Final Fantasy XIV came out recently.  It, like all other high profile MMOs before that have come before, stare me down everywhere I go.  In stores, at Amazon.com, on gaming websites…I can’t avoid it.  There’s this draw for me to play an MMO, and hopefully to someday find one that I’ll like.  So far it hasn’t been a very successful journey, nor do I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

My first attempt was actually with Final Fantasy XI.  Being a fan of the series, I thought the idea of an almost endless supply of gaming in a world populated with actual people could make for something special, especially since I hadn’t experienced something like that before.  I actually ended up purchasing the PS2 version, in the big box with the hard drive.  I got a keyboard and everything.  I want to say I played for about two months and then gave up.  It was frustrating.  The gameplay wasn’t really reminiscent of a Final Fantasy.  The story lacked.  I had no idea what was going on in the world.  That and the world was dull, the enemies were repetitive and damn was it difficult.  You really had to grind to move on to each new area, and if you did happen to traverse into territory you shouldn’t be in yet and you died, you’d be starting way far away from where you made it.

Part of the reason I think I didn’t get into the game was the grind.  I just wasn’t used to it.  Sure I’ve played RPGs before, but I had never played an MMO, and anybody who has played both knows the grind is way more grueling online.  About a year later, and about a year of hearing a few friends talk about their experiences with World of Warcraft, I decided to give that a try.  This one immediately took hold more than FFXI.  WoW just played smoother, looked more appealing, and gave you more of a “training” into the world of MMOs.  The quests were interesting, some funny, and every one you completed and every enemy you killed moved that little meter at the bottom showing your XP just a little further up.  The fact I had a friend or two playing along helped a lot as well.

Then it got old.  The quests started repeating, the grind was getting tiresome, you didn’t get that precious “ding” as often as you were before, and areas were starting to become too overwhelming, especially if you made the attempt alone.  Soon another account was cancelled and I moved on to my regular, non-monthly fee games that actually ended.

During a period of about two months where I was jobless, I decided to try FFXI again, because what better way to save money when you’re out of work than to spend 13 bucks a month on an MMO?  Either way, with more time and more of an understanding of MMOs, and listening to some podcasts while in the game, playing FFXI was a bit more entertaining than it was before.  Again, though, it got old.  Once I was employed, free time was more precious and I wanted to spend it with a variety of activities, not just one game.

Since then I’ve tried a few WoW-inspired titles like Lord of the Rings Online and Warhammer Online, both of which brought a few new ideas like awards for every little thing in LotRO, and better maps and the instantly creatable parties in Warhammer.  None of those improvements sucked me back into wanting to play an MMO for the long term.  Even powerhouse Warcraft added those features, but it still wasn’t enough to get me back in.

But I want to, badly.  I’d love to be able to play WoW or FFXIV, but I just know that I’ll do it for a little and never go back.  That’s been the pattern up until now, so why would it suddenly change?  What would it take for me to fall in love with an MMO?

I don’t think I can answer that.  I’m not sure I know what I want.  If I try to think about some of my favorite games and then try to “MMO” them, it just doesn’t seem to work.  All my favorite games have one thing in common:  isolation.  Games in the Metroid, Castlevania, and Zelda series all have solid titles that are based around you against the world.  But that’s the key, especially with Metroid and Castlevania, you’re dropped into a world that is just waiting there for you to explore. 

So I guess what I’m saying is that I appreciate the first M and the O but not really the second M:  multiplayer.  I haven’t been a fan of multiplayer games for the most part.  Why do I keep trying then?  Why do I believe one of these games will break through and finally be the winner?

All I know is I’m going to give it a shot.  Starting soon the quest for the best MMO, or at least most acceptable, will begin.  I’ll be trying some of the games I have before again, along with new ones.  The requirements are that they have to be free, have a free trial, or be extremely cheap.  For example, I still have my WoW software, so I wouldn’t mind paying for a month, but I won’t pay 50 bucks for something just to try it out.  Well, maybe The Old Republic.  Also I have to spend at least two weeks in that world, so hopefully about every two weeks you should get an update on the quest in our new series on Proto Attack, MMO Hunter.