That's the boss I was the most concerned with beating, because he was the first big one. Wouldn't it have been better if he dropped his hammer, said "You haven't seen the last of me", and then we had to fight him again in the depths of Shadowmoon Valley with an all new set of skills and stuff? And if he escapes at the end, it makes sense why you'd be able to fight him more than once. Shit, I like Rexxar the best of all the NPCs in WoW, cuz you had to find him for the Onyxia quest, and then he pops up again in Blade's Edge Mountains. I saw his name and his bear; I was like "OH SHIT! He made it here too, awesome!" Quest givers who are with you from the beginning of the game would be good for emotional attachment. You'd find them at your starting point, they'd give you big quests with awesome goodies, you'd escort them places, you'd kind of become friends.

It seems we are conditioned that rpg's need quests to be engaging. I would argue that they are not. Which leads us to what would engage/provide more emotional attachment to a role playing game? I would say anything that facilitates the player to "play" that role. But that's where it becomes tricky I guess. In MMO's you have griefers, thieves, politicians, etc...Good/bad is irrelevant. They are playing and engaged because they are playing the role that makes them happy. Does a Civil War re-enactor have to do fedex quests to get his uniform and rifle so he can participate in the battle? No, but if the folks running the re-enactment told the guy he had to press a lever 10,000 times to get a confederate uniform he would do it. Would anyone expect him to be emotionally involved in the reason the "management" told him how that relates to the battle? Hell no.

1) Is there anything that a boss or major NPC could do in game-fictional terms within the current conventions of most virtual worlds that might make players feel a strong emotional desire to defeat that boss? 2) Are there stock structures or types of reasonably implementable quests which might be: a) more emotionally engaging than the current range of stock quests and b) a good way to diversify the current range of stock quests?

Bloodymare is a massively multiplayer online game for mature audiences that pit you, the player, into a dark, violent and bloodstained world devastated by generations of scientific misuse and magic. Fight for your own survival against the grotesque monsters that stalk the cursed land or band together with fellow survivors to fend off the stronger, bloodthirsty creatures that awaken only at night to prey upon the weak. Use a wide selection of weapons and the mysterious powers of beast possession to viciously slay down your enemies with destructive force. Requiem is set in a grim, persistent world combined with violent, blood-spattering action to provide gamers a refreshingly new and innovative approach to online game design. Are you tired of never-ending monster fighting and equipment upgrading? Would you rather have fun playing with friends and family?

Blood Feud is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The game is a rich and expansive persistent online world, set on the continent of Rohan. The land is full of quests to embark upon, from simple to glorious. Friends and enemies will be made and lost, spectacular battles will be fought, and an abundance of unique game features will keep players on the edge of their gaming seats. There are many features of the game that set it apart from more traditional MMORPGs, including: REVENGE: Players who have been slain in-game by another will have their killers automatically recorded on their 'Hit List'. Once resurrected, the slain can teleport to their killers for a chance at revenge. TOWNSHIP BATTLES: In-game groups - called 'guilds' - have the opportunity to rule each town within Rohan.

'Runes of Magic' is a fantasy MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), in which words can create, but also destroy. Here you can explore and discover a magical world full of wonders and ancient riddles. Encounter arcane and dangerous creatures and solve the mystery of a long-perished kingdom. You have access to a dual class system which gives you the freedom to combine your main and secondary class, in order to build your character the way you want conceive it. Learn professions and special skills, to forge mighty armor and weaponry or to enhance them. Accumulate unique in-Game collector's cards, which provide you with information and data of all creatures you have already encountered. Relax after a hard day of labor in your own house, which you can arrange just the way you want to.

'Sho Online' is an online game that is based on one of the four Chinese tales called the 'Fengshen Yanyi'. 'Fengshen Yanyi', is a story that is created based on the real historical events. It merges the conflicts between the Yin and Zhou era to the imaginary world of Taoism. In order to create the fantasy world of 'Sho Online', the fantasy elements of this tale have been adapted to the game. The starting point of this game is 50 years after the original 'Fengshen Yanyi' incident took place. Even though the Zhou's revolution was successful, they were still confronted with the remaining forces of the Yin's. Under the circumstances where conflicts between the Chun and Jeol factions of the upper world rising, each players are positioned within the nation that they choose to be in. Players must sometimes fight and help each other to rebuild their nations.

SkyBlade Sword of the Heavens is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the popular Korean manga Pachun Il Gum. The game is set on the backdrop of an oriental-fantasy universe allowing players to explore the Jijon Universe - a cosmos comprising of planets ruled by vicious animal rulers based on ancient oriental myths. The characters play the role of martial art warriors all vying for the greatest destiny - to become the Jijon King, the absolute and most powerful ruler of all worlds.

A free-to-play online racing game that offers various types of racing modes. Tales Runner, offers gamers the opportunity to enjoy running, tumbling, jumping and breaking barriers to get through obstacles. This game challenges gamers? Racing skills while having to overcome obstacles including: ski slopes, alligators, giant boulders or even monsters. Points are given to players for overcoming these disadvantages and for speed. The setting from this racing game comes from popular fairy tales such as The Frog Prince, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and the Japanese classic, Momotaro. Tales Runner has several modes to offer such as a standard racing mode, a relay race mode, or even a survival mode for up to 30 players. Every type of gamer will discover Tales Runner to be a fun and interactive game.

Starting with the classical medieval fantasy setting, The Chronicle begins where most MMORPGs of the same genre end. Players may choose from one of 27 races, and then improve their characters through a robust and varied skill set, free from the shackles of the archaic class system. The terrain isn’t just there to put distance between the dungeons and other eventful places, it’s packed with natural resources and building space to be refined, modified, and controlled by the player population. The excitement isn’t reserved for end-game content, either; the player vs. player action begins whenever the player is ready, whether that’s long enough to build up a powerful character and several allies or right out of the gates on day one.