The MMO boosting services like LevelUpper refer to third-party services provided by skilled players to assist others in achieving in-game objectives, such as leveling up, completing challenging raids, or obtaining rare items. These services are often sought by players looking to progress quickly or overcome difficult content in MMOs.
The increasing popularity of these boosting services reasonably begs the question of whether or not these providers affect the industry in a good way. They certainly have their influence on player behavior, if not on game design (yet). The full ramifications are yet to be uncovered, but there are some visible patterns already.
Concerning MMO Boosting Services
The boosting service is about skilled, more experienced players assisting other players in various aspects of the game for money. These services can include power leveling, completing challenging raids or dungeons, getting rare loot, or reaching higher rating in competitive. Boosters either play alongside the client or log into their accounts to fulfill the requested tasks.
These services can be very advantageous, and some notable benefits include:
- Time efficiency. Boosting services enable players to bypass time-consuming grinds and challenging tasks, allowing them to progress faster and more efficiently.
- Access to high-level content. Players can experience end-game content and rewards without the need for extensive preparation or progression.
- Skill enhancement. Watching boosters in action or participating in high-level content can provide valuable insights and improve players’ skills.
- Overcoming barriers. Boosting services can help players overcome challenging hurdles in the game that may have otherwise discouraged them.
- Customized experience. Players can tailor their boosting services to specific needs, such as acquiring specific items or achieving particular goals.
The increasing popularity of MMO boosting services certainly reshaped the way some players approach MMOs, making the gaming experience more accessible, enjoyable, and rewarding for a wide range of players. But what are the consequences of that, exactly?
The Influence on MMO Gameplay
There are two main aspects that changed in recent years as a result of these new services popping up en masse.
Reducing Tedious Grind in MMOs
These boosting services have had a significant impact on reducing the often monotonous and time-consuming grind that many MMOs are known for. They offer quick progression, item acquisition, and completion of repetitive tasks, which allows players to focus on more enjoyable aspects of the game, such as exploration, storylines, and actual skill-testing challenges.
Enhancing Player Experience and Comfort in MMOs
The availability of MMO Boosting Services massively enhanced the overall player experience and comfort within these games. Players who may have limited time to invest in grinding or find certain aspects of MMOs too challenging can now access higher-level content and obtain desirable rewards with the help of skilled boosters.
This inclusivity and support made MMOs more welcoming to a broader audience. This can only benefit these games, and they don’t even have to adapt to the new reality that much, because the same activities are still completed by living players. Some devs, however, still decide to ban boosting for various reasons, according to XFire.
Summary
It is a certain testament that players are so done with some MMO activities that they are willing to pay others simply to avoid going through some parts of the game. In this light, developers might consider adding fewer activities that are made artificially difficult just for the sake of difficulty, but that remains to be seen. Whether grind is even all that bad is a good question in itself, discussed here by Game Developer.
