"What makes a good MMORPG?"
I've decided to devote a bit of my time and a few articles to exploring this. In my last article, I talked about story and premise. Now I'll focus on gameplay mechanics and combat!
MMORPG Gameplay Mechanics and Combat
As a competitive gamer who has spent many years entrenched in the fast-paced world of first-person shooters and arcade fighting games, some of the most important things I look for in MMORPGs are strong, responsive gameplay mechanics and combat. To me, nothing is more frustrating than having an inconsistent delay between the time when I want to perform an action and when that action actually takes place. In tournament level games, when competitors are fully aware of all the tactical options available, matches are often won by the player who can adapt to his or her opponent's plans the quickest, while instantly executing his or her own counter-actions. Thus, when that final round comes down to the split-second decision to parry an attack instead of blocking, I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating it would be when your inputs are delayed by even a second.