A word of warning to anyone new to the genre: these games require a lot of time and money to fully enjoy. There's no "game over" screen, and the goal is personal growth, not a high score.
Think of them as neverending virtual fantasies where you and thousands of other players, similarly sitting in front of computers, can interact and take part in a larger, overarching story.
Good or bad, tall or short, warrior or warlock, it's your choice to be whatever you want to be.
"EverQuest II" from Sony Online Entertainment is a sprawling, refined sequel to one of the most popular and influential online games in the United States.
"World of Warcraft," meanwhile, is a completely new offering from Blizzard Entertainment. The company, known for its real-time strategy games, brings the characters and settings from the older "Warcraft" series to the persistent world of Azeroth.
"EverQuest II" should appeal to hardcore gamers and fans of the original who can devote months of their life toward perfecting their characters. It was slow going at first. As a brutish barbarian, I had to invest hours slashing monsters before I could even enter Qeynos, one of two rival cities that serve as the true starting points for exploration and plundering in the massive land of Norrath.
From the start, "World of Warcraft" had a faster pace. After creating my character from a list of eight different races and nine different classes, I was battling critters, collecting treasure and gaining valuable experience.
"World of Warcraft" delivers immersion in other, more subtle ways. I never experienced a load screen while traipsing from one area to another. With "EverQuest II," load screens are common between different areas and serve as a reminder that I'm still playing a video game.
If I was on a budget and had to choose one right now, I'd go with "World of Warcraft." That's a personal preference, however, and if you prefer a more time-sucking challenge you'll probably find a lot to like with "EverQuest II."
I've played MMORPGs ever since the days of Gemstone on Prodigy. MMORPGs are a complete time sink, set in themes ranging from sci-fi to fantasy to comic books. My current MMORPG of choice is City of Heroes. However, I have tried out a few of the current releases and upcoming games.
I did play World of Warcraft during beta. It was a fun game, because it was very "first-time MMORPGer" friendly. The interface was simple, yet customizable. The difficulty increased only as your skills did. You could play alone or group easily. Quests were fun and rewarding. Skills and abilities allowed you to move into the realm of crafting objects for use or trade. If I wasn't playing COH, I'd be playing WoW.
I never played Everquest or Everquest 2. I do know folks that are playing EQ2, but some are really not caring for it much. They play it, then let their subscription die out after the free month is over with.
I have beta tested Lineage 2. While it was fun for a time, the game was set up so you had to "grind" through the monsters over and over again just to get to the next level. Nothing kills a game more than meaningless grinding. At least the dark elves had the biggest set of boobs I've ever seen on a player avatar.
I have also beta tested the upcoming Matrix Online. Wow, that is a rough game. I think they are trying to do too much with it, and it is over-complicated. It looked good, and kept the theme of the Matrix alive, but the interface and combat was completely overwhelming. After about two weeks, I removed it from my system. There wasn't any content holding me in the game. I don't see it making it.
My personal recommendation for this holiday season is City of Heroes. It is an easy game to get up and running quickly. You can have a super hero up to level 6 in about 30 minutes of play. The difficulty for a beginning player is spot on. Not too hard, not too easy. Of course, there are the super powers you get. Plus, it isn't set in a fantasy or D&D type setting. Finally, you get a comic book every month to boot.
If you decide to MMORPG this year, just remember one thing. It is a time sink. It does take dedication to succeed. Success isn't measured by a game over screen, but by the continual progression of story and character alike. If closure is something that you need in your life, a MMORPG isn't for you. Oh yeh, they also have a monthly fee to play. However, if you can live with all of that, GAME ON!
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