I have been playing MMORPGs since 2009, and I have to say there are some good options out there now.
When I first started playing MMOs, I didn't know what microtransactions were. I didn't know the term "tab target". I didn't have a clue what "action combat" was. What mattered was the quality and feel of the game mixed with the aesthetic, and the community.
There were not a lot of MMOs that I didn't try. I probably tried dozens. Many were really great. Most felt a little jank, but there was a kind of feeling to them. I felt like I was interacting with a world that felt really important.
Most of the games I tried lack that feeling of meaningfulness, in present condition. Things that were core to the experience have been stripped away and replaced with more ways to spend money to remedy problems that were created by the people who made the game, or are in charge of the game's condition.
Examples can be seen all over in current MMOs. The prevalence is seen in many games that are popular, and played by millions. In almost every MMO that I have played since the late to mid 2010s, there is a notification. Whether it is an icon with an exclamation point or an intrusive window that loads up every time you log in, this is common place.
Where there were no pop ups or advertisements other than for the most recent expansions, there are now tip windows to convince you to buy convenience items or services. It is just something I have to accept as normal in the current MMO landscape, they say. The developers need the extra money to continue expanding the game. I get it.
There are current games that gave me the feeling of importance, but they have changed for better or worse. The Elder Scrolls Online, is one of my most played games of all time. It was fun for a few years. It had a "pay for convenience" problem. I paid for it. It has one of the best "action combat" systems in an MMO. The story was very well done. There were no actual "pay to win" or "pay for power" items or services that I could find.
I stopped playing, and moved more toward single player games for a while. The MMO itch was scratched.
When I did come back, ESO had changed in many ways. This isn't a bad thing. I stopped playing mainly because I wanted to experience something else. The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the best MMORPGs out now, and feels like a polished product. I just wanted something familiar.
I tried World Of Warcraft, and while it felt good to play, and the game is clearly a good game, I could not get into it. I don't know what it was that was stopping me from being content. I tried and just could not feel what others feel while playing. I gave the game around 20 hours, rookie numbers, but I could not get into the experience enough to keep going.
I decided to try a game that I had previously played less than an hour of and passed on. I can't even remember why I didn't give it a fair chance. I have been enjoying the traditional feel of the game. It feels good.
So far in my admittedly low play time of Final Fantasy XIV Online, I have not seen a shop to buy anything with real money. There have been no pop up notifications. There have been no special "pay for convenience" prompts alerting you of a problem that you can pay to fix. This game functions well enough and my initial purchase covers 30 days of play time. Yes it is a subscription model, but I have looked at the UI and I can't find a cash shop. That justifies the sub fee in my honest opinion.
The game feels like a traditional "trinity" style MMO. This is a good thing. I couldn't name every MMO that felt this good when I first started playing them from 2009 to 2013. It reminds me of the fun I had and the time in my life where gaming was the goal. Times where I could just stay up late making friends and completing dungeons, and feel like I did something when I was done playing for the night.
These games are great, and right now Final Fantasy XIV is my go to MMORPG. It reminds me of the games I played when I first started playing MMOs. It is fun to play, and the combat while being "tab target" has great feeling to it. I admittedly am not playing for the story, I gloss over stuff to get the basic idea of what I need to do and why, but I hear the story is one of the best in an MMO or game in general. I will probably watch videos on the story and lore, to get a sense of what I need to know to understand the world and events in the game.
What is your "go to" MMO right now? What keeps you playing?
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