Is it possible to play an MMO casually, of course it is! Just keep in mind that it will take you much longer to accomplish anything than the hardcore or dedicated MMO player base.
To set the stage it would make sense to describe how I approach and view an MMO. I look at this type of game as an RPG (role playing game) with the ability to group up with others for more difficult content if I chose to do so. Mostly I will solo or lone wolf these types of games, almost treating them like a standalone. As I get a feel for the game, and this may take weeks or months, I will eventually strike out and become more social and attempt group content. MMO’s in my opinion are a great value for the money since the amount of content and play time often far exceed what I would get from a standalone RPG. That being said, I tend to stay away from MMO’s with a subscription model now.
I have played World of Warcraft (WOW), Star Wars the Old Republic (SWtOR, and most currently Guild Wars 2 (GW2). Now looking at this small list you might say, “Hey, I thought you stayed away from the subscription model!” Well, in my recent past I did indeed pay a monthly fee. WOW is the indisputable king of this genre and to get the full experience you had to pay a monthly fee. I played this game for years, and eventually got bored of the fantasy and cartoony art style. So I went full on Sci-Fi with SWtOR. I paid a sub for this game as well, and really enjoyed the story, but the content and very linear path they put you on got stale after a year or so. The only way to describe it would be to compare it to any great single player RPG you played over and over and eventually got tired of.
So that brings me to my current MMO of choice, for the last 4 months, Guild Wars 2. It has features I like from both SWtOR and WOW, with NO subscription. This game has changed my mind set about MMO’s. They don’t have to have a sub to be good quality. What also helps is that this game is very casual friendly, and the content ramps up slowly in difficultly as you progress through the game. Since there is no sub fee I don’t feel like I am not getting my money’s worth if I pick up another or not login for a few days. It is the type of game that I can login for 15 minutes or two hours and get something done. The game is also set up to cater to many different play styles, so there is more than one way to enjoy the game.
The current trend with MMO’s seems to be moving towards the model GW2 has currently. This is a great sign for casual players as this genre starts to cater to our player type. Just go to any MMO forum and you will see posts from hard core players complaining that the game is catering to the casual crowd. Guess what? The Casual player is now a major source of income for most games of this type and the software gaming companies have realized this. If you haven’t already, take a look at what is out there for an MMO that suits your tastes and give one a spin. They can be complex at first but once you kick the tires and take your lumps, the experience can be enjoyable. I am looking forward to see what else hits the market this year with no subscription fee.
