MMO's have grown rather stagnant over the last few years (longer?), but GW2 really looks to revolutionize the genre. Most interesting are the Dynamic Events. Gone are the days of spawning mobs!
There is a ton of information on that site. Check it out when you have an oppurtunity. It's been awhile since I've been that excited over any release (yeah, I said that), but this one looks beyond impressive.
(remember Warhammer's claims about the territory wars? and the hype about how their classes functioned? what a severe let down in all of those areas)
GW2, I'm going to get, because let's face it no monthly subscription. I can justify that as a third mmo. Free!
TOR is coming later this year (supposedly) so I'm curious there, particularly about it's class based story lines and heavy voice over work.
WOW really stepped it up with Cataclysm to the point that I'm not only playing and enjoying the game for the first time (I tried waay back... and man it blew chunks slow leveling, piss poor quest structure, and the grinding...oh god. They fixed ALL of that and then some. 5 man instances? Doable in 30-40 minutes instead of Two and a Half Hours. Not only that there's a Que system to join random groups, like the pvp que system. and it pops quickly, at almost every hour of the day I've logged in, for another example it pops in less than fifteen minutes typically which if you are already doing other things such as normal quests goes by very quickly)
I suspect that at the start of 2012, there's going to be 3 super heavy weight MMOs, TOR, WOW, and GW2 assuming the two as yet to be released games function half as well as promised.
Rift will be the darkhorse favorite, as it has over a million subscriptions already and is growing, thanks to a well earned reputation for outstanding attention from it's developer team, well structured gameplay, and quest structure. It's unique class mechanics need abit of refining but I have every confidence that it's dev team will work those out given what they've already done to an already very polished out of the gate game.
The following MMOs are probably going to die a horrible, almost anynonomous death. Star Trek Online, Champions Online, whatever version of Everquest they're pushing now, Final Fantasy 14. All of which due to the very opposite things that make Rift, and WOW so incredibly successful. Inept handling by the dev team, and apathy from the publisher.
Yeah, Warhammer was an incredible let down. It had so much potential at launch. A lot of great concepts. Then they took it in the opposite direction of what they should have. But PvP was a lagfest for a long time.
WoW, I've gotten back into. I just got a 3D TV, and it's a completely different game for me now. I am pretty impressed with Cataclysm so far. They really did give the original continents a major overhaul. Unfortunately, my original account was compromised, and I lost all my serial numbers and characters. Had to start all over again. 
Fortunately, it's all new content.
TOR... I'm up in the air about. There's so much to like, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I keep seeing things that I am on the fence about, but I keep telling myself that "It's BioWare, it's BioWare, it will be a great game."
Rift, I am trying, but I am not endeared to it. It feels like MMO v197. They do a lot of things, and they do a lot of things well, but it feels a bit shallow so far.
DCUO is really fun, but I can only handle the superhero genre in small quantities.
Anoter sleeper may be Age of Empires online. An RTS MMO is intriguing if they do it right. I just got into the beta, so I'll post some feedback when I have an opinion.
MMO's these days are trying to get that quick hit dollar. They want that initial 3 month monster surge of income built on the hype. After that, the company seems to lose interest as do the subscribers. GW2 (and TOR, of course) seems to want to buck that trend.
So until my sisters finally get tired of WoW I'm not really interested in any other MMO.
I might give GW2 a try, though. With no monthly fee there's really no reason not to.
I might give GW2 a try, though. With no monthly fee there's really no reason not to.
Other than it may consume every waking free moment that you have. That, and your soul.
I kid. I just haven't been this excited about a release since NWN1.
Other than it may consume every waking free moment that you have. That, and your soul.
Dude, I spent 4 years in Azeroth. I think I can handle it. ;)
I kid. I just haven't been this excited about a release since NWN1.
Maybe when it drops we should try and get an OTTers guild together.
Dude, I spent 4 years in Azeroth. I think I can handle it. ;)
Hell, dealing with Crossroads chat for that long prepares you for just about anything.
Maybe when it drops we should try and get an OTTers guild together.
I'd be down with that for sure.
And I'd join a guild too probably for funsies 
We could just be the founders for that particular arm.
(and just use the existing, vent server, and forum/website my fleet has)
Assuming the others in the admiralty wouldn't be down with that sort of idea, I'd be more than willing to assist in the formation of the Ottersguild.
And my laptop probably couldn't run it.
