Choose My Adventure: No more lightsabers!

As most of readers of my column realize, I love the Star Wars franchise, and I will pretty much play any game if it has that label on it. However, I am not just a Star Wars fan, I am also a big MMO fan. Well, at least I like the idea of MMOs. Ultima Online blew my mind when it came out over a decade ago. I had been glued to my TV and Nintendo until I saw that I could play a game that simulated living in the Ultima universe. Since then I have tried out nearly every major MMO to hit the web since then -- which brings us to today.

Choose My Adventure is a chance for Massively readers to guide one member of the writing staff on an adventure in a game of the readers' choosing. For the next six weeks, I want you to choose my adventure for me. As I mentioned, I have tried nearly every major title in the last decade, but I haven't necessarily spent a lot of time in all of them. After the break, I will describe some of the games that I believe will be great for this task, and you can choose one for me via poll. Then, as a special bonus, on Friday at 6 p.m. EDT I will introduce you to each of the games on Massively's Livestream channel.

Age of Conan
When Age of Conan released, my computer did not quite meet the necessary requirements to play this game. By the time I could play, most of my friends had already said they didn't like it or had burned out and moved on to other games. However, some interesting things have happened to this game, like a graphics upgrade, and most importantly, the game is now free-to-play. I'm interested to see what has changed.

Black Prophecy
This is a brand-new game as far as release dates are concerned, but it's already built up a strong community. Also, this game is not one I would normally follow. I can never stick with EVE Online because (most of the time) I'm just playing a ship. That is usually too much disconnect for me. However, Black Prophecy is an action-based game. I loved X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, so maybe I will like this one.

City of Villains
I used to play this game a lot, but I haven't played it in years. We have heard a lot about Going Rogue and the upcoming Freedom overhaul, and City of Heroes seems to be the staple of the franchise. Yet know one seems to talk about the villain side. If you pick this game for me, I will definitely play the City of Villains and let you in on my evil adventures.

EverQuest II
When I first started playing MMOs, EverQuest was the opposite of what I considered an MMO. When EQII hit the market, I didn't even consider playing it. About a year later, I did end up spending some time in the game, but with all the expansions and changes to the newbie quests, the game is not even close to the game I played. I'm also interested in the community in this game.

Free Realms
This game is a secret love of mine. I played in beta and shortly after launch, and I hop on every once in a great while. However, like EverQuest II, this game has changed a lot since it launched. I'm really interested in actually spending time with this game to see what has changed and what keeps people hooked on it. I may even have my daughter play with me to see whether the game holds her interest.

Global Agenda
A year ago, I played the hell out of this game, but I really haven't touched it since. On top of that, I didn't focus on the PvP side. Sandstorm made this game very interesting because it renovated the PvE side. I'm hoping that, if you choose this game for me, I will get involved in a guild with some PvP focus.

Perfect World
I have never touched this game, ever, so I've made it the first one in the poll. I really know very little about this game other than that it is the core game for Perfect World Entertainment. I do have a friend who swears by Perfect World, but I have never really had the time to get into the game. If you choose this game for me, I will be completely blind. I really don't know what I will be getting into!

RIFT
This game has a tremendous following, and a couple of my friends at Gamebreaker.TV and here at Massively love this game. I want to love it, too, but they are so far ahead of me in the game that I really cannot hope to catch up. Maybe if you pick this game for me, we can play the game together and level up as a group -- just a thought.

Star Trek Online
I admit, I did not like this game when it first released. I found everything stiff and boring. Space combat and exploration were interesting, but much like other players, I found the ground combat to be stiff and boring. However, with the latest combat upgrade and the addition of The Foundry, my interest in the game has been piqued again. If you pick this game for me, I hope to get a good taste of both ground combat and The Foundry.

Vindictus
I love action-combat games, and since I have really burned myself out on DC Universe Online and TERA isn't released yet, that really only left Vindictus and Dragon Nest. So I flipped a coin and Vindictus made the list. I really like story in a game, and although Vindictus begins with a good story, it really appears to be an achievement-based game. There are also classes that I have not played yet in this game -- perhaps you will give me the opportunity.

Which game should I play?

Here it is -- your chance to choose which game I will play for the next six weeks! Choose wisely; even if you choose your favorite game, you may regret what I have to say about it.

And I want your direct involvement. On Fridays at 6 p.m. EDT -- the day before voting closes -- I will livestream my gameplay for an hour so you get a taste of where your votes have taken our adventure. Be sure to watch and vote! This will be a great time for all of us.

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Larry Everett is a nut who loves to play MMOs. Sure, he really wants to be playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, but alas, it's not out yet. In the meantime, he needs your help: Tell him what and how to play while he waits! Direct his game time in Choose My Adventure on Wednesdays and the livestream on Fridays!