Can Indie MMORPGs Save the GENRE? (Less is more, right?)

Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:

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Some of you may know that I love MMORPGs. Most of my childhood was spent cutting trees in RuneScape, slaying mushrooms in MapleStory, and wandering around and meeting new friends in Club Penguin. Okay, that one I’m a little embarrassed by, but with the change of technology and the new digital landscape of buying games, MMOs have slowly evolved. What started out as simple yet addicting grindy games became complex HD online games with endless menus and notifications.

Today, I want to talk about the MMOs that I loved and how indie MMOs are bringing back the games that I cherished as a kid. So equip your leather belts, ask your neighbor their woodcutting level, and let’s get this show on the road. But first, a word from today’s sponsor, GameMaker.

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Now, before we talk about why I think indie MMOs are the future, I want to clarify the type of MMO I’m talking about. A lot of times, they’re not even MMOs; they’re small online games and really fun experiences. I just want to say that I have nothing against modern MMOs; they’re just a totally different genre and style, and not what I’m interested in playing for an online game.

One of the first MMOs that I played the most is probably RuneScape. If you were a kid in 2007, you were definitely playing this. You would go to the public library to use a computer if you didn’t have one, or you would try to borrow your parents’ laptop to play it. I remember being at a local coffee shop as a kid playing it on my dad’s laptop and being bombarded by other kids asking me what my level was. RuneScape was just so popular, from the simple graphics to the MIDI music and the unique sound effects.

Even though the main mechanic of the game was clicking something and waiting, it was such a relaxing experience that probably taught me some patience as a kid. A fun fact is that the name “GoodGus” actually comes from one of the characters I made on RuneScape. After playing this, I became obsessed with online games and was constantly looking for new ones. It wasn’t until my brother found a game called Stick Online that one really stuck with me.

This is what I like to call the GameMaker era of indie online games or MMOs. All of them were very similar. You had Stick Online, where you played as stick figures fighting monsters, and the only way to get items was through rare drops or buying them at the shop. It was all about fighting monsters repeatedly and getting rare drops. There weren’t many enemies or weapons in the game, but it was just so addicting.

I can’t explain it; there was just so much fun to be had. There were tournaments, and I remember being inspired that this game was made in GameMaker, something I was using at the time. You also had other GameMaker games like Slime Online, which was a platformer where you collected goo, and Scandals, where you clicked and dragged your mouse to shoot arrows. It was really glitchy, but as a teenager, I was always blown away. If this kid can do it, I can do it too!

One pattern I noticed from all these games I loved was that they were grindy, had rare drops, and fostered a close-knit community where you could chat and make friends. Some other honorable mentions are definitely MapleStory, which I played quite a bit, and Club Penguin, where I was actually a member for a short period. I also played LOTRO and WoW at some point and appreciate those games for different reasons, but I’ll leave them off this list.

Now that we’ve talked about some of my favorite MMOs from my childhood, I want to discuss why I think they are better than modern MMOs. First and foremost, the tight-knit player base. You can have this with any MMO, but I find it’s rarer in the big AAA ones nowadays because people are so busy doing their own things. In classic MMOs, there wasn’t a lot to do other than grind and chat, so you were always socializing, meeting new people, and making friends.

Reason number two is that many of these older MMOs focus on unique or quirky gameplay. For better or worse, they often had strange mechanics that made the games feel unique. There are so many MMOs out there, and it’s refreshing to find one that feels different and changes up the gameplay.

Reason number three is close community interaction. You could actually talk with the developers and suggest improvements, which would often be implemented. Even in Old School RuneScape, you can vote on new changes you’d like to see added to the game. I think that’s a really cool way to help improve the game you love.

The fourth and final reason I love these MMOs is that they focus on gameplay rather than graphics. There aren’t all these flashing menus and distractions. I can’t tell you how annoying it is when you open an MMO and get bombarded with notifications and chat requests. I just want a game that I can jump straight into and start playing without hand-holding or excessive tutorials.

I’m not saying that MMOs have to be ugly or simple, but sometimes overcomplicating things doesn’t add to the game; it just pads it so people will stay longer.

So, what does the future look like for MMOs or these indie MMOs I’m talking about? The awesome news is that making online games is easier than ever. I was able to create a game using Construct 2. Granted, it wasn’t the best way to make it, and we had network problems, but I got to create a game that I loved and was passionate about. That’s why I think indie MMOs are so much fun; they often focus on creating enjoyable experiences rather than just trying to make money.

There are games out there like Veleron, a voxel-based game that looks like Cube World but is completely open source and made by a fantastic community. It’s exciting to see the new features they’re constantly adding and improving upon.

If you look back at the second video I ever uploaded, I talked about the two MMOs I created, inspired by a game called Stick Online. Another game inspired by it is called Eggos, which is another example of someone making a game out of passion. I believe we need more indie MMOs made for the community, by the community.

I know I’ll get comments saying that networking is the most difficult thing ever and that you need a team and money. While that’s true, there are so many talented people out there, and it’s a shame that more people aren’t trying to make these games. I don’t care if it’s glitchy or barely functional; creating something with charm and passion is what matters.

In my free time, I’ve been studying Godot’s networking to create the MMO I’ve always wanted for us to enjoy together. Ultimately, it’s up to us, the game dev community, to create fun experiences. Even if it turns out to be okay or weird, who cares? Do it because you’re passionate about it, not just to attract players with notifications and loot boxes.

I want to hear from you: what kind of MMO would you want to create, and what online games did you play as a kid? I also want to give a huge shout-out to Buddy Game, Heath Sargent, James Kennedy, Rye Brad, and the wonderful other Patreon supporters. You guys are fantastic, and I really appreciate the support.

Thanks so much for watching! We have some special stuff planned, so stay tuned for that. If you liked this video, make sure to like and subscribe, and I’ll see you next time for another game dev adventure!

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This version removes any informal language, personal anecdotes, and specific references that may not be suitable for all audiences while maintaining the overall message.