u/rept7

I'm wondering what people like me are playing. I really want to get into a MMO for various reasons, with a huge exception being "for the combat". My tastes are more Monster Hunter and Revengeance, far less FF14 or WoW. I am able to enjoy combat like GW2 as a solo game, since it's action hybrid, but can't enjoy it's group PvE since the action-half of the combat is pretty much dumped out back in favor of running past everything you don't need to fight and/or stacking with rotations. An especially big problem since one of the main reasons I want to play a MMO is for fun PvE multiplayer experiences (I'm not a PvP person).

If anyone see's my post and thinks "Oh, you're just like me", then you especially should tell me what you are playing with others.

I enjoy the idea of interacting with a variety of players, finding my community, making my character look how I want, and taking on challenges I can't do alone. But I really don't enjoy conventional MMO gameplay. If I'm optimizing the numbers in my build, speedrunning through content, or doing a hotbar rotation, I lose interest.

Rather, I do really want to help my party and be a benefit to them, but not as some gear being measured on my DPS. I love action combat immensely, especially with mobility mechanics. Monster Hunter for example, while not quite reaching the requirements to feel like a go to MMO, does have incredible gameplay for me. Destiny used to be great, but power creep took out the fun, then Bungie kept going downhill.

Is there anything I should check out?

What exactly goes down in group content? I'm curious about the game since it's a MMO-like of sorts, but I am seeking a particular experience.

To elaborate, I mainly want to know what playing dungeon, raid, world boss, and other "you need to play with a party" content is like. If you know any of the following, it would help.

How challenging/engaging is it? How spread out is the party during a fight? Does combat feel more action oriented or rotation oriented? Is it like an ARPG where your build is supposed to feel overpowered and broken, or more like you are customizing your playstyle?

Alternatively, to keep it simple but only useful to people in the know: If I'm somebody that enjoys GW2 combat when solo, but really dislikes the group PvE meta and gameplay, is Farever a better fit if I'm after fun group PvE?

So I want to play a MMO or at least MMO adjacent game. I want to create my own character, dress them up how I want, interact with a virtual third world, and play with others in group PvE content I can't do alone.

However, my gameplay tastes are unconventional to MMOs. Doing a hotbar rotation, speedrunning, optimizing builds for DPS, or just plain braindead easy content? I am not a fan. Instead, I love more action oriented/mobile combat. I like going at a pace that feels like we're respecting the threats in front of us. If there is a build system, I'd rather make choices that change my gameplay, not my numbers. And I would like to do something at least challenging enough to be fun.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm looking for something I can happily boot up and enjoy after work, able to play with others. Like the kind of thing a MMO or MMO-lite would be. But I really don't vibe with speedrunning past foes and needing an excel spreadsheet if I refuse to just google a meta build.

That's not to say I hate customization. More that I like something such as Echo Point Nova's perk system, where you get perks that do something, like healing you when you hoverboard into a guy, or giving you a speed boost if you board when you hit the ground. Or how early Destiny exotics worked (gjallahorn excluded...). As opposed to something like PoE or Warframe, where you need to get your numbers busted to mow down foes. Like an ACTION rpg instead of an aRPG.

I'm aware of games like Monster Hunter, DRG, and Helldivers 2. Out of the bunch, I prefer MonHun the most, but I am curious if there are other suitable games out there. Maybe anything with a more social "third place" feeling, like a more proper MMO or MMO-lite?

I'm looking for something I can happily boot up and enjoy after work, able to play with others. Like the kind of thing a MMO or MMO-lite would be. But I really don't vibe with speedrunning past foes and needing an excel spreadsheet if I refuse to just google a meta build.

That's not to say I hate customization. More that I like something such as Echo Point Nova's perk system, where you get perks that do something, like healing you when you hoverboard into a guy, or giving you a speed boost if you board when you hit the ground. Or how early Destiny exotics worked (gjallahorn excluded...). As opposed to something like PoE or Warframe, where you need to get your numbers busted to mow down foes. Like an ACTION rpg instead of an aRPG.

I'm aware of games like Monster Hunter, DRG, and Helldivers 2. Out of the bunch, I prefer MonHun the most, but I am curious if there are other suitable games out there. Maybe anything with a more social "third place" feeling, like a more proper MMO or MMO-lite?

I'm looking for something I can happily boot up and enjoy after work, able to play with others. Like the kind of thing a MMO or MMO-lite would be. But I really don't vibe with speedrunning past foes and needing an excel spreadsheet if I refuse to just google a meta build.

That's not to say I hate customization. More that I like something such as Echo Point Nova's perk system, where you get perks that do something, like healing you when you hoverboard into a guy, or giving you a speed boost if you board when you hit the ground. Or how early Destiny exotics worked (gjallahorn excluded...). As opposed to something like PoE or Warframe, where you need to get your numbers busted to mow down foes. Like an ACTION rpg instead of an aRPG.

I'm aware of games like Monster Hunter, DRG, and Helldivers 2. Out of the bunch, I prefer MonHun the most, but I am curious if there are other suitable games out there. Maybe anything with a more social "third place" feeling, like a more proper MMO or MMO-lite?

So when I think about playing a MMO, I'm imagining joining and exploring a virtual world, as a character that I made look how I want, acquiring more stuff to express myself through them even more, and going on adventures with a huge community to make new friends, eventually taking on tough challenges we could never do alone. And all that sounds so exciting, I never really stopped wanting that.

However, I haven't actually found one I actually enjoy playing. And I tried a bunch! But I just don't enjoy the more common elements. Following a rotation from a hotbar, optimizing numbers to mitigate difficulty (or be allowed to at all), running through dungeons as efficiently as possible, playing only solo for long grinds; none of that appeals to me. But all that stuff I mentioned in the first paragraph is wanted way too much. Yet my gameplay tastes are completely different from the average MMO player -_-

If somebody is in my situation, loving the idea of a MMO more than actually playing them, then what should they do?