MMORPGs have been popular for quite some time now. Ultima Online, which is considered the first game to popularize the genre, came out in 1997. So, you could say that the genre has been popular for roughly 18 years now. There were even older games considered as MMORPGs long before that.

What makes MMORPGs so popular? There are so many aspects of the genre that attract people of all ages to it. Most people will say that it is the gameplay that draws people into the genre. That is quite true, but what aspects of the MMORPG’s gameplay pulls players to invest time and effort into the game? If you’ll note, gameplay can actually be very similar among most popular multiplayer RPGs.

Nowadays, MMORPGs offer challenges to the players. These challenges are considered as the most fun parts of MMORPGs. To enumerate, these challenges are the Quests, Raids and Player vs Player matches.

Quests form the central part of every MMORPG. These are actually points in the storyline that the player must accomplish for himself or herself. As such, Quests drive the narrative of the game forward except perhaps for the minor quests that give away only freebies and do not affect the storyline at all.

Quests are usually small tasks that certain non-playable characters or NPCs assign to the player to accomplish in return for a piece of equipment or free experience points. Each Quest has its own challenge, which is why every seasoned MMORPG player will find that aspect of the game fun.

Another challenge is the Raid. Raids are actions that are carried out by a large group of players, usually members of a guild that came together for exactly that purpose. When raiding, groups of players will attack a dungeon simultaneously in order to take a shot at the treasure or rewards that are in store for those that successfully clear that task.

Why are raids considered as fun? That is because they are designed as a cooperative effort. This means that people get to help each other and watch out for each other in the dungeons when raiding. Raiding can also help players learn how to strategize and maximize the capabilities of each team member.

Finally, we have the Player versus Player aspect of the MMORPG. Commonly called “PVP,” PVP challenges in MMORPGs lets real players test their skills and equipment against another real player instead of the artificial intelligence in Player versus Environment or PVE combat. There are even events around the world that lets players compete in PVP arenas for a prize.

That’s about it. Those are the three parts that make MMORPGs fun. Each game takes on these three aspects a bit different from each other, but those are, more or less, the things that people look forward to when playing MMORPGs.

If you’re looking to play an MMORPG for the first time, you’d have to do a bit of research about its gameplay. You’ll need to know what’s in store for you, so you can decide whether or not that game is the right fit for your preferences or your playing style.