I want to write a post about other MMOs and just games in general, that are similar to the ones I like, but I don’t play. I have been putting it off for a bit, because life is always finding new things to throw at me and I can’t find the time to sit down and just get the thoughts on paper, so to speak.
Today however I have found the time. It’s interesting to me, that although I enjoy writing, but once I have been out of it for an extended period of time, I have to force myself to sit down and start writing. Does anyone else experience this? A long time ago I heard a pro-gamer(esports competitor) say that there are plenty of talented people that refuse to put in the hard work, and then there are those that are not as talented but put in a ton of effort, it’s that latter group that is successful. I have always pondered that thought, and I have never found anything in myself that I am particularly talented in, but a ton of things I love doing, like writing, reading, and explaining things to people. But like mentioned in that statement I do not put in the effort to become successful in it.
Alright with that tangem out of the way, let’s start talking about video games.
Does this ever happen to you, you are playing a video game you really like and enjoy, you are an expert at it and then a thought occurs to you, what other games are out there like this one?
Happens to me all the time, and the urge to learn about these other games becomes so strong that I can’t focus on the game I am currently playing. I start researching the game that caught my eye, and start trying to play it and understand it. The communities around those games are usually super nice and helpful. So I spend a lot of time on it, only to come to the conclusion that it’s not a home for me… That my home is that other game I used to play. And I always go back to the game I was playing in the beginning anyways.
There are a couple examples of games like that that I want to share with you.
Perpetuum Online and Eve Online
I know that Eve Online is a very well-known game, often times described as spreadsheets online, or the game that’s more fun to read about than actually play. On the other hand Perpetuum Online is now an officially shut down game, but it was shut down the right way, with the community being allowed to run servers if they so choose. Which they did, and you can find them here: https://openperpetuum.com/. Anyone that is familiar with either of the game, will fit right into the other. The layout and the idea behind the games is very similar, there were some key differences that made each one of them unique. One example of the difference is that Eve is in space, while Perpetuum online is on a planet so the movement is a little different.
I have played both of those, for some reason always preferred Perpetuum… Something about having a planet to explore, and being able to traverse terrain that made it more pleasant experience for me. Eve Online is a great game, with a ton of depth and a great community, but if you are on your own, it can get very lonely and eventually boring. While in Perpetuum, even if you are alone, you can still roam about the islands and see some pretty scenery discover new things. You would still get to the lonely and boring part but not as quick, at least not for me. So at some point I started playing Perpetuum, quite seriously, I had two accounts, one for pvp/pve and one for industry, made a lot of money, was pretty well off in the game. And one day, a thought crept in, why don’t I go ahead and give Eve another try, make some money there, play some missions meet new people, go to null sec space and have fun there. As time would go on, the thought would grow and I would eventually switch over. I would then play Eve for a month or so and realize… the game is just too large and everything in the game takes a ton of time, and if I want to get to the same place of comfort that I am in Perpetuum, I would have to spend so much time catching up and doing just the most boring things. After all of that, I feel burnt out on that type of MMO and usually don’t even go back to the one I started from.
World of Warcraft and Everquest
Another example would be the World of Warcraft and Everquest. I have always wanted to understand what people see in Everquest. Why people would play it over the current MMOs that are out there. I even tried downloading it and playing, and just couldn’t get into it. I really love the fact that the community is so strong around Everquest, that decades after it came out, there is still new content coming out for it. I always try to jump into either Everquest or Everquest 2 for at least a couple hours.
There was a point in time when Everquest 2 came out and I decided to give it a shot. I bought two copies of it, one for myself and one for my sister, who agreed to play with me. I believe I started playing a necromancer and she played a druid type character. It was fun we enjoyed the game. There are so many things to like about EQ2, housing, crafting and the graphics at the time were amazing.
At one point I remember you could sell your characters for real cash. Some of my friends would make really good money from selling characters they would level and gear up. Kind of an interesting concept, the selling your characters and I think gear for real money. I don’t know what other MMOs have done that, but that was one of the draws for me when I first got into EQ2.
And now I am afraid of putting any time into EQ games, because it run by Daybreak, whom I do not trust at all. As a general rule when it comes to my luck, the moment I start playing that game Daybreak will decide to shut it down.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout
This is a non MMO example. I am a big fan of the post apocalyptic games, and there are a few out there, but by far my favorite are the Stalker series and Fallout. Both of those games have very different takes on post-apoc but are just as entertaining. I have played many hours of Stalker, and could never really get myself to play more than a few hours of Fallout. I have tried several times to figure out why and I think I narrowed it down to the theme of the graphics. I love the landscapes, not a big fan of the retro American style of vehicles and buildings. Not sure why. The coloring scheme always seemed a little off to me, as well as the whole VAT system seems so strange to me. But like with Everquest 2 there are so many things to like about Fallout games, especially Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, haven’t played the most recent one. I always end up going back to the Stalker games, to explore more of the exclusion zone, collect a few more artifacts, kill a couple more snorks.
There are many other examples of situations like that, where I like a game and there is one very similar to the one I like but I just cant play it for some reason. Something just isn’t right about it.
I don’t know what the explanation to that really is other than the heart wants what it wants and you can’t really do anything about it.
Do you have a situation like that? Please share 🙂
P.S. Another game I would have loved to get into and play would have been the Star Wars Galaxy. The only reason I didn’t when it was out is I have no interest in the Star Wars universe at all. I have no idea why. And its not like I am a Star Trek fan or anything like that. That universe just does not invoke any feelings in me, like the world of warcraft universe does for example.
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