Chat Bubbles: How Loyal Are You To Your MMO?

Written by: Richie Procopio (@richieprocopio) | January 24, 2013 12:51 pm

20 Comments

In today’s episode of Chat Bubbles, I want to know how loyal you are to the MMOs you play. In general, MMO players stick to one game longer than other types of gamers. While a single player game may hold someone’s interest for a month or two, it’s not uncommon to hear folks talk about playing a game like World of Warcraft for many years.

But not every MMO player sticks to the same game for years on end. Some find it thrilling to hop to different titles frequently. They dabble in one game for a few months and then move on to a new release or expansion to sample what they have to offer.

I tend to look for a game that can hold my interest for the long term. I like spending months and years in my favorite MMO, establish relationships with other players, and explore most of the content it has to offer. One of my favorite aspects of playing an MMO is waiting for patches and game updates because it breathes new life into the experience. I want to ride the wave of a game at launch and see how it adapts and transforms over time.

My first MMO was Ultima Online and I played that for a few months. Back then, playing a single game for that length of time was an anomaly to me. Everquest captured my attention for over half a year setting another milestone. I logged in almost daily to World of Warcraft for seven years before I finally started my adventures in Guild Wars 2. When it comes time for me to move on to a new MMO, it’s often accompanied by hesitation and nostalgic sadness.

How loyal are you to your MMOs? Do you game hop or do you stick to the same title for years? When you make the switch, what are the reasons that compel you to change? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Chat Bubbles: How Loyal Are You To Your MMO?

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72 comments

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=642846878 David Cross

I both hop and am dedicated.
Ian Mansfield

I tend to play a game really hard for about a month but then for some reason the game gets stale, no matter what game. But when ever a new update comes out I tend to go back and play it again pretty hard again, I think this is how it will be with me and GW2, I really lost my motivation to keep playing regularly BUT I love the monthly update thing, which will keep me coming back and keep me supporting GW2, I can end up playing multiple games at a time though, right now I’m waiting to see if I got into TESO beta cross my fingers lol SHINY AND NEW
http://www.facebook.com/people/Justin-CdeBaca/100001243943344 Justin CdeBaca

Currently going into my second year of World of Tanks, which is my primary MMO, I also try almost every MMO on the market to see whats new and if its fun enough to put time into it. But being a fan of modern and futuristic styles of games I find it harder to get into a fantasy MMO. Even thou I’m a GW fanboy I still dont put in enough time to GW2.
Greibach

I’m loyal to my MMO for quite awhile, but I game-hop other genres. I played GW1 from start to “finish” (basically the release of GW2), but I also played lots of other, non-MMO’s at the same time. MMO’s are my “fallback” games, the games that I keep around and keep popping in and out of, but I only do it for one at a time. There’s just so much to do in any single one, and I feel like game-hopping MMOs kind of end up ultimately shallow.
http://www.facebook.com/tudor.simu.9 Tudor Simu

A little bit of both. I currently play 6MMOs and 3 Multiplayer online games (LoL, D3 and SC2)
Of those 6 MMOs, 3 are sub-based. I rotate them around for the most since i can’t really sustain 3 subs each month, nor can i really invest the time to call it a “worthwhile” investment. That being said, for me MMOs are more than just games and forms of entertainment. They “tiny” miracles. They are extremely complex and always growing. Playing an MMO always allows you to learn something from it, more so if you’re interested in game-design or development. It’s a haven for the mind overflowing with potential. Overall i probably played more than 50 MMOs throughout the years, looking for those games really worth sticking to (from my point of view).
At this point I’d have to try really hard to lower that magical 6. There are so many amazing MMOs out there it sometimes pains me just thinking of playing only 6 MMOs.
And even if i did, the potential for some of the upcoming MMOs is incredible. In the end i’ll probably just end up increasing that magical 6 to a mythical 8 or more which is crazy just thinking about it.
http://twitter.com/LiamRdsn Liam Richardson

I’ve not been able to be loyal to an mmo since WoW, I didn’t like the way it was going and so looked for another mmo who could earn my loyalty, so far none of them have achieved it, be in WaR, Swtor, GW2, Aion, AoC, CoV etc etc Nothing has grasped me like WoW originally did, but I’ll never go back to WoW.
Tom E. Waters

Like you, I started my mmo playing with Ultima Online. Played that for a few months and switched to EQ1 for a few years. Bopped around to other games for a month or two at a time and then spent a couple years in EQ2. Tried getting into WoW and played off and on but, couldn’t stay interested because I couldn’t stand the graphics.

I picked up Guild Wars 2, after never played GW1 more than getting out of the starter area. I loved the graphics, play style, story, classes, WvW and pretty much everything about GW2. My intent was to stick with GW2 and make it my “home” in the mmo world. But, then I found out that they refuse to add horses. Then I found out that they aren’t going to have player or guild housing. Neither of those steps by the developers made any sense to me.

Back in the day, 2000-01, I was in a great community in Ultima Online. It was loads of fun. Sadly, I have not been able to find a good guild ever sense then. The only guilds I have found always seem to be the ones that want to level up fast and try to be the first in everything. Too much grind and hardly any real communication and mutual enjoyment of the game. So, I guess it’s the community that I look for in a game. And I think that’s just not out there these days.

Lately, I’ve been bouncing back and forth playing GW2, TSW, SWTOR and STO. I really want to play just one of these but, can’t seem to find like minded players who want to just take it easy and enjoy the game and each others company.

At 42, 43 in May, I am too old to be jumping around different games. Heck, by many peoples estimations I am too old to be playing games at all. But, being that I am retired military, semi-retired security specialist and I have PTSD that forces me to seeek out excitement and the feeling of being in a tight “squad” of like minded people I am looking for something online to throw myself into.

I play games with my 5 year old and she want’s a horse… lol.
- 7BitBrian
  
  ArenaNet actually said they are adding Guild Housing in the form of Guild Halls, just in the future not now. And they never ruled out Player Housing, I am still hoping.
  - Tom E. Waters
    
    For those of us who can not get into a guild the guild housing means nothing.
    - 7BitBrian
      
      How is it possible to not get in a guild? Chat is filled with guild invites. Come to Blackgate, join Triple B. Enjoy.
7BitBrian

Not at all. I mean I continue to play the games but I don’t stick to just them. I play just about everything. I give every MMO at least a try and believe it or not end up playing many of them for a fairly good amount of time. I currently spend lots of time in GW2, EvE, EW2, CO, Rift, and WoW. Sprinkle in some other MMOs here and there.

Eventually one of those will drop off to be replaced by another, only to eventually get back on top again once I feel like playing more.

I am a gamer, not a [insert specific game here] -er
DoctorOverlord

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with past MMOs. I loved the concept of MMOs but I’ve always ended up hating how they are implemented. The evolution of the genre has been improving MMOs and GW2 feels like it will be keeping my attention although I still have World of Tanks and Planetside 2 on my desktop.

The thing about these games is that I can log onto them anytime, I don’t have to worry whether any subs have elapsed. If more MMOs continue to follow this model I could see picking several MMOs and staying with them for years but hopping between them. I think I might like that.
http://www.facebook.com/elias.rowan Elias Rowan

I’m a sticker. Just still looking for my new place to set roots.
http://twitter.com/debsthefuzz Debs | Srsns

I jump around a lot and play multple MMOs simultaneously. Currently, I’m playing TERA, WoW, DUST 514 and Guild Wars 2. I also duck in and out of other games frequently, depending on how I feel.

Sometimes I get frustrated with levelling, sometimes I just need new scenery. It really does depend on my mood, though impending updates and patches usually make me take priority on a game (eg. GW2 and the Flame & Frost prelude!)
http://www.facebook.com/edmobm Edmo Bernardes Monteiro

I started playing MMO with Ragnarok Online and I liked the diversity of scenarios and monsters, all based on real mythologies, despite the name being nordic, there was quite a lot of Egyptian, Asian, African, Steampunk things and etc. I did not care for the lore in this game,
I just get sick of a scenario and go to a different one and I was able to play for many years.

Guild Wars also has a great diversity. When I bought, I did not think who i would like the lore as I like today, I chose this game instead of WoW and Lineage II beacause of the diversity of scenarios (and the price), i bought when nightfall was released, I saw game website before, but thought it was just Factions…

I’m not playing Guild Wars 2 as I would like (Only 449h:13min), but this game is part of my life, I write about Guild Wars lore for brazilians and glad to know that they are enjoying and motivates me to keep writing. About the gameplay for me it is fun, a bit tiring for those used to press spacebar and see all the heroes killing everything :p

Brazil is the country with more diversity of cultures, was inhabited by Indians who are almost extinct. My family has descendants of Portuguese and Spanish and I have uncles who married whit Asian, African, etc, all born in Brazil but are descendants. I do not know if this influences, but if the game lacks diversity I feel that something is missing…

Another game that I really like is Age of Mythology… ^^

no interest in TSO, because in my view it is purely medieval, I assume that I know nothing but i feel like i will miss diversity, Asuras and Quaggans.
Depravity

I’m not loyal at all. If the game gets boring, I quit immediately.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Allan-Cezar-Sarti-Ribeiro/100002450571198 Allan Cezar Sarti Ribeiro

Calling me loyal would be weak. I’m more like a married guy to the mmo’s i play. Sometimes i go elsewhere, but in the end of the day, i always go back home.

Started playing RO, i was a teenager back there, played that game for over 6 years. Between my 3~4 year of RO playing(started in iRO beta, back in 2002) i started looking into WoW. I bought vanila and leveled in time for BWL patch launch. Since i was young and had nothing better to do with my life, i played both games until BT progression, which i chose wow over rag.
Guess what i’m playing now? Yeah, WoW. I play LoL from time to time, tried Swtor, GW2, DCUO, Planetside, eve, hella games, but i ALWAYS come back to this old fella. Idk, WoW has what i want in an mmo, and if there’s something wow doesn’t have that i want, i know that i’ll eventually get. Hard to set free from such a great game. I still love it.
http://twitter.com/zerconi Samuli Rauatmaa

I used to play WoW almost exclusively for a few years, but I usually jump from game to game and quit because I’m bored and/or have no one to play with.
http://twitter.com/MiZTiiX MiZTiiX

ba
Kevyne_Shandris

My heart will always be with EQII. Like the social experience there and the community is much more close knit (from the day I set foot outside newbie island there was a mentor there who helped me learn the ropes and donated gear to help; to my first raid, where it appeared the entire server showed up to help — things like that you’re grateful for and will never forget, and seals loyalty by caring for you as a player).

So can’t wait for EQNext to get here, especially after learning of yet another TBC themed expansion in WoW (that’ll be 3 in a row now). Same theme gets older than dirt, especially when your fondest memory is hitting level 68 to finally be out of Day-Glo Outland.

I don’t hate WoW itself, I just don’t like it’s MEMEME community in general or it’s design vision, especially of late. I’m trying to enjoy PvP via BGs, but when they’re so full of bots now that even Alliance can camp the bots on their spawn point with almost zero defense…yeah, don’t blame the messenger of being tired of it. EQII has it issues, but at least you have a maturer community to hang out with and players enjoy socializing and being nice with each other (not treating people like dirt, as trolls become but the community forcing players to be defensive in response).

So brand loyal to EQ; playing WoW to keep in touch with family (and hoping it would improve); and keeping an eye out for a more tradeskill focused MMO.

Chat Bubbles: How Loyal Are You To Your MMO?

Casual or Hardcore?

Why Did You Pick Your Class?

Your TESO Expectations

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