Dopass.com

The guys at work will make fun of me if they read this, but I'm a RUSH fan. I saw them on R30, Test for Echo, Counterparts, Roll the Bones and even on the Presto tour. I've been a fan of theirs since I was in high school. I admit it.

So why am I flying my old nerd flag so proudly? Because as I was listening to some Rush today I started laughing at the lyrics to a particular song. Neal wrote my MMO anthem, and even named it appropriately. It's The Enemy Within from their Grace Under Pressure album.

Check out this lyric:
I'm not giving in, to security under pressure.
I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure.
I'm not giving up on impossible dreams; experience to extremes.
Experience to extremes.

That's how I play MMOs. Let me explain:

I'm not giving in, to security under pressure.
(I don't raid. I prefer small groups of people I know - it's more dangerous and to me that's more fun.)

I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure.
(I don't care if I'm not supposed to be here, I want to see it.)

I'm not giving up on impossible dreams; experience to extremes.
(I want to see it all, the entire world, but I want to see it on my terms.)

Experience to extremes.
(I've got to see it all, but more importantly - I've got to see it while the mere act of seeing it is an accomplishment, one that sets me apart from others.)

You probably gathered that I'm an "explorer" in Bartle's little system. So why do I think this song is appropriately named? Because, in modern MMOs, trying to explore is a waste of your time - it's self defeating. As a player, my play style is now my Enemy Within. Playing my way, you won't advance as quickly as you would if you "played the game right." Similarly, playing on the edge of impossible - especially alone - is more penalized than rewarded. Fortune may favor the bold, but that's overshadowed by justice - the god of balance - frowning down on them.

We have done so much in the name of balance and fairness - to the point changed the very nature of what an MMORPG is - that we've actually made a style of play extinct. Is that wise? Doesn't that turn a certain percentage of a potential market (and their dollars) away? It's no wonder Oblivion is so popular - if it does anything well, it's catering to the explorer. Of course, explorers are rare - and plenty of achievers have arisen (about 8 million of them, at last count) to take their places, so I doubt it matters to anyone...

But still, I can't help but wonder if our "everyone should win" and "everything should be fair" design paradigm is our own Enemy Within.

- Snipehunter