2006 – at just 13 years old – MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch played his first online role-playing game, Rakion. A few weeks later, he switched to Guild Wars 1 and has since tried almost every new MMORPG. However, there is one thing he has never returned to: single-player games. This is not only due to the other players but also because successes in these games feel especially significant.
I used to be a single-player fan. As a child, I spent countless hours waging war in Settlers 3 and 4 or playing through the night in Gothic 1 and 2. A little later, I got my first PlayStation 2, which was also the last console I spent a lot of time with. Role-playing games like Champions of Norath and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King were on the agenda here.
It took a few years before I was allowed to use the internet connection in the living room for online games. Back then, a friend introduced me to Rakion, a free MMO with a cool combat system. However, I couldn’t really get excited about it.
In 2006, shortly before the release of Guild Wars Nightfall, I bought Guild Wars 1 along with 5 friends from school. We were basically the counterpart to the WoW players at the school, but we could and were not allowed to subscribe. From then on, the ban was lifted, and I spent thousands of hours in the online world and even turned my hobby into a profession.
However, what I lost in the process was my love for single-player games, and there is a reason for that: single-player titles do not provide me with a sense of achievement.
I am known in Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, but I would like a name in LoL
The topic of success followed me in Guild Wars 1. I made really bad guides for the Underworld and the Rift with a friend – two elite instances that we only farmed as a duo instead of in an 8-player group. By the way, I set these videos to Scooter music back then – oh dear.
Over the years, my focus shifted towards PvP. I led a team that met three times a week and fought together. The cool thing about Guild Wars was and is that the winners of the Hall of Heroes were announced with a message in the chat visible to all players. So everyone knew: Okay, the team of Sputti rocked PvP.
Guild Wars also had another special feature: titles. And some of these titles were really hard to obtain. Anyone who had a god among mortals could stand in the towns and be admired. A carrot in front of my nose.
With Guild Wars 2, I satisfied this need for recognition with my own website Guildnews, my YouTube channel, and my Twitch stream. I was and am still known in the German scene.
However, there are also games that I play because I would like to be someone in them:
- In Teamfight Tactics, for example, I played in Diamond 1 in Season 4, briefly belonged to the top 0.97% of all players in EU West.
- In LoL, I regularly played at Gold and Platinum level, especially in the early years.
- In Rocket League, I also reached Platinum 2 and thus belonged to the top 25% of the world.
I am generally a very competitive person. Rankings and achieved successes in MMORPGs and online games mean something to me. Something that no single-player game can provide.
Players in MMOs are also important companions, although they are not always the main reason for my enjoyment. Because ultimately achievements are only worth something if there are players who can admire them. This also applies in the example of LoL for my opponents or teammates, who could admire my stats or rank.
Single-player games are often of better quality, but any mediocre MMO is more fun for me
My attitude has probably cost me dozens of really good role-playing games over the last few years in favor of some mediocre MMOs. In recent years, this has led to very curious situations.
I played the lowest-rated MMORPGs on Steam in a YouTube series, tested every new Asian product for hours, or simply tried out indie games that had no great future even on paper. I did this partly for my job, but mostly out of my own motivation.
Maybe the next big hit is indeed among them, and I may be one of the first to have ever played it. This also gives a certain charm to the games for me. I have anticipation, no matter what MMO comes my way.
On the other hand, I have some really good titles on my Pile of Shame. I spent only two hours in Skyrim, caught up on The Witcher 3 only because of a livestream project (and didn’t even finish it), and completely missed Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
Sometimes I regret that.
But in the end, I think to myself: What would it have brought if I had played these games? Who can I entice out from behind the oven if I now play through Skyrim?
Single-player games feel transient to me. Achievements are harder to compare and are often invalidated by the fact that cheaters and modders can easily cheat them.
Achievements in online games mean something. A good rank in LoL, the god among mortals in Guild Wars 1, or the perfect armor in New World is something I can work with. I feel like I have something in hand that I can present to others and can also show off.
I am not a no-lifer; I never have been. I have a hobby in the real world with dancing, family, child, and my steady job here at MeinMMO. Nevertheless, I find myself more often than not playing one more hour at night to achieve another success in Guild Wars 2, improve my competence in New World, do a daily in ESO, or win a round in LoL.
And all of that means more to me than a really good single-player game ever could.
How do you see the debate of single-player vs. multiplayer? Do achievements in multiplayer games mean more to you, or am I just imagining it? Feel free to write it in the comments.
Since I have played well over 80 MMORPGs, I created a tier list for MMORPGs at the end of 2021. You can find out how I rate each game here:
Where do the 50 largest MMORPGs currently stand? The tier list before 2022
