Not every MMO has flying, and those that do tend to add it post-launch as a major selling point for an expansion or patch. Still, in 2018 there’s plenty of online games that permit and encourage flight and gliding.
Flying certainly opens up a world and adds a dimension of movement and perspective that players can’t get from running on the surface. It is a boon to the Explorer-type gamers who would rather see all of the nooks and crannies than fight through a world. Flight also is a boon for those of us who are time-crunched and don’t want to spend all day trying to get to where we want to be in an MMO.
But I’ll admit that flying hasn’t always been the best feature for MMOs. There’s that age-old argument that flying negates a lot of the challenge and danger of the world, and to a point, that’s true. It’s a lot more difficult to design a game world in which your players have the ability to land and take off on the spot, and several MMOs come up with flight limitations and restrictions as a reaction to this.
What do you think? Overall, has flying hurt or helped MMORPGs?
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!
