One of the things that sets MMOs apart in my book is whether they have a diurnal cycle – and more importantly, whether that cycle actually has an impact on the game. And that’s a hard thing to implement without being obnoxious, right? If you want brigands and trolls to be active only at night, you could potentially irritate your own players, who might have to just stand around for an hour waiting for an arbitrary in-game clock. But of course, the MMO I’m thinking of here – Lord of the Rings Online – somehow manages to make it work to the point that nighttime is not just beautiful but impactful. I might carp about having to wait, but I wouldn’t change it if I could, either.
Surely it’s not alone, right? Which MMORPG would you say has the best night experience?
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!
