All Posts by alacres

Well, the only partially - f2p (I say partially because you lose out on a bunch of expansion content with the free version of the game) game that I can think of that's even remotely close to what you want would maybe be Anarchy Online. When I last played (probably a year or so ago) it seemed like it had a pretty nice community. Also, teamwork seemed to be the primary play style for most people vs. soloing. As for RP, I really don't know, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's a bit lacking in the dept.

Now, if you end up deciding to go with a p2p game, I know of one that would most likely be right up your alley. Ultima Online is one of the oldest, and arguably best,  sandbox MMORPG to date. The freedom that you're given in UO is honestly unprecedented compared to anything else out there right now. Not to mention, it has a very strong RP community, at least on some of the more populated servers (namely Atlantic and Lake Superior). Just to be clear, it is a 2-D game, but it's very well-designed. Heck, I was a diehard 3-D gamer until I tried it, so the game had to be substantially good to keep me playing - which it was and is :).

Also, the subscription fee is actually a little bit cheaper than most mmo's right now, at about 12.95 a month (10 a month if you sign up for 6 months).

Anyway, sorry I couldn't be of more help in the f2p department, but frankly, I've still yet to play a f2p that met my expectations (nor most likely yours, since you seem to look for the same things in a game that I do :P) - and I've played a lot of them.

Good Luck on your hunt :).

Edit: Oh I forgot to comment on one of the most important things pertaining to what you're looking for - the non-grind aspect. That's even more of a reason to give UO a try. It's one of the only online rpgs that I've ever played that really doesn't have much of a grind at all. It's skill based, so it takes you pretty much a maximum of a week or two to get your character skilled up, depending on how often you play of course. However, it does take some time to properly equip yourself with some good gear, but joining a friendly guild or making friends with some of the veterans can help move things along much faster. All in all, it has the least grind of any game I've personally ever played.

I'd agree that it'd be worth the time and effort... if it actually had a decent amount of classes that weren't all race specific.

Until they change that, I don't think I could really get into it. You might not be a clone externally for a change, but I think it's worse to be a clone internally, where it really counts.

I think most of you are missing the point here... he's saying that certain elements of some of the great offline RPGs (like fabled and Elder scrolls) should be implemented in an mmo, and frankly, I couldn't agree more. Honestly, it's ridiculous that after all of these years, there still doesn't seem to be a stable, real-time combat fantasy mmo (unless I just haven't heard of it). How hard would it be to make an mmo with combat similar to that of Oblivion? It would be a heck of a lot more fun for one thing, and it would also require more skill vs. just simple button mashing.

I'm waiting for the day they make an online Elder Scrolls or something similar. That will most likely be the first day that I ever have any actual fun playing an mmo.

Originally posted by milkyy

Alright. i just started playing about 4 days ago. so im still very new. let me start off by saying i love the combat and all that. (other then when in battlemode it takes minutes to hit a runner while chasing him)

i see quite a bit of ppl in the city but wow.... every1 i just standing still. like literally im running through the first city and no one is moving. they all are just standing there. it has become very unlikely to see some1 actually move.

ive asked a few questions and even just typed things like "hello" and "hows it going"  and i get no replies from ne1. they just stand there. and rarely they just run off. i dont care if they were helpful or a jerk. i just want some1 to talk!

maybe ffxi has a guild/clan system. need to look into that.

so ive basically be feeling that im paying monthly for just a regular FF.  i mean i love the game play. and the complex system of the game and want to see more. but wow. i feel alone.

hopefully its just a server thing. ne1 suggestions on one of the best servers? or just why that is?

I know this doesn't have much relevance to your post (it's been a long time since I've played so I'm not sure how the community is these days), but I thought I'd give you a little tip on hitting mobs that are running. When you're in battlemode, try turning off auto-target mode while you're chasing the mob. When you do that, you're able to run right onto the enemy which enables you to attack them without having to wait for them to stop. Then when you engage them in combat, you can turn auto-target back on if you want (I had it set to a convenient spot on my gamepad for quick access). Of course, I'm not sure if they changed anything since I played last, but it always worked for me. In any case, it couldn't hurt to try :P.

Originally posted by baphamet

the sooner the cry baby elitist ex SWG players realize this isnt SWG and GTFO or except it, the better.

i am so sick of hearing them cry, they have literally been whining for years, freaking nerds lol

Yeah, we're elitist because we think a game should actually be good and hold some level of freedom and individuality.

Maybe if you had started with something more indepth than WoW, you'd realize how sh**y of a game it really is.

And yeah, I guess if  "nerd" means speaking out against something that bothers you and actually having some standards and expectations from a game, then I'll gladly accept that title, thanks.

Originally posted by Riceman 

Originally posted by Loke666

I didn't really get your purpose for making the thread?

You do know a bit of how the game will be if you played other Bioware games and if you didn't like KOTOR then I don't relly think you will like this game either.

And if all MMOS have hard to capture your interest, then maybe you should get another hobby, Pen and paper RPGs maybe?

Originally posted by ronan32

 

Of course the latest mmo's have failed to capture his imagination because they are all crap mindless clones of each other.The only reason you put up with these games is because they are online..you wouldnt play any of these games offline now would you.

 

I beg to differ. I played SWG since its inception in 2003 up until a few months ago. I enjoyed pre-CU, post-CU, and post-NGE, though they were very different experiences.

I have played a vast number of MMORPGs. I've tried everything from EverQuest I & II to Saga of Ryzom.

Currently, I play World of Warcraft. It's a great game. Why do I say that? Because I enjoy playing it. Since the purpose of a game is to entertain its players, it can be defined as a great game.

"Crap mindless clones" is a generalization that only someone who is single-minded in their definition of a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game can state.

Broaden your horizons, son. And if you prefer to stick in the past instead of enjoying the present, well, that is your choice.

"Currently, I play World of Warcraft. It's a great game."

"Broaden your horizons, son."

Wow, talk about two of the most contradictory statements I've ever read.

Applying? If you're asking wether or not you have to make a new account specifically for the KR client, then no. All you need is to download the client and then use the account you've been using for the 2D client. Accounts are not client specific.

Or is it not letting you download without first applying? If that's the case, just apply for it with some bogus account name and password so that you can download it. Then just use your other account name and password when you get it installed.

I'm a pretty new player myself, and I can clear all of this up for you right now - the fact that no one else here has is beyond me.

Firstly, the chat window you have listed in the screenshot isn't used anymore. I learned that the hard way. Chatting is done almost exclusively through your guild or alliance (if you're in one), and I guess maybe in groups - I haven't actually tried that yet. Otherwise, you have to be close to the player you're trying to chat with. Yeah, it's a little annoying at first, but it's a lot more realistic when you think about it. Text appears above your head and also in your journal window if you missed something that someone said. Guild and alliance chat appear at the bottom left of the screen, however, so it's not all bad.
 

As for the tutorial, there's a very simple reason as to why you're unable to use it; you're using the 2D client. The KR client (not to be confused with the old "3D" client that you see an option for when installing UO - the old "3D" client is no longer supported) is the newest client and it's the only way to use the tutorial. I'm not sure why that is exactly, since most people tend to use the original 2D. Anyway, you can find the KR client easily enough over here - http://www.uoherald.com/kingdomreborn/trial/. I'd suggest going with that first to get a feel for the game. It's a lot more user friendly to new players, albeit it's pretty buggy for some people. I used it at first, but then quickly switch to the 2D client when I had a feel for the game.

As for not seeing anyone around, I'd advise that you start over on Atlantic, unless you're a European player. Atlantic has the highest pop and it's usually pretty busy. Also, join the community over here at uoforums.com - there's a ton of friendly people here who are more than willing to help new players.

Spell casting is actually really simple once you understand it. You either click them in your spellbook, drag the spell icons from your spell book to where you can click them on the desktop, or you can make a macro for casting them with the macro system (You don't really need to mess with this unless you're using the 2D client though). KR has a hotkey bar that you can drag all your spells and moves to.

When you first start out with casting, naturally, you're only able to cast low levels spells until your skill gets higher. Within the spell book you can find a description of the spell and what the minimum skill requirement is to be able to cast it. You can go here to get an idea of which to use first to get your skill up the quickest - http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?&p_page=1&p_cv=&p_pv=2.769&p_prods=7%2C769&p_cats=0&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=7&prod_lvl2=769&prod_lvl3=0&cat_lvl1=0. Just select UO in the list, and type "magery", "Chivalry", etc, etc, depending on which spell line you're planning on using. There's a guide for each one of them that will tell you which spells to cast, depending on your skill level. Also, keep in mind that most spells require a regeant of some sort. Mages uses different herbs which can be bought from alchemy merchants or found on the ground, paladins use tithe points that can be gained by donating money to an ankh, and necromancers also have their own needed herbs in order to cast. Bushido and Ninjitsu, from what I know, do not require any regeants. Anyway, that's pretty much the thick of spellcasting. Once you figure out which spells to use at which level, it's cake.

This game no doubt has one of the hardest learning curves, but once you get past it, you'll be happy you stuck with it. Personally, after playing UO for a few months, I can't even imagine playing any of the simpler mmo's out there. After getting used to so much freedom, it's hard to find anything that compares. And just as others have said, find a guild. That's the best advice you can get in UO. Once you have someone to show you around and help you out with the basics, you'll be comfortable with the game in no time.

Good luck, and if you have any other questions, let me know and I'll try to help :).

Man, this is actually kind of creepy to me o_ o

It was not only like a few days ago that I was thinking, "man, I can't believe they still don't have a trial for this game. I'd like to give it another whirl." I was even looking around for someone to borrow a buddy key from, but eventually gave up hope.

Talk about crazy timing haha.

I still can't get over the fact that armor and weapons have no stats whatsoever. If I'm understanding this correctly, a named guy with a dagger has just as much chance to win a fight as the platemail clad guy with the broadsword?

What a joke.

Well, I haven't really had a chance to start playing it recently, but I know that Frostfell is the most popular white (non-pvp) world. It's the one that I'm planning on playing. Morningthaw would be the second highest I believe.

Darktide (the pvp world) has the highest population of the servers, but unless you like hearing trash talking teens stroke each other's egos, I would go elsewhere :P. They're not very friendly to new members either.

Anyway, hope you enjoy yourself, whatever you choose :).

Well, I haven't played there, but I've heard from many people that Asura is the most populated server.

I'd say that would be your best bet :).

World passes were removed from the game quite awhile ago actually. You can pick the server you want to play on now.

Originally posted by firefly2003

Ive played the old school Ultima games on PC ages but never played UO I was wondering and wanting some feedback is there the openness like the single player ones?

Well, I can't really compare it to the old, single player UO games, but I can say this with just about %100 certainty - It's more open than any other mmo to date :).

Originally posted by pimpdizzle

where did u read aug 8th?

I was wondering about that too actually. I've read about it being released in August, but I didn't see a specific date listed.

Where did you find that information?

Originally posted by rushin

it was alright i suppose. I played it a bit

It took me a second to realize the sarcasm here Lol, that was a good laugh :P.

I've been watching a ton of vids for Ryzom lately and I'm honestly in awe at how amazing it looks. I can't believe that I never heard much about this game before. I'm kind of confused about the current state of the game though. Is it actually playable right now, or is it closed until the new company takes over?

I hope everything works out ok with the new company; this game has wayyy too much potential to be shut down.

There was actually a new allegiance that formed a few months ago if I recall correctly. They actually managed pretty well from what I heard, surprisingly. I can't think of the name though. You should ask around on the DT vnboard forums.

There's such a cutthroat community on that server, I can imagine that starting a new allegiance has to be a pain.

Originally posted by Pravius

Originally posted by Arawon

I would apply your thoughts and  selection criteria to your guild as well.So second thought ...never mind....arrogance and personal denegration  means your guild doesn't meet my standards.

 

Arrogance because we prefer you are good and not a loony?  Maybe you should take the internet a little less serious, have a sense of humor! 

I am not really sure what else to say... try to help someone out these days and they take offense... man what is this world coming to!

 

Well, "looney" and "nutbag" are kind of relative terms :P. It probably comes off a little offensive to some people.

I've gotta admit, I've been tempted to give the game another go when that new server launches as well. I'm even more intrigued after finding about the "no BG" system they're apparently going with. I always imagined how great the game would be with open world pvp, and I guess this would be the perfect time to experience it :).