Vague Patch Notes: Early access is just game development as performance art
I was reminded recently about Valheim. I do not own the game and thus have not played it; I cannot tell you if it...
The Daily Grind: What’s some weird or forgotten terminology or concept from an MMO of yore?
Way, way back in the day - and for only a relatively brief run - Ultima Online had a system that came to be...
Perfect Ten: The 10 most utterly bizarre Final Fantasy XIV NPC names
A lot of times when I write these columns, I have either a point to make or a higher concept that I am touching...
The Daily Grind: What’s the key thought that keeps you from returning to MMOs?
In my decades of playing and writing about MMORPGs, there's one thing I've found to be incredibly true: There is no such thing as...
Massively OP Podcast Episode 454: MMO roadmap roundup
Justin and Bree discuss the 2024 roadmaps for Lord of the Rings Online, Lost Ark, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, EVE Online, Elder Scrolls Online, New World, EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Wayfinder, with adventures in LOTRO, FFXIV, and City of Heroes.
Choose My Adventure: Genshin Impact is slowly working its charms on me
Perhaps this is just time away from the game or the full mental and literal reset talking, but I have to say that right...
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPGs have a permanent place on your desktop?
On the MOP Podcast a while back, I mentioned that Project Gorgon had made its way into a permanent home on my PC, which...
Wisdom of Nym: Impressions of Final Fantasy XIV’s petite patch 6.55
There's an odd thing that keeps going back and forth in my head when I look at last week's patch 6.55 for Final Fantasy...
The Daily Grind: How much do you think the whales of your top MMO spend in a year?
A few weeks back, following Korea's Fair Trade Commission ordering Nexon to pay nearly $9M in fines over its deceptive gamble-upgrade mechanics, players went...
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG that you love is terrible for new players?
All MMORPGs are kind of garbage at onboarding new players. There are a lot of reasons for that, and a lot of games are...
Global Chat: The EverQuest Fippy Awards
The EverQuest Show is starting the year with a for-fun awards ceremony featuring the two EverQuest MMOs. Who will win? Who will lose? Will this be...
LOTRO Legendarium: Digging into LOTRO’s 2024 roadmap, from U39 to the Baharbêl expansion
Oh boy -- it's roadmap time for Lord of the Rings Online! As we've been seeing over the past few years, Standing Stone Games...
The Daily Grind: What’s a perfect MMO for a chill experience?
While some of us absolutely thrive on cutthroat PvP competition and high-stakes, fast-paced action in our MMORPGs, unceasing excitement isn't for everyone. I know...
Leaderboard: What’s the most vulnerable Daybreak MMO in 2024?
Every year when it comes time to update this poll for January, I consider tossing it out. But the last few years of Daybreak...
Vague Patch Notes: What City of Heroes Homecoming means for the wider MMORPG industry
As you have probably noticed from the fact that I have been writing about City of Heroes nonstop since the Homecoming server got its...
The Daily Grind: What will be the next MMO to undergo a big business model shift?
2023 turned out to be a weird year for business models in MMOs. It was certainly the year of cadence shifts and seasonal shifts,...
Massively Overthinking: The slowest and fastest combat in MMORPGs
During a recent podcast discussion about City of Heroes' official revival, the MOP writers were talking about its combat, which - let's be honest...
Into the Super-Verse: What City of Heroes needs now is not more endgame content
One of the key discussion points about the City of Heroes revival revolves around what the perception of the game is going to be....
The Daily Grind: What’s the best MMO to play while you’re sick?
As a kid, you kind of always hoped for a sickness that left you just sick enough that you could stay home from school...
Perfect Ten: The weirdest weapons from MMOs of yore
Swords. Staffs. Maces. Spears. Wands. Bows. Crossbows. Double-crossbows. Hammers. Wolverine claws. Daggers. Axes. Deadly? Yes. Fashionable? Not so much. A two-handed sword is so...