I wrote this piece for a freelance site. My article was not chosen to be published, so I'm taking the liberty of publishing it myself. I can't doing work without doing SOMETHING with it, even if it's just a sketch in my notebook. Thinking back, the article was probably too long. They wanted 800 words, this one lands north of 1000.
In the age of social networking and internet communication, there has been a growing interest in the Massive Multiplayer Online gaming genre. MMO's typically place a player controlled avatar into a persistent world consisting of both PCs (player characters) and NPCs(non-player characters). MMO games connect thousands of players together, usually with social networking-like components to enhance peer-to-peer interactions in-game. MMOs can take place in a variety of settings, giving consumers the opportunity to adventure in a land that most appeals to them. This article will (hopefully) serve as a general guide for players new to the genre who are looking to get started in this gaming sub-culture.
Entering an MMO world can seem daunting at first. A lone player, fresh from the character customization screen, set loose in a new world with (usually) little direction and virtually no equipment or resources. Don't worry. There are a few important things to keep in mind when you set foot in your new game world that will help ease you into your environment and jump-start you on your journey though the game.
The first thing to remember is that while the settings may change, MMO games all stem from the same background: the MUD (multi-user dungeon). MUDs are text-based multiplayer fantasy games. Think of them as a paperless Dungeons and Dragons game. MUDs set many of the paradigms that exist in current MMO games, such as player-player and player-environment interaction. It is also where the persistent world comes from. This is what separates MMO games from Single-player and other Multi-player games (like Halo). When you stop playing an MMO, the world continues to exist and change. Players continue to play in the world environment, and your character state is saved. In some games, you may sign back in the next day to see the world around you has been invaded by an enemy faction.
The second concept to keep in mind while playing an MMO is the "Holy-Trinity of MMORPG (role-playing game) gaming": Tanking, Healing, and Damage Dealing. This relates directly to the combat system within the game. Most MMOs allow you to choose a character class or path while playing, which gives you the ability to tailor your character's abilities to you preferred play-style, but character classes can be simplified to one of three roles loosely based on character archetypes pulled again from Dungeons and Dragons (credit where it's due, this pen and paper RPG set many of today's gaming standards). Damage Dealing classes are fairly straightforward; they choose a target and, through the use of spells and abilities, bring a creature or player to its death They are often referred to as DPS (Damage Per Second) classes. Some common classes include: Warrior, Rogue, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock.
Tanking classes are designed to take the abuse from an enemy. Their goal is to select armor and use abilities to mitigate or avoid as much damage as possible while keeping the target's attention (aggro) on them and away from the comparatively more fragile Damage Dealers and Healers. Tanks vary in name from game to game, but ultimately have the same goal.
They are not typically immune to damage, however, and that is where the job of the Healer comes in. In most MMOs, players will be exposed to death if their life bar (commonly called Hit Points) runs out. It is a Healer's job to restore hit points to a player after they have taken damage. Healer achieve this through a variety of means, but most commonly by casting a direct-healing spell at an injured player. Healers vary in name like the other two roles, but will commonly be found as Cleric, Priest, or Paladin.
The last and possibly most important idea to remember while playing an MMO is that they are by nature social games. MMOs provide tools to players for social interaction, whether that be through temporary groups/parties or larger guilds and alliances. This can be used to a new player's advantage, as most players playing an MMO do so for this reason, therefore you are likely to find helpful players within the game or in online communities that will offer assistance to new players. There are many fan-created resources that new players can visit online to read game-specific guides or ask questions of veteran players. Being social in nature also means there is likely much enjoyment to be had grouping with other players. In fact, in some games, it is required to group with other players to tackle difficult content. For gamers who like to play with a team to overcome obstacles, MMOs offer a high level of enjoyment and challenge. Just be mindful of your behavior: there is another player on the other side of the game world who is looking to have fun playing just as much as you are.
Hopefully you have a better idea of what to expect from the MMO gaming scene. To close, here are some of the more popular MMO games available today.
World of Warcraft - The current juggernaut and standard against which other MMORPG games are measured. Based on the popular Warcraft Real-Time Strategy game series, WoW is very beginner friendly with a multitude of resources available to assist newer players. Subscription fees start at $14.99/month, with discounts for multi-month purchases.
Lord of the Rings Online - LotRO is another very popular MMORPG. LotRO puts players in the J.R.R. Tolkien world of Middle Earth. Subscriptions is also $14.99/month with discounts for multi-month purchases.
Aion: Tower of Eternity - Aion is a relatively new MMORPG. Aion borrows many elements from World of Warcraft, specifically those which make WoW so beginner friendly. Aion separates itself with a unique take on Player versus Player content. Subscriptions start at $14.99/month.
Warhammer Online - Set in Gamers Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy universe, WO seeks to bring new definition to Player versus Player content. WO's goal is to make the entire game world feel like a conflicted battlefield, in which territory changing hands is entirely up to player controlled battles. Monthly fees start at $14.99/month.
Eve:Online - Eve breaks away from the typical swords and sorcery setting and drops players into deep space. Instead of choosing a character and class, players instead design and built their own vessels. Eve has a steeper learning curve than other MMOs because of the unique nature of the game, but for the dedicated player offers a world open to creation and exploration. The game world has more player intervention, however, allowing players to create their own corporations within the game world. Eve fees start at $14.95/month.
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