What Happened to WoW?

March 8, 2019January 12, 2020 ~ Andy ~ Leave a comment

Easy – Obsession with numbers happened to WoW.

I wrote a few years ago about the DPS Meters, Theorycrafting and what I thought their impact was on MMOs. I think it’s more true today than it was then. This isn’t to say that WoW doesn’t have a myriad of other problems because it does but I think this is a foundational issue with WoW. But I can’t help but think that Blizzard’s momentum of bad decisions might have actually started to overcome the community inertia that kept the game on top.

Continue reading →

Why EQ2 is Still Worth Playing (even under Daybreak)

December 26, 2016June 22, 2018 ~ Andy ~ Leave a comment

I swore up and down that I wouldn’t support Daybreak anymore after the EverQuest Next cancellation. Last week, I caved and re-subbed to play EverQuest 2 on the progression server. The core game is fun and offers features you can reliably find anywhere else. While my druthers quiver in rejection, having fun is all that matters when it comes to gaming.

Continue reading “Why EQ2 is Still Worth Playing (even under Daybreak)” →

DPS, Recount, and TheoryCrafting : How DPS Changed How We Play

February 26, 2016December 23, 2016 ~ Andy ~ Leave a comment

MMOs have gone through many changes over the years, both good and bad. But there’s been at least one change that I think has left us worse than we were before–DPS. DPS (Damage-per-second for the uninitiated) has become the bane of the MMO genre. We have become so obsessed with this one concept that it has changed the way MMOs are designed, consumed, and critiqued–and not to our benefit. Now before you start foaming at the mouth – hear me out and let me explain myself. Let’s look at beginning years, hopefully without the rose-colored glasses this time.

Continue reading “DPS, Recount, and TheoryCrafting : How DPS Changed How We Play” →