Seeking Skill-based MMO

[Stormhowl]

Since my friends don't seem to keen about joining the "Classic EQ" experience here on P99, I'm trying to find a good MMO that we can play together while I keep P99 a mostly "me time" affair.

My buddy suggested something like Ultima Online, and I really love the premise behind how the game is set up (It's all skill based, no levels, no stat inflation like every EQ and WoW clone has), but we're looking for something a little more, current generation. Here's what we're looking for:

-Either no leveling or leveling has minimal meaning on a players power.
-Strength of a player is determined by their skill choices (e.g., Tactics, Fencing, Swordsmanship, etc...), not by their level or their gear
-Must have both PvE and PvP content
-F2P or P2P, doesn't matter which, we're open to both kinds.

So any suggestions? I've been looking around, and I'm coming up blank; it seems that Ultima Online was a one-of-a-kind experience, but I thought "Hey, maybe someone out there knows of such a game!" and decided to ask here.

So, TL;DR version: Anyone know of a "Skill-based" or "Sandbox" (akin to Ultima Online), current generation MMORPG?

[Feachie]

i was going to say witcher 2, but that's single player rpg. good game tho

[Ennoia]

Ultima is pretty terrible. D3, Neverwinter, Star Wars and a (GASP!!!) World of Darkness MMO are all set to release in the somewhat near future, as well as a bunch of other online multiplayer games. I think MMO-Champ has a list of MMOs, most of which are free to play, just download it off their site.

[Mardur]

Dawntide is set to release in a couple decades.

http://www.dawntide.net/

Edit: Whoa I actually read the website and apparently it's in open beta and set to launch in October... last I knew a few months ago it was nearly unplayable. Shrug.

[nalkin]

What about Borderlands.

[Feachie]

i swear to god i hate that little fucking claptrap :\

[deakolt]

-Strength of a player is determined by their skill choices (e.g., Tactics, Fencing, Swordsmanship, etc...), not by their level or their gear


why not play team fortress 2 or league of legends or something...

sounds like you want your jollies cheap and easy, don't want to have to grind for em

[Doors]

Just play an FPS. MMOs aren't known for involving skill.

[Bardalicious]

i swear to god i hate that little fucking claptrap :\

Watch this for the lulz:

http://youtu.be/Fii-KPEmcMw

[azeth]

Just play an FPS. MMOs aren't known for involving skill.

www.warrock.net

i will teach you

[deakolt]

www.warrock.net

i will teach you

is this one of those korean 3rd person shooters where you earn points to unlock temporary costumes and powerups but if you really wanna get shit done you gotta drop 20 bucks on a permanent AK47 unlock???

actually dat sounds like mad fun

[Feachie]

Watch this for the lulz:

http://youtu.be/Fii-KPEmcMw

lol... see, if he talked like that i'd probably like him more. he's just annoying :\

also wtb BF3

[Knuckle]

i was going to say witcher 2, but that's single player rpg. good game tho

if that games anything like the first one it's a mindless one button mash for your 'combos'

[Maurk]

The best shooter is BF2 mod: Project Reality imo.

I have yet to find a more challenging, realistic shooter.
and it's free! (the mod)

(bf2 costs like 9 bucks now, or get from the bay of pirates)

The mod says it all, it's a mod to make the most realistic shooter ever, and imo they succeeded over any other game.
Very tough, and servers are always full.

http://www.realitymod.com/

Should check it out!!

[deakolt]

if that games anything like the first one it's a mindless one button mash for your 'combos'

true true true

was angry at myself after i played through these games

[Zadrian]

SWGEmu

[Feachie]

if that games anything like the first one it's a mindless one button mash for your 'combos'

higher difficulties are pretty tough though. you die very easily, and the story is pretty cool. choices in dialog effect your game in more ways than dragon age did, is what i'm hearing. i'm playing it for story tbh, i like rpg's.

[deakolt]

higher difficulties are pretty tough though. you die very easily, and the story is pretty cool. choices in dialog effect your game in more ways than dragon age did, is what i'm hearing. i'm playing it for story tbh, i like rpg's.

i played it for story too but kinda wish i had just replayed baldur's gate 1 or 2... story and gameplay fuk yea sweet tea

[Feachie]

baldur's gate $$

bring back the single player rpg's plz! there really aren't enough good ones being released lately

[Doors]

baldur's gate $$

bring back the single player rpg's plz! there really aren't enough good ones being released lately

Go digging online and find the old ps2 game champions of norrath. Was honestly p. fun. Good single player game didn't have to devote 4 hours to finding a group etc.

[Stormhowl]

why not play team fortress 2 or league of legends or something...

sounds like you want your jollies cheap and easy, don't want to have to grind for em

Except I don't want my "jollies" to be "cheap and easy" and if you had fully understood the nature of my original question, you would've realized that. Or did you honestly think a game like Ultima Online had no grinds in it what so ever, that you start with your 700 skill points all spent right at character creation?

Besides, I already play LoL and I don't intend to ever touch Hat Fortress 2 or any other Valve product after what they did to the L4D franchise, but that is neither here nor there.

I appreciate that some people gave some actual suggestions for Sandbox type MMOs to look at, instead of taking something out of context in an attempt to flame-bait, so I'll be checking those out.

[Koota]

Darkfall = Skill based MMO with no levels.

[Kope]

Omg Gunbound!

http://gunbound.softnyx.net/

Had so many fun times on that game. It's just kinda a quirky game and looks lame but it can be so damn fun and addicting.

[Kope]

Actually I haven't played the 2nd gunbound, only the original, can't say anything about the 2nd one.

[deakolt]

Except I don't want my "jollies" to be "cheap and easy" and if you had fully understood the nature of my original question, you would've realized that. Or did you honestly think a game like Ultima Online had no grinds in it what so ever, that you start with your 700 skill points all spent right at character creation?

Besides, I already play LoL and I don't intend to ever touch Hat Fortress 2 or any other Valve product after what they did to the L4D franchise, but that is neither here nor there.

I appreciate that some people gave some actual suggestions for Sandbox type MMOs to look at, instead of taking something out of context in an attempt to flame-bait, so I'll be checking those out.

Acquiring a bunch of skills over time is essentially the same thing as levelling; a character with 100 different abilities is going to be more powerful than one with just 10. So what? You don't want levels in the sense of the default progress from 1 to 100 but instead in the sense that you gain more skills or get stronger via gaining experience? What's the difference?

You want a game where player skill makes the largest different between someone who has been playing a day and someone who has been playing a year? Not going to happen in an MMORPG.

play a different genre.

this game http://www.firefallthegame.com/ might be right up your alley.

Trust me you and your friends will not last a day playing UO trololol

[Stormhowl]

Trust me you and your friends will not last a day playing UO trololol

Except one of my friends IS a UO vet who originally recommended it, but the rest of us can't stand the old graphics and, even he agreed, how the game was ruined in a later expansion.

Stop with the assumptions, I'm tired of reading them.

[Feachie]

i don't understand why you don't just use your google, because it sounds to me like you can't handle interacting with the people that are taking the time to attempt to answer your questions.

[Stormhowl]

i don't understand why you don't just use your google, because it sounds to me like you can't handle interacting with the people that are taking the time to attempt to answer your questions.

I did use my google, but I only came up with a handful of korean made games or sci-fi games, neither of which are things we're interested in, as Korean made games tend to be... well, bad, and we're looking for high fantasy, not sci-fi. So I thought I'd ask, and honestly, asking gives me a better chance of receiving some honest opinions from people as to what the games are like, rather than reading something second hand from a list.

As for deakolt, no, he didn't answer my question, other people did and I thanked those who actually answered. I'm not sure at what point telling a single person to knock it off became "unable to handle interacting with people"... /shrug

[Feachie]

you just seem very tense is all. sorry.

gunbound is a great skill based multiplayer game though. i <3 a lot

[Stormhowl]

you just seem very tense is all. sorry.

Prescription drugs tend to do that.

[deakolt]

Only assumptions I made were based on what you wrote, namely

"-Either no leveling or leveling has minimal meaning on a players power.
-Strength of a player is determined by their skill choices (e.g., Tactics, Fencing, Swordsmanship, etc...), not by their level or their gear
"

I answered basically that you are probably not going to find a game like this, or if you do it's because the "levels" are called ability points or some other shit.

Firefall was a real suggestion; your dumb ass clearly didn't look into it at all. If you did you'd see it has a lot of the qualities you're looking for in a game.

I don't know how to write this without sounding angry but shit I am angry I wa just trying to help you, douchebag

[Feachie]

Prescription drugs tend to do that.

it just sucks trying to help someone and ends up snapping at you because he's hopped up on goofballs. i know how you feel though, prednisone is a mother fucker

[Doors]

Typical stormhowl being a dickhead. Good job putting a quote from yourself in your own sig bro.

[Feachie]

oh shit... i didn't notice that XD

[Bardalicious]

Baldur's gate dark alliance and champions of norrath series were both pretty fun.

[Bardalicious]

Oh and if you like the single player MMO style RPGs, sacred 2 is worth checking out imho.

[eastadam55]

ever heard of bloodline champions?

[Tuko]

Mortal Online is supposed to be a sandbox game also where skill and planing come into play. You get to pick ur abilities, armor and gear choice also impact your gameplay supposedly. I'm not sure how you raise your skill, probably have to grind a bit, but every game has grinds.
They say you can also craft weapons and armor to your specs, you choose the marterials, lengths, weights etc and can pretty much custom everything to ur play style. Also it's a free for all world, so you can pvp anyone pretty much everywhere and get full loot on them. I'm not actually 100% sure this is all true but that's what I read while it was on BETA, there is a 15 day free trial tho so I'm sure you and your pals could tag it up and see if you like it.

[Massive Marc]

Was champions of norrath really worth playing ? It looks cool for a retro/nostalgic feel.

[Bardalicious]

Was champions of norrath really worth playing ? It looks cool for a retro/nostalgic feel.

If you enjoy those styles of games, yes, as long as you aren't one of those "OMFG innoruuk actually looks like solusek ro fuck this shit" kind of geeks, because as I recall the game didn't follow actual EQ lore at all. And yes I think the given example was the case in the game lol.

I played the shit out of it when I got DSL for the first time and was obsessed with multiplayer via original PS2's shitty network adapter thingy.

[Feachie]

Hey you guys heard the man, he doesn't want help unless you can answer his question directly and correctly without Any other bullshit attached to it.

[Peatree]

What about the old original Warcraft game?

Used to play that against my buddies over a modem before network play was even around .

"Yes my lord" is now ringing in my head once again. ARGH!

[Feachie]

not an mmo tho.

personally i think he's asking for too much. if his criteria are that strict, he should be doing his own research, not asking a forum where opinions are as rampant as the assholes

[Peatree]

not an mmo tho.

personally i think he's asking for too much. if his criteria are that strict, he should be doing his own research, not asking a forum where opinions are as rampant as the assholes

You bitch about damn near everything don't you.

[Kope]

Again, to me it seems Gunbound is what he's looking for. It's not an RPG but it is an MMO that requires some skill and it's not a level based thing.

You CAN get your character items but they all have a timelimit on them or something. The items really don't do THAT much for you, but they do keep you going.

[Feachie]

You bitch about damn near everything don't you.

hey, i tried helping also and all he did was snap like a pussy hurt little bitch. apparently that's the norm for him, so fuck you.

[Peatree]

hey, i tried helping also and all he did was snap like a pussy hurt little bitch. apparently that's the norm for him, so fuck you.

See, you just did it again.

[Kope]

What is this? Emotionally Unstablequest?

[azeth]

"Yes my lord" is now ringing in my head once again. ARGH!

isn't "yesh me lord" more accurate? I think the orcs are the only ones with that exact phrase, and I'm clearly hearing some mispronounciation on "yes" and misuse of "me".

[Bardalicious]

What is this? Emotionally Unstablequest?

Bahahaha :D

[Peatree]

isn't "yesh me lord" more accurate? I think the orcs are the only ones with that exact phrase, and I'm clearly hearing some mispronounciation on "yes" and misuse of "me".

That and the chopping of wood sound seem like yesterday. Man that game was so great back in the day. :D

[azeth]

That and the chopping of wood sound seem like yesterday. Man that game was so great back in the day. :D

haha,

*chop* *mining sound* *chop* *mining sound* "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" *chop* *clang* *mining sound*

[Feachie]

girl talks shit back to man; must be unstable!

[eastadam55]

yeah but you are one crazy fucking bitch

[Stormhowl]

Well, despite all the asshattery from the RnF crowd, I managed to settle on Darkfall, so thank you to those who made suggestions; Darkfall was the only one that seemed to match my criteria as a spiritual successor to UO.

To all the others in this thread (e.g., Doors), lolumad bros? Don't get all bent out of shape just because I didn't take kindly to your flaming and called you out for the trolling you were doing. And now I'm going back to Server Chat where I don't have to listen to the vitriol spewing from your mouths. ;)

[Safon]

Well, despite all the asshattery from the RnF crowd, I managed to settle on Darkfall, so thank you to those who made suggestions; Darkfall was the only one that seemed to match my criteria as a spiritual successor to UO.

To all the others in this thread (e.g., Doors), lolumad bros? Don't get all bent out of shape just because I didn't take kindly to your flaming and called you out for the trolling you were doing. And now I'm going back to Server Chat where I don't have to listen to the vitriol spewing from your mouths. ;)

Is darkfall actually going strong? It sounded fucking sick but I never heard so much as a peep about it's launch or anything after, from any source. I just assumed it had flopped

[Stormhowl]

Is darkfall actually going strong? It sounded fucking sick but I never heard so much as a peep about it's launch or anything after, from any source. I just assumed it had flopped

The servers are still up and they're working on a total game revamp called "Darkfall 2.0" so I suppose it must still be going strong. It's not a WoW killer by any stretch of the imagination, but a game doesn't need to be as popular or as similar to WoW to be able to be an enjoyable experience. :3

[Scrooge]

Semi-Classic DAOC!
http://www.project1999.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44241&page=1

[mrgoochio]

The servers are still up and they're working on a total game revamp called "Darkfall 2.0" so I suppose it must still be going strong. It's not a WoW killer by any stretch of the imagination, but a game doesn't need to be as popular or as similar to WoW to be able to be an enjoyable experience. :3

are you playing NA or EU? This game looks fun maybe I'll try the 14 day trial but dont really want to play by myself

[deakolt]

i hope you get ganked at level 1 1000 times playing Darkfall you prick

[Bardalicious]

i hope you get ganked at level 1 1000 times playing Darkfall you prick

wow y u mad tho bro

[deakolt]

^ see earlier posts in thread. I am a vindictive motherfucker

[mrgoochio]

are you playing NA or EU? This game looks fun maybe I'll try the 14 day trial but dont really want to play by myself

Bumping my own post lol

[stormlord]

This one reminds me of UO and is sandboxy and skill-based i think:
http://www.dawntide.net/

If it can garner enough interest it might survive. I hope it does. My worry is that:
1) It will tank because of bad choice(s) and interest will die down
2) It will lose its uniqueness and epicness in a desperate attempt to attract interest back
3) It will die an inevitable and slow death, like Vanguard did, or others

For once, I'd like to see a sandbox game set realistic goals for itself. For example, -expect- a small population. Second, set limits on things so you actually finish something. Third, be innovative with how you solve gameplay problems. By being small you can take chances, so don't be afraid to try!

To be honest, I think the future of sandbox games is open source or small scale commercial at most.

Most players out there prefer theme parks. Don't know why. That's just the way it's. Me, I love to get lost in the details. I like there to be lots of things to worry about. Things I have to know. Things I have to figure out. There're some things I don't like though. But bottom line, I'm an engineer at my core and I like games that make me figure out things. That's my source of fun. A lot of people aren't like that, for whatever reason.

I figured this out years ago. I was watching a video of SWG. A developer (a women) was talking about how they were making a new system to put in place of the old one. She was commenting about how complicated hte old game was and how "I shouldn't have to have a degree to play a game!" She was complaining that there were too many stats and so on. Blah blah, she went on like that for 5-15 minutes. That was the moment I realized that I'm an engineer and I'm attracted to things that this lady isn't. I am the way I am. And there're many men just like that lady. It's not a sexism issue. I know many men that're allergic to too many details.

For example... I like games that don't really have a story. I like games where -I- make the story myself. I like to build things, that includes stories. I hate to be told what to do and what to feel. I hate it when the game feels like a road and I can't turn off into the bushes and trees like I want to. I have to turn off at the designated turnoff points. Everything is pre-made. I feel like the game is playing me more than me playing it.

I don't like how detail is implemented sometimes. For example, I don't like how many games depend on websites - like allah - for quest and item information. I think information about quests and items should be in-game and more intuitive and, of course, not handed out like cookies. Too many developers think that handing it out like cookies is what people want, but it's for sure not what i want. Nothing turns me off quicker than a developer that thinks that way. Shows me that they prefer to think on the surface of things.

Are these things faults? They can be. I get so lost in details that things pass me by. So I understand that it's sometimes too much. But at the same time, this is the way I am. If I like women to be plump in the right places because I think it's sexy, then that's the way it's. Can I overdo it? Yep. Women can be hurt. I think thinner less sexy women look smarter, and I think they're more beautiful. Can I overdo it? Yep. Sexy women can be smart too. I'm biased. Anyway, I'm just saying that I am the way I am. I don't think it's easily changed.

Maybe those're not good examples. But I think I've typed too much already.