There is a further roadblock to heroism in an MMO, and that is the very nature of reality itself. Even the most epic, earth-shattering battle will have little effect on the political geography of the game world. The dynamic population numbers guarantee that every day, it's someone's first time playing. This means that there has to be some permanence, some way for newbies to learn the ropes, get accustomed to the landscape, and figure out how it all fits together. If the abiding stoyline constantly changed, it would become far too confusing for newer members, and the game population wouldn't grow. While many MMOs do well enough with a static playerbase, growth is a sought-after state for most online games.

So in the place of heroism, what do MMOs have to offer? Something perhaps even more important: community.

There is a reason this genre of video games exists. Whether or not you enjoy playing with people, many gamers enjoy playing alongside people. Even a world filled with people who can't spell well, say offensive things, and take every opportunity to prank and gank new players, is still a world that feels alive. You can generally turn to anyone nearby, ask for help, and receive it to varying degrees. As you play and grow in level, you will be invited to group with random strangers to tackle difficult and rewarding quests. You can even crow about your latest win and someone will congratulate you.

The days before online gaming, as Raph Koster suggested, were merely a phase in the development of our pastime. The goal has always been to play with, against, and alongside each other. Technology has now caught up with that desire, and thankfully, we're using it to build our own groups -- groups brought together out of a sense of shared necessity, which is a strong motivator not only for an initial grouping, but also for keeping that group together. In other words, creating a community.

Community can only come in a game that eschews personal heroics for cooperative enlightened self-interest. This is a concept that cannot be explicitly taught; like all the best lessons, it's learned internally, by observation and trial. As you watch others excel and have fun, you learn the value of working with others, of being reliable, of having something of value to contribute. If it's true that culture is the surest transmitter of a civilization's mores, then MMOs have a lot to teach us about how shared work can create strong communities, even at a distance. When satisfying the needs of the many also satisfies the needs of the few, then heroism -- a reaction to catastrophe -- is not only out of place, but no longer necessary. And that is a world to which we should all want to belong.