Is an online RPG a good game to grow together with friends?

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I think MapleStory is a good fit for players who want to build their own characters while chatting, and occasionally take on bosses together. It is easy to share information through chat, and things like boss runs or guild progression can become shared goals.

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After recently leveling Lete to 200, I spent some time looking through the community menu. This time, I want to go over a few ways to enjoy the game with friends based on the features I checked myself.

Before you start together, add each other as friends

If you plan to play MapleStory with a friend, the first obvious step is to choose the same world. Once you log in, go to 'Friends/Blacklist' in the community menu, click Add Friend, and enter your friend's nickname.

One feature I liked was that you can add a group, nickname, and even a memo when registering a friend. It seems useful for sorting friends you started with apart from people you met in-game, or for noting the nicknames you call each other.

Level separately and chat through Maple Chat

Playing the same game as a friend does not mean every hunting session has to happen in a party. Another option is to level your characters in hunting grounds that match each person's progress, while staying connected through chat and shared information.

A useful feature here is Maple Chat. You can invite up to 6 people, and even players who are not on your friends list can be invited.

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It shows each character's appearance and nickname on screen, and the conversation appears in speech bubbles. It felt a bit like video chatting through your characters, which gives it a different appeal from a standard chat window.

If you want to use emoticons, type a colon (:) in the chat window and then enter the emoticon name.

You can also minimize it into a small square and leave it tucked into a corner.

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It works well for talking about each other's progress or asking questions about skills and equipment. In other words, it is a simple way to spend your separate leveling time together.

Create a party with friends and take on bosses

If you want to fight together, go to 'Party' in the community menu and select Create Party, then invite your friend. A regular party can have up to 6 members, and it also supports voice chat for party members.

If your friend is not online, you can also check Party Finder. From there, you can look for a field party or move to the boss party recruitment board in the top-right corner to find players for a boss run.

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When I checked, there were around 20 to 30 boss party recruitment posts visible. That will vary depending on the time you log in, but it does confirm that there is a place to look for people to challenge bosses with.

However, if you are a new or returning player, it may feel intimidating to jump straight into boss runs with people you do not know. In that case, it makes sense to pick a boss to challenge with a friend and learn the patterns first through the available practice mode. Practice mode does not give EXP or rewards, but you can practice separately from the normal mode clear count.

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Be sure to check each boss's entry requirements and prerequisite quests, and read event mission conditions in advance as well, including whether party clears count or a solo clear is required.

Build a small but meaningful guild with friends

If you want a longer-term shared goal, starting a small guild with friends is another good option. A guild can be created by a character level 101 or higher by paying 5 million mesos.

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As you build contribution through guild activities, you also accumulate Prestige, which functions as guild EXP. With only a few members, growth may be slow, but there is still something satisfying about watching a guild with a name you chose together gradually grow. If needed, you can expand the group by recruiting new guild members.

Guild benefits include regular guild skills and Noblesse guild skills. Regular guild skills unlock based on guild level, while Noblesse skills require you to invest points earned from activities such as Culvert, Flag Race, and weekly guild missions.

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Noblesse skills provide buffs that are especially useful for bossing. They last 30 minutes and include 30% increased damage against boss monsters, 30% ignore enemy defense rate, 30% increased damage, and 30% increased critical damage.

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Still, you need steady activity to maintain enough points to use Noble skills. For a small guild, it may be easier not to aim for every benefit right away, and instead use the skills you need within the points you have.

Grow at your own pace, and set goals together

There seem to be quite a few small guilds around

MapleStory offers several ways to grow together with friends. You can hunt separately while talking through Maple Chat, form a party and challenge bosses when you are ready, and if it suits you, even build a small guild together.

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This approach suits players who usually prefer solo play but want to cooperate with friends from time to time, as well as those who enjoy chatting while sharing progression tips. Instead of focusing only on efficiency, setting shared goals one by one with friends can be part of what makes an online RPG enjoyable over the long term.