MMO Outlook: Which Type Are You?
Freak show…
MMO Outlook: Which Type Are You?
MMO Outlook is a new, fortnightly column discussing the latest issues and news surrounding MMOs. This week, Jennifer Allen takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the different types of MMO players.
PLAYING ONLINE, particularly in an MMO, is an immensely sociable experience: one where players encounter people from all sorts of walks of life, as well people with a wide range of personality types. Over the years, I’ve noticed a certain trend in terms of the various different types of people that are readily available in all MMOs. I’ve also no doubt behaved like many of them at one point or another – some to my shame, admittedly. Consider this a guide for players considering delving into the world of MMOs, as well as a friendly reminder to current MMO players of just what kind of people are out there.
The Maverick
Mavericks are not a very sociable type of player. They ignore the point of an MMO, instead focusing on levelling up, completing quests, and doing everything entirely by themselves. When a quest comes along that requires a group, they’ll ignore it in favour of experience grinding, no matter how monotonous a task that is. They won’t ever join a guild, because other people just get in the way of their lonely journey towards the level cap. Odds are they have limited online time or often have to go AFK suddenly. However, some of them are just plain, grumpy, miserable bastards.
The Compulsive Obsessive
The Compulsive Obsessive is scary. Very scary. They might be friendly, but get in the way of their aim and they will go ballistic at you. The Compulsive Obsessive has to max out every skill possible before they level up. There’s no need to, as they’re bound to catch up eventually, but it’s all part of their obsessive nature. They also have to collect every single tiny thing possible in the game, just in case. Their world ends a teensy bit if they run out of bag space to store another completely useless rat’s tail. They don’t really enjoy playing their chosen MMO, but they don’t really have a choice in the matter once it’s grabbed them. They’re probably not a member of a guild, and they won’t reply to your private messages; they’re too busy collating data in a custom-made spreadsheet. As scary as they are, the Compulsive Obsessive does deserve pity. Lots and lots of the stuff.
The Control Freak
The Control Freak almost certainly has no control over their real life, so members of this group rebel via their MMO life and control everything. Even the things that don’t need controlling. They constantly crave power, and have to lead every guild that they become a member of. Even with random pick-up groups, they have to take charge. Their macro bar is full of commands that they direct at anyone unlucky enough to be stuck with them. If they can’t take control straight away, Control Freaks will spend days planning a coup, eventually snatching leadership from the grasp of some poor, unsuspecting sane person.
The Newbie
Aww, the Newbie. They’re irritating, sure, but you can’t shout at them, it’d be mean. It’d be like kicking a cute Labrador puppy. It just can’t be done. The problem is the Newbie has no idea what to do or how to act. You might keep trying to remind yourself that everyone had to start somewhere, but it still doesn’t really help. The Newbie is just too dimwitted to forgive for long. In the end, it’s best to just leave them to it. If they swim, then great, they’re useful. Fingers crossed they don’t become a Control Freak. If they sink, then, oh well. That’s one irritant solved. The Newbie will almost certainly drive you into becoming a Maverick for a brief while.
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I’m a normal human being with a touch of the wanderer thrown in for good measure.
I’m mostly a Maverick these days, oops! Also sometimes a normal human being though ;) And always polite!
Worryingly I know I’ve been all of these types at some point in my life, except maybe the Lunatic.
Damn enter button….never been the eBayer either!
Absolutely a Maverick here, although I’ll usually quest with one of two people and if they’re not online, hang about by myself. Or did, back in the days when Star Wars Galaxies was good. :(
Maverick here too. Although, for the next MMO I get into, I’m gonna have to be an attention whore. Sounds like easy mode to me! As long as I don’t have to dress like a girl in real life too…
Very much a maverick myself, but it’s nice to see other mavericks congregating on this site. I normally try and solo group quests as a maverick-y class than grind, though.
I propose a final type, which is “MMO Player Who Logs In Once, Is Utterly Overwhelmed, Then Never Plays Again.”
i.e. me.
Ahh, the Attention Whores. Get two of them in the same guild and it’ll be gone within days.
The funny thing is, there are so many socially-retarded nerds playing MMOs that exactly the same result can be achieved by A) not actively hiding that you’re female and B) saying hello. My wife and I have played WoW together on and off since its release and I’ve lost count of the number of guys who think that a woman saying “Sure, I have a spare mana pot” actually means “I love you and I’m going to leave my husband and travel half way across Europe to be with you, despite being fifteen years your senior and you still being in school and living with your parents.”