Quote Originally Posted by TaleraRistain View Post
I've heard the argument that MMOs are only for interacting with other players since EverQuest in the 90s, when players tired of having to rely on groups for every single thing and just wanted to progress something at their own pace.

Then games like WoW and EQII came out. Both had a solo experience from day 1. There was still a point where you reached a solo content ceiling in them and would need to step into grouping or raiding, but it was a first step. The MMO genre has kept changing since that point, incorporating this idea more and more. Because developers realized the appeal was never being forced to interact. It was being together online in a dynamic and persistent world and having agency and choice in the way they interacted with others.
Exactly this. It's like how one might prefer to live in a busy, bustling city. You may only interact with a small group of people or even just have solo days, but its nice just being around the crowd and all the people. Not like you are going to try to get to know all of them.