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First came MUD: Multi-User Dungeon which was MMO: Massively Multiplayer Online Then came MMOG: Massively Multiplayer Online Game Then came MMOPW: Massively Multiplayer Online Persistent World Then we have MMORPG: Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game

Now if this isn't enough to confuse you already, I'll throw you some more acronyms!!

MUDS are predominantly RPGs (role-playing games) that are text-based. MUDs are set in a virtual world populated by textually created 'people'. All interactions in this world are text-based, ie. you describe exactly what your character is doing, feeling etc. I like to think of MUDS more in terms of a story we might read, except you can't skip to the end and find out 'who did it'....

MMOGs, are multi-player like MUDs, but differ in that they use graphics and text. The graphics are used to customise one's appearance while text is mostly used in conversation. MMOGs were seen as the early RPGs, as strategy games or shoot-em-up type games. So what's the difference I hear you ask between MMOGs and MMORPGs?

MMORPGs are a subset of MMOGs, ie. they add role-playing to the 'game' factor. Shak Ahmed of "Brave New Worlds" says "while combat was a popular aspect of UO, it was the fact that it allowed its participants to go mining, fishing, bake bread and sell it, tailor clothing after hunting the relevant animal, or even build a home in the middle of the wilderness that hooked new players. If you decided to fish for a living, your skills would improve as appropriate for fishing, but if you were to answer a call to arms, you'd quickly learn why practicing with a sword earlier might have been beneficial." (cited from McDowell, C. n.d.) It was this ability to be creative in design, character development, and the increasing social aspect of these games that set them apart from mere MMOGs.