How to Choose the Best Online Multiplayer Role-Playing Game

When Asheron's Call 2 came out, I was crazy with anticipation. I forked over fifty bucks the day it came out and happily charged the monthly fee to my credit card. I missed days of school, failed a couple of quizzes, and blissfully wasted away the hours leveling and developing my character. Three months into the game, I realized with a heartbreaking disappointment that Asheron's Call 2 was not all I'd hoped it would be. In fact, the game was loaded with bugs and errors that bogged down the game play. Furthermore, it had a severe lack of role-playing and seemed to be mostly about gaining experience and power-leveling, which just wasn't my style. I'd made a poor investmen of money and timet.

Five years ago choosing a multi-user online role-playing game (RPG) was simple because your options were limited. Now, everytime I walk into a cafe with wireless access I see people playing a virtual bombardment of different games: World of Warcraft, Everquest, City of Heroes, or Final Fantasy Online. I even see the occasional old-school Neverwinter Nights or Asheron's Call player. Because of the intense time commitment most online RPG's require (not to mention the monthly fees and initial investment of buying a game) many gamers choose only one video game and stick to it loyally. Such is the importance and, yes, intimacy of one's relationship with their own online gaming faction: I've seen debates flare violently between members of World of Warcraft and Everquest.

Therefore, you can see how important it is to research and choose a game that suits your own personal tastes. Ask yourself these questions:

- What kind of gaming format do you enjoy?

- Do you enjoy heavy role-playing (acting out a character personality through text) or do you prefer to spend more of your time fighting bad guys?

- Are pretty graphics important to you or do you care more about game mechanics?

- Do you like to develop complicated characters with a variety of skills and strategy or do you prefer to just get right to the gaming?

- What "setting" do you prefer? Futuristic? Medieval?

- Do you enjoy battling with other players in player vs. player mode (PVP)?

Asking yourself these simple questions before you even begin researching a game can save you a lot of money and wasted time-not to mention the disappointment of playing a boring game.

Now that you have an idea what you're looking for, let's explore major competitors in the world of online gaming.

World of Warcraft

This is currently the biggest name in online gaming, but don't be deceived: That doesn't mean it is the right game for you. The graphics are stunning, and the landscapes range from beautiful to wonderfully creepy, with mountains and lakes and forests waiting for the gamer who loves to explore. The surroundings are straight out of a fantasy novel. There are plenty of quests, so you'll never lack for things to do. Plus, there are a multitude of servers to choose from: You can find a group who prefers role-playing or find a server for power-leveling. And you can choose whether or not you want to interact in a PVP setting.

World of Warcraft (WoW) has plenty of options; however, if you're the kind of gamer who loves to spend hours developing a character perfectly suited to your tastes, this game is not for you. There aren't many different character molds; thus, most of the characters running around the server look exactly alike. As someone who enjoys "dressing up" my characters, I found this aspect of the game disappointing.

If you're new to the world of online gaming, WoW can also seem very confusing. There are literally dozens of different servers to play on, each offering the same game, world, and mechanics; but with different styles of playing. It can be an overwhelming task to try to pick a world and stick to it.

But don't take my word for it. Check WoW out for yourself. Research is key!

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml;jsessionid=2BCFEDE3B7C38A3E5704AA0EF666BB24.app05

City of Heroes

I spent hours in the character creation mode of this game. There's a seemingly endless variety of outfits, hairstyles, and face-shapes to choose from when making a character. Rather than just giving you a set of ten different faces to choose from, the game lets you design each feature separately, (eyes, nose, mouth, cheekbones, jawline) allowing you to create a truly unique and colorful avatar.

The game is set in modern times in a large city, like New York or Chicago. Rather than being a knight with a sword, you are a superhero. Superpowers come in an expansive variety, which allows players to meticulously develop the character that they most want to play.

Unlike WoW, City of Heroes (CoH) has only a handful of servers to choose from. Again, you can choose to enter a PVP server or to role-play, but the options are not as unlimited as with WoW. Also, the landscapes are not nearly as epic and limitless. The world is not as much fun to explore.

Don't want to be a superhero? Try being a bad guy! There is also a new game released by the same company called City of Villains. Once again, research!

http://www.cityofheroes.com/

EverQuest and EverQuest 2

This is also an extremely popular game with a large following that has lasted since the beginning of online gaming. If you're looking for stability, EverQuest has it. Sometimes, an online game never gains the popularity it needs to sustain itself (think Asheron's Call 2). Without enough players, the game becomes empty and dull. EverQuest has lasted for years. So if you like to play an online game with a group of people, and not wander around and explore by yourself, this is a good choice. After all, what fun is PVP if there's no one around to attack?

Unfortunately, games that exist for a long time tend to find new ways to make the player dish out the cash (as if monthly fees aren't bad enough). EverQuest has a number of expansions that you have to buy if you want to play the whole game, costing you around fifty bucks each.

However, EverQuest has a good fanbase that has created a political system of guilds within the game. If you like to get online and chat and strategize within a group of like-minded people, creating real-time wars between actual players, this is a good game for you.

Research again:
http://eqplayers.station.sony.com/index.vm
or http://everquest2.station.sony.com/

Final Fantasy Online

Yes, I know the title says "Final Fantasy" and so tempts many gamers. Don't. Just don't. This game's player base fell apart very quickly after its release.

NeverWinter Nights

It's a bit old school, but NeverWinter Nights (NWN) has a good thing going. First, even if you invest your money and hate playing online, it still has an excellent single-player adventure mode. If you enjoy role-playing, this is the game for you. NeverWinter Nights offers more servers than even WoW. All of the servers are different. The world is never the same. It has new adventures, new players, new quests, and new landscapes to explore. It also offers you the option to create your own online world and let other players explore it.

Unlike most online games, where quests are programmed into the system and can be played over and over again by everyone, quests on NWN are run by actual people, called DMs. This makes each day on NWN a unique experience. Plus, the crafting system allows you to create your own outfits. I've spent hours developing "fashion lines" and selling them to other players!

On the downside, since there are many servers to choose from, you can occasionally enter a server that eventually dies as its player base dwindles. This can cause frustration if you've spent hours leveling a character, only to have to delete the character when you change servers.

NWN also has many expansions you'd have to spend extra money on. However, NWN has no monthly fee, which is awesome.

Check it out yourself:
http://nwn.bioware.com/

Some tips for the road:

So now you have a little of my gamer's insight into the world of multi-player online RPGs. Don't take my word for it, though. Use those links I've provided and get to know the kind of community each game offers by checking out screenshots and message boards. Also, be on the look out for free trials and demos. Sometimes an EB Games or Game Stop will have a demo game a free trial attached. A bunch of friends and I bought City of Heroes for one dollar. The disk contained the entire game world, all expansions, and a month of free play - no strings attached! Not only is that a great way to see if a game is right for you, it's also a month of entertainment for you and your friends for one buck. How inexpensive can a Saturday night get?

If you take my advice and explore a little, you'll find the online game that's perfect for you without wasting money and time-like I had to do in order to find all this stuff out for myself!

Now, choose a game and go fail a couple of quizzes!