MMOs and what they mean for its players and how they vibrantly connect people, places, things, etc. is all fertile ground to explore. But I don't think employing its conventions for the sheer sake of, what I feel is just having them for tribute, while having nothing really emotional on offer throughout a painful exchange of 'well, grinding is core to feeling that time and investment yes?', is good. Partner quips and npc dialogue that rudimentarily remark on things-that-people-do-in-mmos is not enough connecting tissue to simulate that there is LIFE here. I would sincerely trade away the game's rather functional and alright combat, and solid zelda-like puzzle design, for something much worse if it meant that there was sincere emotional depth to its personality, history and real internet-like connection between factions and people here, etc etc. Like there's almost something unnerving about playing through an 'mmo' with this much polish. I'm not saying it needs to be more realistic but it feels so ultimately constructed and lacking in every punch put within the first handful of hours. Even your avatar is simply emotive early-on, in a situation I feel would at least incite so much more vulnerability (there's not even, like, real awkwardness or emotional unevenness between any of its cast so far. You think vr mmo players are going to communicate this perfect?). Idk, not every mmo reconstruction needs to be DOTHACK, but gosh does this wish it was dothack