Steps to Research and Master Using Web Resources for Your Online Game

Steps to Research and Master Using Web Resources for Your Online Game

With so many online MMORPG out there now aday, it is becoming increasingly hard to obtain good information that you need to master your online world adventures. To get a grasp of how many free to play MMORPG’s are there, you could visit SkyBlue's Free MMORPG List. If you are new to this whole online game thing, I will show you some ways to get a head start than most players at a new game. Below I will go over some of the major steps that I take personally to research into a new MMORPG.

1. Game Publisher’s Site

Your first step is to read about the starting guides published on the original game host’s site. However, sometimes those information might not be accurate (I know it is weird). It is game publisher’s job to run and host the game to make sure that the game is fair and the servers are running smooth. However, the main focus of their job is simply to enroll in the players, so the starting guides are typically very limited. Do not expect to have any detailed information about the chance to upgrade equipments or how to play your class.

2. More Game Publisher’s Site (Off-Shore)

If you play an imported game that’s originally released in China, Japan, Taiwan, or Korea, the chances are that your MMORPG’s version is older than theirs. If you know those other Asian languages, spend some reading time into those sites. Typically the game publisher will release information that will later impact your own game play. You can take advantage of this and master your own MMORPG. For exact details, consider reading about my Trade to Money and Profit in Online MMORPG.

3. MMORPG Review Sites

More and more reviews sites now also provide some insight into the in-game community and also game play information. You could visit some of the major MMORPG sites and see what they have to say about each classes. They typically tend to be fairly accurate. You may also be able to read about some tips from time to time.

4. Youtube

With MMORPG players start promoting themselves to show off their skills in Youtube, you can now be able to view some of the best players in action. Remember what I said about the off-shore game publisher’s MMO, now if you are able to get the name of the game, simply search it in YouTube and you may find some of the strategies that the players implement. You can then position yourself to learn and take advantage of those players.

5. Forums (Official)

The official forums are great places to get information. If you start to play a MMORPG at its early stage, typically the forums will be filled with helpful people who provide their knowledge. You should surf those forums often and learn about what other players are saying about the game. You should even ask questions when you are unsure about something. Most of the time, another online game player will answer your questions. However, some of the more hardcore players tend to start fansites themselves at later stages. This causes the official forum to be weaker in terms of knowledge base and skilled player’s opinions.

6. Forums (Private, Unofficial, or Guild)

The privately run forums can be a good and bad place for information. The majority of the smaller forums tend to die over time because the owners may abandon it or stop play the game. However, you should look for long lasting private forums which are well run by hardcore dedicated players. These forums will be full of awesome information, many of which are contributed by forum officers themselves. Make sure that you have access to these and constantly visit them.
In addition, if you do bot and hack, visit the private forums which are dedicated to botting and hacking. They are great places to get the most up to date tutorials or help when you are stuck. By the way, I do personally hate people who bot and hack…Read about Why Botting Is Evil in MMORPG’s..

6. Wiki (Official and Fan Based)

With Wiki’s getting popular because of the Wikipedia, almost everything has its own wiki now. Same with the MMORPG games that you might be playing. However, with all these fans who are trying to make wikis on their own, the result is that none of the Wiki sources may be complete or thorough. You may need to visit several wiki’s to find the information that you need. However, if a particular wiki has many contributors, it has the potential to draw more contributors which will grow it. Remember to visit the wikis and maybe contribute if you love the game!
The official Wiki is typically the most stable one with the most resources. However I have played in one publisher who “broke” their wiki server for over 1 month. It caused fan outcry and the establishment of 2 or 3 privately run wikis which later all tumbled.

7. Fansites and fan blogs

The fansites are awesome. You should always be on the lookout for the dedicated fansites. The content in these fansites will often help you with your game play. Most fans only write information when there is a need for it. If there is no need, they would be playing games because they love the game so much. Subscribe to the fan blogs to get the latest information in the MMORPG that you are playing.

How do you find these sources?

Google is the key. Just Google it and browse through the difference resources. If all fails, ask around in the forums to see what places that they visit. Bookmark the resources and constantly go back to check.
Finally, I believe that it never hurts to completely understand something that you enjoy and are serious about. If you truly love the online game that you are playing, spend more time to know the in’s and out’s about the game. You will feel more knowledgeable and powerful.
Good luck!