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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: A little sumpin' sumpin' on the side
by Chris Cohron 
Jul 17th 2010 at 8:00AM
We've all been there before -- that magical moment when we let go of our loyalties to the object of our affection and simply give in to those inner desires for something new and exciting. Before we know it, we have turned away from our first love, leaving it huddled up in the corner feeling dirty and unwanted. Even if we don't personally engage in this abandonment, we are always anticipating the next story of someone else's doing it and the nitty-gritty details that come out. No, I'm not pulling headlines off the latest celebrity gossip columns again; I'm talking about your loyalties to WoW!
From old crushes like EverQuest and Star Wars Galaxies to newer flames such as Star Trek Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online, we all have games whose siren songs draw us into their grasp, away from our beloved WoW. With plenty of new and exciting MMOs on the horizon (we're looking at you, The Old Republic), now is the perfect time to start experimenting with a polygamous online gaming habit. While the frozen shores of Northrend have been nice, a trip into the Mines of Moria in Lord of the Rings Online may be the perfect thing to liven things up a bit and get that passion for your first love back.
Here are a couple of things to look for when finding that pinch hitter in order to keep the flame alive until the second honeymoon called Cataclysm arrives:
- Community A trip to any game's forums can offer great insight into the political activities of the Neanderthals, but some game's player bases seek to offer something unique and exciting to their fellow players aside from Chuck Norris jokes. For instance, Star Wars Galaxies offers up an incredible community of roleplaying groups, and EVE's many corporations and their ruthless actions make loot drama look like toddlers fighting over the ball at recess.
- Game type While WoW reigns supreme as far as PvE encounters go, some argue that the PvP function is lacking in many ways. The realm vs. realm play of Warhammer Online and the brutal, open-world PvP of Darkfall each offer up different ways to sate that bloodlust, when killing Arthas doesn't cut it.
- Genre You can only drive an obscenely large sword into the skull of a rat so many times before it starts to wear on you. If fantasy games such as LotRO and Aion just aren't doing it for you, then perhaps a much larger change is just what the doctor ordered to fight off those pre-expansion blues. While STO and EVE offer up the common "space" theme, there are many other unique genres, such as the new cops-and-robbers sim All Points Bulletin and the post-apocalyptic Fallen Earth. Swapping out that broadsword for a shiny 9mm can do wonders!
Have you ever wanted to write for WoW.com? Your chance may be right around the corner. Watch for our next call for submissions for Breakfast Topics via Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. The next byline you see here may be yours!Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
Sharvis Jul 17th 2010 9:53AM
Not that I haven't made enough comments already, but I thought I'd toss out a warning for those interested in playing another MMO. Be careful of the communities in regards to WoW. I've found a lot of people will diss it just because and will openly mock anyone that expresses their like for the game. I don't know why they do, as there's probably a number of reasons. It's frustrating that you don't see more who just let it be and move on, instead of being obnoxious about it.
Arbolamante Jul 17th 2010 10:31AM
I have an on-again, off-again LOTRO account that I fire up when WoW starts to drag for me. I think it's a great game, great community - but the WoW bashing that shows up in chat on a regular basis is just odd. I want to pipe up and say that in WoW you don't see people talking trash about other games, but it doesn't seem worth the trouble.
Tirrimas Jul 17th 2010 11:21AM
I played DDO for a little while, and the WoW-bashing and the cash shop turned me right off.
Jamie Jul 18th 2010 4:52AM
While I think the MapleStory community is less vocal on WoW bashing their too busy pretending to kill each other with their weapons (even though the game doesn't support player killing...), individuals do have odd perceptions of WoW, for example:
- WoW is expensive, comparibly WoW is very cheap compared to cash shop model games if you what the features WoW gives inclusively (generally cash shop options can last between 90 to forever in the duration of their services).
- If you play WoW you'll be addicted for life - obviously they've never seen a player between during expansion lifecycles - hahaha...
- Some players kill themselves if they have their account hacked - Ironically the day the guy said this to me I had my WoW account hacked and I'm still here - WoW has excellent support, the best I've experienced really within 8hrs I had my account back in my hands and all my items & gold restored.
Iirdan Jul 17th 2010 9:54AM
When LotRO goes free to play, I will certainly be playing that on the side.
Wolftech Jul 17th 2010 10:02AM
I am in the beta of that (and I cant say any more about it due to NDA). I also have a subscription to the current P2P version. There are some things I think are superior in LOTRO to WoW, and vice-versa. The Music system is awesome and the crafting is a little better than WoW I think. One of my major complaints is that there is no real customization like WoW. But then again, I am an addon addict. Nothing on my WoW UI is unchanged.
Rakah Jul 17th 2010 10:00AM
For anyone that hasn't played darkfall. The UI is bad. the graphics are bad, animations are bad but boy is the game fun! I remeber seeing a friend being attacked by another player of an enemy race to i shot him a few times square in the back and stole all his gear and his mount. Awesome. If you love pvp darkfall is very brutal but be wary of the grind. There are no levels you level the skills you want by using them.
Sinfulle Jul 17th 2010 10:32AM
Now and then I go back and play some older games, when I can get them running on newer operating systems. Neverwinter Nights, Dungeon Siege, Grim Fandango, and a few others.
If I spend too much time in WoW, I become satiated and upon logging in and entering the game world, my eyelids will get heavy. I need to take time off WoW, or it feels less like fun and more like work.
My RPG history went from Diablo 2 to Guild Wars beta, to Everquest 2, to LotRO, to WoW. I tend not to go back to old MMO's as there was a reason I left, and want nothing more to do with them.
Outis Jul 17th 2010 10:33AM
The word is "polygamerous."
fridaymacfay Jul 17th 2010 11:01AM
I've tried a few others. Flirting really. But I keep looking for something WoW-like to enjoy in these in-between xpac spots in WoW. None even come close to holding up to WoW, no matter how buff and sexy they seem at first. I hope people will share more of their likes and dislikes with other flirts. Not an MMO, but Dragon Age really is amazing. Worth a little fling!
feniks9174 Jul 17th 2010 11:00AM
- " and EVE's many corporations and their ruthless actions make loot drama look like toddlers fighting over the ball at recess."
We don't need a comparison to EVE for loot drama to look like that.
Dea ex Machina Jul 17th 2010 11:06AM
Add me to those for whom WoW is the something on the side. During lulls or breaks I go back to my first love... (*glances around in embarassment before whispering*) Single Player Adventure Games.
Sam & Max, Monkey Island, King's Quest, THOSE were the games that made my heart flutter when I was a wee slip of a girl! And all of them have sequels or remakes (official or fanmade) out right now. That new German game that came out recently, The Whispered World, looks completely awesome. Jane Jenson's upcoming Grey Matter gives me hope for the future. I also go through free amateur adventures like popcorn.
WoW is fun. But I admit it, when Sam & Max: Beyond the Alley of the Dolls comes out on Tuesday? I will be a callous cad and won't even call or write.
Rob Jul 17th 2010 11:45AM
I'm playing LOTRO. I kinda gave up doing stuff in wow. I don't PVP, so arena/bg is out. I leveled..8 toons already, one at 71, i refuse to do NR until they buff the xp. I can't raid, no time. Heroics are pointless, thanks ilvl300 greens in cataclysm. So, yeah i'm left with making money on the AH, and that is only interesting for so long. Guess i'm done with WoW for a while.
Oni Stardust Jul 17th 2010 11:55AM
I've wanted to try other MMOs, but my bank account simply cannot sustain two game subscriptions (well ok, it can but I'm not willing to shell out that much). The main one that has tempted me is Final Fantasy XI since before I got into WoW Final Fantasy titles made up about 80% of the games I played. Although from what I hear about it, XI's gameplay dose not seem like it would be for me.
I've been trying a variety of the free MMOs out there. But most of them are lackluster at best. A few have been kind of fun, but failed to hold my attention for any extended period of time.
Avan Jul 17th 2010 11:59AM
Sometimes I put WoW aside to play a console game with either really compelling co-op or multiplayer. Like Crackdown 2! Awesome co-op there.
Bill Jul 17th 2010 12:11PM
Ever since I started WoW I tried Warhammer online, even blew $50 on it for the full thing, got bored after 2 weeks and went back to WoW, the sad part of this story is after I canceled my subscription on Warhammer it kept renewing itself from my credit card, for about a year it kept doing this until my card expired and they gave me an email some 12 months later saying that my subscription had finally expired.
Ravdoss Jul 17th 2010 12:42PM
I abandoned all things WoW for two days and plopped my love picnic basket in front of GlaDOS. She was not nearly so amused and delighted in telling me that I have no friends, that everything I've ever done was wrong and that I was adopted (which was news to me). I must be a glutton for punishment because I plan on going to pay her another visit before Portal 2 arrives next year ;)
kazeko.fuuga Jul 17th 2010 2:03PM
Glutton? Sure you don't mean sadist?
kazeko.fuuga Jul 17th 2010 2:10PM
Um....I meant masochistic...
Sumanis Jul 17th 2010 12:54PM
I personally cant wait for Tera online.. they have put so much money and time into the development of the game.. It looks gorgeous!!