Columns

Enjoy a run-down of our recent long-form pieces, both game-specific and more general. You might also be interested in our list of all of our columns and recurring articles. [Follow this category’s RSS feed]

Casually Classic: Three questions I have for WoW Classic’s probable Pandaria

6
Oh hey, Cataclysm Classic is here. You can absolutely sense the palpable excitement and community buzz over it, much the same way you can...
gun?

The Daily Grind: Who’s the best fictional leader still kicking around in MMORPGs?

13
For once, it's probably good that we don't have a Transformers MMORPG because otherwise the answer to this question would just be Optimus Prime....

Fight or Kite: Rabbit and Steel distills the MMO raid experience into a flashy boss battling roguelike

1
So here’s one that came out of left field for me. Rabbit and Steel (heretofore mentally referred to as Buns 'n' Blades) is an...
Hey-nonny-nonny

Perfect Ten: The 10 types of MMO guides you find in the wild

10
Look, folks. I'm a simple man, but I figure out how to handle my own things. I put my pants on one leg at...

Choose My Adventure: Adventuring in Southern Elsweyr brings back Elder Scrolls Online’s simple pleasures

3
It's a bit unfortunate that I've had more fun playing Elder Scrolls Online by myself than with others in recent days, but then I...

The Daily Grind: Do you bring any habits from one MMO to the next?

23
So a few weekends ago, I was doing overworld questing on my Hobbit Hunter in Lord of the Rings Online when I caught myself...
Michael Bay palette.

Wisdom of Nym: What other character jobs could Final Fantasy XIV pilfer in the future?

18
If there is only one game I know in the Final Fantasy franchise other than Final Fantasy XIV, it is Final Fantasy VI. This is...

The Daily Grind: Has an MMO ever inspired your real pet’s name?

9
I love naming stuff. Not just my characters, but when allowed, I name my crafted items, housing plot, and of course, my virtual pets....

Global Chat: V Rising isn’t the Diablo clone you might expect

7
In An Age tucked into the bloody meal that is V Rising following the vampiric survival game's launch and found it a mixed bag...

One Shots: Who left the lights on?

7
As a dad, I am perhaps consumed by a drive to make sure that all of the lights in the house are off when...
Huh.

The Daily Grind: Do you want to go back and see old content in MMOs?

24
Bree and I were having a conversation about video games the other day, which is not unusual. (We kibbitz a lot about video games;...

The Game Archaeologist: Runes of Magic, an MMO that made millions disappear

10
In more ways than one, the year 2004 was a pivotal one for the MMORPG community. Even as games like City of Heroes, EverQuest...
All over again.

WoW Factor: Story Difficulty is a bad idea and a good idea all rolled into one

23
Back during Wrath of the Lich King, I remember people asking for a story difficulty for raids in World of Warcraft because if the...

The Daily Grind: Do any MMOs outrank single-player games on your favorites list?

19
It's no surprise that Amazon's Fallout show has brought back interest in the series. Even if something based on a game is bad, people get...

Massively Overthinking: Does challenging solo content belong in MMORPGs?

42
Star Wars The Old Republic's plan to implement new solo challenge content called Ventures in its Desperate Defiance patch raised more than one eyebrow...

Perfect Ten: My top 10 favorite MMOs across two decades

24
Normally in these Perfect Ten lists, I'm very outward-facing. I like to create lists that are as helpful or amusing as possible for others...
Nope.

Vague Patch Notes: Why I am no longer anticipating Blue Protocol

15
Last year, I was pretty jazzed about Blue Protocol. I've actually been pretty jazzed about it for a while, but last year it looked...
Grats, I guess.

The Daily Grind: Is there a popular MMORPG you’ve still never played?

36
I've been playing MMORPGs so long that it's a rare title that I've never tried at all. There are tons of MMOs I've at...

Second Wind: The problem with World of Warcraft’s Dragonflight’s class design

11
It's time for part two of this four part Second Wind series on revisiting World of Warcraft after many years away. In the first...

Choose My Adventure: The Undaunted skill line chase introduces frustration in The Elder Scrolls Online

15
"Get the Undaunted skill line." "Unlock Undaunted." "You should be getting the Undaunted skills." "Make sure you've got Undaunted unlocked!" This has been the prevailing wisdom hoisted at me during my time in The Elder Scrolls Online, and admittedly it's something I really should have gone after much, much sooner than I did.