Star Wars Galaxies

I've been part of this veteran refuge for a while now, and I value a lot of what other vets have to say about MMOs.

I'm wondering if you guys have found another MMO, after SWG, that works well, is fun, and where the people who run it don't change the game out from under you with unwanted, whole-game revamps.  I also like it when people give you what they advertise, and what you pay for.

After those basic benchmarks are met, I like games with adventure, socializing and some exploration.  Any recommendations?   I'm kind of leaning towards LoTR for now, and I'm waiting for SWTOR and StarTrek Online.

Just wait for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

I really don't see how that is going to be so great, plus it is years off.  I think if I took years off mmos, I would never return.  Hmm, maybe that would be a good thing...

Originally posted by ArcAngel3

I've been part of this veteran refuge for a while now, and I value a lot of what other vets have to say about MMOs.

I'm wondering if you guys have found another MMO, after SWG, that works well, is fun, and where the people who run it don't change the game out from under you with unwanted, whole-game revamps.  I also like it when people give you what they advertise, and what you pay for.

After those basic benchmarks are met, I like games with adventure, socializing and some exploration.  Any recommendations?   I'm kind of leaning towards LoTR for now, and I'm waiting for SWTOR and StarTrek Online.

There is currently no game like CU/Pre-CU SWG. There are also no games with the social structure of any incarnation of SWG (player cities, entertainers, personalized crafting opportunities, etc).

That said. Lord of the Rings has a good community and player cities (instanced). EQ2 also has a great community, as does Ryzom (which is a sandbox, no player cities), and Eve, which is beyond the scope of most games.

I could type about different games forever. Here is the problem with your post: There are a few fun MMO's left out there. None of them (zero) offer what we had in SWG.

I hate to admit but the new SW Old Republic looks more and more like NGE2 the more I read about it.

It will NOT be a sandbox. Crafters are NOT important. It will be LOOT based. It WILL be class based themepark with cartoony graphics. They seem to be following WoW like all other newer MMO's

Maybe it will be good, maybe it will fail. In any case I wouldn't advise ANYONE to wait for it.

EVE is what I went to after leaving SWG (because of NGE). EVE is the only sandbox freestyle MMO I have found since old SWG. It is also one of the very few MMOs NOT following WoW. Many things are being implimented into EVE for the future also so LONGEVITY is very strong in EVE, which is important to me.

Best game out there for those desiring a game that is:

1. Sci-Fi

2. Skill based

3. Complex

4. Sandbox

There is only one.  EVE.  Only thing that was close to it was Pre-CU, which is (temporarily) gone.

Originally posted by Shohadaku

EVE is what I went to after leaving SWG (because of NGE). EVE is the only sandbox freestyle MMO I have found since old SWG. It is also one of the very few MMOs NOT following WoW.  

Well that's not exactly fair to say and no I don't mean the EvE part.

That's actually what I call the EQ formula... WoW just took it and made it mass market.

UO was the first MMO I played and actually far more open ended than SWG was.  I loved UO and followed Raph to SWG.  But I always felt more limited in SWG as it was a class/skill game (if you ever played UO then you should know what I mean by that).

Regardless after UO -> EQ .. SWG was really the only mainstream MMO that followed UO more than EQ.  Some games have been a bit more inventive with their use of class, level and uber loot.  Yet its still the same.

Anyway I agree with you regardless.

You really do have EQ to thank for this tho to be honest.  When it hit 450,000 subs .. and far exceeded what UO had done.  It became the model for mass market... WoW just took that to the next level (ya haha) made it more commerical and mainstream (in music they call that selling out I guess).

I liked MMO's better when it was a niche market.

I don't know if you'll find your home with LOTRO...I'm a huge LOTR fan and really wanted to like it, but was a bit bored with it after a while. It is not even CLOSE to a sandbox/SWG style game. It is a great game, don't get me wrong, but it isn't what you are looking for I think.

Something I recently gave a shot was Ryzom. Right now it's free to try with no limitations. It's purely skill based, no level restrictions for grouping, no 'hand holding' quest style grinding or anything like that. You can customize and create your own spells and combat moves. It has a decent crafting, foraging, combat, magic system that lets you really flesh out the play style that suits you.

I would suggest going to the site, DLing it and giving it a shot while it's still free. It's much more about exploration and hunting than questing. So you may like it.

It's not SWG, but it is as close to it as I can see for now. I like it and will probably continue playing it for a while, maybe even subbing.

Good luck in whatever you play!

Originally posted by Shohadaku

I hate to admit but the new SW Old Republic looks more and more like NGE2 the more I read about it.

It will NOT be a sandbox. Crafters are NOT important. It will be LOOT based. It WILL be class based themepark with cartoony graphics. They seem to be following WoW like all other newer MMO's

Maybe it will be good, maybe it will fail. In any case I wouldn't advise ANYONE to wait for it.

EVE is what I went to after leaving SWG (because of NGE). EVE is the only sandbox freestyle MMO I have found since old SWG. It is also one of the very few MMOs NOT following WoW. Many things are being implimented into EVE for the future also so LONGEVITY is very strong in EVE, which is important to me.

 

Eve demands longevity. The skill system enforces longevity if you want to play. It is also the one game where relationships, if you bother to go that far, are so very important.

What I like about this "where do we go" conversation, is the number of answers. The aspects of different games that appealed to the former pre-cu/cu player. Like you stated with EvE. SWG demanded longevity to gather resources, master crafting, run the guild/city, create events, organize the faction.

Personally. I left after the NGE. Tried again during restuss, and the BH/Jedi revamps, then again after then expertise was done for all classes. What I found was a game where there was nothing but grind, for buffs and buffs and buffs and gear (drops like WoW), and those "lucky" enough to have the time to grind it.

EvE is a very good game. Ryzom is a very good game. TBCompletelyFHonest WoW and Lotro are good games, just not games I play or find interesting.

The suggestion to wait for Kotor? Sorry, they have no intent of replicating SWG. The single comment of eclipsing WoW should give you a beacon to what they strive to acheive.