VirginWorlds MMORPG News Host: Brent VirginWorlds is a weekly news podcast covering Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Eve Online, Vanguard, Lord of the Rings Online and many many more. The VirginWorlds MMORPG Podcast is the flagship podcast of the VirginWorlds MMO Podcast Collective found at http://www.virginworlds.com
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VirginWorlds Podcast #36Thu, 19 Oct 2006 07:01:00 GMT [download/play]
You've waited all week, and here it is. The exciting conclusion to the Top Ten MMOs of the Past 10 years. Join Brent and Brenden as they round out the top 5 in this 'definitive' and 'scientific' list. Enjoy.
VirginWorlds is a weekly news podcast covering Massively Multiplayer
Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGS) such as World of Warcraft,
EverQuest, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Eve Online, Vanguard, and many
many more. The main site can be found at http://www.VirginWorlds.com
'I dont know.' by kain Submitted on 2006-10-19 14:14:31 CST Good show guys but I am kinda unhappy with Eve and ryzom. I don't think they have earned their super high spots. Both are good games but in all some of the games from the last show (not really WoW) were a little more epic on a grander scale. I play eve and it is a Cult classic but definitely not number 2 of all time. As for Ryzom I never left the island. The ring seems to be the ultimate innovation from this game but does that top some of the innovation that came with the game release around the time of EQ?
Also I wonder if you could make a show about "the top 10 MMOs that never were, or died by the hands developers." in which you would place SWG at the top.(gah sony gah!)
'one word' by Brent Submitted on 2006-10-19 16:12:19 CST science.
:)
Thanks for the comments, kain.
'Excellent' by robg Submitted on 2006-10-19 17:35:56 CST I enjoyed the show. There was some great insight into the history of MMOs. Like the podcast review show you guys take a stand on what you like and I appreciate it. Great music, too. All around a fun show to listen to. I hope you will do more of the same. Thanks B^2.
'Great Job' by Golconda Submitted on 2006-10-19 18:56:26 CST I also enjoyed the show but you mentioned that there is never a need to use Allakhazam anymore since a lot of the information is in game. I still use it all the time because it has some great info on drop rates and some good maps to help you find your way around.
I think there are still a lot of us that use it all the time so I just wanted to mention it
'Kazam! Pow1' by Brent Submitted on 2006-10-19 19:35:42 CST Golconda, ah yes, they have a WoW plugin like Thottbott that records all those drops rates and stuff. You're right, that's good info. I may have over stressed that point. They still have some stuff, but you can still play WoW and EQ without it, but playing EQ1 without kazam is like playing without a monitor. :)
'Good Job, but..' by Chriasas Submitted on 2006-10-20 09:01:16 CST Great set of podcasts. I was especially happy to see AC on the list. I cannot believe, though, that UO is not on the list. The granddaddy of them all? The first HUGE MMO? It really was the first mass market online mmo that the normal person could play.
'Guildwars is not an MMO' by Gooney Submitted on 2006-10-20 09:48:16 CST It is at best a massive lobby or game matching system. Its no more of an MMO than Diablo. Its not Massive, one group can leave the city and enter an instance. Just like DDO, which isnt an MMO either for the same reason.
You missed a fair number of ground breaking games, "best" is after all fairly subjective. UO as mentioned set a standard for crafting systems and player freedom that has yet to be matched. Planetside, proved that FPS gameplay could indeed be done in an MMO environment, as well as atmospheric flight, control of territory. Runescape has way more subscribers than SoR, DAoC, EQ1 and EQ2 combined.
I get the feeling that your top 10 was should really have been "The Top 10 MMOs we have played". Seriously, why was EQ2 even included? EQ2 is over dressed, over simple, impossible to do anything wrong and artistically schizophrenic. Other than ooooh ahhh factor there is little substance you cant find better implemented elsewhere...it barely reaches the "Ok" level in my opinion.
Maybe you guys could do a show titles "The 10 most influential MMOs of the last 10 years." I think you would by default have a more interesting show, we would see what you really think about MMOs, how you define different aspects ...etc.
-Gooney
'Weird Science :P' by Lostinspace Submitted on 2006-10-20 11:57:26 CST Good job guys - as I'm sure any reader/listener would conclude the list could be quite different based on viewpoint and playing preferences. I think the title should be more along the lines of the most commercially significant games of the last 10 years (well maybe except for AC2 - and Eve despite its best efforts to not be commercially successful). As several other respondents suggest, I too was surprised to not find UO on the list - it predates EQ. UO still has a crafting system that is one of the most extensive. It continues to have a dedicated subscriber-base about the same numbers as Eve.
Your description of Guildwars (which I do agree qualifies as an MMO trying the "break the mold") was somewhat lacking in that you only described Prophecies not Factions. You completely missed coverage on the regular in-game "events" which is particularly surprising given that there is no subscription. As for your claim that players don't return to "old" map areas. The folks at NCSoft often drop special NPCs, structures or MOBs into those areas during events or extra MOBs can be triggered by special missions. Knowing the terrain beforehand is often a key ingredient in prevailing against some of these MOBs. I don't tend to refer to published maps and have gone back to old map areas only to discover that there's actually another portal on the map that I previously missed to a completely new area!
I like the suggestion of the "10 most influential" - how about the 10 worst commercialized games - where 1 is TERRIBLE.
10 SWG
9 Planetside
8 Ryzom
7 Eve Onine
6 Matrix Online
5 Anarchy Online
4 Auto Assault
3 Earth & Beyond
2 Motor City Online
1 UO
Interesting to see such a number of (current and former) EA games in there (wonders why).
Peace out!
'I guess the UO supporters out out in droves tonight' by Psyik Submitted on 2006-10-20 18:02:57 CST And I only sent you a long email about this a few hours ago. Lo and behold, I come to check the comments and others have said the same thing.
I'd like to add something to my email. I know that UO and EQ players tend to not get along, but the game still exists. The website has never changed. While I understand you haven't played it, and have probably only heard terrible things about it from EQ players, it still has a comperable player base.
So, can you please at it to Current MMORPGs? It's still around. Frankly, I won't buy it right now, but it is still around and going stong in the WoW dominated market.
'First click!' by Psyik Submitted on 2006-10-20 19:00:42 CST I am the first to click the new UO link! Am win!
Thanks Brent.
'UO Link' by Brent Submitted on 2006-10-20 20:47:55 CST that was honestly an oversight...
...I'll be sure to talk about UO and "the List" soon.
'I dont know.' by kain
Submitted on 2006-10-19 14:14:31 CST
Good show guys but I am kinda unhappy with Eve and ryzom. I don't think they have earned their super high spots. Both are good games but in all some of the games from the last show (not really WoW) were a little more epic on a grander scale. I play eve and it is a Cult classic but definitely not number 2 of all time. As for Ryzom I never left the island. The ring seems to be the ultimate innovation from this game but does that top some of the innovation that came with the game release around the time of EQ?
Also I wonder if you could make a show about "the top 10 MMOs that never were, or died by the hands developers." in which you would place SWG at the top.(gah sony gah!)
'one word' by Brent
Submitted on 2006-10-19 16:12:19 CST
science.
:)
Thanks for the comments, kain.
'Excellent' by robg
Submitted on 2006-10-19 17:35:56 CST
I enjoyed the show. There was some great insight into the history of MMOs. Like the podcast review show you guys take a stand on what you like and I appreciate it. Great music, too. All around a fun show to listen to. I hope you will do more of the same. Thanks B^2.
'Great Job' by Golconda
Submitted on 2006-10-19 18:56:26 CST
I also enjoyed the show but you mentioned that there is never a need to use Allakhazam anymore since a lot of the information is in game. I still use it all the time because it has some great info on drop rates and some good maps to help you find your way around.
I think there are still a lot of us that use it all the time so I just wanted to mention it
'Kazam! Pow1' by Brent
Submitted on 2006-10-19 19:35:42 CST
Golconda, ah yes, they have a WoW plugin like Thottbott that records all those drops rates and stuff. You're right, that's good info. I may have over stressed that point. They still have some stuff, but you can still play WoW and EQ without it, but playing EQ1 without kazam is like playing without a monitor. :)
'Good Job, but..' by Chriasas
Submitted on 2006-10-20 09:01:16 CST
Great set of podcasts. I was especially happy to see AC on the list. I cannot believe, though, that UO is not on the list. The granddaddy of them all? The first HUGE MMO? It really was the first mass market online mmo that the normal person could play.
'Guildwars is not an MMO' by Gooney
Submitted on 2006-10-20 09:48:16 CST
It is at best a massive lobby or game matching system. Its no more of an MMO than Diablo. Its not Massive, one group can leave the city and enter an instance. Just like DDO, which isnt an MMO either for the same reason.
You missed a fair number of ground breaking games, "best" is after all fairly subjective. UO as mentioned set a standard for crafting systems and player freedom that has yet to be matched. Planetside, proved that FPS gameplay could indeed be done in an MMO environment, as well as atmospheric flight, control of territory. Runescape has way more subscribers than SoR, DAoC, EQ1 and EQ2 combined.
I get the feeling that your top 10 was should really have been "The Top 10 MMOs we have played". Seriously, why was EQ2 even included? EQ2 is over dressed, over simple, impossible to do anything wrong and artistically schizophrenic. Other than ooooh ahhh factor there is little substance you cant find better implemented elsewhere...it barely reaches the "Ok" level in my opinion.
Maybe you guys could do a show titles "The 10 most influential MMOs of the last 10 years." I think you would by default have a more interesting show, we would see what you really think about MMOs, how you define different aspects ...etc.
-Gooney
'Weird Science :P' by Lostinspace
Submitted on 2006-10-20 11:57:26 CST
Good job guys - as I'm sure any reader/listener would conclude the list could be quite different based on viewpoint and playing preferences. I think the title should be more along the lines of the most commercially significant games of the last 10 years (well maybe except for AC2 - and Eve despite its best efforts to not be commercially successful). As several other respondents suggest, I too was surprised to not find UO on the list - it predates EQ. UO still has a crafting system that is one of the most extensive. It continues to have a dedicated subscriber-base about the same numbers as Eve.
Your description of Guildwars (which I do agree qualifies as an MMO trying the "break the mold") was somewhat lacking in that you only described Prophecies not Factions. You completely missed coverage on the regular in-game "events" which is particularly surprising given that there is no subscription. As for your claim that players don't return to "old" map areas. The folks at NCSoft often drop special NPCs, structures or MOBs into those areas during events or extra MOBs can be triggered by special missions. Knowing the terrain beforehand is often a key ingredient in prevailing against some of these MOBs. I don't tend to refer to published maps and have gone back to old map areas only to discover that there's actually another portal on the map that I previously missed to a completely new area!
I like the suggestion of the "10 most influential" - how about the 10 worst commercialized games - where 1 is TERRIBLE.
10 SWG
9 Planetside
8 Ryzom
7 Eve Onine
6 Matrix Online
5 Anarchy Online
4 Auto Assault
3 Earth & Beyond
2 Motor City Online
1 UO
Interesting to see such a number of (current and former) EA games in there (wonders why).
Peace out!
'I guess the UO supporters out out in droves tonight' by Psyik
Submitted on 2006-10-20 18:02:57 CST
And I only sent you a long email about this a few hours ago. Lo and behold, I come to check the comments and others have said the same thing.
I'd like to add something to my email. I know that UO and EQ players tend to not get along, but the game still exists. The website has never changed. While I understand you haven't played it, and have probably only heard terrible things about it from EQ players, it still has a comperable player base.
So, can you please at it to Current MMORPGs? It's still around. Frankly, I won't buy it right now, but it is still around and going stong in the WoW dominated market.
'First click!' by Psyik
Submitted on 2006-10-20 19:00:42 CST
I am the first to click the new UO link! Am win!
Thanks Brent.
'UO Link' by Brent
Submitted on 2006-10-20 20:47:55 CST
that was honestly an oversight...
...I'll be sure to talk about UO and "the List" soon.
:)