FFXIV is not particularly doing it for me I don't think the world is that great (it's not bad) but the UI really gets in the way (6 clicks to take a Chocobo route?) also too much zoning (not in the adventuring areas bizzarely) . LOTRO I have no argument with it really has 'charm' and the immersive world plays a big part in that. Old school games despite crappy graphics (by today's standards) seemed to be more immersive in many ways. Whilst taking in a sunset within EQ was its own reward I'd give top position (old school) to Anarchy Online (Rubi Ka).
For me overall I think Guild Wars 2. Not only is the world design pretty top notch it's pretty varied. The amount of random 'stuff' and the level of detail is unsurpassed (that I can think of) . Walking around and looking at things is it's own reward.
Originally posted by YoungCaesar What your looking for is Mortal Online, the ONLY First person view mmorpg out there... It started as a buggy mess but they have ironed out alot of bugs and its really playable now.. Its the closest thing you can get to a living breathing world.. No instant travel, no global banking or mailing or auction house... it does have open pvp (the real world is dangerous right?) with full loot tho
Wurm Online would like a word with you. Much better gameplay and they recently did a graphics update.
Originally posted by YoungCaesar What your looking for is Mortal Online, the ONLY First person view mmorpg out there... It started as a buggy mess but they have ironed out alot of bugs and its really playable now.. Its the closest thing you can get to a living breathing world.. No instant travel, no global banking or mailing or auction house... it does have open pvp (the real world is dangerous right?) with full loot tho
Wurm Online would like a word with you. Much better gameplay and they recently did a graphics update.
Wurm is highly underrated IMO.
I've tried Wurm after the supposed "graphic upgrade", out of curiosity. It's still butt ugly, and I have a hard time getting immersed in something that awful. That's just me though.
To each his own I guess. I remember playing for the first time, trying to build a house while looking over my shoulder to make sure a wolf or bear didn't wander close. Four hours (and many setbacks) went by before I realized it. That has never happened to me in any other MMO, which is probably why the only MMO I play these days is Wurm.
It's Wushu. That's an easy one. It's a virtual world with real (old china) cities and real things. It's a lot like the secret world in that if you see somthing or someone, look it up, there is history there.
Turn off the chat and sit bu any body of water, the music (10 months in and never turned it off) and scenery will suck you in.
What MMORPG do you think is the most immersive out of the current ones out? I am looking for one that feels like a living, breathing world. And first person perspective is also nice for this, but not required.
Thank you for your thoughts!
Chris
I don't think I've ever played an MMO where I felt fully immersed. But then again, cut screens and loading screens never really bothered me.
But overall, I think WoW has a very seamless world.
This is why AAA term exists - many think its something industry made up but Wurm is a good example of a game that is NOT a AAA game.
Gamers now how to tell a difference within 30s of gameplay.
Thank the gods for that.
AAA: If you can't dazzle them with gameplay, try and dazzle them with graphics.
30 secs? Really? Yeah 2014 graphics and bad performance wont do it for me. I can usually tell within 30 secs... On the other hand dazzle me with design. Give me layers to peal back and things to discover. If all you can offer me are quest, dungeons, battle grounds, with WoWesk crafting, I'll pass. That is no longer "AAA" design.
I'd add a vote for Fallen Earth. Not necessarily the best or funnest game out there, but the world design is fantastic, the character and mount models 'fit', and in general it's fairly internally consistent. About the only jarring thing I can recall is the silly jump, an issue many a game has.
I don't get votes for Eve, easily one of, if not the, least consistent and immersive games I've ever played.
LoTRO would probably rank up there some, but the character models are so jarring they overwhelm the well done world, IMHO.
Most other MMOs I can think of don't even really try and model a cohesive world. Not, frankly, that I think doing so is, in and of itself, a particular virtue or at all necessary.
My most important reason is, that it is the only MMO I have played that never steps out of character. You are in space, and it will do its best not to apear like a game.
One of the most apparent thing is how loot is dropped, when you destroy a ship it leaves a wreck, the wreck contains a cargo container from which you can loot. When you take all the loot out of a container the container it stays in space (for up to two hours, until it disintegrates and implodes with accompanying animation).
In other games it will show some kind of bright object, which probably flashes or shimmers or in another way tries to take your attention and screams "I am a game, you are not really a warrior".
Even when there is some kind of server problem, and you try to jump into a system that has crashed, it will show a message that says that traffic has been diverted. It doesn't scream "The server is down, you are just playing a game"
I haven't been immersed in an MMO for a long time. When I was new to them, many times, but in general they usually stumble on so many things that it is very hard to get into a proper flow state. Even if I'm initially immersed, the weight starts to add on the camel's back...
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been-Wayne Gretzky
Immersion is just another word for fun. If you aren't enjoying yourself you can't be immersed. You'll fight the premise and want to be doing something else the entire time.
NO! Kind Sir I do not agree. Just because you're having fun doesn't mean you're immersed.
Random example between both Guild Wars games. In both I have lots of fun, but only in the original I feel pulled in to the story and how my character looks, acts and plays. In GW2 on the other hand I do not get that same feeling of immersion and cannot be pulled in enough to play it for long times or care for my characters.
What MMORPG do you think is the most immersive out of the current ones out? I am looking for one that feels like a living, breathing world. And first person perspective is also nice for this, but not required.
Thank you for your thoughts!
Chris
Vendetta Online for me. However you choose to define 'immersion', Vendetta had it; I somehow knew this in about 10 seconds after launching from the starting station. The fact that I was a college student, had downloaded the game as a free test, and was wearing a pair of expensive over-ear headphones probably had something to do with it. Over time, the immersion became more about the meta-game; becoming a virtual millionaire through trade on the dynamic market, learning how to apply principles of martial arts in a 3D Newtonian space setting, and building a galactic network of friends, companions, and enemies.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Authored 139 missions in VendettaOnline and 6 tracks in Distance
From the gold spammers to the bots, from global chat channels to the ridiculous names and "mmo-speak", from hacks and exploits to the constant game changes due to the never-ending PvP or PvE "balance" issues. From the terrible forum search engines to the poor communication from the companies. From the constant reminder of a cash shop to the experience and quest limits. From the gear treadmill and monotonous endgames, from the hubs to the bugs to the poor quest designs prompting me to alt-tab and look up walkthroughs rather then beat my head against a keyboard while pounding my fist and wailing "Why?! WHY!?"
But I keep trying and searching. Maybe someday a company will just "get it". But until then, I think I'll just continue to both love and have MMOs.
Wurm Online is your answer, OP. Immersive, living animals and plants, trees, crops. You can breed animals and bread up good traits. You can farm, fish, hunt, gather, build multi-story sectional buildings, own land, train in 130 skills and specialize in whatever you want. You can mine into mountains, build ships and travel from map to map. There are PVE worlds, PVP worlds and worlds that combine the two. Almost all items in the game are crafted and the crafting system is extremely deep. You should at least give Wurm Online a try - definitely.
YC: "What your looking for is Mortal Online, the ONLY First person view mmorpg out there..."
Wrong.
Vendetta Online defaults to 1st person on most platforms, and currently has native support for the Oculus Rift.
Neocron practically pioneered the mmofps genre.
Heck, even WoW can be played from a first-person perspective.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Authored 139 missions in VendettaOnline and 6 tracks in Distance
As much as it gets brought up and shot down because of it's unfortunate launch and handling until recently, Vanguard is near or at the top of my list for an immersive experience. The world is so huge, and it's not just huge as to be a desolate place.
Wherever you go, There are new things to see, new mobs to conquer, new quests you never knew existed.
For me, personally, EQ1 is up there on the list. But tbh I think that has more to do with my old school dealings with it and the feeling it brings out in me. I can totally immerse myself in EQ if I don't follow the beaten path.
Been playing GW2 for alittle while and what struck me with that game compare to other MMOs is that the world feels alive, kids playing around lauging, telling jokes, NPCs walk around doing their own stuff, some NPC even have animations för more than 1min worth, wolfs can attack other animals, excellent music, big bustling cities and top of that, the dynamic event system also bring in more living world feeling.
All this are immersive feeling for me thats what I feel is a immersive living breathing world, not when mobs and NPCs standing still and do their 5 second routine animation in other MMOs.
Comments
Surprised people vote Eve, Excel in space.
FFXIV is not particularly doing it for me I don't think the world is that great (it's not bad) but the UI really gets in the way (6 clicks to take a Chocobo route?) also too much zoning (not in the adventuring areas bizzarely) . LOTRO I have no argument with it really has 'charm' and the immersive world plays a big part in that. Old school games despite crappy graphics (by today's standards) seemed to be more immersive in many ways. Whilst taking in a sunset within EQ was its own reward I'd give top position (old school) to Anarchy Online (Rubi Ka).
For me overall I think Guild Wars 2. Not only is the world design pretty top notch it's pretty varied. The amount of random 'stuff' and the level of detail is unsurpassed (that I can think of) . Walking around and looking at things is it's own reward.
Wurm Online would like a word with you. Much better gameplay and they recently did a graphics update.
Wurm is highly underrated IMO.
To each his own I guess. I remember playing for the first time, trying to build a house while looking over my shoulder to make sure a wolf or bear didn't wander close. Four hours (and many setbacks) went by before I realized it. That has never happened to me in any other MMO, which is probably why the only MMO I play these days is Wurm.
It's Wushu. That's an easy one. It's a virtual world with real (old china) cities and real things. It's a lot like the secret world in that if you see somthing or someone, look it up, there is history there.
Turn off the chat and sit bu any body of water, the music (10 months in and never turned it off) and scenery will suck you in.
Thank the gods for that.
AAA: If you can't dazzle them with gameplay, try and dazzle them with graphics.
I don't think I've ever played an MMO where I felt fully immersed. But then again, cut screens and loading screens never really bothered me.
But overall, I think WoW has a very seamless world.
30 secs? Really? Yeah 2014 graphics and bad performance wont do it for me. I can usually tell within 30 secs... On the other hand dazzle me with design. Give me layers to peal back and things to discover. If all you can offer me are quest, dungeons, battle grounds, with WoWesk crafting, I'll pass. That is no longer "AAA" design.
I'd add a vote for Fallen Earth. Not necessarily the best or funnest game out there, but the world design is fantastic, the character and mount models 'fit', and in general it's fairly internally consistent. About the only jarring thing I can recall is the silly jump, an issue many a game has.
I don't get votes for Eve, easily one of, if not the, least consistent and immersive games I've ever played.
LoTRO would probably rank up there some, but the character models are so jarring they overwhelm the well done world, IMHO.
Most other MMOs I can think of don't even really try and model a cohesive world. Not, frankly, that I think doing so is, in and of itself, a particular virtue or at all necessary.
I also vote for EVE Online.
My most important reason is, that it is the only MMO I have played that never steps out of character. You are in space, and it will do its best not to apear like a game.
One of the most apparent thing is how loot is dropped, when you destroy a ship it leaves a wreck, the wreck contains a cargo container from which you can loot. When you take all the loot out of a container the container it stays in space (for up to two hours, until it disintegrates and implodes with accompanying animation).
In other games it will show some kind of bright object, which probably flashes or shimmers or in another way tries to take your attention and screams "I am a game, you are not really a warrior".
Even when there is some kind of server problem, and you try to jump into a system that has crashed, it will show a message that says that traffic has been diverted. It doesn't scream "The server is down, you are just playing a game"
OP's choice of topic might benefit from choosing "engaging" instead of "immersion".
But no, I would consider them (immersion, fun) related concepts, but not synonyms.
"Immersion's" been so watered down (due to overuse and dramatics) ...our local gamer shorthand would greatly benefit by removing the word entirely.
IMO
Immersion is in the eye of the beholder.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
NO! Kind Sir I do not agree. Just because you're having fun doesn't mean you're immersed.
Random example between both Guild Wars games. In both I have lots of fun, but only in the original I feel pulled in to the story and how my character looks, acts and plays. In GW2 on the other hand I do not get that same feeling of immersion and cannot be pulled in enough to play it for long times or care for my characters.
@OP
For me personally only GW1 and RuneScape (2) got me truely immersed.
As for recent MMO's I would say: SWTOR (Mainly for its Mass Effect style RP possiblities)
In the future I hope 'The Division', 'Destiny' and/or 'TESO' will pull me back to MMO's.
STOOPID
When someone does something so utterly moronic that it kills your brain cells at the very thought of it.
Vendetta Online for me. However you choose to define 'immersion', Vendetta had it; I somehow knew this in about 10 seconds after launching from the starting station. The fact that I was a college student, had downloaded the game as a free test, and was wearing a pair of expensive over-ear headphones probably had something to do with it. Over time, the immersion became more about the meta-game; becoming a virtual millionaire through trade on the dynamic market, learning how to apply principles of martial arts in a 3D Newtonian space setting, and building a galactic network of friends, companions, and enemies.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Authored 139 missions in Vendetta Online and 6 tracks in Distance
"Id rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall
Currently Playing: ESO
No MMO immerses me any more.
From the gold spammers to the bots, from global chat channels to the ridiculous names and "mmo-speak", from hacks and exploits to the constant game changes due to the never-ending PvP or PvE "balance" issues. From the terrible forum search engines to the poor communication from the companies. From the constant reminder of a cash shop to the experience and quest limits. From the gear treadmill and monotonous endgames, from the hubs to the bugs to the poor quest designs prompting me to alt-tab and look up walkthroughs rather then beat my head against a keyboard while pounding my fist and wailing "Why?! WHY!?"
But I keep trying and searching. Maybe someday a company will just "get it". But until then, I think I'll just continue to both love and have MMOs.
Wurm Online is your answer, OP. Immersive, living animals and plants, trees, crops. You can breed animals and bread up good traits. You can farm, fish, hunt, gather, build multi-story sectional buildings, own land, train in 130 skills and specialize in whatever you want. You can mine into mountains, build ships and travel from map to map. There are PVE worlds, PVP worlds and worlds that combine the two. Almost all items in the game are crafted and the crafting system is extremely deep. You should at least give Wurm Online a try - definitely.
Drop the drama llama, and you'll have a whole lot fewer people wondering if an MMO can do the job.
Wrong.
Vendetta Online defaults to 1st person on most platforms, and currently has native support for the Oculus Rift.
Neocron practically pioneered the mmofps genre.
Heck, even WoW can be played from a first-person perspective.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Authored 139 missions in Vendetta Online and 6 tracks in Distance
As much as it gets brought up and shot down because of it's unfortunate launch and handling until recently, Vanguard is near or at the top of my list for an immersive experience. The world is so huge, and it's not just huge as to be a desolate place.
Wherever you go, There are new things to see, new mobs to conquer, new quests you never knew existed.
For me, personally, EQ1 is up there on the list. But tbh I think that has more to do with my old school dealings with it and the feeling it brings out in me. I can totally immerse myself in EQ if I don't follow the beaten path.
My 2cp.
EQ1
it's an immersive virtual world to me
EQ2 fan sites
Been playing GW2 for alittle while and what struck me with that game compare to other MMOs is that the world feels alive, kids playing around lauging, telling jokes, NPCs walk around doing their own stuff, some NPC even have animations för more than 1min worth, wolfs can attack other animals, excellent music, big bustling cities and top of that, the dynamic event system also bring in more living world feeling.
All this are immersive feeling for me thats what I feel is a immersive living breathing world, not when mobs and NPCs standing still and do their 5 second routine animation in other MMOs.