8 Massive Online Community Events That Changed Video Games
MMOs took on a life of their own with these unexpected community events.
Massively multiplayer online titles have always lived and died on their communities. Unlike other releases, however, the ability of players to make a considerable impact on the online environment is considerably higher. Players are openly encouraged to meet other players, form clans and tackle various in-game tasks together.
Throughout its history, the genre has also played host to many developer interventions, placing them on a closer level with those who play on a frequent basis. The constantly evolving nature of the business means many changes can be made, often abruptly to the detriment of the fanbase.
Either they forced the developer to make drastic cuts and changes, or they fundamentally changed the landscapes of the games they took place in. Patches were issued, players met their demise and developers responded swiftly to stop the bleeding in some cases. Spreading like wildfire among the in-game populous, if you've ever played any of the following MMOs, you may well be aware of these occurrences.
The eight events in this list have been etched in the annals of gaming history and I'm about to tell you why.
8. The Falladoor Massacre in Runescape
Runescape's place as a free MMO has allowed it to survive the rise of giants like World of Warcraft over the years, offering an easy gateway into the genre for new players and an easily understandable set of systems. However, the first entry on the list was a cruel punishment to many unwitting community members.
The Falladoor Massacre unfolded on the June 6th 2006; a player under the pseudonym 'Cursed You' was the first to reach level ninety-nine in the construction skill. He held a virtual house party with fellow community members, only to find combat activities unfolding there. This shouldn't have been possible outside of the wasteland, so he booted them out of the instance.
That's when the real danger began. After being kicked and in an unfortunate glitch, players suddenly found themselves with the ability to kill any player away from the wasteland, which prompted a developer response. The event came to be known as the 6/6/6 glitch, in which players in many peaceful settlements found themselves attacked at random.
Jagex quickly moved to quell the slaughter, banning players and placing black marks on others for breaking the rules. The bug was fixed, but the event is still marked in Runescape as a historical event.