Game Play

Common MMORPG Terms & Slang Some MMORPG terms have multiple definitions. For example, aggro can refer to nearby mobs or mobs that are physically attacking a player. It can also describe a fighter's ability to keep mobs off of other players -- tanks have to get the aggro, or build threat, before a fight starts. If another player gets the mob's attention and is attacked, that player "got the aggro." Here are some other common terms: LFG: Looking for group Noob: A generally offensive term for someone new to the game PuG: Pick-up group, or a group of previously unrelated players who have decided to enter a dungeon together Tank: A fighter whose job is to absorb damage from mobs and protect weaker players

Getting around an MMORPG world is no small feat. Worlds tend to be large, and they're typically arranged into zones designed for players of different levels. When a new character enters the world, it starts out in a zone with low-level enemies and lots of quests. Once the player completes the quests, the character is usually strong enough to move on to a neighboring zone, which has slightly harder quests and enemies. While this gives most games a logical progression, some players find it repetitive and refer to the quest-and-level cycle as the level treadmill.

Most games have several other features in common:

• Classes and skills allow players to customize their characters. Different classes have different strengths and weaknesses, as do different skill sets.
• NPCs offer quests, sell items, give advice and train characters in new skills.
• Mobile objects, also known as mobs, give players opponents to fight. Mobs are any enemies that players can kill to gain treasure or experience.
• Dungeons, also known as instances, give groups of players lots of mobs to attack and treasure to gather in a comparatively small amount of space. Dungeons aren't necessarily underground -- castles, space stations and even outdoor temples can all be classified as dungeons. Unlike the outside world, in which players must compete for monsters and resources, a group of players can have an instance all to themselves. The game gives each group its own copy of the dungeon, which no one else can enter.
• Transportation methods, such as boats, space ships, mounts and teleportation devices allow characters to move over large distances in shorter amounts of time.
• Containers, like backpacks and bags, let players manage their characters' inventories. Often, these containers display items in a grid. Some worlds allow characters to carry only a certain amount of weight. In many games, players can keep part of their inventory in virtual banks.

Photo courtesy Sony Online Entertainment A group of players fights a dragon in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.

Each of these changes as players reach higher levels. In general, as players progress, they gain access to better abilities, higher-quality gear and faster transportation methods. But the game doesn't stop when players reach the level cap. Reaching the highest level often gives characters access to endgame dungeons. These dungeons are exceptionally difficult and sometimes require large numbers of players to complete. For some people, these dungeons, or raids, are the point of the game. But for others, the game is as much about socializing as it is about getting gear and loot.
Coordinating all of this activity requires lots of equipment. Next, we'll look at exactly how a computer and a server become a game world.

MMORPG Groups and Guilds

MMORPGs are social. You can play parts of the game by yourself, but portions of the game require a group. Some of these groups are temporary -- they last only as long as it takes to kill a monster or clear a dungeon. Many games allow one person in the group to act as a leader. The leader can invite people to the group, remove people who are causing trouble and decide who gets what piece of gear.

©2004-2007 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.A large group of World of Warcraft characters in player-versus-player mode attacks the night elf capital city of Darnassus.

Players can also join long-term groups called guilds. Guilds, also known as clans, kinships or crews, are usually groups of people who are working toward a common goal in a game. A guild might emphasize raiding -- progression through difficult dungeons with large groups of players -- or it might focus on helping lower-level players acquire gear and experience. Players may argue that one type of guild is better than another, but it all depends on what a particular player is looking for in the game. A player who wants to spend lots of time raiding may not be happy in a smaller guild that is mostly devoted to playing in small groups. Someone who wants to spend lots of time in player-versus-player (PVP) situations or battlegrounds may have more fun in a guild that includes lots of PVP enthusiasts.

Who Plays MMORPGs? The largest source of information on who plays MMORPGs -- and why -- is the research of Nick Yee. According to Yee, the average age of an MMORPG player is 26. Twenty-five percent of players are teen-agers, and 50 percent have full-time jobs [source: Yee, demographics]. Although statistics differ from game to game, about 85 percent of players are male [source: Yee, gender]. However, Yee's data comes from voluntary surveys of players themselves -- since this is a self-selected group, the numbers may not be as accurate as they would be from a truly random sample.

Regardless of the size or structure of a guild or group, socializing tends to be a big part of playing an MMORPG. In some ways, the game is like a very big, very elaborate chat room. As players complete quests and fight their way through dungeons, they're often carrying on multiple conversations. Most games have lots of chat channels that allow players to talk only to their guild, their group or everyone in a particular zone. Some games have special channels for trade or for players who are looking for groups or guilds. Voice chat can take place through an in-game voice client or through a third-party program such as TeamSpeak and Ventrilo.
To some players, socializing is the most important part of game play -- some sources cite it as the reason why gamers spend almost twice as much time playing MMORPGs as other games [source: Caron]. But to others, raiding, fighting and getting better is the game's ultimate purpose. Next, we'll look at the basics of MMORPG game play.

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The MMORPG World

MMORPGs start out much like single-player RPGs do -- you buy a copy of the game and install it on your computer. But that's where the two game types diverge. With a single-player game, you can start playing right away. If you like, you can download and install a file called a patch that fixes any bugs discovered after the game's release.
In an MMORPG, patches are mandatory. The first time you open the game, your computer will download and install the necessary patches needed to make your game match everyone else's. Every time a new patch arrives, your game client will download and install it before you can play. You also have to register for an account, which allows you to log in to the game. Without an account, which typically costs around $15 a month, you can't play. There are a few games you can play online for free, but often you have to pay for better items or servers.

©2004-2007 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.In an MMORPG, you can't go back to a saved game if you die, but the game lets you come back to life.

Unlike single-player worlds, MMORPG worlds are persistent. When you exit an ordinary RPG, the game world stops, and it starts again the next time you open the game. But an MMORPG world continues to function regardless of whether anyone is playing. For example, you might log out of the game surrounded by flowers that you intend to pick when you return. But if another player picks them all while you're gone, you'll log back in to find yourself in the middle of an empty field. If another player buys the only copy of a book that an in-game vendor has, you won't see the book if you stop by in the hope of finding it.
This persistent, ever-changing world also affects how you play the game. In an RPG, if you need to take a break to get a sandwich, you can just pause the game and resume play when you get back from the kitchen. If you're about to do something risky, you can save your game -- if your risk doesn't pay off, you can load your saved game and try again.
In an MMORPG, though, you can't pause, and you can't go back to a saved game. If you step away from the keyboard without moving to a safe location, you may come back to discover that your character was killed while you were gone. The game saves changes to your character as you go along, essentially overwriting each save.
Rather than allowing you to revert to a saved game, MMORPGs give you some options for making multiple attempts at dangerous tasks or undoing in-game choices. You can resurrect characters, although sometimes you have to pay a penalty, such as a fee to repair damaged armor. Sometimes, you can visit NPCs to change your characters' strengths or abilities.
However, some choices can't be undone. In most MMORPGs, you can't change your character's gender, race or class after you've started the game. If you decide you want to be a druid instead of a paladin, you have to make a new character. If you choose a reward from a quest and decide you'd like something different, you may not be able to try again for a different result. Fortunately, since MMORPG worlds tend to be very large, there are usually lots of opportunities for finding comparable -- or even better -- gear.
Killing monsters and collecting gear is only one part of the MMORPG world, though. On the next page, we'll look at what may be the most addictive component of an MMORPG -- the companionship of other people.

MMORPG Predecessors: Computer Games

The first computerized role-playing games didn't have many of the bells and whistles of today's 3-D games. Text-based role-playing games, like multi-user dungeons (MUDs), took the idea of multi-player role playing to the online world. Particular types of MUDs include MUD object-oriented (MOO) and MUSH games. In games like these, lines of text describe the game world for multiple players.

Screenshot taken by HowStuffWorks staff Logging on to LambdaMOO: Everything is based on text, not graphics.

Computer role-playing games, from classics like Sierra's "Space Quest" series to the forthcoming "Fallout 3," use animation and sound to recreate a game world. A player might create and control one character or a whole group of characters. In some games, players can customize their characters' statistics and appearance. In others, people choose from a selection of pre-made characters.

©2007 HowStuffWorks Classic 3-D role-playing games: one player, many floppies

But these games don't always support multiple players the way MUDs or tabletop games do. In some games, multiplayer mode is simply a multi-player copy of the single-player storyline. Instead of allowing one player or the computer to control multiple characters in the group, the multi-player mode allows multiple people to share the responsibility.

A Roll of the Dice In table-top RPGs, players typically roll dice to determine a character's attributes, like strength, dexterity and intelligence. A better roll means that the character excels at that particular attribute. This characteristic still exists in today's MMORPGs -- many players refer to creating a character as "rolling" or "rolling up," regardless of whether the specific game involves simulated dice or random number generators.

MMORPGs take this one step further. A vast number of players can create their own, independently controlled characters, each choosing to play in his or her own way. The first widely-popular MMORPG was "Ultima Online," which came out in 1997. In 1999, "EverQuest" made its debut ­and quickly gained such a reputation for being addictive that people nicknamed "EverCrack." Today's titles include "World of Warcraft," "Guild Wars," "City of Heroes," "EVE Online" and "Lord of the Rings Online." An MMORPG based on the world of the TV show "Firefly" and the film "Serenity" was announced in December 2006.
You could describe these games as vastly expanded versions of single-player RPGs or as MUDs with fancy graphics and sound. But in spite of the similarities, MMORPG worlds have some notable differences when compared to other games. We'll look at some of these in the next section.

MMORPG Predecessors: Role-playing Games

Although there are exceptions, most MMORPGs are set in worlds that have science-fiction or fantasy elements. Some worlds that appear in MMORPGs, such as the "Star Wars" universe and J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, existed long before their corresponding games did. Others are derived from other computer games or invented from scratch.

Image courtesy Sony Online EntertainmentOne of the lizard-like Iksar from EverQuest II: Rise of the Kunark

The worlds themselves can be vastly different from each other, but game play is usually similar from world to world. Basically, human players create virtual characters. These player characters (PCs) can interact with each other and with characters that the computer controls -- these are non-player characters (NPCs). There are different types, or classes of PCs, such as warriors, rogues, mages and healers. The different classes come with different sets of skills.
As PCs move through the world, they kill monsters and complete quests. In the process, they gain experience, which allows them to progress through levels, or level up. As characters level up, they get physically stronger and gain access to better skills, weapons and gear.
This basic style of game play was present in MMORPGs' early predecessors -- the tabletop role-playing games (RPGs), such as "Dungeons & Dragons," that debuted in the 1970s. In these games, a rulebook outlines everything from character creation to combat progression. A game master (GM) or dungeon master (DM) uses the rules to structure the game. He or she gives the players tasks, hints and bits of information designed to move a story forward. In theory, the story -- and the game -- can go on forever, but often the GM creates a campaign, or an arc of events that gives the overall story a little direction.

Image courtesy Jennie Breeden/Geebas on Parade An elf wields her bow in SOLAR, a Georgia LARP.

Today's RPGs are similar to those from 30 years ago. Players sit together in a room and describe what's happening in an imaginary world, using dice or other tools to determine whether characters are successful at what they're trying to accomplish. The progression of the story and the development of the characters in it are the heart of the game.

MMORPGs vs. Second Life Although "Second Life" exists in a persistent, virtual world, it's not really an MMORPG. People create avatars, or virtual versions of themselves, to access Second Life, but they don't necessarily participate in a game once they're there.

Some players take tabletop RPGs into the real world. In live-action role playing games (LARPs), players physically act out the actions of their characters, including participating in simulated combat with props and padded weapons.
After the development of home computers, it didn't take long for people to turn these low-tech, in-person games into computer games. Next, we'll take a look at the digital predecessors to MMORPGs.­

how mmorpg work

Inside this Article

1. Introduction to How MMORPGs Work
2. MMORPG Predecessors: Role-playing Games
3. MMORPG Predecessors: Computer Games

4. The MMORPG World
5. MMORPG Groups and Guilds
6. Game Play
7. See more »
   7. The Technology of MMORPGs
   8. Client-server Interaction
   9. MMORPG Development
   10. Lots More Information
   11. See all Video Game Titles articles

In today's world of big business and commercial culture, it's easy to feel like just another cog in the wheel. That's part of the allure of massively multiplayer online games (MMORPGs). In an MMORPG, you can team up with other players to take down bad guys who are far more powerful to tackle by yourself. You can make a name for yourself as a fighter, a healer or an artisan. Other people can rely on you to protect them from danger or even to save their lives -- in the game world, you can make a difference. You may even be a hero.
Of course, there's also killing monsters and taking their stuff.

Image courtesy of Consumer Guide Products
Two examples of MMORPGs: "World of Warcraft" and "Guild Wars"
Regardless of whether people play because of a sense of purpose or a desire to gather huge amounts of virtual wealth, in the past few years, MMORPGs have really taken off. Although they still don't make up the bulk of video game titles, the top-selling PC game in 2006 was Blizzard's MMORPG, "World of Warcraft" [source: NPD]. As of July 2007, "World of Warcraft" had about 9 million active subscribers worldwide [source: Blizzard].

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­But the impact of video games like these goes beyond just the number of people who play. Newspapers and magazines have reported that participation in MMORPGs, especially in a leadership role, can look good on a person's résumé. Economists have studied in-game cash flows, looking for insight into the real-world economy. Health officials have even researched a plague that happened only in a virtual world in the hope of learning about how a disease becomes an epidemic.

All of this academic work is possible because of one common trait of MMORPG worlds -- they're immersive. To be successful, games have to allow players to think of an imaginary world as a real place with real rules. These rules cover everything from physics, like what happens when a character jumps off a waterfall, to etiquette, like what happens when one player in a group cheats others out of their loot.
In this article, we'll look at what it takes to create an immersive virtual world that allows people to move around and play within it. We'll also explore who plays these games and why. We'll begin with a look at where MMORPGs came from.