MMORPG Game Draught

The long hot days of summer stretch before me with no inspiring MMORPG options on the horizon.  All of the games that I was interested in playing by the fall, have all had their release dates pushed back.  I'm not thrilled that the WOW expansion is about the only thing releasing between now and the end of the year.  There's nothing in the xpac that excites me.  I'm sure I'll buy it, if for no other reason than to keep my Warlock at the level cap.  I'm over the 40-man raids and tired of leveling toons, so that doesn't leave me much to do in WOW.  I'd hoped that playing on a server with friends would rekindle the glow, but the fact is that it's too little too late.  Being with friends is better than not, but it doesn't change the reality that I'm sick and tired of playing WOW.  To continue playing means doing the stuff that I purposefully avoided until now, like reputation grinding and PVP.  Until the new guild they are forming can raid, which you know I'm not crazy about anyways, I don't have anything to do on WOW.  Not anything that, that I want to be doing.  The one exception was my Priest.  Screwing up my ability to move that priest was a HUGE mistake on my part, one that I'll be lamenting for many months.

For me, summer is the best time to play games.  It's the most hectic time at work, but the time of year with the least number of personal commitments.  Once school starts and the holiday season rolls in, who the heck has time to play in the evenings? I know I don't.  I'm really bummed that I'm not able to take advantage of this free time with a game that boils my blood.

I've gone to Virgin Worlds not less than a half dozen times to use the "Current MMORPGs" links.  I've visited the site of every single game listed there - most more than once.  Between the bad things that I've heard and the poor showings, there are only two games listed that I would even consider playing, and I'm scared to try either of those because I've heard that they are really a grind-fest: Lineage II and RF Online.  Not a very promising situation here.  I don't want to just throw away more cash for games that I won't play or time on one I'll abandon in a few weeks.  I'm unsure what to do, but I know that I have to do something, if I'm going to play anything for the next couple of months.  My desperation to make a decision forced me to make a list of options.  How sad - so sad.  Why doesn't not playing a game this summer become the answer? As if!

Plausible choices:

• Finish my priest on Illidan - Would be un-guilded and without my friends.
• Grind rep or PVP with my Warlock on Gul'dan - Can chat with my friends but they are leveling toons while the new guild gears up for the end-game.
• Roll a new toon and level with my friends - roll something; anything, just to play with them.  Not that I haven't tried.  I have hunter, paladin, rogue and mage alts, all started at one time or another to level with someone else after I'd finished my main.  Not to mention my level 45 Hunter, 48 Hunter and 49 Priest, that I created and leveled of my own desire.
• Go back to EVE Online - Enjoyed this game.  Only game that made me think about strategy even when I wasn't playing.  I quit because I didn't have enough time to play.  Bad part is that I gave away my acct to a friend who wanted to play so I'd have to start over.  Anyone who's played EVE knows that leveling your skills again isn't a trivial thing.  It's not hard, it just requires a static amount of time.  There is no way to rush back to where I was before.
• Go back to EQII - Liked the game.  Loved the graphics and animation.  Unfortunately, I never felt a sense of belonging and the below level 40 worlds are empty.  I was heavy into crafting which I've heard was overhauled to simplify production and am very curious to see how it works now, but crafting isn't enough to keep me in the game.
• Go back to GW - Didn't hold my interest.  Environments were too restrictive.  Felt more like a console RPG.
• Check out Lineage II - Really, really want to try it but scared of the grind factor.  I do wonder how wrong can you go in a game, where you can raise a dragon, which will eventually become your mount. Just releasing your pet Tyrant in AC2 was exciting.  Raising one from a hatchling must be amazing. Hmm.

When my friends are ready to raid in WOW, I'll spend a couple of days a week raiding with them.  Maybe raiding will be fun again with people who are experiencing it for the first time.  My only concern there, is the cost of raiding - potions and repair bills, same old complaint.  What shall I do until then?  I'm leaning toward resurrecting my EQII Summoner or giving L2 a spin.

Comments

[John Doe]

Try a BG twink.

http://battlegroundforums.com/forums/

[Wolfgangdoom]

Cheer up, from what I have read and seen, Vanguard looks like it will be a decent game. I am especially looking forward to the supposed chat based reputation system. Release date according to the last missive I read claimed winter 06 for release so hopefully it will be closer to December rather than February but who knows. BG twink might not be such a bad idea either, especially since you already have level 60's to fund one.

[Malianea]

There are far more games out there if you want to try something off the beaten path.

The MMO Finder at MMO Portal is supremem for finding something to play :D

http://mmo.portalsnetwork.com/index.php?module=PortalGameDB&func=search

[Saylah]

I was thinking about Twinking my priest for the 40 to 49 bracket. She's half way to 49 and was some nice gear already.

HI Malianea - thanks for the link. I'd run across MMO Portal before and looked around. Don't remember when/why, but I'd forgotten about it.

[relmstein]

I find having a lot of friends make MMORPGs a lot more fun. I've recruited all my old college friends onto my server and they brought some of their RL friends. We got about 15 people now that use our chat channel. Its like a small guild except everyone on it is competent.

We do a lot of stupid things like collecting our tier 0.5 set and making groups of alts. Nothing is more fun the doing battlegrounds with twinked alts.

relmstein.blogspot.com

[Techiegal]

I get my share of characters to max level and then get tired of raiding, PVPing, or end-game stuff. I decide to quit that game and move on to another game that will help satisfy my MMO thirst. Or, I start a new game or trial and decide that it isn't for me. I'm not really that picky am I?

Some games I have ran a guild or had made really good friends...and then I turn my back on them and leave the game. I feel bad about doing it. Sometimes we might keep in touch, but for the most part they stay with the game and I move on never to see them again. In serveral games I've gathered good gear and lots of money (gold, credits, ISK, influence, plat, whatever) and uber-cool items...all to be left behind in a closed digital bank never to be opened again.

Have you considered playing City of Heroes/Villains? That's what I'm into right now....until something else lures me away...like maybe the WOW expansion. =)