Hello there!

In this post, I wanted to share a few of those Mapleland moments

when I started playing and just couldn’t bring myself to stop.

Of course, there are plenty of other games that are so much fun

that I lose track of time once I pick them up,

but for me, it seems to happen most often with Mapleland...

So I’ve gathered a few of those moments here.

⚔ EXP / Character Progression

Leveling up—it’s at the heart of every MapleStory game!

Of course, this isn’t the kind of game where you can race through a bunch of levels in one go,

but I tend to set myself little goals as I play,

so inevitably, I find myself saying, “Just a little more... Just a little more...!”

For example, if my EXP is sitting at 61%,

I’ll go another round thinking, Maybe I’ll take it up to 70%...? Just to reach that next neat 10%,

but once I hit 70%, that turns into How about taking it to 75%...?

And there it is again: that feeling that once I start grinding, I just can’t stop.

For players who form parties to grind in hour-long sessions,

it’s not unusual to see them keep going like perpetual-motion machines,

not quite ready to call it a day and figuring they still have some stamina left—the players themselves, that is.

And if there’s an event for hunting monsters near your level going on, or you’ve been given some EXP coupons?

Ahㅋㅋ how could I resist~

I can end up grinding through several EXP coupons before I know it.

Much like working out a little longer and pushing a little harder to build muscle,

I think leveling up in Mapleland is that moment when the time you’ve put in pays off.

🪙Loot / Farming

Then there’s farming, another essential part of MapleStory games,

and for me, it provides even more fuel to keep going than leveling does.

Usually, it’s chasing valuable equipment, scrolls, and Mastery Books

that gets me caught up in those can’t-stop-grinding moments, but...

Take the recent update to Crimsonwood Keep in Masteria, for example:

plenty of players are hard at work farming badges, too.

Some leave as soon as they’ve hit their daily targets (50 + 25 each),

but having already secured a grinding spot, others keep farming with that familiar thought: Just one more... Just one more...!

I was much the same—once I had a spot, I kept farming away

to gather as much as possible, for as long as my potions held out.

Some of this loot hunting ties into quests as well,

and plenty of players find that same endless drive when gathering quest items themselves .

Among the recent additions,

the best example would be Typhon Feathers, which can’t be traded with other players,

but for me, it’s the quest to make energy juice that’s keeping that perpetual-motion engine running.

The quest asks you to collect special items that have very low drop rates from monsters,

and between those low drop rates and the awkward map layouts, it can be quite a struggle.

Those items are plentiful now, and you can trade for them, so finishing the quest is easy enough these days, but...

I want to finish it by gathering everything myself, which means once I fire up the game, I just can’t stop.

Again, I’ll set myself a goal,

going into a grinding session thinking, Let’s just get 5 special items today, equipment included!

Then, once I’ve got them all, it becomes, I’m feeling pretty good today... Maybe I’ll go for a few more?

And just like that, I’m back in a grinding session I can’t tear myself away from.

When something I want drops, I’m delighted, thinking, Good thing I kept going...!

Even when it’s something I don’t want, I’m still satisfied: That’s useful data, at least.

(It really does help with the monster encyclopedia I’m putting together.)

So those are a few of the moments when starting up the game meant I just couldn’t stop.

I think having my own goals to work toward while I play

is what keeps me going, until I’ve completely lost track of time.

Have you ever found yourself doing something similar?