A while back, I spotted a graph on the Path of Exile subreddit that I’m pretty sure will resonate with lots of gamers and maybe especially MMO players. The graphic basically makes the point that most of the content in the game is pretty smooth, bordering on easy, and then…. DIFFICULTY SPIKES OF DOOM. And there’s little in between the smooth gameplay and instant death.
This is what frustrates me the most about PoE’s gameplay, especially at this time of the League, ft. shitty paint graph.
by u/GH057807 in pathofexile
This happens to me a lot in MMOs, particularly MMOs where the content slides between soloable and group content, either because it’s open-world or because it offers specific difficulty tiers. Ultima Online and City of Heroes, in my estimation, have particularly spiky gameplay that can be hard for most characters to mitigate and most players to react to. And yet players keep seeking the sweet spot for challenge – somewhere between “OK, this is kinda easy” and “welp I just got one-shotted.”
Where is the sweet spot for challenge in your favorite MMO? Which MMO does a good job delivering challenging gameplay without killing you so fast you don’t even know what got you?
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!
