Typically, when somebody thinks of the coined term MMO it is usually associated with the suffix RPG. It's really not a huge surprise as the MMO genre is swamped with MMORPGs in a more generalized sense. Just this last year we have had over a dozen MMORPGs get released including Lord of the Rings Online, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Tabula Rasa. But what about the other games?

Believe it or not, MMO does not always have to end with RPG. Over the years, and coming within the next couple, are games that are striking beyond the traditional and are reaching for something else. Something that ends with strategy, or RTS, or FPS. Today, I bring you the top 5 MMO-alternatives list. Some of these were made years ago, and others have yet to be made. So, without further ado:

1. Planetside (SOE/MMOFPS)

Planetside was originally released in May of 2003 as an MMOFPS. Upon releasing the game was a graphical phenomenon, and most people's computers ground to an abrubt halt. It suffered much of the same symptoms that Vanguard suffered which was unfortunate because, despite needing a beefy computer to play it, it was actually one of the funnest games I have ever played. Imagine being sent into a persistent world, with 3 factions, a dozen vehicles, and even more weapon/armor combinations. Now imagine that with 200 of your friends going up agianst 300 of the opposing faction and another 100 of the third faction. Sound fun? It was. The game was set in the future on an unknown world. Due to some "discrepencies" with the former government (Earth) the planet was quickly broken up into three factions. You chose one of these factions and fought in a never ending war with the other two. The battles were fast, large, and very explosive. Sometimes it would take upwards of 10 hours to take a single base. The game still exists today, but it has nowhere near the population of when it first launched. Still, if you are curious about this type of gameplay feel free to check it out HERE.