[This post was created as part of Nexon PEAK activities.]

Hello, I'm 꽤돼.

Are online RPGs a good choice for progressing alongside friends? Looking at MapleStory today, I do not think it is still the kind of game where you and your friends progress together from one stage to the next.

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Most of the basics of progression, including daily quests, hunting, gearing up, and improving your stats, can be handled alone, and players often choose to fight bosses solo rather than find a party if their stats are sufficient.

Of course, there is still content that makes playing with friends worthwhile.

Still, MapleStory today feels more like progressing separately and coming together when needed, rather than progressing together.

More of your time in MapleStory today is spent progressing on your own

I have been leveling Ren on the regular servers lately, and looking at my routine, I spend most of my time playing alone.

I use the scheduler to choose only the daily quests I currently need, and I generally hunt alone for as long as I need to.

Gearing up and improving stats are also things each player works on according to their character's needs.

Even if you and a friend create characters on the same day, your pace of progression will inevitably differ depending on how long you play, whether you spend money, and how much you hunt. In practice, finding time to play together every day is also difficult when your work schedules or daily routines differ.

Much of the convenience of MapleStory today comes from being able to keep developing your character at your own pace, even when your friends are not online.

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Here is a rough outline of how I see each type of content being played today.

Content	Need to play with friends	Approach to progression
Daily quests	Low	Completed individually
Hunting	Low	Individual progression through EXP and mesos
Gear and stat upgrades	Low	Individual character setups
Bosses you can solo	Low	More convenient to clear alone
Higher-tier bosses that are difficult to solo	Higher	Taking on higher-tier bosses as a party
Party quests	Depends on the situation	Focused on collecting or specific goals

This is quite different from the progression we associated with older online RPGs, where you would form a party with friends and keep hunting together on the same map.

Even with bosses, solo play tends to be the choice when it is possible

Bosses are the first thing that comes to mind when I think about content suited to playing with friends.

Even here, though, if my stats are enough to clear a boss solo, I see little reason to go out of my way to find a party.

The price of an Intense Power Crystal also varies with the number of party members who enter, so if you can already defeat a boss alone, a solo clear is the more straightforward option for progression.

It is a different story, however, with higher-tier bosses that you cannot defeat alone with your current stats.

If you want to take on higher-tier bosses a little sooner or aim for rare drops such as Pitched Boss accessories, you have a reason to form a party with friends or other players.

There is a particular enjoyment in joining forces to defeat a boss you could not beat alone and then seeing a good item drop—a moment that only party play can offer.

Even so, this feels more like improving your stats individually and then coming together to take on a specific boss, rather than working through the whole progression process with friends.

Party quests still exist, but they are not central to progression

MapleStory still has several types of party quests.

Many players will remember older party quests such as Moon Bunny's Rice Cake and First Time Together.

These days, though, rather than repeatedly running party quests to level up as they once did, players seem more likely to return occasionally to fill out their Monster Collection or obtain particular rewards and collectibles, such as damage skins.

Trying party quests once or twice with friends could be fun, but I would not consider them central to character progression in MapleStory today.

Ultimately, doing daily quests and hunting separately, clearing bosses solo for as long as that remains possible, and then forming a party for content that is difficult to tackle alone or that you want to play together seems better suited to MapleStory as it is now.

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That does not mean there is no point in starting MapleStory with friends.

Playing the same game gives you a chance to talk about gear and stats, compare how far each of you has progressed, and eventually take on higher-tier bosses together once your stats are at a suitable level.

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However, if you want an online RPG where you and your friends progress side by side from beginning to end, the experience may be a little different from what you had in mind.

On the other hand, if you want to develop your characters independently despite logging in at different times, and enjoy bosses or party content together when your schedules align, MapleStory today may actually be a more convenient fit.

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Since I currently spend most of my time playing solo, I think MapleStory is best described as "a game where you progress individually and can play together when needed," rather than "a game where you progress alongside friends."

That's all from 꽤돼.