How Old Are You in MMO Years?

[mszv]

I have a very different background. My background is in MMOs, not MMORPGs, though I'm moving into MMORPG territory.

2003 -- beta tester for Uru, online MMO, created by the developers of Myst. Beta tester, player and volunteer forum moderator for two publishers, Ubisoft and Gametap, and the developer, Cyan. Uru was cancelled and resurrected 3 times. Currently Uru is up again. Cyan, the developer is running a server, and Cyan is working on an open source agreement (like Ryzom, but the specifics of the open source agreement are different). I still play some, not a forum mod anymore. I'm looking forward to when open source Uru happens and we get fan run servers and all the fan content

The Uru communities (intersecting sets of communities) are tight -- kind of like guilds in MMORPG terms, but more intersecting and overlapping spheres, and not so structured. When Uru was cancelled, the first time, I followed people into There (sadly, There was cancelled) and Second Life. I'm also thinking about Blue Mars. Some Uru folks are also talking about moving to an Open Sim world. The key thing here is in creating virtual worlds, also community.

I play Guild Wars -- not sure how long I've played, several years -- wanted to play something more MMORPGish for a long time (yes, yes, I know, all of that GW instancing, not a "true" MMORPG). I really like it, magician/healer type, and I have a great Guild and Alliance. I'm thinking about GW 2

I've also dabbled in LOTRO (have a lifetime subscription, don't ask), but I don't play it much, because, well, I know the story. Also tried, for a tiny bit, WoW, EQ2, Runes of Magic, and Free Realms. Played in the Allod beta a little bit, also the Aion beta. Would like to try DDO, and if I ever have time, would like to continue with Runes of Magic and Free Realms.

After getting some experience in GW, I'm looking for a new MMORPG. I like Telara a lot, from what I'm seen -- persistent world goodness, a world story, personal story, good lore, and the spontaneity of the Rifts. I love the concept of the Rifts, being able to just jump in with other people and play. I do hope that Telara gets all the community goodies I like -- guild halls and areas, events, ways to build community, along with great gameplay, a huge beautiful world, and housing! Also a game I can play sort of casually, but you knew that already. If this game can appeal to someone who is not what you would call "old school" (nothing wrong with that, I love reading about your old school adventures) -- that would be great!

[YakCast]

I have been playing video games my whole life and MMO's since 2003. In MMO years I am 7 years old.

Here is the list not in order and I may be missing a few.

WOW
LOTRO
COV/COH
Guild Wars
Vanguard
EQ1
Meridian 59
War Hammer
Dark Fall
DDO
Alganon
Plan Shift
UO

[Eldran]

Anarchy Online
City of Heroes
Everquest II
World of Warcraft
Ryzom

And I've tried just about every subscription MMO on the market. My guild is currently sufficiently bored waiting for anything decent to play that we've even sunk to playing freebies like Kingdom Heroes and Runes of Magic.

Oh the shame.....

[Deradas]

Lets see.....
Guild Wars
Everquest 2
Vanguard
Age of Conan
Aion
Runes of Magic
WoW
Warhammer
Lotro

Some I've played for years, and others I wasted my money on. Regardless its all fun and games, and a great way to unwind after a long day at work. I've definately had my fair share and grinding, raiding, getting called in the middle of the night for contested, and like most people that play an MMORPG...failed to have a social life! I also acquired pale skin due to lack on sunlight! But....I will say the benefit of sitting in front of a computer day and night is that you're not out spending money. Great way to save!

[ChinaCat]

As a kid who grew up in the 60's I am convinced that Pinball leads to harder games As you may guess, I'm old chronologically and MMO-Wise

First MMO was Ultima Online and recall picking it up that awesome day of release in September 1997. Like many of you who are fans of this genre, have played most of the MMO's since for some period of time and enjoyed beta testing many of them.

In the mid 90's I used Kali configured in DOS to simulate a LAN and the countless nights of Command & Conquer, Desent 2, and many other games were just preparing me for the MMO explosion. It's been a long strange & fun trip.

Nice thread and welcome Abigale.

Good luck to the Devs in bringing RIFT to beta and beyond. Looking very cool.

-CC

[Elladar]

Deradas and ChinaCat, please do not forget to introduce yourself here! Thanks!

[Fayde]

I started with Beta testing EVE online.

Then i played ff11 for around a year and a bit was great fun.

Then i moved on to a few Beta's planetside been more or less the only good beta and one of the games still around.

After the storm of bad beta's i moves on to warhammer to be let down by at best ******ed Dev's who go out of there way to lie and destroy the game could all most be a funny how bad they are with the game.

Then Aion a game that turns out to be quite ironic flying was the key point but 90% of the game is a NO fly zone apart form the abyss and going there as a none range class is stupid as how bad flight was added.

Then more bad beta's.

Then we are up to date with the last bad Beta been APB a game that is out soon but at best in the alpha build at worst still a year form a pre alpha build.

I have high hope's for RIFT looks great so far hope it can match games like FF/Aion(none flying part) for game play.

[Liziana]

Funny how you started playing UO in 96 but the game was only launched at the end of 97. So you were like a developer right.

Oooh er....nobody ever thought of the most obvious (given it was the day I was packing to go on hols) typo, due to multitasking! Will go edit it for the nitpickers

[13moons]

i realized this thread deserved more than a /10char reply. this link will jump you forward my "more thoughtful" reply.

http://forums.riftgame.com/showthrea...ll=1#post28354

[DSWBeef]

My very first MMo was a free game called Knight online back in 2004
My P2P mmos are the following
Star trek online
aion
World of Warcraft
Lord of the rings online
Warhammer online

I am no vet, though i am i master in the new style of MMOS

[Kitsu]

Where to begin??

My gaming career started playing MUD's and PnP games. I spent tons of hours playing DnD, Mechwarrior, and Vampire the Masquerade. I was also very big into Warhammer 40k and I have the minatures to prove it. I think I have my 4x8 sheet of plywood that I molded, and shaped into a large battlefield. (Turf, Trees, water, and rock mountains) Spent years fully completing my 40k table.

Online gaming for me started with Ultima Online.

Ultima Online: This was the best PvP game. Completely free sandbox game where the players generated the rules. I was part of a big alliance between 2 guilds (I was in WoTS or Wielders of the Sword). We where an Anti-PK guild. We hunted those red PK's. This was some of the most fun I have ever had in a PvP enviroment.

Everquest: This was the bread and butter of my gaming career. I spent a solid 6years playing this game with some random returns when I tried a few other MMOs. Bar-none, Hands-down, thee game I will judge every other game to. So far nothing has held a candle to this game. I started off beta testing this game, where I meet a few people as well as a developer. I spent the next year and a half playing on the EQ Testserver in a group of friends called "TSF" or Test Server Friends. We helped test Plate of Fear, Plane of Hate, and Plane of Sky. We got to kill Nagafen and Lady Vox where tons of fun watching the balanceing and the changes they made with our help. Spent most of my time on Stromm server with Realm of Insanity, and than again on The Combine, with Realm of Insanity. Best group of players I have had the chance to raid with. Xygon, if you read this. This ^^bump^^ is for you!!

Ashersons Call: Beta tested this, and than spent quite a bit of time with this game. This is probably my second favorite game of all time. They designed players to pick their own style of play from lvl 1-126. As you leveled up, you gained XP. This XP could be used to train any number of skills. They also designed a game where you had to have jumping skills. They had a strength meter that would control distance of your jumps. Sometimes jumping backwards or running and jumping to get to certain places. Learning spells by mixing components together and seeing what you got. Sometimes fizzles sometimes you learned a new spell. Very good game.

Asheron's Call 2: I loved this game, alpha and beta tested this game. I put tons of time into it and helped the best I could, but it never really got off the ground. Turbine shut this game down just over a year after it was released due to cost and lack of population. Was a sad day. First MMO to my knowledge that actually closed its doors.

Rest of these games I am just going to mention. Since I was in and out.

Anarchy Online
Eve Online
Dark Age of Camelot
Warhammer
EQ 2
World of Warcraft

If EQ decided to start a brand new server, I would be one of the first to resubscribe and jump on board.

I am hoping RIFT will be able to be my next drug of choice. I love the community they have acquired so far and Cindy has been very positive and active. Even responding to all of my PM's!! /applaud

[Myzk]

Now lets see.
In MMO years im like 7.5 years old. So I started playing when I was 12.5 years old
As I have played:
World Of Warcraft
EQ
EQ2
LOTRO
D&D Online
Guildwars 1&2
Warhammer online
etc.
I would make a list thats about 30 pages maybe
So im a big MMO fanatic

[Tachi]

My MMO list:

Started with M59 and was hooked! (Wow only one other M59'er here? Usually I see a few more then that )
Moved to UO and played a couple years till it just got to the point where I couldn't stand to log in anymore.
Moved to EQ and played for a couple years.
Went to DAoC, AO, and SB. None of them lived up to their hype, but I stuck with AO for about 3 years. Dropped DAoC after a few months and left SB after a year or so.

From there in no particular order, I played:

WoW
CoH/V
CO
AoC
Aion
WAR
LOTRO
Runes of Magic
Ryzom


Beta'ed most of the MMOs I played, plus a lot I didn't because of the beta or the game just didn't interest me like:

Vanguard
Spellborn
Alganon
AC 1/2
EQ2
Atlantica Online
Crimecraft
Dreamlords
Dungeons and Dragons Online
Eve
Gods and Heroes (Glad it's being resurrected!)


Plus I've done some text based MMOs and I'm sure there's some on both lists that I've forgotten but I think that's the meat of my MMO age.

I've kinda stepped back from playing MMOs here lately (Aion was my last one and I quit after a few months because of RMT) and have just been playing single player titles for a bit (Bioware rocks!!). I just became very disappointed with the sorry state games have been released in, in the past few years so decided to give them a rest. Now with Rift and a couple other games I'm watching I have a glimmer of hope for my MMO future again.

edit: I forgot Tabula Rasa and Auto Assault. Beta'ed and played TR but just beta'ed AA.

[Alrrok]

From EQ on Ive been into MMO's, I was also a total MMO junky in my opinion - best game (so far).

EQ2, Vanguard, Lotro, aoc, final fantasy, and almost all others for a very short time.

[OdwinOddball]

Had a lot of breaks over the years, and haven't actually played an MMO at all since the disaster of Age of Conan in 2008.

So either 8, or 10 depending on how you want to figure it.

EQ1. Started in January of 2000 with a barb shaman. Spent my first week trying to figure out how to get from Halas to Kelethin where my GF at the time kept suicide-ing her Wood Elf druid through negligent falling. Played through Luclin and then gave my account away when the power gamers started to take over. Came back for Gates, left after Omens. Game back again for Darkhollow, and left again shortly there after. Never made it past Time and some GoD raids

Played my share of other MMO's but never for more than a month or two untill a good friend finally convinced me to try WoW when Burning Crusade came out.

Other MMO's I've played:
AO
DAoC
AC2
SWG
Shadowbane
E&B
Eve
EQ2
CoH/CoV
Guild Wars
Ryl
AoC
Vanguard

EQ, Vanguard, and AO would be my favorites. If I could find a game with the depth and complexity of EQ and Vanguard, with the character advancement of AO I'd have my perfect MMO.