Who is subscribed to a MMOG ?

[xane]

MMOG = Massively Multiplayer Online Game.

Examples are Ultima Online, Everquest, Asherons Call, Anarchy Online, Dark Age of Camelot, Lineage, Jumpgate, WWII Online, etc.

I was playing Asherons Call for around 18 months, now I'm playing WWII Online, which I can only describe as the biggest CTF game in history (despite being buggy as hell).

Anyone else play MMOGs regularly ?

 

[]SK[]

Nope but I must say that avatar of yours really does make me feel a bit scared

 

[Munkey-]

waste of cash tbh. ultima was v.dissapointing

 

[xane]

I wont be giving a prize to anyone who can tell me who it is

 

[]SK[]

I cant see that small thing! I gotta stop doing this male habbit.

 

[Munkey-]

shouldnt it be a MMPOG? as in massivley multiplayer online game/

 

[Sar]

Originally posted by camazotz
I wont be giving a prize to anyone who can tell me who it is

Looks like Norman Wisdom in a WW2 comedy without Mr Grimsdale.

 

[Summo]

Dammit! I was just about to say that. Can we both not get a prize? Looks like when he played Seaman Puckle to me in um... that Navy film, y'know...

"Sail before steam! Everyone knows that!"

Used to love Norman Wisdom...

Aaaaanyway... have been vaguely intrigued by the idea of these MMOGs but reports on pretty much all of them seem to heavily feature bugs, server problems, money, and limited lifespan. Now I've got ADSL though I might give one a try.

Anybody recommend the best one, atm?

 

[]SK[]

pfft Compatability

 

[Munkey-]

camelot one is meant to be good. and a warhammer one is coming out soon so i mite subscribe to that. ultima is dead and dying and all the rest are buggy and deserve to be put down with a large dose of injected potassium

 

[Sar]

Well the 3d MMORPGs atm are nothing more than big feck off chat rooms

They're meant to be RPGs, but when there's no RP-ing happening it leaves feck all else...

 

[]SK[]

Cant wait for FF10. FF games are RPG heaven. Mind you Diablo 2 is pretty cool.

 

[Sar]

Neither of which are proper RPGs imo.

FF games are too linear and feature little branching of storylines. More adventure games imo.

As for Diablo, it's not an rpg in the slightest sense. It's a hack em up game in a fantasy setting. Sure it has inventory management, but feck all storyline.

 

[xane]

Yes, its Sir Norman, you both get no prize at all, spend it all at once.

I don't particularly like the RPG element of online games, the powerlevelling treadmill is like a drug habit, and they do develop into 3d chatroom simply because the gameplay becomes very boring, but WWII Online is a bit better, it does have RP but it is not the essence of the game.

I always played CTF for Quake/Unreal, but WWII Online is like a huge CTF game rather than an RPG, and its quite a good simulator as well, and very impressive when you can be air, tank or infantry in the same battle.

Before you consider it, the game does have quite a few bugs still, but if you can live with that then it is a blast to play.

I doubt FF or Diablo will ever become "massive multiplayer" games.

Another one I'm looking forward too is EVE, which should be entering beta test in the new year.

 

[Munkey-]

diablo sucked tbh. i wanna be............A SORCERER. *waits for BG2 to be stocked in the only game outlet in the country*

 

[Perplex]

Played EQ in beta, then for a year after it went live, then stopped.

Played Anarchy Online in beta, but never bothered when it live - it was WAY too buggy

Can't wait to play Neocron - it will change the whole MMOG scene. a MMOG persistant world, with REAL TIME combat like CS (not turn based like all previous MMOG games)

 

[Sar]

yer I beta tested AO as well, and buggy is an understatement.

Not that it's actually any better now mind, still as wank as ever...

Tried all the major MMORPGs: AO, UO, AC, EQ etc, all crap and full of Pk-ers, or yanks running round shouting "I 0wn j00!!1" at an NPC cave troll. Way to go to maintain that suspension of disbelief ffs

The one I'm looking forward to most of all is NeverWinter Nights. That looks awesome. Not Massively Multiplayer, it can cater for up to 64 players per game.

And BG2 is more than worth the wait Munkey, especially if you can get Throne of Bhaal (the expansion and conclusion of the whole Baldurs Gate saga) with it.

 

[xane]

Actually, WWII Online is real-time combat, lag is a problem though so don't expect Quake-like play, but its certainly more than point and click.

I'm looking forward to NWN too, I played pen and paper D&D back in the '80s and my dream was to see an online version with the full rules set.

 

[Nibbler]

Subscription based games are utter utter utter rip-offs.

 

[Recoil101]

P

EQ here and have been now for 2 and a half years....

Luclin sux tho, PC spec is far too high and its really hit and miss to get a good framerate

 

[Sar]

Originally posted by Lead Nibbler
Subscription based games are utter utter utter rip-offs.

Hear hear.

Don't know why they can't let GSPs run these servers and release patches to fix bugs etc like FPS games do.

 

[xane]

Only three "utters" ?

MMOGs are a bit more immersive than regular online games, they have persistant worlds on servers that support tens of thousands of people simultaneously. Do you really think that someone will provide the equipment and support for that for free.

Patches contain more than bugfixes, many MMOGs have regular content updates too.

Besides, subscriptions have not deferred from the $10/month (around £6.90/month) since UO first launched over three years ago.

I am considered a "light" user, and I play about 12-15 hours/week, that works out at 14p/hour maximum, I'll get months of enjoyment from this game rather than a few hours offered by your normal £40 game.

Still not as cheap money wise than a good online FPS, but worth the money nevertheless.

The only rip-off occurs when content becomes aimed solely at regular players, thereby using the money from casual gamers to support a small minority core, which unfortunately is a scenario most level-driven games end up at.

 

[Perplex]

Impossible. The 'servers' on which games such as EQ are run on are clusters. Clusters of about 10 very powerful computers PER 'server' (each one handling a range of zones). Each game tends to have about 5 - 10 'servers'. Do the maths, can you really see BW investing in 100 super-servers for one game, for free?

Added to which, the bandwidth requirements required to host that lot is A LOT.

Also, you suggest a GSP pays the game maker a subscription - and they also have to buy all the servers, and bandwidth - then they offer the service to the public for free? Yeah right. They'll also charge a sub to the customers

Bottom line is that you buy a normal game, you play it at home, or on a server with up to 20 other people and you're fine.

Tell me who the fuck is gonna host a set of servers with up to 20,000 people playing on them at the same time.

 

[Sar]

Portals.

More later when I get home

 

[Daffeh]

i play on free UO Shards such as www.neverlands.org
its a much smaller community less than couple of hundred people, but you dont get all the PK'ing twats like on the paying servers.

i think the only 2 MMPOG i would pay for would be DAoC and WW2online, after they fixed all those bugs though

 

[Summo]

 

[Perplex]

Oh yeah - I was on the DAoC beta - not a bad game, but far too similar to EQ for my liking

 

[Grimes]

i got a 3+ year old UO account which I'm about to ditch soon.

Just waiting for SWG's now, to arrive at the end of 2002 along with episode 2
then i may go back to the MMORPG's