Recently returned, and I don't know which game to subscribe too

[Macetheace]

any heads up?

 

I was mainly playing SWTOR, it was my fave, but i had a really old computer, living in London but stuck playing on U.S servers because I couldn't transfer (huge legacy and alts, valuables etc, too much to start again)... high latency, no real life friends, frustrating computer with long loading times eventually led me to quit in frustration.

 

I got a new computer last week, and I thought I might try playing MMOs again, now my new computer can play WoW, SWTOR, WS and ESO on max settings, and they all look gorgeous, with no fps delays, now I'm torn between which to subscribe too, - I'm afraid I'm a one MMO only person, any advise? Here are the pro's and con's

 

SWTOR

pros - fave game, ,many pros from character models to animation to best story execution in a video game ever, cool star wars theme

cons - stuck alone on U.S servers with high latencies and impractical raiding hours = little to no end game, has this same feel because on the vast majority of the game, all the interior buildings look the same every where [exception are Asation and Manaan.

 

WoW

pros - very diverse zones and lots of them. huge mew zones, lots of investment = big changes regularly most are improvements

cons - bad attitude general crowd, poorer game balance, terrible story execution; very old even new expansions can't hide this.

 

Wildstar

pros - i know very little about it - but lots of raving about it back in April/May - didn't really follow the video game world when I quit. said to be challenging and require good skill for everything, which i like

cons - cartoony sci-fi doesn't do it as well for me as swtor realisitic graphics do. but I got use to WoW and ended up liking it, so that could change too in WS, no one seems to know about it anymore - did it tank? this is giving me pause to consider/ Pluus it sounds like a very big time investment

 

Elder Scrolls Online

pros - played beta, liked it, fantasy theme is life like compared to WoW/WS cartoony, very good story, revolutionary control style. a different sort of thing to all the others. Detailed character creation

cons - say so is end gamepvEcontent ain't all that, but that's what they say about SWTOR and it's a huge lie, i like the character creation and the options, but don't like it's only one face you're altering for 6 of the human looking races

 

I know a lot about WoW and SWTOR - so their advantage is that it's easy for me to pick up and play/ Wildstar and ESO still have to prove themselves and i woudl take the risk on them if they were substantially better in the long run than WoW or SwtOR. I like them enough not to bother trying new ones, but SwTOR has me stuck because i can't transfer to EU and really take off with raiding and arena with friends, while WoW is really getting old

 

All of them have neat things about them - so i guess it's more like what universe you like the most, and whether you can put up with the cons. what do you think?

[Rankyn]

Much like it being pointless for me to tell you that you should definitely buy chocolate ice cream because I, personally, like chocolate ice cream, you should pay for whichever game you feel provides you with the most entertainment for your money.

 

Asking other people to tell you what you'll have the most fun doing is pointless.

Even moreso since you've clearly gone through the trouble of making a pro/con list of your available options.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Rankyn

[Lotharofxev]

It really boils down to two games: WoW or SWTOR.

 

Wildstar is on life support. I fully expect consolidation of servers and F2P w/in 3-6 months otherwise that game is deader than Fried Chicken.

 

(Unless you like MAJOR grinds (think Naxxaramas on 'roids or old EQ) then it's for you)

 

ESO has multiple issues as well. (I played Oblivion and Skyrim to the point of sleep deprivation. I was also in Betas I-III). Instead of me going on a rant, I'll paraphrase what somebody said during Beta II:

 

"It's as if they ripped the heart and soul out of Skyrim, then turned what was left into a MMORPG"

 

During a recent Q & A with a playing audience, the (non-Dev) lead asked, "Who has a level 50? (highest level at the time). Everyone raised their hand.

 

Then they asked, "Who likes the 'Veteran System'?" Only the two Devs raised their hand.(*) (Dependent on the financials I probably would've fired the two Devs on the spot)

 

ESO is not Oblviion (not EVEN close), it's not Skyrim (not EVEN close), it's not even better than WoW except for voice acting and graphics.

 

As a buddy of mine said, "There is no compelling reason to play this game."

 

(*) It's not the game you (The Devs) want to play, it's the game the players want to play.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Lotharofxev
Forgot something

[Tachenko_Yuri]

Dude decides to goes to pizza hit and asks other customers:

 

Should I go for a pizza, a kebab, pasta or a mc donalds?

 

Surely OP, you realize that we're all going to be pro-swtor since we are, well, in SWTOR's forum?

[GaBacon]

Funny u ask, i JUST canceled my Wildstar account. I really love this game and have returned here. I also like Elder Scrolls allthough some people seem to hate it.

[Cernow]

I've played all four of these titles in the past year. Only one I keep returning to is TOR. Sometimes it feels like returning to an abusive lover, but TOR has a better community and better gameplay than the others, despite it's many faults and foibles.

 

WoW has pedigree, a long track record and it's own charms. But the latest changes have really dumbed the game down (I hope TOR's new discipline system isn't an attempt to follow suit). I used the 7 day trial to return to WoW recently and was astounded at what they've done to the game - and not in a good way, they've totally gutted the gameplay.

 

Wildstar could have been a contender but they took some serious wrong turns and made some quite bizarre design decisions. The combat is great fun, the player housing is amazing and the humour and graphics are wonderfully quirky (if you like the cartoon style). But the antiquated endgame model based on hardcore gaming concepts a decade out of date is really hurting the game. It seems to be dieing, sadly.

 

ESO should feel ashamed to call itself a MMO. It's just Skyrim with added gold sellers, exploiters and more gold sinks than even its army of gold sellers can fill. Gameplay could be fun if it wasn't for the ridiculous inventory juggling minigame. The guild system is bizarrely implemented and it's just not a very community oriented game. The 3-sided persistent PvP environment of Cyrodiil deserves an honourable mention, but they totally dropped the ball by failing to balance the classes and prevent exploiters.

 

So the real question is, when are you going to get your act together and use the 12x xp bonus to reroll on The Red Eclipse where you should have been all along?

[Technohic]

They all have their faults. Except in the case of Wildstar; which is a fault completely. (just my opinion. I just hate that game)

 

I actaully love ESO even though the screwed things up heavily IMO. Its just like I said, they all have their faults. I am here in SWTOR, however; because I can be casual and still perform well. Crafting doesn't take a lot of commitment and isn't that important. They have fast leveling right now. And I can gear doing what I feel like doing. PvP can be a quick endeavor without having to spend half an hour or more just traveling to the fight in ESO. I like the style of PvP better in ESO overall, but I just lack the time commitment I am willing to spend, and that is not even to mention the gear, the constant level increases and that VR system (although that is being addressed.)

[Gomla]

Surely OP, you realize that we're all going to be pro-swtor since we are, well, in SWTOR's forum?

 

Being on the forums doesn't mean everyone will be pro-swtor. I know people that are currently playing just for the 12x XP to see the class stories they hadn't done and then they will be leaving again. They use the forums.

 

On Topic.....

 

Play whatever you want.

 

Not everyone likes the same things as some of the responses here show.

 

I quite like ESO. I've played since launch and can't see me stopping any time soon.

 

I did play Wildstar at launch but after hitting end game, going through attunement and doing a few raids i'd got bored and left.

 

WoW I haven't played for 5 years. My wife still plays but i'd had enough by then and haven't been back.

 

It's entirely up to you what you play. Never listen to other people.

[Macetheace]

I've played all four of these titles in the past year. Only one I keep returning to is TOR. Sometimes it feels like returning to an abusive lover, but TOR has a better community and better gameplay than the others, despite it's many faults and foibles.

 

WoW has pedigree, a long track record and it's own charms. But the latest changes have really dumbed the game down (I hope TOR's new discipline system isn't an attempt to follow suit). I used the 7 day trial to return to WoW recently and was astounded at what they've done to the game - and not in a good way, they've totally gutted the gameplay.

 

Wildstar could have been a contender but they took some serious wrong turns and made some quite bizarre design decisions. The combat is great fun, the player housing is amazing and the humour and graphics are wonderfully quirky (if you like the cartoon style). But the antiquated endgame model based on hardcore gaming concepts a decade out of date is really hurting the game. It seems to be dieing, sadly.

 

ESO should feel ashamed to call itself a MMO. It's just Skyrim with added gold sellers, exploiters and more gold sinks than even its army of gold sellers can fill. Gameplay could be fun if it wasn't for the ridiculous inventory juggling minigame. The guild system is bizarrely implemented and it's just not a very community oriented game. The 3-sided persistent PvP environment of Cyrodiil deserves an honourable mention, but they totally dropped the ball by failing to balance the classes and prevent exploiters.

 

So the real question is, when are you going to get your act together and use the 12x xp bonus to reroll on The Red Eclipse where you should have been all along?

 

5 star response thank you. I'm really appreciating all the insights you guys are giving to the other games, especially those who are not just outright blasting them but giving their pros alongside their cons, i really have not known how the others have faired. so please keep the responses coming.

 

as for the point about asking about choclate, or kebabs & burgers in a pizza joint - i get it, but I'm wiling to put up with it, is there really an active neutral games forum? I just copy paste on the forums of the other 3 games where they'll allow - for WoW i do on MMO-champion which is wow pro enough to get more feedback. but a point of note,

 

I have found SWTOR forums the more mature, sane, and pragmattic of the other forums so far, it also seems to be the least abusive, and the most genuine (if any can really even hint at that ) and less extreme for e.g. wow forums swing from fanboys that praise everything is superlatives every time to rage haters that explode and disappear over minor greviances, way too biased there. This is probably the best forum to ask these questions, maybe because it's the franchise that has a wider pool of people and not just soley the mmo or video game crowd..of the 4 that is, since all the other titles are video game only

[DarkDisturbed]

WoW and SWTOR are the only options out of that. Right now you have the 12x xp bonus if you preorder SoR and sub for a month, that will be enough to breeze through one of the stories (in as little as 8 hours) and get a 55 on a EU server. Do that and try out the endgame, if you don't like it, don't sub. Just play through the rest of the stories and move on to WoW. Edited November 10, 2014 by DarkDisturbed

[sxykitten]

It really boils down to two games: WoW or SWTOR.

 

Wildstar is on life support. I fully expect consolidation of servers and F2P w/in 3-6 months otherwise that game is deader than Fried Chicken.

 

(Unless you like MAJOR grinds (think Naxxaramas on 'roids or old EQ) then it's for you)

 

ESO has multiple issues as well. (I played Oblivion and Skyrim to the point of sleep deprivation. I was also in Betas I-III). Instead of me going on a rant, I'll paraphrase what somebody said during Beta II:

 

"It's as if they ripped the heart and soul out of Skyrim, then turned what was left into a MMORPG"

 

During a recent Q & A with a playing audience, the (non-Dev) lead asked, "Who has a level 50? (highest level at the time). Everyone raised their hand.

 

Then they asked, "Who likes the 'Veteran System'?" Only the two Devs raised their hand.(*) (Dependent on the financials I probably would've fired the two Devs on the spot)

 

ESO is not Oblviion (not EVEN close), it's not Skyrim (not EVEN close), it's not even better than WoW except for voice acting and graphics.

 

As a buddy of mine said, "There is no compelling reason to play this game."

 

(*) It's not the game you (The Devs) want to play, it's the game the players want to play.

 

last i looked a dev made a post with F2p in next 3 months on wwildstar due to the game took a 78% loss of players in its first month.

 

ESO is going to go F2p eventully its a dying game . when i can log in find little to no players on most the servers during 4-6pm PST you know its dying.

 

SWTOR..yeah subs great..but even me/hubby are quiting EH is the biggest server..yet few hundred players to me is dead.

 

we decided to head back to WoW till SOR story. SWTOR in generals just dying more & more slowly and i can't help but feel the need to leave before a swg comes when we have put over 5,000 USD into this game. each...

 

however wow..still unkillable. still has more content. always will when they pump out dates x5 faster then any other mmo to date. more stable servers.

 

still have yet see swtor servers get fixed they constantly every week take a major dump or lag like mad..

 

Still same WoWs best choice atm if your wanting longterm & easyer gameplay now with easyer lvling.

 

for me im choosing gameply over voiceovers. this game does not have enuff to sustain players . if you dont raid or PVP you will just get bored.

 

atleast you wont have 1h pvp ques sometimes on WoW.

 

it comes down to if you truely wanna have more to do or less with swtor. at the rate the content is retarded slow 1 year+ just for major content vs wows every 3m with expansion every what year or less now?

[sxykitten]

Funny u ask, i JUST canceled my Wildstar account. I really love this game and have returned here. I also like Elder Scrolls allthough some people seem to hate it.

 

some? you mean 95% because their Playerbase died majorly. when i mean major like its dead on most servers & have plans for a F2p model with SWTOR ideas in mind. which is very bad

 

ESO is nothing like its big brother infact its just a SWTOR clone but worse other then killer Gfx.

[sxykitten]

I've played all four of these titles in the past year. Only one I keep returning to is TOR. Sometimes it feels like returning to an abusive lover, but TOR has a better community and better gameplay than the others, despite it's many faults and foibles.

 

WoW has pedigree, a long track record and it's own charms. But the latest changes have really dumbed the game down (I hope TOR's new discipline system isn't an attempt to follow suit). I used the 7 day trial to return to WoW recently and was astounded at what they've done to the game - and not in a good way, they've totally gutted the gameplay.

 

Wildstar could have been a contender but they took some serious wrong turns and made some quite bizarre design decisions. The combat is great fun, the player housing is amazing and the humour and graphics are wonderfully quirky (if you like the cartoon style). But the antiquated endgame model based on hardcore gaming concepts a decade out of date is really hurting the game. It seems to be dieing, sadly.

 

ESO should feel ashamed to call itself a MMO. It's just Skyrim with added gold sellers, exploiters and more gold sinks than even its army of gold sellers can fill. Gameplay could be fun if it wasn't for the ridiculous inventory juggling minigame. The guild system is bizarrely implemented and it's just not a very community oriented game. The 3-sided persistent PvP environment of Cyrodiil deserves an honourable mention, but they totally dropped the ball by failing to balance the classes and prevent exploiters.

 

So the real question is, when are you going to get your act together and use the 12x xp bonus to reroll on The Red Eclipse where you should have been all along?

 

sadly if you watched the DEV-Streams they specifcly said the Disc System is same as Warcraft & explained Cookie-Cutter is better & they will haft to do less & less. while WoW is easy atm. WoD is extremly hard/fun only reason WoW is easy atm is your having lvl 100 stats on lvl 90 mobs they said. the mobs atm Are toned do abit to a point people can just do w/e with ease before the pain starts.

 

and for x12 xp..depends some left with every toon alrdy so no point to have it.

[Gomla]

ESO is going to go F2p eventully its a dying game . when i can log in find little to no players on most the servers during 4-6pm PST you know its dying.

 

On most of the servers?

 

All two of them?

[Gleneagle]

Attempt to play all of them. Eventually at least two will fall to the wayside. Cancel those. Then, if your time is evenly split but you think you would get more out of either if you dedicated yourself, then make an informed decision. Otherwise play both.

[Sarfux]

As cool as some mechanics are in other games. Nothing beats SWTOR. There are things being overhauled and lots more to come in the near future and beyond. The game is just going to keep getting bigger and better.

[CaptRogue]

I think this is somewhat a troll post.

He's already made his decision on what to sub too. You can only post on forums if you're a subscriber. lol

[painterwhit]

I've played all four of these titles in the past year. Only one I keep returning to is TOR. Sometimes it feels like returning to an abusive lover, but TOR has a better community and better gameplay than the others, despite it's many faults and foibles.

 

WoW has pedigree, a long track record and it's own charms. But the latest changes have really dumbed the game down (I hope TOR's new discipline system isn't an attempt to follow suit). I used the 7 day trial to return to WoW recently and was astounded at what they've done to the game - and not in a good way, they've totally gutted the gameplay.

 

Lol.....they've been dumbing down WoW since BC hit.

 

But yes, I just recently came back to this game due to a few really big disappointments. In my opinion this game right now is what it should have been at launch, and I am very happy to be back.

[Gomla]

Lol.....they've been dumbing down WoW since BC hit.

 

I keep seeing people say "WoW's dumbed down" but, having played both, this is just as casual friendly.

[Oyranos]

ESO has the most amazing character creator swtor is like tetris compared to it (character creator). I would give it 9/10

GW2 is the next with the best character creator.. I would give it 5/10

WOW is the third best in the character creator along with WS I would give them 3/10

Swtor is last in the character creator. I would give it 1/10 score for it. Limited body types, for EU and West the faces are very limited to 1-2, all the rest is YU GI OH asiatic.

 

Story

Swtor has the best story I would give it 9/10

Eso comes second, I would give it 7/10 because the story is the same.

Wildstar (I dont know the story, but its better than WOW, that has no story). no score here

WoW - 1/10 , never understand it, I am dyslexic... But it gives u enough freedom to make your own.. lol

 

Graphics

ESO 9/10

Wildstar 7/10

GW2 7/10

WOW 6/10

Swtor 4/10 because bioware doesnt care about improving engine and fixing cosmetic bugs... Limited draw distanse as a result growing rocks, grass, trees, half fps for distant npc, etc.

 

Controls / UI

Swtor 8/10 the way it is today, No idea about the new system, plenty of bars

WoW 8/10 its about the same

ESO and WS have about the same 3/10 its very consolish. WS is less consolish. When it comes to mmos, I want bars, ESO gives u limited bars, just 5 slots a tiny bar... and maybe because they focus on xbox 1 and ps4... that gets low score for me, regarding PC.

 

Ergonomics / living in their worlds.

 

WoW gets 9/10 very open, you feel an open huge world arround u and it makes you exploring it.

ESO gets 5/10 the worlds are big, you dont feel the war between the alliances if you are PVE only if you visit a couple of areas, they split the world in instansed lobies and I dont like guild economy. Also you have to do the oposite alliance story and that makes you feel like traitor. I would never experince Kronians and Dragonian alliances, but ESO forces you to.. I choose to be Daggerfall Covenant and the way they force you to play, destroyed it. I quited after the month expired.

WS have no opinion.

SWTOR 5/10 it gives you the instanse feeling, small worlds, story focused mostly so....no much things to do, only with seeker druid and datacrons. The Strongholds is a nice adition, that is why it gets the same as ESO...

 

This is my point of view...

Edited November 11, 2014 by Oyranos

[Arkerus]

Try them and make your own decision. Stop asking people here to make decisions for you.

[Jadescythe]

I would not suggest trying either WS or ESO until they resolve their issues or you'll be wasting money. WoW has a new Xpac coming out in a few days, so the servers will certainly be totally packed while people hit the new level cap. They have cross-server everything, so you'll never be lacking for groups. They have a well-built world and lore if you're into that as well.

 

SWTOR has room to grow in these areas, but without the population of WoW and the refusal to invest in cross-server, the game will never be able to thrive in the way WoW has. That being said, this game is extremely fun, depending on what your desired playstyle is. SWTOR is a casual dream, where you are basically handed gear or bolstered in a way to remove the gear grind requirement in order to have fun. Leveling (even after 12x XP ends), doesn't take overly long and there isn't a decade's worth of questing to catch up on.

 

If you like Star Wars more than fantasy, pick SWTOR. If you don't want to group all the time and won't heavily use Group Finder or queue for PvP at odd times or in a ranked setting, then SWTOR works. If you prefer to avoid a huge grind and always be able to at least get started in content quickly without grinding, pick SWTOR.

[wiredgutter]

I'm a single player RPG fan(Dragon Age, Fallout, Skyrim, etc) and swtor is the only mmo that captures that feel for me.

[Dedd]

Incase some don't know .. ESO is NOT Skyrim Online

 

Nor is any of the preceding titles the 'title here' Online , only an odd mmo addition to the family