The Legacy of MMO Dungeons

Dungeons have been a staple of roleplaying games, from the earliest days of tabletop, to the earliest RPGs and MMOs all the way to modern day and we can't imagine an MMO without them. Today we go back in time and examine the history of MMO dungeons and how they changed over time.
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Twitter: @Preachgaming
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Thanks to the lovely content creators who appeared in this video:
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Credits:

[Preachgaming]

Dungeons have been a mainstay of MMOs since their very foundation and show no signs of going away. What DO YOU think make the best MMO dungeon? Drop a comment and let us know.

[Gerronys]

BRD is still my favorite after all of these years. I remember liking it and coming back in classic I still loved it (can't say that about everything classic I used to like). Being able to do so many different runs. Jailbreak runs, Emperor runs, HoJ runs before it dropped off Emp, arena runs, so many others. Tons of quests, bosses, tons of routes through those different bosses. Love it all and was a blast to get to experience again.

[qwertypoiuy]

Finally another Legacy video! Not what I was expecting as far as the topic goes, but a welcome surprise regardless

[mikefulli]

My favorite dungeon is Blackrock Depths. So much variety and old school D&D dungeon feel.

[Xaelyrion]

The last scene of this video now stands out even more than it did when we watched it last week.

RIP Bendog. What a great boy. He will be missed by all of us.

[murasamex]

Deadmines is a great choice. So much story that built up to it over 2+ zones. For me, that story really hit home in BRD, where we discover the betrayal of Lady Prestor. Really tied it all together in a perfect way.

[jonasnielsen]

18:50 That section with content creators telling their favourite dungeons is great - really nails it with the argument "Everyone wants something slightly different".

Great video, Preach!

[philbuttler]

I think it's fascinating the way dungeon design evolves alongside it's audience. Like playing classic, I heard for years how much people liked the huge sprawling dungeons, yet the classic playerbase found ways to effectively speed run them so they behaved like how more modern blizz dungeon design does. It really shows dungeons went the way they did for a reason.

[antoineguerrier]

My favourite dungeon is Court of Stars.
I love how every run can be different due to all the class and profession specific things in there. It's also beautiful to look at, not too long and has some clever events. The lore and story are also very cool.
It's perfect!

[Artictoc]

Blackrock Depths is by far the best dungeon in the history of MMO's, and that is big and sprawling. You can choose to either do a full quest run, maybe only do the pre-key part. Maybe you wanna do an arena run or maybe take shortcuts and lavajump straight to the end to farm the Emperor, and much more. Such a good dungeon.

[theinsfrijonds]

The absolute best experience ever was doing the Lost City of Tovir before the nerfs. The haunting music in the background for hours. The hard-core mechanics actually worked very well for that dungeon out of all of them in cataclysm.

[Scarlett]

I really liked Ghimlyt Dark in FFXIV, it was the first dungeon that really broke the mould, up until then, fighting the Garleans hadnt really been depicted outside of the "End of an Era" cinematic, so to have a dungeon where we fought our way through the trenches of a death filled battlefield, with airships, paratroopers and anti aircraft guns shooting off in the distance, not just with our party, but alongside city leaders, Scions and other soldiers, it felt amazing

[KokkeOP]

Great video. i do not agree in many points but i wil add my 2 cents below:
Regarding Guild Wars 2 dungeons and how some players find them intricate, even though they may not be as complex as they seem, In my view, dungeons offer a unique and engaging experience that sets them apart from other MMOs.

First off, it's essential to acknowledge that Guild Wars 2 dungeons are not without their flaws. ivbeen playing Wow for 7 yrs and GW2 since launch. They haven't received many of the recent core mechanics and quality-of-life improvements present in the game today. Additionally, the rewards for completing them may not always match the time and effort invested (actualy. they simply don't), making them less appealing to veteran players and even fro new players who seeks only profits. However, despite these shortcomings, Guild Wars 2 dungeons remain captivating for several reasons.

One of the standout features of these dungeons is the multiple paths they offer. This diversity ensures that each run is distinct, something we cannot say from WoW Dungeons (specially previous WotLK) keeping the content fresh and exciting. It encourages exploration, aligning with Guild Wars 2's core philosophy that values discovery and adventure. Unlike some other MMOs, like WoW, where dungeons can feel like tedious, time-gated slogs with unnecessary walking and no real storytelling connection, for me, Guild Wars 2 dungeons manage to strike a more balanced experience between gameplay and narrative. Again: narrative is more elaborate in GW2 so it's expected.

Speaking of storytelling, GW2 dungeons are rich in narrative elements. They play a crucial role in advancing the game's overarching story, making them appealing to players who enjoy immersive storytelling. This is in contrast to players solely focused on loot and gear, as some MMOs tend to cater to.

Again: the game HAS a philosophy. The way i see it, it's important to recognize this and adding complexity and unique content to dungeon formats, as seen in Guild Wars 2, aligns with THAT developer's philosophy and the game's core identity. It's not just about quick MOBA-style battles or flashy rewards; it's about weaving an engaging narrative into the gameplay experience. Dungeons in GW2 are OLD so again, we MUST aknowledge they def can be immproved yet when reviewing MMOs, it's vital to consider whether dungeons are an integral part of the game's identity or merely a segmented add-on.

IMHO, dungeons in the MMO genre should integrate storytelling seamlessly into the gameplay, creating a distinct experience compared to open-world PvE. Foir fast paced quick reward high dopamine content, GW2 created FRactals and after that, more chalenging, they created Strikes (end hard content being RAIDS ofc). a perfect-ish balance between dificulty and quickness with story elements in a small dose. Dungeons should feel contained and integral to the game's world rather than being isolated segments with loading screens, which can disrupt the immersion and overall MMO experience.

TL;DR:
In the end, Guild Wars 2 dungeons, and the game as a whole, might not be for those seeking quick loot and flashy, dopamine-inducing experiences. Guild Wars 2 shines with its unmatched combat system, diverse professions, and classes. For players who dismiss storytelling as 'trash' or 'filler, ' they might miss out on the true essence of what makes GW2 special.

Great TBT video! Preacher!

[michaelcoffey]

Your legacy videos are amazing, and this was no different. Much appreciation this was a very fun watch

[vinayshravan]

My fav one is probably the twinning from FF14 the music is great but the highlight are the datalogs that you find through out the dungeon once you read them all you put 2 and 2 together and the final boss shows up and its not the Shadowbringers boss music, because of the thing you found out by reading the datalogs i loved that. and from WOW its probably the arcway, its a classic dungeon setting the "underground sewer" but with a twist, it had the withered that were there for the magic, the legion doing their shady work corroborating with the nightborn and other sewer denizens that were the result of all the magical waste.

[davidwebb]

Dude, I've been watching your content since early MOP and this is an incredibly well done and well written video. It's crazy to see how far you've come as a content creator. Kudos to you and everything you've been able to accomplish covering video games in general. It's good to see good people doing good things. Best to you, your family, and your entire team. <3

[Alex-itty]

19:05 LALA SPOTTED!!! Also Amaurot probably right behind heros gauntlet.

[DonaldTurner]

LOVED THIS, Mike. (and team) thanks big bunches. I identified almost all of it, having myself played most of it. Great content brother, much love

[EXOdagrt]

It's only at minute 21:46 that what you started saying made my heart melt.
Basically, I was a private server player that never went beyond WOTLK.
And around 2013 I found your channel and liked the way you strut your stuff. Legacy content that I felt was relevant to me and I wanted to see on youtube.
Then I saw your streams and saw your more unedited and rawer side. It's then that I felt a kinship watching both you and your friend.
Speaking exclusively from a para social perspective, where I have never met you or anyone you talk about in person, just observing, I felt that distance that formed years ago.
And I understand that life does what life does, and I am not here to point fingers, I am just giving an honest critique of your content with all the relevant info that went into formulating this opinion.
This stuff is great, the production value is the best it's ever been, you're keeping it nice and tight.
[from an alternate dimension, I saw the same video in your 2013 style, and the cave style antics and shenaniganry that would have made up the live portion of this video]
And that made me smile. I felt like a kid again.
Please make more of this kind of content and be relaxed in your life knowing that you are doing what keeps you happy

[miqotesoulia]

fuckin loved that part with the people voicing their fav dungeons. Everyone was varied in responses. Great video preach, so happy to support you here and twitch man. Your community rocks!