Maybe I've outgrown games?

danx

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

Loke666

First of all, maybe it is time to take a break. Try some pen and paper roleplaying if you havn't before.

There are a few games cateering to old school players in development, games like Pantheon (by Brad who was lead designer on EQ), Camelot Unchained (by Marc Jacobs from DaoC) and Shards online (by Garriot from UO and all other Ultima games). None of them are ready for release yet but keep your eyes on them.

There is also a EQ2 progression server that might be worth a shot. It isn't truly old school but might at least get you back to 2005.

fodell54

Loke666 said:

Shards online (by Garriot from UO and all other Ultima games). 

I think you mean Shroud of Avatar. Shards Online is made by Citadel Studios.

tawess

Do what i do... wander from game and genre to the next. 

But that is true that the games that was hot once have now... Well... gone the way of the dino. I´d recomend SP indie games, some of them are really nice. Or maybe you should try out something like ARK or similar survival games as they call for that grind and intense gameplay. 

StoneRoses

I don't see how maturity plays a role with your favorite hobby. We are not far apart age wise and I feel there are too many games to pick from. Whether they are good or not it's another matter.

DaezAster

Doing anything for 20 odd years it will get boring. Maybe take a break or find an alt hobby then come back when the urge kicks in again. Also it takes time to find a comfy spot in these kinds of games but i'm sure you know about that. I know for myself it's largely about finding the right group of people to play with that can make all the difference.

Kyleran

DaezAster said:

Doing anything for 20 odd years it will get boring. Maybe take a break or find an alt hobby then come back when the urge kicks in again. Also it takes time to find a comfy spot in these kinds of games but i'm sure you know about that. I know for myself it's largely about finding the right group of people to play with that can make all the difference.

Really? My father played Golf for over 55 years on like 2 courses and never got bored of it.

Of course he couldn't do it daily so probably why he didn't suffer burnout.

Taking breaks from time to time is probably good advice.

Pepeq

Big difference in MMOs back then and now... instead of people having a cellphone umbilical cord like they do today, MMOs were the umbilical cord.  You can make the hardest MMO in the world today and it will still lack the one ingredient that made those games of old great... people's need to interact socially online.  Too many ways for people to interact online these days... MMOs aren't cornering the market like they once did.

You take that aspect out of MMOs and you really don't have an MMO... just an online game.  That's why you can never get back that old feeling... 

UnleadedRev

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

I feel your pain bro

Akulas

It's because their all the same. Kill monsters, watch a number rise. Only difference these days is you progress faster and have options to pay to do it even faster. Try to do something you think you wouldn't normally like say if you pve try pvp or if you like fantasy try sci fi. Set small goals for yourself so if you play for short time you feel like you're accomplishing something. There is single player RPGs out there which may be a good choice since people aren't as social as they used to be in MMORPGs these days.

ennymith

I am in the same boat so to speak.  What burned me out of playing several titles, PW, GW2, and WoW, was the decline in social activity.  Dungeon finder teams where no one speaks a single word.  Fewer and fewer purely social guilds while the remaining guilds represent either whale clubs or hammerhead raiders.
Both PW and GW2 had pretty large active guilds for a few years, but over time they all petered out.   With GW2 and Wow, the only way to find a guild was to spend moola to server hop until you found one.
I think the social media trend has made people less likely to socially interact with strangers and more likely to stay within a known clique.  It used to be you would make friends out in the wild by accident, now if you say Hi to someone in the wilds they don't even acknowledge your there.

FomaldehydeJim

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

Mate, it happens to us all. Priorities change. I cannot spend the time I used to spend in old school MMOs. Embrace the change.  

Stuka1000

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

I'm older than you mate and reached that same place a couple of years ago.  My feelings are that it's the communities and the games both that have got worse and I no longer have any real time for them.

d_20

We are never to old for games.

We do change, though, and times change too. There are all kinds of games. Just stay open to new things and you will find something. I sometimes get really surprised and find cool new things.

Just try everything! Keep evolving!

SomeHuman

I'm in a similar boat.  I'd recommend switching up the genre.  I find that smaller games or servers have a tighter social group.  For example, I took a chance at playing Minecraft a few years ago (which I thought looked like a silly kid's game), and I luckily found a nice <50 player 18+ age server.  Even though the game is starting to feel old to me, I still hop on to converse with my peeps on the server.

As far as MMORPG's, my last decent stint was in GW2, and I think it was because I tried out a few guilds and found one where I fit in.  I stayed there a few years, and I've been hopping around.  I tried E.S.O., and I enjoyed it, but the charm wore off quickly for me.  It was probably because I didn't put the effort into being a part of the guild I joined.

I'm also finding that in MOBA's if you play enough you tend to friend players, whose company you enjoy, and play in constructed groups more.

 If you haven't tried different games (maybe you have), I'd recommend trying a MOBA or something like Hearthstone or Card Hunter or Robocraft or maybe something like Starbound.  Those are just a few games that are out right now that I enjoy, and each of them are very different from the others.  Eventually you'll find either a game or a group you really enjoy.  

Maquiame

Just wait on the new wave of indie mmos like Saga of Lucima, Pantheon, Revival and Shards Online. And also check out Tree of Savior, its anime like but its also classic grind to level if you're into that. Revival is basically going to be a mix of Witcher 3 and Ultima Online. Pantheon is going for the EQ crown and Saga of Lucima is a mix of UO and EQ. Lastly Shards Online is UO with the ability to host Neverwinter Nights like persistent worlds run by players. Lastly why not go play Project 1999 until these games drop?  Project 1999 is classic untouched literally 1999 version of EQ.

https://www.revivalgame.com

makasouleater69

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

There are 3 choices for people like up. Ryzom, Project 1999, and SWGEMU....... I suggest, trying Dying light, it has good crafting, fun pvp vs player monsters, plenty of looting, great graphics, best combat system around, and rare items that brake eventually. For pvp skip mmos, and go to Mobas if you can handle the community. If not try a RTS game, the communities there are slightly better. 

marganculos

Try Life is Strange,Pillars of Eternity,GTA5,CoD,AC,Uncharted for example like me, it will be soon nearly 20 years (24 September 1997, started with UO on release day:) since im playing MMO games mostly RPG, i had these "im too old for these shits" many times and playing single players games (yea like totally different genre, some pure action FPS or racing games, adventure, horrors) for a while or even card games (hi Magic the Gathering) helps me realize variety of genres is key to keep playing games forever
... for example i said to my friends "Gears of War? Metal Gear Solid? wtf thats not for me im MMORPG-only fan" then i tried it at friend house and it was great, i bought both consoles just for these series :pleased: 


never say never to new things unless you at least try them

Novuhz

Because most game suck these days, it's only about milking money and cattering to the casuals. Since there is more casuals than real players they make the games boring to grab them casuals xD aka more money.

I'm in the same boat, it's hard for a game to keep my attention. I'm in my 30's been playing games since I was like 5 years old.

But there is some nices games that I'm pretty excited about.

Fallout 4 (been a fan of fallout since forever xD)
No Man's Sky (it will probably get boring after awhile but finally a different game than the copy/paste games out there)
The Division (looks fun to be honest we will see since it's coming from Ubisoft >.<)

Now mmorpg's... they are all the same... boring as hell... quest quest quest do that kill that farm that. No excitement of lvling up, picking/finding new items is not exciting anymore. There is no accomplishment feeling anymore.

I wish we had Sword Art Online technology XD

Jaiml

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

Right there with ya.  I'm just a few years older.  My first online game was Meridian 59...  ahh the simple days...

Three months with a game is my current record...  WoW with 40 man raids was the last time a game held my interest.  Now I just bounce around. 

That is the joke with my buddies, "You don't play anything you just try everything..."

Yea, pretty much!

Post back if anything catches your attention!

abnesher

I can very much relate as our age and gamehistory is the same. My biggest problem these days tho, is the lack of time, something that wasnt a problem back then. If I had the same free time as 20 years ago I would be playing EQ1 or Vanguard (if it had survived) right now.

But I just cant get my work-schedule, family and other hobbies to fit in with an old-school MMO.

IMO one of the newer MMOs that feels the most old school would probably be Final Fantasy XIV. It has many different spheres of gameplay plus it takes grouping very serious. I quit the game because of lack of time, but you should try it out...unless the asian artstyle turn you off.

PS. Right now I'm playing Elder Scrolls Online, mostly because of how much the game is based on storytelling. This aspect makes it more fun for me to play, when I can only spare a few hours at a time, and dont have the time for progression orientated grinding (which I somewhat also enjoy  )

Nephthysia

I'm keeping my eye on Chronicles of Elyria. I really hope they can pull it off.

VicodinTaco

Go play some Dark Souls

Brenics

With Ultima Online turning 18 that means being in beta of that game makes it 19 years I been into these type games. Also being 61 I have more time to play them, but yeah there are days when you just don't feel it. But then the next day you can't get enough of the games. Just the nature of the beast.

donger56

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

I'm in the same age group and feel exactly the same way. I'm an old EQ player from back in the Kunark days. We haven't changed but MMO's have. They now cater to the lowest common denominator, I want it now, entitlement generation because that is where the money is. Most people our age are busy working, raising kids, and doing what people do in their 40's. Don't expect any drastic changes.

You may want to look into Camelot Unchained being made by some people from the old DAOC crew. Crowfall looks interesting and that's from from old school UO people. I don't really expect the gaming industry to stop targeting the kids until we get to retirement age. Maybe then someone will make a real old school game with updated graphics and technology. 

Mr_Pith

danx said:

I've been playing mmo's for many years, at least 20.  I'm 40 now and can't seem to find anything to hold my attention more than a day or so.

I'm old school, UO, EQ, AC, SWG, AO, etc.  I enjoyed the grind, I liked the feel of accomplishing something when I levled or found an item.  I hate quests unless it's some type of epic quest to work on while playing. 

Back in the day I struggled with always having a low end system and not being able to play at higher quality, but now that I'm older and have a high end system I can't find anything I enjoy.

So I'm open to any suggestions on games to try, but I've probably already tried them.

Maybe a different way to look at it would be to enjoy the game with people that you like. 

Everything is bearable with people that you like to hang out with.

Another option is, join a multi-game community and you can jump from game to game.