Some upcoming games that we may want to keep an eye on...

[Phineas]

Some new games to look into for the future:

A Pre-E3 Preview:

Worlds of Warcraft

Going to be awesome. Not a real PVP-type game, but judging by Blizzard's track record, I'd guess it'll be like a license to print money. At this point they could shit in a box and most of the fanboys would buy it.
You can't argue with success though.

Lineage 2

The original Lineage was (and still is) insanely popular in Asia. This new version that uses the Unreal 2 engine looks like it'll be really sweet.

Guild Wars

Graphic-wise, this game appears to totally rip-off WoW (cartoony gfx, etc.) But, in interest to most of us here, they're designing it with Hardcore PVP'ers in mind.

Warhammer Online

Fantastic source material here, and the mechanics for a great system already exist. Warhammer has a decidedly "dark" feel which will appeal to most of us here, I think. This one is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Especially, if they eventually make a Warhammer 40K expansion.

City of Heroes

I hate to admit it, but I'm gay for this game. I love super hero stuff, and the graphics look uber. They have a nearly infinite costume personalization system. Sadly, there will be no PVP at release, but they are hinting at letting Players make Villains in a future expansion.

Of course, there's also SWG and Planetside. But these have been described ad infinitum in other threads. I just wanted to let ya'll know about some other games you may not have heard of.


If you're interested in any of these games, GONE GOLD is a good site to go to to check approximate release dates. They update it fairly often and it is the same info that they use in the PC magazines like PC Gamer.

[Twystyd]

Darkfall is one of my current favorites to watch.


Key Features

Possibly the biggest online game world ever created, with four huge continents to explore, and hundreds of small islands.


The best quest engine ever seen in a game, with literally millions of interesting and rewarding auto-generated quests to solve.


The most realistic online game world ever created, with trees and grass swaying in the wind and dynamical clouds generated based on the weather in the area, real world physics, dynamic lighting and shadows, and smooth night/day cycles.


Advance your player character any way you want, with more than 1000 skills and spells to learn and master.


Superb 3D graphics, detailed models, smooth life-like animations and amazingly sharp textures.


Darkfall supports actual ownership of resources and areas, making conquest and warfare an integrated part of the game.


Exciting action-packed combat situations, with actual player skill and strategy influencing the outcome of the combat.


The most advanced Clan administration and communications tools ever seen in an online game.


Endless career opportunities. Be a humble fisherman, a legendary smith, a friendly baker, a trusted hunter, a superb tailor, a mercenary hiring your services to the highest bidder, a magician teaching other players powerful spells of magic, an explorer telling tales of dungeons explored and exotic islands visited, or a fearless clan leader, leading your clan to countless victories over your enemies.


In Darkfall it's the players that run the world through kingdom building, conquest, diplomacy, strategy, politics, even a player defined legal system.

[Candide]

I haven't followed anything in a while, but I hear dragon realms or something like that mentioned a lot for the PvP crowd as well.

Honestly I don't care to pay much attention to anything right now until its within a year or so of the first guestimate of release. Altho that hurts your chance to get into beta (best way is to get in early, post lots and become "known" to the devs).

[BurnHavoc]

you missed EVE-Online but of course I'm not paying much attention to it myself. I have planetside

[Seventhfool]

world of warcraft looks and sounds nice, but im lookng at Dragon Empires at www.dragon-empires.com

[Zeris]

Possibly the biggest online game world ever created, with four huge continents to explore, and hundreds of small islands.

This isn't necessarily a good thing any more. Just saying.

Also, STAY AWAY FROM EVE ONLINE. THAT IS THE WORST GAME EVER. EVER. EEVVVAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Gah. the memories of 2 hours in beta will leave permanent mental scars.

WoW is probably a given with this crowd.
Planetside doesnt need mentioning, really.

I will try warhammer online (WHO) regardless of a bwc presence. I've been a longtime warhammer fan (the fantasy world is currently carried by a table-top wargame involving miniatures, etc.) and I can't wait to try a RPG version of the world.

Also, are we really interested in a game that doesnt involve PVP?

[Twystyd]

One answer NO!

[Nese]

wow.warcry.com has a nice E3 write up where some of the PvP questions are answered. Nothing is set in stone but it looks like most PvP will be consenual duels, except they hinted at an Alliance (Human/dwarf/NE) vs Horde (Orc, Tusks) story line and areas.

[Hall]

Dont forget Eq2


/duck

[Alka]

Darkfall is one of my current favorites to watch.


Endless career opportunities. Be a humble fisherman, a legendary smith, a friendly baker, a trusted hunter, a superb tailor, a mercenary hiring your services to the highest bidder, a magician teaching other players powerful spells of magic, an explorer telling tales of dungeons explored and exotic islands visited, or a fearless clan leader, leading your clan to countless victories over your enemies.
.

I watched a friend playing SB. There you have many career opps, too. I think that is not a good thing. He grouped up, but was not able to tell me what player has what role in his group. That problem occurse if you have too many ways to specc your char. No defined roles.

Wipe

[Amit]

i love that freedom though wipe. it would be great to see a guy with a big sword and shield and have to ask........

does he hit hard? or evade well? or do multiple types of damage? block well? can he cast at all?

instead of daoc where you are like

"dude did you go 49 or 50 weapon spec?"

[Candide]

I agree with mad dentist. Flexibility in design is a positive. Don't put any race restrictions, any class restrictions, anything. Even if you go with a class system, do like AO, have your class determine your multiplier for skill cost. If you want to carry a sword as a mage, well, ok why not, but it will be harder for you than a fighter. Or whatever, you get the point.

SWG has 100% openess of skills, and this seems to confuse so many people..."But I'm a SCOUT, what weapon am I supposed to use if there aren't any in the scout line???" Well, you just pick up marksman, or brawler, and there ya go. There are 0 restrictions, which is great, but confusing for so many who didn't play some muds or UO.

I hate the cookie cutter attitude with daoc, and eq. AC and AO had a lot more flexibility, but in the end your abilities were dictated by the "class' you chose (if you consider each magic and weapon type as a class, which in many ways they are, in AC, and was how people refered to themselves). They were still much better than the other 2. UO being wide open, but limited in scope.

I'm curious in EQ2 as well Hall. I like to try things myself, and don't hold past games against the company, until there is a pattern at least. Thus I have a hard time in getting interested in MEO or DNDonline, as Turbine are doing both. At least neither involve microsoft, and the last is 100% Turbine. But I'm far far more cautious...EQ has the oppertunity AC had, to learn from their mistakes, and improve upon their positives...AC2 didn't improve upon anying in AC, and instead reached out for what they THOUGHT made other games like EQ, AO, and DAoC more successful than AC, and then took it to the extreme..."People hate junkloot and having to go back to sell it, so no shops and instant gold!!!" but then left the junk loot in. The deciding factor for EQ2 to me is...does it retain the good of EQ, which would be the social aspects, team work, content (consider that EQ2 at release won't have the volume of content EQ+4years of updates have, however) and good dungeons, end game goals beyond levels, ala uber loot. And the flipside, do they fix the bad...downtime, camping, 20 hour play sessions be required for some aspects, etc.

[Hellishfiend/Grok]

(consider that EQ2 at release won't have the volume of content EQ+4years of updates have, however)

that and add the huge customer base they will have at release will and that will be one of the biggest hurtles they have to overcome.

How many already mmorpg players do you know that havent played EQ ever, and wouldnt be at least a little tempted to just take even a peak at EQ2? I know a lot of people who hate EQ1 now how it is, but admit that there was some good in EQ1 and wouldnt mind checking out EQ2 when its released.

[Pytt]

I know you all are probably getting just as stoked about Dragon Empires as me but have you been keeping up on its development. They just entered the first round of beta testing, I think it is going to be released some time around christmass. Ive had my eye on it for a long time now. Check it out at codemasters.com

[Snot]

Now presenting everyone's favorite she-male - Rolondo "WTF" Alazondo!