I see you all decided to give Ryzom a try. I came from there before starting on Seed (played WoW and Ryzom before Seed, as far as combat MMOs go). And I didn't like it enough to pay for it. I loved the community, despite it being very very low on RP. It was mature and for the most part pleasant. However, I hated the combat. I couldn't focus on being just one thing, and the grind was horrendous, by far the worst I've seen in a game so far. The quests were really bad. And the RP was, apart from a very small group of people, absent. To put it shortly, the game bored me nearly to death, only my friends in the community kept me there for a while, and not for the RP I had with them, because I hung out with non-RPers in Ryzom. All in all I preferred even WoW over Ryzom, since I liked the gameplay better and the quests were not bad at all, if a bit repetitive. The community was not as good, but you could find decent people, and on the RP servers, the level of RP was even slightly higher than that in Ryzom. By the way, not to discourage anyone from playing SoR, I did stick with it for 2 years (on and off). If you want to play an MMO right now, then I'd say choose between SoR or WoW, BUT... There is another non-combat, RP-heavy game nearing completion, due this December and so far it's going on schedule without delays. It's URU-Live (Myst online).

http://www.urulive.com/blog/
http://www.urulive.com/forums/index.php

Not everyone will have enjoyed Myst, but URU isn't much like it at all. It's an MMO, for one, and the solitary feel of the Myst games just can't be preserved in an MMO (which is what a lot of people disliked about the Myst games, I hear). I played the original, failed, URU-Live prologue (this coming URU-Live is their second attempt, after Cyan almost went... bankrupt... after the first URU Live had to close down some 4 years ago. Sound familiar? Yes. That story sounds an awful lot like Runestone's, only Cyan isn't a young company, and the Myst series was very popular, and they DID manage to find new funding, where Runestone failed, sadly. They've made that mistake too and managed to struggle back up and are going to do it right this time ) and that was the best MMO I have played, alongside Seed. It was very RP-centered, even the devs did not communicate with the players OOC-ly, instead they communicated via the in-game faction of the DRC, even all the new content etc that was nearing readiness was presented IC. There were hardly any NPC's, mostly they had actors play the DRC, much like AD played the TSR and others. You won't even have to solve puzzles in the new URU Live either, not if you don't want to (in the original URU it was required to solve a puzzle section alone before joining the rest of the online community, but not in the new URU, you go straight to all the other people in game). And even in the original URU solving puzzles was not the whole of the gameplay. There was the marker-hunt, for instance. Anyway, I ramble.

So, what I wanted to say, I just hope you all come and at least give it a look once it's out. It will be available free in a limited manner much like Ryzom, though not as restrictive, I think you'll have access to more places than the free Ryzom, as a non-paying player of URU.

Well, this was of course, shameless URU Live promotion, but I just love the game so much, already, and it's not even out yet (I had that with Seed too). So I hope to see many of you there around Christmas time, when it's due to be released,

Norah

ps. oh yeah, almost forgot: I'm Liath over at the URU Live forums, just like I used to be at the Seed forums.

pps. Oh, and for those of you who want to stick with SoR, feel free to ask me about how the RP used to be, etc . I still have a ton of stories over at some Ryzom fan forums, and I remember a fair bit of history/RP, etc.

Last edited by Norah (2006-10-09 22:58:15)

Okey, seen now four suggestions.

ATITD?
NWN2?
Second Life?
URU live?
Ultima Online? (I did add this)

I also noticed some roleplaying been little "choosy" about the games. Example if we look back to Seed.

What did make Seed so that most roleplayers did like it?

1. Interesting setup of story.
2. Good roleplaying support from GM's and game developments.
3. Nice comic looks (not really important)
4. A lot of other roleplayers.

Quoting Oluf, as it shows it very well:

What did make Seed hard for non roleplayers?

1. Almost notting to do, just three option: repair, produce, doctoring
2. Roleplayers did not talk to You, if You wheren't talking right.
3. Technical quality of game client below standards.
4. A lot of bugs and lags

If You look what I have choosen there, You may disagree, but the main point is that roleplayers doesn't really care the game functions. It's all about the people community it self. So looking game isn't really looking game, but ability have intresting story and place to talk.

The real question is how many like to stay in SoR and how many do not?

Maybe we should create list of the games what would be possible and everyone can say they opinion (vote) what they like?

Last edited by Victoria (2006-10-10 06:08:58)

Yeah, I've had no such luck either. Well, I have, but URU's not actually out yet.

I tried Second life for a little while too, saw it was on your list here, but I have to say that that was by far the worst MMO I've ever played. Had nothing but bad experiences...

Ryzom might have changed (RP-wise) since I last popped in there, of course, but I hear about its develpoments from some old guildmates who still play sometimes, and I didn't think much had changed, apart from that Ryzom Ring thing finally getting somewhere. The things I've always liked a lot about Ryzom are the people, and the graphics. It's such a pretty game (except for those trykers . You know who you are, you ugly little monkeys). I started playing Ryzom because my old MMO had just died (the first attempt at URU Live), and a lot of former neighbourhood people and Great Tree people that I knew were moving on to it. Like some of you are doing now. Back then it was still in beta and they promised it would be a very different game from what it is now. This feels so much like deja vu to me . I kept on playing it for about a year after launch, all in all, but not for a year straight, I kept leaving and coming back. Nevrax almost went bankrupt during the development of Ryzom too. That's partly why it turned out so different from what they once said, they hired someone, blah blah, and then they suddenly introduced PvP while they'd always said they wouldn't... To attract more people most likely.

I hope those of you who go to check out URU, like what they see. I can recommend some good fan trailers/movies about old Live, so you can see what it used to be like. But if you're a forum-reading kind of person you'll probably find them yourself soon enough.

I've always felt like story=game. I care about the gameplay and functions, but if it's not tied in with the storyline it means nothing to me, and I get bored. I want a reason for the things I do aside from getting more gold and better gear. URU and Seed were perfect in this way; everything you did in URU, was to learn more about the history and current story. The exploration, solving of puzzles, it was all connected to the story, the history, and, well, everything. In Seed, Labspace was about to collapse if we didn't repair it and clean it up. We had reasons to do things in these games. In games like SoR and WoW, I killed and killed monsters, I did quest after quest, but what did it get me? Hardly any of the quests were tied in with the storyline, and now we get to something equally important: Even if you did get a quest that revealed more about what happened in the gameworld, it meant nothing. Countless people before and after you would do the exact same quests. It was all incredibly static. Nothing changed, your influence on the gameworld and story alike, was entirely absent. While in both Seed and URU, you were actually part of it all, you influenced it all, not just someone running through it all trying to get some more gold.

Anyway, games with just one of the two don't work for me. I need both aspects, completely intertwined, to like a game.
Just gameplay, no story, no RP? Booooorring.
Just RP/story, no gameplay? Just as bad. I'll just go read a book instead. Or make up my own story.

Heh, so yeah, I did disagree, but you did say that it was allowed .

Norah

Hey everyone. I'm new. Ract found me in Ryzom and I'm happy to meet you all!

I'm really liking Ryzom so far, but if you're not satisfied with it you might want to check out Anarchy Online. Besides World of Warcraft I think it's the best MMO out there. It's very complicated gameplay-wise (which I enjoy), it has strong factions and even RP (though not as much as Ryzom), and also a sci-fi theme (like Seed?). However, it is also based almost entirely on leveling gameplay-wise, and unfortunately even more so than Ryzom: at least in Ryzom you can switch from magic to melee (or whatever you're weaker in) so you can have two effective levels. In Anarchy Online you have only one level, and grouping with people too low does neither of you any good.

Also you can't switch classes (like from melee to magic) on the fly. Like WoW or EQ, there are set classes that you pick at the beginning, and you stick with them forever. And the graphics are aging.

But it has a humongous, varied world that you can build cities on. I got up to level 202 in it and had a great time. I'm not trying to switch a group of good roleplayers to one of my favorite games (far be it from me to show such brazen self-interest!) but it's definitely a good time.

Oh, and also, the original game -- without any expansions -- is free now, though Shadowlands makes things easier for leveling.

Last edited by Atmus (2006-10-10 22:26:06)

For me, a game starts to become interesting when it gets some world-specific, odd humour. Like the time in Seed when Bre thought that we're going to "give someone stuff to kill another Seedling with a long spear at night". As you can guess, we just called someone a freelancer and started trying to remember why freelancers are called that. And tried to remember how Medieval was called during that.

AO... doesn't sound very interesting. And I'm not really into cyberpunk. Is there any crafting/peaceful character type of play? I'm tired of killing things since Ragnarok.

I've pretty much given up on SoR now. I just can't motivate myself to play, since I wind up grinding more than anything. As such, I'm throwing my vote in for NWN or NWN2. It's fantasy, but the fact that it's not fee based, we can make our own world, and having done a social server many times before I know how good it can be RP wise.

Anyways, I think I'm going to drop out of SoR officially for now. I don't enjoy it and don't ever plan on paying for it.

We'll never find a game everyone will like, I'm afraid. There's too many factors to consider. Unless there's another non-combat sci-fi cartoon game with time-based skill system, RP-friendly community, cute chimbots, and the possibility to affect the development of the world, we're out of luck.

I just don't think we should ruin this community by trying to force it to stick together. (Of course, it's easy for me to say, as I'm more or less enjoying SoR.)

That said, if a game comes up that more people like, I can be convinced to give it a try.

EDIT: However, I don't really like the idea of jumping from one game to another indefinately on the holy quest of finding the perfect game for us all.

Last edited by Kryigerof (2006-10-11 08:41:44)

Sounds like a nice game then. But my list was far from complete, of course. URU, for instance, (played the single player game) gives a rather artsy, surreal, dreamlike feel, which is not for everyone (could be for me).

Last edited by Kryigerof (2006-10-11 09:05:06)

Is it still about contemporary people in a very strange land?

No matter what we shoudl stick together as others have said all ready

I for example wont be playing SoR either but dont expect to see me any less! There is nothing wrong with us trying to build a great commuinity around roleplaying games, which is why that I also think its great that Atmus has signed up

Honestly in my opinion you have been scratching the surface:

some games in development or already out that go out of the things you see around

Roma Victor

Trials of Ascension

Darkfall

Falen Earth

Im not too informed about NWN2. But I know its D&D and it sucks in pen&paper so why wouldnt it suck online? i've said it before its about the community, and I do believe we can find a place we all feel confortable. URU doesnt seem like something that would appeal to me. But I can give it a look like I've done with every MMO. WoW is just too bad to be believed. Anything that forces me to combat, forces me to any action whatsoever is a dead game to me. That takes levels and all types of grinding out of the picture. if I cant acomplish something not because I cant crack it with my intelect but instead have to forcefully do any type of task in order for my character to do it I find it boring...

I know that takes out of the picture every single MMo out there

It also gives the answer why I play City of Heroes. If there's nothing out there any good you better play the one that is more fun in doing what they all do. Hack things to bits

UO is a pearl. It is probably the best ever. I havent played it for long because I didnt meat anyone worth playing with (no RPers), but I know graphics are an issue to a lot of people (tough theres the whisper that when the game makes 10 years next year it will have a super graphical modification).

Honestly, Ryzom really smells of grinding and its not about what RP there is (since some say theresa  lot and some say theres none). I had a load of Rp in WoW. But the game forced me into instances. Forced to get better armour and forced me to kill Hundreds of Defias just to get stupid bandanas after stupid bandanas.

I dont want to kill animals, I dont want to do anything, unless I feel like it. Unless my character feels like it. I have nothing against combat, just give me a reason to fight...a good reason instead of just the "Hunt" story and the "theres an invasion" story.

Second life is probably the worst idea ever...and its abominable. I've tried it for 5 minutes and uninstalled it.

To me there was only a game ever that gave you freedom to do everything you wanted
That game changed to be just like the rest
Only in Star Wars Galaxies you could live a life where you were forced to nothing. One day I entertained in the cantina, the other I bought clothes, the next I smuggled weapons and after that I fought in space. I would deliver rebel plans right after I've crafted those new boots...thats freedom, and now its gone.

You cant fightthe big corporations. they want money and people like us dont generate money. So our games are all dying or dead. But as long as we're together...every game can be fun...

I talked too much