The Think Tank: Giving thanks for MMOs
Indulge us a little today, won't you? In our Think Tank today, we the Massively writers gather 'round the virtual feasting table on our virtual golden yacht to express thanks for those MMO-related things we're grateful for. Won't you share yours down in the comments also? We can get back to arguing over raidmills and gankboxes tomorrow -- I promise.
@ceruleangrey: I'm thankful for having so many good games to play that I don't have time to play them all (it's both a blessing and a curse). And I'm especially thankful for my friends and co-workers who make playing MMOs and writing about them an absolute joy.
@nbrianna: I'm thankful for my crazy job, my wonderful guildies, my dear writers, and my provocative readers. I'm thankful for the blogosphere that inspires me, the players who stay to make MMOs a better place to live, and the developers who craft and break the genre I refuse to give up on. I'm thankful for my fingers that keep me typing and my wrist that keeps me mousing through all the virtual spaces in our games. I'm thankful for all the MMOs that have taught me so much and helped make me who I am. Above all else, I'm thankful for my keyboard, which is kind enough not to leave too deep an imprint on my forehead when after some MMO playthroughs I fall asleep or facepalm right into it. #kiddingnotkidding. Here's to MMOs!
@Eliot_Lefebvre: I hate sounding like a fanboy, but honestly I'm pretty thankful for Final Fantasy XIV. This year has seen three major titles and a major expansion launch, and all of them have been disappointing for various reasons. But despite missteps here and there, I've been greatly enjoying my time in Final Fantasy XIV, and it continues to hum along nicely with updates and stuff to do. The critiques I have of it are, comparatively speaking, relatively minor; "this is overpriced" or "this aspect of the flexible endgame is weighted too heavily," not "your entire endgame is awful" or "your game is a mess of exploits" or "you launched with a content model from a decade ago." So I feel pretty rewarded for playing it.
I would also be really happy if Skyforge winds up being as interesting to play as it is to look at. My interest has been piqued.
@jefreahard: I'd like to say I'm thankful for ArcheAge, but we all know how that's turning out! I am thankful for Star Citizen, mainly because it continues to prove that hardcore immersion-centric designs can be financially successful.
@Sypster: I'm thankful that MMOs tap into and encourage the sense of giddy, childlike wonder that still burns in my bosom. They capture my imagination as I go on adventure after adventure across the endless bounds of virtual horizons. Plus, I am grateful for Gnomes. Someone's got to stick up for the Gnomes.
@MikedotFoster: I'm thankful there is a whole world of games that hinge entirely on hanging out with other people. Games have always been social for me and MMOs help extend that idea beyond the living room. Even MOBAs help build new friendships and extend existing ones (through all of the yelling).
@MJ_Guthrie: When it comes to MMOs, what I am most thankful for are the deep relationships and lasting friendships I have made with people from around the world that I wouldn't have had the chance to meet otherwise. In every game I play I seem to walk away with one or two new deep friendships that go well beyond the gaming sphere and become a part of my life. These aren't just say-hi-in-guild-chat people, or even ones who hop around and play with in multiple games (though we do do both of those); these are people for whom vacations are planned just so we can hang out together in real life. (Still got to get down to Australia though!) There are three that are basically even considered family. We've shared major life events for so many years, and I really wouldn't want to imagine life without them.
What do you get when you throw the Massively writers' opinions together in one big pot to stew? You get The Think Tank, a column dedicated to ruminating on the MMO genre. We range from hardcore PvPers to sandbox lovers to the most caring of the carebears, so expect more than a little disagreement! Join Editor-in-Chief Bree Royce and the team for a new edition right here every Thursday.
