I've got a bit of traveling ahead of me this weekend, so I'm going to be signing off for the US Thanksgiving holiday. In the spirit of thanks, here's a few things I'm grateful for this year in MMO's.
- Many viable options: This year, I've found the time to try out five different games. There are others that I haven't even gotten around to. Meanwhile, say whatever else you will about the various "free to play" models out there, but having these more flexible options really helps open the door to trying a game that you might only visit one or two nights a month.
- Focus on the early game: Working on the low levels in an existing game is one of those things that no one seemed to find the time to do until everyone started doing it. This isn't all thanks to Cataclysm - EQ2X, LOTRO and DDO all have newbies to attract with their new payment models - but it's a win for new players and old players' alts alike.
- Unofficial online community: I've had less time to spend looking for information of late, and I've become more reliant on the unofficial community - blogs and podcasts - to keep up to date. The amount of care that goes into these resources is outright humbling, and it's good to see companies (especially Turbine) acknowledging their fans' efforts. Also, the lone EQ2X server is in some ways a selling point, as this is the one MMO I can think of right now where you can actually run into literally anyone and everyone who plays and blogs the game.
Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels to everyone, and I'll see you all next week!
