Haro-long~ (˶ˊꇴˋو(و ⁾⁾

It's your Nexon Picker, 달냥.

Online RPGs—who do you think they're for?

To me, online RPGs are an especially good fit for people who enjoy watching their characters grow, and people who set

all sorts of goals for themselves within a single game.

Just look at MapleStory, right?

Beyond leveling up and gearing up, you can take on bosses, dress up your character, and level all sorts of classes,

so there's plenty to enjoy.

I steadily work on several characters myself, but I don't stick to the same content every time I play.

Some days I focus on getting stronger, other days I check out people's outfits as they pass by, and if I'm getting too bored,

I'll try leveling a different class~ ㅋㅋㅋ

So, who would enjoy an online RPG like MapleStory?

In this post, I'll walk you through three types of players I'd recommend them to, based on how they like to play.

| Contents |

① Love setting goals and seeing your progress?
② Love giving your character a look that's all your own?
③ Want to level different classes and play regularly?

④ So, which type am I?

1. Love setting goals and seeing your progress?

It wouldn't be an RPG without character progression, would it?

In MapleStory, it goes beyond leveling up—there's equipment enhancement, Potential, Symbols, the HEXA Matrix,

and plenty of other ways to make your character stronger.

Legion, which I covered last time, is one of them too~

It can feel a little overwhelming figuring out where to start, but once you pick a goal, things change.

For example, you could aim to one day solo a boss you currently need a party to take on.

When I'm working on my main and taking on bosses, I check how far my current stats and gear can get me,

then look at what I'm missing for the next boss and use that to decide which upgrade to work toward.

When I swap out or enhance a piece of gear, give the fight another go, and see that boss's HP dropping faster

than before? Straight into happy-dance mode.

And when you're finally strong enough to take down that boss you've been working toward and get the solo clear?

That's the moment all your time and effort pay off in a way you can actually see.

But bigger stats aren't the only fun part!

As you learn boss patterns, fine-tune your skill rotation, and focus on staying alive, your skills as a player

improve too~ Eventually, you'll know the fight so well that taking the boss down will feel like a few quick clicks.

In MapleStory, you can choose a boss and difficulty in the Boss UI (default shortcut: T), then use Practice Mode to get familiar with their patterns.

So if you're someone who enjoys working through goals and ticking them off one by one,

there's a good chance MapleStory will be right up your alley.

2. Love giving your character a look that's all your own?

Combat isn't the only reason to play an online RPG, right?

MapleStory has plenty of players who are completely hooked on dressing up their little Maple babies.

I'm one of them too (seriously, I create a character and put an outfit together before doing anything else..)

In MapleStory, even two characters of the same class can look completely different depending on

the hair, face, and Cash equipment you pick.

You might be all about cute outfits, then wake up one day wanting a completely different vibe,

and when an outfit you love comes out, suddenly you're rethinking your hair and accessories to match~!

Eastern-inspired accessories on an Eastern-inspired class? Ahh, that's the stuff…

MapleStory in particular gives you so many styling items to choose from that mixing and matching

is half the fun.

I love that you can give the very same character a completely different look to suit your taste.

You can browse hair and face items in the Cash Shop's Beauty tab,

and use the mannequins in the Beauty Room to save your favorite hairstyles and faces.

You can also save your outfits as presets like this

and switch between them!

Personally, I see this as something you can enjoy entirely apart from combat.

You don't have to gain a level or beat a boss—putting together an outfit you love can be enough to make today's session feel satisfying.

And if your character isn't just something you control, but someone you get to dress up and help grow, fashion will probably be a pretty big part of the experience.

I'd recommend it to anyone who loves character customization or enjoys taking screenshots of their characters all dressed up.

3. Want to level different classes and play regularly?

Sticking with one character for the long haul is great, but some of you enjoy switching between classes, right?

In MapleStory, every class has its own skills and combat style,

so building up a new character brings a different kind of fun!

I have quite a few alts myself, and starting a new character is still fun every time, so I'm pretty happy with that.

Of course, an existing class can change with remasters and the like,

but picking up a completely different class means learning a new way to fight from the ground up.

The nice thing about MapleStory is that building up your alts also helps your main grow.

Two key systems behind this are Link Skills and Maple Legion.

No giving me a hard time about when I'm going to reassign all those reset stats, please..

• Link Skills: A system that lets you pass skill effects earned by leveling other classes to another character in the same world

• Maple Legion: A system that lets you build up multiple characters and form a raiding party for additional stats

So you might start leveling an alt just to make your main stronger, only to find yourself enjoying getting to know a new class along the way.

That said, playing an online RPG regularly doesn't mean you have to clear every bit of content every day.

MapleStory has repeatable content like daily quests, Monster Park, and weekly bosses.

Rather than trying to do absolutely everything, I'd recommend focusing on what you need first.

The Scheduler system I covered last time can also help you keep track of the daily and weekly content

you plan to tackle~!

Just dailies today, then some bosses or alt leveling too when there's more time..!

Setting goals that fit your own pace makes it easier to keep enjoying the game in the long run, don't you think?

4. So, which type am I?

Here's a quick side-by-side look at the three types we've covered.

Play Style	Recommended Content	Why It's a Good Fit
Players who love reaching goals	Upgrades · Boss challenges	See your progress in combat
Players who love dressing up their characters	Hair · Faces · Cash outfits	Create a look that's all your own
Players who enjoy different classes	Alts · Link Skills · Legion	Enjoy each class while building on your progress
Players who prefer a steady routine	Dailies · Monster Park · Weekly bosses	Break your goals into manageable parts

Of course, not every online RPG will click with every player.

MapleStory does involve long-term character progression and repeating content,

so it might feel like a bit much if you want to finish everything in a short amount of time.

On the other hand, if you enjoy setting small goals and reaching them one by one, or putting time into your character,

there's plenty here to keep you happily playing for a long time.

Personally, I work on my main, try out other classes, dress my characters up when an outfit catches my eye,

then get back to gearing up for the next boss.

The freedom to choose whatever content I'm in the mood for that day, instead of sticking to just one way to play.

That's MapleStory's biggest strength in my book.

If you're thinking about trying online RPGs, before worrying about which classes everyone recommends or how quickly you can progress,

why not ask yourself what kind of fun matters most to you in a game?

That's it for this post!

I'll be back next time with more gaming stories.

This has been 달냥!