Why Do I Keep Going Back To MMORPGs I Know I Won't Play For Longer Than A Month?

If you're anything like me, you occasionally pop from MMORPG to MMORPG. Sure, when a new game comes out, we hit the servers on day one to see what the game offers and if it'll give us something worth sticking around to see. That's not what I'm talking about here. Gamers do that in all genres. Hell, I'm not even talking about hopping into an MMO that you've played before when a new update or expansion drops. I view both of those scenarios as being almost the same. You're checking out the "new."

While World of Warcraft isn't my main MMO anymore and hasn't been for quite some time, I typically return for each expansion. The War Within even saw me keep my subscription active for a few months after the expansion dropped. I was enjoying it quite a bit. Since then, I've wandered off again. I haven't played Undermine(d) at all and don't really feel a desire to do so. That's no reflection on WoW's new content by any stretch, it's just not something I feel like booting up. When the next part of the Worldsoul Saga drops though, yeah, I'll probably be back.

What I'm examining today is a bit different. For years now, Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) has been my primary MMO. Dawntrail has seen my play time wane a bit simply because I'm not all that invested in any of the new characters or narrative beats, but I'd still count it as the MMO I play the most of right now.

However, because my time in Eorzea has fallen a bit, I've been circling around other MMOs, both subscription-based and F2P, looking for something to tide me over. Interestingly, though, I've noticed that the games I tend to return to for a spell aren't ones receiving any updates. I recently installed Rift again for no damn good reason.

To do you one better, I also installed the original The Secret World after I wrote up my piece about the MMO that deserves a remake. That game is not only no longer receiving updates, but it isn't even the "newest" version of the game. Secret World Legends is the "current" F2P version of Funcom's title, and even that hasn't received updates in years. The original The Secret World is only even accessible by those that own the original, you couldn't just go get it now as a totally first-time player without jumping through a few hoops to land yourself a copy.

Why do I keep doing this? I mean, I'm pretty sure the only reason I boot up Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is the universe itself, but the other games? No clue. Maybe...

Months ago, Troy started playing The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) again and he got really heavily into it. He even got to level cap for the first time in his life. Weirdly, it wasn't a situation of him having friends just checking out games together, he just always wanted to give it more time and the lore finally sucked him in.

Whenever I start playing LOTRO, I know full well before the install is even completed that I probably won't be there long, but I install it and play anyway. None of this has anything to do with me working for an MMO site either. I'm not counting when I install something to check out changes I will write up or make a video about.

So why do I keep doing it? This isn't like reading a book you've already read before or watching that movie you love for the 100th time. Those are contained experiences that have a beginning, middle, and an end. I know when I pick that book up again that I will read the whole thing or I wouldn't pick it up at all. Why doesn't my brain recognize that when it comes to MMOs of days gone by? I know full well I'm not going to do EVERYTHING in Rift. I didn't do it all when I actively played and so did many others, why would I do it now?

What's worse is I usually end up creating totally new characters when I boot up anyway under the "yeah, I don't remember much of this so I need to learn it again" logic. Tne sheer number of times I've completed the LOTRO newbie areas is a number I don't want to know.

I kid you not, I have played Rift about 4 times since I installed it a little over a week ago. It's fun, I still love the soul system, and I do really enjoy some of the features added allowing you to just jump into adventures, even if those systems would be a bit jarring for new players just being thrown into random events in random places they aren't familiar with since they haven't been there before.

I've played The Secret World once since it was installed last week, but I plan to play it later tonight while waiting for my oldest son to get home from FAA training. Again, though, I know I won't play it long, so why do I bother?

Honestly, I think in my case the answer is just because it's "mindless" in many regards. I can get the "thrill" of leveling or taking on dungeons, which you know I love, without really paying attention. Because I KNOW I won't be here all that long for multiple reasons, (like in Rift the monetization may get me before boredom does) I don't HAVE to invest much. That's a bit of a weird situation given that you are SUPPOSED to invest a lot in an MMO.

I think it's almost like disposable content for me at some points. I don't mean to demean the games I mention here. Far from it. There's something about what they have to offer that allows me to enjoy my time in them, even if it is limited. Throwing on Netflix and watching something while having some low stakes MMO fun is calming to me after a rough day at work.

That all said, there's still a small part of me that maybe hopes the next time I jump into an older MMO will be the time I find something I never knew was there. Maybe I'll find something that makes me go "damn, I need to play this some more...maybe I should find some friends that want to play or make some new friends with those that are online right now." It never happens, but maybe one day it will.

Do you still MMO hop to games that you know full well you aren't going to play long? Why? Let me know below.