I’ve written several times about how much I love Final Fantasy XI at this point, but it’s also important to note – at least for my own memory – that a lot of my MMO preferences and indeed my strongest dislikes came specifically from FFXI‘s way of playing. My next several games and indeed a good portion of my play style were informed by a deep-seated resentment of that game’s philosophy. It’s precisely the reason that I find myself less than enthusiastic about any claims of going back to the “good old days” when you would sit in Jeuno and accomplish nothing.

That’s not to say that nothing about my preferences or thinking have evolved since then, just that I recognize my tangled affection and disdain for the game did a lot to shape my MMO preferences. And I think that happens for a lot of us; a game we play early in our overall MMO journey defines a lot of what we’re looking for later, for good or ill. So which early MMO did the most to shape your MMO preferences?

Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!