MMORPG Etiquette - Do's and Dont's of MMOs

A lot of these Do's and Don'ts should go without saying, but having recently played the extremely popular open beta of Skyforge, I think some of these bear repeating. These rules generally apply to EVERY MMORPG.

Do: Join groups and conquer tough dungeons.

Don't: Ditch a group mid-dungeon. Before you enter a dungeon with a group, make sure you can STAY with your group throughout the ENTIRE dungeon run. Leaving mid dungeon creates an enormous hassle for the rest of your party.

Do: Read! Read as much as you can about an MMORPG / MMO game while patching. Also make sure to pay attention to the game's tutorial content as it can certainly be useful later on.

Don’t: Ask every little question you have in the game’s global chat. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, but asking questions that are explained in the game someplace or easily accessible on the official website can get extremely annoying.

Do: Play with others. MMORPGs are actually a lot more fun when you group with other players and interact with them. Joining a guild can be an extremely rewarding and fun experience. Playing by yourself can get you burned out of a game very fast and odds are you’ll never be able to experience a game’s toughest dungeons if you’re playing solo.

Don’t: Be a jerk. This one may seem obvious, but being a Jerk is a quick way to get ostracized in a game. If you steal someone else’s kill or harass other players, the word will get out and other players won’t group with you. Be a team player, and ultimately you'll have more fun!

Do: Respect others while hunting / playing an MMORPG. If you see someone in danger, help them out if you can, I’m sure they’ll return the favor one day. Plus, if you’re in danger, you’d want someone to help you out, wouldn’t you? This is a great way to make friends in online games too.

Don’t: Kill steal! Kill stealing, usually abbreviated as KS, is the act of attacking a monster or NPC that another play is already attacking or about to engage. It’s extremely annoying and also a quick way to make enemies. You wouldn’t want others to kill steal you, so don’t do it to others.

Do: Report hackers, gold farmers, glitchers and exploiters to GMs (Game Masters) right away. Glitches and exploits ruin the game for everyone and gold farmers can destroy a game’s economy. GMs do respond to to reports, even if they don't message you back.

Don’t: Use any third party program not supported by the MMORPG publisher. Programs that provide you an unfair advantage are likely prohibited and can lead to account termination.

Do: Be a team player. Don’t try to do something your character isn’t good at. If you’re tank class, focus on absorbing damage and staying alive, not dealing damage. If you’re a healer / support class, do your job and heal, don’t try casting offensive spells - focus on what you're good at.

Don’t: Leroy it. ‘Leyroy’ing it’ is a term popularized by a character in World of Warcraft named ‘Leroy Jenkins’  and it’s basically the act of pulling an enormous amount of monsters to your group and getting them all killed. It may seem like a ‘fun thing to do’, but it’s also a quick way to get yourself kicked out of your guild / group. Another consequence of getting your group wiped along with yourself is that a lot of MMORPGs have an EXP penalty for death and you don’t want a whole group of people angry with you.

MMORPG Etiquette is for the most part common sense. Have fun and be amicable to those around you and you're sure to have a good time gaming.

Been playing MMOs since I first got my hands on Ultima Online when I was 12 years old. Played so many games from Star Wars Galaxies to MapleStory to DAoC to World of Warcraft. Long time League of Legends player too! I'm also Known as "ReMo" and "Remotay"