MMORPGs and I have a long history. I've played Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2, Rift, and World of Warcraft. I originally hated player-versus-player (PVP) combat, which is why I gravitated more to FFXI and FFXIV, which don't feature much, if any at all. I did dabble with it a bit in WoW, though, and I've watched my brother and gamer friends participate. The only game that I've found that has really engaging PvP (including 2v2, 3v3, and huge group vs. huge group!) is the MUD Achaea: Dreams of Divine Lands.

Here's the problem with PVP in MMORPGs: lack of depth. Generally you have a few skills that you spam, whether it be a damage-over-time spell, healing spells, a crowd control spell, or just tons of direct damage. This leads to a very one-dimension and rather boring matchup. Achaea, on the other hand, gives its players dozens and dozens (and dozens!) of abilities that are unique to each class. Each ability is useful in different situations: for instance, my priest would perform the rite of banishment against occultists to destroy their offense, but it's useless otherwise. But the rite of piety, which prevents them from leaving, is extremely useful against them.

Spamming spells points to a relatively unstrategic experience, but many fights in MMORPGs have another problem: a reliance on equipment instead of skills. In many cases, I watched my brother lose a duel despite playing in a smarter manner simply because he had not dedicated enough time to raiding for the best equipment possible. Hours spent raiding are not always enjoyable, and low drop rates can be excruciating.

Achaea has none of this; you can earn credits for some powerful artefacts if you wish, or forge or pay a forger for very high quality weapons or armour, but they do not sway the battle so definitively. Achaea has many kill methods that are instant, given a few requirements, so slightly more health or slightly better armour only provides a slight advantage in combat. For instance, my priest in Achaea can order his guardian angel to rip out his enemy's soul if he is at less than half mana, instantly killing him. You don't see that in WoW.

The last thing Achaea has going for it in the realm of PvP is the reason we're fighting each other. The arena in WoW lacks character: it's yet another grind for gear that is completely done by matchmaking and queuing, completely divorced from the game itself. In Achaea, however, cities raid other cities regularly. The followers of two enemy Gods will take every opportunity to slaughter the opposing side's followers and to destroy the enemy shrines with their corpses. Players can spar in an arena, of course, but the real action is outside, where players fight to protect their friends, their city, their God or Goddess, and their beliefs and way of life.

Join me in Achaea and actually show the world what skills you have!