RPG & MMP - Today’s Computer Gaming Champions

Online and PC gaming are among the topmost multimillion dollar industries in the world. With such recognition, it’s no surprise that they keep introducing various games for both children and adults. These games can fall into different categories. Out of these, role playing games (RPG) and massive multiplayer (MMP) games are very popular. Role playing games are sub-divided as single player and multiplayer versions. The massive multiplayer games don’t have any single player versions at all.

A Role Playing Game, as the name points out, lets you become a fictitious character of some sort. Once you become that character, the storyline of the game changes according to your actions. Of course, every game has its set of rules that you have to follow, but within that framework, you will have the freedom to choose your actions. A certain amount of improvisation is allowed and expected.

Role Playing Games are a lot of fun and can even help people forget about winning and form teams, and work together, which makes them very different from arcades, puzzles and card games.

These Role Playing Games work like a series on TV - they are like episodes, or sessions, running from one to the next. You can either play against your computer, or you can play against other gamers in your network. Each session has to be played out, and can take a long time - weeks or even months, depending on which game you are playing and what your strategy is.

Again like a TV show, the plot as a whole will evolve over several sessions. There will be twists and turns along the way. As you advance through levels, you will find new characters being introduced, new angles - the works. Different Role Playing Games are different: ones like Dungeons & Dragons are very imaginative and creative, while others like Call of Duty are based on simulated versions of real life.

All characters in a RPG are predefined and act in a certain way, with specified abilities. If you take a game such as X-Men, you’ll notice how the characters show exactly the same abilities as in the comic book. You can only choose a predefined number of characters and use their abilities accordingly. Interaction is very much a part of every role playing game.

In comparison, the Massive Multi-Player Games require the compulsory participation of several players. They are not for individual or two players. The objective here is to create complexity and bigger challenges.

The biggest differences between RPG and MMP are the number of players, subscriptions involved and the fact that you must be online to play MMP games. EverQuest, a popular MMP game, is a 3D fantasy game based in an alternate universe. MMP games are also commonly known as MMORPG or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.