Columns

Enjoy a run-down of our recent long-form pieces, both game-specific and more general. You might also be interested in our list of all of our columns and recurring articles. [Follow this category’s RSS feed]

Trans rights city.

Wisdom of Nym: What the hey is up with Final Fantasy XIV’s Xbox pricing?

14
In another theoretical timeline, there's a place where Final Fantasy XIV really would have stepped in it when it subtly noted that the game's...

The Daily Grind: Is there an MMORPG you think shouldn’t be classified as an MMORPG?

20
We have the MMORPG subreddit to thank for this morning's Daily Grind: At the beginning of January, some bright spark over there posted a...

One Shots: Sky control to Major Tom

6
I have to imagine that there's no more stressful job in a galaxy far, far away than being an air traffic controller for Coruscant....
Huh.

The Daily Grind: Are there MMO systems you long ago gave up on understanding?

34
"I do not understand how Ninja is supposed to be played," he said, "and at this point I have given up on understanding it."...

LOTRO Legendarium: How to walk away from LOTRO (for a while)

10
Even when you love an MMORPG a whole lot, it's rarely feasible to play it as steadily and at the same intensity over the...
head, shoulders, skull and bones (skull and bones)

Betawatch: Skull & Bones lands washes ashore in open beta at long last

3
If you didn't believe that Skull and Bones would ever hit open beta, or really any beta, you aren't alone. I have been making...
I HAVE TO RENEW MY HOUSE COME ON

Vague Patch Notes: MMORPGs and the PC gaming market

11
I find myself thinking a lot about the MMORPG industry lately and the ways in which the gaming industry as a whole has changed...

The Daily Grind: Have you ever lost a house in an MMO?

24
Last week, fellow MMO blogger Belghast wrote a blog post that sent a shot of panic through my own heart: He tells the tale...
GUN

Into the Super-Verse: What’s wrong with City of Heroes’ Incarnate system?

16
It hasn't been all that long since I said that what City of Heroes needs to focus on right now is not endgame content,...

Fight or Kite: Ravendawn has a great class system, but gameplay needs polish

6
As an avid gamer of the '80s and '90s, I’ve got a real soft spot for all things retro-inspired. A lot of my favorites...
He likes Legos.

The Daily Grind: How difficult should it be to respec in an MMORPG?

24
It struck me the other day how my two favorite MMORPGs are wildly different in terms of respecs. Final Fantasy XIV offers effectively infinite...

Working As Intended: City of Heroes macros and popmenus for noobs

15
In my first braindump on City of Heroes for this column, I tried to ease superhero fans into the world of modding the 20-year-old...
Just barely avoided this fate.

Perfect Ten: The MMO franchises that can’t count past two

13
Back in the day, there was a running joke about how Capcom had shown with Street Fighter that the company could not count higher...

Not So Massively: Stormgate isn’t delivering a revolution (yet)

19
Stormgate's marketing is laser-focused on studio Frost Giant's plan to deliver an "RTS revolution." With StarCraft II still popular but slowly waning as it...

The Daily Grind: Which MMO is the worst at balancing its classes?

7
A few weeks back - and before we realized the game was slated for execution - MOP's Sam wrote a piece about balance in...

The Daily Grind: When was the last time an MMO studio truly impressed you?

26
Embers Adrift is probably never going to be my MMORPG, but damn I'm proud of Stormhaven Studios. Yes, I have a soft spot for...
I used to float; now I just fall down.

Wisdom of Nym: The franchise references in the world of Final Fantasy XIV

6
There's a fan theory circulating that Final Fantasy XIV is the nexus of the franchise multiverse. Essentially, the idea is that Hydaelyn and Zodiark...
Another year.

The Daily Grind: How do you cope with losing someone in an MMORPG?

17
I have been immeasurably lucky in that I have never lost a close online friend to death, only to drifting away. But unfortunately, you...
Shocking!

The Daily Grind: Would you be interested in a Guild Wars 3?

54
Have you ever noticed how every MMO franchise seems to get to exactly two numbered installments and then stops, at most? Guild Wars 2...
I need to start taking my own shots here.

Into the Super-Verse: Early SOs pose a perplexing problem in City of Heroes Homecoming

35
Last week, I talked a bit about how to gear yourself up in City of Heroes. Just yesterday, Bree gave an example for how...

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