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Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) are known today as video games where players can live a life in a fantasy with tens of thousands of players in real time. People can socialize, raid dungeons, build houses, scavenge materials, and conduct many other activities with other people through player-created online avatars. Like the traditional Role Playing Game (RPG), the player assumes a avatar that travels through a virtual world inhabited by many non-player characters (NPCs), and the player could be on a quest to save the world or banish the darkness. The traditional RPG may take a player anywhere between ten to twenty hours to finish. Meanwhile MMORPGs may never have a end game for their players. Many MMORPGs are known to be a time sink for people. The time sink involves people progressing through the game through challenging difficult dungeons or bosses to obtain better equipment. Once players finish the current content, developers have the ability to add even more content, which could be even more challenging and rewarding, to keep players playing their game.

History

Example of a MUD

Multi User Dungeons

MMORPGs are known to have been based off Multi User Dungeons (MUD). MUDs were a text based game where many players could interact in a fantasy land that was interpreted through text only. Visuals were just text in different colors and people interacted with each other and with the world through text-based commands. MUDs can technically be considered the first coming of an MMORPG. The only difference that MUDs and MMORPGs have is that MMORPGs generally have a lush world that players can interact with. The world can be a 2D or 3D game that the player can see and react to.

Mazewar

Mazewar in 1974

The MMORPG genre as we know it today, took a while to get stated. Mazewar was created but Steve Colley in 1972 in the NASA Ames Research Center. The game involved players walking around in a digital first person environment, looking for other players to shoot. This idea was fun, but play testers felt that the game lacked substance, to combat this, the developers thought that it would be fun for players to be able to traverse through a maze and look for other players to shoot at. By creating a maze, players no longer knew when, or where to expect their competitors. This change created a sense of tension. Players were captivated by this early first person shooter, causing the early version of Mazewar to become a success.

In 1974, Greg Thompson was moving away to his college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the things he brought with himself was an early copy of Mazewar. While there Greg Thompson teamed up with Dave Lebling and modified the game to be able to run on ARPANET. The original version of maze wars was limited to only two people and ran on a client based model, which had two computers communicate via a serial wire. By connecting to ARPANET, players could connect to a terminal server based in MIT, and players could play with one another all over the United States. This innovation proved to be the birth of the very first online game, future games, such as Ultima Online and Everquest would take this Client/Server model and would further innovate the online gaming genera.







Gameplay Characteristics

Character Creation

Character creation page from Black Desert Online

One of the biggest charms to MMORPGs is the character creation. The ability to freely design one's character is what draws players to a game. For example, when a player first login to a new MMORPG, they can spend hours upon hours customizing their character to their liking.

Game developers added sliders and complete color palette to their character creation page which would then allow the user to modify the base player model as much as they like. It is possible to shape our character like ourselves. Many Modern day MMORPG's allow for characters to choose from various different species and sub species. This choice may or may not affect a players gameplay experience.










Player VS Player Style

A player getting ready to fight using the guild elphant

Not only is the MMORPG, Black Desert Online highlight is character creation it also features heavy PVP, (Player VS Player) content unlike most MMO. Other MMO's would focus on PVE(Player vs Environment) which means the game would be designed on a groups of players banding together in order to defeat a boss for rewards. This type of MMO style, PVE is to simlistic, since most of the bosses are hard coded and have no real challenge. For example if one were to count the seconds in there head of the next attack you could easily see a pattern thus defeating the boss or after the boss gets injured enough they would switch there patterns but even after that game is to predictable.

In the future with artificial intelligence finally starting to become of a more realistic technological advancement maybe bosses in PVE, MMO's will gain artificial intelligence. Then the players would have a hard time and only then will the players be truly challenged. This isn't the case in PVP games such as Black Desert Online. In PVP games the situation is always different because each player thinks differently, the player themselves basically becomes the artificial intelligence that technology has yet to prefect.

A guild doing damage to the opposing guild in a territory war

The game MMO Black Desert Online is based around "Node Wars", small scale PVP, which is when several guilds fight at 9pm EST Sunday - Friday, in order to obtain the resources in that area. This would be equivalent to in the real world as fighting in order to own a state. After the Node Wars take place, every Saturday there would be "Territory Wars" which is when guilds can allies with each other in order to gain a whole territory from the opposing force, equivalent to owning a country, which would give a ridiculous amount of resources and benefits to the winning guild.















In-Game Currency

Purchasing an outfit from an NPC on Mabinogi.

MMORPGs also have an in-game economy that players usually should contribute to in order to get ahead in the game. Similar to the real world, MMORPGs have in-game currency, player inventories, and storage functions. The player depends on in-game currency, and without it, the player's growth will not be fluid.

Using the player market on Black Desert Online.

Examples of in-game currency in MMORPGs are silver in Black Desert Online and gold in Mabinogi. Players use this currency to purchase items from NPCs and other players. Tradable items are generally acquired from completing tasks within the game like dungeons, quests, missions, or just casual fighting. Sometimes during casual in-game fighting, players have a chance to receive rare items that can be sold for high amounts. However, the chances of receiving such items are usually RNG based. Players who accumulate the most currency are those who grind these tasks for hours and then sell their goods.

Using Mabinogi's cash shop.

There is another way to accumulate in-game currency, and that is through investing real life currency. Many MMORPG companies' way of making money is through the use of a cash shop - a shop that sells exclusive items that can only be purchased by using real money. For example, in Black Desert Online, a player may purchase 1,000 pearls, which is worth $10.00. In Mabinogi, a player may buy 25,000 NX, which is worth $25.00. With "pearls," "NX," or other games' form of real life currency transferred into the game, players may purchase those exclusive items. These items are usually extremely helpful to a player, and gives them boosts or advantages over other players who do not invest real money. Some players may choose to invest real money into the cash shop, purchasing items that are in high demand, and selling them to other players for in-game currency. This can save them hours of grinding, but the trade-off is that they are spending real money.




















Equipment Progression

A basic double saber from Phantasy Star Online 2
An end-game double saber from Phantasy Star Online 2

One of the biggest goals that people have while playing MMORPGs is to improve their gear as much as possible. Game developers promote this idea by giving players access to equipment that look more aesthetically pleasing as well as providing the player with stronger equipment. Players can progress and improve their equipment by following a the MMORPG's storyline or by raiding hard dungeons to obtain better equipment or materials to create better equipment.

Different games tend to treat gear differently, but for the most part, gear is broken up into a Head Piece, Chest Piece, Leg Piece, Hand Piece, Footwear. Upon reaching the level cap, that is when players obtain the max level, in order to enjoy all that there is to be had, players need to update their gear. The term best in slot refers to the best piece of gear that can be worn in a particular equip-able category. (referring the the numerical stats on the gear.)

There is a term that MMORPG players coin: farming. Farming is when a player continuously does the same content over and over again in order to obtain materials or the hard to obtain equipment that they are hunting for. This is one way that developers can keep their players while making revenue.























Instance Dungeons

Chandra Manaya Instance Dungeon from TERA. Five party members engaging the final boss of the dungeon.

In early MMORPGs, only a handful of people could be in a dungeon one at a time. This flawed implementation was best shown in a MMORPG named MapleStory. MapleStory has multiplayer content called Party Quests, and only one party at a time could enter the dungeon and clear the quest. Many modern MMORPGs solve this problem by creating an instance of the dungeon for every party that wants to challenge the dungeon. This allows everybody to play the dungeon whenever they want without fighting with potentially hundreds of other party leaders trying to get their party into the one instance.

Dungeons are known to have challenging monsters and bosses for the players to beat and kill. The goal of these dungeons is to clear every challenge that the developers throw at you. Players challenge these dungeons in order to progress with the storyline, gain experience points to level up their character, gain the prestige of beating the dungeon, and acquire even better equipment.

Instance dungeons usually allow only a party of its maximum size (which varies from game to game) to participate in the dungeon run. But there are larger iterations of instance dungeons called raids, which allow more than one party to participate in the dungeon. These larger dungeons require more players in order to keep up with the difficulty of the dungeon, which can come in the form of even larger hordes of monsters and bigger, stronger, and badder bosses. Raids are known to be harder than regular instance dungeons, but the harder the content, the more rewarding the loot will be.






End Game and Raiding

Cruise Chaser from Alexander 11 Savage: Heat of the Creator

Unlike most other games, MMORPG's do not end once the players hits the maximum level. In fact to most people, this is when the MMO truly starts. Once players hit the level cap, they unlike the ability to go into end game dungeons. These dungeons are typically much harder then the standard dungeons people go through while leveling, however, this dungeons typically offer better gear, loot. Upon reaching endgame, players have the option to tackle raids.

Raids are instanced dungeon that require intense team work, and a mastery of not only ones class or role, but also the ability to think fast and adapt. It typically takes most group weeks, or even months to progress through a raid. Players have many reasons for raiding; some like the gameplay experience, some players want to have the best in slot gear, other want to experience the story, atmosphere, and music, and some players just want to have bragging rights.








Notable MMORPGs

Logo Title Developer Release Date Details
World of Warcraft logo.jpg World of Warcraft Blizzard Entertainment November 23, 2004 [1]
  • MSRP: 39.99 USD [1]
  • Subscription-based; costs USD 14.99 per month[2]
  • Estimated 4 - 6 million active players [3]
  • Featured in a South Park episode, titled "Make Love, Not Warcraft"
  • Inspired a movie
Final Fantasy XIV Logo.png Final Fantasy XIV Square Enix September 22, 2010 [4]
  • MSRP: 49.99 USD [4]
  • Over 5 million accounts created [3]
  • Estimated 1 - 1.5 million active players [3]
  • Based on the popular Final Fantasy series of video games
  • Features "tons of customizable content, and compelling storytelling" [3]
Guild Wars 2 logo.png Guild Wars 2 ArenaNet August 28, 2012 [5]
  • Costs USD 49.99, as of December 7, 2016 [6]
  • Free version available with limited features [3]
  • Reached 7 million players in 2015 [7]
  • Emphasizes "player cooperation and community-building" [3]
  • Features "cool PvP, enjoyable combat and sprawling locales to explore" [3]
  • Offers PvP tournaments with up to 200,000 USD in cash prizes [8]
The Elder Scrolls Online logo.png The Elder Scrolls Online ZeniMax Online Studios April 4, 2014 [9]
  • MSRP: 59.99 USD [10]
  • Estimated 770,000 active players [3]
  • Rated M for Mature [9]
  • Based on other Bathesda games, like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" [9]
  • Features "strong character progression and combat systems" [11]
TERA logo.png TERA Bluehole Studio May 1, 2012 [12]
  • Free to play [13]
  • Estimated 100,000 - 200,000 active players [3]
  • Predominantly Korean playerbase with over 97,000 guilds [3]
  • Features "active combat mechanics, and gorgeous visuals" [3]
  • Allows players to influence the game through its political system [12]
Blade & Soul logo.png Blade & Soul NCSOFT January 19, 2016 [14]
  • Free to play [3]
  • Rated M for Mature [14]
  • Once boasted over 1 million active players [3]
  • Described as "A tale of soul and sword, previously told." [14]
  • Features "a well-rounded combo-based combat system" [3]
Black Desert Online logo.png Black Desert Online Pearl Abyss March 3, 2016 [15]
  • Buy to play [3]
  • Korean sandbox MMO [15]
  • "Mixes beauty and uneven depth into its inevitable grinds." [15]
  • Features "fluid and visceral combat" and massive crafting systems [3]
  • Notable for its detailed character creation tools [3]
RuneScape logo.png RuneScape Jagex Janaury 04, 2001 [16]
  • Subscription-based; costs USD 9.49 - 7.50 per month [17]
  • Free version available with limited content [3]
  • Estimated 50,000 - 80,000 active players online at all times [3]
  • Features hundreds of quests, frequent updates and a massive world [16]
Lineage II logo.png Lineage II NCSOFT April 27, 2004 [18]
  • MSRP: 19.99 USD [18]
  • Currently free to play [3]
  • Described as "Kill, loot, repeat as needed." [18]
  • Features "advanced real-time tactic combat," and "engaging bosses" [3]
  • Focused on PvP [3]


See Also


References

19. https://www.blackdesertonline.com/game/warfare/ Black Desert Online. Kakao, n.d. Web. 14 May. 2017.

  1. 1.0 1.1 "World of Warcraft (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  2. "Subscription" Battle.net. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 Ellie. "Most Played MMORPG Games of 2016." IGCritic. More Click Media Ltd., 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Final Fantasy XIV Online (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  5. "Guild Wars 2 (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  6. "Buy Guild Wars 2." Guild Wars 2. ArenaNet, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  7. Karmali, Luke. "Guild Wars 2 Hits 7 Million Players as Expansion Launches." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, 23 Oct. 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
  8. "Guild Wars 2 World Championship." Guild Wars 2. ArenaNet, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016."
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "The Elder Scrolls Online (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  10. Bishop, Rollin. "The Elder Scrolls Online Review." Digital Trends. Designtechnica Corporation, 8 Apr. 14. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  11. Johnson, Leif. "The Elder Scrolls Online Review." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Tera: Rising (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  13. "TERA." Steam. Valve Corporation, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Blade & Soul (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Black Desert Online (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Runescape Game Review." MMOs.com. MMOs.com, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
  17. "Members Benefits." RuneScape. Jagex, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Lineage II (PC)." IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.