The Rules of the Game

Games have rules. That's what makes them games. If there were no rules, it'd be called "goofing off" or "hanging out." Even MMORPGs have rules. What that means, is that there are things you're supposed to do, and things you aren't supposed to do. Here are some rules for MMORPGs that you should keep in mind.

• There are no winners in a MMORPG: I was going to say there are no losers, but I thought about it, and I decided the people who don't follow the rules are losers. There is no way to "win" a MMORPG. You play or you don't play. There isn't an end, and there isn't a winner.
• You are in a different world while playing a MMORPG: This seems so simple, but this is the rule most forgotten. People forget to leave the old world behind. You created a character that lives in the world that was created by the developers. You need to make that character do the things that would be natural for him to do in his own world. That means he's most likely not named 'Eminem" and he most likely doesn't speak 'l33t.'
• Friends are Friends and Enemies are Enemies: This goes back to the previous point. There's a world that you live in. Lots of time there are complex social situations. Clan XYZ hates Clan ABC. So, if you're a part of XYZ, you should either play at hating ABC, or get out. And of course, the opposite is true. If you join the cleric guild and swear to only use your magic for good, don't go casting "Word of Pain" on merchants because they drop cool stuff.
• Know the differences between game 'goals' and game 'mechanics.': Ah, this is the kicker. Levels, skills and hit points are tools, not goals. "Actions cause Experience" not "Experience requires Actions." Far too often people forget they are playing a game, and think they are in a race. They think to themselves, "What is the quickest way to raise my level?" That is not following the rules. A lot of the greatest problems with MMORPG's (macroing, twinking, etc...) would go away if people would play by this rule.
• Other players are meant to be talked to: This is the hardest rule. The whole point of these games are player interaction. Too many times it turns into 2000 people all playing single player games on the same server. Slow down and take time to interact with the actual people around and the whole thing will be much more fun. But, how do you talk to someone in game and even in character without sounding like an idiot? It's easy. Just use complete sentences. "Hi, I just fought a bunch of goblins, and I need my armor repaired." That is how the rules say to play. Saying, "Repair on Mith BP + STR buff plz!!!!!" is against the rules.

All of those rules boil down to one simple concept. Slow down and play the game as it was designed. Don't expect to race through and see every thing in the game in the shortest amount of time possible. Give up that single-player game mentality. Stop trying to beat a game that has no end. With thousands of people on a server, if you don't let the stats and numbers of a game ruin you, there's plenty of adventure waiting for you without leaving town. The rules of a MMORPG are simple. Enter the world and live in that world. If you don't immerse yourself, you'll get bored, angry, and dissatisfied. If you do give up the old world everytime you log on, you'll never want to log out.