Asheron's Call

The Good
Social aspects - the ability to make friends and be with others -- to live, fall in love, serve, quest, achieve, die (repeatedly!). Customizable characters, player leadership and community service opportunities, allegiance and fellowship structures. But mostly the obvious commitment of the genius developers to continue to revise the game into a protracted future filled with changes in storyline, improvements in gameplay, and (hopefully) the architecture for its metamorphosis into further phases and forms.

The Bad
The only 'rub', as it were, is the sense one gets of diminishing returns as one advances one's character. When the first level could be reached inside an hour, it gets tough to take when one's 50th level can require months of play to attain. Other than that, the main pleasure of playing this game, in my opinion, is the sense one finally gets that you are in a place much more than in a game, and that many fascinating (and fascinatED) people (players) are there with you!

The Bottom Line
The only game where I ever fell in love and had my heart broken. The most fun I have ever had in a game. A game that can become much more than an alternate reality -- a place -- with people -- that can enhance one's life immeasurably. An almost miraculous development in the life and times of humanity, and one sure to presage many more such alternate realities and futures.