Any New MMPORPGs Worth Playing (excludes WoW and GWars)

that's out now? don't think so. i don't really follow anymore. I'm unable to play those games casually so I've stopped playing them at all. An old guildie emailed me about darkfall beta, but it STILL hasn't started. It's gonna be the first hardcore pvp game in a really long time, but I think I'm gonna skip it. Too much to lose at this point and my guild was super-competitive so there's no half-assing it. I do miss the early days though.

Lord of the Rings Online received fantastic reviews. Apparently it's well-polished, very believable and...you can play a friggin' lute!

Also, they're not new, but definitely check out both EVE Online and City of Heores. EVE Online has turned into the greatest MMO ever.

Turbine built LOTR on the AC2 engine, which was really impressive in its efficiency and rendering capabilities. I was involved in 20 vs. 20 fights in that game and it still ran well. So, it's really a great engine.

However, I have yet to encounter an MMORPG that turbine has run well, and I played both AC1 & 2 very seriously. I was in the top 5 to 50 server-wide in AC2, was a prolific pker, and was a serious poster on the dev board. I developed consensus among high-level players on stuff that needed to be fixed so the game wouldn't be a disaster, but we were completely ignored, and the game ended up flopping very soon after release. Devs never seem to want to admit that their players often know better than they do when it comes to balancing and/or making the game better. EQ finally learned to listen to high-end players after years of not doing so.

I can remember the idiot in charge of running AC2 devoting resources to level 10-20 content, which he claimed had the most number of players, when there was a solid chunk of the playerbase in the 20s-40s. Post level 40 there was fuck-all to do except pk (for no reward) and level. So they were busy adding newb content while i was busy soloing the second toughest XP mob in the game, which was clearly intended to be group-mob. The PvP balance was also near-perfect, but they had to fuck with it. As soon as everyone got to the third continent they realized how little content the game had and they started losing accounts.

Turbine makes great games, but they always ruin them. :P I'm not sure i'd devote a lot of time to another turbine game.

FWIW, reviews rarely mean anything for MMORPGS. You just can't learn enough about the game in the short amount of time you play it for a review. All the important things, like balance and content don't get exposed for hundreds of hours, especially soon after a game launches.

Well, I've read some follow-ups from some hardcore MMO players and it has still received nothing but praise. Plus, I think the EA dollars will keep this one afloat.

Having played LoTR in beta, I can say that's definitely an amazing MMO with a great plan. I don't really have the time to play, nor do I have a computer to play on (having only MacBook currently), but I really enjoyed the time I spent in beta (3 months)... What I like about the game is that it doesn't rush me, there were times when I would just spend an evening walking around the world and exploring the different locations. Or in-game parties with pipe-weed, fireworks, and stuff... And the "accomplishments" or whatever they're called make the grinding much more acceptable. I hate grinding for xp, but here you actually get stuff for it so it's worth it. It's actually fun. *gasp* Plus it's great that I can spend around 5 hours a week on the game and still have plenty of fun in the process. I'll be getting back in as soon as I get my Mac Pro this summer. (Disclaimer: I hated WoW.) As for other games... I'm looking forward to Pirates of the Burning Sea which is to be released towards end of 2007, hopefully. I used to play CoH for about a year and I enjoyed it a lot, then stopped because I didn't have time for MMOs. Then I got into LOTRO beta and I decided not to return to it. One of the great things about both LOTRO and City of Heroes is the community, it's mature, respectful, and helpful.

Try to get into Warhammer Beta.
Or just sign up for DAOC classic server or PVP server. If you like hard core PVP that is.
DAOC is one of the best MMORPGS out there and hands down the best PVP MMORPG. The amount of content and customization is unbelivable.

The current well-loved MMOs among the more hardcore are EverQuest 2 and LOTRO. EQ 2 is going in completely new direction. New lead programmer.. i havent played it but people I know who started up again love it. http://www.ageofconan.com/ is looking good. It just entered beta. Tabula Rasa is getting hypy too. I played a little Warhammer online and it felt a lot like WoW, but I didnt get to try out teh level progression , etc. so I cant be a good judge of whether it will be good or not. the developers are crazy mofos though, not the usual fat white guy with a goatee, so that could be a good sign. Anyway, Age of Conan and Tab. Rasa are the most hyped at the moment.

in short, was is EQ2's new direction?

God I couldnt tell you, to be honest. Just that everything is balanced, combat and encounters are fun, and that PvP is apparently a pretty good time as well, AFAIK. I keep reading and hearing about it but I can't recall the details right now, but I do recall that they completely revamped the newbie levels, pretty much all but ditched their old system with the island and everything.

Check out the FOH guild board, there was some 40 page thread or something like "Should I come back to EQ2" and the consensus was "yes."