Students Blog

With that in mind, I found World of Warcraft to be an exceptionally well-made game. It hits all the requirements for an acceptable MMO – including good solo play, options for social interaction, story-driven events, etc. – and did it better than most have done it before. Most of the players I ran into in my admittedly briefs jaunts into the world would definitely fall under the Achievers category; level, equipment, and items were key to their self-worth as players. Socializers were everywhere, although for the most part it seemed to be more a result of inactivity than a goal in and of itself. Had I ventured into PVP areas, I’m sure I would have found various hawk-like Killers waiting to descend upon me. I chose to avoid that, and the ability to do so is, I believe, one of the most interesting parts of MMOs. Most single or low-multiplayer games are forced to cater to one or possibly two player types. Some games force exploring the world, while others throw the player into combat that can only be survived by fast-action combat. The core mechanic of the game simply does not allow for a variety of options. MMOs (and MUDs) allow for the development of a play style not wholly dictated by the mechanics of the game.

A lesser-known MUD called Medievia operates on several similar principles. Lacking the impressive visuals of commercial MMOs like World of Warcraft, Medievia relies a great deal on player imagination and the skills of the players to create their own social interactions and plots. Medievia employs much of the same core mechanic as World of Warcraft – the player explores the world, killing creatures to gain experience and items, finding people to talk to and play with. The community within Medievia (and in many other MUDs) is a small one, where nearly all experienced players know each other and the same players can be found night after night. It is certainly possible to find all the major player types within Medievia, but Achievers tend to be the most common. (With levels and items being the most tangible form of reward, it’s hardly surprising.) For this reason, I’ve often set out to find MUDs or GMUDs that lacked a combat mechanic altogether. While this to a large extent destroys solo play, it rewards a different style of more social play that I find especially compelling. The social aspects of MMOs and MUDs are the one element of those games that cannot possibly be matched by their offline counterparts, and it is examining those players who fall within the Socializer category that I often find to be the most interesting.