Returning to your MMO
There’s a little meme going around on the blogs I read: Are you returning to MMOs you have left? Do you have favorites you return to multiple times? Syp at Bio Break and Syl at Raging Monkeys have something to say about the issue.
Before I can tell you which games I am returning to, it might be helpful to know what is currently on my hard disk. On second thought, I shouldn’t do that, considering how many of tags and categories this will produce.
Current Games:
| Aerrevan | Needs to be deleted. Played in beta for about 1 hour |
| Aion | Will certainly go back, just because of the looks |
| Darkfall | Never subscribed, but had a couple of trial accounts. Might even go back just to look at the class model |
| DDO | Played on opening day, returned two or three times once it was free-to-play. Spent hours playing with the offline character generators. |
| Eligium | Currently in beta, fumbled around with it for a while, won’t be playing it |
| Everquest99 | Project 99 client. Everquest private server like it was during the Kunark period. Fun. But leads to moments of “did I really have that much patience?” |
| Fallen Earth | Love it. Returning frequently. The fact that the original creators offices are 1 mile away from my house may have something to do with it |
| Guild Wars | Did only a trial. Not sure why I didn’t stick with it. Tried it only years after it came out, and most likely was waiting for another game to come out. |
| Istaria | Friends of mine beta tested it way back when. It has certainly a sandbox feel. And is free to play now. |
| NWN2 | Started playing it also years after it came out while waiting for MMO #27 |
| Rift | It’s up-to-date and waiting to be played. I like the soul system, but wasn’t to happy about some play-on-rails aspects |
| Runes of Magic | Spent some time playing, never got a character beyond 20, but liked the dual class system and the fact that it didn’t have any quarrels being a WOW clone |
| Everquest | Last played when they opened Fippy Darkpaw. Awaiting F2P |
| Everquest 2 | Was there when it opened and came back many times |
| Star Wars Galaxies | Can’t delete it, yet. It has been played only before the revamp. Syl was talking about nostalgia. There it is. |
| Vanguard | Played the beta, was subscribed for a couple of weeks on and off, did some free trials. Waiting for the F2P announcement. Like that will ever happen |
| FF XIV | Did the Open Beta, turned me off. Went back once shortly before they announced that monthly payments would begin again. Didn’t see any real improvements |
| SWTOR | Currently subscribed and played 95% of the time |
| STO | Tried it in Open Beta and a few weeks back, still don’t like it. |
| SWGemu | SWG private server. More nostalgia than real interest |
| Tera Online | I am in beta, but seriously wonder why I bothered |
| LotRO | Was subscribed when it went live and a couple of times since. I am having fun with it usually for 2 month at a time |
| WOW | Played open beta and subscribed since day 1. Use it on occasion to help my wife or to chat with friends I left behind there |
| Aion | Will certainly go back, just because of the looks. |
What used to be there:
| Age of Conan | Played it for a while, even got a guild started, might even try to go back some day. |
| Warhammer | The fun lasted through open beta and the free month |
| EVE | Tried a couple of times, but never got really into it |
| Uncounted numbers of betas, open betas, some f2p’s which I didn’t enjoy and pretend not to remember their names. |
What’s my short list of games I want to go back to or most likely will go back to in the near future? In descending priority, which can change daily: Rift, Everquest, Fallen Earth, Everquest 2, WOW, Aion
Rift has just fun mechanics, dynamic events and some other nice features.
Everquest will be a nostalgic return to the roots. After all, I started a few weeks after Velious came out.
I like Fallen Earth because of its sandboxy feel, and to be honest a little bit because it used to be so close to home.
Everquest 2 is halfway nostalgia and halfway amazement that it keeps coming up with new stuff.
I know I will be rolling a monk and a panda on WOW, not necessarily a panda monk, though. Pure curiosity.
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TERA Online Beta Anticipation
TERA Online has been popping up on my radar for a while now. Last night I gave in and pre-ordered, which gives me participation right in all coming betas. I am currently downloading the client, which might take a while. Last time I checked I had 10% completion and the system told me, it would take 14 hours more. The download speed was suspiciously low when compared to my max bandwidth, which tells me that not to many people are participating in the torrent, yet. That might change overnight or toward the weekend.
The second beta test weekend is scheduled from Friday, Feb, 24th, 3pm EST to Monday, Feb, 27th, 3am EST. There will be a level cap at level 27 and a limited number of character slots. The later is usually a problem for me in betas, the level cap never. I tend to go and check out multiple races and classes until I find one I can stick with for a while. Not that my pick is ever finalized.
What am I going to look out for? Of course the combat style. Getting close to the opponent and then pushing attack won’t be good enough anymore. The interface will expect you to position yourself and to aim for your target. I’ve gotten a taste of that play style in Fallen Earth already and would love to see how it plays out here.
Race and Class selection seems typical for games originating in Korea and Japan. I will probably start out with a Slayer, since most of the time I end up playing melee DPS. Second choice will be an Archer or a dual wielding Warrior. I dislike dual wield classes, since I just can’t wrap my head around the idea that so many fighters now or in medieval times should be able to use two weapons as well coordinated as it seems possible in MMOs. Mystics may be my third or fourth choice, because they seem to be a pet class. Don’t ask what race I’ll choose. I have no idea, except you won’t see me playing the child like Elin.
The interface is going to be a tough one. The game allows the use of game controllers and may force me to use WASD movement. Lets find out. You’ll hear some yelling and screaming if things go bad in that direction.
© Disclaimer: TERA
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Faction Territory Control with Patch 2.27
With tomorrow’s content patch, Fallen Earth rolls out Faction Territory Control, new world events, a map overhaul and the long awaited group XP improvements. Furthermore, the city of Embry Crossroads will see some changes in artwork and layout in order to reduce lag.
With this patch the new world event of First Night goes live with starting points in Embry Crossroads, Watchtower, Barret Manor, Dieseltown and Los Alamos
Here are the patch notes: http://www.gamersfirst.com/fallenearth/?q=patch2.27
© Disclaimer: Fallen Earth
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Fallen Earth Official Website
The official Fallen Earth website is a good resource for new players and has a couple of guides in their forums. Of note are the Ultimate Guide which has been mentioned here already. Other guides in the New Player section include
- a guide to the ATV quest chain
- resource locations in sector 1
- Help Chat FAQ
- a guide to the Lifenet Quest (essential before you leave sector 1)
- a great overview about how the player factions see each other
© Disclaimer: Fallen Earth
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Fallen Earth Knowledge Base & Support
Very unique for an online game, the Fallen Earth support database and the former knowledge base have lots of information about quests, game mechanics and content. Very specific content, actually: Like vehicle crafting or a map of gas stations can be found at the pre-f2p knowledge base. The newer Gamersfirst Support website handles support requests, but will also contain game information, like the locations for the new Fast Travel System.
© Disclaimer: Fallen Earth
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Demonville Radio
Here’s another Fallen Earth Web Radio: Demonville Radio. 24/7 automated broadcast. Requests during LIVE broadcasts, for instance Sunday night, 8PM EST. Here’s the link: http://myweb.cableone.net/house-666/
© Disclaimer: Fallen Earth
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