Which MMO is the best?

Blackwolfe5

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

I'll go with both ESO AND Wildstar, but I play them for two different reasons.

Bangstin

The basic rule is that the best mmo is always the one that hasn't been released yet. It will wipe to floor with all the older mmo's.

skarvika

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

Odd man out here, but I really enjoyed my time in SWTOR

ThisOnePosts

ESO

For me it's ESO, followed by The Secret World. WoW doesn't even make my top 100 games list. SWG was good, for it's time.... but I don't think it holds a candle to what games are capable of today. Oh you want player housing and communities? It will never be as good as Second Life in that capacity, which is just a sims sandbox tbh LOL. But this is my opinion, to each their own.

And I do not like any of the korean cartoonish MMOs or eastern mmos in general. They are just too kiddish for me even the newer ones that try to have more serious graphics, their stories are not really mature by any means.

But this is an opinion thread, and that's my opinion. XD

Elvent

Star Wars Galaxies

SWG was amazing, I'm not sure why they didn't just improve on that game. Such a massive sandbox MMO but sadly I was only able to play around the last month of it. I was new to MMOs and it was my first time being able to play.

I would have rather they added the crappy engine SWTOR used into SWG instead and added and improved on it and it probably would have been the next big MMO of our time.

SWTOR was a downgrade compared to SWG, SWTOR had so much less features-wise than SWG and quests and areas were so linear and small worlds and no open space flight...what were they thinking? But now after the game failed and was forced into a F2P model they start adding these things, too little too late for me.

Their story quests and the choice system of being Good Neutral and Evil was a really fun feature though...that was the only thing out of everything in that game that I actually enjoyed.

I felt like wanting to try SWTOR again after a year recently, downloaded the patches and logged in, seeing all my characters locked out from F2P so I logged in my one character...moved around in the city a little bit, read chat for a little, logged out, felt so bored and no good memories of the game and nothing to look forward too.

Oh well maybe in the next 20 years we will see a better Star Wars MMORPG hopefully I'll still be living by that time to be able to experience it, I will be an old man by that time

OmniDo

WOW

Phantax wrote: »

Can't even see that this is a legitimate question?
WoW has been around for longer than any other MMO. It has the largest number of subs/players achieved by any MMO. It has taken more money than any MMO in existence. It is played in more countries around the world than any other MMO. (need we go on?)
People are too quick to dismiss WoW, but when ESO can claim even half of what WoW has done then they will have achieved the mighty !;)

Agreed.
Facts are facts, fanboi's opinions not withstanding.

OmniDo

WOW

JD2013 wrote: »

It has also had 10 years. ESO has had 2 months. Give it time.

It is unreasonable to expect that every new MMO require 5-10 years of maturation to reach the polish and awesomeness of WoW.
Sure, give anyone Blizzard's budget, expertise, experience, and season veteran developers, and theyll make a AAA MMO just as awesome (if theyre smart).
Such is not viable, nor likely

Either current and so called "next-gen" developers use previous outstanding examples as guides with which to build and release a polished product, or they will all fail within a year or two due to simple inferior design.

Step up like the best, or end up Free to play like the rest.

OmniDo

WOW

That said, its a pity The Matrix Online never developed a nice end-game.
That game was great for a concept, and I thoroughly enjoyed being the only multi-billionaire in-game who, via a logic exploit, donated all his in-game currency to live events and community pockets.

Those were the good ol' days.

Jade1986

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

People will hate me for this, but I ADORE SWTOR.

N1LegionXDeath

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

FireFall .. no bots, no gold sellers...

Noctisse

Final Fantasy XIV

FFXIV

Since we are free to compare games, I'll go ahead and take advantage of this liberty, explaining why I didn't vote for ESO, even though it is the MMO I am currently playing (as I cannot afford multiple monthly subscriptions at the same time).

Regardless of what Zenimax claims, cross platform works just fine and dandy, and I simply enjoy an MMO better when I can play together with my friends (that's the point of multiplayer anyway), most of which happen to be console owners.

One of my favourite things to do in MMOs is explore the environment (after all, the developers put so much work into it) and in FFXIV you got the option to start at, or go to the grounds of any of the 3 alliances pretty early in game, regardless of race, while you obtain a mount as soon as lvl 20 (the cap being 50). In ESO, none of the above is accessible early in the game, unless you have preordered the Explorer Pack/reached end game, or purchased the Imperial Edition. For me, this also greatly limits the RPing potential in ESO, as even in end game you cannot interact with players from other alliances.

Besides, the fact that significant content is locked in a pay to play game for those who haven't purchased specific expensive editions feels like a minor fraud to me, along with the fact that one needs to have purchased extra game time in order to use the initial 30 day trial! It feels equally opportunistic that the PC version was released while it had so many bugs, which resulted in most of us losing a great deal of game time due to the game been taken down for unexpected maintenance every few days, to the point that this game has been unofficially renamed to the Elder Scrolls Offline. I am also displeased at the fact the game lore, which was being gradually built since the first game of the series, and gave Elder Scrolls a feeling of consistency, is now being deliberately cast aside by the developers, who otherwise seem to ignore player feedback, for the sake of what is popular. For example, it would make sense for them to add the Morag Tong; instead the Dark Brotherhood is going to be implemented, which did not even exist yet in this game's Era.

Apart from that, much as it may have been praised, with the exception of the gear improvement capability, which is nice, the crafting system of ESO is inferior. Crafting in FFXIV requires gearing up for the task (which also gives a nice sense of RP, as chefs actually wear clothes related to their profession, as do blacksmiths, etc, and they are usually found in their respective guild halls) and the procedure of creating an item is a combination of strategy and luck, as it requires the use of skills in a sort of minigame.

Comparing the aesthetic, combat systems and equipment appearance of the two games would be pointless, as they are completely different, each following the style of its predecessors. I enjoy both equally. Or at least I did until today's patch, which ruined the look of the majority of the armours in ESO.

Before people start flaming, I am not claiming FFXIV is a better game than ESO, which is so new that it is still in a sort of an extended beta, I am explaining why many aspects of it seem better and more balanced to me. Besides, the original FFXIV was a complete failure and was destroyed and completely revamped, by developers learning from their mistakes, before reaching the form it has today; although I hope it won't be necessary, the same thing might eventually be required to transform ESO into the masterpiece we were hoping for.

david271749

Rift

DC universe was pretty interesting until it went F2P.

Alith Veyren

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

My top pick is the original Guild Wars.

williambbechtoldub17_ESO

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

EverQuest is top for me, followed by WoW.

Loxy37

WOW

I voted for WoW only because I played it the longest (4.5 years) but I have had many that I have played for a long time like Rift and Lotro. I cannot vote ESO in its current state and I haven't played it very long (Since Beta).

jvh808

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

Didn't the majority of the development team create and release Dark Ages of Camelot, which was was, is and will always hold the record for the smoothest launch of any MMO ever made, and also had the absolute BEST PvP of any game.... That is, until Trials of Atlantis... Seriously, what were y'all thinking?!
DAoC is still my favorite MMO of all time and ESO will have to seriously step it up on balancing classes if it ever wants to claim or even tie for#1

Rammi

Star Wars Galaxies

SWG

At this point sadly it appears SWG will always be my favorite. As nothing has been close to PRE NGE SWG. Arch Age I have hope for but the combat is just really slow!

Rammi

Star Wars Galaxies

Kyosji wrote: »

One of the richest and most respected people on the server. Had a couple of Hospitals on different planets. Master Doctor/Surgeon. People all over came for my buffs. Had special arrangements with the biggest hunting group and always had 95%+ quality Avian meat for my formulas. I didn't ever really fight in this game. I only actually killed things the first year or so I played, the rest I hung out in Cantina's and threw credits around like a boss. Just the idea that I can play a MMORPG and not actually have to kill a single mob and have a good time was something special.



....That's right people. I was a Respected Doctor....THAT SOLD THE HIGHEST QUALITY DRUGS! I will always miss you, SWG (

I used to Sell Spice!! Ow how awesome it was to sell spice!!

wizzerd_lg_ESO

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

Sword Art Online, with the City of Heroes environment pack.

Mablung

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

Shadowbane and SWG- The social aspects of both games have not been matched since.

ExiledKhallisi

ESO

Caduryn wrote: »

Nah, best PvP MMO ever was DAoC. ^^

It was good but...

Most balanced and awesome PVP memo ever was Asherons Call 1.

Skill was all that mattered. Not gear or level. Pure skill. Who could cast glide the best. Who had best tactics.

I miss AC...

Bhozz52

ESO

JD2013 wrote: »

ESO. And here's why:

To me, an important aspect of any RPG or indeed MMO is the quests. Most of the quests feel very well written in ESO. Like they have taken their time over them. Every single NPC that I have come across seems to have a personality. Being fully voiced helps the cause, too.

Most quests in MMO's, for example WoW are really quite grindy ("Collect 20 boar tusks" etc - won't somebody think of all those poor dead boars?!) and generic and not well thought out. Most of the NPC's are very generic and dull. It feels like a genuine grind to get anywhere, travelling from quest hub to quest hub. Not encouraging you to explore the world that has been created at all.

In ESO, you are encouraged to explore and wander around off the beaten path. Stumble across a catacomb or cave, finding a treasure chest or skyshard, or a random NPC trying to summon things from an Oblivion portal, or Traders being attacked by Bandits. It all adds to making it feel like a living, breathing world.

The social aspects are good, I have found, too. Team up when you want, random people help you if you are being overwhelmed by enemies, or team up to take down an Anchor. I have generally found people very friendly and helpful.

I also enjoy the combat as it's not a case of spamming a few buttons. You actually have to think.

ESO gets my vote here every single time.

Totally agree with you, love this game.

navystylz_ESO

Star Wars Galaxies

JD2013 wrote: »

ESO. And here's why:

To me, an important aspect of any RPG or indeed MMO is the quests. Most of the quests feel very well written in ESO. Like they have taken their time over them. Every single NPC that I have come across seems to have a personality. Being fully voiced helps the cause, too.

Most quests in MMO's, for example WoW are really quite grindy ("Collect 20 boar tusks" etc - won't somebody think of all those poor dead boars?!) and generic and not well thought out. Most of the NPC's are very generic and dull. It feels like a genuine grind to get anywhere, travelling from quest hub to quest hub. Not encouraging you to explore the world that has been created at all.

In ESO, you are encouraged to explore and wander around off the beaten path. Stumble across a catacomb or cave, finding a treasure chest or skyshard, or a random NPC trying to summon things from an Oblivion portal, or Traders being attacked by Bandits. It all adds to making it feel like a living, breathing world.

The social aspects are good, I have found, too. Team up when you want, random people help you if you are being overwhelmed by enemies, or team up to take down an Anchor. I have generally found people very friendly and helpful.

I also enjoy the combat as it's not a case of spamming a few buttons. You actually have to think.

ESO gets my vote here every single time.

Ya, cuz veteran content ESO isn't grindy AT ALL /sarcasm. ESO is ***, there's nothing that really makes it stand out from other games as far as quests go.

Azphira

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

Ultima Online 15 years and is still able to charge a monthly fee. Will ESO meet the challenge?

snowmanflvb14_ESO

My top pick will be explained in the comment section.

Everquest

your list did not EQII, eve and a whole lot of others MMO's

_subjectnamehere_

ESO

You didn't put Lord of the Rings Online or Star Wars: The Old Republic on the list...?

thebugdulit

Star Wars Galaxies

SWG. Met my wife on that game, after all. Loved space combat also. It was refreshing after hours of questing.

Bouvin

ESO

Voted ESO, but surprised LoTRO wasn't on the list.

Singular

ESO

JD2013 wrote: »

ESO. And here's why:

To me, an important aspect of any RPG or indeed MMO is the quests. Most of the quests feel very well written in ESO. Like they have taken their time over them. Every single NPC that I have come across seems to have a personality. Being fully voiced helps the cause, too.

Most quests in MMO's, for example WoW are really quite grindy ("Collect 20 boar tusks" etc - won't somebody think of all those poor dead boars?!) and generic and not well thought out. Most of the NPC's are very generic and dull. It feels like a genuine grind to get anywhere, travelling from quest hub to quest hub. Not encouraging you to explore the world that has been created at all.

In ESO, you are encouraged to explore and wander around off the beaten path. Stumble across a catacomb or cave, finding a treasure chest or skyshard, or a random NPC trying to summon things from an Oblivion portal, or Traders being attacked by Bandits. It all adds to making it feel like a living, breathing world.

The social aspects are good, I have found, too. Team up when you want, random people help you if you are being overwhelmed by enemies, or team up to take down an Anchor. I have generally found people very friendly and helpful.

I also enjoy the combat as it's not a case of spamming a few buttons. You actually have to think.

ESO gets my vote here every single time.

Ok, I voted ESO too but I think you're seeing the illusion of sandbox for the reality of sandbox.

ESO has a lot of variety, for sure, but it's all scripted variety. Oblivion portals that drop baddies on you always spawn at the same location just as Dolmens always spawn at the same location. I mean, why on earth wouldn't we tear down the construction that allows the anchor to take hold???

If they spawned unpredictably, it would provide more of the illusion of being a real world. If it was a true sandbox, our actions would change the landscape - destroy the Dolmen, it doesn't come back. Kill the baddies from the Oblivion Portal, they don't fall again when you wander by, etc.

So when an MMO comes out with good quests in a sandbox, it's going to be better than this one. Or if they make this one more sand-boxy, if that's possible, then this one will be better than it is now.

Until then, this is just a very well designed theme park.

timborggrenlarsenb16_ESO

david271749 wrote: »

Please feel free to compare and contrast below. Add your favorite if it's not an option. I added an other option for those who hate my choices.

To young
The best pve game ever: EQ1
The best pvp game ever: DAOC