The MMORPG Finder: How it Works
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Overview
The MMORPG Finder uses a database collected from player reviews , Blogs, website reviews, and news sources. The data is collected with specific aspects of each game taken seperatly. This way we can make a better judgement of one game as it compares to another. I will be the first to admit, that the whole of a game is greater than the sum of its parts, however, many players also do this as they personally review a game. Statements like "I liked the PvP, but the grind sucked" are not uncommon.
Sources used in gathering data include MMORPG.Com, Gametop.com, TenTonHammer, GlobalMMO, MMOGChart.com, MMOGData.com. These and others are used as more games are added to the list. I will update the sources as frequently as possible.
When a game is reviewed it is given a score based on the consensus reviews (from the above sources) For each feature. A game is given a score from 0 to 9. If a game doesnt have a particular feature (Like PvP) then it is given a score of 0. If there is no information readily available in regards to a game (i.e. I cannot find if a game has PvP elements or not) then it is given a temporary score of ' ? ' ..for all intents this is evaluated as if the game recieved a 0 score. I then work hard to find out more about the game feature from other sites and forum boards. Once I find substantial information a score is determined and the database is updated.
Ranking of Games
Each Game is reviewed for the following features commonly asked for in a game.
PVE Gameplay
This refers to the 'fun' factor in regards to playing the PVE aspects of the game. It also includes user interface options. Ease and flow of controls as well as the depth and strength of in game Economy.
PVP Gameplay
This score is given based on the PvP aspects of a game. MMORPGs vary widely in regards to the PvP they offer. Some have no PvP at all, while others allow consentual Duels, others factional PvP, and more with Free for all PvP. many games have certain areas or designated servers that may offer several of the above options. When gathering a score for this feature we focus on the area/Server that involves PvP. So even if 99% of the servers in a MMORPG have no PvP, we grade the quality of PvP based on the 1% of servers that do.
Graphics
Graphics are graded for each MMORPG in the database. By Default a 2D game will recieve a lower graphics score than a 3D game. Although many may argue this point, It is easily avoided if you narrow you search for only 2D games or 3D games. Isometric 3D is still considered 3D.
More Grinding
The time it takes to level from beginning to end game, and the amount of faction grinds, skill grinds that are involved in general gameplay. This varries from game to game and is based on the average 'Casual' player abilities. It also assumes that NO illegal BOTs, Hacks, Cheats, or leveling services are used. NOTE This ranking is based on time to take to END Game content. Some games (WoW, as an example) have many tiers of end game content.
Less Grinding
This is simply the recipricol of the above Grinding Score.
Age
This is a numeric number that subtracts the year of a MMORPGs release from the current year. All games over 9 years of age are given the same maximum score of 9. When searching using this features, the newest games (Those with the lowest score) are shown.
Population
This one is tricky. Game companies want everyone to think their game is HUGLY succesful and populated. Obviously we know this isnt the case. In fact, in my research close to 80-85% of MMORPGs have a population of less than 10,000. Also these numbers change constantly, I endevor to keep up with MMOGChart.com and MMOGData.com's data to update the database frequently.
Character Customization
This incorporates both the ability to make unique characters (Facial features, body sizes, hair, etc) as well as distinguishing Armor/ weapons and diversity in skills within any particular class.
Immersion
This involves the aspects of the storyline. The depth of subplots, backgrounds and histories. This score also includes the ability to roleplay within the enviornment. However, as roleplayers are a nomadic group, I cannot say that any one game has better Roleplaying than another. Just that it has the elements for such.
Support and Reliability
This score is based on the customer satisfaction, Customer support as well as the reliability/stavbility of both online servers and game clients.
Cost
A Games Cost is based on the average cost over 3 months. This includes the cost it takes to buy the game and then any subscription fees. This selection is most fitting when searching for P2P games. However, overime these cost of the game itself will change. This will be updated every so often to coincide with the changing game cost. F2P games are allways considered to be $0.00 cost. I am very well aware that F2P games are not "Free" (And so should you) however these games it is very difficult to standardize how much money is required to play.
Gold Selling
I am well aware that there is a multi-million dollar industry out there selling in game currency. I know that many players hate this practice because it ruins the ingame economy. It was because of this I coded to allow a player to search for "Less online gold selling". I performed a un-scientific yet representative method to come up with this aspect of MMORPGs. I simply used the keywords "BUY MMORPG GOLD" in Google and then reviewed the 1st 3 pages of hits. I limited sites that only sold over 10 different game currencies (I am aware that some sites sell WoW gold exclusivly). The more sites that sold a game currency the higher the score is. Searching for "Less online gold selling" will select games that had a lower score ..however there may still be currency selling that occurs ...just i didnt find much of it on the search outlined above.
Because I know there are players who do make use of these online currency selling, I also allowed players to look for games where currency selling often occurs. However, because I am against the practice, you will find no direct links to currency selling on my site.
Each Game is reviewed for the following features commonly asked for in a game.
PVE Gameplay
This refers to the 'fun' factor in regards to playing the PVE aspects of the game. It also includes user interface options. Ease and flow of controls as well as the depth and strength of in game Economy.
PVP Gameplay
This score is given based on the PvP aspects of a game. MMORPGs vary widely in regards to the PvP they offer. Some have no PvP at all, while others allow consentual Duels, others factional PvP, and more with Free for all PvP. many games have certain areas or designated servers that may offer several of the above options. When gathering a score for this feature we focus on the area/Server that involves PvP. So even if 99% of the servers in a MMORPG have no PvP, we grade the quality of PvP based on the 1% of servers that do.
Graphics
Graphics are graded for each MMORPG in the database. By Default a 2D game will recieve a lower graphics score than a 3D game. Although many may argue this point, It is easily avoided if you narrow you search for only 2D games or 3D games. Isometric 3D is still considered 3D.
More Grinding
The time it takes to level from beginning to end game, and the amount of faction grinds, skill grinds that are involved in general gameplay. This varries from game to game and is based on the average 'Casual' player abilities. It also assumes that NO illegal BOTs, Hacks, Cheats, or leveling services are used. NOTE This ranking is based on time to take to END Game content. Some games (WoW, as an example) have many tiers of end game content.
Less Grinding
This is simply the recipricol of the above Grinding Score.
Age
This is a numeric number that subtracts the year of a MMORPGs release from the current year. All games over 9 years of age are given the same maximum score of 9. When searching using this features, the newest games (Those with the lowest score) are shown.
Population
This one is tricky. Game companies want everyone to think their game is HUGLY succesful and populated. Obviously we know this isnt the case. In fact, in my research close to 80-85% of MMORPGs have a population of less than 10,000. Also these numbers change constantly, I endevor to keep up with MMOGChart.com and MMOGData.com's data to update the database frequently.
Character Customization
This incorporates both the ability to make unique characters (Facial features, body sizes, hair, etc) as well as distinguishing Armor/ weapons and diversity in skills within any particular class.
Immersion
This involves the aspects of the storyline. The depth of subplots, backgrounds and histories. This score also includes the ability to roleplay within the enviornment. However, as roleplayers are a nomadic group, I cannot say that any one game has better Roleplaying than another. Just that it has the elements for such.
Support and Reliability
This score is based on the customer satisfaction, Customer support as well as the reliability/stavbility of both online servers and game clients.
Cost
A Games Cost is based on the average cost over 3 months. This includes the cost it takes to buy the game and then any subscription fees. This selection is most fitting when searching for P2P games. However, overime these cost of the game itself will change. This will be updated every so often to coincide with the changing game cost. F2P games are allways considered to be $0.00 cost. I am very well aware that F2P games are not "Free" (And so should you) however these games it is very difficult to standardize how much money is required to play.
Gold Selling
I am well aware that there is a multi-million dollar industry out there selling in game currency. I know that many players hate this practice because it ruins the ingame economy. It was because of this I coded to allow a player to search for "Less online gold selling". I performed a un-scientific yet representative method to come up with this aspect of MMORPGs. I simply used the keywords "BUY MMORPG GOLD" in Google and then reviewed the 1st 3 pages of hits. I limited sites that only sold over 10 different game currencies (I am aware that some sites sell WoW gold exclusivly). The more sites that sold a game currency the higher the score is. Searching for "Less online gold selling" will select games that had a lower score ..however there may still be currency selling that occurs ...just i didnt find much of it on the search outlined above.
Because I know there are players who do make use of these online currency selling, I also allowed players to look for games where currency selling often occurs. However, because I am against the practice, you will find no direct links to currency selling on my site.
Scoring
based on the selections you make, A list of MMORPGs will be produced. There are two methods by which we rank the games...Sequential and Cumulative.
Example:
If you searched for a 3D Fantasy MMORPG but wanted ones that ranked high in PvP but also had good Graphics and had a lot of other players(You selected Pvp gameplay first, Graphics second, Population third).
Sequential
This method ranks all MMORPGs based on the first desired feature, chosing the best and then ranking the remaining upon the second criteria, then the third, etc. The sequential method will evaluate all MMORPGs and place them in order based on PVP. After it has ordered them by PvP it will order all games which had the same PvP score by the second criteria (Graphics), lastly it will rank all those which had the same PvP AND Graphics score by the third criteria (Population). The list that is generated should be considered as those with the best PvP FIRST and FORMOST, with the other criteria playing a minor role.
Cumulative
This method ranks all MMORPGs based on the cumulative total of all desired features. Each feature you selected is given equal weight. This method was devised to give a list that gave a more Overall/well rounded choice of MMORPGs based on the features you selected. Games are searched and scores for each of the selected features (PvP, Graphics, Population) are added together. The MMORPGs which had the highest score are then presented. Be aware that a game with a HUGE score in one feature (WoW's population score) will allow it to be listed even though the game may not score as highly in another selected feature (WoW Graphics). So anytime you make a search where one of the features is POPULATION ..expect WoW to be one of the games listed in the Cumulative row.
based on the selections you make, A list of MMORPGs will be produced. There are two methods by which we rank the games...Sequential and Cumulative.
Example:
If you searched for a 3D Fantasy MMORPG but wanted ones that ranked high in PvP but also had good Graphics and had a lot of other players(You selected Pvp gameplay first, Graphics second, Population third).
Sequential
This method ranks all MMORPGs based on the first desired feature, chosing the best and then ranking the remaining upon the second criteria, then the third, etc. The sequential method will evaluate all MMORPGs and place them in order based on PVP. After it has ordered them by PvP it will order all games which had the same PvP score by the second criteria (Graphics), lastly it will rank all those which had the same PvP AND Graphics score by the third criteria (Population). The list that is generated should be considered as those with the best PvP FIRST and FORMOST, with the other criteria playing a minor role.
Cumulative
This method ranks all MMORPGs based on the cumulative total of all desired features. Each feature you selected is given equal weight. This method was devised to give a list that gave a more Overall/well rounded choice of MMORPGs based on the features you selected. Games are searched and scores for each of the selected features (PvP, Graphics, Population) are added together. The MMORPGs which had the highest score are then presented. Be aware that a game with a HUGE score in one feature (WoW's population score) will allow it to be listed even though the game may not score as highly in another selected feature (WoW Graphics). So anytime you make a search where one of the features is POPULATION ..expect WoW to be one of the games listed in the Cumulative row.
Games currently in the Database
Below are the list of games that are searched by the MMORPG Finder Code. Obviously the list is NOT complete. There are currently NO browswer based games due to the number of 2D and 3D games. It is my hope that I will be able to add Browswer based games to the searchable database soon. Also note that games currently in Beta (even open beta) are purposfully NOT in the database. Because beta game features will change with its development (both for the better and worse). I made the conscious decision to only have games in Release. this way the users of the MMORPG Finder will know they can play a game AND have a reasonable expectation of what to expect.
Below are the list of games that are searched by the MMORPG Finder Code. Obviously the list is NOT complete. There are currently NO browswer based games due to the number of 2D and 3D games. It is my hope that I will be able to add Browswer based games to the searchable database soon. Also note that games currently in Beta (even open beta) are purposfully NOT in the database. Because beta game features will change with its development (both for the better and worse). I made the conscious decision to only have games in Release. this way the users of the MMORPG Finder will know they can play a game AND have a reasonable expectation of what to expect.
Where are the Scores
Each game in the database has a score for each of the above features. you can easily find these kinds of results on numerous MMORPG websites. However, My scores are a consensus, and as such, will differ from those posted on any one website. I have chosen NOT to display these rankings. I do this in part because players can be very loyal for some games and very apathetic to others ...sometimes deservidly so, but most often not. On many websites you will have players post statments like
"I Hate WoW...I give it a 0"
You may love or hate WoW...but in the end, with an unbiased eye WoW is obviously NOT a 0...nor is it a 10.
I did not want the comments to be flooded with pro and anti-game sentiment along with complaints that one game scores a 6 and they feel it should be a 7. In the end, I am NOT trying to say any one game is better than any other. What I do is rank the games such that players who are looking for particular features are finding games with those features.
Each game in the database has a score for each of the above features. you can easily find these kinds of results on numerous MMORPG websites. However, My scores are a consensus, and as such, will differ from those posted on any one website. I have chosen NOT to display these rankings. I do this in part because players can be very loyal for some games and very apathetic to others ...sometimes deservidly so, but most often not. On many websites you will have players post statments like
"I Hate WoW...I give it a 0"
You may love or hate WoW...but in the end, with an unbiased eye WoW is obviously NOT a 0...nor is it a 10.
I did not want the comments to be flooded with pro and anti-game sentiment along with complaints that one game scores a 6 and they feel it should be a 7. In the end, I am NOT trying to say any one game is better than any other. What I do is rank the games such that players who are looking for particular features are finding games with those features.