One of the best reasons to play a smaller MMO (like Ashen Empires) is that they provide a far better sense of community than the blockbuster titles. You'll often find the developers in-game, in-game help and customer support tends to be handled more quickly and better, and it's easy to play with your friends, because everybody is on the same server. (Well, in Ashen Empires' case, on one of two servers--a PvP one and a non-PvP one.)

Ashen Empires has been around for many years (it was originally called Dransik), and as a result the kinks have been worked out and it's now a nicely polished game with a depth of content and many wrinkles you won't find in other games. It's also a 2D title more reminiscent of Ultima Online than the current high-end 3D titles; if eye-candy is the main thing you find appealing about MMOs, it may not be the right title for you. If, however, a rich world and a friendly community are what you like, it may be right up your alley.

Is it possible to design an online game so that communication, community, story-telling, and the genuine playing of roles is core and essential to the experience?

Of course it is. You just won't get the $40m budget you need for a big commercial title out of the philistines who rule our industry today unless you want, in essence, to imitate World of Warcraft.

Enter Skotos, and Castle Marrach.

One Big Union... Ah, that is... One Big World

From both a technical and a design standpoint, EVE Online is a staggering accomplishment. Yes, it's a massively multiplayer game--but you can forget most of what you know about MMOs when thinking about it.

A text-based, multiplayer, online role-playing game, Lovecraft Country has a social rather than combat-oriented focus. The theme and objects of the game are to experience horror genre thrills in settings inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and authors who have followed in his style.

Yohoho! has unique, fun gameplay based on a combination of persistent MUD-style online games and fun puzzle games! While you can explore and interact with your character, when you accept a challenge, you launch a themed Puzzle game. For example, if you accept a Pirate's challenge to a swordfight, you'll both pop up the Swordfighting puzzle and go head to head! When your opponent clears blocks to strike a blow, pieces rain down on your board!