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Game recommendation request: Offline "MMORPGs" (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 1 day ago by Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca

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So this is a weird one. Yes, I know an offline MMORPG is just an RPG, but I'm looking for a specific kind.

I loved FFXIV, but there was always something in the back of my mind that said "I don't own any of this, it all goes away if I stop paying, and I could be banned tomorrow and lose everything". I'd love to have a game that plays somewhat similar, but offline and for a single payment, please.

I know about the .hack series and those games seem pretty fun, but don't scratch the same gathering resources/crafting items/using or selling items cycle. Also they're apparently grindy as fuck.

Anyone have any suggestions please? Preferably PC please, but Switch and PS1/2/3 also valid suggestions. Thank you.

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[–] cobysev@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

When I was deployed to Iraq in 2007, I worked for a Communications Squadron, which managed the base's computer network. Someone built a media server in our server room, so we could legally host movies and music on our network for other military members to enjoy at work.

We would borrow copies of DVDs and CDs from our base library and rip them to the server, then we built a rudimentary website where people could browse the catalog and stream content through the site. Nobody could download copies of anything, so we weren't guilty of government-sponsored illegal filesharing. It was basically a way to digitally access the content from our library.

A part of the server that was locked down just for our squadron included video games we could install and run from our work computers. Our squadron especially liked to close up shop around lunchtime for some "simulated warfare training" and then jump into a giant Call of Duty multiplayer free-for-all map and shoot each other up for about 30 minutes.

Anyway, this is a long-winded way to explain that one day, I noticed someone added World of Warcraft to the server. I thought it was odd, considering MMOs needed an Internet connection and our military networks are specifically designed to block most non-work related content. Battle.net would definitely be on the block list.

Still, curiosity got the best of me and I installed it on my PC. And to my surprise, it was a local server instance! I could access all of vanilla WoW, and I was the only person online.

I don't know what exactly that game mode was. I thought maybe it was a beta instance, but I've never been able to get any of Blizzard's beta or test servers to run locally without an Internet connection. Someone had obtained an actual working offline copy of the game to play!

Suffice to say, that kept me entertained for most of my deployment. Back in those days, there were a lot of griefers online and you didn't have much of a choice in avoiding PvP (this was before they started making specifically RP servers), so I was frustrated when other players would interrupt my gameplay to fight me. Having a whole MMO to myself was fantastic!

The only downside was that my character was isolated on my local server; all my progress couldn't come with me when I left Iraq. But I was addicted to WoW back in those days, so it let me continue to enjoy the game while I was unable to access my actual account back home.