| For most of the 20th century, life used to be | | | | by skill, either one on one or in teams of up |
| rather simple for most people. There was | | | | to 4 on 4, or play others in pre-arranged |
| school, college, work, retirement. Along with | | | | teams. As in FPS games, there are also clans |
| that you had hobbies like cars, bowling, or | | | | in Warcraft, which in this case are even |
| gardening. The former was more or a less of a | | | | explicitly supported by Battlenet. This and |
| chore, the latter the fun stuff you did in | | | | the very immediate visibility of someone's |
| your free time, usually together with local | | | | skill level (basically, his win/loss ratio) |
| friends from the same neighborhood. This was | | | | gives rise to much competition between |
| basically the same as a thousand years ago. | | | | dedicated players for the top ladder |
| For a few lucky people the two areas | | | | (ranking) spots. Unlike geographically |
| overlapped and they could do the stuff that | | | | uniform games like Counter-Strike with tens |
| they liked as their main job.Now, in the last | | | | of thousands of servers, Warcraft has just a |
| 10 years of the 20th century, as well as in | | | | handful of large servers, each for a certain |
| the first few years of the 21st, this has | | | | area of the world (e.g. Americas, Europe, |
| been changing rather dramatically. The reason | | | | Asia). Interestingly enough, most strategy |
| is the rapid technical progress, both in the | | | | games are dominated by Asian, especially |
| wide area network and computing power areas. | | | | South Korean, players, where online |
| Contemporary hardware can animate very | | | | multiplayer games have been a very major part |
| detailed and realistic graphics fluently, and | | | | of the culture for years already. The |
| transfer data on the movements and actions of | | | | professional South Korean Starcraft and |
| hundreds of objects and characters around the | | | | Warcraft tournaments are major events with |
| world in milliseconds (although, | | | | hundreds of thousands of live spectators, |
| unfortunately, the speed of light still | | | | played on an extremely competitive level, and |
| remains a limiting factor). This has led to | | | | broadcasted on TV, and the top players have |
| an explosion in the availability and quality | | | | practically celebrity status and incomes in |
| of online games, with the newest generation | | | | the six-figure range and higher.Since the |
| like Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft | | | | popular strategy games are usually also just |
| becoming a phenomenon no longer limited to | | | | round-based, there is not very much room for |
| any particular social class, but rather an | | | | social interaction apart from an occasional |
| all-encompassing cultural element in the | | | | chat. Strategy players are probably a bit |
| industrial countries.Increasingly, parents | | | | older than FPS players on average, mostly |
| find that their children spend a lot of time | | | | between 16 and 35 in the Western |
| playing some of those games, and more and | | | | societies.Massively Multiplayer Online Role |
| more people come in contact with them. This | | | | Playing Games MMORPGs are the final and by |
| leads to people wanting objective | | | | far the most complex group in our |
| information, which is in practice not easy to | | | | classification. They are something like |
| obtain. Most articles about these games are | | | | little worlds within themselves, often |
| either written by rather clueless journalists | | | | resembling scaled-down copies of the real |
| who have never or hardly played the games in | | | | world, yet different as well. The two leading |
| question and therefore mainly focus on | | | | MMORPGs as of the time of writing are |
| scandalous negative side effects, or by | | | | probably World of Warcraft (WoW) and Final |
| enthusiastic fans who dive deep into the | | | | Fantasy XI (FFXI) , each with millions of |
| technicalities and don't mention the real | | | | active players worldwide. The distinctive |
| world consequences much. This article tries | | | | difference between MMORPGs and the other |
| to bridge the gap - it describes the | | | | kinds of online multiplayer games is that |
| currently most important types of online | | | | RPGs are not round-based, and do not have a |
| games and looks in detail at the social | | | | time limit or any specific goal to achieve. |
| relationships behind them. The authors have | | | | They are just there to be explored along (or |
| been longterm players for years and therefore | | | | sometimes against) other players. The key |
| hope that they can address the issue in | | | | concept is that each player chooses a single |
| considerably greater depth and detail than | | | | virtual avatar which is at first rather weak |
| most journalists (however, you won't find | | | | (low-level) and starts in some safe basic |
| detailed technical facts here since it is not | | | | area of his choice. The current MMORPGs all |
| in scope of this article).There are basically | | | | offer a rich palette of races and locations |
| three main types of multiplayer online | | | | to start with. Usually, to be able to explore |
| games:First-person shooters (FPS) where the | | | | the world, the character must be made |
| player sees everything through a (usually | | | | stronger, which is typically achieved by |
| temporary, just for the online session or | | | | killing some kind of virtual monsters |
| less) character's eyes and his gun's barrel. | | | | repeatedly, at low levels usually alone, |
| This category still remains predominant in | | | | later in a group. You can also do "quests" - |
| total worldwide player numbers (according to | | | | tasks given to you by an in-game character - |
| Valve, Counterstrike is currently still the | | | | for various rewards and with various degrees |
| most popular online multiplayer game). Some | | | | of difficulty.Current MMORPGs are very large |
| of the other examples include Quake, Unreal | | | | and highly complex. Even fully exploring |
| Tournament, and Doom3.Strategy games are the | | | | their worlds can take years, and trying out |
| the second main category. Usually similar to | | | | all the playstyles and options is almost |
| FPS games in the round/session-based style of | | | | impossible. There are lots of different |
| play, in these games the player usually does | | | | strategies for doing quests and winning |
| not have any single entity, but rather | | | | difficult battles, and organizational and |
| commands a number of troops of some kind | | | | managemental skills become essential in major |
| against other human opponents. There are also | | | | conflicts where sometimes hundreds of people |
| various options where one can both play with | | | | are involved at once. Those large-scale |
| other humans against the computer etc. Games | | | | groups already resemble something like |
| of this kind include Starcraft, Warcraft III, | | | | real-world armies, with a defined command |
| Age of Empires and many others.The last | | | | structure and squads with some special tasks |
| group, the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer | | | | each. This is something entirely new - |
| Online Role Playing Games), is the area which | | | | nothing of comparable scale and complexity |
| popularity has really exploded in the last | | | | has been there until just several years ago - |
| few years. Here, the player obtains a | | | | and the scale is likely to become ever |
| permanent character (or entity) or several | | | | greater.An impressive fact is the extreme |
| which can evolve and be equipped with various | | | | internationality of MMORPGs. A little less |
| gear, and undertakes adventures in a large | | | | obvious with WoW, since it is also |
| world full with other players. This is | | | | Battlenet-based and uses the regional server |
| probably the most promising group since it | | | | concept, it is highly apparent with Final |
| resembles the real world most, and it has | | | | Fantasy XI, which does not distinguish any |
| also been the fastest developing recently. | | | | regions - each of its servers has people from |
| The currently most prominent games in this | | | | the entire Earth. Most players come from |
| category are World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy | | | | Japan (where the game originates from), many |
| XI, Guild Wars, Everquest II and Lineage | | | | from the US and Europe, but it is possible to |
| II.FPSIn first-person shooter games, the | | | | meet people from too many countries to list |
| basic principle is simple. Shoot or be shot, | | | | here, almost every corner of the world being |
| kill or be killed. Starting with the original | | | | represented. An interesting side effect is |
| Castle of Wolfenstein and Doom, these games | | | | that one comes in contact with numerous |
| have developed to a level of frightening | | | | cultures and customs and many different |
| realism mainly for men living out their | | | | languages. Some anecdotal stories from the |
| ancient predatory and fighting instincts | | | | authors' own experience include a maid coming |
| (according to some surveys, there are about | | | | in to clean an Egyptian player's room at the |
| 10 times as many male as female players in | | | | wrong time, relaxed Moroccan players sipping |
| average FPS games). One of the recent | | | | on a water pipe in an Internet cafe while |
| milestones in this category, Doom 3 is a game | | | | playing, and a Canadian PhD student surveying |
| which is psychologically scary even to adult | | | | the attitudes of gamers for her thesis |
| men with the highly detailed and realistic | | | | work.Another positive thing about MMORPGs is |
| monsters suddenly attacking from dark | | | | that they encourage making friends and |
| corners. However, once these games take to | | | | teamplay very much. It may be possible to do |
| the online multiplayer stage, their focus | | | | a lot alone (although not in all RPGs), but a |
| shifts a little. The goal is no longer to | | | | well-matched group can do much more. |
| scare the pants off the lone player in his | | | | Therefore, social skills like making contacts |
| dark room, but rather to provide a fun | | | | and keeping them are substantial in MMORPGs. |
| platform for competition between many players | | | | Since the player is hidden behind his avatar, |
| of different skill. The most popular online | | | | the threshold to approach someone you don't |
| game in this category is still without doubt | | | | know is a lot lower than in real life, which |
| Counter-Strike - a game which has received | | | | makes them a good playground for shy people. |
| much negative fame because of various school | | | | The authors know of several real-life |
| shootings done by Counter-Strike players, yet | | | | relationships that initially started with the |
| still remains a highly captivating pastime | | | | players liking each other in the game and |
| for millions worldwide. It is a fan | | | | then finding out they liked each other in |
| modification of Half-Life, a Valve game, and | | | | real life as well. Of course, the chance for |
| a team game in its core: one team is the | | | | a mess-up is much higher here as well - after |
| "terrorists", the other the | | | | all in real life it's unlikely you date |
| "counter-terrorists", and the play is | | | | someone who looks cute for a while, only to |
| round-based: at the start of a round, each | | | | find out he's a chain smoking guy in his 30s. |
| team member receives an identical (except for | | | | However, still, interestingly enough, MMORPGs |
| clothing) avatar, picks some weapons, and the | | | | are relatively much more popular with women |
| the two teams clash in combat until either a | | | | when compared to FPS or strategy games. That |
| bomb is placed or everyone of one team is | | | | is probably because there's a lot of social |
| dead (there are also variations like "capture | | | | interaction within them - you make friends |
| the flag" etc).There are numerous reasons for | | | | who you see and adventure together a lot, and |
| the massive popularity of Counter-Strike. The | | | | there's a lot of talking and personal |
| game rounds are short-term in nature and | | | | information being exchanged - something |
| don't require much time. It is comparatively | | | | almost entirely missing from most other |
| realistic - weapons existing in reality like | | | | multiplayer games.The clan idea from FPS and |
| the M-16 or AK-47 are used in the game, and | | | | strategy games is even much more emphasized |
| even one shot may be enough to kill. Also, it | | | | in MMORPGs. Guilds in WoW and linkshells in |
| is easily accessible - almost everyone can | | | | FFXI are major social entities, with their |
| install and run a Counter-Strike server, and | | | | members meeting each other daily for years. |
| there are many thousands of them in the world | | | | The real-life meetings of large guilds or |
| online at any given time. Although the basic | | | | linkshells are worldwide events, with people |
| game does not lead to social interaction | | | | coming together from many different places. |
| deeper than a quick chat, the grouping of | | | | Linkshell friendships sometimes last for |
| people around some specific favorite servers | | | | years. On the downside, this means that one |
| and the wish to play better, which inevitably | | | | can get hurt as well in the game - a fact |
| requires solid teamplay, has led to the | | | | that many people unfamiliar with the whole |
| phenomenon of so-called "clans", or dedicated | | | | phenomenon often fail to understand. "It's |
| player groups, which usually have their own | | | | just a game", they say. On the one hand, |
| server where they train. A competitive clan | | | | they're right. Yet on the other hand, if it |
| will usually have requirements for people | | | | is possible to make new friends through these |
| wanting to join - a certain skill level, or | | | | games, who become real-life friends as well, |
| some minimum playtime - and most serious clan | | | | one should realize that it is quite possible |
| players play at least several hours a day. | | | | to get friendships broken by them as well, |
| Dedicated clans will also sometimes meet in | | | | for instance when being disappointed by |
| real life to discuss strategies and generally | | | | people one had trusted. This is also |
| have fun, which is not much different from | | | | something almost unique to MMORPGs - there |
| most other groups of people with similar | | | | has never been so much reality in a virtual |
| hobbies, like e.g. stamp collectors or RC | | | | world before. Talking of that, one should |
| model builders. Since many servers are | | | | mention another peculiar aspect of those |
| regional, mostly there are same-country and | | | | games - the equipment hunting. As the avatars |
| often even same-neighborhood people on the | | | | are the same (or similar) for everyone, the |
| same server, which of course makes meeting in | | | | gear or equipment that a player has basically |
| real life easier as well.The picture is | | | | measures his social status, much like a car |
| roughly comparable in the other FPS | | | | or money in real life. Players with very |
| multiplayer games like Quake 4 and Unreal | | | | rare, "godly" gear, are admired and envied by |
| Tournament, with the main difference between | | | | many people with regular equipment. Since |
| that the latter are less realistic and | | | | that is something most people like, and, as |
| include sci-fi weapons like laser guns and | | | | mentioned, the thresholds for doing things |
| such. They are also typically much faster, | | | | are so much lower than in real life, many |
| with frantic movement (means, being hard to | | | | nasty things have been done in order to |
| target) being highly important to survival, | | | | obtain gear. Again, here the RPGs are almost |
| which is a concept rather different to | | | | like a mirror of real life, condensing down |
| Counter-Strike where sometimes the top | | | | the more hidden similar issues there to a |
| scorers just sit in one place with a sniper | | | | more compact and visible form. In a way, it |
| rifle. However, a thing common to all FPS, | | | | is a pretty interesting experience and can |
| mouse control is highly essential. Skilled | | | | teach one a lot about people. It just becomes |
| FPS players develop extremely good mouse | | | | clear much faster who is worth what. A |
| control (conventional mice no longer being | | | | related trait of these games is the emerging |
| good enough for them led to the development | | | | RMT (Real Money Trade) industry, which |
| of a whole new segment of gaming mice) and | | | | basically thrives on selling virtual game |
| have reaction times below 0.1 seconds. The | | | | money and items for real money, and for some |
| numerous stress peaks and drops, lack of time | | | | games has reached revenues comparable to the |
| between rounds, and the frantic gameplay | | | | per capita gross national products of |
| often leads to additional addictions, though | | | | European countries. Here one can see the |
| - many of the hardcore FPS players are chain | | | | blurring of the distinction between work and |
| smokers, fast-food eaters, coffee addicts, or | | | | playing - many people don't play for fun |
| all of it combined. There are worldwide | | | | anymore. They earn money by "camping" |
| tournaments held for most of the established | | | | (sitting at the same spot all day) special |
| FPS, and the current champions are mostly | | | | monsters and selling the dropped items. It |
| from Europe or the US.Strategy gamesThe | | | | turns out it is possible to earn sizable |
| picture is a bit different with strategy | | | | amounts with that - more than a regular hard |
| games. Usually they are less frantic and | | | | job in some countries would pay.To summarize, |
| leave much more room for logical thinking (of | | | | online multiplayer games are a very large and |
| course, the classic board games like chess or | | | | ever increasing phenomenon. Very addictive, |
| Go also have major online playing facilities | | | | and easily able to occupy a player for years, |
| nowadays, but they cannot really be called | | | | they are perhaps becoming the major modern |
| multiplayer games since there is little to | | | | escape-from-reality tool of the next |
| none team aspect, it's just one-on-one most | | | | generation. Certainly, they have their |
| of the time). A typical example is Warcraft | | | | drawbacks, and not too few. However, if seen |
| III, which is the most recent in the Warcraft | | | | as an alternative to TV, MMORPGs are |
| realtime strategy game series by Blizzard. It | | | | definitely more worthwhile, in the authors' |
| is played on the so-called Battlenet, a major | | | | humble opinion.The authors are experienced |
| online gaming hub by Blizzard, which also | | | | gamers and alongside with their work as |
| serves other strategy games like StarCraft. | | | | co-founders of a web design and development |
| In Warcraft III it is possible to play both | | | | company ( still enjoy an occasional round of |
| random opponents matched to you approximately | | | | play. |