MMORPGs get a lot of hate from other gamers because of how intensive and “time-consuming” they have to be. Unlike MOBAs and other shooting games, players have to invest an unbelievable amount of time leveling up that one character. And that doesn’t sit well for today’s generation that really wants quick and fast-paced experiences they can repeat
This doesn’t mean the MMORPG is officially dead, though. In fact, with games today, it appears MMOs take this as a challenge to constantly improve and surprise us with unique mechanics and gimmicks.
In this article, we explore some of the most fascinating reasons as to why MMOs are still popular today. Here are a few, which compiled by John Salazar:
Character customization has become extremely personal
Back in the day, the best we’ve got in terms of character customization lies in changing appearances of gear and a few minor options in personal appearance. Thanks to innovations in modern games, we can apply the sophistication of The Sims and the graphical flexibility of The Elder Scrolls franchise into powerful customization options that make characters in games like World of Warcraft and Black Desert Online extremely personal. Some have even attempted to make their characters in these games look like themselves. And being able to flaunt this to friends can be a great way to have fun in a game.
- Character creation in MMOs today has gotten extremely in-depth, especially when it comes to character appearances. Games like Black Desert Online and Final Fantasy XV give a huge deal of attention to character customization, which makes the process of growing a character a personal thing for players.
- Aside from character creation, gears and skills play a huge role in customizing characters as well. MMOs today make it a point to make equipment and skills very varied across classes and players, making each character of the same class very different in terms of appearance and skill distribution. This means your character will be exclusively yours, as your play-style is your own.
- Other MMOs have extremely versatile customization options. For instance, Second Life allows players to make items of their own, alongside their characters. This means you’ll be able to have your character look like your favorite actor, ride a Vespa for sale, and then interact with others in a vast open world.
Action mechanics made MMOs today extremely fast-paced.
Thanks to MMOs like Dragon Nest and Neverwinter, we now have games that allow us to play as our characters in real time. Gone are the days when we have to look at our characters attack an opponent in the same way with endless clicking. Today, we can move our characters exactly as we want them – including intricate dodges, surprise attacks, and even casting awesome spells and skills. This level of movement freedom adds a depth of strategy that makes modern MMOs today games to look forward to, especially for action fans.
- Games like The Division and Destiny put a huge emphasis on action gameplay, primarily because of their nature as MMO shooters. However, this concept has been unheard of before. Now, instead of just clicking to attack, players of The Division can duck, crouch, jump, and switch weapons and skill sets in the middle of battle. This not only makes battles very engaging, it makes MMOs a very intense experience as well.>
- Thanks to games like Dragon Nest and Neverwinter, players have received an unprecedented depth of skill and strategy with the more live approach to gameplay. This means players now have the opportunity to mix and match skills and spells according to the battle situation, the people involved, and even other situations. This makes battles more exciting and thrilling.
Raids have become a community event thanks to efficient connectivity.
What better way to play an MMO than with friends, right? Players who have suffered from terrible lag and ping in games with many players at once won’t be experiencing this as much with modern MMOs today. This makes organizing raids and parties much more efficient and fun, as improvements in server technology has made it extremely easy and convenient for players to connect with each other and play matches. No longer do you have to be mad at this one healer for not making it in IceCrown Citadel to battle Arthas.
- Raid is often viewed as an endgame option for players, as this is often pursued for gear and other perks. We can say goodbye to the time when other MMOs before made grinding for gear become irritating. Now, players are actively encouraged to gear up for raids and to join friends and other people looking to participate in these events. This makes community a much stronger factor in the game.
- Likewise, improved servers and technological leaps in data processing has paved the way for players to be able to communicate with each other much more efficiently. This makes raids much more fun to do and something we can actively look forward to doing, especially now that more games are becoming raid-intensive.
Free is always a good thing.
Thanks to leaps and bounds in technology in games today, we now have access to tools that allow creators to make powerful MMOs without having to spend a fortune. As such, a lot of devs and publishers actually make free-to-play MMOs with a ton of premium options. Not only is this a win for people wanting to play something for free, but the wealth of premium options makes it a great incentive to invest in a game without sacrificing your savings. We’re now at a time when playing an MMO doesn’t need a subscription, and that kind of financial freedom can be extremely liberating and encouraging to players.
Free games like Champions Online and Neverwinter are F2P but have freemium options available. This model is extremely attractive to modern consumers that really want to make use of their time more wisely and to think more intensely about their purchases. This is advantageous to everyone in the industry, as devs can showcase the various features players can and cannot access with free accounts without completely locking out free players.
More premium options for free players can be very enticing, especially when they provide fair options to players. These include cosmetic upgrades and other fun features that can turn MMOs more exciting. Before, we’ve had times when players have to think twice before purchasing subscriptions. Now, players can enjoy a game completely for free and still have access to buy premium add-ons.
MMOs Never Die, They Just Get More Fun
Gamers today rarely tell themselves to “let’s raid!” and somehow that makes a lot of us sad. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that MMOs aren’t a thing anymore. What disappeared from raids had more awesome things like “let’s team up versus this monster” or “let’s farm to collect this item.” And MMOs today have begun exploring new and better features that show their older counterparts how better tech and better server infrastructure can pave the way for more massive battles, more interactive quests, and generally more fun experiences.
What’s your favorite MMO story? Share those to us in the comments!
About the author
John Salazar is a certified techie-at-heart, but he shares a love for all things science and technology, health and wellness, and even a bit of music on the side. As a creative writer, John makes sure to write both informative and entertaining pieces. He loves writing, and he plays the guitar when he has free time.