Console Dependant #3: The Rise of the MMORPG
February 15th, 2002
From: Will

Long time, no see. That being said I am going to talk about a new type of RPG that is suddenly exploding everywhere: the Massively Multiplayer Online RPG. They have been around for a while now, actually (Ultima Online). But they have suddenly reached increasing popularity in the last 2 years with the introduction of broadband and also the conversion of college networks to an ethernet system. Why does this matter? Well frankly, it allows players to have a smooth experience and not become Sir Molasses of the Slow Trot.

But why are they popular besides the upgrades in internet technology? Frankly, its the fact you can surround yourself literally into a world. Almost every character you meet in the game is another person at another computer. They are real individuals instead of the NPC "Welcome to Sunny Village!" guys. You can form friendships, alliances, hatreds, enemies, and so on. You get to live in a sort of mini-world. And to many people of this generation that is awesome. They can escape the boredoms, the pains, and the frustrations of this world and channel them into this virtual universe.

But isn't this creating a generation of video zombies? Yes and no. Like any fun thing or hobby, MMORPGs draw people and demand their attention. You do have the guys who play for twelve hours on end and have never kissed a girl. You also have the guys who play all day and are quite normal. And then there are players like me who play for like an hour and then move on to something else for the rest of the day. So are there addicts? Yes. But are their helpful or educational aspects to these games? YES! Right now, everyone in Dunn Hall plays Ragnarok Online. It is a cutesy Korean game with about 4000 players. And what does it promote? One of the things early on is that you learn that you must use teamwork to advance through the game. Be it newbie and a veteran or two veterans taking on dragons, teamwork is vital. You screw someone over and there is hell to pay either through the administrator system or through word of mouth. There is also a practiced economy in the game. One of the classes is Merchant and they set the prices. Rare items sell for millions until the market is flooded. Then you can get awesome items for mere thousands. There is also practiced competition if you are a merchant. I used to play one and the first thing I'd do was find my competitors, buy their equipment, and sell it for a higher price. Thus, I'd make an insane profit because I controlled the market in that specific area.

So you are a newbie to the MMORPG world? What should you look for in a game? What is the best MMORPG? Really, like all video games, it depends. We love Ragnarok Online because it is lively and still only in Beta stage. $10 buys us the entire period of the Beta test (usually 2 months per test). There is also the Asheron's Call series and the tried but true Ultima Online. Final Fantasy has also dipped into MMORPGs with Final Fantasy XI for the PS2 and PC. For that particular game, I advise you get the PC version if you have a slamming system. Its 4 GB and its pretty graphics intense. Also, when we eventually get the game, the PC version will have an easier time accepting the expansion pack.

Personally, I am looking forward to World of Warcraft. The game looks great and Blizzard has pumped every ounce of talent into it.

And for you anime fans out there, get on KaZaa or Direct Connect and download Hack Sign. It came out earlier this year and its about adventurers trapped in an MMORPG called the World. They actually have it on Cartoon Network now at 2 PM CST on Saturdays or Sundays. Very nice series indeed.