8 MMORPGs That Pioneered Commonly Used Gameplay Elements (2024)

Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs) have been one of the most popular game genres going back at least two decades. Modern MMO titles often merge multiple genres, and move away from the traditional fantasy setting. But when a gamer thinks MMORPG, they generally visualize a hack and slash, sword and sorcery affair.

Modern MMORPGs tend to follow a pretty tried and tested format, especially when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Some things just work, and players expect similar leveling and skill systems, as well as the general uncommon, common, rare, epic, and legendary tiering of items. But it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when these gameplay features were not set in stone as they are now. Certain games pioneered these features, that were then adopted almost across the board.

8 MapleStory

Cash Shop And Microtransactions

• Platforms: GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows
• Released: April 29, 2003
• Developer: Wizet, Gamania Digital, Nexon Korea
• Genre: MMORPG

MapleStory takes a place on this list for a somewhat dubious reason. It could be said that MapleStory actually helped to break the MMORPG genre. How? It was the first MMORPG to incorporate a cash shop and pay-to-win microtransactions.

There were a few other games around this time that also added a cash shop, such as Flyff, Silkroad, and Rising Force Online, but it is MapleStory that took the lead. Was this a good thing for MMORPGs in general? Some say yes, and many say no. But there can be no doubt that MapleStory started a trend that continues until today.

7 Legends of Future Past

Harvesting And Player Crafting

• Platforms: Web browser, DOS, Atari ST, Classic Mac OS, AmigaOS
• Released: 1992
• Developer: NovaLink, Inner Circle Software
• Genre: MUD

It is unlikely that many readers will remember Legends of Future Past. It was a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) that evolved from MUD1, which was originally hosted on a minicomputer at Essex University in the UK. In 1992, Compuserve added it as a subscription-based service to its infantile consumer internet offerings.

Playing Legends of Future Past was billed at a whopping $6 an hour. All those players with thousands of hours in MMORPGs such as WoW, should do some math here, and realize what a bargain modern MMORPGs are.

Although it was text-based, Legends of Future Past had many of the features expected from a modern MMORPG. And this includes a material harvesting and gathering system, and player-crafted items. Both are a staple of almost all modern MMORPGs today.

6 Ultima Online

Crime And Punishment System

Richard Garriot, known by gamers as Lord British, was the mastermind behind Ultima Online. A man with a vision, who saw UO as a vibrant world, revolving around the player base. One of the main design constraints for UO was that there should be few limits placed on player actions. Want to murder somebody? Fine, but accept the consequences.

Originally, the land of Felluca was a full PvP map, with the only protection from murderers and thieves being within the sight of a city guard. And of course, this could lead to grief play, so a system needed to be in place to tackle this. In UO, players could attack, steal from, and kill any other player, anywhere. Furthermore, when a player died, their entire inventory dropped with the corpse and could be looted.

When a player attacked another player, they flagged as “red” making them fair game to every other player. If they had less than 3 kill counts, they would only remain red for a short while. However, if they had a kill count greater than 3, they became “permared” and would lose stats and skill points if killed in this state. The only way to reduce the kill count was to stay online until it was reduced, which could take days. This simple system resulted in a game where the players policed themselves, and has seldom been equaled since. It was, in effect, the first MMORPG PvP switch, albeit a complicated one.

5 Star Wars Galaxies

Unlockable And Exotic Classes

Unlockable or exotic classes have been featured in many modern MMORPGs. But the first game to do this was Star Wars Galaxies. And it did it in an entirely unique way. When SWG first launched, a player couldn’t just select Jedi as a starting class, there were no Jedi in the game. Instead, Jedi were to be introduced in a rather interesting way.

After some months, players were told that they could unlock a special character slot, and create a Jedi character. However, the process for unlocking this slot was different for everyone. The result was that players spent many months grinding different professions and completing challenges, in the hope of unlocking this special slot.

Later in the game’s lifecycle, this process was made easier, so that everyone could unlock their Jedi class slot with a little effort. Towards the end of the game’s life, Jedi became a starting class but were nerfed into oblivion in the process.

4 EVE Online

Player Controlled Map

When CCP launched EVE Online over two decades ago, it was unlikely that the company thought the game would go on to smash all world records related to the largest online player battles, repeatedly. However, two things set the scene for the infamous battles of EVE Online. Firstly, putting the most valuable resources in the least lawless space. And secondly, actively enabling corporations and alliances to claim this valuable space.

Modern MMORPGs such as Albion Online have incorporated player control of map zones, but it was EVE Online that did this first, and it would seem, almost by accident. Initially, player muscle enforced borders and ownership. However, in recent years, CCP has added sovereignty structures and associated gameplay.

3 Guild Wars

Instanced Content

Almost every modern MMORPG uses instances for dungeons, raids, battlegrounds, and other forms of content. But this was not always the situation. Older MMORPGs didn’t have instancing, and players would have to compete on the same map. Imagine trying to complete a dungeon in a game where any other player can come rolling in and spoil a run. Anyone who played Dark Age Of Camelot will either be smiling or cringing at that thought.

Guild Wars was the first MMORPG that did things differently. Every important mission was fully instanced for the party. PvP battlegrounds were the same. It combined an open-world map that all players shared, with instances that ensured that players could complete key missions and objectives without having to compete with other players.

2 Everquest

End-Game Raids

Arguably, the greatest challenge faced by companies that operate MMORPGs is keeping the jaded, veteran players happy. Raph Koster of SOE fame once wrote an open letter on this topic, and demonstrated quite clearly, that it costs more to produce additional content for veteran players than it does to onboard new players, who will experience all of the current content before complaining they are bored. But of course, this is not an ideal situation, just a financially sound one.

Everquest came up with a solution to this problem. The game introduced something for veteran players to do, that offered a real challenge and gave desirable rewards. Furthermore, this new type of content catered to guild play as well. Everquest was the first game to introduce raid-style content. Almost every modern MMORPG includes end-game raids these days, but it was Everquest that led the way.

1 World Of Warcraft

Theme Park Progression

Any readers who were lucky enough to get into the World of Warcraft beta back in 2004, before much information was made public about the gameplay, will likely remember the feeling of playing something completely different. Sure, there were games such as Ascheron’s Call that had a limited theme park style, but WoW was the first game that said here, let me hold your hand, now let's go on an adventure.

Later MMORPGs such as Star Wars: The Old Republic took the idea of a theme park MMO to extremes, playing more like an interactive movie at times. There can be no doubt that World of Warcraft represented a paradigm shift in MMORPG design, and this is likely why it is still going strong two decades later.