirety and move to smaller things.

In the immortal words of those before us: We're getting too old for this shit.

Discoballs

11-11-2008, 09:19 AM

Foxstab

11-11-2008, 09:24 AM

That's actually really good to hear, and if true enough, hopefully the word will spread around and fuel Vanguard's drive.
And the same with Tabula Rasa, which hopefully might one day, unless forclosed first, live up to its potential as well.

It's a shame really, much like Hellgate: London, they had a fabulous setting and went astry from its original concept too much, kind of SWG NGE v2, and then there were all the other problems...

Oh well. C'est la vie.

DarkHorsePlague

11-11-2008, 09:24 AM

The fourth telling in A tale in the Desert should be out by the new year.
I'll probably play that for the first month when everything is super exciting, and before the dev team lets it go stagnant again.

Larinson

11-12-2008, 02:40 PM

Moria - and I can't wait for it! Should be fantastic!

Tyjenks

11-12-2008, 02:45 PM

Believe it or not, I'll be playing Vanguard while all that stuff comes out. I resubbed a few months ago and discovered that the game finally realized its potential.

Yes, there are still people playing Vanguard.
I have been wondering about that. I dug the crafting in Beta, but, as we all know, it was not quite up-to-snuff at release. If they have it all ironed out, I may give it a try, too....after I get to 80 in some other game.

I re-tried LotRO over the summer. Got a new guy up in the high twenties and was just bored. I think I just like the feel of combat in WoW more.

Gordon Cameron

11-12-2008, 02:59 PM

I re-tried LotRO over the summer. Got a new guy up in the high twenties and was just bored. I think I just like the feel of combat in WoW more.

That's my problem in a nutshell, though the graphics/lore/story of LOTRO are almost enough to make me play it anyway -- would be enough, maybe, had I more free time to play.