https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:32:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2024/02/07/perfect-ten-the-mmo-franchises-that-cant-count-past-two/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/02/07/perfect-ten-the-mmo-franchises-that-cant-count-past-two/#comments Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=478922 Back in the day, there was a running joke about how Capcom had shown with Street Fighter that the company could not count higher than two. We had a few dozen different iterations of Street Fighter 2, and then when the developers finally decided to make a new game, it was a prequel, so it […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/02/07/perfect-ten-the-mmo-franchises-that-cant-count-past-two/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/31/perfect-ten-why-mmos-should-never-ditch-text-chat/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/31/perfect-ten-why-mmos-should-never-ditch-text-chat/#comments Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=464027 If you ever want to feel what an MMO is like without any sort of text chat, then spend a stretch of time in Fallout 76. The silence in that online RPG is deafening because outside of proximity voice chat and a limited selection of emotes, there’s no way to hold conversations, coordinate efforts, or […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/31/perfect-ten-why-mmos-should-never-ditch-text-chat/feed/ 26 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/24/perfect-ten-the-10-most-utterly-bizarre-final-fantasy-xiv-npc-names/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/24/perfect-ten-the-10-most-utterly-bizarre-final-fantasy-xiv-npc-names/#comments Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=476751 A lot of times when I write these columns, I have either a point to make or a higher concept that I am touching upon. This is not one of those times. This is a time when I simply want to share something that is interesting to me about Final Fantasy XIV, and that is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/24/perfect-ten-the-10-most-utterly-bizarre-final-fantasy-xiv-npc-names/feed/ 21 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/17/perfect-ten-the-weirdest-weapons-from-mmos-of-yore/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/17/perfect-ten-the-weirdest-weapons-from-mmos-of-yore/#comments Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=473968 Swords. Staffs. Maces. Spears. Wands. Bows. Crossbows. Double-crossbows. Hammers. Wolverine claws. Daggers. Axes. Deadly? Yes. Fashionable? Not so much. A two-handed sword is so 1299. Now, a deep dish Chicago-style pizza with the works flung into an enemy’s gullet — that’s progressive thinking! Because I’m deeply bored with the usual suspects in most MMO armories, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/17/perfect-ten-the-weirdest-weapons-from-mmos-of-yore/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/10/end-of-year-eleven-the-mmos-with-the-most-uncertain-futures-in-2024/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/10/end-of-year-eleven-the-mmos-with-the-most-uncertain-futures-in-2024/#comments Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=474783 As I say every single year and several people ignore every single year: This is not a column about the games that are most likely to shut down over the next year. In fact, if that what it were about, it wouldn’t even have the same title. That’s not an uncertain future; that’s a very […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/10/end-of-year-eleven-the-mmos-with-the-most-uncertain-futures-in-2024/feed/ 54 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/03/end-of-year-eleven-all-the-upcoming-mmos-to-watch-in-2024/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/03/end-of-year-eleven-all-the-upcoming-mmos-to-watch-in-2024/#comments Wed, 03 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=464976 We’ve said it before, but this time we really mean it: The future of MMORPGs looks amazing. Contrary to years when we’ve seen only a handful of longshot projects in development, 2024 suggests a field positively packed with game after game heading our way. Some of these are closer to release, some further away, but […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/03/end-of-year-eleven-all-the-upcoming-mmos-to-watch-in-2024/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/27/end-of-year-eleven-the-best-value-mmorpgs-at-the-end-of-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/27/end-of-year-eleven-the-best-value-mmorpgs-at-the-end-of-2023/#comments Wed, 27 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=473285 I have been told that if I start another one of these columns musing on the abstract meaning of “value” as I have for the past several years, I will be mailed a jar full of bees. While the usual response to this will be “joke’s on you, I’m into that,” I’ve decided to take […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/27/end-of-year-eleven-the-best-value-mmorpgs-at-the-end-of-2023/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/20/end-of-year-eleven-the-best-mmo-expansions-and-updates-of-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/20/end-of-year-eleven-the-best-mmo-expansions-and-updates-of-2023/#comments Wed, 20 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=470514 If you want to look at the overall health of the MMORPG industry, one vital heartbeat that must not be missed is continual development. Sometimes, even, a fancy patch or expansion in a favorite MMO may be cause for greater celebration than the release of a brand-new title. It’s good to report to you that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/20/end-of-year-eleven-the-best-mmo-expansions-and-updates-of-2023/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/13/end-of-year-eleven-the-biggest-mmo-stories-of-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/13/end-of-year-eleven-the-biggest-mmo-stories-of-2023/#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=471363 Some years, it’s hard to really cut a distinction between the biggest stories of a year and the biggest surprises. There can be a lot of overlap. There’s always going to be some overlap, to boot. But sometimes there isn’t as much overlap. Sometimes a lot of the stories that had the biggest impacts aren’t […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/13/end-of-year-eleven-the-biggest-mmo-stories-of-2023/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/06/end-of-year-eleven-the-healthiest-live-mmos-at-the-end-of-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/06/end-of-year-eleven-the-healthiest-live-mmos-at-the-end-of-2023/#comments Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=468531 When it comes to making a judgment call about the “healthiest” MMORPGs on the market at any given time, there are always plenty of rebuttals on hand to denounce such a list. No MMO is in a perfect position with an untouchable record, after all, and there are always fault lines that could end up […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/06/end-of-year-eleven-the-healthiest-live-mmos-at-the-end-of-2023/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/29/end-of-year-eleven-the-biggest-mmo-surprises-of-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/29/end-of-year-eleven-the-biggest-mmo-surprises-of-2023/#comments Wed, 29 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=469284 2023 was definitely a year of surprises for me. Not all of them were pleasant! If you’ve been watching my columns, you probably have a sense of some of it. But we’re not here to talk about the things that have gone wonky in my own life; we’re here to talk about the surprising things […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/29/end-of-year-eleven-the-biggest-mmo-surprises-of-2023/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/22/perfect-ten-why-im-grateful-to-be-an-mmo-gamer-in-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/22/perfect-ten-why-im-grateful-to-be-an-mmo-gamer-in-2023/#comments Wed, 22 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=466379 To me, Thanksgiving is a much-needed reminder to acknowledge and express the gratitude we have for all that is right and good in our lives. It seems that it’s so easy to dwell on the negative, including hypothetical situations that may or may not come to pass, and overlook what is truly special and wonderful […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/22/perfect-ten-why-im-grateful-to-be-an-mmo-gamer-in-2023/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/15/perfect-ten-classic-video-games-that-would-make-terrible-mmorpgs/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/15/perfect-ten-classic-video-games-that-would-make-terrible-mmorpgs/#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=467345 There was a time when MMORPGs were all based on existing storied single-player RPG franchises, and that time was when Ultima Online launched and coined the term MMORPG and few direct rivals existed whatsoever. It didn’t last long, is the point. But old video games are still a frequent source of inspiration, especially since the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/15/perfect-ten-classic-video-games-that-would-make-terrible-mmorpgs/feed/ 21 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/08/perfect-ten-the-single-best-expansion-from-10-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/08/perfect-ten-the-single-best-expansion-from-10-mmos/#comments Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=463836 Holy crud, do I not know that I’m setting myself up for some major pushback today. Oh, I feel that to my core, friends! After all, people have Opinions about MMO expansions, especially for franchises that they’ve been playing for years, and for some internet yahoo to come along and blithely single out one pack […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/08/perfect-ten-the-single-best-expansion-from-10-mmos/feed/ 43 https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/31/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-as-saturday-morning-cartoons/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/31/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-as-saturday-morning-cartoons/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=459801 My insane MMO and MMORPG thought experiments do indeed continue: Previously I considered what muffins MMO NPCs are, then I considered what flavor of gelatin games would be. Now I am being allowed – nay, encouraged – to sit here and try to compare MMORPGs to Saturday morning cartoons. These are things Bree lets me […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/31/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-as-saturday-morning-cartoons/feed/ 36 https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/25/perfect-ten-solid-mmos-you-might-be-sleeping-on-in-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/25/perfect-ten-solid-mmos-you-might-be-sleeping-on-in-2023/#comments Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=461587 For today’s list, I wanted to take a different approach to recommending MMORPGs to you. I know we often talk about underrated titles, but that approach doesn’t always acknowledge that we may dismiss games from consideration even though they are somewhat well-known and -respected. You may be sleeping on some great MMOs right now that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/25/perfect-ten-solid-mmos-you-might-be-sleeping-on-in-2023/feed/ 27 https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/18/perfect-ten-myths-about-balance-in-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/18/perfect-ten-myths-about-balance-in-mmos/#comments Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=462663 For some MMO players, “balance” is a dirty word. And I’m not going to lie, I can hardly blame them. If you’re not a fan of sitting around running math for various options, it’s the sort of thing that can easily feel like it’s a term just thrown around for removing various things you find […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/18/perfect-ten-myths-about-balance-in-mmos/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/11/perfect-ten-the-interesting-features-everquest-next-promised-before-it-was-canceled/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/11/perfect-ten-the-interesting-features-everquest-next-promised-before-it-was-canceled/#comments Wed, 11 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=459539 After way, way too long, it looks like an EverQuest 3 may be in the works after all. It’s been rumored for years, of course, pretty much ever since Daybreak threw in the towel with EverQuest Next in 2016 (and Landmark in 2017). Now as we eye a possible revival of this MMO franchise for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/11/perfect-ten-the-interesting-features-everquest-next-promised-before-it-was-canceled/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/04/perfect-ten-the-delicate-balancing-act-of-designing-mmorpgs/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/04/perfect-ten-the-delicate-balancing-act-of-designing-mmorpgs/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=460585 MMORPGs are complicated. We all know that. But one of the things that I think is easy to overlook is how and why MMORPGs can be intensely complicated just from first principles. It’s reasonable to look at a game and think that it’s failing in various areas, and sometimes those failures are coming from entirely […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/04/perfect-ten-the-delicate-balancing-act-of-designing-mmorpgs/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/27/perfect-ten-the-10-unsung-heroes-of-the-mmo-user-interface/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/27/perfect-ten-the-10-unsung-heroes-of-the-mmo-user-interface/#comments Wed, 27 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=457491 If we ever think of an MMO’s user interface, it’s either when we’re getting settled into a new game or when a title decides to streamline or improve its UI elements. Otherwise, it’s something that’s in front of us all the time that we don’t really “see,” as we’re looking beyond that to the play […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/27/perfect-ten-the-10-unsung-heroes-of-the-mmo-user-interface/feed/ 18 https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/20/perfect-ten-10-mmo-things-you-can-just-stop-waiting-for/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/20/perfect-ten-10-mmo-things-you-can-just-stop-waiting-for/#comments Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=458444 Sooner or later we all have to face facts and accept that something we wanted at one point is never actually going to happen. Dad is never coming back from the store with cigarettes, Godot is never going to show up on stage, and you are never actually going to find out who let the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/20/perfect-ten-10-mmo-things-you-can-just-stop-waiting-for/feed/ 33 https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/13/perfect-ten-10-mmos-youve-already-forgotten-ever-existed/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/13/perfect-ten-10-mmos-youve-already-forgotten-ever-existed/#comments Wed, 13 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=455793 Falling into obscurity and then being completely forgotten is the nightmare of any creative artist. This tragic scenario is compounded when it comes to MMORPGs, where scores of people work together to create a huge interactive product… that sometimes is shuttered, abandoned, and gradually put out of the public’s mind altogether. For today’s list, I […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/13/perfect-ten-10-mmos-youve-already-forgotten-ever-existed/feed/ 29 https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/06/perfect-ten-10-of-the-worst-launches-in-mmo-history/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/06/perfect-ten-10-of-the-worst-launches-in-mmo-history/#comments Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=456620 Launch time is a difficult time for every MMO, and honestly, I have nothing but sympathy for the teams launching a new game at any point. And while people will complain about every launch having queues, that in and of itself isn’t indicative of anything. Queues mean that so many people want to play your […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/06/perfect-ten-10-of-the-worst-launches-in-mmo-history/feed/ 27 https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/30/perfect-ten-times-when-mmos-brought-about-world-shattering-cataclysms/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/30/perfect-ten-times-when-mmos-brought-about-world-shattering-cataclysms/#comments Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=453415 The notion of an in-game cataclysm is hardly the sole domain of Activision-Blizzard; on the contrary, large-scale apocalypses pop up all the time in MMOs. After all, nothing grabs the attention like the end of the world (but hey, you still feel fine)! In a list that in no way is meant to capitalize on […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/30/perfect-ten-times-when-mmos-brought-about-world-shattering-cataclysms/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/16/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-whose-worlds-were-built-from-scratch/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/16/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-whose-worlds-were-built-from-scratch/#comments Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=451410 Maybe I’m the only one to have stopped to think about it, but a great deal of the MMOs that we enjoy are based on some sort of previously established IP. That makes sense, as MMOs are inherently risky enterprises and the boost of a franchise association helps to give it that much-needed edge. So […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/16/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-whose-worlds-were-built-from-scratch/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/09/perfect-ten-every-expansion-era-of-world-of-warcraft-ranked/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/09/perfect-ten-every-expansion-era-of-world-of-warcraft-ranked/#comments Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=452279 For a long time, I have been considering this particular column just because, well, it’s an obvious one. If you have a column whose entire premise is listing things and you have enough expansions to rank for that, it’s kind of a gimme. The problem, of course, is that I initially came up with the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/09/perfect-ten-every-expansion-era-of-world-of-warcraft-ranked/feed/ 33 https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/02/perfect-ten-10-memorable-mmo-marketing-campaigns-from-the-genres-past/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/02/perfect-ten-10-memorable-mmo-marketing-campaigns-from-the-genres-past/#comments Wed, 02 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=448580 Believe it or not, MMOs get off easy when it comes to notorious marketing campaigns. Anything on the following list, good or bad, is a pale shadow of what we’ve seen in the larger video game industry. Still, there have been plenty of attempts to promote MMOs in ways that make us either applaud or […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/02/perfect-ten-10-memorable-mmo-marketing-campaigns-from-the-genres-past/feed/ 27 https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/26/perfect-ten-well-always-have-glorbo/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/26/perfect-ten-well-always-have-glorbo/#comments Wed, 26 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=450081 Yes, folks, you’ve all heard the news by now about how Glorbo is finally being added into World of Warcraft. You may, of course, think that this is all just a prank to confuse AI tools scraping data and trying to assemble articles and that it has, logically, already run its course. To that, however, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/26/perfect-ten-well-always-have-glorbo/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/19/the-perfect-ten-10-mmos-and-online-worlds-with-super-cozy-vibes/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/19/the-perfect-ten-10-mmos-and-online-worlds-with-super-cozy-vibes/#comments Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=447506 In this age of increased anxiety and friction, there’s a natural desire to retreat into safe spaces. And yet not all of us have a room under the stairs full of stuffies and comfort food (although we should). It’s perhaps why we’ve seen a rise in so-called “cozy MMOs” and other similar projects, as they […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/19/the-perfect-ten-10-mmos-and-online-worlds-with-super-cozy-vibes/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/13/perfect-ten-10-things-i-really-dislike-about-star-wars-the-old-republic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/13/perfect-ten-10-things-i-really-dislike-about-star-wars-the-old-republic/#comments Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=448404 So we’re all talking about Star Wars The Old Republic lately, and hey, that’s understandable. We have not come to the end of the road, but we are at a transition point, and so we’ve all had some nice things to say about it and thoughts to share – none of which I disagree with […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/13/perfect-ten-10-things-i-really-dislike-about-star-wars-the-old-republic/feed/ 26 https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/05/perfect-ten-why-swtor-is-still-a-lot-of-fun-to-play-today/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/05/perfect-ten-why-swtor-is-still-a-lot-of-fun-to-play-today/#comments Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=439366 In a time of great uncertainty and some short-term chaos as Star Wars: The Old Republic moves from BioWare to Broadsword, one might assume that this situation would repel prospective players (or returning vets) from the MMO. Weirdly enough, for me it’s had the opposite effect. With this transition and the foundational work that the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/05/perfect-ten-why-swtor-is-still-a-lot-of-fun-to-play-today/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/04/perfect-tenception-our-ten-perfectest-perfect-tens-since-last-year-2023-edition/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/04/perfect-tenception-our-ten-perfectest-perfect-tens-since-last-year-2023-edition/#comments Tue, 04 Jul 2023 15:00:08 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=447207 In the Beforetimes, I tried to start a tradition of rounding up my favorite Perfect Ten articles of the past year every year on the Fourth of July, and then 2020 happened and I sort of just didn’t. But I think it’s time to revive it because Perfect Ten is one of the longest-running and […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/07/04/perfect-tenception-our-ten-perfectest-perfect-tens-since-last-year-2023-edition/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/28/perfect-ten-the-most-regrettable-mmo-studio-names/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/28/perfect-ten-the-most-regrettable-mmo-studio-names/#comments Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=446655 The name of a studio has no bearing on the game’s quality. You might disagree and point to a game you were more inclined to play because of the name on the box, and that’s fair, but the reason for that is not because the name itself was so cool. It was because the name […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/28/perfect-ten-the-most-regrettable-mmo-studio-names/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/21/perfect-ten-what-good-mmo-logos-say-about-their-games/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/21/perfect-ten-what-good-mmo-logos-say-about-their-games/#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=443328 Back when I was taking a smattering of business classes in college, one of my favorite electives dealt with marketing. It wasn’t that I wanted to be a marketer, mind you, but I became fascinated with the intersection between design/art and psychological manipulation. To this day, I still observe and dissect various logos that I […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/21/perfect-ten-what-good-mmo-logos-say-about-their-games/feed/ 21 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/14/perfect-ten-thoughts-on-star-wars-the-old-republics-impending-move-to-broadsword/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/14/perfect-ten-thoughts-on-star-wars-the-old-republics-impending-move-to-broadsword/#comments Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=444598 My relationship with Star Wars: The Old Republic is best described as “complicated.” The game launched at a time when I was still pretty early in my career, and with all the hype it had around its launch there was definitely a sense for me that I wanted to get in on this now because […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/14/perfect-ten-thoughts-on-star-wars-the-old-republics-impending-move-to-broadsword/feed/ 22 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/10/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-as-jell-o-flavors/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/10/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-as-jell-o-flavors/#comments Sat, 10 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=443137 During last year’s April Fools’ Day, I wrote about the important topic of MMO NPCs as muffins. At the time, I felt my work complete, but then a conversation in the MOP Slack brought to harsh light that I had not considered an even more pressing question: What Jell-O flavors would MMORPGs be? After weeks […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/10/perfect-ten-10-mmorpgs-as-jell-o-flavors/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/07/perfect-ten-mmos-that-ghosted-us-after-talking-a-big-game/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/07/perfect-ten-mmos-that-ghosted-us-after-talking-a-big-game/#comments Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=440408 There’s nothing worse as a fan of games to buy into all of the hype and previews of a promising-looking project only to see that title’s studio fold, the project quietly discontinued, or finances suddenly run dry. In those cases, an exit may be quite public or so silent as to effectively vanish under the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/07/perfect-ten-mmos-that-ghosted-us-after-talking-a-big-game/feed/ 36 https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/31/perfect-ten-get-out-of-my-dreams-and-get-into-my-mmo-car/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/31/perfect-ten-get-out-of-my-dreams-and-get-into-my-mmo-car/#comments Wed, 31 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=442490 Cars. They go vroom-vroom, and then they go really fast, and how do we live in a country where you basically need a car to make your life make any kind of sense? We could have light rail, but no, I have to have a car. I don’t really want a car. I never got […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/31/perfect-ten-get-out-of-my-dreams-and-get-into-my-mmo-car/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/31/tamriel-infinium-six-reasons-to-be-excited-about-elder-scrolls-onlines-necrom-chapter/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/31/tamriel-infinium-six-reasons-to-be-excited-about-elder-scrolls-onlines-necrom-chapter/#comments Wed, 31 May 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=442119 I feel genuinely bad for Elder Scrolls Online right now. At a time where all other games are scurrying out of the way of the 800-pound gorilla of Diablo IV, ESO is going ahead with its plans for dropping its new expansion that same week. Oh, I have no doubt the faithful will play it, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/31/tamriel-infinium-six-reasons-to-be-excited-about-elder-scrolls-onlines-necrom-chapter/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/24/perfect-ten-10-old-mmo-promises-that-never-happened/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/24/perfect-ten-10-old-mmo-promises-that-never-happened/#comments Wed, 24 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=439363 Developers like to talk a big game. It’s expected, it’s encouraged by all parties, and it’s part of the fun. When a game or big expansion is coming up, the spokespeople for studios like to hop on stage, grab that mic, and start proselytizing for all they’re worth. And while some promises come to fruition, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/24/perfect-ten-10-old-mmo-promises-that-never-happened/feed/ 35 https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/17/perfect-ten-overwatch-2-is-peak-blizzard/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/17/perfect-ten-overwatch-2-is-peak-blizzard/#comments Wed, 17 May 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=440328 So in case you missed it yesterday, Overwatch 2 got unceremoniously canceled. Oh, I know, the game is still operating, but someone has already put together an edit of the initial launch trailer cut down to the things that actually made it into the sequel and it’s like a minute long. (Don’t worry, I’ll be […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/17/perfect-ten-overwatch-2-is-peak-blizzard/feed/ 39 https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/10/perfect-ten-romantic-ideas-for-an-mmo-virtual-date/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/10/perfect-ten-romantic-ideas-for-an-mmo-virtual-date/#comments Wed, 10 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=437023 While MMOs may not last forever — or even a few years, in some cases — the relationships forged in them can endure long past these games’ expiration dates. I am always warmed by the tales of people who found their one-and-only in online games, because (a) good for them and (b) it shows us […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/10/perfect-ten-romantic-ideas-for-an-mmo-virtual-date/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/03/perfect-ten-what-ffa-pvp-has-to-offer-the-mmo-space/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/03/perfect-ten-what-ffa-pvp-has-to-offer-the-mmo-space/#comments Wed, 03 May 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=438177 Before any of you look at the title, the author, and then at your screen again in disbelief, let me disabuse you of any confusion immediately. Over the years, I’ve written a lot about the problems with open PvP, about how the social penalty for it doesn’t work and so forth. I’ve usually summarized the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/05/03/perfect-ten-what-ffa-pvp-has-to-offer-the-mmo-space/feed/ 29 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/perfect-ten-25-text-based-mmos-and-muds-that-are-worth-playing-in-2023/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/perfect-ten-25-text-based-mmos-and-muds-that-are-worth-playing-in-2023/#comments Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435150 Wanderlust hits even the most content MMO adventurer from time to time, and while there are worlds a-plenty to visit, sometimes it is easy to feel that one has “seen it all.” When those times arise and you’re feeling a little bit stale with current offerings, there’s always a different type of massively multiplayer title […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/26/perfect-ten-25-text-based-mmos-and-muds-that-are-worth-playing-in-2023/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/19/perfect-ten-10-ways-world-of-warcraft-feels-like-a-dead-mall/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/19/perfect-ten-10-ways-world-of-warcraft-feels-like-a-dead-mall/#comments Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436157 There was a time that I lived next to a very small mall that’s tucked kind of out-of-the-way in a part of my state. It was already kind of a low-rent location even when I went there in middle school, but as time went by it only got more dead over time. By the time […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/19/perfect-ten-10-ways-world-of-warcraft-feels-like-a-dead-mall/feed/ 127 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/12/perfect-ten-10-reasons-new-world-deserves-a-second-look/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/12/perfect-ten-10-reasons-new-world-deserves-a-second-look/#comments Wed, 12 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432588 If you were one of the many, many players who skipped off New World after giving it an initial try, well, we don’t blame you. The launch was a bit of a mess, the subsequent months were a morass of unsteady development, the population plummeted, and an aura of uncertainty seemed to hover over Amazon’s […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/12/perfect-ten-10-reasons-new-world-deserves-a-second-look/feed/ 42 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/perfect-ten-ten-mmo-promises-that-are-not-filling-me-with-confidence/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/perfect-ten-ten-mmo-promises-that-are-not-filling-me-with-confidence/#comments Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433995 Every game’s development – and this includes MMOs – involves certain promises being made that the developers probably half-knows are not going to wind up being true. With a little bit of luck, the audience also knows that this is untrue. Yes, you plan to have monthly content updates without fail. Very nice, Guild Wars […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/05/perfect-ten-ten-mmo-promises-that-are-not-filling-me-with-confidence/feed/ 26 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/perfect-ten-10-features-that-take-star-trek-online-out-of-this-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/perfect-ten-10-features-that-take-star-trek-online-out-of-this-world/#comments Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=430966 In returning to Star Trek Online after a couple of years away, I did something brand-new this time around: I brought my Star Trek-obsessed teenage daughter with me to experience the fun. For the first time, the two of us are playing an MMO together, and I’m glad to get to share with her the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/perfect-ten-10-features-that-take-star-trek-online-out-of-this-world/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/22/perfect-ten-a-primer-on-10-very-basic-mmo-fight-mechanics/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/22/perfect-ten-a-primer-on-10-very-basic-mmo-fight-mechanics/#comments Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431762 When the first two humans decided to get into a fight, they were just pushing one another and telling the other person to quit it, that hurts. Then one of them had an idea. “If I hit him with this rock,” she thought, “it’ll hurt more and he’ll give up!” Then she hit him with […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/22/perfect-ten-a-primer-on-10-very-basic-mmo-fight-mechanics/feed/ 18 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/15/perfect-ten-10-pieces-of-striking-mmo-cover-art/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/15/perfect-ten-10-pieces-of-striking-mmo-cover-art/#comments Wed, 15 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=428924 Earlier this year, MMO Folklorist posted a rather intriguing article about the 10 best MMO box art designs — at least in his opinion. It was a fun read and prompted me to do what any creatively starved writer does, which is to blatantly steal the idea for my own. While giving credit. Hey, I’m […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/15/perfect-ten-10-pieces-of-striking-mmo-cover-art/feed/ 16