The Daily Grind: How do you like to play?

We complain that MMOs are getting narrower and smaller as time goes by, with terms like "themeparks" being thrown around without much affection. But there are still a lot of ways to enjoy yourself in pretty much every game under the sun and games that cater to a wide variety of playstyles on top of that. There are games focused on a strong PvP game (Warhammer Online, EVE Online), games with a focus on PvE content (City of Heroes, Lord of the Rings Online), and others with a split between both (World of Warcraft, Guild Wars).

Even within that wide spectrum, however, there's a fair variety of options. You could focus on the PvE game in EVE Online if you wanted, or even just head off into another direction like roleplaying if you so desired. With all the different ways to enjoy yourself, we ask you today: how do you like to play? Do you prefer PvP, PvE, a mix of both? Or do you prefer alternate progression like crafting or exploration, eschewing the rails that are set down for you by the development team?

Reader Comments (12)

I play EQ2 on a PVP server. PVE is very important for progression and I prefer it over the PVP. I generally help out in PVP groups if friends need assistance. I like the fact that there is always something going on and something different to do every day in both PVP and PVE. Importantly I like the challenge of EQ2 over any other game; you really need to work hard to meet a target but it's so satisfying once you get there.

I enjoy PvP but being able to be ganked by higher levels just ruins a game. PvE with balanced battlegrounds or battlezones is the way to go IMHO. As much as I think full large scale PvP would be fun it is almost impossible to keep it fair and balanced.

Also I feel that games that focus on PvE for launch and worry about PvP after the the game is polished usually seem to do better as far as happy subscribers. Games that have a lot of ganking are usually due to not enough "stuff" to keep kids interested so they think it is fun to camp lower level players.

I tend to race to endgame with 1 character to check out that content, but once I've gotten a high level character then relax by making alts of as many classes as the game has & then slowly working through the game on all of them tradeskilling as much as the game permits along the way.

I haven't done this in WoW, which I recently resubbed to, I'm just taking my time with WoW levelling up all 10 characters together, I'm not in any rush to reach endgame in WoW simply because from all I've seen it offers nothing drastically better than I found in EQ, if anything I miss the bigger raid sizes of EQ & having tried a few raids just wasn't enamoured by the raidgame WoW has.

I'm really just waiting for the release of a high quality AAA sandbox game that is more "world" than game, & in the meantime just pottering about.

I like a little bit of both or everything. I will honestly try it all all, I mean I payed for the game, I'm going to get my money's worth.

I don't understand why these PVP games can't just make one server have a limited ruleset, one where you can choose to PVP or not. PVE games do it with having one PVP server, it's time PVP games did it with like one PVE server.

WoW has it right though, offering a server type for each type of gamer. Another reason it is so big in the first place. Always give your player base options. It will make the base grow.

I'm mostly a guild wars player these days and I still play plenty of both PvE and PvP content, and sometimes I even just go exploring (and not just because there is a title you can get for it).

110% PVE player. I game for the world and the stories in it, so the more of that I can experience the more fun I have.

I enjoy EVE, where the politics are real, the stories are real, but it would be nice if they got some good voice actors and put in a few good storylines with memorable characters.

That comment about the ganking sounds logical actually, but then I got to thinking that those types of players hate "carebares" anyway, and seem to like being bullies. I doubt some more content would appease them.

Allowing players to invest in NPC security infrastructure and escorts might be a way to reduce the suicide ganker though.

I pretty much solo PvE exlusively these days, having done with all the grouping and guilding when I played MUD's and then EQ1. I don't want the commitment these days, nor am I remotely interested in voicechat or guild politics. Likewise I have no interest in raiding or the best gear.

As for PvP, I have done it in the past and also do scenarios when I play WAR but beyond that I have no interest in it.

Bear in mind that I'm an older player and have no wish to join in with the younger epeen crowd. For me MMOs are a natural evolution of the old offline RPGs but with greater ongoing development and the chance to interract with other people in lots of ways other than just for combat. EQ2, AoC, LoTRO are my regular games these days.

I'm leaning toward being an almost exclusive PvE player.. I have enjoyed PvPing in the past (blowing up rebel bases in SWG preCU and open-world PvPing in vanilla WoW), but after the BGs and Arenas were introduced in WoW PvP simply wasn't as enjoyable anymore.. Instanced PvP simply feels like I'm detaching myself from the main game to play a match-based multiplayer game with my character.

This is also the reason why I don't like instanced worldzones (like AoC, CO and STO does it).. the gameworld feels fragmented.

A running joke in EVE Online is that 'EvE' stands for 'Everyone versus Everyone', which is true. I've been mining in EVE for a long time, but lately I felt the need to wield something more powerful than mining lasers. I've been in a few 1v1 T1 frigate battles (of course organised, with rules set in advance) and I absolutely loved it. I think I'll be checking out the PvP side of EVE. I mean, I can always mine later...

Any game that doesn't encourage solo play.
That means, mostly EVE these days.

PvP is the only reason I even bother playing MMORPGs. The problem is, almost every single MMO forces you to PvE forever just to get to the PvP content (which usually ends up being horrible).

I had so much hope for Warhammer when I first played it, now I don't know if anyone is even capable of making an MMO I'd like...

The Daily Grind: How do you like to play?

Reader Comments (12)

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 9:05AM Azlew said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 9:05AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 9:08AM SkuzBukit said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 9:11AM elocke said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 10:38AM Necromas said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 11:07AM Arkanaloth said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 11:21AM Mode7James said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 11:33AM Seffrid said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 12:46PM Faryon said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 1:08PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 4:01PM SgtBaker said

Posted: Mar 11th 2010 7:45PM (Unverified) said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

The Secret World launch delayed to July 3rd

Featured Stories

The Mog Log: The Legacy rewards and what they mean

The Tattered Notebook: The passing of Ribbitribbitt

The Firing Line: PlanetSide 2's Matt Higby on the MMOFPS revolution

Engadget

Joystiq

WoW

TUAW