https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Fri, 14 Apr 2023 22:54:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/why-i-play-pokemon-go-and-why-i-shouldnt/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/why-i-play-pokemon-go-and-why-i-shouldnt/#comments Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=430063 I won’t lie: Many, many problems with Niantic often cause me to re-evaluate why I continue to play Pokemon GO, especially in recent weeks. Maybe it’s the sunk cost fallacy at work, but I think there’s more to it than that. In fact, at this point, I think it should be obvious that The Pokemon […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/14/why-i-play-pokemon-go-and-why-i-shouldnt/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/#comments Mon, 03 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=433372 In the first part of this Why I Play retrospective on Diablo III, I discussed the early issues that accompanied the game’s record-setting debut. And while that rocky period is likely something many gamers remember well, it was certainly not the end of the story. In the second and final chunk of this series, we’ll […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/03/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-reaper-of-souls-to-today/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/#comments Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431917 It’s hard for me to believe that Diablo III’s May 15th, 2012, release was over a decade ago. And despite its reputation of being the black sheep soulstone of the mainline games, it’s gathered a loyal following over the years. With Diablo IV just on the horizon, the unfortunate reality is that a chunk of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/31/why-i-play-diablo-iii-from-pre-release-to-reaper-of-souls/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/16/why-i-play-black-matters-shooter-hell-let-loose-scratches-my-rts-itch/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/16/why-i-play-black-matters-shooter-hell-let-loose-scratches-my-rts-itch/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=426411 I’ve been playing multiplayer shooters since I discovered DOOM 2’s dialup modem DOS commands, and it’s a genre I find myself returning to every so often. Despite the sometimes toxic reputation of PvP shooters, there’s no denying that they’ve come a long way since the days of one-on-one deathmatch. Most recently, I’ve stumbled upon WWII […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/16/why-i-play-black-matters-shooter-hell-let-loose-scratches-my-rts-itch/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/16/why-i-play-world-of-warcraft-2022-edition/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/16/why-i-play-world-of-warcraft-2022-edition/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=414536 Have you ever watched The Good Place? If you haven’t, I suggest you stop reading right now and go watch. Your life will be better for it, I promise. Anyway, I was thinking the other day about the premise of the show – the ethics of getting into the “Good Place” or the “Bad Place.” […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/16/why-i-play-world-of-warcraft-2022-edition/feed/ 56 https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/09/flameseeker-chronicles-how-the-elementalist-saved-guild-wars-2-for-me/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/09/flameseeker-chronicles-how-the-elementalist-saved-guild-wars-2-for-me/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=413204 First off, I know I’m not the usual writer for Flameseeker Chronicles, and I’m not ousting Colin or Tina from their spot; in fact, Colin just delivered impressions of the The Battle for Lion’s Arch yesterday if you’re curious about the latest content release. However, I wanted to offer up some Guild Wars 2 thoughts […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/09/flameseeker-chronicles-how-the-elementalist-saved-guild-wars-2-for-me/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/12/why-i-play-returning-to-diablo-3-in-2022/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/12/why-i-play-returning-to-diablo-3-in-2022/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=396306 I don’t know if there’s a marketing term for this phenomenon, but Diablo Immortal did an excellent job selling Diablo III. Popular streamers all caught the itch and streamed it to thousands. There are YouTube videos discussing whether you should play. And a game that some gamers once saw as a travesty to the Diablo franchise […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/12/why-i-play-returning-to-diablo-3-in-2022/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/05/why-i-play-what-keeps-me-coming-back-to-the-secret-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/05/why-i-play-what-keeps-me-coming-back-to-the-secret-world/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=394694 Now and then I’ll allude to being the weirdo who’s still playing The Secret World — not Secret World Legends, but the original. I’ve even submitted some of my gameplay to our Backseat Streaming segment. But it occurred to me I’ve never really dived into what precisely keeps me coming back to this ghost town […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/05/why-i-play-what-keeps-me-coming-back-to-the-secret-world/feed/ 33 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/15/why-i-play-examining-why-lost-ark-has-me-so-hooked/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/15/why-i-play-examining-why-lost-ark-has-me-so-hooked/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=375067 Lost Ark has hooked me pretty deeply. I’m just over 30 levels and five or so days into the game right now, which sometimes can be the point when the honeymoon period of a new MMO begins to wane, but for some reason that’s not happening with me and this game. Before I try to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/15/why-i-play-examining-why-lost-ark-has-me-so-hooked/feed/ 29 https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/29/why-i-play-returning-to-guild-wars-2-and-exploring-elite-specs-after-nine-years/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/29/why-i-play-returning-to-guild-wars-2-and-exploring-elite-specs-after-nine-years/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=355264 I have a strange history with Guild Wars 2. I fell hard for the pre-launch hype, and when it finally arrived, I loved it and played heavily… for a couple weeks. Then I lost interest, feeling aimless in a game where I wasn’t invested in the story or the world. I’ve poked my head in […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/29/why-i-play-returning-to-guild-wars-2-and-exploring-elite-specs-after-nine-years/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/30/why-i-play-monster-hunter-rise-is-still-worth-it-one-month-later/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/30/why-i-play-monster-hunter-rise-is-still-worth-it-one-month-later/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=328923 It’s been over a month since Monster Hunter Rise was released to the public. I was feeling good about the game during the press testing phase and early release, for the most part, and now we’ve just received our first free update, which technically brings some nice new features, but for people just looking to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/30/why-i-play-monster-hunter-rise-is-still-worth-it-one-month-later/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/07/why-i-play-multiplayer-sandbox-eco-is-so-much-more-than-just-an-ecology-simulator/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/07/why-i-play-multiplayer-sandbox-eco-is-so-much-more-than-just-an-ecology-simulator/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=330095 I’ve been struggling to come up with a succinct way to describe Eco. The game was recently the subject of a Whatever Happened To entry on this very site, an article that coincidently went live the same day I purchased and started playing the game with an established online community. My initial impression of the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/07/why-i-play-multiplayer-sandbox-eco-is-so-much-more-than-just-an-ecology-simulator/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/25/why-i-play-finally-completing-final-fantasy-xivs-relic-grind/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/25/why-i-play-finally-completing-final-fantasy-xivs-relic-grind/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=322951 When I started my relic grind in Final Fantasy XIV, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But after finishing the first few steps, I was in too deep and I just had to finish. Besides, patch 5.45 had just dropped, and this was going to be the best time to do the steps since […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/25/why-i-play-finally-completing-final-fantasy-xivs-relic-grind/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/17/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xivs-memorable-shadowbringer-relic-weapon-grind/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/17/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xivs-memorable-shadowbringer-relic-weapon-grind/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=322926 I have a love-hate relationship with Final Fantasy XIV. I actively fought against giving the game MMO of the year for 2020, and I hold the unpopular opinion that the best way to experience the game’s long-winded story is to skip through most of it. But at the same time, I have so much to thank for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/17/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xivs-memorable-shadowbringer-relic-weapon-grind/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/16/first-impressions-valheim-early-access-is-already-one-of-the-best-co-op-sandboxes-in-recent-memory/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/16/first-impressions-valheim-early-access-is-already-one-of-the-best-co-op-sandboxes-in-recent-memory/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=322870 Straight away, I’m going to admit that my favorable impressions of Valheim are wholly informed by the fact that I have the good fortune of playing on a server with a bunch of good people whom I was only exposed to because I know MJ. That’s not to suggest that you have to know someone […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/16/first-impressions-valheim-early-access-is-already-one-of-the-best-co-op-sandboxes-in-recent-memory/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/30/why-i-play-elite-dangerous-is-the-space-sandbox-weve-been-looking-for/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/30/why-i-play-elite-dangerous-is-the-space-sandbox-weve-been-looking-for/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2020 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=316194 Elite: Dangerous was not on my radar when it appeared on the scene back in 2014. I had already spent my money buying a spaceship in another yet-to-be-released (incidentally, still yet-to-be-released) title and had little use for more than one sandbox-style space game. I heard a few people talk about how difficult it was to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/30/why-i-play-elite-dangerous-is-the-space-sandbox-weve-been-looking-for/feed/ 38 https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/12/from-dockyard-disaster-to-sailing-success-how-world-of-warships-learned-from-the-puerto-rico-event-fiasco/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/12/from-dockyard-disaster-to-sailing-success-how-world-of-warships-learned-from-the-puerto-rico-event-fiasco/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=309248 Gamers tend to harp on game companies for the very public mistakes they make. While most of the criticism is clearly deserved, occasionally a studio will learn from the misstep, listen to the playerbase, and come up with a solution that both meets the financial needs of the studio and the expectations of the players. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/12/from-dockyard-disaster-to-sailing-success-how-world-of-warships-learned-from-the-puerto-rico-event-fiasco/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/09/why-i-play-exploring-world-of-warcraft-as-a-free-to-play-game/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/09/why-i-play-exploring-world-of-warcraft-as-a-free-to-play-game/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=309176 A few weeks back, the Massively OP staff discussed, among other things, whether World of Warcraft‘s leveling revamp coupled with its continued endless free trial constitute a change to free to play. I’d lean toward the “yes” end of that discussion. Though the trial still only lets you get to level 20, the new world-scaling […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/11/09/why-i-play-exploring-world-of-warcraft-as-a-free-to-play-game/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/01/why-i-play-april-fools-day/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/01/why-i-play-april-fools-day/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2020 14:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=275599 So it’s time for our April Fools’ Day joke, which means that usually it’s my time to shine. Seriously, a lot of these have been me for the past few years. This year, though… well, it’s this. It’s the post you’re reading right now, and as you can probably tell from the fact that the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/04/01/why-i-play-april-fools-day/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2020/02/22/into-the-super-verse-how-city-of-heroes-welcomed-me-into-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/02/22/into-the-super-verse-how-city-of-heroes-welcomed-me-into-mmos/#comments Sat, 22 Feb 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=267901 As we approach the first anniversary of City of Heroes’ revival on the rogue server circuit, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a testimony with you about how City of Heroes became my personal gateway into the wide world of MMORPGs. It wasn’t that I was unaware of MMOs prior to 2004, it’s […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/02/22/into-the-super-verse-how-city-of-heroes-welcomed-me-into-mmos/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/23/why-i-play-is-star-trek-online-worth-playing-in-2020/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/23/why-i-play-is-star-trek-online-worth-playing-in-2020/#comments Thu, 23 Jan 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=263986 Star Trek Online is a hard game to get into. When I first tried it early in my MMO career, I hated it and barely lasted a few hours. A few years later, I gave it another shot with a more open mind, and that plus positive changes to the game left with me a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/23/why-i-play-is-star-trek-online-worth-playing-in-2020/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/08/tamriel-infinium-my-favorite-things-in-the-elder-scrolls-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/08/tamriel-infinium-my-favorite-things-in-the-elder-scrolls-online/#comments Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=262208 If you’ve been following the Tamriel Infinium column at least since my own arrival at Massively OP, you may have noticed my propensity for lists. Perhaps it’s an easy way for me to break the narrative apart into smaller, loosely coupled segments, or perhaps it’s just how my mind operates. As we head into the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/01/08/tamriel-infinium-my-favorite-things-in-the-elder-scrolls-online/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2019/12/26/why-i-play-how-ncsofts-fafurion-update-saved-lineage-2-in-2019/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/12/26/why-i-play-how-ncsofts-fafurion-update-saved-lineage-2-in-2019/#comments Thu, 26 Dec 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=259768 I don’t know what it is about Asian MMOs, but I’m inexplicably drawn to them. Maybe it has something to do with my background; as a kids, I hung out with the kids who played Gunbound, Ragnarok Online, and MapleStory. As a result, Eastern MMOs just remind me of an easier and more carefree time […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/12/26/why-i-play-how-ncsofts-fafurion-update-saved-lineage-2-in-2019/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2019/08/30/why-i-play-adventurequest-3ds-korn-concerts-and-crazy-puns/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/08/30/why-i-play-adventurequest-3ds-korn-concerts-and-crazy-puns/#comments Fri, 30 Aug 2019 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=240143 My first real exposure to AdventureQuest 3D was years ago now when I was asked if I would host a special giveaway on an OPTV stream. All I had to do was check out AQ3D’s early access and hand out codes for folks to join in as well as get a spiffy MOP cape. Little […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/08/30/why-i-play-adventurequest-3ds-korn-concerts-and-crazy-puns/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2018/07/31/why-i-play-troves-geode-changed-me-from-a-visitor-to-a-player/ https://massivelyop.com/2018/07/31/why-i-play-troves-geode-changed-me-from-a-visitor-to-a-player/#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2018 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=178553 Trove’s Geode expansion has been a game-changer – and I mean it in more ways than one. The latest update/expansion to the colorful voxel-based game did indeed offer a major big change to the game as players knew it. Launched a month ago, Geode introduced not just a new zone but a whole new world […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2018/07/31/why-i-play-troves-geode-changed-me-from-a-visitor-to-a-player/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/13/why-i-keep-returning-to-lord-of-the-rings-online/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/13/why-i-keep-returning-to-lord-of-the-rings-online/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2015 18:30:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=34347 I got sucked into Lord of the Rings Online last weekend and I’m not sure why. There’s no new Hobbit movie forthcoming (thank funk). I haven’t reread Tolkien’s books lately, either, so that’s not the reason. I guess it’s just that time of year when I look around at the MMO space, see a mass of uninspired […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/13/why-i-keep-returning-to-lord-of-the-rings-online/feed/ 39 https://massivelyop.com/2015/09/11/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xiv/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/09/11/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xiv/#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2015 18:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=25133 We used to do a column called Why I Play on Massively-that-was, and while I didn’t originally plan on rezzing it here today, I did return to Eorzea this week and have been enjoying the hell out of the place all over again. That old column was nothing if not a love letter to the author’s favorite […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/09/11/why-i-play-final-fantasy-xiv/feed/ 105