What is a MMORPG?

Wikipedia defines a MMORPG as:

A massive (or massively) multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG is a multiplayer computer role-playing game that enables thousands of players to play in an evolving virtual world at the same time over the Internet. MMORPGs are a specific type of massively multiplayer online game (MMOG).

I'm fairly certain most people grasp what that means but lets look at two specific ideas based on this definition and make sure we're on the same page. Those two ideas are 'virtual world' and 'specific type'.

A virtual world is a computer rendered world where our avatars will exist and interact with. It is based on the specific type and genre and should encapsulate rules based on that. For example, a realistic modern day genre Military based game should have Air planes and advanced weapons but not magic. Just as a fantasy based MMORPG should probably have magic and various races but not fighter jets and aircraft carriers.

To continue though, lets look specifically at the specific type of a fantasy based genre and will go into more detail as to what a virtual world for that genre should portray.

1. Various races based on the historical lore. Whether that is entirely created from scratch by the developer or based on something like LoTR they should be there and accurate to the lore.
2. Magic also based on lore that follows (or in some cases) breaks the physics of the world.
3. The would should accurately portray the physics and realities of the world its rendering. (Fauna, animal life, temperatures etc etc)

Those three things are the essential principles one should stick to when designing and portraying a virtual world. Three things to worry about yet almost every game gets it wrong. Lets take a few examples from something every MMORPG fan should be able to relate too: LoTR.

1. In the movie when Gandalf was in trouble he couldn't use his powers of the mind or even magic to tell his buddies in the elven forest or gimli, legalos etc that he was trapped on a tower and needed help, but in the game you can.
2. Boromir DIED in the movie... in the game its impossible to die. (Other people died as well Lurtz etc, but in game no one dies)
3. When Frodo went into a tavern no one screamed Hey theres Frodo of the Fellowship of the RING!! HE HAS THE ONE RING! BANZAII! Instead he was able to hide his identity simply by lying. (Until that fool of a took opened his mouth that is) In game everyone knows your name and guild etc etc.
4. In the movie terrain hindered movement (except for legalos) in the game it does not.

Lets stop there as we could obviously go on and on. But these are the ones that concern me. In a virtual world all characters do not have tell. It breaks immersion and ruins the flow of the game. This is not a Massive online chat room and we shouldn't treat it as one. Magical means to communicate, messengers or birds are all acceptable ways to communicate and imagine an in game tavern actually having a purpose. (Waiting for friends to arrive) Also I think Next Gen MMORPGs will start to implement in GAME VOIP communication which will help a lot for people who read or type slowly.

Secondly MMORPGs never allow avatars to die. A slight unconsciousness or a black out occurs. You can't have a meaningful life with death. See my permadeath post.

Thirdly Floating names and instantly identifying people who are purposely trying to conceal their identity is a problem. UO featured a few ways to hide your identity and then every game since has dumped the feature going for more all seeing accountability and less realism.

Finally the terrain in a virtual world should hinder players. If its cold you need a jacket or you die. If its hot you need to get out of that platemail before you go trouncing through the desert for 120 miles by foot. If there 20 feet of snow your going to need snow shoes or your going to walk VERY slowly.

To conclude, any game that thinks their game is a MMORPG should start with accurately portraying the world their trying to create and not just take the last world and try to haphazardly recreate it. Developers today are adding web browsers, telnet clients, guild/clan/world chat and other features that should really clue in a player looking for a RPG that their game is not going to be it. Developers are losing touch with what a RPG is probably distracted by stupid issues like Kill stealing or ninja looting. Issues which tie up development time and were never a problem to begin with. If someone kill steals, kill them. Its not a problem in games that don't feature some hokey alignment system.

IMHO any game currently out that calls itself a MMORPG has forgotten what a 'MMORPG' was supposed to be. (And most of the future games with few exceptions don't get it either.)