Similar alternatives to World of Warcraft?

[Favaro]

I hope Classic brings back the nostalgia of the old gaming. I can't seem to get a good feeling while playing the new expansions. I miss the good old days of WoW, and have tried looking for another game but can't seem to find one where you have some nice end game content.
Only concern for the Classic WoW is that we have already played that, we know the story, and we know the zones and quests it still won't bring you the feel of exploring a new world or having a different questing experience for those that have played the game a lot.

[Zaiven]

Currently I'm just waiting for some of the new MMO's on the horizon to release. I'm one of those people who like to RP and that just makes things 10 times harder outside WoW, especially if you also want a decent game. Sadly I'm reaching the point where I'm considering if WoW just turns mediocre and my former guild get together, I'll probably return. LotRO worked for awhile and so did GW2, but I just couldn't return to them after a hiatus.

[Damian Cunliffe]

I was never able to find a suitable alternative to WoW, but then when I quit in 2009 during WotLK I was looking for a suitable alternative to how WoW used to be in Burning Crusade and Classic - a challenging, community based MMO instead of an instant gratification "I want epic gear immediately" MMO.

Lord of the Rings Online kept me satisfied for a while - it was community based and it was challenging, but over time they made the game easier and easier until eventually you could kill mobs 5 levels higher than you without taking any damage. I tried it again a few months ago and it's just so easy it's not even worth playing. Also it lacked any world PvP at all.

I tried Guild Wars 2 and... I just didn't like it. No world PvP, not community based at all, everything can be done alone pretty much.

I tried Star Wars: The Old Republic and had some fun but that wasn't it.

EVE Online is where I had the most success in finding an alternative to WoW. Totally community driven, dangerous world, really good progression... about a year ago though they introduced pay2win mechanics. You can buy skill injectors to instantly give yourself skills that would take months or even years to learn before. You can also buy money to spend in game. Didn't like this at all.

I dunno what to tell you. Wait a few months for Classic WoW to release and play that maybe?

[Ultimate Goose]

Any idea on how the combat system will be changing? Iv been interested in FFXIV for quite a while, but i couldn't get around the same ol' same ol' feeling combat (tho i dont know how it feels later in the game).

I haven't researched it much yet, all I've heard is that the TP and MP bar are going to be melded into 1 bar on the hud, since one of them is usually a useless stat, like mp for monk.

Combat is repetitive sure but I think most MMOs are like that, the duty finder, quests, main quest, leves, guildhests, instanced raids, most of the fun is at end game with many high level raids and alliance raids (3 teams of 8), the social interaction is good too, hud customisability is exceptional, and the game runs really well. Player houses, chocobo raising, gardening, fun games, exploration, a lot to choose from!

Though it isn't the only MMO, best go for what suits you, I played ESO and its a good game too.

[noshpaq]

you guys have any good alternatives that are mechanically similar?

Whatever you do, do not get anywhere near ESO.

The game was pretty much an okay MMO from the start, but now it turned into some kind of a casual grind simulator with co-op. And though it is still quite enjoyable today, the game also even more shallow and unpromising than it was after the launch.

Clockwork City DLC was the first and the last interesting introduction to the game from my standpoint, and without the not-mandatory-at-all subscription ESO basically feels like Oblivion with multiplayer. You will regret the time wasted.

[Tamanous]

Lotro Legendary servers are an option. They are new and full of players. Of course you have to like Lotro and going from vanilla Wow to Lotro took me a bit to enjoy the transition but I'm really starting to get into Lotro again. Sadly it isn't a true legacy effort but merely a limited version of the live game with full cash shop which is annoying but can be avoided.

If transitioning from live Wow, I'd suggest waiting for Classic for a really different version of Wow. Skip private servers at this point due to how close Classic appears to be (next summer). If people like older style mmos then transitioning to Classic will be easier for them than live Wow players with no Classic experience. It is really that different.

[ISP]

Go hard, go Project 1999.

[Hadley]

I gotta say, it's a sad time for MMORPGs in the West. WoW has kinda made it impossible for them to succeed over here during the past 10 years or so. I wish I had a suggestion for you, but ESO is the only MMORPG I play these days and, while very good, really isn't mechanically similar to WoW.

[Kobi]

PVP is in a bad place right now but Zenimax has pledged to fix the lag issues many players are facing. PVP is similar to guild wars and has players from the three factions battling out for control of the keeps of Cyrodiil. Any faction who controls the Keeps around the Imperial City earn the right to declare an emperor, which is a title that goes to the player of that faction with the highest score in the current campaign. Factions dedicated to PVP will often have officers running around in discord channels coordinating strategies to capture certain keeps or cut of enemy resources while another assaults it's walls with ballistas or trebuchets.

Perhaps you don't care much for slaying monsters, questing, or fighting someone else's war, the Mercantilism in this game is great. The economy is player driven and many players make hundreds of thousands of gold everyday flipping items from guild traders (NPCs guilds bid on every week to sell their items). The premium Crowns I mentioned are often sold for gold via Crownstore items.

All in all, I think ESO had something great for everyone and I highly recommend it, especially if you were dissapointed after BFA. ~Cheers, Kobi

[Kobi]

(PART 1)
Hi! MMORPG fan here. I gotta say, I really recommend Elder Scrolls Online. ESO has a really simple class/skill system that makes it so even novices to the genre can easily follow. It is a paid MMO but it has no required subscription. The base game (which is currently on sale for $9.99 on steam) guarantees at least 200 hours until you run out of things to do. It has some of the best quests and regions in any MMO I've played. While I mentioned there was no required sub, players who really enjoy the game can become an ESO Plus member which grants them 1650 Crowns(the paid premium currency), a crafting bag allowing players to store crafting materials without wasting carrying space, and access to all DLCS while they have their membership. If you unsubscribed, you get to keep all that you have bought/earned in the DLC zones.

Now there are some negative aspects to this game that can be a deal breaker. The amount of companion pets/Mounts you can ear through game play can be counted on two hands. Most cool costumes, mounts, pets, houses, must be bought with the Crowns I mentioned before, or earned through lootboxes. To be fair, Zenimax often gives out "Crown Crates" as rewards for watching Twitch streams or part of daily rewards, but I personally don't think they should have lootboxes when they have other monetization opportunities already in the game. The largest complaint I've heard is the combat seems to be lackluster to some people. While the combat is not as engaging as TERA, which in my opinion is the pinnacle of MMO combat, it is definitely more engaging then other entries to the genre like WOW.

PVE is fun and there are many fun to play end game builds. Zenimax has announced they want to do some changes to character racials so no one knows what is going to be the best race for every role right now so feel free to select any race/faction you like. Endgame is decent and has something called Trials which are similar to WoW raids. Dungeons are pretty easy early on and as they release more DLC dungeons, the difficulty is also increasing.

[Whiskycat]

A lot of games tried to be the second coming of WoW but failed miserably. Most of them are closed off completely already. I'd say LOTRO comes somewhere close to it. As much as it can anyway.

I always loved MMORPGs and tried a lot of them, but I don't remember any of which I stuck with because it felt "at home" WoW-wise. I'd also suggest checking out ESO, bonus point if you've been into TES series before. Neverwinter is another option but unfortunately it's heavy P2W.

I think SWTOR had a similar vibe to WoW when I started playing it. I don't play it anymore and a lot of people actually left but the game is still being supported and enough people play it. Story-wise it's amazing. Gameplay-wise ehhh. I enjoyed PvE, PvP was not my thing.

[Turbotailz86]

It's kind of hard to find what mimics WoW. Only FFXIV and ESO comes close because GW2 has its own thing. I tried Bless out, but that didn't last too long. Nothing is holding my attention too. Perhaps my days for mmorpg is coming to an end. If they come out with a LoL mmorpg I would play it and my main would be a Yordle.

[Kastrar]

there is an upcoming extra, ShadowBringer, it's supposed to be changing the battle system of the game, or parts at least

Any idea on how the combat system will be changing? Iv been interested in FFXIV for quite a while, but i couldn't get around the same ol' same ol' feeling combat (tho i dont know how it feels later in the game).

[Ultimate Goose]

I really liked Final Fantasy XIV when I tried it out a few years back, but the beginning of the game IS pretty slow. It gets better after that.

I stopped after playing though the Heavensward story, and with WoW being on shaky ground it might be time to try out the new expansion (Stormblood I think?).

there is an upcoming extra, ShadowBringer, it's supposed to be changing the battle system of the game, or parts at least

[Elbow]

If you're itching for some of that theme park MMO style that WoW pioneered, it's worth trying FFXIV again. The start is absolutely slow, but man it's really fun. I haven't played since the end of Heavensward (time, money-- nothing wrong with the game) but they've added additional classes to try, and not having to make new characters just to try different classes/roles curbs a lot of that WoW fatigue. I'd highly recommend trying it as a healer or tank, though. I adore how intuitive XIV's UI is for healing in particular.