[Unknown1080]

Never in my life have I played an MMORPG with an engaging storyline....WoW isn't for free and I don't think I'm willing to get it, nor do I care about the universe anymore...

Sure a lot of MMORPGs have a story, but they are not nearly as engaging as single player RPGs...besides, most MMORPGs are just about some typical "There was a new God who made this beautiful world, and now Evil-Guy corrupts it with his Orb Of Chaos..." I don't think there ever was an MMORPG with an engaging storyline (Correct me if WoW or Final Fantasy 11 is one because I don't care about the Warcraft Multiverse anymore). Another is about awkward "2 Sides battle for 1 planet...an example shown @ RF Online". Most MMOs are only the ugly built-in "Click here to Pwn" system..

Well, there are Quests that give your character some sense of why he/she's in that world, but now it feels like poke'mon. Where you help another guy in another journey...hasn't there been any RPG in which "Each" character has a feeling as if he/she is a big role to the Character Roster?? Oh wait, I don't think MMORPGs are Role Playing Games at all. Where is the "Role Playing" part when your character isn't even apart of the storyline?? Sure, there are the "Career paths" like the one on Fable where (A boy has a destiny of his own, going on as he but thats more tedious than the 2 other cliche stories I've heard. Theres also the typical "Ally/Hirelings/Summon/Pet" system (In which both are different because Allies are your typical Sidekicks, Hireling are your mercenaries who fight by your side "And cost gold", Summons are your everyday monsters you summon from a "Pit of Despair" or whatever, and Pets are like Summons, but gain EXP and can never be summoned more than once (Yes, AND it lacks an attack but Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine fixed that)

I don't know if other MMOs have a new system unique from other MMOs...and don't tell me about WoW or Runescape because its still typical. But I don't care either because "If a game had a story that not only did it make sense, but it had you gobbling it" I might give it a shot. I know Diablo II has a Single Player Mode (And an actually good Storyline about Marius' failure to destroy Baal's Soulstone), but the Online play shuns you into another typical character in a typical world...only there to kill Uber Badass versions of the Prime Evils. Sure you can make a party with your friends and go PvP, but almost all stories from an MMO are ignored (Well, typical since they won't care anyway). So to this day forward, I've never played an MMO with an engaging storyline...in where as you make progress has the "Single Player" RPG feeling...

[uzumaki501]

Well im having the same problem but the only thing i know of with kinda unique 'progressing' story line is ghostX.

Try it out.

[Nored]

Such a thing does not exist. You will never be a part of the main storyline. You will only be a part of your storyline. That's it. You can't ask for more in an MMO. Only single-player games will actually have a good storyline that you can participate in.

[Ely-chan]

Maybe you should try Guild Wars. The story is pretty good, except it's not exactly free. You have to buy the game, but there's no monthly subscription.

[gimusan]

I would definitely recommend Mabinogi.... The mainstream quests are fun, and many things are based off of Irish Mythology. So, if you like that kind of stuff, and wouldn't mind a different combat system which doesn't include spam clicking and long as hell downtimes, try it. Btw, people who say the game sucks is USUALLY due to their idiocy, what with not being able to figure out the battle system.

P.S. The community is very helpful. :D

[vendiago]

The only thing that I can think that comes close to what you are looking for is IMAGINE: Shin Megami Tensei Online.
You follow a main storyline, and do quests that can be partied, but some quests have to be solo'd. And finding people to party with is easy. Just shout out what quest you are doing and people are always willing to help.
But, the only problem is the content of the game.
THERES NOT A WHOLE LOT OF IT!!!!!
I mean, the game is definetly for casual players. If you play the game everyday for a month, no doubt you will catch up to the very extent of the game. And once you hit like lv. 35, its very hard to lv up, mainly because theres no more quests for lv 35's +.
But, it is a very good game. They even just had a event where you can create your own demon. The event is over, but some lucky person had their own demons created which is cool. And they always have raffles and crap like that going on. And the GM's are pretty cool. Oh, and gear don't make a whole lot of difference(they kinda do if you want to be godly), so you can make your character look like anything. I was going for the luffy look, even though I was a mage.
Oh, and there is no class system, you just make your own build as you go along.

[Hanzoadam]

I play dragonica its fun its like a platform Rpg its really fun and free give it ago

[sleepy_shadow]

there's an mmo called mabinogi that has a great story and it's free!!

[ShatteredWolf]

Story based MMO's

Free to Play
Mabinogi
Dream of Mirror Online
Shin Megami Tensei Online: Imagine

Buy to Play/ Pay to Play
Final Fantasy XI
Guild Wars <--- all of the expansion packs are great

Might of missed a couple.

[Dnajun_Tnuieh]

World of Warcraft and Aion have pretty decent stories, just find yourself a private server to play on and it'll be free. I don't really have any suggestions as to F2P games, Mobinagi(or w/e it is) Was alright, I've played it for a few days, not sure there was a story to it though.

BTW I see a few posts about "Guild Wars" just wanted to say... Sucks in my opinion..