column
The Game Archaeologist: Castle Infinity, the MMO that was literally rescued from a dumpster
In the grand history of MMORPGs, kids games seem to have it rougher than most. Developers have had a hard time cracking into that...
The Daily Grind: Which MMO NPC do you hate with an undying passion?
Sara Oakheart. Let me tell you about Sara Oakheart. If you haven't ever played Lord of the Rings Online, you wouldn't have a clue,...
Vague Patch Notes: Accessibility vs. relevance in MMORPGs
You know that old chestnut about how the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist? The greatest trick...
The Survivalist: Giving thanks for survival, from the genre to Conan Exiles
Since my column falls on Thursday, I always have the honor of sharing in the spirit of Thanksgiving by discussing what I am grateful...
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV’s Blue Mage is balanced right, even if you don’t like that
This extra this week entirely comes from me doing the intellectual equivalent of pouring a mixture of lemon juice and salt directly into an...
The Daily Grind: What MMO are you thankful for today?
A lot of the time, we use this space to ask serious and thought-provoking questions, but today is a holiday in the US, and...
Hyperspace Beacon: Five things you need to do before SWTOR’s 5.10 update
Update 5.10 for Star Wars: The Old Republic is coming very soon, possibly next week, but more likely the week after. That's not a...
Perfect Ten: How MMOs teach us to be thankful
Every year around this time, I try to produce a Perfect Ten about thankfulness. Those of you who know my writing also know that...
The Daily Grind: What great MMO grouping experiences have you had lately?
One gaming night that I look forward to every week is Friday evening, because I know that then I'll be dropping all other MMO...
The Daily Grind: Is the movement against LFG just privileging a different type of MMO player?
In the comments of a BlizzCon article a few weeks ago, there was an interesting discussion about content. One commenter argued that it didn't...
Wisdom of Nym: The first reactions to Final Fantasy XIV’s fan festival
Well, gosh. That was sure a lot of news for Final Fantasy XIV over a weekend, huh? Expected news, sure, but therein lie some of my...
The Daily Grind: Do you consistently pick the same classes and playstyles in MMOs?
Justin and I kicked off last week's podcast discussing our favorite character class playstyles, and I... kind of got carried away gushing about my...
The Daily Grind: What are your reactions to this year’s Final Fantasy XIV Fanfest?
Game-specific conventions are always a wild ride. Square-Enix didn't have to spend the past few days wowing people who had no idea about what...
LOTRO Legendarium: Starting on a legendary journey
Part of me was laughing at myself. Here I was, a grown man, shuffling around my weekly schedule to come home in the middle...
The Daily Grind: Is it better to play MMOs cooperatively or competitively?
It's a fact of MMO life that, sooner or later, we interact with other players in these games. It's kind of one of the...
FFXIV Fan Festival 2018: Shadowbringers promises new story, new regions, and new jobs
The plan was to fan a spark into a flame, but now it's getting dark, so who'll remember your name? (Apologies to Lin-Manuel Miranda...
WoW Factor: The smart World of Warcraft stuff from BlizzCon
Let's get something out of the way first and foremost. I am not going to count Warcraft III: Reforged as a smart thing for...
The Daily Grind: Would you play a Wheel of Time MMO?
During this week's podcast, we happened to mention the sprawling Wheel of Time series, a TV adaptation of which is currently being worked on...
Vague Patch Notes: When World of Warcraft breaks off your friendship
I spent a bunch of time post-BlizzCon thinking about why World of Warcraft personally bothered me. Not why its design pitfalls bothered me; that's...
Hyperspace Beacon: Everything you need to know about Star Wars The Old Republic’s guild changes
Since the launch of the game, guilds have been a real weakness for Star Wars: The Old Republic. For the longest time, I have...
