Video:Tips for Choosing a MMORPG

Transcript:Tips for Choosing a MMORPG

Hi, I'm Shane Murphy, your technology guru for About.com. Today we'll survey the field of MMORPG's to see which one is right for you.

World of Warcraft Is the Most Popular MMORPG

If what you're looking for is a game to become completely immersed in, something that can easily offer all the lore and playtime you can handle, then you're going to love the all-pervasive World of Warcraft. WoW sports the highest membership numbers of any MMO out there and has become a veritable pop-culture phenomenon, in case you've somehow never heard of it.

Choose MMORPGs By Genre

Selecting your future favorite MMORPG is usually best done by genre. Once you answer the question of what kind of world you want to explore and develop a character in, you can begin to decide what's right for you.

Games like the perennial Everquest and Guild Wars cater to fantasy buffs; EVE Online and Planetside can scratch your sci-fi itch; City of Heroes and Champions Online are superhero-based games; Fallen Earth is one of the few "modern day" MMORPG's. If you're interested in a specific existing IP, you can get into the previously mentioned World of Warcraft, the upcoming Star Wars: Old Republic, or DC Universe Online.

Most of the aforementioned games require you to pay to purchase the game and then pay a nominal monthly fee to play. These "Full Size" RPGS's will typically feature a rich amount of content and be more demanding on your computer's performance capabilities, just as any full price PC game would.

Free MMORPGs Are Also Fun to Play

If you're looking for something more casual and cheaper, there are tons of different free RPG's out there that make money by offering paid content and upgrades to your character. Games like World of Tanks can satisfy WWII buffs, Grand Fantasia can scratch that fantasy itch, and 2029 Online caters to space nerds. The beauty of such games is that you can always try it out for free to see if it's for you.

The downside is that you can quickly find yourself spending more money than you originally thought to get that critical advancement or play a sought after quest.

There are still other piecemeal considerations. Do you want a game that has robust PVP options? Would you favor a game with one big open world or a collection of zones? Which ones do your friends play, or could you get them to play? You'll have to think about these factors to find your perfect MMORPG.

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