I am not sure who first coined the term murderhobo, but I know I personally picked it up from Massively and MOP alum Jef Reahard, having heard it probably seven or eight years ago from him, and I have the most enormous fondness for it. With apologies to actual hobos, it’s pretty much exactly what a lot of MMOs expect us to be: We’re traveling the highways and rails, wearing mismatched gear, taking on petty jobs to get by, with no home to call our own. Oh, and since it’s MMOs, we’re also murderin’ everything in our path with absolute impunity.
It’s a patently absurd reality when so many games put us in this role and we just go along with it. Not that we have to go along with it. My ladies in Star Wars Galaxies are running a teahouse and handcrafting droids for a living. They have a home, they have matching clothes, and somehow only one of them has ever stabbed a dude in the face.
Are you a murderhobo in MMORPGs? Better yet, is there an MMO where you’re something other than a murderhobo?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
