The opposite day, MOP’s Justin got here into our work chat understandably nervous as a result of he couldn’t log into his Lord of the Rings On-line account; it was giving a cryptic message saying our logins and passwords had been unsuitable. It turned out to be Simply SSG Issues and unplanned server downtime, however for that transient minute, we contemplated what we’d do if we’d been hacked and needed to resolve whether or not to surrender or begin over.
We’d need to issue within the gameplay, how far we’d gotten, how straightforward the sport made it to reroll, attainable booster results, veteran rewards, even how a lot cash we’d sunk into expansions and upgrades. I believe it comes all the way down to the sport. So after all, now we’ve to Overthink it.
Think about your high three MMORPGs. In case your accounts vanished tomorrow, would you begin over? What would you do first, and what would you do in a different way?
Andy McAdams: Uff, I don’t truly know. I’d most likely return and begin over in all three, however they’d by no means be pretty much as good as they as soon as had been. I don’t suppose I’d need to dedicate the time in World of Warcraft to get my account again to the place it was with mogs, mounts, achieves. For Last Fantasy XIV and Guild Wars 2, I feel I’d, and I don’t have the identical period of time devoted to Elder Scrolls On-line, so it might most likely be extra of a shrug and begin over factor.
My older accounts (a few of that are nearing consuming age within the US) have so many iterations of me as a gamer wrapped up in them; it might be arduous to recreate the sensation and vibe of them.
Brianna Royce (@nbrianna, weblog): LOTRO: I’d begin over. I’d be unhappy to lose my names and all my crafting alts, however as a themepark – and a themepark the place boosters are simply gotten – it’d be straightforward to only begin over and run the journey once more. I’d most likely roll on a extra populated server this time too.
SWG Legends: I’ve now completed the total multi-year “begin from nothing and construct a crafting empire” twice in my lifetime, not even counting the time I began over in SWGemu, and I… simply don’t suppose I’ve it in me to do it once more. Perhaps in one other few years, however I feel I’d press pause. I really like the sport, however I simply don’t have that form of time or persistence proper now, to not do it a 3rd time, figuring out what it takes, how a lot of an individual goes into it. I’d wish to suppose I might play as a non-crafter, however I doubt it. (This one is very humorous to me as a result of throughout stay, I used to begin new characters on different servers simply to see how a lot I might accomplish solo with out assist. I can’t fathom doing that now.)
Metropolis of Heroes: This one’s straightforward. I begin over in Metropolis of Heroes on a regular basis, and I suppose all of us did it simply 5 years again. I’ve and would begin once more. I’ll most likely begin once more subsequent week! It’s singularly suited to be gentle on assets and versatile from informal to hardcore. I like it a lot.
Carlo Lacsina (@UltraMudkipEX, YouTube, Twitch): If I misplaced my accounts, I’d most likely straight up stop the sport. An excessive amount of heartbreak, and this particularly applies to my GW2, FFXIV, and GW1 accounts. There are just too many irreplaceable objects in there. For instance, my GW1 account has a random helmet that none of my characters can put on as a result of it was a helmet a pal as soon as randomly traded me for no different cause. I saved it as a reminder, and yeah I nonetheless have it.
Chris Neal (@wolfyseyes, weblog): I’ve restarted in my fundamental sport of Last Fantasy XIV earlier than, so it wouldn’t be that huge a deal a minimum of from a mechanical standpoint (simply gotta purchase a narrative skip and degree skip). That mentioned, with as a lot historical past, roleplay story, and private connections as I’ve made through the years, that may actually pout an entire bucket of chilly water over the whole factor – probably sufficient to make me cease enjoying. All the identical, although, I’d most likely follow re-rolling my character as a result of I really like her very a lot.
Colin Henry (@ChaosConstant): There would positively be a mourning interval once I wouldn’t need to put in all of the work to rebuild my account, however I’m positive that, eventually, I’d miss it and are available again. The price of re-buying every thing can be tremendous painful to me, rather more than the time spent, as enjoying is a minimum of a point of enjoyable. No less than outdated content material tends to go on sale for reasonable, I suppose.
Justin Olivetti (@Sypster, weblog): Yeah I most likely would. I’ve a bizarre factor for beginning contemporary in MMOs — generally all the way in which all the way down to a contemporary account or beginning on a particular server — and so whereas the lack of these characters can be vital, they wouldn’t flip me away from the video games or the style itself. On the finish of the day, MMOs are an expertise and a calming passion to take pleasure in, however I’m not so tied to my characters that it might be devastating to lose them. Simply actually, actually annoying to lose quite a lot of progress, unlocks, and accomplishments.
MJ Guthrie (@MJ_Guthrie, weblog): Absotively, posilutely not! Sorry, but when a fundamental MMO — or one I put actually any vital quantity of coronary heart and time into — had been to fade, I’d positively not return.
Living proof: Fallen Earth. For some cause, I grew to become locked out of my account and couldn’t return. That was the tip of the sport for me. My closing need to return was completely squashed when one other future try and reclaim it failed once more. Give it some thought, although: If dropping housing that I spent my time acquiring and creating turns me off from returning to a personality who continues to be lively and has (a minimum of a few of) her belongings, why in tarnation would I’m going again in a sport the place I misplaced the character, too?!
I’ve a really shut pal who simply final 12 months had his since-beta LOTRO account hacked, and even with the entire appropriate unique data, Standing Stone has not returned it — even with the obscene sum of money he has spent on it — to him. Having lived by that heartbreak vicariously, I do know no doubt that if I misplaced my digital stuff, I can’t deal with it. There’s completely no sport that’s adequate to beat having characters I beloved stripped away from me.
The one exception to that was my DDO account. Although I had it in beta, somebody one way or the other bought ahold of it, and guess what? Even utilizing my unique data, I couldn’t get it again. However since I had ditched the sport after lower than a month of little play (I used to be not impressed again at launch), I had no connection to that character all these years later once I began streaming holidays with buddies. Even then, I didn’t make a brand new account for a protracted whereas and solely did so when beginning the D&D nights with a bunch for Stream Staff. Now, if that account had been to vanish, so would my enjoying of DDO.
Sam Kash (@thesamkash): Oh, it might be powerful, however I don’t suppose I’d return – to any of them. HP Magic Woke up would get an enormous thumbs down. I’d positively be bummed as a result of part of my morning routine is knocking out these dailies on my cellphone whereas I make espresso and eat breakfast. The whole lot else can be historical historical past.
Besides, perhaps, Guild Wars 2 has an opportunity, once I give it some thought. I’ve such historical past with it that there’s a small however unlikely probability I log in and simply decide up on the Icebrood Saga (the place I fell off years in the past). The sport makes it straightforward to hit degree cap, after which it’s principally all even. And I’m not somebody who repeats story content material anywaym so I might simply skip all that I’ve completed. Minus mounts. In order that may very well be a sticking level. You form of want mounts as of late. All I’m saying is there’s an opportunity.
Tyler Edwards (weblog): New World I’d most likely begin over. Dropping my homes and money store purchases would positively suck, however I benefit from the sport sufficient to keep it up. Would possibly take just a few months off earlier than beginning a brand new character, although.
WoW… I don’t know. I’m fairly on the fence about persevering with with it even with out dropping my account, and the years of funding in my characters is a big a part of the enchantment as of late.
Each week, be a part of the Massively OP employees for Massively Overthinking column, a multi-writer roundtable during which we talk about the MMO trade matters du jour – after which invite you to affix the fray within the feedback. Overthinking it’s actually the entire level. Your flip!Commercial
