For roughly the past year I've been playing FtP games (in the broad sense of any game that doesn't require you to pay a monthly sub to log on) almost exclusively. LoTRO was still technically sub based most of the year, but since I bought a lifetime sub a couple of months after launch is was effectively FtP for me. SWG never got a sub out of me, I barely made it to the end of the trial. I also dallied with Age of Conan, but again never ended up subbing. Due to a billing snafu I ended up with two free months to play it, and that was more time than I needed. Apart from those, Allod's Online, Myst URU, DDO, Wizard 101, and EQ2X have been filling my online gaming hours. I've gotten so used to bopping in and out of games whenever it pleases me that I've been really hesitant to actually sub up to anything.
That looks like it's coming to an end soon. On Monday I downloaded and played the demo for Star Trek Online. I was underwhelmed (to put it mildly) by the tutorial the first time I tried it. However, I gave it another go with tactical (DPS boosting) officer and made it all the way through the first mission you get with the demo. While it didn't exactly blow my socks off, I saw a lot of interesting mechanics I'd like to explore more. I could get the full game up and running for only $20, and I may.
And of course, there is Cataclysm. As any one reading this knows, World of Warcraft has been heavily revamped as of this week. Even without buying the expansion there is an almost entirely new 1-60 leveling game in place now. I am very much tempted to pony up $15 to check it out. However, it leaves me with kind of an odd quandry. WoW isn't installed on my current PC at all. Do I do a fresh install on my current PC using Blizzards horrifically slow down loaders (the worst I have ever experienced with any MMO company since leaving 56K behind [Edit: as it turns out Blizzard has updated their downloader, the new one is amazingly zippy...12 gigs in less than two hours]), or plug in the toaster living under my bed that has the entire game installed? Further, so great is my WoW burnout that I'm not entirely sure that even a brand spanky new 1-60 game would be enough to keep me entertained. I made it all of two levels into WotLK the last time I tried it.
In any case, too many interesting options is not a bad place to be. In either case, less than what I spend in a bar on a weekend is at stake.
Ping me if you end up subbing to STO, I would be happy to show you around.
ReplyDeleteSTO and WoW, both are competing for my gaming time these days.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to echo Blue and say if you do end up subbing to STO, be sure to friend me up :) But I guess we're all in the same fleet anyway! Just one of the great things about everyone playing on the same shard.
And re: WoW, as excited as I was about the changes, I still had my doubts that Cataclysm will rekindle the fire in me and keep it burning for the long run. Running around the post-Shattering world last night though, I am starting to think it might, at very least from 1-60. They done wonders to the zones.
As any one reading this knows, World of Warcraft has been heavily revamped as of this week
ReplyDeleteActually, I did not... I knew there were some kind of revamp, but since I have not felt any reason to play that game, I have not followed what is going on in detail.
I like STO the few times I am in the game playing, but I do not feel an urge to login an play regularly there.
I am curious how this Foundry will turn out, might be fun to play around with.
Resist the urge and go buy a round of Jager Bombs instead.
ReplyDeleteI keed, I keed. I ran pretty much the exact same gamut as you. I'm actually back into old games (heck, I reloaded the original Bioshock) and playing some modded versions of FPS titles. I'm MMO dry right now.
I haven't even tried STO yet. Might be worth looking at the free trial, I've heard those mixed reviews.
(Gah, but Bioware instead of Bioshock, no comment edit, just delete. Sorry!)
@Blue: I went with WoW first, but I do intend to purchase STO. I'll definitely look you up there soon :-)
ReplyDelete@Mmogamerchick: more detail in my next post, but I had the exact same experience as you with WoW.
@Sente: I stand corrected!
@Isey: imo the demo of STO is well worth doing, if for no other reason than to experience the odd mechanics of ship to ship combat. It's not much like anything else I've played, and I've been a PC gamer since Pool of Radiance was the bomb. Just be sure to go with a tactical officer, the other two are next to useless in the demo.