I'm going to talk forever and end each topic with a"Basically" so if you are in a hurry or just straight out lazy, scroll down and look for the"Basically"s. Maplestory might be one of the most played MMORPGs in the world and I'm going to spend a little bit talking about why it is, why it should and shouldn't be, and how it has managed to stay alive and on top for more than 5 years.
Graphics (....oh no)
To start off, let's talk about the graphics. "Balt! It's not all about the graphics!", "Balt! Graphics are the most important thing about games and that's why Maplestory sucks!". Let me start by sharing my opinion when it comes to graphics; they definitely help, but they are not everything. Graphics to a game, is like spices to a dish. When cooking a dish, you wanna make sure you add the right amount of the right variety of spices to your creation. Let's say you forgot to buy your spices and therefore can't add spices to your dish. Are you going to throw away your dish? NO! Are you going to leave it in the fridge? NO! Is it the end of the world? YES! Basically, it's still a legitimately good dish to eat.
Now, let's say that you've collected the best spices found in the most exotic locations on Earth, and added them to your dish. You now have a dish that tastes better than the first one, but you still ate both. "Balt! You're making me hungry! How does this relate to games?!" I'll tell you how, a game with better graphics does not make it a better game, but it can help.
Maplestory's graphics are considered 2D and most would admit that 3D is one level higher. Is this true in a side-scrolling game? I don't think so. Maplestory's graphics fit the style of gameplay perfectly and that's what is important. You don't want great graphics if it clashes with how the game is designed to be played. So for all of you GRAPHICSAREEVERYTHING people, I agree that graphics are very important, and for all of you GRAPHICSARELEASTIMPORTANT people, I think that good graphics, if designed correctly, help a game become a whole lot better.
Basically #1: Maplestory's graphics enhance gameplay because they fit the type of game Maplestory is; a 2D side-scroller.
Gameplay
Now let's actually talk about Maplestory. Currently Maplestory has a bunch of classes and job advancements for it's players to enjoy. As of right this minute, the level cap is 200 which is super-hard to get which makes Maplestory more attractive for you people who love a challenge. The Demon-Slayer class came out a few days ago, and even though I have not played it yet, I have heard many great things about it. There are 11 regions, which each have approximately 50 stages to play in. After using a calculator and checking with my Math professor, that equals to around 550 stages to level up and do quests in. 550. A big number, but still less than the highest number I counted to which is over 9...
THOUSAND!
Basically #2: Maplestory is a huge world that you will never get bored of because of the frequent content updates and additions.
Character Customization
When it comes to character customization, Maplestory isn't one of the greatest games. Sure, at character creation you can choose from 4 different hair styles and hair colors, a couple shoe options, and irrelevant objects as starter weapons but that is definitely not enough. You can argue that later in the game, players look very different but why should I wait until I'm level 50 to make myself stand out. Character creation is the process of making players unique, and I take that as a very important aspect of MMO gaming. Sure, you can buy different colors of different pieces of equipment, but it does not make you look any different than the player standing next to you (maybe because both of your heads are the size of a PowerPuff Girl's). What I think Maplestory needs is for whoever this may concern to sit down together and put together a giant list of equipment that players can pick from and enjoy equipping because it makes them different. Many people might not think this is important, but I sure do appreciate it when a developer goes that extra yard to make sure I look, and feel, different to each player. Let's face it, millions of people play Maplestory, and many other MMOs, and no one player will ever be completely unique, but it definitely feels good to think you are.
Basically #3: Maplestory provides it players with minimal character customization options.
Player base and Community
If you play, or are planning to play, Maplestory then I am willing to bet 3 million New Guinean Kina that you know someone who already plays it. Maplestory has approximately 50 million players worldwide. With a little bit of research, I found that that is a little under the population of Italy, which is the 23rd most populous country on Earth. When it comes to player base, the more the merrier. This does not mean that you get lag-bombed every time you enter a scene with loads of people. There are over 10 servers with more than 25 channels each. 3 hours of struggling with a calculator will show you that there are over 250 places to play in.
Another important thing to consider when talking about the player base, is growth. You don't want the most popular game to stop being the most popular after 1 year of success. You want the game to keep growing, in player base and content and Nexon has done a good job making sure that happens. This is mainly what keeps Maplestory at the top for so long; a constantly growing world. Classes are always in development, new regions are always being added, level caps constantly increase, patches are always released when needed, and the list goes on. Many games do the same thing, but when unnecessary. It's important to understand that games should undergo change ONLY when needed, and Nexon seems to know the secret.
Basically #4: Maplestory's world is always growing; the player base never shrinks and the game content is always updated.
Passion and Love (Awwwww ^.^)
As cliche as it sounds, the staff over at Maplestory and Nexon don't just develop Maplestory as a job. They do it because they love it. They love Maplestory and they love it when players love Maplestory. It's not difficult to be good at something, but it takes more than years of hard work to develop something that gets as popular as Maplestory. No matter how much is spent on enhancing audio quality, or correcting grammatical errors, without passion Maplestory would be just another generic MMORPG. In Maplestory, whatever you do, wherever you go, you can sense high-quality in every little thing, and I reckon it's mostly because Maplestory isn't just a product; it's a masterpiece.
Basically #5: The folks over at Maplestory love the game, and love having players love the game; and that's why it has become so successful.
MMO Factory Rates
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Player Base: 10/10
Music and Sound: 10/10
Customization: 6/10
Total: 44/50
Pros:
- Beautiful and fun environment
- Addictive gameplay
- One of the largest player bases
- Continuous content updates and expansions
Cons:
- Player customization is not that in-depth
- It is easy to get lost during the early stages of the game
If you want to play, visit: http://www.maplestory.nexon.net
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