Stop Playing MMOs Like Single-Player Games

I play MMOs because I like running into other players. Whether it’s teaming up for a dungeon, fishing beside a stranger, passing someone in town, or shooting the s**t in chat. I adore that sense of “I’m not alone in this world,” it’s what makes this genre special. The whole point, at least to me, is that the realm feels alive, not just because of NPCs, but because of real people doing stuff around you.

So I’ve always found it odd how some folks play MMOs like single-player games. I’m not saying every single thing needs to be group content; in fact, I enjoy questing alone or getting a solo grind session in from time to time. But choosing to play a massively multiplayer online game and then avoiding all the multiplayer parts? That’s just silly.

These are the top dogs I'm talking about too: Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2, RuneScape, Lost Ark, MapleStory, Star Wars: The Old Republic. They're all playable solo, even if grouping up is encouraged.

I get that some people don’t like random matchmaking, or maybe they’ve had bad experiences with toxic players. Those are fringe cases, though. The entire design of MMOs — raids, world bosses, trading, events, guilds, emotes, etc. — is built around people interacting. For me, the best moments playing these games come from shared experiences: saving someone mid-fight with a clutch heal, watching a random take down a boss after everyone else in the party died, or just vibing with others while engaging in life skills. 

Everyone is allowed to play games how they want. But if you're playing an MMO like a single-player game, I can't help but feel like you're missing the best part of the experience. And by that I mean each other.