Casting a line and waiting patiently for a bite isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. Plenty of people find that boring in real life. Why should it be any better inside an MMO world? It’s fun for the same reasons it’s entertaining in the great outdoors. The catch, although frustrating and time consuming, usually pays off either mentally or monetarily in most games.

This was inevitable. I love fishing in MMOs. I’ll try most MMOs if they have fishing just because I like doing it so much. Fishing games independent of anything else don’t interest me. The idea of a quiet distraction from the other aspects of a game is what I like about fishing in MMOs.

There’s only so much questing one can take before he/she gets tired of running to a quest giver, going terribly out of the way to pick up a backpack, killing some boars, and then running back to the quest giver. The grinding of quests aside, fishing can be a nice interlude to the other activities in an MMO. No, it’s not for everyone but those that embrace fishing usually end up happy with the results.

Personally, my first experience with fishing was in Star Wars Galaxies and then World of Warcraft. SWG’s fishing was slightly more advanced than what most are accustomed to practicing in an MMO. The most familiar fishing to the masses is probably WoW’s fishing function which basically uses cast and bobber click. However, SWG’s fishing required bait to be truly successful and the player had to keep up with the fish and its direction changes. Otherwise the line would tense and break. WoW fishing, on the other hand, is simpler. I made the majority of my money in WoW from fishing. After a lucky drop of the recipe for savory deviate delights, the money started rolling in on my server. Of course, I didn’t do much on WoW except for fishing since I’m part of that introverted MMO player base. Now, with the recent changes to the fishing system, more WoW players might be inclined to try fishing since there will be a mount available.

Recently, I’ve been playing Lord of the Rings Online. Its fishing mechanic is relatively new and it uses a similar system to WoW. The player uses the skill fishing and then clicks that skill again when a fish bites. It’s not complicated and many fish can be given to a taxidermist to be mounted. Then that mounted trophy can be placed in a personal or kinship house. But after catching so many I ended up selling them which actually turned a nice profit.

Fishing is present in the first of the MMO genre. Ultima Online and Everquest both contained a fishing task. In Everquest, this skill allowed a player to make a little money and keep themselves fed. Although, Everquest 2 contains fishing it’s not of the same caliber since it’s a node-clicking system. There’s no casting like in Everquest.

It was only a few months ago that this diversion was added to Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Its fishing is the most similar to SWG’s. With a pole in one hand and bait in the other you can cast your line. You can let the line fly until it runs out or you can activate the fishing skill again to make the line stop. From there, you wait for a fish. After a fish bites you’ve got to react to the fish’s movements. You do this by using WASD or the arrow keys. Fish also have combos that can be learned to quickly catch them.

The fishing fun is also in the console MMO world. Final Fantasy XI and Everquest Online Adventures both feature fishing. FFXI’s fishing requires a rod in one hand and bait in the ammunition slot. The check option will turn into the fish option when in front of a body of water. EQOA’s fishing uses a unique cast system that dictates the quality of fish caught. In short, you begin casting and the goal is to land the perfect cast by using the UI bar that’s visible while fishing.

Last of the pay-to-play games for me to cover is Lineage 2. This system uses more than just the fishing skill since it also requires skills to reel in the fish. Of course, you have the fishing skill which allows you to fish. Then there is a fishing expertise skill used to measure the quality of fish caught. The pumping and reeling skills are also needed. After casting your line and waiting for a fish, a fish’s health will pop up. If the fish is gaining health you’ve got to reel, but if it’s not moving you need to pump.

Free-to-play games are no stranger to the lure of fishing *hysterical laughter*. Mabinogi and 2Moons both contain fishing. Mabinogi’s fishing is interesting. After using the ability your character casts his/her line and waits. Once a fish bites a UI box pulls up. The box contains a risk bar at the top, a fish inside a red outline, and a timer at the bottom. The objective is to keep the silhouette of the fish inside the red lines before time runs out. For 2Moons fishing is simple enough. Like other games, you must have the fishing pole equipped and be near a body of water that supports fishing. In 2Moons, your mouse will appear as a fishing hook where fishing is available.

There is money to be made in fishing whether it is through selling LotRO trophies or whipping up savory deviate delights in WoW. Money can’t be made in all MMOs with fishing, but usually there’s at least a reason to try it. If anything, you’re making money for doing very little at minimal risk. Fishing typically offers a chance to fish up items. These items could be scrolls in Mabinogi or treasure chests WoW. These items have value to you personally or to a vendor. If you’re not getting items, you’re getting fish. Fish can be something to brag about like the trophies in LotRO or Vanguard’s fishing log. Not to mention, many MMOs use fishing as a means to cook, another valuable skill in MMOs.

Fishing in MMOs is altogether a fun experience for the right person. There’s no doubt that some people will hate the activity, but there are several people who love it. It’s also different in each MMO just like the combat or crafting systems. There are good fishing mini-games and there are not so good ones. Finding the right fishing in the right MMO can make a big difference. Persistence pays off with fishing and it’s well worth a try.

Originally posted at Examiner.com