I find this entire thread to be a waste of time. You all just spinning top in mud. At the end of the day, people are going to play what appeals to them. But since everyone wants to throw in a two cents, I want to big up Ultima Online , and I stand by it, that Ultima Online ranks in (for me) as one of the best mmo's ever created. (before EA took over and f*@#ed it up the ass).I'm sure that anyone who played Ultima Online back in the early days '98 --> '02 would agree with me. That game didn't spoon feed you like the way mmo's do now. There was nothing like pansy-ass bind on equip. If you wanted to rock that bad ass weapon outside down, better roll with a crew cause if you dead, it gone. Player made items were the most used items in the game, the crafting was excellent, and because players actually used crafted items a lot, and lost them just as often, it stimulated a real player driven economy. The only grinding you ever did was with a mortar and pestle to make potions. Because there was no 'levelling up' the community was not segregated like they are in all these new mmos. I think that played a massive part in thier success. Veterans and Newbies alike were allowed everywhere.You didn't need a guild, or the best gear in the game to venture down into the deepest level of a dungeon, to experience all the game had to offer. Back in those days, most of the groups were social,never forced, grouping not cause they *had* to, but cause it was just more fun! The skill system has yet to be topped. There has not been another like it. There were no fixed classes, you could have mixed and matched any skills you liked, learn new ones, forget old ones (but be a master of only 7 at any one time). Give everyone the option to be anything they wanted and let the community balance itself. Brilliant.I could go on and on but how great it was but again, that's just my opinion. I guess the whole industry changed after EQ came out, and people realised hey, we can make TONS more money with this, just need to find a way to appeal to a broader audience than core gamers. And here we are today.I've played a lot of mmo's so i'm not just talkin out my ass. Ultima Online, EQ, Asheron's Call, DAoC, DDO, WoW, LoTR, Age of Conan. I'm waiting for the day a game comes out that embraces the UO style of MMO gaming, and I'll be there. Till then , I'm spending my days playing Warhammer Online (vortex server, order side character named Niala / Ordo) Man I miss the old school days (Editors note: This rant was brought to you by my brother, an esteemed and far too disgruntled gamer.)
