Online Role Playing Games

Introduction
A wide range of games comprises the Computer Role Playing Games (RPG). These are types of games where you are tasked to build a hero or character. As the game advances, the character then acquires experience which he or she will use to become more powerful and obtain new abilities.

A broad genre under the video games category is electronic role playing games. These games originally came from the traditional role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. These utilize both the game mechanics and the settings found in such games.

Online Role Playing Games are RPGs that allows players to interact with each other in a virtual world. These interactions may be played either as a single or multiplayer game. Other features of online role playing games are similar to computer RPGs.

Characters
These types of games revolve on making or choosing around one or more avatars and building its
characteristics and experience as the game progresses. These characteristics then represents the skills of the gamer himself and how he or she determine game outcomes. Traditionally, a status screen is displayed to represent the player’s attributes. It makes use of numeric values rather than meters, bars and other simpler abstract graphical representation video games
in general utilizes.

Settings
Another special feature of role playing games is its fictional high-fantasy setting. Usually, these are derived from science fiction themes or space opera.
There are only a few that take place in modern or historical settings. However, games such as Bloodlines (”gothic punk”), Arcanum (steampunk), Darklands (a combination of medieval German legend and history), Fallout (post-apocalyptic), and Mount and Blade (Medieval Europe with no magic or fantasy) are exceptions to these trends.

Missions
A group of characters or a party, usually different players, join forces to accomplish a “quest” or a mission. Challenges and enemies, usually inspired by science fiction, classical mythology, and more commonly, fantasy fictions, are faced by the adventurers along the way.

Examples of challenges are defeating the evil boss, rescuing a princess, or clearing a dungeon of
monsters. To know and receive his quest, the player might find it necessary to talk to an NPC. Missions may also include item fetch quests, locational puzzles (such as opening locked doors by means of a hidden lever or a key), or engaging in dialogues.

A number of games are made up of smaller quests in a predetermined sequence and are played as a linear narrative. However, games such as Fallout, contain nonlinear gameplay and multiple quest solutions through multiple endings and branching plots. How the quests are approach varies on different character builds. Methods such as violence, bribery, subterfuge, or diplomacy may be used depending on the character divergent of its skill.

Developments
It is difficult to affirm definitely where this genre will be headed because of it rapid development and the different numerous titles within the genre. However, developments have been made. One of these improvements is the “raid”, or the raid group quest. Large groups of players (twenty or more) are able to participate in the “raid”.

Another online role playing game improvement is the use of instance dungeons which keep the group isolated from the rest of the game world. This reduces the amount of data that is sent to and from the servers, thus decrease lag. It also lessens competition.
Instance dungeons can be found on World of Warcraft “raids” as well as all of the Guild Wars combat area.

Role Playing Games - And The Fan Base Grows

Role Playing Games

Players or participants of Role Laying Games assume the role of different fictional characters, more
popularly known as avatars, and try to make these characters victorious with each challenge it faces.

These avatars can be customized and built according to the preferences of the player. They may determine where their character may excel. However, as the game progresses, the character may built up more strength and powers or otherwise.

Online role playing games also have guidelines and a formal system of rules and mechanics that needs to be met. Working around these rules, participants can shape the outcome and direction of their games.

Background

It was in the mid 1970s when it all started. Online role playing games was developed from its traditional counterparts (computer role playing games and video games). In this year, the earliest multi user games started to appear. In 1980, Rogue, a very famous dungeon crawler was released. It was quite different back then because monsters, items, and settings were represented by letters. Form then, development of a new genre of similar clones.

One of the most influential games among all online role playing games is Dungeons and Dragons. It has a big effect in the development of online RPGs. The success of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest console games divided the genre of role playing games into two: the console role playing games and the computer role playing games. Cultural differences are the reason behind this classification. Game consoles are produced primarily for personal computers in Japan and role playing games in the Western World.

When it was introduced, Online Role Playing Games began as single player games. However the arrival of the internet and the virtual world made developments in online role playing games. After that, players from all over the world began to enjoy the games in this genre. They were able to participate in multiplayer games with players from all parts of the globe.

These games have grown to be an online gamer sensation that RPG companies discover ways to make it better. These improvements led multiplayer gaming into massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) that continued to make online gaming more popular each year.

Challenges

These games are centered on stories which are moreoften than not, adventure and fictional in type. There are also centered on fantasy and mythological genres.Players have to reach a certain goal or complete a mission in order to advance further into the game. These missions and challenges are often called“quests”.

Some of these involve chasing off dragons, fighting evil wizards and masters, and saving damsels in
distress. The outcomes of these games are dependent on the characters strengths, characteristic, and skills.

Little More About the Avatars

As stated, players have the power to customize their characters according to their preferences. However, the improvement of there characters are highly dependent on the course of the game. Enhancing their character’s skills, attributes, equipment, and special abilities are important so as to achieve the goal of the game.

Improvements and achievements are often given as rewards for accomplishing their quests and overcoming obstacles. In short, these rewards have to be earned.

Multiplayer Modes

Among the online role playing games, Diablo was the first to come up with multiplayer options. Multiplayer modes became popularity during the mid1990s. Then after, they became massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) because of its popularity.

Why Online Role Playing Games Are In Demand

History

Online role playing games can trace its history back to the 1970s, where the earliest multi user games
started to appear. Rogue, a very famous dungeon crawler, was released in1980. Monsters, items, and
setting were represented by letters. This in turn, inspired a whole genre of similar clones.

Dungeons and Dragons have long influenced the development of role playing games. Console playing games’, such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, success divided the genre into two: the console role playing games and the computer role playing games.
This is because of the cultural differences where game consoles are produced primarily for personal computers in Japan and role playing games in the Western World.

Online Role Playing Games started as single player games when it was first introduced. However, with the advent of the internet, more and more improvements were made on role playing games. What started as a game for one now has all people coming from different countries playing together in one game. Multiplayer options have grown remarkably big that game companies find ways to improve it over and over again. With these improvements came massively multiplayer online
role playing games (MMORPGs) that continued to make online gaming more popular each year.

RPGs

Role playing games are games where the participants or players assume roles of certain fictional characters and follow stories as the game process continues.

These characters are usually called avatars and can be customized according to the player’s preferences. Participants determine their character’s actions whether it succeed or it fails. Like any other game, online role playing games also have guidelines and formal system of rules and mechanics that has to be met. Within this rules, the participant can improvise and shape the outcome and direction of the games.

Stories

The games are based around stories which are mostly adventure and fictional in type. Online role playing games centers around fantasy and mythological genre were the participant has to achieve a certain goal to advance further into the game. These goals are sometimes called “quests” or mission. They involve chasing of dragons from the city, saving a damsel in distress, or fighting evil masters and wizards. How one wins these fights depends on their character’s strength, characteristics, and skill.

More About the Characters

Players are given options on how they want to improvetheir character’s performance. They can modify this through enhancing their character’s skills, attributes, equipment, and special abilities. In most RPGs, these improvements are offered as rewards for accomplishing missions and overcoming certain challenges. These rewards have to be earned.

Status Bars

Unlike traditional video games where health or a character’s attributes are displayed on colored status
bars and meters, online role playing games have a more complicated way in displaying status levels. Instead of the simpler abstract graphical representation, they make use of numeric values which are constantly updated each time the character scores or takes a hit.
These numerical values are displayed on the status screen of each player.

Multiplayer Options

Originally, role playing games were offered only a single player experience. However, with the advent of the internet, multiplayer modes gained popularity and rose sharply during the middle of the 1990s. Diablo was among the first to come up with multiplayer games.
And with that, these multiplayer games became into massively multiplayer online role playing games
(MMORPGs). Everquest is an example of these.

What The Virtual World Has To Offer - ORPGs

The Online Role Playing Game

The venue is the virtual world. Numerous individuals participate, meet, and play with each other. These are the occurrences in massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). These are computer role playing games which developed from continuous improvement of online multi user games. It was Richard Garriott who coined the term MMORPG. He is the creator of the game which popularized MMORPG, Ultima Online.

A fictional fantasy world is the usual setting in most role playing games. The gamers build their own character (avatar) and take control of the avatar’s skill and abilities. They can customize their avatars to match their personality. Every game in the online RPGs comprises of different characters with different trait and responsibilities. They can be categorized into melee, ranged, and magic users.

What Makes MMORPGs Different

Massively multiplayer online role playing games can be recognized from the usual computer role playing games by the number of players and the virtual world where the game is situated. Computer role playing games can only cater to single player modes whilst massively multiplayer online role-playing games can cater to thousands of gamers at one time.

The world that the game is themed from is another factor that differentiates the two genres. A
repetitive and constant setting is found on computer role playing games. Because of the way it is
programmed, each time the gamers in computer RPGs plays a game, the same episodes are repeated.

On the contrary, MMORPGs’ provide an environment that lives on its own. That means that even if the player is away or online, the game continues to evolve and “live”.

Increasing Revenues

Because of the popularity MMORPG has gained, it is not surprising to know that revenues rose dramatically over the years just so it could keep up with the world wide demand of online gamers.

In 2005 alone, about half a billion US dollars have been given to MMORPGs. Western revenues have been allotted with about one million dollars.

Economics

Most online role-playing games feature living economies. Virtual items and currency have to be
gained while playing the game and have definite value for the players. Such a virtual economy can be
analyzed and has value in economic research and can even have a dramatic impact on the economies of the real world.

One of the early researchers of MMORPGs, particularly Edward Castronova, stated that the supply-and-demand market for virtual items is existing. It even crossed over the real world as much as the virtual one.
Crossover requirements are some of the following: The player’s ability to sell in-game items for virtual currency, trading of items which have the similar value, the purchase of game items with real money, and the exchange of real money with in-game money.

The idea of exchanging real currency virtual currency or in-game items has had a significant effect on both the players and game industries. People who make a living out of the virtual economies are termed as “gold farmers” and can be employed through the game shops or private forums.

Real currencies in exchange for virtual money and in-game items are usually prohibited by game
publishers. However, because of necessity this exchange cannot be avoided. An example of this is
“Entropia Universe”, an online game that allows real money in exchange for game money and vice versa.

MMORPGs - What Are They?

Advent of the Internet

Online games are games played over a computer network. Currently, the term online almost always means the Internet. During the expansion of online gaming over the years, it gave a large influence to the overall expansion of computer networks from local networks to the Internet and the popular growth of Internet access itself.

Online games can range from text based games to complex graphical and virtual games which are
populated by many players simultaneously all over theworld. Many of the recent online games have
incorporated online communities which made it a formof social activity.

Internet revolution where websites could utilizestreaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user
interactivity was made possible by the rising popularity of flash and java. When Microsoft began
including flash players as a pre-installed component of “internet explorer”, the Internet shift from adata/information source to also offer on-demandentertainment.

Online Games

The inclusion of flash to internet explorers paved wayfor web sites to offer games to web surfers. Most the popular online games such as the popular World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge monthly fees to subscribers to access to their services, while games such as Guild Wars use an alternative scheme which offers a no monthly fee.

Most sites let their subscribers play for free byrelying on advertising revenues from online sponsors.
Others, like Runescape, offer people free play while leaving option of paying for special services and unlock new content.

Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG’s)

With the growth of broadband internet access in many developed as well as developing countries, massive multiplayer online games were made possible. Using the internet to allow thousands of players to play the same game at the same time made MMOG’s very popular to
children, teens, and young adults. Massive multiplayer online role-playing game (World of Warcraft), Massive multiplayer online real-time strategy (Mankind), and Massive multiplayer online first-person shooter (Dark Fall) are one of the most popular styles of MMOG’s.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Games

The growing access to broadband internet has made it possible for gamers to play games at their homes and at the same time interact with other people without actually meeting them. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of playing online games at home:

Advantages:

Privacy. Players have the privilege of playing their favorite online games at home rather than going into an internet café and line with other people just to play the games.

Cheaper. Players have the option of playing at home rather than going out and pay for the hours they play.

Safe. Players can safely play their online games at home at the same time interact with other players.

Disadvantages:

Time consuming. Online games are very competitive and to compete means spending a large amount of the player’s time playing online just to keep up with the other players.

Less social interaction. Most of the online players play at home and spend most of their time in front of the monitor. Although players interact with other players online, they still spend less time actually meeting the person and interacting with them personally rather than in front of a monitor.

Eye strain and the occasional head ache. Online games
are very addictive to the majority of the players. They spend most of their time playing the game and some even spend the whole day in front of the computer. The strain on the players eyes vary on how long they play the game. While spending the whole day staring at the monitor, the eyes are strained more often than usual and even after they stop, their brain is over used the occasional head-ache is often felt.