Choose My Adventure: Insert cartridge
Sooner or later, it had to happen. After years of resisting peer pressure from my fellow Massively writers, disapproving looks from old ladies on the bus, and two strongly worded op-ed columns in The New Yorker, I've finally capitulated to join the ranks of the few... the loud... the CMAers.
It's a scary thought, putting the fate of my gaming time into your hands, but so be it. Life is about getting out of your comfort zones, then realizing why those zones were so comfortable in the first place and racing right back to them. But before I reclaim my own destiny, I must navigate this dark valley of capricious voters.
I guess it's tradition to kick off a new series by giving y'all the chance to pick my new game of choice, and so until Sunday, you can attempt to dictate to me which title you'd like to see in the spotlight for the next couple of months. I thought long and hard about what games I was OK with trying and ended up with a list that fell into one of three categories: the old-school, the modern F2P wave, and the promising Asian imports. Read on to see the possible paths for my future, and choose wisely -- I'm counting on you!
The old-school
Are you interested in seeing a blast from the past get a few weeks of fame and glory here on Massively? Are you constantly telling your friends just how awesome these games were -- and still are -- and yet nobody listens to you? Or would you simply like to see a gamer from 2012 attempt to tackle content from the Stone Age of MMOs?
If so, you can take a shot at Dark Age of Camelot (2001), Anarchy Online (2001), or Asheron's Call (1999)!
The modern F2P wave
On the other hand, maybe you're looking for something a little more... modern. Perhaps with the hint of bohemian spirit and a smokey aftertaste? In that case, there's a whole slew of more recent titles that have gone free-to-play -- or started out that way in the first place.
In this category, we've got the superhero trilogy of Champions Online, City of Heroes, and DC Universe Online. Caped crusaders not your thing? Then how about Runes of Magic, Age of Conan, or Free Realms? I mean, AoC and Free Realms are pretty much the same game, but I had to put them both on there for posterity's sake.
Asian imports
Or do you have a hankering to see me abandon my roots as a Western gamer and try something a little more exotic? There are plenty of terrific titles that hail from the other side of the Pacific, and I'm sure there are more than a few of you who'd love to see me up to my neck in bamboo and pandas during these six weeks.
So here are your last three choices: the bloody Vindictus; the sleeper hit of 2011, Dragon Nest; or the alpacalicious Eden Eternal. Note that if you pick the last one, the alpaca puns I'll create will cause the true alpacalypse.
That's it! Twelve MMOs enter the ring this week, but only one will be chosen for my greatest gaming adventure yet -- which will it be?
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It's time to put the screws to Justin "Syp" Olivetti, as he enters the Choose My Adventure chamber and pits his wits against your will! Check back each Wednesday for a recap of the last week's play, then sound off in the polls and the comments to determine his course of action for the next week.
