evergreen
The Game Archaeologist: That time when EverQuest let you play as the monsters
It's a near-given that in every MMORPG, players assume the roles of heroes who are sent out to vanquish the evil, dark, or at...
Massively Overthinking: Is old-school MMO dungeon-camping ever coming back?
A while ago on the MOP Podcast, Justin and I randomly wound up on the topic of camping in MMOs - not pitching a...
Vague Patch Notes: The many flavors of ‘boosting’ in the MMO genre
The other day MOP's Bree and I were having a discussion about boosting. This is not entirely unusual, but it was unusual insofar as...
Perfect Ten: Useful excuses for ditching an MMO dungeon run
I'm not saying that MMO dungeons are boring or anything, but when you start one, you've kind of committed to seeing it through --...
The Soapbox: Why diversifying your MMO gaming is the smart thing to do
Allow me to indulge in some retrospection for a moment as I sit back on my rocker, squint into the fading afternoon light, and...
Working As Intended: MMOs that wish they were Star Wars Galaxies
"My friends and I would skin someone alive for an SWG 2," an old Star Wars Galaxies player recently wrote on Reddit, and that...
Vague Patch Notes: Themepark MMOs need open spaces, too
Let me start off this particular column with a story about Star Wars: The Old Republic. I've mentioned before how this was a game...
Perfect Ten: The subtle differences between World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV combat
It's the little things that get you when you weren't paying attention, according to Jim Infantino (and Jim's big ego), and this is true...
The Game Archaeologist: The origins of Blizzard, Mythic, Funcom, SOE, and BioWare
A good origin story always captivates me, especially when it gives me a new perspective on something I've come to appreciate over the years....
Vague Patch Notes: Yes, sandbox MMOs need tutorials and guidance, too
I'm going to make some sandbox fans a little miffed right here with my opening premise. Yes, your sandbox MMO needs tutorials and probably...
Perfect Ten: Weirdly specific tropes found in every fantasy MMORPG
If you take some weird, outlandish, or out-of-the-ordinary item and then saturate your life with it, sooner or later the bizarre becomes the accepted...
Perfect Ten: MMOs that have fallen to the dark side of cryptocurrency
Here's an interesting point that's worth considering: For all the talk about cryptocurrencies, NFTs, the metaverse, and other Web3 buzzwords being the future of...
Why I Play: What keeps me coming back to The Secret World
Now and then I'll allude to being the weirdo who's still playing The Secret World -- not Secret World Legends, but the original. I've...
Vague Patch Notes: A love letter to the people going above and beyond in the MMO genre
Let's just lead off with a very simple statement. Hey there, teams out there working on MMOs and doing more than you need to?...
Perfect Ten: Abrupt MMO sunsets that shocked us
Not all MMO sunsets are equal, when you look at them. Sure, all impact players who made those games a home, but some titles...
Tamriel Infinium: Was Elder Scrolls Online’s One Tamriel actually a bad idea?
Before you come into this column with boxing gloves on looking for the daft writer who dared to pose the above question, please hear...
Massively Overthinking: The second big five MMOs
So here in the MMORPG genre, we've been working under the assumption for the last few years that the "big five" MMOs that dominate...
Vague Patch Notes: You are not immune to predatory monetization in MMOs
This week, I want to expand on something I mentioned in last week's Vague Patch Notes as an offhand thing that bears further examination....
Vague Patch Notes: Examples of predatory monetization in the MMO industry
So, if you've been paying attention to this column over the past few forevers, you will have no doubt noticed by this point that...
Perfect Ten: The 10 NPCs you meet in MMORPGs
Is there a figure in online games that more symbolizes the thin barrier between the server database and user playerbase than the non-player character?...
