Let’s talk about tools you use when playing MMOs – other than your computer, console, phone, or whatever device you’re playing on, of course!
This question popped into my mind a while back because I’d left my phone upstairs, but I didn’t want to go get it because my daughter was sleeping and you do not wake my daughter if you can help it. I then logged into Star Wars Galaxies Legends and was crafting factory schematics to run… and my hand kept swiping at my phone stand in desperate search of my calculator. I just can’t do it – I can’t play SWG without a calculator. I need it. Could I do the math by hand or in a spreadsheet? Of course, but I like the ease of my calculator app. It’s just so much faster when I need to figure out how much fungus and carbosyrup I need to reserve for the factory run. Up the stairs I went!
What’s the most indispensable tool you use to play MMOs, other than the platform itself?
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!
The authenticator keeping my account safe as Well as my calculator.
Easy answer for most MMOers: A Naga—or similar 12-button mouse.
I’ve had an “MMO mouse” for the past 6 years. Was really excited to make using skills a breeze with it. And yet 6 years later I still just use the keyboard buttons, I really wish I could actually train myself to use the damn thing I paid money for lol
My switch and then also tank queues as I am sorry I don’t have time anymore to run any content where I have to wait longer than 3 minutes to get into content.
Oh, I have prove to myself it is my Razer Naga. I’ve had to use a standard mouse from time to time over the past couple of years and now, if I don’t have my MMO mouse, I don’t play. Lol. Crazy. That is craziness, but it is true.
I suppose it doesn’t have to be a Naga as there are other choices out there, but it does have to be functionally the same. The custom key-mappings I can execute with my thumb is now second nature. It is muscle memory and I have to have it. Heh.
I’ve used the N52 keypad since it was the Nostromo. I’ve worn through 5 or 6 in that time. I can chord hundreds of actions between the thumb and keypad. I don’t even consider what it would be like to play without it.
Same; in 20+ years of MMOing I’ve never used wasd—I bind everything to …what does Razer call it now? Orbweaver?
“Dead to me” is what I call it now. I’m still hanging on to the old TE model, which was the last one with direct hardware programming and none of that cloud-based craplet stuff.
I need an upgrade, but it’s hard to top simple perfection.
My notebook :)
I make notes all the time when I play MMO’s, things to do lists, points of interest, hidden locations, quest and puzzle solutions, new character ideas etc..etc..etc..
Over time it’s become the gaming mouse that I use in it’s various forms, which transitioned from product to product until landing on the Roccat Nyth that I use now. One of the first things I do when playing a new MMO is figure out which buttons or abilities are going to be most comfortably used from that mouse.
It has room for the typical 12 on the side…but those buttons are modular. Switched out the two closest to the base of my thumb for bigger buttons (take up two slots each, but I found I only use 7-8 of the 12 anyway), removed entirely the last two on the bottom and covered with one of the flat inserts, and the rest are the normal sized buttons that it starts with and are easy to reach with the meaty part of my thumb and the tip of thumb respectively.
Having access to a bunch of buttons at my thumb has always been good…having it be comfortable and require a lot less thumb bending in the process is great.
Hmm, honestly – probably Excel – I usually end up using it to track something :)
I used to rely heavily on my guild website back when I was running a guild.
We’d use it to organise raids, sort out DKP, receive applications for new members, discuss tactics and general gameplay thoughts. I don’t think I could have run the guild or gotten so much enjoyment from it without the website.
But, once I was in game itself I didn’t need it (apart from the check raid signups on raid nights). I did rely on ventrillo for voice chat too.
Maps and instance guides. I’ll print them if I have to, but prefer to just buy the books. I had just thrown out my old WoW guides when classic was announced, some of which I had created myself. Was lucky to find the map book and dungeon guide used online.