The team at MeinMMO has grown! Karsten Scholz will be taking on the topic of MMORPGs in the future. Why the experienced editor is passionate about this task and what his experiences in the genre are, he can best tell you himself.
Ah, the genre of online role-playing games. There’s no other topic I write and talk about so eagerly and extensively, and I’ve been doing so for… oh dear, I’m old… 15 years. First as an intern at buffed. Then as a freelance writer for buffed, Gamersglobal, GameStar, and also the WoW magazines MMO Pro and PC Games MMORE (as well as various special editions). And in the past nine years, I’ve had the privilege of writing for buffed and PC Games MMORE in a full-time position, recording podcasts, and producing videos.
The MMORPG topic has been both a gateway into the industry and a guarantee for regular assignments, and ultimately led to my permanent position or rather my new task at MeinMMO. And it fits like the fist of my undead rogue to the eye of an Alliance dwarf.
Because even though I’ve been gaming for almost four decades now (starting on the NES and C64; enjoying almost all genres), my most memorable, magical, captivating, and emotional moments are closely tied to online role-playing games.
From Azeroth to Tamriel and beyond
My first great love was World of Warcraft, which I fell in love with sometime in spring 2005 – and which I still play regularly today. Currently, I’m enjoying the Classic season of discoveries rather than Dragonflight. My total playtime is probably knocking on the 3-year mark across all characters (only Horde, of course!) and versions. I’ve covered the most miles with my bald rogue, Creep.
But Tamriel also feels like a piece of home. I’ve been following The Elder Scrolls Online since the beta. Specifically, I play the story content from the chapters year after year with great joy – always with my nightblade, which saw the light of the fantasy world on launch day.
I missed the beta of Final Fantasy 14, however. But I was able to take a brief look at the flawed original version from 2010. It really got going with the launch of A Realm Reborn, and of course it had to be a quick melee character again. I still prefer to play the monk to this day. Due to the packed gaming year of 2023, I’m a bit behind on the current Endwalker expansion, but I definitely want to fill that gap before the launch of Dawntrail in the summer.
Apart from the big three, over the past 19 years, I’ve managed to put at least a double-digit number of hours into almost every important online role-playing game, often considerably longer. For example, I have editorially covered Guild Wars 2 (the best mounts in the genre!) for several years, written tests and guides for titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic, Black Desert, Blade & Soul, Lost Ark, and Tera, and enjoyed the fresh quests from The Secret World as well as the fantastic atmosphere in Lord of the Rings Online.
Personal details and preferences
Karsten knows MMORPGs like the back of his hand. And what else do you need to know? Well, here are a few details for a bit more context:
- Best achievement: Proud dad of two boys (2 and 8 years old).
- Favorite games (apart from MMORPGs): Portal, The Witcher 3, Warcraft 3
- Currently playing: Against the Storm, Baldur’s Gate 3, The Thaumaturge, Persona 3 Reload
- Favorite movies: “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Matrix, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight
- Favorite series: Babylon 5, Star Trek: TNG, Game of Thrones, Firefly
- Theme park or sandbox: Theme park
- PvE or PvP: PvE
- Free2Play or Buy2Play: Buy2Play (preferably with a subscription and no shop or other microtransactions)
- Star Trek or Star Wars: Both!
- Current platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
- Biggest MMORPG hope: Ashes of Creation
Here’s to a great time together!
All my experiences and preferences described above will now flow into my work at MeinMMO, to support new online role-playing games during their launch and beyond, share memorable anecdotes with you, discuss the genre in general, or keep you updated on upcoming projects.
And just as you will get to know me through my articles, I would like to get to know you too. Please feel free to give me feedback in the comment section below my texts and share your opinions, thoughts, and wishes there.
Here’s to a great time together!
