As those who know me in real life already know, I am an enthusiastic MMOer (MMO stands for massively multiplayer online). Most articles I read on the subject focus on the players who fall into the “hardcore” category. They are the ones who find the time to play several hours each day. They are the ones with the best armor, weapons, and equipment. They are the ones who run the guilds, fleets, and kinships, so it’s no wonder that they get most of the attention. *
I consider myself to be a casual gamer, and this post is going to be all about those of us who log in for as little as ten minutes at a time! Let’s step into the spotlight for just a second. Every player is different, so I can’t say what is true for me is true for every other casual gamer out there.
External factors play a huge role in my casual MMOing. Hobbies and obligations seem to be the most prominent ones—Time to call that relative from CA! Oh, I need to help out with XYZ! My novel and [ insert hobby that I take seriously here ] wants some tender loving care! There are times when I go a week without logging in. Do I feel bad about it? Yes, but only for those games in which I’m part of a guild/fleet…etc. The group leaders invest a lot of time in order to make it a pleasant place to log into.
There is also the “I can’t keep up with the hardcore crowd and their group donations” guilt. It is always there! Some MMOs have made great additions for groups. Star Trek Online added fleet starbases, embassies, and dilithium mines. These group facilities can be upgraded with many options that, in turn, benefit each member of the fleet. It is really hard to keep up when you only log on a few times each week, and I don’t always want to devote what little time I have to farming for [ insert group item here]. I do what I can though, and I think this is the main reason that there is only one MMO where I’m a part of a group (they are the friendliest bunch of gamers, by the way, and that’s why I stick around).
Now then, what do I actually do when I log in? Sometimes the entire session is dedicated to perfecting my character’s outfit (glorified dress up, if you will). Sometimes I’ll team up with my fleet, and other times I’ll game on my own to try and collect the hottest points on the market. In Star Trek Online, it is currently dilithium and fleet marks. Most of the time, and yes I’ll admit this, I log in just to chat with other players. If I’m leveling a character, I spend my time completing quests, missions, and etc .
MMOs I’ve played:
City of Heroes
Guild Wars
Lord of the Rings Online
Star Trek Online
* MMOs have an option where you can join a group of people who share the same interests as you. Think of it as a virtual club. It makes it easy for you and the other members of your group to keep in touch and game together.
