Wikipedia:Wikipedia is an MMORPG

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Wikipedia
Developer(s)	Wikimedia Foundation, you
Designer(s)	Jimbo Wales, Larry Sanger
Series	Wikimedia
Engine	MediaWiki
Version	1.16alpha(r52088)
Platform(s)	World Wide Web
Release date(s)	15 January 2001[1]
Genre(s)	Fantasy MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer, Online
Media	Web browser

One theory that explains the addictive quality of Wikipedia and its tendency to produce Wikipediholics is that Wikipedia is an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game).

After all, Wikipedia shares many characteristics with MMORPGs:

Wikipedia is a sequel to the game Nupedia, an encyclopedia-themed MMORPG in a hack and slash and "article roaming" style. It was released for the World Wide Web by Wikimedia Foundation, and was developed by the community.

[edit] Gameworld

WikiPedia has an immersive gameworld with over 10 million players and over 2.93 million unique locations, including 140,226 undiscovered secret areas, 7000 completely explored dungeons and 2600 boss levels. Magical items and powers can be found scattered over these locations, whose navigation is aided by maps of the game world. Some of these locations, as well as items and powers, become problematic, and unbalance the game world. Players will generally dislike these, and Game Masters respond by destroying them.

[edit] Game mechanics

Players can accumulate EXP, allowing them to advance to higher levels. Players develop a unique distribution of stats, and can choose between a number of classes, such as Warrior, Arch Mage and Priest, as well as choosing from one of several races, such as gnomes, ogres and imps.

An in-game currency (WikiMoney) does exist, but many players prefer accumulating gold stars which other players can give them. Players can take on quests, fight boss battles, enter battle arenas, and even take class change trials to become Game Masters. It is possible to stumble upon random encounters and defeat such monsters.

[edit] Social

Every unique location in the gameworld has a tavern where players have the opportunity to interact with any other player in real time. Players often become friends with other players, and some have even arranged to meet in real life. On the darker side, some players become addicted, unable to leave the game, and spend all their waking hours on the site. It is often the most experienced players who end up spending the most amount of time in the gameworld.

Players with similar ideals will group together to form guilds, and raids may form to tackle exceptionally difficult quests.

People tend to play a given MMORPG for six to eighteen months at a high level of involvement; a similar pattern has been noted in hardcore WikiPedia players.

[edit] Battle

Trolls are one of the most common enemies in the gameworld, and often turn up in boss fights. Orcs, the natural enemies of the Trolls, who oppose trolls using methods which are equally unethical or destructive (such as baiting) can also be fought.

Weapons such as guns are used normally, but cannons and atomic bombs can be used to defeat an undefeatable enemy.

Guns can be used in places other than battle arenas for clearing the problems of a dungeon, but excessive use of guns will probably be censured by the Imperial Court of Justice.

Barbarian-fighting is a form of combat that has many similarities to a variation of spawn kill.

Illegitimate battle strategies are abundant. Sneaky players like to use excessive summons and bots to trick Game Masters.

Players can also attempt to destroy, mangle or disrupt parts of the game world. Player-killing is strongly discouraged, but nevertheless happens. New players are most vulnerable. Game Masters attempt to control this by banning and blocking offending players, but more often than not, criminals end up being brought before the Imperial Court of Justice.

[edit] Game Masters

Some WikiPedia players who successfully complete a class change trial manage to become Game Masters, a secretive clan^[2] whose members have access to additional spells and items such as:

• Cave-in - a powerful spell which causes a dungeon's walls to collapse, making it inaccessible to all but the most experienced adventurers.
  • Mining toolkit - a number of mining tools such as a mining helmet and wooden support beams which enable Game Masters to explore collapsed dungeons and re-open them to others if they want.
• Ice Block - encases another player or minion in a block of ice, preventing them from moving for a certain length of time. A similar version is the Freeze Lock, which locks gates from entry.
  • Thaw - thaws a frozen player or minion out. A similar item is the Key of Warmth, which is a magical key that allows Game Masters to enter through any gate, whether locked or not.
• Magic Chains - seals the entrance to a dungeon with magical chains which can only be bypassed with special items.
  • Skeleton key - a magical key given to all Game Masters which can remove any magical chains around a dungeon entrance for that player.
• Cloak of Secrecy - quietens a player's footsteps, enabling them to avoid patrols. A more powerful version of the Boots of Stealth, which can be worn by most players.
• Rapid-fire - can massively subdue multiple attacks at once. A more powerful version of Single-fire, which can be used by most players using guns. Rapid-fire can be equipped by normal players, but only with the permission of Game Masters.

WikiPedia players can be promoted to Game Master by even more powerful users known as Overlords, who, in addition to having the power to appoint new Game Masters and Overlords, can summon many powerful minions to aid them in their adventuring.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• WikiPedia official server