Why do I like MMOs? What keeps me playing the ones that I like? I have trouble answering when someone unfamiliar with the MMORPG genre asks me why I play them. Having been doing so on and off for over a decade, it’s still not something I can simply put my finger on.
Everyone looks for something in particular in their MMOs, whether they realize it or not. Some people prefer sprawling landscapes and open-world PvP, some look for games with everything to do and a community to welcome them as their own, and yet others look toward MMOs for their dose of developed storytelling or a robust roleplaying community.
Having jumped head-first into a huge chunk of the free to play market and tried my hand at most of the big name titles, I’m still not sure where I stand. I used to think I valued combat over all else. I’ve been an avid PvPer since my beginnings as a wee nubcake — but after putting several months into TERA and coming out no better (nor entertained) for it, I don’t know whether the sweet, sweet taste of beating the poop out of other people is really the main draw to the genre for me anymore.
After having come back to Aion again, it’s so hard for me to really explain why I like the game to my friends wondering why I’ve grown to like it so much.
GameSkinny’s own Jeremy bothers me to play RIFT all the time, begrudgingly trying Aion every once in a while to try to figure out what all the fuss is about. Having tried RIFT myself, I can’t say I enjoyed it much.
Both of us are avid players of the genre with extensive experience in multiple titles, but neither of us can come to a consensus on which MMORPGs are fun. We can both see when one is well-made and constitutes a good game, but we just can’t agree on one to play together. That’s just the way it is.
It’s not uncommon for groups of friends to find their passion in completely different titles. In my group of friends, we have people who play World of Warcraft, Aion, RIFT, The Secret World, EVE, Guild Wars 2, TERA, and a whole slew of miscellaneous free to play titles. That, again, is just the way it is.