Gaming would have never had the massive following it now, without Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. These games opened up a new medium for creating a social network much before sites like Friendster, Facebook and Orkut were conceived. A wide variety of MMOs can be played on Linux-based systems, some are made exclusively for Linux and some need to be simulated to function. Lets take a look at a few such games…
World of Warcraft
WoW has an iconic status among MMOs which no other game has even come close to achieving. Unfortunately, WoW is not yet available on Linux, but with emulators like Wine and Cedega around, this is not really a problem. For those who haven’t heard of WoW, it has more than 8.5 million subscribers. The
latest expansion for the game, The Burning Crusade was released in January 2007.
Monthly fee - $ 15
Vendetta Online
Vendetta Online is yet another science fiction MMO with FPS style combat options. The game set in 4400s shows the world divided into three countries, each with its own positives and negatives. The game lacks in the graphic department and looks ‘lame’ in front of other MMOs
Monthly fee - $ 9
Dofus is a free to download, pay-per-use, fantasy MMO developed in France. The gameplay is relatively simple compared to other MMOs, with cute characters and simple tasks to perform. The simplicity attracted more than 3 million users to the game. Though Dofus is set in a 2D world, it has a very cheerful ambience, thanks to the cartoony graphics. Though developed entirely in Europe, it has the feel of Japan’s anime style of animation. Dofus Arena, a tactical version of the game, will be released this year as a separate MMO.
Guild Wars
This game is popular among Linux users though no version of the game was ever made for Linux. The game runs fine on emulators like Cedega or Wine. Guild Wars has an indepth story line and periodic episode releases take the story forward. The open story line, regular updates and customisation options bring it closest to the standards set by WoW. As of now, Guild Wars boasts of over 5 million users.
One time payment of - $ 27
Eve Online is a science fiction-based MMO which deals with civilisations across the galaxy. Eve Online boasts of one of the largest worlds in any game to date, featuring almost 5,000 solar systems. In the game, you get the chance to play on behalf of Amarr, Minmatar, Gallente, Caldari or Jove, the five dominant races in the universe. The game has a very strong economy and gameplay is mostly tactical in nature. Another feature of this MMO is the open PvP system which enables battle anytime during the gameplay unlike WoW where battles take place only once a week.
Monthly fee - $ 15
Planeshift has been released under a General Public Licence (GPL). This means the game can be downloaded free. In Planeshift, character classes are not based on professions, but on race. Choose between dwarfs, elves, humans or a devilish evil race in the battle to conquer the bulk of the continent. The game has a powerful character creation tool which lets you patch out minute details like upbringing, parents, appearance, etc. The combat, magic and the quests might remind you of World of Warcraft.
Posted in MMO, Open Source
