Massively's Top 5 Sci-Fi MMOs
Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry
Can you think of any tragic omissions? To paraphrase a character from pop culture, "Science Fiction is neither Science nor Fiction. Discuss!"
5. Earth & Beyond
Earth & Beyond was not a perfect game. It's the only one on this list that is no longer operational. Whether you attribute its failure to misguided design decisions or to EA's disregard for the project after the Westwood acquisition, the game is still deserving of a place on this list because it was different.
Players of Earth & Beyond could earn XP along three tracks -- Trade, Exploration, and Combat. Some games dole out tiny amounts of XP for exploration, but it's almost unheard of to make it one of the three central modes of gameplay. That's unfortunate. Out of all of Richard Bartle's MUD/MMO-playing personality types, "Explorers" are the most shafted by current industry trends. If only more games would make exploration something more than a side note like Earth & Beyond did.
4. Anarchy Online
At launch, Anarchy Online could have fairly been described as a Sci-Fi EverQuest. That was nothing to complain about at the time, but over the years AO has become much more. The expansions have introduced robust PvP scenarios, player-built towns, and other features that thrill players accustomed to the old-school, pre-EQ ways of doing things.
The game was groundbreaking in small ways before the expansions too. It was one of the first mainstream games to use instances. Players could (and can) even customize their instance experience and take on missions at the exact challenge level they wanted. AO also features a highly customizable advancement system that is, again, not unlike the pre-EQ way of doing things. Even though players gain levels, skill points make up the real heart of the advancement system, and those skill points can be spent on absolutely any skill, regardless of class, as long as players are willing to pay a higher price to train skills not associated with their chosen professions.
AO's player base expanded a great deal when Funcom made the core game free to players willing to live with in-game advertising. Today it remains an exemplary title for a niche market, even though its business model generates a unique set of problems.
3. PlanetSide
Some readers will consider PlanetSide to be the most unusual choice on our list, since it's an FPS rather than an RPG. It didn't get its act together until a while after its launch, and it's quite small. So why are we putting it at number 3 on our list? Because it's a good game, and because it deserves credit for being one of the first high-profile attempts to expand the MMO beyond the RPG.
PlanetSide pits three factions against one another in 24/7 Sci-Fi first-person combat. At first it was difficult for players to find the action, but that's changed. Players can pilot a variety of vehicles and wield several weapons as they fight over capture points spread across ten planets. Rewards are given to those who perform well on the battlefield. Despite the rewards, though, PlanetSide is not much like traditional MMORPGs.
That's not a bad thing. In terms of diversity of experiences, the "massively multiplayer" genre isn't all that massive. It rarely engages new genres. We commend the developers of PlanetSide for trying something different.
2. Star Wars Galaxies (pre-NGE)
Star Wars Galaxies is one of the most controversial MMOs yet made. It's the only title on our list that's included with a disclaimer; "pre-New Game Enhancements."
The development of the original incarnation of SWG was helmed by famed game designer Raph Koster, who was also the lead designer for Ultima Online. Koster's SWG was ambitious. It featured 24 professions, 10 planets, and 10 races at launch, as well as a robust crafting system and completely open-ended character advancement. It was a challenging game; players could become Jedi, but only through a controversial mega-grind that was different for every character, and after all that, Jedi characters could permanently die.
The game was improved upon with the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, which added flight and combat in space. Player housing was added and later followed by player-built towns with mayors and city planning. The SWG of that period is the game to which we are awarding the number two spot.
About a year after Jump to Lightspeed, SOE responded to falling subscription numbers with the New Game Enhancements. The NGE drastically changed the game by eliminating several layers of complexity and making Jedi a starting class. The community responded negatively and SWG has never fully recovered. There might still be hope on the horizon for Star Wars fans, though.
1. EVE Online
We're willing to bet that no one is surprised that EVE Online is in the number one spot. EVE Online is so extraordinary that someone suggested that it's the cure for all the ills of the industry. That's a stretch; even as the game evades typical MMO pitfalls, it digs its own holes to fall into. Nevertheless, it's an outstanding game, and many of its features (like its advancement system, which allows players to develop their characters' skills while offline) should and probably will be inspiration for future generations of online games.
EVE Online can best be described as "open." It has open markets, open PvP combat (in low security systems, at least), and it's even going to have a faux democracy soon. Today's industry trends are all about controlled experiences with little risk. EVE Online is our number one because CCP has embraced risk. In doing so, it's produced a completely unique massively multi-player experience; imagine that! That makes EVE exceptional in every sense of the word.
Players of Earth & Beyond could earn XP along three tracks -- Trade, Exploration, and Combat. Some games dole out tiny amounts of XP for exploration, but it's almost unheard of to make it one of the three central modes of gameplay. That's unfortunate. Out of all of Richard Bartle's MUD/MMO-playing personality types, "Explorers" are the most shafted by current industry trends. If only more games would make exploration something more than a side note like Earth & Beyond did.
4. Anarchy Online
The game was groundbreaking in small ways before the expansions too. It was one of the first mainstream games to use instances. Players could (and can) even customize their instance experience and take on missions at the exact challenge level they wanted. AO also features a highly customizable advancement system that is, again, not unlike the pre-EQ way of doing things. Even though players gain levels, skill points make up the real heart of the advancement system, and those skill points can be spent on absolutely any skill, regardless of class, as long as players are willing to pay a higher price to train skills not associated with their chosen professions.
AO's player base expanded a great deal when Funcom made the core game free to players willing to live with in-game advertising. Today it remains an exemplary title for a niche market, even though its business model generates a unique set of problems.
3. PlanetSide
PlanetSide pits three factions against one another in 24/7 Sci-Fi first-person combat. At first it was difficult for players to find the action, but that's changed. Players can pilot a variety of vehicles and wield several weapons as they fight over capture points spread across ten planets. Rewards are given to those who perform well on the battlefield. Despite the rewards, though, PlanetSide is not much like traditional MMORPGs.
That's not a bad thing. In terms of diversity of experiences, the "massively multiplayer" genre isn't all that massive. It rarely engages new genres. We commend the developers of PlanetSide for trying something different.
2. Star Wars Galaxies (pre-NGE)
The development of the original incarnation of SWG was helmed by famed game designer Raph Koster, who was also the lead designer for Ultima Online. Koster's SWG was ambitious. It featured 24 professions, 10 planets, and 10 races at launch, as well as a robust crafting system and completely open-ended character advancement. It was a challenging game; players could become Jedi, but only through a controversial mega-grind that was different for every character, and after all that, Jedi characters could permanently die.
The game was improved upon with the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, which added flight and combat in space. Player housing was added and later followed by player-built towns with mayors and city planning. The SWG of that period is the game to which we are awarding the number two spot.
About a year after Jump to Lightspeed, SOE responded to falling subscription numbers with the New Game Enhancements. The NGE drastically changed the game by eliminating several layers of complexity and making Jedi a starting class. The community responded negatively and SWG has never fully recovered. There might still be hope on the horizon for Star Wars fans, though.
1. EVE Online
EVE Online can best be described as "open." It has open markets, open PvP combat (in low security systems, at least), and it's even going to have a faux democracy soon. Today's industry trends are all about controlled experiences with little risk. EVE Online is our number one because CCP has embraced risk. In doing so, it's produced a completely unique massively multi-player experience; imagine that! That makes EVE exceptional in every sense of the word.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gr1zz said on 11:46AM 11-27-2007
I have a subscription currently to both Eve and SWG, and I have 1 tip to anyone looking to get into space based game.
TRY THEM ALL.
I don't feel #X is greater than #Y, they all have their pro's and cons. Decide for yourself.
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GRT said on 12:29PM 11-27-2007
Anarchy Online was the first 3D MMO that really embraced "role play" gear, too. What I mean is, clothing and accessories that were just for show. And it had nightclubs and stuff, that really did attract players even though there was no gameplay reason for going their (unlike SWG).
I often wonder how popular it would've been if it hadn't had such a tragic launch..it was just a mess when it first came out. It was also pretty complex in a lot of ways.
Good times...
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Scopique said on 1:32PM 11-27-2007
Good, good list. I was actually sorry to see EnB go. I played up until the end, and it was a sad day for me. I've subscribed to all of those (except Planetside) for longer then I ever did for WoW, and I don't regret those decisions one bit.
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Coherent said on 2:10PM 11-27-2007
Personally, I think the skill system in EVE online is one of it's major drawbacks. Your mileage may vary, of course. :)
Planetside is the only game on this list that I don't currently play but can't say anything bad about. Planetside was awesome, I played it in beta and then almost eight months after release, and still some of my fondest memories all-out online warfare were in that world. It remains the only MMO to ever give me that "EPIC WARFARE" feeling, where, during certain battles, you could look in any direction and see massive carnage with tanks, aircraft, and infantry slugging it out in kinetic, explosive overload.
So what happened? I outgrew it. I still regret that sometimes, but you can't justify $15 per month to play an online shooter forever.
Sometimes I think about going back, but there are almost as good experiences for free these days. Of course I own Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 (my favorite, with the Titan battles), Team Fortress, etc. There are a lot of great choices today. But I'll always fondly remember the epic tower battles, bridge battles, and base battles of Planetside.
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Mocaris said on 2:17PM 11-27-2007
A often forgotten sci-fi game, thats still active, is 10six.
It's under a new name now. projectvisitor, but it's still around, It's about 10 years or so old now.
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JuJutsu said on 2:19PM 11-27-2007
"The game was improved upon with the Jump to Lightspeed expansion, which added flight and combat in space. Player housing was added and later followed by player-built towns with mayors and city planning. The SWG of that period is the game to which we are awarding the number two spot."
I don't want to nitpick too much but this description is, umm, inaccurate. Housing and player towns [along with mounts and vehicles] came along well before the Jump to Lightspeed expansion.
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Hot Soup said on 6:02PM 11-27-2007
Planetside was a wonderful game, even though the development stagnated and the community dwindled... I think there's still room for a spiritual or actual sequel in the gaming world (Tabula Rasa doesn't cut it, Huxley looks doubtful).
The wide, spanning continents, quasi-linear "line of scrimmage" conflicts and scalability of the game was downright impressive. The fact that toe-to-toe firefights could happen in the same conflict with fighter jets and giant mechs is still baffling. I can't believe Planetside pulled it all off, and to a niche market at that.
Wake me up when Planetside 2 hits in 2015. In the meantime, I'll stay in City of Heroes.
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CrazyKinux said on 9:07PM 11-27-2007
Great list! I've beta tested E&B, SWG and EVE. T'was EVE Online which captured my heart, and I've never looked back since.
I'm actually looking forward, looking forward to the Trinity expansion that is!
http://www.crazykinux.com/
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Celestian said on 9:39PM 11-27-2007
AO didn't have problems at launch? What alternate reality are you from? AO was horrific at launch and probably the main reason it never took off with a lot of people. It took them 6-9 months just to have a playable game.
And as to SWG "exception". SWG was terrible when it launched (who wants to play Star wars and not be a jedi? Not many...) so before and after exclusion is silly. I hated pre-NGE for the simple fact I couldn't be a jedi (and don't say I could, no sane person could) though the NGE allowed me to the game was to old at that point.
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Chris said on 3:17AM 11-28-2007
The whole idea with making Jedi restricted in the first place was to avoid a game full of Jedi. There's nothing wrong with not playing a Jedi on a star wars game; look at republic commando, the original dark forces game, the x-wing games, the rogue squadron games, to name but a few. Meanwhile, Jedi SHOULD be special. They SHOULD be hard to attain, simply because of the whole galaxy, there is less than one in every billion who is force sensitive, and one in every billion of those actually strong enough in the force to become a Jedi. During the Clone Wars, there were thousands of Jedi at most in a whole galaxy. Besides, actually changing it was shooting themselves in the foot for the simple reason that it pissed off the people who put so much effort into gaining a Jedi character.
Jamie said on 3:37AM 12-03-2007
The fact is, Jedi destroyed SWG. Once people discovered how to do it, they just grinded their asses off and forgot the game they were previously enjoying, the people they were playing with and the communities that had developed. People started quitting like crazy and it died.
Simply put, there should have been No Jedi At All. There is no way to do it fairly.
Union said on 1:08AM 11-28-2007
This is a great list. I am still amazed by EVE's ability to get incrementally better as time passes. I am quite optimistic for the future of Sci Fi MMOs.
For those looking for other Sci Fi MMORPG fans, there is a terrific community growing at: http://www.scifimassive.com
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JPN said on 10:26AM 11-28-2007
excellent voyage reference.
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Blackbird71 said on 1:42PM 11-29-2007
Great list of Sci-Fi games. At one time or another, I've had subscriptions to three: EnB, SWG, and EVE. I'm especially glad to see that Earth and Beyond made the list, even though it is inactive. The game was not perfect, but it was wonderfully fun to play, and will always have a special place in my heart.
Props for using the SWG qualifier "pre-NGE," I think many vets of this game will agree that while not perfect, the pre-NGE game had a great deal of potential. The versatility of character creation was a big plus for me (sorry Celestian, not everybody wanted to be a Jedi, there was always KotOR for that). When the diversity was removed and the characters became cookie-cutter copies of each other, I had no reason to stay. I guess you could say that two of the games on your list are inactive, as the pre-NGE version of the game no longer exists.
So now I find myself in EVE, and it's been great. In it I find the best points (in my opinion) of the previous two. It has RPG-based space flight/combat (I was disappointed when SWG:JTL was about the same as XvT, I wasn't expecting twitch-based systems in a laggy RPG), and a very freeform character skill system allowing me to craft my character any way I like. Plus, the offline training system works great for someone like me, who has a day job and family obligations that require a lot of my time. I can feel like I can progress in the game without having to invest enormous amounts of time to do so.
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jimli said on 7:39AM 11-30-2007
It is rather sad that in order to make a top 5 of sci-fi MMO's, you need to include 2 games that are no longer active.
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Kashmar said on 6:11PM 12-03-2007
I used to play SWG way back when, and I'd say Massively is being gentle with SWG.. They should really be saying "SWG (pre-CR)"...
SOE's first mistake was the Combat Revamp (aka. Completely Retarded) that turned a perfectly good MMORPG into an MMOFPS.. More or less the entire player-base hated the change and begged SOE to not implement it after testing it on the test-servers. It felt more like "Star Wars meets Counter Strike" than a Star Wars RPG.
Their second mistake was to release the New Game Enhancements (aka. Not Good Enough) where they trashed the single best profession-system I've seen in an MMO for a straight (and utterly boring) leveling system, with dull classes (and the Entertainer class that lost it purpose in the game completely when SOE scrapped the combat-fatigue system).
I've logged into my old server a couple of times, and my old player-city is still there, but none of the structures have been payed upkeep on for YEARS! And that's how it is in most places.. Sure, there are still people playing it, but almost none of the old players stayed for long after the NGE released... We tried to like it, but it was just not possible to pay for a game that had been stripped of everything that was good about it.
I'm now happily playing EVE (after retiring from World of Warcraft) and loving it.
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rellik said on 12:35PM 12-05-2007
i wixh bell/rogers would hurry up and let me get something faster than dial up.
do you know how annoying it is to not have highspeed?
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