Generally used to describe MMOs from before World of Warcraft’s launch in 2004, though sometimes shortened to describe just the first few MMOs launched prior to 2000.
classic mmo
The MOP Up: Hearthstone’s pre-Rise of Shadows patch arrives
The next major expansion for Hearthstone is almost upon us (and will, in fact, be here Tuesday), but for now you can get ready...
Old School RuneScape’s Deadman Spring Final PvP tourney gets ganked by bugs
The Deadman Spring Finals -- Old School RuneScape's regularly held PvP tournament which pits 2,000 players against one another for a $20k cash prize...
Choose My Adventure: What Legends of Aria taught me about sandbox MMORPGs
As much as I enjoy the new guard of MMORPGs, with their quick-hit content and action combat models, I'm also not completely ignorant to...
The MOP Up: Warframe descends to Deck 12 on consoles
Warframe's Deck 12 has unlocked for console players -- and there are deep, dark secrets to be uncovered by descending to it.
"Now is the...
The Game Archaeologist: The Chronicles of Spellborn
Hey! Hey you! Yeah, you the I'm-so-bored-with-all-of-these-MMOs gamer! You've been grousing about for years how MMOs never take risks, never innovate, and are merely...
The Stream Team: Commemorating another RuneScape anniversary milestone
RuneScape is one of those games that has many anniversary dates. Today marks the 15th anniversary of its official launch as RuneScape 2 (as...
Massively Overthinking: Thoughts on the holy trinity in MMOs
One of MOP's bright new columnists, Tyler Edwards, blogs over at Superior Realities, and he recently brought to my attention his pieces on the...
Desert Oasis: Reframing player perceptions of Pearl Abyss’ MMO Black Desert
Hello and welcome to our revival of the Black Desert column! The Desert Nomad decided it was time to reroll for the new meta, and...
RuneScape sparks up its Firemaking skill in latest game update
We didn't start the fire, but that might change with RuneScape's latest update, which brings a massive overhaul to the game's Firemaking skill. Realizing...
Choose My Adventure: The almost-zen of crafting in Legends of Aria
Funny how this run of Choose My Adventure arrives after we've had a discussion about designed downtime, because the crafting and gathering in Legends...
Astellia provides a general rundown of its crafting system
It might not burn many barns, but Astellia will indeed have crafting, something the devs feel is an important part of the overall MMORPG...
The Daily Grind: Is it possible for an MMO to make you feel like a kid again?
Last month on /r/mmorpg, there was a thread about finding MMOs that will make you feel like a kid again. You can probably guess...
Old School RuneScape talks player behavior, improving PvP, and fixing old content in a Q&A
A beefy Q&A video from the devs of Old School RuneScape offered up an opportunity to discuss a variety of matters relevant to the...
Massively Overthinking: Designed downtime in MMORPGs
In a Daily Grind not long ago, MOP reader Armsbend said something I thought just cried out for discussion. After noting that he had...
RuneScape delays Firemaking updates and previews its Freedom camera mode
Bit of bad news, good news out of the RuneScape camp: The bad news is that the improvements to the Firemaking skill are being...
Perfect Ten: MMOs that set themselves up as spiritual successors
As with the larger video game market, sequels aren't unknown in the MMO space. We've seen studios take a stab at following up successful...
Ultima Online’s Rising Tide update launches today with improved ship combat, vet rewards, and kitchens
At the beginning of 2019, Broadsword announced big things for Ultima Online: an entire year of content on the high seas, inspired by the...
Old School RuneScape improves its quest panel while providing plenty of sand storage
Do you need help storing sand in old school RuneScape? Good news, then, as the game's latest patch adds in a new Sandstone grinder that...
RuneScape is yanking the Bounty Hunter system, consolidating shape-changing, and more
Sometimes the best way to improve content in an MMO is to throw it away, remove it from the game, and then pretend it...
The MOP Up: MapleStory goes to the arcade
If you're playing MapleStory, chances are that you're not too prim and proper to enjoy some goofy fun. So pop in a quarter and...
