LotrO, SWToR, ESO, TSW, FF14, GW2 was ok and some good story here and there in eq2. Don't know which I would put where or why but those are the ones I remember that had story to go on.
GW2 and ESO living and personal stories were great with NPCs talking about your exploits as you went along. Age of Conans Tortage storyline was great. TSW had a good story. Aion had a good story that started with you earning your wings. SWTORs class stories were great. LotRO told good stories. I liked everything on the list except for FFXIV, I could never get into story.
SWG would be included as it was the best way for a simple man to make his way in the universe. Great stories you created on you own in the sandbox, lots of interesting little quests to come across in the middle of nowhere.
STO has pretty good stories also and player created story quests.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
GW2, making the list at all, really? Don't remember anything of that story at all, other than the poor implementation of it at the checkpoints every few levels. And I tried multiple times to get into it to salvage the purchase
Even Blade and Soul had a significantly better story that was implemented well throughout the game/world
Although my bias against super hero games in general is pretty huge, so I'd be ok if the genre didn't even exist. In fact I'm so confused at how anyone has any attraction to super hero games it kind of makes me irrationally annoyed at the idea of them.
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I know they don't often shove it down your throat but how is WoW so low. The lore of the universe is massive compared to most games.
There is certainly a case to be made for it. I don't know. Personally, I love the Warcraft universe as established by Warcraft 3, but can't help but feel like WoW has bastardized that lore in order to crudely create 2 equal factions and make nearly every major character a raid boss.
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I know they don't often shove it down your throat but how is WoW so low. The lore of the universe is massive compared to most games.
Perhaps because lore isn't the same thing as story?
EVE has terrific lore, story, not so much.
^ Agree with this. Also, too much of WoW's story/lore takes place outside of the game. I should never need to read a book, listen to an audio recording, or visit a wiki to truly understand the story behind a raid or zone.
@BillMurphy is wrong. :P SWTOR is the #1 story-driven game on MY list followed by LOTRO, ESO, GW2.
I dunno but it probably should rank a step higher or 2.
The problem is that MMOs generally have a terrible story and even the better are at best average compared to the good single player games.
Agreed but I only came to this conclusion upon trying hard and failing to come up with my personal number 1. I just can't find an MMORPG that is worthy of the number 1 spot.
In my eyes GW2 earns the place because of how it's driven the entire game since launch with story, world changing events, and more. It hasn't always been the BEST story, but how it's done in the game is nothing short of phenomenal.
In my eyes GW2 earns the place because of how it's driven the entire game since launch with story, world changing events, and more. It hasn't always been the BEST story, but how it's done in the game is nothing short of phenomenal.
I'll never get tired of saying GW2 is my top favorite mmo ever, but i would personally put GW1(+all campaigns) in its place for both a better story and moving the game and all campaigns forward with story alone as well.
But regardless of order, your top 10 is pretty solid. It shows mmorpgs don't need to rely on a massive grindfest. A good story moves them forward quite well.
Now if i had my own list i would have to put WoW as number 1 because of the Lore. Sure it may have some Tolkien inspiration but man i love that Azeroth lore.
The title is The Best Story Driven MMO, not The Best Story in an MMO, so I would think the quality of the MMO is also taken into account. No one recommends a bad product because of one redeeming feature.
I was confused by the list until I read another person say, "it's the best story-driven MMO, not the best story in an MMO." Now I don't mind it as much. Sorta surprised WoW is in 7th place.
Would never had had GW2 as #1, though. Despite a decent, likable cast of characters and story, its gameplay is pretty boring.
Story driven...and not even a mention of Asheron's Call.
Been hanging on for years now, but this site is officially dead to me now. There is nothing left of the old MMORPG.com; nothing that represents my 23 years of playing MMORPGs.
"If MMORPG players were around when God said, "Let their be light" they'd have called the light gay, and plunged the universe back into darkness by squatting their nutsacks over it." -Luke McKinney, The 7 Biggest Dick Moves in the History of Online Gaming
"In the end, SWG may have been more potential and promise than fulfilled expectation. But I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity." -Raph Koster
In my eyes GW2 earns the place because of how it's driven the entire game since launch with story, world changing events, and more. It hasn't always been the BEST story, but how it's done in the game is nothing short of phenomenal.
Your thinking is highly jaded especially since you completely missed the number 1 story driven MMO ever!!!!!
Ever play Asheron's call? They had a very integrated story line and guess what they had monthly updates that advanced that story line. No MMO ever did that or has since.
True everyone has a different opinion, but to leave the most story driven MMO out of your list is a major travesty. Oh and even Lotro has more story in it that GW2 EVER will!!! Putting GW2 at the top of your list does not say much for your reasoning skills.
In my eyes GW2 earns the place because of how it's driven the entire game since launch with story, world changing events, and more. It hasn't always been the BEST story, but how it's done in the game is nothing short of phenomenal.
Your thinking is highly jaded especially since you completely missed the number 1 story driven MMO ever!!!!!
Ever play Asheron's call? They had a very integrated story line and guess what they had monthly updates that advanced that story line. No MMO ever did that or has since.
True everyone has a different opinion, but to leave the most story driven MMO out of your list is a major travesty. Oh and even Lotro has more story in it that GW2 EVER will!!! Putting GW2 at the top of your list does not say much for your reasoning skills.
Odds are the list speaks volumes to games he's actually played and or enjoyed.
Seeing how AC has faired poorly or been omitted from almost every list so far my guess is its one of the two.
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Nice to see CoH listed again. There were actually several intertwining storylines, but each character you played seemed to have a story of her/his/its own. Still, I wouldn't move it up this list, as the story or stories didn't "drive" the play.
From the ones I've played on this list, I'd say SWTOR was THE MOST story DRIVEN -- it almost seemed more like watching a movie where I got to decide on options in the script. When I finally ran into a really tough NPC, it threw me off and I stopped playing.
LoTRo certainly was story-driven, too, but I was hoping for less being carried along a storyline and more being free to experience the world of Middle Earth in my own way. But that's for sandbox games.
Final Fantasy didn't impress me, except that it seemed well-polished and the story was good and strong enough without being overwhelming. Nothing spectacular but all-around well-done game. And I liked the cat girl and the little person I created.
I played Guild Wars just a little. It seemed to have a lot of potential for story, but that kind of got lost in the chaos and busy-ness of public events and quests. And I was disappointed that the little "brainy" characters seemed more pretentious than truly intelligent, and that no more intelligence was needed or involved in playing them.
GW1 had a better story and progression than GW2 IMO.
We both can agree on this. It's been a while, but I remember massive campaigns full of hundreds of unique characters and dozens of factions that are set against you (with you either being alone, being betrayed, betraying or allied with a faction that is losing and took you in in desperation).
Though Path of Fire did pretty well this time around. That, and GW1 technically wasn't a MMO.
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Comments
SWG would be included as it was the best way for a simple man to make his way in the universe. Great stories you created on you own in the sandbox, lots of interesting little quests to come across in the middle of nowhere.
STO has pretty good stories also and player created story quests.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
Even Blade and Soul had a significantly better story that was implemented well throughout the game/world
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I dunno but it probably should rank a step higher or 2.
The problem is that MMOs generally have a terrible story and even the better are at best average compared to the good single player games.
EVE has terrific lore, story, not so much.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Most of the other games you just watch the story go on. You're the chosen one and stuff just happens to you, usual format.
The same do ESO but it actually have good story
I'll never get tired of saying GW2 is my top favorite mmo ever, but i would personally put GW1(+all campaigns) in its place for both a better story and moving the game and all campaigns forward with story alone as well.
But regardless of order, your top 10 is pretty solid. It shows mmorpgs don't need to rely on a massive grindfest. A good story moves them forward quite well.
Now if i had my own list i would have to put WoW as number 1 because of the Lore. Sure it may have some Tolkien inspiration but man i love that Azeroth lore.
Been hanging on for years now, but this site is officially dead to me now. There is nothing left of the old MMORPG.com; nothing that represents my 23 years of playing MMORPGs.
"If MMORPG players were around when God said, "Let their be light" they'd have called the light gay, and plunged the universe back into darkness by squatting their nutsacks over it."
-Luke McKinney, The 7 Biggest Dick Moves in the History of Online Gaming
"In the end, SWG may have been more potential and promise than fulfilled expectation. But I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
-Raph Koster
Ever play Asheron's call? They had a very integrated story line and guess what they had monthly updates that advanced that story line. No MMO ever did that or has since.
True everyone has a different opinion, but to leave the most story driven MMO out of your list is a major travesty. Oh and even Lotro has more story in it that GW2 EVER will!!! Putting GW2 at the top of your list does not say much for your reasoning skills.
Seeing how AC has faired poorly or been omitted from almost every list so far my guess is its one of the two.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
From the ones I've played on this list, I'd say SWTOR was THE MOST story DRIVEN -- it almost seemed more like watching a movie where I got to decide on options in the script. When I finally ran into a really tough NPC, it threw me off and I stopped playing.
LoTRo certainly was story-driven, too, but I was hoping for less being carried along a storyline and more being free to experience the world of Middle Earth in my own way. But that's for sandbox games.
Final Fantasy didn't impress me, except that it seemed well-polished and the story was good and strong enough without being overwhelming. Nothing spectacular but all-around well-done game. And I liked the cat girl and the little person I created.
I played Guild Wars just a little. It seemed to have a lot of potential for story, but that kind of got lost in the chaos and busy-ness of public events and quests. And I was disappointed that the little "brainy" characters seemed more pretentious than truly intelligent, and that no more intelligence was needed or involved in playing them.
We both can agree on this. It's been a while, but I remember massive campaigns full of hundreds of unique characters and dozens of factions that are set against you (with you either being alone, being betrayed, betraying or allied with a faction that is losing and took you in in desperation).
Though Path of Fire did pretty well this time around. That, and GW1 technically wasn't a MMO.