list
Perfect Ten: My memories from the 2004 World of Warcraft launch
Back in November of 2004, I was a wide-eyed 28-year-old bachelor who had just met his future wife and was generally leery about MMOs...
Perfect Ten: 10 MMOs that took aim at World of Warcraft
The fact that we currently have a Big Five in the MMO space is a big change from not so long ago, when the...
Perfect Ten: Small features that still make RIFT awesome
When I re-installed RIFT this past month, I knew I was setting myself up for heartache. It is, after all, one of my all-time...
Perfect Ten: 10 MMORPGs that let you talk to cats
Let's not mince words here: I am a cat person. I absolutely love cats. They are small furry idiots who make stupid yelling noises,...
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 --...
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...
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...
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...
Perfect Ten: The old-school guide to grouping up in Final Fantasy XI back in the day
Recently, our resident Choose My Adventure expert Chris has been taking on Final Fantasy XI, and he's come away with a somewhat... let's say...
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?...
Perfect Ten: The stupid reasons I have had for sacrificing sleep for MMOs
One of the most useful pieces of advice that I've gotten regarding making decisions for the future is also the simplest: Imagine yourself taking...
Perfect Ten: 10 things you can spend money on instead of Diablo Immortal
So how about that Diablo Immortal eh? Sure is a lot of "weeping and gnashing of teeth" surrounding its release, huh? But hey, it's for a...
Perfect Ten: Weird ways we heal each other in MMORPGs
One of the most important implications of the virtual worlds we visit is that they all boast medical care far above and beyond anything...
Perfect Ten: 10 great ways to lose new players from your MMO
MMOs require new blood. Not exclusively or anything; you can keep an MMO going for quite some time on existing happy players. But existing...
Perfect Ten: MMO critters so cute it makes your teeth hurt
I vividly remember a conversation I had with my then-girlfriend's parents back in 1996 about the potential of this growing "internet" phenomenon. With my...
Perfect Ten: The many-colored dragon rainbow of the MMO sphere
Dragons are ubiquitous. When I wrote a Perfect Ten describing every single MMO bestiary, I noted that no matter what game you're playing, no...
Perfect Ten: Why we need more post-apocalyptic MMOs
Ever since playing the original Wasteland back in the late '80, I've had a high fascination with post-apocalyptic settings. Yet it's not been the...
Perfect Ten: Things that turn me off from trying your MMO
Hey, designers, we need to talk. So, if you haven't noticed, I like MMOs. And you're making an MMO. This should be a good...
Perfect Ten: The 10 stages of the MMO launch journey, from announcement to release
One of the aspects that I love about MMOs is just how dang fun the build-up to launch can be. I know this period...
