I am surprised that not one person has even mentioned Asheron's Call.
The graphics are old, but the game can still be a lot of fun even today.
It has an open world, and deep skill based PvP (tho not quite as skill based as Darkfall)
You can do a free trial of both Darkfall and Asheron's Call right now. If you do try AC tho, you're gonna have to have an open mind and play for a while before you give up just because the graphics aren't the best today. AC also has a very well established player base, and you'll probably feel at the bottom. Darktide is the server you want if you want open PvP.
Other then that, if you are looking for more action and less grinding then perhaps a game like Global Agenda is more what you are looking for? It has more of an FPS style PvP style however.
- Zaxx
Asherons Call on the Darktide server was by far the best FFA PvP game ever created. It had such feel to it that it is hard to describe... it was simply an amazing FFA PvP game with politics a huge world and sandbox environment. Darkfall pales in comparison...
But alas it is a very old game and it seems no company has tried to reuse its, then, revolutionary PvP system with aligments and exp chains. Sad really...
Originally posted by EndDream Ultima Online during the T2A expansion of course!
Yes, UO before Trammel was great. But UO isn't the same at all today, it's total care-bear crap with too many stupid expansions since then. I won't mention how you can play the pre-Trammel UO today, but anyone curious can certainly use "Google". Enough said there.
I can't think of any direct parallels, though I am sure the concepts are familiar.
As of now, gaming is the number 1 grossing entertainment medium worldwide.
It used to be fringe, and weird, a place where folks made money, well many of them anyways, out of sheer passion
Now, it is a place to make a buck, WoW established a new industry phenomenon which was already gaining interest due to EQ's success.
The great games are going to be the fringe games, but I find they lack balance. Having played Darkfall, i found the controls lacking. I just don't think the dev team had the time or resources to make the controls feel good. They feel more like the camera navigation controls for a very old 3D design program, if you know what I mean.
Not to hate on people that love Darkfall, I honestly think it is the best open world game, currently out there... (eve would be open space? ( i don't really like the space combat in that, as much as I would like a more tie-fighter/x-wing approach)
So just be aware, you are going to get largely watered down games from most companies who are trying to return a profit on a very large investment. Think matrix sequels.
Often time they forget the juice that made everyone interested in the first place. Much like any industry, once it goes mainstream, it enters the collective concious of the world at that time. So expect it to behave like any other industry, occasionally you will get folks who are willing to take risks, or push the envelope. Dispite all the critizisms of WoW, i think Blizzard does do this, but they also capitalize on existing market structures. The design their game around successful models, improve upon them, and then push the envelope ontop of that. But they never sacrifice mass market appeal.
I don't think we are ever going to get a full loot game, that most people want to play. You used to have to be "hardcore" on some level to even want to play video games, now.. well you know how it is.
Anyways, just my two cents, to the original poster, I would say try out a few free trials, maybe a few betas, and see what you like, there are plenty of games out there. I actually liked APB, and they are bringing it back, if you are into shooters, and don't mind learning the nuances of a GTA'esque game, you might like that one. It is all pvp, but it can be pretty fun. Think cops and robbers.
Out of the guys currently out I would say Darkfall. I play it now and the grind is pretty much gone to get you to pvp viable status. Sure if you want to be L33tsauce and have every skill in the game you will have to work for it, but in a month - 3 months you can have a perfectly viable pvp character. plus the game is FUN as hell.
My second choice is Shadowbane. That game owned. For those not aware, a team of very dedicated fans are recreating it and I would say they are 3 months out from completion. Check it out:
If you mean PvP as in two relatively balanced players fighting it out for only the sake of seeing who is better, I don't know. Might as well play a fps with multiplayer.
If you mean a game in which PvP is meaningful and has consequences: EvE
Dark Age of Camelot would be my answer 5 years ago.
However, DAOC's population has reduced the game to one server. Unfortunately, there have been no mmorpg's released since DAOC which provide the same quality of open world pvp. Therefore, I'd still recommend DAOC.
Best PvP MMO to date ?
You won't get a better answer than this one
**************************** Playing : Uncharted Waters Online ****************************
Dark Age of Camelot would be my answer 5 years ago.
However, DAOC's population has reduced the game to one server. Unfortunately, there have been no mmorpg's released since DAOC which provide the same quality of open world pvp. Therefore, I'd still recommend DAOC.
Dark Age of Camelot would be my answer 5 years ago.
However, DAOC's population has reduced the game to one server. Unfortunately, there have been no mmorpg's released since DAOC which provide the same quality of open world pvp. Therefore, I'd still recommend DAOC.
Best PvP MMO to date ?
You won't get a better answer than this one
I second that.
Make that 3...
1. DAoC
2. Shadowbane
3. Darkfall (a year ago)
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
Do a decent amount of people still play DAoC? I'm so keen to play it if it's worth it. I live in New Zealand so my time zone is all fucked up compared to the rest of the world.
Well Darkfall offers terretorial control. Currently there is a big war going on. Half the server united against the biggest clan who holds 50% of all holdings. Combat is fps style, its faster than most other games in the mmo gerne.
Do a decent amount of people still play DAoC? I'm so keen to play it if it's worth it. I live in New Zealand so my time zone is all fucked up compared to the rest of the world.
DAOC was one of the few games to ever publish actual server populations on their website, The Camelot Herald.
Check it out during your prime playing hours and see if anyone is online. There's only one cluster left, and its at about 1000 people right at this moment. (7:30 am GMT-4) Might not sound like many, but you can have some pretty amazing PVP with that number, and during the US evenings I've recently seen the counts get up to 2400 which is positively packed on a DAOC server.
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
Do a decent amount of people still play DAoC? I'm so keen to play it if it's worth it. I live in New Zealand so my time zone is all fucked up compared to the rest of the world.
To be honest... the PvE is mostly abandoned. It's a shame because there is just soooo much content that has been developed over the years. I went back for a few months a while ago and was amazed.
That said, it is still quite populated in all the PvP areas. You can literally level up from 1-50 but just doing PvP. They have persistent battlegrounds broken into ranges of 5 levels. There is also a level 1-4 and 5-9 RvR dungeon. Once you get higher level there are additional RvR dungeons and the Labyrinth. They recently added quests to many of the battlegrounds so you can farm gold and equip yourself. If you are playing at a really off time and just can't get any PvP in your level rage they have "task dungeons" that you can run. These are instanced dungeons that scale to your level. You are given a task (quest) for them and they can be run repeatedly. It's not the greatest thing in the world but it helps you level quickly for those times that it's slow.
I think they have a free 14 day trial so if I were you I would install and give it a look. The game is still supported by EA. As a matter of fact I just read that they were putting up a new patch today. If you do give it a try... I advise you to look for a guild right off the bat. There are lots of players that have been in the game for years and they usually are happy to share their knowledge and even old gear with new folks!
FYI The most populated battlegrounds are Thidranki and Molvik. You can even turn off your exp and RP (realm points.. PvP xp) to allow you to stay in these battlegrounds since they usually have some good fights going on.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
EVE-Online hands down. The PvP is so risky that people actually quit the game.
EVE-Online is where you seperate Men and Women from boys and girls. :P
Don't give me any WoW , GW , Rift , DF , and so on. Comparing crap to EVE is pointless when it comes to PvP.
Now I know people will say EVE is crap , which is normal. A game where you can't level up by aid of a bot and cannot max all skills by the 1st week is a major draw back to the "leet" botters these days. And formelly known as "trolls". Keep playing your kiddy version of the muskateers , while we play our version of saving the uniserve, which is EVE-Online :P.
P.S.: Between a Elf chick and a Minmatar chick , I'll take the Minmatar chick any day even if abit overweight :P
The only real PvP in WoW is Arena's which basicly is up to the gms... whos class / classes want to be OP this update. then they get those classes and make a team... and try to say they are got skill which is stupid. Then on top of that, its who can mash there mouse buttons better. The only game which u can key bind all u Moves to ur mouse and say u can play a mmo.
Yes it's not about skill at all when I get gladiator in tbc (wotlk aswell) as enhancement shaman while others can't get it as warrrior class ever... Please think before posting. Bind 60 abilities to your mouse ok ? Yes I do need that much and no I don't bind to my mouse anything.
I am not telling that there is no disbalance, but saying that it takes no skill is dumb. I guess you just played weak class/spec (well atleast in ur opinion weak) and couldn't get anywhere.
Yes WoW have done many wrong things in recent years, but you don't have to make out stuff.
I'd suggest Darkfall, but I guess you will just QQ and quit after get killed by other players and say they are killing you only because they have higher lvl skills.
Thanks Slapshot! I'll give the trial a go. I'm not worried about the PVE because all I really want out of my MMO's is PVP. If any of you guys play DAOC, let me know. I won't begin the trial until about a week or two from now. Busy at the moment. But I'm looking forward to trying it!
Comments
Asherons Call on the Darktide server was by far the best FFA PvP game ever created. It had such feel to it that it is hard to describe... it was simply an amazing FFA PvP game with politics a huge world and sandbox environment. Darkfall pales in comparison...
But alas it is a very old game and it seems no company has tried to reuse its, then, revolutionary PvP system with aligments and exp chains. Sad really...
My gaming blog
Ultima Online during the T2A expansion of course!
Remember Old School Ultima Online
Yes, UO before Trammel was great. But UO isn't the same at all today, it's total care-bear crap with too many stupid expansions since then. I won't mention how you can play the pre-Trammel UO today, but anyone curious can certainly use "Google". Enough said there.
- Zaxx
Ah, the state of modern gaming is sad indeed.
I can't think of any direct parallels, though I am sure the concepts are familiar.
As of now, gaming is the number 1 grossing entertainment medium worldwide.
It used to be fringe, and weird, a place where folks made money, well many of them anyways, out of sheer passion
Now, it is a place to make a buck, WoW established a new industry phenomenon which was already gaining interest due to EQ's success.
The great games are going to be the fringe games, but I find they lack balance. Having played Darkfall, i found the controls lacking. I just don't think the dev team had the time or resources to make the controls feel good. They feel more like the camera navigation controls for a very old 3D design program, if you know what I mean.
Not to hate on people that love Darkfall, I honestly think it is the best open world game, currently out there... (eve would be open space? ( i don't really like the space combat in that, as much as I would like a more tie-fighter/x-wing approach)
So just be aware, you are going to get largely watered down games from most companies who are trying to return a profit on a very large investment. Think matrix sequels.
Often time they forget the juice that made everyone interested in the first place. Much like any industry, once it goes mainstream, it enters the collective concious of the world at that time. So expect it to behave like any other industry, occasionally you will get folks who are willing to take risks, or push the envelope. Dispite all the critizisms of WoW, i think Blizzard does do this, but they also capitalize on existing market structures. The design their game around successful models, improve upon them, and then push the envelope ontop of that. But they never sacrifice mass market appeal.
I don't think we are ever going to get a full loot game, that most people want to play. You used to have to be "hardcore" on some level to even want to play video games, now.. well you know how it is.
Anyways, just my two cents, to the original poster, I would say try out a few free trials, maybe a few betas, and see what you like, there are plenty of games out there. I actually liked APB, and they are bringing it back, if you are into shooters, and don't mind learning the nuances of a GTA'esque game, you might like that one. It is all pvp, but it can be pretty fun. Think cops and robbers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Be a light unto thyself
Darkfall for sure, ignore what you've heard about the grind. Its not so relevent anymore.
Skill gains increased by x2 recently
Offline meditation system will have stats in the next couple of weeks.
Shadowbane.
For the pvp aspect only go for http://bloodlinechampions.com
Shadowbane
Out of the guys currently out I would say Darkfall. I play it now and the grind is pretty much gone to get you to pvp viable status. Sure if you want to be L33tsauce and have every skill in the game you will have to work for it, but in a month - 3 months you can have a perfectly viable pvp character. plus the game is FUN as hell.
My second choice is Shadowbane. That game owned. For those not aware, a team of very dedicated fans are recreating it and I would say they are 3 months out from completion. Check it out:
http://www.playtocrush.com/forums/
If you mean PvP as in two relatively balanced players fighting it out for only the sake of seeing who is better, I don't know. Might as well play a fps with multiplayer.
If you mean a game in which PvP is meaningful and has consequences: EvE
Best PvP MMO to date ?
You won't get a better answer than this one
****************************
Playing : Uncharted Waters Online
****************************
I second that.
Darkfall
Make that 3...
1. DAoC
2. Shadowbane
3. Darkfall (a year ago)
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
Do a decent amount of people still play DAoC? I'm so keen to play it if it's worth it. I live in New Zealand so my time zone is all fucked up compared to the rest of the world.
Combat is fps style, its faster than most other games in the mmo gerne.
Pi*1337/100 = 42
DAOC was one of the few games to ever publish actual server populations on their website, The Camelot Herald.
http://www.camelotherald.com/news/index.php
Check it out during your prime playing hours and see if anyone is online. There's only one cluster left, and its at about 1000 people right at this moment. (7:30 am GMT-4) Might not sound like many, but you can have some pretty amazing PVP with that number, and during the US evenings I've recently seen the counts get up to 2400 which is positively packed on a DAOC server.
"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
Pi*1337/100 = 42
Meridian 59.
BEST.EVER.
"Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day!"
To be honest... the PvE is mostly abandoned. It's a shame because there is just soooo much content that has been developed over the years. I went back for a few months a while ago and was amazed.
That said, it is still quite populated in all the PvP areas. You can literally level up from 1-50 but just doing PvP. They have persistent battlegrounds broken into ranges of 5 levels. There is also a level 1-4 and 5-9 RvR dungeon. Once you get higher level there are additional RvR dungeons and the Labyrinth. They recently added quests to many of the battlegrounds so you can farm gold and equip yourself. If you are playing at a really off time and just can't get any PvP in your level rage they have "task dungeons" that you can run. These are instanced dungeons that scale to your level. You are given a task (quest) for them and they can be run repeatedly. It's not the greatest thing in the world but it helps you level quickly for those times that it's slow.
I think they have a free 14 day trial so if I were you I would install and give it a look. The game is still supported by EA. As a matter of fact I just read that they were putting up a new patch today. If you do give it a try... I advise you to look for a guild right off the bat. There are lots of players that have been in the game for years and they usually are happy to share their knowledge and even old gear with new folks!
FYI The most populated battlegrounds are Thidranki and Molvik. You can even turn off your exp and RP (realm points.. PvP xp) to allow you to stay in these battlegrounds since they usually have some good fights going on.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
EVE-Online hands down. The PvP is so risky that people actually quit the game.
EVE-Online is where you seperate Men and Women from boys and girls. :P
Don't give me any WoW , GW , Rift , DF , and so on. Comparing crap to EVE is pointless when it comes to PvP.
Now I know people will say EVE is crap , which is normal. A game where you can't level up by aid of a bot and cannot max all skills by the 1st week is a major draw back to the "leet" botters these days. And formelly known as "trolls". Keep playing your kiddy version of the muskateers , while we play our version of saving the uniserve, which is EVE-Online :P.
P.S.: Between a Elf chick and a Minmatar chick , I'll take the Minmatar chick any day even if abit overweight :P
Isnt war best PvP game, hurrrdurrr
Yes it's not about skill at all when I get gladiator in tbc (wotlk aswell) as enhancement shaman while others can't get it as warrrior class ever... Please think before posting. Bind 60 abilities to your mouse ok ? Yes I do need that much and no I don't bind to my mouse anything.
I am not telling that there is no disbalance, but saying that it takes no skill is dumb. I guess you just played weak class/spec (well atleast in ur opinion weak) and couldn't get anywhere.
Yes WoW have done many wrong things in recent years, but you don't have to make out stuff.
I'd suggest Darkfall, but I guess you will just QQ and quit after get killed by other players and say they are killing you only because they have higher lvl skills.
Thanks Slapshot! I'll give the trial a go. I'm not worried about the PVE because all I really want out of my MMO's is PVP. If any of you guys play DAOC, let me know. I won't begin the trial until about a week or two from now. Busy at the moment. But I'm looking forward to trying it!