As more and more MMORPGs get released year after year there seems to be an influx in the ability to do things outside of the standard PvE content that traditionally accompanied these games, essentially what we considered to be “the grind”. Developers have added PvP, extensive crafting systems, and sometimes even some sort of house builder where you can create and live in your own home. Unfortunately, despite having these features added it still always boils down into the traditional grind. Want to build a house? You need money, go grind for some. Want to craft? You need materials, go grind for some. It continues on in this manner until you are, once again, the top level and you have successfully grinded through the entire game.
Before I continue, allow me to re-assure you, this is not another typical “stop the grind” type of discussion. While I don’t much care for the leveling grind, I think we have both read enough about it to be thoroughly sick of the topic. What I am talking about here is alternatives to the traditional leveling grind. Let’s face it, no matter what major MMO you play, the ultimate goal of the game is to get to the top level, but should that really be all? Probably not.
When Ultima Online first came out the ultimate goal was not to get to the highest level (they didn’t even have levels) but rather to skill up in whatever you desired and master that profession. In the early days of the game (when I used to play) there would be all sorts of players ranging from warriors, to shop keepers, to crafters. The game didn’t give you an ultimate goal and didn’t tell you how to play. This is partly why the game held such high appeal for me. Unfortunately, as the 3-D era of MMOs came about the ability to do anything other than the leveling grind came to an end.
Today’s market has shown no signs of changing this mantra either as both Age of Conan and Warhammer Online are promoting their epic story lines inter mixed with vast PvP battles. Unfortunately for those wanting to do something other than getting to the highest level, let’s say open up a store and sell your wares, you are out of luck. Both of those systems are mere bi-products of the MMORPG as we know it today, if theya re even included at all, and while you may not care about leveling or getting epic “lewtz” there isn’t much in these games for you beyond that.