editorial
The Soapbox: The War Within is the best World of Warcraft’s endgame has ever been
When I delivered my first impressions of The War Within, I was full of praise for World of Warcraft's latest expansion, but I did...
Vague Patch Notes: Going solo isn’t a problem in MMORPGs
So I'm wrapping up a month of talking about how MMORPGs are by necessity social games. These are games in which you need other...
Well Fed: How I took an MMO joke sandwich name and made it real – and real delicious
Moments of inspiration really can strike from the strangest of places. Whether you're minding your own business in the shower, about to lay down...
Vague Patch Notes: Living like a rock in MMORPGs
So if you are anything close to my age, you probably do not think of Simon & Garfunkel's music as being anything remotely "raw."...
First Impressions: Brighter Shores has gobs of potential buried under mountains of grind
When I first heard of it, I wasn't sure that Brighter Shores would be a game I wanted to play, but watching development unfold...
MMO Hype Train: Brighter Shores is a totally chill RuneScape clone
Former RuneScape creator Andrew Gower admits that he never planned to make another MMORPG -- at least until enough fans convinced him to give...
Design Mockument: Exploring alternatives to the typical MMO trinity
Here's a fun thing for you: I swear that way, way back before the game launched, there were documents from the Guild Wars 2...
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s November looks overstuffed and underseasoned
Ah yes, November. The month of my favorite feasting holiday! Pokemon Go is hoping to deliver a feast of its own this month, but......
Casually Classic: Looking back at my 20+ year journey in World of Warcraft
When was the first time you ever heard of World of Warcraft? As a fan of the three Warcraft RTS titles, I became aware of...
Vague Patch Notes: Solipsism and what it means for playing MMORPGs
We've been talking for the past couple of Vague Patch Notes columns about the fact that MMOs are, as a genre, defined by having...
Hands-on with Lynked Banner of the Spark, an adorable roguelite with base building, crafting, and co-op
I typically gravitate towards intense, heart-pounding, combat games that go in hard and never let up. But every once-in-a-while, a game comes across my...
Massively on the Go: Hands-on with Super Mario Party Jamboree’s online modes
If you were somebody who thought Super Mario Party Jamboree's new modes might be Fall Guys-esque, I'm sorry to report that it isn't the...
Design Mockument: Alternate trinities in MMORPGs and the challenge of other roles
The trinity has been a truism of MMO design now for about as long as it wasn't. I came up during the small times...
Vague Patch Notes: The MMO world you don’t control
Last week in Vague Patch Notes, I attempted to lay out my thesis for what it means when we say MMOs require other people....
Stick and Rudder: On CitizenCon day two, Star Citizen talked MMO design and full 1.0 release
Sure, we've had one day of CitizenCon, but what about second day? The weekend event for the 12 year-old sci-fi sandbox Star Citizen has...
Stick and Rudder: Star Citizen talks tools, gear, social features, and Squadron 42 at CitizenCon day one
It's that time of year again for fans and followers of Star Citizen to come together in-person and digitally to see what's next in...
Design Mockument: How might we build a Stormlight Archive MMORPG?
So when I was talking with MOP editor Bree a while back, I mentioned how one of my early ideas for the most recent...
Vague Patch Notes: MMOs rely on other people – but what does that really mean?
Now that we're done with Leveling Month in Vague Patch Notes, is there another topic I can turn into a month-and-change of column topics?...
Four Winds: Looking back at the early Throne and Liberty journey from the vantage of endgame
In the last edition of Four Winds, I found myself cautiously enjoying Throne and Liberty. The game had its hooks in me. I found an engaging game...
Vague Patch Notes: What is good meaningful leveling in MMORPGs?
All right. So we are here at long last, at the end of Leveling Month, although it's actually more like Month And A Bit....
