Back in the long long ago, the concept of a mule in an MMO – that is, a character you rolled but didn’t really play and who instead served a singular purpose, like auctioning your stuff, storing your stuff, or crafting your stuff – was incredibly common. I still use the verb “muling” to describe moving things to characters for storage.
But nowadays, I seldom hear people use the term, and it’s not as if all modern MMOs have extinguished the need for those characters, even though some have made it less essential. I mean, sure I expect older MMOs like Lord of the Rings Online to have mules and muling – that’s really the game that inspired me to talk about this today because I find myself having multiple mules for crafting and stashing things – but I do the same thing in Guild Wars 2, where I am usually awash with unplayed characters who function as cheap storage, so hey, might as well.
Do you make use of “mule” characters in MMORPGs?
Bonus question: What are some of the MMOs you play that simply don’t need mules?
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!
