So the other day, the Massively OP staff is hanging out in Slack while we work, and Justin says, “Bree, you know Guild Wars 2 a lot, so I have a question: Orr was submerged for a while and all of the zombified animals and people were too, right? Well my question is, if that’s the case, why didn’t the chickens float away? They’re pretty light and all.”
And I roll my eyes at Justin because that’s just what we do and I tell him I’m totally going to email ArenaNet with his Very Important and Serious lore question. And then Tina comes in like, “The post-cataclysm chickens were missed by Zhaitan when he culled creatures from the unsunken peripheries to join his Risen, lol. Who wants a Risen chicken?”
All of this silliness reminded me that I am not a lore person in MMORPGs. It’s not that I dislike lore; it’s that I like very specific chunks of lore that contribute to my immersion and the feel of the game. Most lore doesn’t do that, so it kinda goes in one ear and out the other. The Elder Scrolls series, for example, always manages to take root in my brain, but World of Warcraft? I don’t remember much or even feel I need to.
Is lore super important to you in MMORPGs? Or is it something you could do entirely without?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
