Looking for a game..

[rokh]

Hey,

I'm not sure if this is the best sub-forum for this, but I'm guessing that what I'm looking for is most likely to come in the shape of an mmo, so here goes.

I used to play world of warcraft a few years ago. I stopped for various reasons, and have since been playing mostly indie games with the odd fps shooter thrown in, but I miss parts of wow every now and then...

so I'm looking for a game that:

• Is social. I liked being part of and leading guilds / raids.
• Requires problem solving. Raids are great, as long as hardly anyone knows them. Beating it step by step, is brilliant, even if you wipe 50 times. (Are there active mmo's out there with randomised / player generated content?)
• Is an active game with a community.

Other things I've enjoyed in games:

• Theory-crafting. Figuring out the optimal ... whatever. Skill-sets, TD tower combinations.. etc.
• "Playing the auction house"(wow).. Taking part in and influencing the economy of the game / server.
• The occasional 2v2 or 3v3 arena matches, some COD, but not too much of a PvP'er in general. I guess I generally prefer a "plan, then execute" play style.
• "Breaking the game", e.g. figuring out how to do level-appropriate dungeons / raids with less than intended players.

I'm not too bothered about graphics in general, but I do enjoy well done art direction. I also like to be immersed in what's going on, which probably means 3D graphics of some sort, but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!
/rokh

[xenoph]

Neverwinter?

https://register.perfectworld.com/nw_splash

[Nejad]

As I was reading through your list, I kept thinking EVE Online.

Let me respond to your wish list and describe EVE Online:

• Social - We've got a pretty good group and there is almost always people on in game and on TeamSpeak. Check out the TOG EVE forum to get an idea of how active the social community is. I personally feel that EVE is more social than level-based MMOs that force players to only play with people at their same level.
• Problem Solving - EVE is a thinking game. If you just want to blindly shoot things, then EVE is not for you.
• Active Community - Definitely. There is usually some group activity always going on. If not, start one and usually you can find people to join. Also, see my response regarding social.
• Theory Crafting - Almost a necessity in EVE, to the point that some people call EVE "Spreadsheets In Space". But, there is a lot someone can do without going to these extremes (I, for one, have never broken out a spreadsheet to optimize my game play; I just go have fun and try to learn from others).
• Auction House - EVE has one of the most developed economies of any game. So much so, that they have an economist on staff to keep an eye on and analyze the economy. In fact, some players do nothing but play the market, for their entire game play (and have done so for years).
• PvP - PvP in EVE comes in all shapes and sizes, from 1v1 duels to large fleet battles involving over 1000 players. You can never completely avoid it (for example, you compete against other players in the market, trying to make that sale), but you can make it as big or as little a part of the game as you want.
• Breaking the game - Since EVE is a very open game, there are always people trying to figure out how to do something better/faster/cheaper.

And what may be the most important point for you:

• EVE has a ship called the Rokh (I rather enjoy that ship too).

If you are interested, here is a link that will give you a 21 day free trial (the normal trial is only 14 days, and yes I get a bonus if you sub after using this link):

https://secure.eveonline.com/trial/?...4&action=buddy

Also, head over the the EVE forums for a warm welcome: http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/eve-online/

[Trimethicon]

Sounds like WoW to me =). Which I love/loved btw, I'm not a WoW hater.

[Nejad]

I played WoW for a couple of years, so I'm not a WoW hater either (it was fun while it lasted; I could still enjoy it if I had people to play with).

It is kind of hard to say EVE sounds like WoW, when EVE was release in 2003 and WoW was release a year and a half later, in 2004. So, if there was any copying going on, WoW must have copied from EVE.

EVE really kicks the complexity up a notch or two from WoW, plus adds politics, espionage, treason, counter-intelligence, space ships, etc.

[rokh]

Originally Posted by xenoph

Neverwinter?

https://register.perfectworld.com/nw_splash

Thanks for the suggestion. I very much like the fact that the open beta just started, so it's still new to everyone.

I tried it out last night and played a few levels as a cleric - gameplay seems good, but it feels pretty close to wow and I'm not sure how long I'll last... Leveling and questing felt mostly like a chore in wow, I hope it's not the same in neverwinter. (Thing is, I don't really mind grinding once in a while, it was the pointlessness of e.g. "go fetch 4 glowing mushrooms, then come back to me" that got to me.)

I'll let you know how I get on.

[Cromulent]

For problem solving, I'd highly recommend The Secret World. Many of its investigation quests are incredibly difficult to solve if you don't resort to walkthroughs. It's the only MMO I've played where internet searches are an integral part of the gameplay, not to look for spoilers, but to find in-universe websites or Wikipedia articles that contain clues needed to solve the puzzles.

It's a bit of a "three monther" in the sense that its quests are finite, and once completed, there's not much reason to keep playing. But the same can be said for almost every MMO aside from EVE. And while it lasts, the game is very compelling.

[rokh]

Originally Posted by Nejad

As I was reading through your list, I kept thinking EVE Online.

Let me respond to your wish list and describe EVE Online:

• Social - We've got a pretty good group and there is almost always people on in game and on TeamSpeak. Check out the TOG EVE forum to get an idea of how active the social community is. I personally feel that EVE is more social than level-based MMOs that force players to only play with people at their same level.
• Problem Solving - EVE is a thinking game. If you just want to blindly shoot things, then EVE is not for you.
• Active Community - Definitely. There is usually some group activity always going on. If not, start one and usually you can find people to join. Also, see my response regarding social.
• Theory Crafting - Almost a necessity in EVE, to the point that some people call EVE "Spreadsheets In Space". But, there is a lot someone can do without going to these extremes (I, for one, have never broken out a spreadsheet to optimize my game play; I just go have fun and try to learn from others).
• Auction House - EVE has one of the most developed economies of any game. So much so, that they have an economist on staff to keep an eye on and analyze the economy. In fact, some players do nothing but play the market, for their entire game play (and have done so for years).
• PvP - PvP in EVE comes in all shapes and sizes, from 1v1 duels to large fleet battles involving over 1000 players. You can never completely avoid it (for example, you compete against other players in the market, trying to make that sale), but you can make it as big or as little a part of the game as you want.
• Breaking the game - Since EVE is a very open game, there are always people trying to figure out how to do something better/faster/cheaper.

I have come across EVE years and years ago and dismissed it cause I wasn't interested in a "space simulator" at the time (yeah I realize now that doesn't begin to cover it) Until I started researching mmo's a few days ago I didn't even realize it was still around...

I gotta say you make a very compelling case, but as I already installed neverwinter, I think I'll give that game a chance first to see how things pan out. EVE is definitely interesting though.

Originally Posted by Nejad

And what may be the most important point for you:

• EVE has a ship called the Rokh (I rather enjoy that ship too).

Bonus! Also thanks for the links.

[Nejad]

As much as I enjoy EVE, I realize it is not for everyone. They just celebrated their 10 year anniversary and show no signs of slowing down.

When you are ready to check out EVE, I strongly encourage you to stop by the forums. EVE can have a steep learning curve and having a support group there in place makes it so much more enjoyable.

I hope you enjoy Neverwinter. Report back and let the group know how it works out for you. You never know when someone else is in need of a change of pace.

[Tachyon]

I played EVE for the first two years after it's release and highly recommend as well. It had me wrapped up for a while, very fun!

For something newer, I'd suggest Secret World. It's one of the most challenging/unique MMOs to come out in a while, especially if you are the thinking kid.