Well just this month thanks to the new computer I have gotten back into a game known as EVE online. It's a great Sci-fi Themed game based in a distant future where colonists from Earth who were expanding into a new galaxy using a massive warp gate were cut off when the gate collapsed. Without help from Earth the colonized planets were forced to slowly build their way back into the heavens once again creating four distinct races of humans.
-The Amarr Empire an imperialistic race that still follows the Catholic church but keeps slaves.
-The Minmatar Republic, former slaves of the Amarr they rebelled and have been fighting against them ever since.
-The Gallente Federation, with ancestors tracing back to France these people indulge themselves in every way possible from orgies, to drugs and other substances the other races consider Illegal.
-The Caldari State, a race of business it is ruled by 8 Major corperations. They are however without a homeworld as the Gallente Feder invaded Caldari prime. If it were not for the brave efforts of the Corperations and one brave Admiral working together the innocent Caldari on the planet would be stuck under Gallente oppression
Currently EVE online is in it's 5th year and still going stronger than ever with many features that make this MMO stand above the others.
-Over 250,000 players(based off of active accounts) play on ONE Server system- no dividing the community up, no worrying about friends on other servers.
-About 500 players can fight at the same time.
-You gain and lvl new skills over time(even when you're offline) not through grinding.
-You can exchange time codes (codes which when bough pay for time in the game) for ingame currency, and ingame currency for time codes(when you earn enough money you can play the game for free). Oh and yes this system is fully supported by the developers(however any ingame currency purchase system other than the one in game is against the rules).
-Almost everything in the game economy is dependant on player input, and because of that EVE Online is the only MMO to have an ecomonomist on the development team and features an Open economy.
-Players vote 9 players to a council that deals with player ideas for game improvements.
This council serves for 6 months and is allowed to submit three requests to the developers. Many of their submitted ideas that are do able have been put into play already, with more in development.
Each request is responded to with two emails, and a most expense paid trip for all the council members to iceland to meet the developers in person.
The game also has a huge amount of media and backstory (over 159 short stories).
Backstory:
http://www.eve-online.com/background/potw/archive.asp
Here are a few of their manificent trailers for their expansions
Oh and yes this game is run by CCP the company that acquired White Wolf studios and along side EVE online is developing a Vampire the Masquerade MMO.
The game program is completely free for download with expansions included(free as well).
Now anyone can get a free 14 day trial but since I'm a member if you want I can email you a free 21 day trial through their buddy program so simply ask me either in here or through a pm. If I don't know your email pm me it or post it here (at your own risk).
Oh and I'm not the only gnet member who plays EVE Online.