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My wife has expressed interest in giving an MMORPG a try. Her background is Skyrim/Oblivion and Zelda, so the first thing that caught her eye was WoW, but that's just general thoughts. I have almost zero background in MMOs (a couple months on SWTOR, a couple more on EVE, and about five minutes on Star Trek Online). All I know is there's a ton of them.
Basically, I need suggestions. What's your favorite MMO and why? How steep is the learning curve? How grind-y is it? She's big on crafting; is that an element?
It really depends on her interests and what she wants to get out of the game. Does she want Story? Or does she want good combat and abilities. Or is she in it for the end game?
She likes charging things and annihilating them. This has made family holidays interesting.
Also, what do you mean by 'in it for the end game'? Like, the ability to fly around on a dragon or whatever? If so, I can't really imagine that holding her interest.
End game is the content that developers put in to keep people playing after they hit max level. Dungeons/raids crafting PvP.
Well still along with that falls under many different things. She could be a Knight or Warrior in SWTOR, or a Warrior in WoW or a Tactical officer in STO
When it comes to MMO's it can be more about what you want. IF she doesn't mind grinding then most can be fun. WoW is a juggernaut with a lot of Content like The Old Republic, Star Trek is fun to be in and roam around. Elder scrolls had problems but some have said it got better. Final Fantasy has people. Really it comes down to what can hold her interest as some of them will take awhile to get going and really start getting into the meat of it.
WoW is great for an MMO. Find a crew, get your gear, level up, and bang some heads together in PvP Arenas. It's all good. No biggie.
Learning curves are gonna be rough yeah. But since she has the internet? Bah. There are unlimited resources available. Wikis, Youtube Guides, Guilds, Fanclubs, Friends, etc etc etc. You know how it goes.
Which brings us to: timesink. MMO's are like a casino. The longer you're playing, the more of a regular you are. It doesn't make you any better. Nah. It just means, now you're a player.
If she liked Oblivion/Skyrim then Elder Scrolls Online could be a good choice. It is F2P and actually not too bad.
Blade and Soul just came out, in the last month or two, that is a decent more hack and slash type deal. It could be a good one for her to grow with the Community.
WoW is not bad. I used to play quite a bit back in the day.
SWTOR is a favorite of mine, Like EVE too but that one is well............takes months to really get anywhere measurable. Star Trek Online for me is way too repetitive for me.
I personally loved Elder Scrolls Online; and if she's already invested in the lore via Oblivion/Skyrim then it may be a nice way for her to ease into it.
Don't do WoW, [member="Jorus Merrill"]. Just don't.
ESO is alright. Better than some. I'm inclined to suggest it based on your wife's history of Elder Scrolls. It's better to get your feet wet with something you're familiar with.
Honestly though, if we're suggesting our favorite, then it's Guild Wars 2 for me. That game still tickles my fancy and I've been playing it since it came out. It's about the only game I consistently return to. Pretty decent story. Several different classes and races to choose from.
And then I fell in love with Final Fantasy X|V. It's original (1.x) was atrocious, causing a complete re-design and relaunch (labeled A Realm Reborn) that incorporated an in-game extinction event into the backstory of what was, all for intents and purposes, a whole new game. The story is rich, with a Main Story Quest carrying through the progression, with an ENDLESS supply of side-quests, seasonal events, and alternatives to traditional PvE.
To start with, you will only ever need a single character. You can make an alt in the game, but why would you need to? You change jobs/classes simply by changing which weapon you have equipped. And the cross-skills system actually encourages you to level multiple classes on a single character, so that you can experience different play styles and elements.
TANKS
Paladin (Gladiator)
Damage Mitigation Master... does almost ZERO damage to enemies.
Warrior (Marauder)
Originally conceived as a DPS class. Can keep up with the DPS, can't mitigate damage much (your healer will hate you...)
Dark Knight
Magic based damage mitigation, low physical mitigation, decent damage output.
MELEE DPS
Dragoon (Lancer)
Jump... jump... jump around! Just mind your positionals.
Monk (Pugilist)
Highest potential DPS in the game... position dependent ability chains. Timing is everything.
Ninja (Rogue)
Just stab it with great prejudice (high initial DPS, low throughput)
PHYSICAL RANGED DPS
Bard (Archer)
Bows and arrows and songs (low DPS, high utility)
Machinist
Guns and turrets (RNG-based DPS, medium utility)
MAGIC BASED DPS
Black Mage (Thaumaturge)
Nuke if you got them (highest AOE DPS in the game)... just don't move.
Summoner (Arcanist)
Pets and Damage Over Time Abilities (highest Single Target DPS in the game)... just not in short encounters.
HEALERS
White Mage (Conjurer)
Regens and Area of Effect Healing
Scholar (Arcanist)
Single Target Healing, Pet-based Healing, and Shields
Astrologian
Stance-dance for Regens or Shields, Random Stat Utility Ability (Tarot Cards)
PvE not your thing? Then join, The Feast, a season-based PvP tournament. You can also compete in arena-based PVP combat for your Grand Company (your character's chosen home state - Limsa Lominsa (Avast, Ye Pirate!), Uldah (Where's My Money?), or Gridania (Wood Elves Are Hippies).
PvE and PVP not your thing? The Crafting System of this game features its own full classes: Weaver, Blacksmith, Armorer, Apothecary, Goldsmith, Chef, or Carpenter. Equip your saw and make a legendary bow, a piece of furniture for player housing, or get rich off selling your works on the Market Board.
This game is gorgeous, works on PS4, Mac, Windows... and there is always something to do.
The Main Story Quest operates as a tutorial, easing you into the game mechanics and your class/job skills. Side quests are optional (but may unlock new dungeons or features, such as the ability to re-color or change the appearance of clothing). You need only complete the Main Story Quest to advance through the actual storyline and open the required content.
Because the Main Story Quest is there for your first class, the game only gets grind-y if you (like me) level every. single. class. Which is not required at all. I'm a min/max guy. So when I tank, I look up what kind of damage the boss does, then take the tank I think is going to be most effective for the fight (Warrior for dungeons, Paladin for most progression content, Dark Knight if its Alexander, etc).
Below is video capture of a dungeon run, highlighting the BGM (and shot from the Dragoon's perspective).
[member="Jorus Merrill"]
The Old Republic is big on story with the 8 different classes. The base stories are pretty good, though some are better than others. You'll want to subscribe though.
Guild Wars 2 is a lot of fun. It's more dynamic with its PVE and has a lot of races and better crafting. The story is lesser since it's mostly 'one size fits all'.
It's an old one and clearly evident in graphics and design. But it's Lord of the Rings! The storyline is pretty good and goes on for quite a while. Lots of crafting opportunities. Pretty rich cosmetic system. Some PVP at the end. The world is beautiful and exploring it is amazing. I started playing five years ago and even when I take breaks, I always end up coming back.
Final Fantasy 14 is visually breathtaking and has fantastic dungeon content. It's been compared to "old WoW" in the sense that there's a ton to do, and most of it requires a lot of research and practice. It's a ton of work which makes it a ton of fun, and ludicrously rewarding. It's also where I learned to love tanking. Highly recommended.
TOR is good for storyline stuff, Guild Wars 2 is good for gameplay mechanics. All three are very solid games.
Despite what others say I suggest WoW. It's a fun and entertaining experience in a world with a great story, plenty of features including a myriad of zones and playing options to keep the game fresh. The Lore behind the game is good too. I've enjoyed many great years on WoW and hopefully many more.
FFXIV is the only MMO I have ever played and wanted to buy after playing. (I alpha and beta tested it)
WoW looks/feels like a game from 15 years ago (because it is) and most MMOs really feel that way to me. I didn't get into SWTOR because it felt like I was playing a dated game - and I had played it the week it came out. I tried it again a few months back and it feels just as dated, even with updates.
But if she isn't hung up with clunky gameplay and sub-par graphics then I suggest trying SWTOR or WoW.
I also might suggest ESO (which I haven't played yet) since it's free to play following the initial purchase of the game or Eve online. I heard GW2 was cool when it came out, but I never got to try it.
EVE has a special place in my heart for being the game that took me more than a year to get the basics of.
Star Trek Online I enjoy, but that might be due to my nerd status. One of my bridge crew is genuinely someone I made and called Ezri Dax
WoW I could never get into, not sure why.
Skyrim and Oblivion...your wife has good taste. I'd always reccomend Elder Scrolls Online, something I dabbled in once and never touched for reasons of meh. It seemed kind of like it was trying to follow Elder Scrolls and sort of chugging along but worth a try.
For me, MMO's always get boring quick when my guildmates or friends I've been playing with end up leaving for one reason or another. So regardless of which MMO she decides to play, I think it's very important she plays with friends - either ones she already knows (like ya) or she just goes HAM to join a build guild ASAP.
If she manages to settle in with a group of cool cats, she'd love whatever MMO she's playing - provided it's at least decent.
