4. Star Wars Galaxies

Launched in 2003, Star Wars Galaxies has seen more dramatic changes in it's lifetime than any other MMORPG I can think of. The "New Game Enhancements" which were implemented in late 2005 were particularly controversial, and created an enormous ripple in the game's community. Although some features from before the NGE have been revamped and put back into the game, it clearly hasn't been enough to satisfy many former players. Still, SWG encompasses everything from infantry battles to space combat, and it's the only persistent world based on the "Star Wars" universe.

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3. Tabula Rasa

View Full-SizeThe aliens have landed and forced humanity to take refuge on a distant planet. The future for our species looks grim, but we're not about to go down without a fight, and we have found some friends out there. Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa uses a mix of FPS and RPG to keep you in the action, and puts you in the middle of an ongoing war where NPCs try to control territory. Not an overly deep game, but worth consideration if you'd like something different.

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