Why did you pick this MMORPG?

[Ogun Nagoura]

I have played WoW and EQ1. Why did you people choose this game over others and what keeps you here?

[Tantalyr]

1) Community

2) Multiclassing

3) Community

4) Great crafting system

5) Community

6) Building my own home

7) Community

Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

[arseovrteakettl]

HZ was my first MMO but I'veleft a few times to playWoW, EQ/EQ2, CoH, and others: most extensively EQ and CoH. And then I've come back to HZ.

EQ: EQ is a great game and I greatly enjoyed my time in Norrath (about six months total, until just after OoW). There were "quality of life" things I missed about HZ when I played there though:
-HZ consignment system allows you to sell from offline so you don't need a bazaar mule
-lots more storage space in HZ in vaults, cargo disks, cargo gear and backpacks
-crafting is more robust. In HZ many of the ojects on the ground can be harvested and used to make stuff, whereas in EQ they are just decorative. You have a crafting school and you can level up in it.
-multiclassing is great. You can change adventure and craft schools at will and take on abilities that make both soloing and grouping better. A warrior can do a few cleric levels and heal. You can solo if you want to, and group if you want to, not because you really have to.
-guild system is more flexible. People don't usually have entrance prequirements and probabion, for example.
-the search function is much better in HZ than in EQ.
-"gate" is an intrinsic power and everyone gets it as "recall"
-everyone can wear speed boots and there is a road bonus so that travel is a bit faster
-THERE'S NO MANA!!!
-OH, AND THERE'S NO MANA
-the company president and devs are in open irc channel while they are at work which players can join and talk in at will. best communication I have ever seen in a game.
-you can memorize as many spells as you want to, practically.
-the macro-ability of keys is huge, way huger than in EQ. You can automate things greatly.

....and 10,000 other things too. I can't list them all. Suffice it to say, HZ is a deep and complex game with many features that I miss when I play other games.

[Tokoz]

1. Community. You don't have to part of an "uberguild" to enjoy the game. Why? Because the community handles alot of the things that a large guild handles in other games.

2. Non-competitive. We all have the same goals. I've heard next to no arguments about who gets what loot etc.... If someone gets a cool formula, in a lot cases, that benefits the community just as much as the individual.

3. World Domination. Wierd way of saying that I feel like I have a say in what happens in the world. No the developers don't make changes based on every little snivel, but they genuinely listen to what the players have to say.

4. Dragons. Very cool.

5. Crafting. Almost as cool as dragons.

6. Flying a dragon. Cooler than cool.

[Seranthor]

I came to HZ from EQ1 in April 2004 with a bunch of friends we had grown weary of EQ1 and a few had been playing HZ in trial so we came here. when I got here I set a goal for myself... I'm still here because I haven't gotten to that yet.

[Tokoz]

Seranthor,
You left EQ the same time I did for the same reason. Guild is now in both places, but more are moving over slowly. :) Was on Druzzil Ro...

[C`gan]

Tagath originally tried getting into the beta of Horizons when it was first announced. Both his sister and at least two of our gaming group had gotten in. When he didn't get in, he just figured that was that. Well, one of the gaming group who WAS in the beta decided to buy copies for the rest of the gaming group for Christmas. I just happened to come along when Tagath was disheartened over not getting the Lairshaper class.

There is a post elsewhere, thanks to Lady Peaches, as to reasons why I'm staying in Horizons.

[PJ]

To be honest, I was sucked in (some more cynical might say suckered) by the prerelease trailers. I wanted to fight against the Withered Aegis Legions. Alas that really isn't the case. Although I still agitate for the advertised war, and hold out some hope for it in the future.

Nevertheless while the reasons I came here don't apply, once I was here I found plenty of reasons to stay. Most of those listed above. Now If I could only get a war versus the undead....

[Snowdonia Honeythorn]

Hubby got accepted into beta, then I got accepted beta. I promptly cancelled my EQ account and never went back.

What got me here is the potential for this game and the beauty and diversity of it. What keeps me here are those same things but also the friends I've made here and the community we have. I don't doubt one day I will move on. Everyone does. But unlike when I moved on from EQ I won't leave Horizons feeling bitter, jaded, or spiteful. I thoroughly enjoy my time here and can spend it as I wish and not be forced to spend it another way. You can't say that about a lot of games.

[j-Xiti]

Non compeitive.
Fun.

I came in while reading about crafting on the Star Wars Galaxies forums. Someoe mentioned the superior crafting system, so I downloaded the trial and away I went. But to be fair, I hated the way client acted. This was back in October 2004, right after the merge and the company went in Chapter 11 or 7 whichever. I had cancelled my account before the week trial only to reactivate when they got the stablity issues fixed.

I like my guild (Disciples), people are friendly and helpful, which is rare in online games. Only the big elite guilds and player associations are having fun - but I actually ahve a life. I can't soend 600 hours playing World of WarCraft or any oter game. So Horizons has a pleasent atmosphere and fun community and the building, while complex and lengthly, makes better sence then the one in Star wars Galaxies. Which was just a grind fest (build 500 small parts to be able to make a bigger better part??!! Come on!). And it's the first game that I know of that used that little menu knob in teh corner of teh screen (now all games have it).

No it's not pretty in the avatar area, but the enviroments are beautiful. Would like to see a dynamics weather system though. Anywooo, I'm still and I cancelled Everquest (playing since June 2002), and EverQuest 2 and Star Wars Galxies (playing both since launch), and Waold of Warcraft that account closes in July. Those games are just too much work, Warcraft is nicer of the three. but it has too many group requrments.

This is the third game I played via palyer word of mouth (Neverwinter Nights and Sanitarium were the others). I finished Santarium today -- great game. Play it for the puzzles and story advancemnt not the graphuics, it's an early Direct X game. Still playing Neverwinter Nights, I heard that Knights Of The Old Republic was "Neverwinter Nights for stupid people", so that comment got me intrigued. I also bought Knights from a nieghbor just to see what is was about. Still playing it. Now I'm playing Guild Wars. It's great, fun and NO SUBSCRIPTION fee.

[Rhaiannon]

1) playable dragons, not like that silly pet in eq2

2) flying as a playable dragon

3) unrivaled crafting system

4) great community

5) i can solo when im not a necro, shadowknight or tricked out beastlord

6) did i mention dragons?

7) multiclassing

8) home construction

9) great selling system

10) Seamless world

11) no zones

12) flying as a dragon

13) ability to go from one town straight to another without having to go through 100 zone lines to get there.

14) need i go on?

btw, vet eq player of 5 years, with 2 lvl 65 chars, both elemental plane flagged when i quit. Dumped evercrap for this game and looked back once, came back 4 months later to chat with guildies, then after zoning 5 times, shut down, deleted the game, tossed it in the trash. HZ all the way! [:P]

Btw, played wow for 5 months, cancelled sub, eq2 for the beta, never bought it, eve for a year, DAoC for a month, and a few other games. hz blows them all away IMO.

The potential for greatness is also so immense that its not even funny.

[FluoxOrder]

What keeps me here? I have no idea. I TRIED to leave but NOOOOO, it kept calling my name! I couldnt take it anymore!![:D]
So I came back and havent left since, except a little account problem I had, but its fixed now and I dont plan on leaving!!~Fluox

[GreenEyedDragoness]

I picked this game because I followed my guild from DAOC. They moved on to others games, but I'm still here! I love the crafting.

Three reasons I stay:

1} Crafting not completely dependent on adventure, though it helps when you get higher up for protection. You dont have to adventure to make money so you can afford to craft.

2} Multiclass is awesome!!

3} Great people!

[Elytha]

I knew I'd be calling Istaria my longtime online Home within a few minutes of 1st logging into Horizons.
The graphics, animations, etc., all took my breath away.
The Community - both the Player-Community & the behind the scenes Community continue to learn & grow together. I find that a very impressive feat in today's market of MMOs.
I'm a longtime online player, & have spent a good deal of time in other online realms. But, as most of you already know for yourselves, there's just 'something' different about out beloved Horizons. [;)]

I'm an Adventurer at heart, but have come to love the Crafting system here; so much so that I now spend more time watching the Sun/Moon rises while crafting, than I do adventuring.

I had to leave Horizons for a brief period, due to medical reasons, but found myself looking forward to the day I can log back in... & just breathe.
Should be later today, I hope.
Anyway, It's great to see that the Community's only gettign stronger & larger.

Long may you reign supreme, Istaria!
(((Hugs))) , Elytha [H]

[Swythe Quirksettle]

The most important reason I came to HZsin Jan 2004 was because playing a dragon was a fun idea. During this time I have tried other MMO (Mankind.net, WoW, EVE Online, PlanetSide), but couldn't bring myself to cancel the acount (Swythe is just so fun to be).

Plus I have this nasty habbit of supporting the underdogs in the gaming world.:P

Why I came back from WoW... I told my guild that one.
I missed being a headbutting, gnome eating, tree-falling-out-of, snowball-lobbing, wingalinged draggie.

[Ariadne]

I was a long term EQ1 player (5 years+). I loved the crafting.

When I found out the sheer scope of the crafting in Horizons (bought Jan 2004), and the fact you can actually BUILD things, I kept up my eq1 account for a short while, but played less and less. Cancelled it in June 2004 iirc.Got into EQ2 beta and got very into it, bought EQ2 and played for 4 months, stupidly cancelling my HZ sub. After that time, I realised I really missed the community spirit in HZ (NOTHING in any other MMORPG comes close IMO) and resubbed. I'm not leaving again.

I play WoW sometimes (my hubby is not a crafter/builder by nature and it helps if you enjoy that).. but have no intention of going back to EQ1/EQ2 and HZ remains my primary game. Crafting. Building. One of these days I'll do the ROP with my hatchie, but I'm enjoying the biped life too much.

Which is actually rather ironic 'cos one of the main reasons I bought the game was to play a dragon.. I just found the building trades too addictive...

Graphically, HZ is still stunning. Yes, it'slittle laggy, but nothing I can't handle.

[Valornyx]

I picked the game to be a dragon .. and never looked back.

To fly around the world - hit mobs with my tail and then tear them apart with my claws .. all these things are in the game.

Why have I been here over a year? - Well - the people who play this game are the most generous, helpful, mature, interesting community in any game that I've ever played.

[Amerelium]

...look at my sig - need any more reason..?

Also, a great community...

[imported_Twelvebagger]

1) Community
2) Animal hides
3) Snowballs
4) Community


:)

[Tamaracaran]

Its home...........