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The Daily Grind: Does a class' popularity influence your desire to play it?
There are a few constants that dog my adventures into every MMO. I will play a female character even though I am a man, I will go nuts over pet classes if they are available, I will probably create a legion of alts before ever hitting the level cap, and I will wear stylish hats even if the stats aren't the greatest. But above all of that, the biggest constant in my playing career is that I almost always refuse to pick MMO classes that are extremely popular. I think it's because I -- like probably most of you -- like to feel unique in games, even though it's usually difficult to achieve. Choosing a class that's in the minority helps with that feeling, and conversely, going with the FOTM or whatever the kids are calling it these days makes me feel like I've got my unique snowflake status revoked. So is this insane? Do you allow class popularity to influence your desire to play it, or do you just go with whatever sounds like the most fun? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: What makes you feel like a hero?
There's always been a big to-do in MMORPGs about making you feel like a hero (and, hey, all RPGs ever). Dev interviews, particularly before release, usually include discussion about how such-and-such will make the player feel important, feel central to the story, feel... heroic. Of course, when everyone else and his or her specially trained dog or cat are doing the exact same thing, it's hard to feel like a unique snowflake in the hero crowd. While NPCs are supposedly helpless and need a dashing, daring stud or studette to champion their cause, after a while it may seem like they're more "lazy bums" than "weak innocents." Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there's something in MMOs that does, in fact, make you feel like a hero. Maybe it's not anything scripted by the developers, but instead happens out of the blue. Perhaps you're the healer who kept your raid alive, or the person who gave up a night to help out a lowbie in the guild. Maybe you saved a total stranger from annihilation, or you chained sixteen crits in a row until the bad guys were weeping for mercy. What makes you feel like a hero in MMOs?
