Okay.... I've had ENOUGH of the acronym break-down. MMOFPS is already long enough. I'm tired of people saying that Huxley is not an MMOFPS, it is an MMORPG because of the role-playing element and "limited" number of players allowed in instanced areas. I'm tired of people saying that Planetside is the only MMOFPS because its servers can support a massive amount of players and it lacks ths RPG element, thus making it a pure MMOFPS.

I disagree with this thinking. Getting into specifics, Huxley would be a MMOFPRPSG (Massive multiplayer online first person role-playing shooting game). It has role-playing giving it the rpg element, it has shooting giving it the fps element, it has the company owned servers giving it the massive element. Using this same logic, Planetside would not specifically be an MMOFPS, but a MMOFPSRTSG (Massive multiplayer online first person shooter real time strategy game). Territorial control over real time is the RTS element, shooting gives the FPS element and BLAH.

Okay, let me expand on the ridiculousness. Remember what I mentioned about Huxley? I forgot to add that many instances and battles are realtime, not just temporary matches and skirmishes. So that makes Huxley a MMOFPRPSRTSG (massive multiplayer online first person roleplaying shooting real time strategy game). What would happen if the social element arised? Let's throw another SG in there. Godforbid they race... MMOFPRSRTSSRG!!! I've got plenty more in my backpocket.

*sigh*

I know what you mean. But, if you have a racing, dating, role-playing, shooting, strategy game with flying monkey's... people will still make an acronym for it because its our nature to categorize things. maybe there are some people out there that only wish to play racing, dating, role-playing,shooting , strategy games with flying monkeys.

lol good point...

By today's standards, you could probably add the acronym RPG to the end of any game genre. Most games have a background story to them-- there are few games that just drop two teams in to an arena and say "Now, go kill them!". Even the weak back story that Counter-Strike has technically gives it an RPG element.

The fact is that an MMOFPS and MMORPG have a lot in common, so the way I differentiate them is by the combat. Auto-attack and button mash = MMORPG. Combat based on skill instead of the leet stats on that epic two-hander = MMOFPS.

Personally, I would like to change the term MMORPG to something like MMOTP ("Massively Multiplayer Online Third Person" game). Why have "RPG" in the name of a game that the majority of players don't role-play in?

The latest game I looked at, Phylon, tested this issue. The game itself is played in 3rd person, but the reticule is smack-dab in the middle of the screen. The game has controllable bursts but the damage it caused was let out in numbers over the head of the target like in an RPG.

The first question I had was, is it an FPS? The character is in 3rd person. Yet you yourself, were sitting behind the computer screen looking at a reticule that was actually in first person. I would say yes, it is an FPS, but many will coin it TPS because of the character being zoomed out.

Than there was that RPGish element of damage caused by the shot. I suppose every game has some sort of way of calculating damage, this one just had the numbers appear above the head.

Than you get into the question of how many people you can find on a battlefield. Or if it even has some sort of battlefeild. In this game it was represented in an instanced arena.

So when you look at the whole package, you really don't see an FPS. The game itself is primarily an MMORPG that you can shoot in.

The fact is that an MMOFPS and MMORPG have a lot in common, so the way I differentiate them is by the combat. Auto-attack and button mash = MMORPG. Combat based on skill instead of the leet stats on that epic two-hander = MMOFPS.

and I agree completely on this as well. The twitch factor is a must in the MMOFPS. I know many people want to place games like Star Wars Galaxies or Tabula Rasa in this genre, but that would be under a more shallow definition. Just because the game is an MMO and has a gun in it doesn't mean it's an MMOFPS.

*sigh* who knew drawing lines could be so hard. :-

The more I read this thread the more annoying categorizing MMO's seems to me. I swear by this day I shall never categorize again!