July 16, 2008
RPG & MMP - Today’s Computer Gaming Champions
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Online and PC gaming are among the topmost multimillion dollar industries in the world. With such recognition, it’s no surprise that they keep introducing various games for both children and adults. These games can fall into different categories. Out of these, role playing games (RPG) and massive multiplayer (MMP) games are very popular. Role playing games are sub-divided as single player and multiplayer versions. The massive multiplayer games don’t have any single player versions at all.
A Role Playing Game, as the name points out, lets you become a fictitious character of some sort. Once you become that character, the storyline of the game changes according to your actions. Of course, every game has its set of rules that you have to follow, but within that framework, you will have the freedom to choose your actions. A certain amount of improvisation is allowed and expected.
The primary objective of role playing games is having fun. This makes them quite different from the usual card, puzzle, arcade and other games. More than competition, RPG lean towards collaboration and socialising.
You can play a Role Playing Game against other people, other player who are in the network, or you can play against characters already programmed in the computer. Either way, these games progress, like a television show does through episodes - you have to play through sessions, which might take anywhere from weeks to months to complete.
Again like a TV show, the plot as a whole will evolve over several sessions. There will be twists and turns along the way. As you advance through levels, you will find new characters being introduced, new angles - the works. Different Role Playing Games are different: ones like Dungeons & Dragons are very imaginative and creative, while others like Call of Duty are based on simulated versions of real life.
You can choose what character you would like to be, but each character has certain predefined abilities and general characteristics. For example, with X-Men, the different characters will be very similar to the ones in the comic, with the same special abilities.
Compared to RPG games, Massive Multi-Player Games (MMP) need hundreds and thousands of players to achieve the game objectives. Complex and highly challenging, these MMP games are definitely not for individuals or two players.
The biggest differences between RPG and MMP are the number of players, subscriptions involved and the fact that you must be online to play MMP games. EverQuest, a popular MMP game, is a 3D fantasy game based in an alternate universe. MMP games are also commonly known as MMORPG or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.