Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs) have been one of the most popular game genres going back at least two decades. Modern MMO titles often merge multiple genres, and move away from the traditional fantasy setting. But when a gamer thinks MMORPG, they generally visualize a hack and slash, sword and sorcery affair.
Modern MMORPGs tend to follow a pretty tried and tested format, especially when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Some things just work, and players expect similar leveling andskill systems, as well as the general uncommon, common, rare, epic, and legendary tiering of items. But it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when these gameplay features were not set in stone as they are now. Certain games pioneered these features, that were then adopted almost across the board.
8MapleStory
Cash Shop And Microtransactions
MapleStorytakes a place on this list for a somewhat dubious reason. It could be said thatMapleStoryactually helped to break the MMORPG genre. How? It was the first MMORPG to incorporate a cash shop andpay-to-winmicrotransactions.
There were a few other games around this time that also added a cash shop, such asFlyff,Silkroad, andRising Force Online, but it isMapleStorythat took the lead. Was this a good thing for MMORPGs in general? Some say yes, and many say no. But there can be no doubt thatMapleStorystarted a trend that continues until today.
7Legends of Future Past
Harvesting And Player Crafting
It is unlikely that many readers will rememberLegends of Future Past. It was a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) that evolved fromMUD1, which was originally hosted on a minicomputer at Essex University in the UK. In 1992, Compuserve added it as a subscription-based service to its infantile consumer internet offerings.
PlayingLegends of Future Pastwas billed at a whopping $6 an hour. All those players with thousands of hours in MMORPGs such asWoW, should do some math here, and realize what a bargain modern MMORPGs are.
Although it was text-based,Legends of Future Pasthad many of the features expected from a modern MMORPG. And this includes a material harvesting and gathering system, andplayer-crafted items. Both are a staple of almost all modern MMORPGs today.
Crime And Punishment System
Ultima Online
The Best-selling role-playing series of all time has revolutionized online Gaming again with Ultima Online: The Second Age.Interact with thousands of players simultaneously in this breakthrough internet fantasy world. Get online and immerse yourself in the adventure of a lifetime…Thousands Of PlayersPotentially thousands of players online day and night from around the world, each character as individual as the person who created it. A vibrant player community, hundreds of websites, hundreds of guilds to join. Are you with us?A Persistent WorldYour actions have a real, lasting impact on this fully simulated world. Regular and ongoing automatic updates to the game ensure that it remains fresh and exciting.Endless PossibilitiesUltima Online offers an unprecedented degree of freedom for you to seek out your own destiny. Craft weapons, tame wild animals, build a house, run a shop, quest for treasure, delve into dungeons - true role-playing where your only limitation is your imagination.The Second AgeUltima Online truly enters a new age, with over a year of gameplay refining, expanded chat features, new on-the-fly language translation provided by SYSTRAN® Software, new creatures, towns and terrain, and an interactive tutorial.
Richard Garriot, known by gamers as Lord British, was the mastermind behindUltima Online. A man with a vision, who sawUOas a vibrant world, revolving around the player base. One of the main design constraints forUOwas that there should be few limits placed on player actions. Want to murder somebody? Fine, but accept the consequences.
Originally, the land of Felluca was a full PvP map, with the only protection from murderers and thieves being within the sight of a city guard. And of course, this could lead to grief play, so a system needed to be in place to tackle this. InUO, players could attack, steal from, and kill any other player, anywhere. Furthermore, when a player died, their entire inventory dropped with the corpse and could be looted.
When a player attacked another player, they flagged as “red” making them fair game to every other player. If they had less than 3 kill counts, they would only remain red for a short while. However, if they had a kill count greater than 3, they became “permared” and would lose stats and skill points if killed in this state. The only way to reduce the kill count was to stay online until it was reduced, which could take days. This simple system resulted in a game where the players policed themselves, and has seldom been equaled since. It was, in effect, the firstMMORPG PvPswitch, albeit a complicated one.
EXPERIENCE THE GREATESTSTAR WARSSAGA EVER TOLD - YOURS.
Immerse yourself inStar Warslike never before inStar WarsGalaxies: An Empire Divided. Join the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, or seek out the ancient mysteries of the Jedi. Explore Tatooine, Endor, and other famousStar Warslocales and battle stormstroopers, fierce Tusken Raiders, and all manner of scum and villainy. Choose your own path, and define your role as you prepare to take your rightful place in theStar Warsuniverse. You’re only limited by your imagination.
Unlockable or exotic classes have been featured in many modern MMORPGs. But the first game to do this wasStar Wars Galaxies. And it did it in an entirely unique way. When SWG first launched, a player couldn’t just select Jedi as a starting class, there were no Jedi in the game. Instead, Jedi were to be introduced in a rather interesting way.
After some months, players were told that they could unlock a special character slot, and create a Jedi character. However, the process for unlocking this slot was different for everyone. The result was that players spent many months grinding different professions and completing challenges, in the hope of unlocking this special slot.
Later in the game’s lifecycle, this process was made easier, so that everyone could unlock their Jedi class slot with a little effort. Towards the end of the game’s life, Jedi became a starting class but were nerfed into oblivion in the process.
When CCP launchedEVE Onlineover two decades ago, it was unlikely that the company thought the game would go on to smash all world records related to the largest online player battles, repeatedly. However, two things set the scene for the infamous battles ofEVE Online. Firstly, putting the most valuable resources in the least lawless space. And secondly, actively enabling corporations and alliances to claim this valuable space.
Modern MMORPGs such asAlbion Onlinehave incorporated player control of map zones, but it wasEVE Onlinethat did this first, and it would seem, almost by accident. Initially, player muscle enforced borders and ownership. However, in recent years, CCP has added sovereignty structures and associated gameplay.
Instanced Content
Guild Wars
In a world torn by conflict, where human kingdoms are all but destroyed and guilds sacrifice all for a chance to control the Hall of Heroes, a champion must rise from the ruins of a once-proud land to lead refugees from the ashes and fulfill an ancient prophecy. Will that hero be you?Experience the game that has captivated millions of gamers worldwide. Guild Wars® is an online roleplaying game that rewards player skill and innovative gameplay. It’s the original smash hit release from developer ArenaNet®, the beginnings of a franchise played by almost four million gamers worldwide.
Almost every modern MMORPG uses instances fordungeons, raids, battlegrounds, and other forms of content. But this was not always the situation. Older MMORPGs didn’t have instancing, and players would have to compete on the same map. Imagine trying to complete a dungeon in a game where any other player can come rolling in and spoil a run. Anyone who playedDark Age Of Camelotwill either be smiling or cringing at that thought.
Guild Warswas the first MMORPG that did things differently. Every important mission was fully instanced for the party. PvP battlegrounds were the same. It combined an open-world map that all players shared, with instances that ensured that players could complete key missions and objectives without having to compete with other players.
End-Game Raids
Everquest
Welcome to EverQuest® - the online game that started it all! No other MMO matches EverQuest’s sheer content, now with 29 expansions and countless updates. EverQuest is free-to-play.Now in its unprecedented 23rd year, EverQuest continues to add immersive gameplay, captivating storytelling, and exciting worlds full of mystery, fantasy, and adventure.Join a thriving, dedicated community, immerse yourself in hundreds of unique zones, battle thousands of creatures, and complete exciting quests. Group with friends and experience an online game the way it was meant to be: epic, legendary, and together.Key Features:• Experience 23 years of continuous development including 29 expansions of amazing content• Build your character through 120 levels of power• More than 500 zones to explore• Choose from 16 unique races and 16 distinct classes• Earn thousands of Alternate Abilities available to further customize your character• Collect more than 50,000 items• Hire and control mercenaries to aid you in your heroic adventures• Solo, Group, and Raid across continents filled with perilous dungeons, eerie crypts, ancient fortresses, floating landscapes, alternate planes, and more
Arguably, the greatest challenge faced by companies that operate MMORPGs is keeping the jaded, veteran players happy. Raph Koster of SOE fame once wrote an open letter on this topic, and demonstrated quite clearly, that it costs more to produce additional content for veteran players than it does to onboard new players, who will experience all of the current content before complaining they are bored. But of course, this is not an ideal situation, just a financially sound one.
Everquestcame up with a solution to this problem. The game introduced something for veteran players to do, that offered a real challenge and gave desirable rewards. Furthermore, this new type of content catered to guild play as well.Everquestwas the first game to introduce raid-style content. Almost every modern MMORPG includes end-game raids these days, but it wasEverquestthat led the way.
Any readers who were lucky enough to get into theWorld of Warcraftbeta back in 2004, before much information was made public about the gameplay, will likely remember the feeling of playing something completely different. Sure, there were games such asAscheron’s Callthat had a limitedtheme parkstyle, butWoWwas the first game that said here, let me hold your hand, now let’s go on an adventure.
Later MMORPGs such asStar Wars: The Old Republictook the idea of a theme park MMO to extremes, playing more like an interactive movie at times. There can be no doubt thatWorld of Warcraftrepresented a paradigm shift in MMORPG design, and this is likely why it is still going strong two decades later.
