Bugs, Bursting, and Black Lotus

The most widely read political theorists of history have arrived at the conclusion that control of natural resources is the greatest asset a budding state can have. Many a war has been fought over access to oil, fisheries, and land. The stupid pricks didn't realize they should've just hopped to World 532, it's only got 139 people online right now. “when they depend upon their own resources and can employ force, they seldom fail. Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince This is about resource competition in massively multiplayer online video games. Despite the genre's ostensibly multiplayer focus, MMOs are often (and increasingly) experienced in isolation. This is largely a question of content emphasis. Final Fantasy XIV is popular for its strong writing and while there are multiplayer encounters with relevance to the story, the bulk of the plotting is handled in dialogue and cutscenes…