Summary
- Cooperation in MMOs extends beyond combat to resource gathering, crafting, research, and political maneuvering.
- Star Wars Galaxies had the most large-scale collaboration ever in an MMO with a player-driven economy.
- World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online, and EVE Online showcase various levels of cooperation required in MMOs.
Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games have been popular since the late 1990s. Some have persisted for over three decades, while others failed spectacularly shortly after launch. Without exception, every successful MMO requires some level of cooperation between players, but not exclusively so.
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Cooperation within an MMO doesn’t always mean teaming up in combat, although this is a common theme in most online games. Aspects like resource gathering, crafting, research, and political maneuvering are all key parts of the MMO genre that have and continue to prompt deep cooperative gameplay. This can range from small groups or guilds working towards group goals to massive alliances of thousands of players forcing their will upon the entire game.
7 Star Wars Galaxies
A Player Driven Economy That Requires Massive Collaboration
Star Wars Galaxies
Even though the Star Wars Galaxies servers closed down in 2011, it was still the game that required the most large-scale collaboration ever, with one exception. With a completely player-driven economy and a crafting supply change that required miners, component manufacturers, final goods manufacturers, and merchants, no other game has ever required more players to work together towards mutual goals.
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Star Wars Galaxies closed down a very long time ago, following the turmoil caused by the first Combat Update (CU) and then the New Game Experience (NGE) update. Still, this classic MMO offered a great experience for those looking for player-focused gameplay and engaging co-op.
6 World Of Warcraft
Co-Op Is Required For Dungeons And End Game Content
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is the most successful MMORPG of all time. Even though much of WoW can be played solo, there are certain aspects of the game that require players to band together to meet a challenge.
Players who want to complete dungeon instances to complete quests and get some good loot need to team up with a small group of players and cooperate to complete the dungeon. When it comes to end-game raids, even higher levels of cooperation are needed, with whole guilds working towards completing raids and farming raid points.
5 Black Desert Online
Co-Op In The End Game
Black Desert Online
As MMO games go, Black Desert Online is a little different. Much of the game is aimed at solo players, especially the trading and farming aspects. However, to be able to undertake end-game solo activities, the player needs to reach the maximum level. Unfortunately, combat in BDO doesn’t scale in a linear fashion. End-game combat encounters are far tougher than those in starter zones, which means that players need to group up.
High-level combat is additionally made problematic due to the fact that it takes place in PvP-enabled zones, and players can and do camp the main spawn spots for cheap PvP kills. Trying to farm these areas solo can lead to frustration and wasted time.
4 The Elder Scrolls Online
Content Scales Based On Group Level
Elder Scrolls Online
- Released
- April 4, 2014
- Developer(s)
- ZeniMax Online Studios
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
Released in 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online manages cooperative group play somewhat differently from other MMO games. Instead of players progressing through zones with ever-increasing difficulty, they are free to tackle content in any order, and the combat scales with the gamer. If the player is in a group, it scales with the group level.
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Delves and dungeon dives are also group-orientated in this game. End-game gear is farmed from group-oriented content as well, making cooperation unavoidable for a player who wants to get their hands on the best armor sets and weapons in the game.
3 Albion Online
Cooperative PvP In The End Game
Albion Online
Albion Online is a great game to play solo, but to get the most from it, a player needs to be part of a guild that cooperates to achieve set goals. Unless a player becomes part of such a group, they will not be able to progress to end-game content.
All of the end-game content in Albion Online takes place in conquerable parts of the map, where player groups have declared sovereignty and, in general, block access to anyone outside of the guild. Therefore, cooperation with a group such as a guild or alliance is unavoidable to progress beyond a certain stage in the game.
2 Star Wars: The Old Republic
End Game Instances Require Cooperation
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Following its release in 2011, Star Wars: The Old Republic was jokingly dubbed the best single-player multiplayer game ever. And even though today much of the main gameplay is completely scripted for solo players, there are now many more cooperative activities available.
Flashpoints are instanced adventures, much like dungeons in many other MMO games, that require groups of players to cooperate to solve quests, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles. These cooperative instances must be completed to progress beyond a certain point of the game and to acquire the best gear.
1 EVE Online
The Ultimate Cooperative MMO
EVE Online
Interestingly, EVE Online was launched in the same year as Star Wars Galaxies, making 2003 something of a bumper year for MMO fans. And this is not the only similarity between these two games. They both feature an entirely player-run economy. EVE Online, SWG, and Albion Online are the only three MMOs to feature an entirely player-run economy. Although some other games have implemented a semi-player driven economy, they still incorporate powerful loot items, rather than everything being entirely player-made. This means that EVE Online requires complex interactions between multiple parties to make the simplest piece of equipment. Some items, such as capital ships, require cooperation between hundreds of players.
Of course, EVE Online is famed for its complex, player-run, political backdrop. Entire regions of space are cut off from other players by large corporations and alliances, jealousy protecting their borders 24 hours a day. Border disputes can result in huge fleet battles, with thousands of players cooperating to fight their enemies in a persistent world.