A: I believe the polarity between different MMOs and their fanbases is one of the more unique aspects of gaming culture. Sure, there are single-player RPGs that vary in mechanics, story, and world — but the scope of differences between one MMO to another is what makes these games unique among other gaming experiences, and is what makes dedicated players so proud of the MMOs they have invested themselves into.
B: I believe the polarity between different MMOs and their fanbases is one of the more unique aspects of gaming culture. Sure, there are single-player RPGs that vary in mechanics, story, and world — but the scope of differences between one MMO to another is what makes these games unique among other gaming experiences, and is what makes dedicated players so proud of the MMOs they have invested themselves into.
C: I’m so glad someone feels the same. I can’t put to words why I love MMO’s. As bad as this is, its the same when someone asks why you love someone. That’s a ridiculously hard question to answer.
D: As bass-ackwards as it is, I prefer my MMOs to have a rewarding single-player experience to them as well. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed a great deal in both Guild Wars 2 and in the early leveling on The Old Republic.
There are also a few games that are specifically fun to play with friends. EVE Online doesn’t actually appeal to me much at all as a solo experience, but the corporation I’m in is like its own family, and that’s an extremely comfortable and rewarding experience in the otherwise unapologetic harshness of the game.
Open world unrestricted PvP is a huge turn-off for me in most cases, simply because it’s usually too easy for high-level characters to make life hell for lower-level ones (I’m looking at you, WoW) but balanced structured PvP is a lot of fun with friends. It was that team dynamic that originally sucked me into League of Legends so hard and I’ve spent a great deal of time on Guild Wars 2’s structured PvP arenas as well.
But the single thing that probably draws me into an MMO the most is a combination of aesthetic and variety. I’m that guy who has dozens of characters where I’m allowed to. I love trying multiple classes and multiple branching paths.
And yes, sometimes dressing up is really hard to resist.
E:Regular content updates aren’t what draw you in, though. They should just be part of a well-run game. Progression, however, is a plus.
@Amy
I can relate to circumstances changing my tastes in the genre, simply because I can’t put the 17 hours per day into MMOs that I used to. I don’t even think I have the attention span for it anymore, to be honest.
I like content and PvP to be challenging myself, but not a gimme. Like I’m okay with only progressing a bit to level over a couple of hours, if there are enough side-distractions to the leveling.