Why do I like MMOs? What keeps me playing the ones that I like? I have trouble answering when someone unfamiliar with the MMORPG genre asks me why I play them. Having been doing so on and off for over a decade, it's still not something I can simply put my finger on.

2005 was a simpler time. Note my awful bars.

Everyone looks for something in particular in their MMOs, whether they realize it or not. Some people prefer sprawling landscapes and open-world PvP, some look for games with everything to do and a community to welcome them as their own, and yet others look toward MMOs for their dose of developed storytelling or a robust roleplaying community.

Having jumped head-first into a huge chunk of the free to play market and tried my hand at most of the big name titles, I'm still not sure where I stand. I used to think I valued combat over all else. I've been an avid PvPer since my beginnings as a wee nubcake -- but after putting several months into TERA and coming out no better (nor entertained) for it, I don't know whether the sweet, sweet taste of beating the poop out of other people is really the main draw to the genre for me anymore.

It's certainly not dressing up, though it is hard to resist.

Very hard to resist.

After having come back to Aion again, it's so hard for me to really explain why I like the game to my friends wondering why I've grown to like it so much.

GameSkinny's own Jeremy bothers me to play RIFT all the time, begrudgingly trying Aion every once in a while to try to figure out what all the fuss is about. Having tried RIFT myself, I can't say I enjoyed it much.

Both of us are avid players of the genre with extensive experience in multiple titles, but neither of us can come to a consensus on which MMORPGs are fun. We can both see when one is well-made and constitutes a good game, but we just can't agree on one to play together. That's just the way it is.

It's not uncommon for groups of friends to find their passion in completely different titles. In my group of friends, we have people who play World of Warcraft, Aion, RIFT, The Secret World, EVE, Guild Wars 2, TERA, and a whole slew of miscellaneous free to play titles. That, again, is just the way it is.

What is your poison?

What game devours your soul, makes you wake up early, stay up late, and gets you pumped up? It's easy to say which MMOs you enjoy, but it's not so easy to say why.

The competitive aspect of the genre, I think, may be what drives me. Comparing DPS (or heals), gear, and PvPing are all aspects of the genre I like and thrive on; though I cannot say they are my only reasons for enjoying the games I like and there are times when I hate those facets of the genre.

What drives you, as a player and a person, to connect to your favorite MMORPGs? I really would like to know.