Hi all,
I know this thread hasn't been active for a few weeks, but I thought I'd do an update.
If you are interested in an alternative to Planeshift, I recommend Regnum Online:
http://www.regnumonline.com.ar/This is a free MMORPG game with both Linux and Windows clients. I have been playing this game now for about 3 months, and am enjoying it more all the time. I know of at least 15 people from Planeshift that now play Regnum. I posted about this game a couple months ago, when I was new to it, so I have much more to add.
If you enjoy PvP and working in a group with others, this is where Regnum really shines. At first, you will be fighting against mobs, like bears, wolves, skeletons, orcs, ghosts, etc. But after your character becomes stronger and more skilled, you can enter the War Zone. Basically there are three Realms in the land, and they are at war with each other. When you enter the War Zone, you enter an area where you can meet with those form other realms and battle with them.
There are forts and castles in each land. You and a group of your friends can invade another realm and take over one of their forts. But soon, many enemies will gather together and come do battle with you to take it back. I've been in battles with more than 30 people on each side, and it gets pretty intense.
The classes are designed with variety and balance in mind. One class's weaknesses can be covered by another class's strength, so teamwork is a must. Knights, using their heavy armor and shields, can absorb much damage. Barbarians, with their huge two-handed weapons, deal massive damage. Marksmen are deadly with their bows, while Hunters are the "ninjas" of the world, using stealth to sneak in, take out individual enemies, then vanish, and they can tame wild beasts to fight with them in battle. Conjurers are the healers, and can feed mana to their teammates, or resurrect them if they fall in battle. Their offensive magic is relatively weak, but they can summon undead or demons to fight at their side. Warlocks are offensive mages, dealing tons of damage to multiple enemies. I can't stress enough how teamwork is encouraged in Regnum. Whether you are fighting monsters in the safe part of the land, or battling other players in the War Zone, you will soon find that it is more effective, as well as enjoyable, to work as a team, in large groups.
With the combination of classes, races, levels, hundreds of types of armor, tunics, hats, weapons and shields, no two people look the same.
As was mentioned earlier, this game was developed in Argentina, so many speak Spanish, but about half speak English. There are many English-speaking clans (like guilds in PS) in each realm, and most people I have met have been very friendly.
Someone mentioned the lack of Role-play in Regnum. RP does in fact exist in Regnum, if you get with a clan that enjoys that sort of thing. RP is what you make of it. Same goes for community. There are some really cool people in Regnum, just like there is in Planeshift.
I have been very impressed with how this game has developed. It was just officially released in May, and much has been added and improved since then. Last weekend it was announced that the server had been up for 7 days straight, so the stability is great. IMHO, it is by far the best MMORPG with a Linux client, and it is free.
If you decide to check it out, you can find many PS people in the Alsius Realm (that is the snowy region), including myself, most of The Enlightened guild from PS, and many others. My user there is Mehgan. See you there!
-Drahlian
