Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, in case you didn't already know.
By Koresh

Why deal with the stress or real life when you can escape into virtual game worlds, knee-deep in magic elves and intergalactic crossfire? Welcome to the land of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games--MMORPGs for short. These are fantasy games that allow players to create avatars (read "digital alter egos") and set out on adventures alongside characters controlled by fellow gamers around the globe. Together you'll forge friendships, find romance and slay monsters. And all you need is internet access and about $15 monthly subscription (plus the initial cost of the game). To keep players coming back for more, games are constantly updated with expansion packages that offer new quests and missions. You'll end up trading sleep and your pay-per-view subscription cash for these addictive games!

Here are a few MMORPGs.

Auto Assault

This game is made by NCsoft and NetDevil. Think Mad Max meets Need for Speed Underground. Set in a post-apocalypse Earth, players customize cars, semis, tanks and motorcycles - complete with high tech weaponry - and then compete in arena base4d combat or take to the open road and battle warring factions. Wreak havoc by also destroying the remaining buildings, bridges and tress on the planet. This game is all about maximum destruction, which makes for a refreshing departure from traditional MMORPGs. It even allows you to exit the vehicle in non-combat missions set in towns.

World of Warcraft

Published by Blizzard Entertainment (creators of Starcraft) this game is set in the rich world of the Warcraft franchise (also by Blizzard). This fantasy game doesn't reinvent the genre, it just does everything better. There are orcs, elves, druids and hunters in most MMORPGs, but the characters in this game are just cooler. More-streamlined quests keep the action flowing at a brisk pace, and the epic battles are downright fun to play. Captivating and beautiful worlds make this the best all-around fantasy MMORPG on the market today. If you've never played an online game, but are considering it, this is the best way to enter the genre.

Planetside

This first-person shooter (published by SOE) allows gamers to enter a sci-fi universe that spans over 10 continents. Players can form squads of 10 and partake in epic battles that involve rocket launchers, tanks and battlefields with thousands of or player-controlled characters. It's a refreshing contrast to the dungeon-and-dragonesque questing of other games. Fans of the online multiplayer action games like Unreal Tournament will have to get used to the team-based gameplay; Planetside doesn't allow you to go solo. And while it does offer a fun experience and the ability to upgrade your soldier, the constant battles can get old after awhile.

The Matrix Online

Fans of The Matrix movies will have plenty to explore in this game (published by Sega and WB) that's like a never-ending fourth film. Before jacking in, you create a player, right down to the licensed clothing from Rocawear. As a "red pill" you chose from among three factions (Zionist, Machines and Merovingians) and explore the various sections of the sprawling matrix. Every office in every 100-story skyscraper is ripe for exploration, giving the players a vast world to discover. Most of the from the films, including Laurence Fishburne, and Monica Belucci, appears to progress the story. There's a deep fighting system, complete with bullet-dodging and Kung Fu, to keep the action flowing.

Ultimate Baseball Online

This game is published by Netamin and is the first MMOSG (Massively Multi-player Online Sports Game) ever. This game ignores the major league players and lets you become the star. Create a baseball player, choose a position and field your team. You can compete through full seasons or play in tournaments for real cash and prizes. Once you pick a position, you watch and play from a first-person perspective, just as you would in real life. And what would baseball be without stats - more than 20 categories in all, which help you progress through the game's six leagues from "City" to "All-Pro".

Everquest II

Featuring a cast of more than 1,700 voice actors, including Heather Graham as Antonia Bayle and Christopher Lee as the evil Lucan D'Lere, this game is a huge technology leap forward from the original Everquest. While Sony Online Entertainment will continue to support the original Everquest, which has more than 400,000 active players, this new adventure is aimed at a broader audience. The graphics have been brought into the 21st century, which means that the vibrant lands of Norrath will come to life in glorious 3-D. The fact that every non-playable character you encounter will speak to you (versus text you onscreen) also draws you into the world. Everquest II actually has a Mentoring Mode that introduces "newbies" to the MMORPG experience, which makes this a great game for the first-timer.