Was WoW your first MMORPG?

Yes
18% (13 votes)
No I've played several others
49% (35 votes)
No I've dabbled in the past with others
15% (11 votes)
No I used to play one other MMORPG
17% (12 votes)
Total votes: 71
Feathered Fury
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duckilama's picture
Location: Fighting for Bovine Freedom!

Aside from MUDs, I "started" on The Realm, then EQ, then DAoC, then WoW.
(Oh, yeah, I'm not even mentioning any of the betas I was in and ran screaming from or just got bored with)
(Edit: Forgot to throw in GuildWars and CoH after WoW, and a guest pass to DDO)

If I could have the RvR part of DAoC in the WoW game, I'd be forever level 52.5 - you'd never get me out of the frontiers. Fortunately, I'm not going to stand in line for 3 hours in hopes of getting stomped in a contrived "even teams" situation. Maybe when I run out of PVE content or hit 60.

"And my son, too, thinks everything is a launchpad, every bug a meal, and every sunny day a reason to take all your clothes off and roll around in the grass." - rabbit

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Location: Somewhere along the South Saturn Delta

Aside from some Emlen MUD's, WoW is my first MMORPG (and probably the last).

0 to Zen in under 6 seconds
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karmajay's picture
Location: St. Pete, Florida

You know better GG, we used to have huge discussions on which was better WoW or EQ2, both of us having not played the other at the time!

I don't think I've ever said this sentence before, but man would I love to hump that butterfly.-- KrazyTaco
One phone call and you're melting like butter over my kettle pop. -- Edwin to Mex
2005 GWJFFL2 Champion

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neuromancer's picture
Location: Chiba City

I played EQ for 5 years (/shudder), COH in 2004, Lineage 2(beta), Rubies of Eventide, and 1 other whose name escapes me at the moment.

DDO looks interesting, but I don't see myself leaving WoW anytime soon.

"There's too much blood in my caffeine system..."
BHA - Cuanos/Crowlie/Kasparov

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Ah, the Realm. What a wonderfully goofy game.

The Emperor's Pimp Hand
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LockAndLoad's picture
Location: Waiting for 5PM...

Bah, I accidentally closed my browser window so I lost my previous post... here's a stripped down version of what I wrote...

I started with old text-based MUDs like Kylon's World, Gemstone 3 and NWN (on AOL). A few years later a friend turned me on to Everquest: Ruins of Kunark and I was a satisfied Evercrack addict for many years (while having an "unsatisfied" girlfriend as well). I then got into the Star Wars Galaxies beta & release but it only held my interest for 4 months before I moved on in frustration. I then briefly got into the now dead Asheron's Call 2 and the tedious and boring Final Fantasy XI. And then I got seriously hooked on City of Heroes for several months but now I can't play it at all due to a network issue with my ISP (I can 't get anyone to explain to me how the entire town of Massillon, Ohio can't play a single online game!? Must be a consipracy! ). I then tried the Guild Wars beta and it wasn't that bad but just not my kind of game. Let's see, then I got into the EQ2, Lineage 2 and Matrix Online betas but I found all of those extremely underwhelming until I got into the WoW Stress Test and was floored by how great of a game it was.

And I still think WoW has set an impossibly high standard for the genre. It's going to take something significantly innovative to overtake it. I've done the Eve Online 14-day trial twice now and it's pretty good if you have the patience. I'd love to get into D&D Online but with the baby in the NICU that's not going to be happening anytime soon. As far as what's coming soon, well Auto Assault isn't getting very much praise and Star Trek Online sounds like it could be a pretty big dud as well. So it looks like WoW's position is looking mighty secure. I'm hearing something about a game called Vanguard but I haven't bothered looking into it yet.

Gamertag: RiverRatMatt
Witchlight Cycle: Sithis of the Thelis'Thale Clan, Dragonborn Paladin of Moradin

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Jeb's picture
Location: Floating down the French Broad.

I played a MUD called Xyllomer for about 3 years and then Everquest for another couple or three. I do love WoW, but I'm beginning to get the itch again...

Mercury's been in retrograde most of the week. It's like a full moon with a side of kicked-in-the-nuts. -- H.P. Lovesauce

Service with a Sword and a Smile
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painthappens's picture
Location: At work... way too often!

Circle MUD, The Realm. UO (for the shortest time possible!) EQ and then WOW... Also a bunch of mini online texty ones.

WOW: Bounce

Goin' Commando
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Edwin's picture
Location: Miami, FL

I've beta tested almost ever known MMO, but WoW was the first one I actually payed for.

Executive
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Location: Fountain Valley, CA

I was a big junky of the Mythic's (back before they were Mythic) MUD Darkness Falls on AOL for a good year or so, back when we were running their games on AOL (let's face it - no way was I paying $1.99 an hour for it...).

Then I got the EQ bug. Played that sucker more on than off for over three years.

Since then, I've tried many MMORPG's of various stripes: DAOC, COH/COV, FFXI, SWG, EQII, DDO, plus random betas and others I've long since forgotten (or would care not to admit to ).

And of course, my latest addiction...WoW.

Here to save you all
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TheGameguru's picture
Location: The Park

The "impact" of WoW is starting to churn up MMOG's again in the Venture circles... I'd love to do this sort of poll on a larger scale though.. I'm curious to see how many first timers are playing WoW.

Its fun watching peoples eyes bulge when you talk about 6 million subs at ~$12 a month...

Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarter

Down in the Park with a friend called Five.

http://wumusicgroup.com/

PIE MASTER
fangblackbone's picture
Location: bay area

I started with NWN on AOL

Then played UO for several years

EQ for several years

AC for 4 months

DAoC for a little less than a year

AC 2 for a little less than a year

Planetside for a little less than a year

City of Heroes for a month

City of Villains for a month (beta)

EQ2 for a month

WoW since launch and current

Being fangoriously devoured by a gelatinous monster.

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Grinfin's picture
Location: Salt Lake City

My first taste was the EQ beta, but I only played retail for a month or so. AC held my attention for a few years, on and off. Games I've played for a few months are SWG, Horizons, and CoH. And then there's WoW.

Executive
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Spleen's picture
Location: Edmonton

Other than playing the beta of Guild Wars, WoW was my first MMORPG. I avoided them like the plague before that, scared of the time sink. However, good press here on the sites as well as my gaming friends buying it made me succumb.

I had a great year but have not played in about 3 months. I still have my sub though, thinking I may try to play again.

I'm still right here
Giving blood, keeping faith

Bow Before Me, Norway!
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Haakon7's picture
Location: The Untamed Wilds

Spleen wrote:
Other than playing the beta of Asheron's Call, WoW was my first MMORPG. I avoided them like the plague before that, scared of the time sink. However, good press here on the sites as well as my gaming friends buying it made me succumb.

I think you told my story wrong, Spleen.
And I think we were right in fearing the time sink. I've only been in since November, but I feel the drain. 7, 8, 10, 15... hours a week. It adds up.
At least with Oblivion, I'll be able to save and walk away when I want to go to bed, instead of 'just finishing this one quest'...

I played tons of MU*'s, but really enjoyed the MUSH's and MUX's, back when I was in high school. MUDs were fun, but there was more narrative in the others (more like TT games).

Man, its been years since I've thought of those... Text gaming rocks.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Hear that, Words? You and Jazzhands can take turns re-enacting scenes from CSI: Miami! Don't you feel great?

Doooom!
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Strekos's picture
Location: Dripping Springs, TX

DAoC was my first. I've also played AC2, Shadowbane, Earth and Beyond, AO, Planetside, FFXI, and CoH all for at least 3 months.

Dodging Fingers
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booty's picture
Location: Right behind you

WoW is my first. Worked with some EQ addicts and saw how it wrecked their lives, so stayed away from the whole genre for a long time.

Xbox Live: Stilgar Black

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TAZ89's picture
Location: Tempe, AZ

I used to view MMOs as something bad. Or at least something I didn't want to get involved with. I had the I won't pay a monthly fee to play a game I already bought bug.

WoW was my first MMO, largely because many folks on this site said if you only play one MMO to try the genre out WoW is the one to try. I still play WoW about 3-4 days a week. I also have tried DAOC, but it didn't stick, and I play EVE about 2 days a week.

All in all, my gameplay is really focused on MMOs now. I got the bug.

(WoW)Snaekolf -- lvl 69 Dwarf Hunter (BM)-- Dragonblight
(WoW)Whyppet -- lvl 70 Gnome Warlock (MD)-- Dragonblight
(WoW)Tarnya -- Lvl 70 Human Paladin (Prot)-- Dragonblight
(AoC)Whyppet -- lvl 29 Necro -- Thog
(LotrO)Snaekolf -- lvl 39 Champion

Renaissance Man
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Razorgrin's picture
Location: Rolling for initiative, as my master Tycho commands

I started with Gemstone 3 on AOL way back when, then graduated to the spiritual successor, DragonRealms, when they moved to the Web. I played that for Gods-only-know how long, then jumped into CoH for about fifteen minutes. Then, y'know, WoW.

If I didn't drink, Crom would laugh and cast me out of Valhalla when I die. Peer pressure I can handle, but not when it comes from Crom. -Lobo

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Fripper's picture
Location: Portland, OR

I started with Underlight and loved it for about a year or so. Moved on from there to EQ. Then later had stops in Neocron, Asheron's Call (for one day), CoH, EQ2 and then finally WoW.

1 Perk Every 1000th Post
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shihonage's picture
Location: Location, location, location.

City of Heroes was my first MMO, WoW - second.

Ancient Shelter video is now annotated. New milestone video still pending.

0 to Zen in under 6 seconds
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karmajay's picture
Location: St. Pete, Florida

Quote:
I started with Underlight and loved it for about a year or so

Wow! Thats some heavy stuff. You must have enjoyed it then. It would be very interesting to play that game for a year.

I don't think I've ever said this sentence before, but man would I love to hump that butterfly.-- KrazyTaco
One phone call and you're melting like butter over my kettle pop. -- Edwin to Mex
2005 GWJFFL2 Champion

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Fripper's picture
Location: Portland, OR

karmajay wrote:
Quote:
I started with Underlight and loved it for about a year or so

Wow! Thats some heavy stuff. You must have enjoyed it then. It would be very interesting to play that game for a year.

Well like I said it was my first mmo, so I was pretty dazzled by the 3d multiplayer enviroment. That enviroment really hasn't aged well at all, so it'd be tough to go back.

But the real strength of the game was, and still is, the players. All quests were given by players, arts were taught by gms to the senior players who in turn taught them to the younger ones. Storylines and events were player driven with assistance from the gms. Just the sheer imagination applied to the game is unlike I had ever seen before or since. Here five or six years after playing it I still vividly remember some of my teachers, members of my house (KoES), and even a maren (gm controlled beasts) or two.

It was also was a bit before it's time in that it had a bit of a twitch element to it, both in melee and in ranged combat.

For a particular niche of gamers, it was (and probably still is in some aspects) a great game.

Granola and Grenades
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Druidpeak's picture
Location: Super cool treehouse of adventures.

Wheel of Time MUD for a bit, then eventually Asheron's Call 2 beta, Lineage 2 beta, City of Heroes, and finally WoW.

Xbox Live gamertag Druidpeak

Goes to 11
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hubbinsd's picture
Location: The Circus of Values

Star Wars Galaxies was my first *shudder*. WoW was my second.

Xbox Live: hubbinsd

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Geck's picture
Location: Lost. Drifting.

I was addicted to MUDs in the early 90s, then quit online gaming completely until WoW.

Ph.D. in Awesome
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Dr._J's picture
Location: On the dark side of oblivion

I lost my MMOPRG innoncence to FFXI. In the end, the chemistry that was there when we first hooked up was gone. Things about FFXI that first got me excited (the vast worlds, the multitude of people, the feel of actually investing time into a character) became the very things that wore out our once hot and passionate affair. At first I loved spending every free moment of my time with FFXI, but I found that I was losing my individuality in the relationship. My needs for real time strategies and first person shooters seemed to be ignored as the relationship quickly deterioated into grind, grind, grind. Near the end my relastionship with FFXI made me feel guilty if I did anything other than spend time with it. I needed room to grow and the relationship I was in did not allow it. We ended it after 9 months. I swore afterwards that I had learned my lesson about certain kinds of games. I am no longer attracted to those kinds of games anymore, but rather I have learned to settle down with smart, sensible games. Ones that allow me to have my own "me" time and do not require hours upon hours of attention. In short: I'm all about the pause button and no monthly fees!

A Mind Without Purpose Will Walk In Dark Places

"I may be out of ammo but I ain't out of chainsaw B*TCHES!" - Sinister's warcry for Gears of War

Old Vet
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Donan's picture
Location: PNW

AC 1 for 5 years. EVE, Planetside, Star Wars, AC 2, Guild Wars I dabbled in ( a few other's I can't remember).

Nine Lives of Doom
PurEvil's picture
Location: Columbia, MD

I spent 5 years on Asheron's Call, and enjoyed it up until a couple months before I quit. I tend to go solo, and I could do that [for the most part] in AC. But then they started making everything where you *HAD* to have a group to progress. On top of that, most of the best quests were 4+ hours long [if you had to leave, or, with some, lost connection, you had to start over], and I have a computer intolerant wife. Turbine started aiming content at the powergaming teenies that can spend way more time leveling than I can, and the cheaters who macro'd the hours away. So, I fell way behind [never came close to max level, I quit at lvl 86, max is 126... though now, it's around 275 I think]. So, since most of the content at the time I left was aimed way above my level, I lost interest.

Robear tried to get me into WoW, and I did try it a little, but I doubt I'll get into it. Looks fun, but I'm nervous about spending money on a game I won't have enough time to play [the $50 price doesn't help that much]. I've also tried SW Galaxies [WAY too much lag for my taste], Anarchy Online [which I actually enjoyed, but never subscribed], and AC2 [which... I don't know, just didn't keep my interest].

Right now I'm just sticking to games I can pause/save, and leave for later. Seems to be best in my situation.

IronClad Online: PurEvil

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Running Man's picture
Location: Colorado

I started with Ultima Online the first week it went live. Buggy as hell but I didn't care, it was a sheer joy to play alongside hundreds of other actual people. Once Origin/EA split Sosaria into Felucca (pvp) and Trammel (consensual pvp only) the game lost its luster. Since then I divided my time between Anarchy Online and DaoC, then the completely awful Horizons. City of Heroes is next, and I still re-subscribe to it every so often. World of Warcraft was fun for a while, but I just didn't have the time to devote to it. City of Heroes is more my speed now; I can come and go as I please, with no commitments to a guild or devotion of large chunks of time to endgame raid dungeons.

my vote cancels out yours