MMORPG Game Ratings

This is how I decide a MMORPG I like to play.

Prescreening:

Current Game rating

Genre/World Setting

New Features

Trailer Video

Game Play Video

Platform: Game Console, PC/MAC, Multi-Platformed

PC/OS Requirements: Gaming PC/High-Perfromance Only to Minimal/Cheapy Standards (P4 1 GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, 64MB Graphics, 56K Modem)


Alpha/Beta/Trial/Immediate:

Character Model Appearance Selection: Few Choices to Many Choices (Fully Customizable Height, Weight, Bodily features)

Character Race/Species Selection: Few Choices to Many Choices

Character Class Selection: Few Choices, Less than Standard, Standard (Tank, Melee DPS, Ranged DPS, Healer, Nuker, Crowd Control/Mezzer/Trapper), More than Standard

Character Attribute Selection: None (Race/Species/Class/Land Determined), Random, Modifiable at Beginning

Character Land/Begin Point: Few Choices to 3 or More Choices

Character Graphical Appearance: Cartoony to Realistic

Character Equipment Appearance: Cartoony to Realistic

Character Clothing: Normal to Fully Customizable Costumes with Dyes

Character Name Selection: Not-Filtered (Bozo The JerkOff) to Filtered (Role-play Simulated with Name Design Help)

World Graphical Appearance: Tile Based, Cartoony, Real-World Simulation

MOB Targeting: Difficult, FPS, Auto-Target Attacker

MOB AI: None (Wandering without attacking) to Full (Creature Ecology with Food Chain)

MOB Aggro: None, Singular, Group/Callers, All with Aggro Breaking and Rememberance

Server Population: Unpopulated to Highly Populated

Server Population Attitude: Poor (Anarchy:Creeps, Bullies, Kill Stealers, Loot Ninjas, Gold-Boss Farmers, Many Gold Spammers), PKs/Duel Requestors & Gorup Invite Spammers, Excellent (Friendly/Helpful)

Game Bugs: Minor (Appear infrequently) to Major (Appear Frequently or Game Continuity Breaking)

Server Stability: Poor (Common Zone Crashes) to Excellent (Only Down during Scheduled Maintenance)

Character Leveling: Grind XP to Quest XP

Character Level XP: Poor Growth Ratio to Excellent Growth Ratio

Quests: None (All Grind/Kill XP Based), Simple (Kill/Gather/Delivery Quests), Standard (Simple + Escort), Advanced (Standard + Puzzles or New Type)

Instances: None, Mini-Dungeons (Soloable), Small Group Instance (2-3 Players), Full Group Instance (5-6), Raid Instance (10+)

Group Size: None to 20+ Raid

Group Finding Ability: Chat only, Party Search Abilities, Instance Auto-fill Selections (Sign-Up Roster/Party Choice Method AKA WoW Method)

Character Travel: Foot, Static Mounts/Vehicles, Purchasable Mounts/Vehicles, Group Mounts/Vehicles (Include Space Travel)

Character Travel Swimming: None to Full Underwater Exploration with Breath meter


Long Term:

Game Fee: Subscription, Micro-Payments, Life Accounts/One Time Fee, Free Forever

Crafting/Support: No Professions, Standard Professions (Weapon-making, Armor-making, Clothing, Cooking, Chemistry), Standard+ (Building/Furniture Engineers, Entertainers, Siege Engineers)

Crafting Profession Selection: 1 Choice, Gated Choices, Free to Level

Crafting Decision Process: Simple (X+Y+...=Z) to Advanced/Master-work (Stat Manipulation & Appearance modification)

Resource Gathering: Simple (Node Collection) to Advanced (Survey, Quality, Ammount)

Title/Badge Awards: None, Simple (Level/Class Based), Advanced (What You've Completed/Gathered)

Level Height: 20 Levels to 100 Levels

Skill Advancement Selection: No Differentiation (Everyone of that Class/Species/Race is Same) to High Differentation (Focuses)

Skill Advancement Focuses: None, Talent/Feat Tree (Class Specific/Limited), Point Spread (Dabbler), Use It To Know It (Fully Diversified)

XP Types: Combat, Craft, Social and/or Political

Faction Building: None, Alignment Based, Quest/Item Collection Earned, Choice Earned

NPC AI: None (static) to Fully Immerrsible

Game Content: Limited to Expanding Rapidly without Severe Bugs (New Areas/Quests every 2-3 Months) If I have no more to explore after 30 days upon reaching max level, why pay to play?

Player Made Content: None to Fully Designed Scenarios

In-Game Politics (Player): None to Guild Controlled

In-Game Politics (World): Individual Player Choice has No Effect on World to Individuals can grow to be Kings/Leaders and Decide Fate of nation with Leaders Chosen by Vote + Influence (Political XP)

Economy: Subscription Based, Loot Based, Craft Based, Mixed

Auction House Use: None, Standard, Virtual Stock Market

Auction House Interface: Standard to Fully Searchable with Filters with Average Price calculations

Equipment (Loot vs. Craft Balance): Loot Heavy, Craft Heavy, Balanced

Housing: None to Fully Customizable including Placement with Bonuses for Use

Pets: None, Appearance Only, Usable, Trainable

Mail Delivery: None to Mail with Attachments and Guild Mails

Mail Interface: Simple or Difficult to Easy to Use (Recipient Selection List/Autofill Recipient)

Scripts/Macros Allowed: None, Simple, Advanced

Addons Allowed: None, Simple Interface Appearance Mods, Advanced Non-Game Breaking Utility Mods

End-Game: None to Raid/PVP

PVP: None, Duels, Guild Wars, Arena, Full, Siege Warfare

PVP: Instant I-Win Button to Fully Strategical Warfare

Might be something missing, but this is the process I usually take to determine whether I'll tryit and whether I'll stick with it. Now to classify the games I've played. Boy I have too much time between semesters.