In Defense of MMOs

Here on the Dice Monkey, there’s been quite a bit of panning of Massive Multiplayer Online RPGs. I have a few things to say on the subject, and I hope everyone will take it to heart.

I think one of the biggest issues between the MMO and tabletop crowds is the fact that MMOs are known as Massive Multiplayer Online RPGs. Anyone who’s ever played an RPG can tell you that an MMO is in no way an RPG. You try playing a cowardly mage, or a pacifist priest in an MMO and tell me how well you advance in the game.

MMOs should simply be called MMOGs. They are video games, not RPGs there is no RP in MMOs (and if you play on an RP server, try telling me that you stay in character the entire time you’re running through Stormwind. 

I love MMOs. I’ve played WoW, Star Wars Galaxies and City of Heroes and enjoyed them all. But as long as people keep seeing them as two sides of the same coin, we’re going to continue to have these arguments and debates over which is better. They’re not two sides of the same coin, they’re not even currency from the same nation.

That’s all I’ve got for today. Keep rollin’ 20s.