Being that this would be the first post of this blog, I thought long and hard about what the essential question you have to answer is before delving into something like this.
The one that finally popped into my head was: What kind of player does our game cater to?
I thought for awhile about that question. And the answer that I came to, and I firmly believe this is true, is that an MMORPG can cater to all types of players, albeit usually in different ways. So now the question becomes, what kind of player are you? (and by extension, how can we make you happy in our world?)
I, myself, am a bit of a role-player, and a bit of a power-gamer. I like to be competitive, so I get excited when I hear about awesome PvP features. But I also enjoy sandbox elements, especially things like player housing, and raising pets. I was giddy when I heard about GW2's Personal Stories.
Conversely, certain negatives can turn me off from a game. I cringe when I see limited customization capabilities in a game, as I enjoy having a unique appearance for my character. The more hairstyles the better! Another thing that bothers me is poor translations (often found in Korean MMORPGs), and I feel that it not only hurts the storyline, but affects immersion as well.
But that's just one person. And there are many different types of players out there. So, for now, the question we have to answer is:
What kind of player are you? And what gets you excited for a new MMORPG?
