So this is a thing I’ve talked about before because I love me some MMORPG housing. Even a bad MMO with housing gets brownie points from me. But I get grumpy when the housing is just sort of… there. When it doesn’t serve any functional purpose in the game other than to attract people like me to spend money decorating something they can turn off tomorrow. If I wanted to play that kind of housing, there are already way better sandboxes for that kind of construction if you don’t mod and even more when you do. In an MMO, I want it to exist – and exist for a reason.
“Housing needs to be about more than stashing your stuff,” I argued in an old Overthinking. “Players need to have a reason to go not just to their homes but to other people’s homes. They need to be able to personalize housing to excess, access buffs, host events, and above all else, create public spaces and social incentives (shops, taverns, and so on).”
Which MMO has the most purposeful housing? And what’s the purpose, other than hoarding?
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!
