I've tried an awful lot of MMO's and tbh, there isn't much out there, definately nothing like Ryzom. I'll only deal with games that are already released.
Please add to the list or comment as you see fit
WoW....OK you either love/hate it, in all fairness its a good game, I just happen to fall on the hate side, without too mush detail, suffice to say community, gfx, gameplay.
Lineage....Getting on a bit, an excellent game IMO, but too much PvP to suit denizens of Atys, but its in its 5th Chronicle (I think) now, so starting to burn out.
Archlord....I saw in PC Zone it got 80% and Recommended status, had a big LOL at that, the most unfinished PoS I ever had the misfortune to play, It even outgrinds Lineage
SWG....Its had its ups and downs, the subject matter never really appealed to me, but it was pretty good, even the NGE isn't that bad (for new players), again though, nearing the end of its shelf life.
EQ2.....Y'know, If SOE did buy out Ryzom, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, they have the Station Sony, where you can play all their games for a much reduced fee (approx 25 bucks a month), EQ2 would be my next choice if Ryzom were to close, it has lots of stuff going for it, Player Housing, Crafts, some pretty cool classes too.
City of X....These are really good fun, but they are as shallow as phuq, you just keep doing the same instances over and over. Some really cool classes. you can fly, jump, teleport. A battle in an instance is an amazing light show. Not enough depth for a Ryzom player though. With only 40 levels (was anyway), its not enough for you guys to sink your teeth into.
Cabal Online....One of the most pointless exercises in MMO Gaming, the GFX are more cartoony than WoW and no huge open maps like Ryzom, just pokey little fields.
EvE....going from strength to strength apparently, too settled now IMO for new players, the economy is already dominated , a good game, but would you be able to settle there now?
Matrix.....Nope, PoS, the only bad thing about Station Sony is you can also play MxO.
Dungeons and Dragons......This is really disappointing, you run the same instances over and over again, it takes all the good stuff about D&D and chucks it out the window and just keeps the combat, but no new quests, just the same old treadmill taking place in one city, so no exploration, crafting etc.
Final Fantasy....Too long in the tooth a major grind fest and a really sucky control system, only for mutants with 4 hands.
Anyway, glad to be here, glad to stay here in Ryzom.
i myself am still trying to get my friends to play.... dont stop doing that people!