Golden Cog Awards Celebrate MMO Winners

Thanks to Stratics for publishing its Golden Cog Awards for 2003, honoring "the very best of 2003's Massive Multiplayer titles... chosen through the votes of literally hundreds of Stratics staffers." Interesting or unexpected choices include Codemaster's Dragon Empires as 'Best Beta' ("populated by creatures that thrive in their ecosystem by acts of migration and foraging"), eGenesis' A Tale In The Desert as 'Most Innovative' ("...a difficult game to classify because of its pioneering nature"), and overall, Final Fantasy XI as 'MMOG Of The Year' ("...attention to detail, and a great community.")

Comments

FFXI

[Nutcase]

This is the best game I have ever played of any type. It is my first MMORPG, and I am severely addicted. I don't think I will ever play any of my other games again.

Highly Highly Recommended.

Re:FFXI

[Nutcase]

I disagree. It definately has a chatroom feel to it. But it also has extensive quests and plotting involved, just like any other final fantasy game. You do quests to find items, which is definately not chat.. but does induce party based chatting.

The thing is.. there are also missions. Missions progress you through the plot, and let you follow the various stories in the world (which apparently will change over the story of the plot and/or time)

It seems to me that if developers release a game that I enjoy much much more than the so called "real games" I used to get, sending them a message that it's good would be the right thing to do.

Besides.. what makes a game real? Having to play it alone vs. characters that are entirely computer controlled? Thanks, but I think its the human interaction that makes mmorpgs so much more fun in the first place.

Re:FFXI

[MMaestro]

FFXI is a glorified chatroom, just like Everquest and 90% of the other MMOs out there.

FFXI and Everquest along with 90% of the other MMOs out there are MMORPGs. The whole point of them is to Role Play. They weren't designed to be a jump in, wack a couple things, piss off a buncha random people you don't know online, and then jump off laughing knowing you've wasted somebody's time type of game. You want a non-glorified chatroom online game? Go play Counter-Strike. Other than people spamming with macros and the occasional yellings of 'CHETAR!@!!!@!111!' EXTREMELY few people talk there.

MMORPGs are the best thing that never happened.

[Marc_Hawke]

As the guy above says about FFXI, "I'll never play any other game again." The promise of a MMORPG makes most other games seem like petty wastes of time.

I've been looking for the right MMO since 1993.

I'm in love with the concept, but hate the games. I love the message boards for these games. I spend hours and hours every day, reading about MMO's , writing about MMO's, arguing/dreaming about MMOs.

However, once I get the chance to play them, they can't keep my interest for even a day, and I look for another game with a message board.

In this contest, I was rooting for Dragon Empires. It's not release, and I haven't had a chance to play Beta. :) I think WoW is good still as well. :)