MMOSide Chat: What brings your favorite MMO world alive?

One of the first things I do in any MMO is a test to see if I can sit in a chair in the world. Don’t just show me sitting, go to a chair, click on it and sit down.

That doesn’t always happen in the world of an MMO, and it’s a sign that a world will feel more interactive than one that’s stagnant. For me that is important. This added layer of interactivity makes the world even more alive than just the stories and people who inhabit it. I hate that in some MMOs I have to stand on a chair and then use the “sit” emote to sit on a chair. And even then it doesn’t always work.

This is just one area where I think a game world can come alive, and that is the level of interactivity of the world with the player. In my opinion, you should be able to realistically influence and use the objects in a game world.

But it’s also more than that for me. Believable characters filling the world go a long way in making it feel real and alive. Cities filled not only with players but NPCs going about their business help sell this illusion. Go into a dense forest and not only see enemies, but Listen she as part of the soundscape transports me into this world.

I also love worlds that have more things to do than just quests. One of my favorite things in The Lord of the Rings Online is just sitting in my family house with friends, talking on Discord and drinking from our cask and waiting to see where the world will throw us if we drink too much. Those from The Elder Scrolls Online While the antiquities system isn’t my favorite thing they’ve added, it offers a deeper look into Tamriel’s lore and a way to earn rewards without just killing baddies. The upcoming card game Tales of Tribute in High Isle aims to flesh that out even further by simply giving you more things to do that enrich the world.

So what about your favorite MMO that makes the world come alive? is it a place Stories told in the game? Or is the atmosphere a space? Let us know in the comments.