evergreen
Perfect Ten: 10 MMORPGs as Saturday morning cartoons
My insane MMO and MMORPG thought experiments do indeed continue: Previously I considered what muffins MMO NPCs are, then I considered what flavor of...
Why I Play: Five years in, Fallout 76 has become expansive, flawed, and engrossing
War might never change, but Fallout 76? That sucker has changed a whole lot since its debut five years ago.
For as long as I've...
Vague Patch Notes: Default MMORPG genre features change over time, and that’s OK
I want you to picture a nonexistent MMO in your head right now. Not one that hasn't released yet; one that hasn't even been...
WoW Factor: The dungeon finder really did muck up World of Warcraft’s leveling – but not the way you’re thinking
So if you missed Justin's recent column, he mentioned how bad leveling feels these days in World of Warcraft and some of the reasons...
Perfect Ten: Solid MMOs you might be sleeping on in 2023
For today's list, I wanted to take a different approach to recommending MMORPGs to you. I know we often talk about underrated titles, but...
LOTRO Legendarium: Eight beneficial activities in LOTRO you may be overlooking
In my personal, immediate experience, I find that even in a broad MMORPG with lots of options, I tend to narrow my activities and...
Casually Classic: WoW Classic’s leveling journey shows how much retail has lost its way
In the past six months, I've been tracking a very interesting conversation that's arisen over what the MMORPG genre as a whole has lost...
Perfect Ten: Myths about balance in MMOs
For some MMO players, "balance" is a dirty word. And I'm not going to lie, I can hardly blame them. If you're not a...
EVE Evolved: Is it too late to start playing EVE Online?
Sci-fi MMO EVE Online reached a special milestone this year with its 20th anniversary, and for many people, it raises an interesting question: Is...
Vague Patch Notes: Why procedural generation doesn’t solve the content problems of MMOs
Just yesterday, MOP's Justin ran down the various features that the long-canceled EverQuest Next promised before its demise - including the promise of all...
Perfect Ten: The interesting features EverQuest Next promised before it was canceled
After way, way too long, it looks like an EverQuest 3 may be in the works after all. It's been rumored for years, of...
Vague Patch Notes: Why people can’t just ignore things they don’t want in MMORPGs
As I often do, I'm going to start this column with a bit of history. But in this particular case, it's a bit of...
Perfect Ten: The delicate balancing act of designing MMORPGs
MMORPGs are complicated. We all know that. But one of the things that I think is easy to overlook is how and why MMORPGs...
MMO Burnout: Non-MMOs that scratch my MMO progression grind itch
There are plenty of reasons people play MMORPGs, whether it's to experience a story (yes, those exist), run in some PvP wars, or grind...
WoW Factor: If this is the state of World of Warcraft, why talk about it?
The other day, I was talking with a friend about another MMO altogether. It doesn't actually matter which one it was because the important...
Vague Patch Notes: The games industry arrogance cycle, in MMOs and elsewhere
Unity has fallen. Oh, sure, the company has rolled back the worst parts of its incredibly boneheaded "give us money for your successful game"...
Perfect Ten: The 10 unsung heroes of the MMO user interface
If we ever think of an MMO's user interface, it's either when we're getting settled into a new game or when a title decides...
Vague Patch Notes: So what actually kills MMO communities?
Since we're busy getting a front-row seat to World of Warcraft adding the dungeon finder again, only this time it's WoW Classic, we are...
WoW Factor: MMO raid design and the antagonistic GM
Last week's column about World of Warcraft prompted some really interesting comments that I think are worth talking about; in fact, I very nearly...
Perfect Ten: 10 MMOs you’ve already forgotten ever existed
Falling into obscurity and then being completely forgotten is the nightmare of any creative artist. This tragic scenario is compounded when it comes to...
