Is EQ for me and my kindFollow

If you dont have a problem not having alts may try FV, upside is that you can get a lot of gear (raid gear etc) you cant on other servers as not much is no drop. Downside is that there are not a lot of lower level characters, again only one character per account, and if the monster is too much lower then you and drops something magic it may trivalize the loot (not drop the item). There are ways around this ask if you decide to come on our server about that.

Other games that are more designed for solo are World of Warcraft if you really like this fantasy genre ( I have never played it just what I have heard) but from what I have been told it goes raid content at its end levels too.

Another fun one that I have tried is City of Heroes/Villians I never got to like end content though so have no idea on what thats like, but I played it for like a free month off a internet download and it was fun casually and never required me to group.

Anyway hope that helps some.

I'd give Guild Wars a try. No monthly fees, and the design is very friendly to the casual gamer. If you can't find/don't want a group, you can take NPC henchmen with you as a bit of backup. The AI on them is pretty decent, too - indeed, its better than some players I've grouped with :D Apart from Towns and Cities, all zones are all Instanced, so no trains or griefing, but the downside is no zone chit-chat or assistance off passers-by. Fun though, especially if you only have an hour or so.

As mentioned, EVE-Online is a good sci-fi game, very much like Elite played in a multi-player environment. It's true that you need to join a Corporation (similar to an EQ Guild) to get deep into the game, but that's actually a nod towards being "realistic", as some stuff in EVE costs billions. PvP can be harsh, mind you, in the systems that permit it, and those are (naturally) the places to mine the REAL goodies. New players are shown no mercy in these systems, usually - the consensus is basically "Don't attack what you can't kill, and don't go where you can't defend yourself". Indeed, some Corps have a "Kill on Sight" policy towards new characters who enter "their" System, which might seem very harsh, but for all they know, you might just be an alt on a free trial account, sent in as a spy by another Corp they are currently at war with... Yes, it's a complex game, with a steep learning curve, but that's what I like about it :)

I also like the skill system in EVE too - it is far better (IMO) than the "levelling" concept we see so often and it pretty much avoids the "twink" concept. Skills are "learnt" in minutes, days, weeks or months - and that's REAL-TIME. The early skills take mere minutes to learn. Then the learning times get longer and longer, until you get used to a skill taking several weeks, if not MONTHS to learn. No skill in something means you cannot use an item that requires that skill. Period.

I'd see if they are still doing a free trial, and give it a whirl.

Edited, Sep 13th 2006 at 2:32pm EDT by Krago

I also played EQ1 for about 5 years. I have played WoW for almost 2 years now and it is significantly easier to go level 1 to 60 solo or grouped as you wish. I am not an end-game person so I don't look at that content or what to do when you hit the level cap. To me the progression getting there is the fun part. I spent years playing a shadowknight and never even hitting 60. In a fraction of the time I hit the level cap in WoW. Was it fun? Yep! Can I do it again and have as much fun? Absolutely. I can try a different class, or try a Horde character instead of an Alliance character (2 different factions in the game).

I would be aware that WoW is easier in every aspect of the game, making it more casual friendly. Even the level 60 content, the high end dungeon 'instances' are constantly done with 5 and 10 man pick up groups. You don't have to put in significant time or find a raiding guild to access huge amounts of game content.

The biggest concern in looking at WoW as an alternative is will you be bored because it is easier? Will crafting satisfy you when you skill up every time you 'hit combine'? It is all trade-offs for what is more important to you. To me, soloability was more important and I quit EQ when I found myself resorting to 2-boxing just to progress without a group. Look at what you want from a game and make the best informed decision you can.

Good luck!

Biggest difference in playstyles is if you are in a guild or not, regardless whether they are a 'raiding' guild or not. Being in a guild gives you more things to do, even if it is just tagging along to help other people out. Check out the Post board in-game in the Guild Lobby on your server. There are lots of family type guilds that would welcome a casual player.

I personally play a lot of solo content, and I have never really felt like I was missing out on a lot. I enjoy my guild and getting PUG's, but I'm on at odd times and with a new family, I have to log fast occasionally. Never really had a problem, it's all in how you view the game. Can I get to the uber end this way; nope. But I still have fun and think the cost is worth it, so I'm still here.