If you remember playing before pirate class, and remember it being released, you lived in a good time for Maplestory

I still believe that old-school MS has hands down the best community in any game ever made. Seeing all you guys here over a decade later writing out childhood memories in the comments of this video of how we all used to play together only reinforces this.

I really hope you see this. While I love Maplestory, I have to compliment YOU on this video. You really captured the whole experience and created a video essay that encapsules why it's impossible to go back to that time with such a good set of arguments and words. The ending really hit a deep spot inside me, and I'm sure it must've already hit that same spot for many players who've kept coming back to maplestory just to realize it will never be the same as it was. I've started suspecting that adulthood and healing have a lot to do with lovingly saying goodbye to the parts of me that can no longer exist, and this feels like one. So thank you for this video. And you're a really good storyteller.

That was bloody brilliant. 29 years old here and I'm exactly where alot of us are, clinging onto the past and hesitant to move forward. I feel comforted knowing I'm not the only one and that all of us will eventually move onto something better!

You perfectly described all my feelings about this game in a way that I couldn't even put together in my own head

Nostalgia is the most beautiful form of pain. Everything you said was spot on. Like you, I often felt alienated during middle and high school, and maplestory was my outlet and the one place I felt like I belonged. I remember every friday I would rush to my computer after school and greeted by the numerous "WB"s on friends chat as I logged in. Being in my late 20s, that joy is seldom ever felt anymore. Like you, I also had a special friendship with someone in the game. Even though we've never met up, the connection we had was more real than many relationships I've had. She was the first person that taught me how to love and will always have a special place in my heart. Even though the game is a shell of what it used to be. I am glad I had the chance to play it. I will never forget the good times I had and the friendship and bonds I've formed in the game

Great video man! I actually played an old-school Maplestory server (MapleRoyals) back when lockdown started and I got to re-live a lot of the memories. I started a new character from scratch and I leveled up slowly and trained hard and played PQ with other players and made a few friends along the way. I even completed the goddamn Zakum jump quest and made it to forth job and it was honestly super fun. I felt I had finally achieved my childhood dream and I was glad to be able to had the chance to do so. But I agree with you that this game takes up SOOOOO much time. It was such a pain to level up and there were some levels that were just excruciating to play like from 100-120. And I was already playing on a 4x EXP server. I really have no idea how people managed to do it back then. And once you finally hit higher level you really started to see the flaws of the game. The classes were super unbalanced. You could level up so fast if you are a 4th job mage with full map attack, but if you chose the wrong class then you are just going to suffer. And some classes have such low HP that you can't even join boss runs unless you did HP washing. Which is sooooo expensive and time-consuming to do. And you should be enjoying the game once you reach 4th job, instead you had to go make enough money just to restart another character so you could HP wash it so you could FINALLY boss. I personally think the true joy of this game is in the early levels. When you can choose from exploring the world or doing quests or doing PQs to level up. And you learn new skills that keeps you engaged in the game. Most importantly, you are froced to play with other players because it is just the faster way to level up. Because underneath the surface of the cute game design, this is a time-consunimg, repetitive training, non-balanced game that has a lot of charm. I loved that I got to re-experience it a little bit and I must say the jorney of training was more fun that reaching the detination itself. Thank you Maple for taking up so much of my time in life. But I think it's time for me to let you live in my memory :)

If you remember hunting for a pan lid from green mushrooms while spending days trying to get one level to finally get magic claw over magic bolt, you grew up in the absolute best time in MapleStory. Edit: honorable mentions include: finally getting a party in Kerning City PQ because you spent hours trying to get a track and spamming it until someone picked you up. Chilling with all the level 50 homies in HHG1, just to show off your damage to all the newbs coming in from Victoria Island. Spamming your crappy scrolls and equips in FM1 before stalls became available. Taking the VIP taxi, wasting all your hard earned mesos, because you thought it was gonna be something fucking amazing, only to end up trapped in Sleepywood and not able to get out because the monsters were too strong and you were too broke to leave. Getting that 2nd job enhancement and finally being able to hang out with up with your more hard-core friends, only to realize that your one SP point in your next skill was worse than your previous attack skill, and going back to the same training area to hopefully gain one level to get that wnd job skill to the point where it actually helped. Finally reaching level 50 and farming horns from the kitties in orbis to sell....or having enough mesos to buy horns so you could powerlevel your newly created character from 10 to 30 instantly. Breaking your keyboard trying to finish stupid fucking jump quests (looking at you, kerning city). Getting to level 50 so you could finally go on a Zakum run, and hiding in the corner with your fingers on every pot available to hopefully survive and get a Zak helmet. Spending an hour to get that PERFECT roll to start out a new character. Finally getting an AoE that attacked multiple monsters (I/L mage lightning, Cleric heal, etc.) Being so jealous of how fucking cool Assassins were, with those throwing stars, regretting the fact that you made a fire mage, but not willing to try and get another character to level 30 so you could throw cool stars. Finally finding a good enough group of people who knew how to beat Ludi PQ quickly. Climbing down all the damn levels in the Orbis tower, then realize there was a way to warp. Making noob friends while on the boat and taking a chance on coming outside and being killed by Balrog. Watching in awe as Clerics completely took over the gold zombie teeth trade with their heal spamming...wondering again why you chose your class. Wondering why the fuck you can't hit Jr Snekis. Hunting Mushmom by tracking and changing channels for hours. Finally being strong enough to travel to El Nath, and hearing that dreadful music when you finally get to the werewolves to hopefully get that sexy Evil Wings staff. Almost breaking out in tears when you watched that equip you've been grinding so hard for, finally fly up from the monster after weeks of grinding. Showing up to your people with a full NX outfit, flexing hard as shit. Getting a Maple girlfriend. Having said girlfriend get stolen by a guy who has more cash shop items. Seeing that "clear" after that PERRECT fucking PQ run. Then losing the track. ______ Fuck man, this game was perfect. Nothing will ever beat that time of my life, and at 37 years old, I've never found another game that has, or will ever, fill that void.

I played MapleStory from 2005-2009...it was one of the most special times of my life. The amount of friends I made, quests I did and maps I've explored made this game so much fun to play. In a weird way, it didn't feel like I was playing a game...it was like I was experiencing something much more that I can't describe with words. I was 14 when I first played MapleStory...I'm 31 now. To all the younger people reading this, cherish all the moments you have in whatever game or activity you're doing. Time goes by fast.

Old Maplestory was so amazing the feeling when you got home from school and hopped on Maple. Never forgetting those days

As for the nostalgia, I want to say it's *not* just because of your age at the time. I'm about a decade older, and I was an adult by the time MapleStory launched in North America in 2005. It was its art and music which drew me in, creating a tranquil respite for an otherwise tumultuous life. My girlfriend is slightly older than me, and she had the same sort of experiences with the game back in the day, loving its aesthetic - but we wouldn't meet until a decade later, and came to find out we both played and loved MapleStory in our early adult years. We've named all of our animals after MapleStory places or characters. Yes, a lot of my memories are colored by nostalgia, and shaped by my life circumstances at the time - but that's true for *every* period of my life, including today. I really believe what most made MapleStory special was its art and music. If there were ever to be a successful MapleStory sequel, it would really need to capture that same artistic vibe, that same ambiance, or it would just never feel like MapleStory.

hey man. i don't usually write comments but this video hit so close to home for i can't not say something. there's so many things i relate to in this video. my first memories of maple story were being young (around 10-12) watching my older brothers play maplestory on the family computer. they never let me play, but i didn't care. i would sit and watch them and it was just so fun to watch i loved every minute of it. eventually i created an account and my dad helped me set up an email and stuff like that. i think my first class was a warrior. i remember from even just opening the game and being on the first home screen, the music, the nature asethic , all of it just felt like i was thrown into a entirely different worl. full of peace and vibrant colours, ethereal music and pure bliss. anyways , i could go on forever. i just wanted to tell you that im currently 25 and working 40 hours a week, paying bills, having relationships, and yet i come home from work every night and open up maple story private servers to try and re love the golden age that i hold so dear to my heart. but it never feels the same. and it never will. the end of ur video saying it's time to wake up instead of continuing to dream made me actually cry. i cried so hard because i knew exactly what you meant as soon as you said it. i'm not a kid anymore. i'm not the 12 year old boy sittin on the computer in the living room while my dad is making dinner for us to eat and watch. a movie after. all of that is gone. as much as i come home after work and try to run to my nostalgia escape. i can't anymore. idk why im still crying writing this but this game gave such a fuckin special place in my heart like no other. words just can't express it. thank you so much for making such a long detailed video for the old school maplers to sulk and reminisce to.

Having just watched this video in bed in the dark at almost 2AM, I couldn’t help but cry. Now 28 and hopefully making my 13 year-old self proud, I think back to the absolutely magical relationships and experiences this game gifted us. In retrospect, the game was clearly such an key player in our formative years. Between the delayed gratification of leveling and the community building of guild management to the macroeconomics of the Free Market, I’m truly grateful to have been part of such a movement. Thank you for this, The Cleric

Watching this literally made me feel sick in the best way. The nostalgia you managed to put into words. ♥ I'll miss you Maple

I commented this in coppersans vid, but a large part of the nostalgia is that maplestory WAS our social media. It wasnt just a game. Now ppl dont play games to socialize with ppl online anymore

I would pay so much to go back and be able to play with all my friends again it makes me so sad that this was definitely my most favorite era

This is so relatable. You really captured the experience we all had and love for the game! Maplestory login music will always be the most nostalgic thing ever omg.

I've tired to get back to maplestory but the sense of community and making friends isn't there anymore, it just feels lonely. People just don't cower against the Balrog on the flying ship together anymore.

Don't be sad that it's over, be happy that it happened. It was truly the best years of my gaming life. Thank you to everyone I have ever met in the game and I wish I can see and hug you all.

your story about Tina is like my story but reverse. for a second i thought you might have been the one that i spent hours talking to, became good friends with, and eventually lost touch with. but i think it was just that kind of game. unless your name is ian… then hello again :)

I'm actually a recently returned maple player, got back into it this last summer and been playing it close to daily. The community is actually pretty thriving, just not in the same way that old Maplestory was. Now all Regular servers are comparable empty but Reboot has people chatting, It's just not that often in-game. As with almost all gaming things like discord have taken over and most discourse happens in guild chats/class discords. I regularly just hang out in my guilds discord and chat for hours while playing maple. Now things like PQ's have definitely fallen out of favour but bossing content is actually really amazing right now. Bosses like Will demand that your team knows the mechanics and carefully work together as one person failing certain boss mechanics can reset the bosses health healing a bit or blocking progression. For me personally outside of grinding the core gameplay of Maplestory shifted to Bossing and it is really fun to do. Another thing however is as the game grows and gets more and more content the player base they have kept playing naturally moves to new zones and new areas. Of course, there are ways that games can combat this, but it's also the nature of most MMOs and so as noted in the video a returning player might find that the world feels empty, when in reality the currently active players are just elsewhere. Places like Arcane river have characters asking around for help doing early quests in the area which are increasingly difficult to do for the first time. Monetization is a thing, but I only play Reboot and can only speak for that. Since Reboot is completely about being willing to put the time into the game to progress I haven't once felt pressured or like it was necessary to spend money on the game. The like 25 dollars I have spent over this past year have felt like I got my value out of it as it was just for pets which are nice Reboot is in a great place right now, updates are coming out that keep the increasing quality of life, and there have been a few steps in the right direction towards communicating with the player base. Now there are tons of problems with the game like any other, but I firmly believe that modern Maplestory is an objectively better game than old Maplestory. People wouldn't still be playing it if it wasn't at least an okay game. I do share some feelings of nostalgia with old Maplestory, I have so many memories of when I played it years ago. However, I enjoy the game it has become a lot more. I found a community of players in it, and I love the new content that's getting added. It took me years of coming back to it for a week or a month, but when I stopped playing the game to relive my old memories I found something new to appreciate within it. The core of what I'm trying to say is that what we miss about old maple isn't what we think it is. It isn't that modern games discourage community or that the game has become a lot worse. Just as the gaming market is more saturated, there are more choices that fit an individual niche. Old players have also likely gotten a lot older, have less time to play a game like Maplestory as much as is necessary. The game hasn't changed nearly as much as the person who once loved it. Maplestory has changed in ways that allowed it to survive into the modern day. It's actually still thriving in Korea, like shifting around the top 10 most played.

I came back in 2020 and it definitely was a rush of nostalgia and I even found some old friends from pre-big bang. I got to level 250 and quit again in 2021. The game was just incredibly time consuming, but not in a bad way, but in a way where I felt like I was falling back into old habits of my younger childhood and playing endless hours getting lost in it. It just wasn't feasible being an adult and enjoying mindless grinding.

I barely have words to describe how spot-on you are about this game. I had a best friend too.. from old Maple... and I only started (late) in 2009.. so I barely had time to really enjoy MapleStory before Big Bang ruined it. I'm really happy you mentioned RuneScape. I started that game in 2007, when I was like 8 years old.. and it seems like no one likes the types of games I like (MapleStory, RuneScape, Minecraft, Dark Souls, etc.). I've tried a bunch of MMORPGs, because I get tired of "finishing" a game that just dies and never gets any updates.. but then hit a wall with MMORPGs feeling so cloned off each other, boring.. uninviting, exactly as you describe. I was shocked by your conclusion though. I feel very differently actually. I became a Video Game Engineer because I believe that these memories are more than just nostalgia, and that we as adults can RELEARN to slow down and devote time to casually playing a game like old MapleStory with friends, and we relearn how to chill and explore maps like we used to. There's something so obvious and special with MapleStory, that now no longer exists in current MapleStory. I absolutely believe it's not all lost, and that it's possible to reignite the spark we felt for years with this game. I dream that one day, I'll be able to release my own game that has its own charm, encourages players to play and socialize with each other as opposed to a massively single-player game with 1000s of lifeless clones of you running around.. I dream of a game that challenges this all, that hope isn't lost and that it's more than just nostalgia. I know most people don't seem to believe it's possible, and that's why many of them didn't become software engineers like I have. Almost every day since Feb 17, 2015, I've been studying Unity/C# and more and more advanced software engineering to make it more and more possible.. and nowadays trying to get better at rapid prototyping rather than getting stuck. Just because something is really difficult to achieve, doesn't make it impossible. If you have a dream, go for it. Don't let people tell you that you can't.

I needed this more than anything. I've been playing with my sister since pre-bb and this video was everything. Thank you for sharing your story.

Maplestory Pre-big bang was such a nostalgic time, I wish they would just give us a classic server already but I know we will never get that 😢, I am glad this video showed up in my recommendeds.

Maple is always the first game that pops in my mind when thinking of nostalgic good times.

I'm glad there are so many other people that have such an intense psychological connection to their memories of this game. Sometimes I feel like it's crazy that I'm as old as I am now and yet still have so many fond recollections of my exploration of Victoria Island and beyond.

I don’t enjoy criticizing stuff like this, but that ending was so cheesy. You can play a game without making it your life. The argument that there’s no market for an old-school MapleStory server is inconsistent. You even stated previously that there are people out there who want a slower more hard-core and methodical grind experience i.e. old school RuneScape. You made great points throughout the video, but in the end undermined it all with a corny “now I’m a grown up” monologue. If what you say is true then people shouldn’t be replaying Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, Crash Bandicoot, Super Mario, etc. You don’t have to be a kid to have enjoyed this game in its prime. You don’t need boundless free time to sink into it. If anything Old school Maplestory would be a chill and social game to hop on after work. If you need an example, the private servers doing this exact same thing are a fairly accurate glimpse into what it’d look like. MapleLegends probably being the best example of a modernized old school Maplestory without the needed redesigns for bosses, abilities, and late-game reworking. All those aspects being pretty straightforward and easy to change given the game has already been made. The developers are sitting on 12 years of hindsight. One official poll would clear up whether people want an Old School Maplestory or not. Although it’s pretty clear what the outcome would be.

I remember when Dual Blade came out, the first class that required a microtransaction to fully play. You had to buy the mastery books with real cash instead of finding them in the world like normal. Even 14 year old me knew that this was the beginning of the end :(

I cannot express exactly how much this video resonates with how I have felt for years since I stopped playing MapleStory. I began and ended my journey in MapleStory about the same time frame as you. The friendships I established with other Maplers, the countless hours I spent sitting in little corners of hidden streets or Maya's house chatting with friends, all the times exploring the Maple world with my friends, and all the events and PQ's will never be forgotten. I remember certain spots that I would always sit and talk with special friends JUST LIKE YOU. Our Maple experience was so similar and I'm so glad I found this video. This video reminded me of a lot of the small little details and quirks that made MapleStory the unique and exciting game it was. Tracking players to see when they would get out of a PQ made me lol because I remember doing that. To hear you talk throughout this video, it sounded like my exact mindset whenever I have nostalgic feelings about MapleStory. Please know that you are not alone in your feelings and I thank you for making this video because it made me truly realize that I am not alone in my nostalgic feelings. MapleStory will have a special place in my heart forever.

As much as i love this game I can't for the life of me get back to this game because the nostalgia and the fact that my bestfriend or someone id like to call "brother" passed recently who i played this game with everyday just gets to me like a literall punch to the face. It also serves a reminder that playing this can never have the same effect on me again and that if i try im afraid that i will stop 5 minutes in and just go away to cry.

For anyone who wants to reexperience the good old maple or even play it for the first time, it is still possible. Private servers (MapleLegends, MapleRoyals) do a pretty good job of bringing that classic experience back. Obviously most of the joy is the nostalgia and memories, but it is possible to have some of that fun again and make new friends again. Even today the old game works as a fun social game, the enjoyment of the game never actually came from the numbers it was the friends and interaction. Definitely worth a try again even today.

Loved this so much! I have no experience with Maple Story at all but could really relate to the friendships and experience you had with it through other games and communities over the years. Really beautiful how you spoke about that friendship

Played the game from 2006-2012 and truly I think so fondly of it till this day. THE BGM is forever stuck in my head.

First played around 11years old and I am a Chinese player. The BGM hits me really hard. This video brought back so much memories to me. We have grown up, but the memories are still young. With so many pressure from the life that force me to be "as adult as i can be", I know I was a young kid with my own happniess once.

The writing in this video is on point. Great video & great story, it's always awesome to hear other people childhood stories with the old MapleStory. And it always seems that we all had really similar experiences & thoughts. Best of luck with your journey

I dont think I've ever made a real friend from playing a game online. As you say, games allow you to chat anonymously and you can be more social than you would in real life. However, I'm just as socially awkward online as I am in real life.

I have to admit, i do feel like i've became a slave to maplestory nostalgia. I felt so much grief for the game being changed to a point where i couldn't recognize it. Because i had to deal with bullying, problems with family, grades at school and social neglect... i used maplestory to fulfill my fantasy, where everything was so bring, colorful and adventurous. Watching this video reminded me how nothing lasts forever. The game changed in every way, and so did i. I played the game since i was 8, now i'm 22. But at the same time, i can accept it, and feel glad that i hard such awesome opportunity to live such a moment

This video is a story very well told, you explain every way I felt about maplestory. I was upset about how it turned out but I couldn’t voice why. We share parallels in experience and watching this video was like reliving my own childhood. I also started playing around 12 years old and seeing this video hit all the nostalgia I was looking for. Thank you for making this, I value your story and what maplestory meant to you too. Just like you said in the end, there’s times we just gotta move on and adapt to the changing world around us. Thanks for playing 👍🏾

What a great video. I’m really impressed with the organization. The way it was all tied together from begin to end was extremely satisfying, I’m hoping to see some more videos like this!

Absolutely loved this video, it really encaptures the feeling of nostalgia I and many others have for this game ♡ Before the big bang update and the release of the pirate class, my brother introduced this game to me when I was only 7 years old, I played it actively all the way through until I was 17 years old. Countless of friend groups come and gone, so many unfiltered conversations with strangers at the convenience of anonymity, an incredible amount of fond memories that I will forever hold dear. I basically grew up alongside this game and I do not regret a moment of it, the maple world was so magical to me as a kid. Once a year or so I get that nostalgic itch and log back in again, only to be met with an overwhelming amount of information like you mentioned, I completely understand that feeling. Some of my all-time favorite tracks are: - Happyville: White Christmas - Ellinia: Missing You - Ereve: Raindrop Flower - Maplestory Theme Music - Intro Thank you for creating this video!

Something I've thought a lot about lately, and is relevant to this video, is the idea of just getting older and looking at "them kids these days" and what they're doing. What I did as a kid was absolutely nothing like what my parents did when they were kids. They didn't have games like Maple Story or private Ragnarok Online servers or anything like that to play. They... you know... went outside. My grandparents also went outside. My great grandparents went outside. We were playing with dolls since the beginning of human history, but we only playing Maple Story for one very brief span of time. So I thought maybe I would grow old to watch the children of my generation play MMOs like Maple Story or Runescape or Tibia or Vanilla WoW and all that... and you know what I've realized? Well I've realized just what this video is saying. They aren't playing the same kinds of games as we were. A game like Pokemon Unite, like Fortnite, these free to play with battle passes and monetization schemes designed to get you onto a treadmill that funnels you into the whale hunting grinders to suck cash out of your credit card is NOT comparable to what I did as a kid. I feel no nostalgia at all when I look at "them kids these days" and I doubt anybody younger than me will either. I know I'll never be able to return to my childhood, but I thought maybe I'd be able to reminisce through looking at today's children. I guess not.

I find it immensely fascinating that so many people who played this game during that golden era have such a strong emotional connection to it. Even though I don't play anymore, every once in awhile I like to watch videos like these to help remind me of the good times . Thanks for sharing your thoughts and making this video, it was really really enjoyable. Also if you ever do get the itch to play a nostalgic server I've enjoyed playing both maplesaga and mapleroyals.

About the "I don't really get MMORPGs" section... I think what to me speaks most about you not getting them, is thinking that they're solely about grinding mindlessly through until endgame. At least the ones I played, including FFXIV, there's a journey and enjoyment to be had along the way until then. That said... old MapleStory is definitely still my favorite of all of them. Edit: Also, I doubt you'll read this comment on this 1 year old video, but, the population does still have nice chats in Reboot, which also deletes P2W because you.. literally can't, cubes are bought with mesos that you grind!

Loved this so much. It was such a great insight into a game I never got to play but had always heard about

I'm currently a level 255 Explorer Pirate (Cannoneer) on the Reboot server, and while I certainly can't play daily anymore (work and education take up most of my time), I do have a perspective into the modern "endgame" Maplestory player experience that I'd like to share, with my own insights on the gameplay/social aspects of the game and how I've documented the changes therein. Do note that this is my experience in Reboot, and while I used to play in regular servers pre-Big Bang update, I don't engage with modern-day regular servers. TO BE CLEAR, I am not writing this as a rebuttal or anything like that - I heavily agree with the overarching themes and details of your video. I just want to offer my perspective for a more complete understanding of what Maplestory CURRENTLY is. ((1)) How has the social aspect changed? I imagine this is what people miss the most about old Maplestory, and I'd like to announce that this social aspect is still alive and thriving!... Just, not in the same form it used to be. This has a lot to do with where current players perceive the "meat" of the game to be situated at. With things like Tera Burning Events that let you level a character three times as fast until you hit level 200 (which is waaaay easier to reach these days), there is a clear split in the TYPE of communication you receive before and after that breakpoint. Before level 200, there are always a bunch of people willing to help you out with finding training maps for your preferred class, skill point allocation, unique tips and tricks, helpful quests to complete, and so on, but you also don't often get more casual conversation due to the fact that unless you're over level 200, you're seen as either a mule class that's only being made to increase the account's Legion Level (a system where you get account-wide permanent bonuses for trying all of the classes), or just an exploratory character to see if you even like the class, which means there's no guarantee you're going to stick around. And with a player base that sees very few new-bloods enter the game, social consistency is paramount. AFTER Level 200, though, it's like you meet a whole new demographic of people, primarily through GUILDS. Guilds often have their own Discord servers where you can post memes, voice chat while grinding, plan boss raids way more effectively, and organize events like game nights, giveaways, etc. Once players know you're in it for the long haul (to some degree), there is a vibrant social sphere that opens up to you. There are obviously people that aren't going to like that communication is more efficient on a 3rd-party application rather than ingame, and I genuinely sympathize - Nexon's attempts at in-game socialization have been wildly overtaken by the ease of Discord. However, that does not change the reality of the situation: Hit 200, join a guild, and the social options open up to you, but it won't ever be the same as old Maplestory. ((2)) How has the gameplay aspect changed? There's way, way too much to cover in one comment, so I'll limit it to what's directly relevant to your video. Namely, what the hell happened to party quests, and what's the state of things like potentials? Starting with party quests: Levelling to 200 is way easier now, so while back in the day party quests were the best way to gain EXP, now grinding is far more efficient. There used to be party play maps where players gained multiplicative XP boosts based on how many people were in the party, but it was plagued with leechers, griefing and hackers, so the idea was indefinitely shelved much to my infinite anger. Fucking loved party play maps, bring them back Nexon you animal bastards. Anyways, this was the direct cause of PQs falling out of favour before level 200. AFTER Level 200, there... uh, just aren't any party quests for that level range. Instead, all of that development effort has been funneled into a far, far larger selection of BOSS RAIDS. These are the kinds of bosses that you really can't solo early on in a character's progression unless you're a mechanical god or willing to grind gear a good ways past the minimum requirements for a month or two. Therefore, this is where the party play portion of gameplay thrives. This ties in to the guild stuff I mentioned in the previous point, where you can find players to party up with you, or contribute to a guild's global ranking via the Flag Race or Sharenian Culvert challenges to have a stronger player mentor or carry you through the boss. This is also paired with the fact that most of the best rewards are given by bosses now, not party quests. Harder bosses obviously grant better rewards, to the point where the big-daddy bosses require you to create a regular weekly party to consistently beat it, which means you build up a strong rapport with your fellow party members. In a way, this IS kinda the way party quests worked in the past, but it's received such a massive image change that it requires a shift in mentality to get used to. Potentials, I have far less to speak about. The only reason the system is playable for me is because I play in Reboot server, where you can't buy it with IRL currency, only mesos. It's grindy, for sure, but it's a damn sight better than what the poor bastards in the regular servers have to deal with. You'd have to pay me my weight in gold to defend that dumpster fire of a system. There is a LOT I'm leaving out of this analysis, and this comment is still this long. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask as you please.

You accurately explained my gaming evolution playing MapleStory. Thank you for the great work. You put me back to memory land! :)

I wound up going back to MS a couple weeks ago as a 28 year old that remembers how impossible it was to pass level 70 in the old days and got a Bishop to level 185 in 3 days and immediately burnt myself out. The music is absolutely amazing still, the gameplay is smooth and the nostalgia hits so hard. I remember my guild swapping back and forth between MS and Mabinogi for YEARS, holding onto friendships. and I'm so happy to be getting a classic Mushroom enemy tattoo to honor this game! Amazing video

That final line with the music cutting out was really great, this game tears at my heart like nothing else. Always going to take at least 75% of my memories

So I've never played Maple Story, but as a fellow nostalgic 25 year old this very much still hit me in the feels. Great video man. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hey everyone. My name is Ahmed Albastaki, Co founder of TWW gaming studio. We plan to create our own version of classic Maplestory game. might take us 3-5 years. But we feel your pain. I might have watched this video 4 times by now. And I still get goosebumps at the end of it.

Just stumbled upon your channel and have to say this is an amazing video. It outlines everything I've loved about this game - like the chat box, the PQ and grinding meta, and the beauty of simply logging back in after a day of school - and I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind most days. You worded every struggle and every feeling perfectly! We're coincidently the same age and we started and stopped playing around the same time so this video hit all the right notes with me. Funny enough, I'm in between jobs right now and decided to dive into video essays on Maplestory out of nostalgia and reminiscence of simpler time in my life, and this video was most certainly the one I was looking for so thank you.

Damn, maplestory took up so much of my time in high school lol. Banger video wiz, thanks for sharing this.

The other problem is the expectation of year over year growth by investors, leading to more and more sketchy business decisions by developers & publishers to give that all consuming machine what it wants. This is what has allowed Activision, Ubisoft, EA, and co. to commit all the atrocities that have so recently come to light. If you have a game that has more upfront costs to development, these problems become more likely. And with the immense cost and expectation of new content that MMO's expect means this abusive cycle is both more likely and accelerated.

This really brought me back to one of the happiest times in my life. Thank you so much for making this video essay. It's wonderful to know that others share the same deep connection with this vivid world that I had the joy of exploring as a child. I don't regret any of the time I spent on this game - this was such a magical, unique experience, and I met people at 10 and 12 years old that are still in my life in my late 20's. I'd give so much to go back in time and experience this game again with childlike wonder I once had.

Wow so much of this hits the same. As the same age as you are, we had so much time back then, I miss my friends when we could just sit there and talk. I’ll never forget my time with Maplestory as well. You’ve done such a good job echoing my feelings. I wish I had said goodbye when I last logged off, but when I did, I never knew it was my last time to do so. It was special and I don’t think we can ever try to emulate that feeling as kids unfortunately. These memories hold a lot of value and sometimes I wonder about it.

I shed a tear; I cherished those moments logging in and seeing my friends. Obtaining the maple llama staff, KPQ, LPQ, LMPQ! It was so much fun and I find myself chasing games trying to find the same feeling I felt long ago. I know that moment won’t ever come back, a moment so pure, untouched by the Big Bang or life’s challenges.

You have described my childhood with this game in a way I could never put into words and gave me a return to a simpler time during my time watching this thank you.

After watching this literally the thing I want most is for you to find your old friend, y’all were huge parts of each others life’s and continuing to have their friendship would be a great thing I believe.

I was just curious to see the changes made since I last played (before pirates!). I wasn't expecting to get so emotional. I'm also 26 now and figuring life out. Thank you for this video ❤️

Thank you for making a video about how your relationships and life was, and how you felt. I enjoy learning about how other warm-hearted people's lives are actually like and how they genuinely feel.

Thank you. This was…is bittersweet. But I’m glad Maple will always be a part of my life..The people I met and lost. This really hit me.

Just stopping by to say ill never forget the great times on maple, and im grateful for the community you all helped sustain. Some of the best memories of my life. Not all of my best memories are maple related but man, you just had to be there i guess.

The section about the PQs hit me so hard in the nostalgia, you explained that time period perfectly. MS truly wasnt the same after PQs fell out of fashion

Maplestory used to be my social life back in highschool. Me and my cousin actually met up people from our guild irl.

Beautiful video. Your experiences are 100% what most of us old maplestory players also experienced. I still play to this day, hopped to private servers after big bang, quit multiple times, and came back to reboot, casually, around 2018. I would give anything to go back and play the glory days again, meeting new friends was so common. Skype, and nowadays, discord, have ruined that social aspect of the game and the anonymity that came with it. i'm a shy guy, i don't like vcing with people im not super comfortable with, heck even phone calls are difficult. It was a nice escape for me growing up having these fears, and now its expected to socialize over discord instead of the character we portray ourself as ingame. There's nothing wrong with it, but i do think there were many people like me growing up that found solitude in maplestory and the social aspects that came with it. exploration, pqs, party maps like LHC, all fortified the usefulness of your peers. The game is a ghost town unless you're in a guild spending time in your guild HQ. The memories i have of the good ol' days have brought me to tears because i've lost contact with some of those people when i abandoned the normal servers for the private servers all those years ago. I met new friends there, but we have since kind of split, occasionally dming on discord. It's just not the same nowadays. I will probably continue to play until it gets shut down because my love for this game is unending, i just wish i could go back in time and hear that beautiful login menu screen music for the first time. The joy and drive for adventure that song brings me is unmatched. Never could get into the traditional mmo formula, but maplestory nailed it for everything i wanted out of my true, first multiplayer experience back in the day. I'm forever grateful for that.

As someone who was part of the very top players of EMS from 2009 to 2013 this hits home. I spend pretty much every waking hr online, chatting, grinding, bossing, ect. I still look back at those years as the best of my life.

I was into ragnarok online private servers was my first MMO love. I like you made friends in game, took breaks from grinds by hanging out in peaceful places and just talking. When the private server got shut down, we moved to maple story and did a lot of the same. This was before pirates were a think and tbh, I don’t think I even made it to Bandit haha but I loved the community and exploration

This touched so many memory banks of mine, I joined the MapleStory world shortly before Nexon had picked it up from Wizet. Everything about my middle school / high school life was revolved around MapleStory. I can still remember the excitement I got from third party fan services which tied the community together even outside the game itself, Basil Market, Hidden-Street Database, and even Maple Radio. Good times...

I share the same story and feelings like u bro! i come from the golden years, 2008 mapler here, and like u, i met a lot of amazing friends and ppl i will always remember in my heart, specially a girl that i met in the game back in 2008, And maplestory was exactly a game to make friends, to relax, to be apart of the reality sometimes.... an inmense world that fill my nostalgia everytime i see a video or watch the amazing and magical músic they created.. indeed the old ms will never go back.. but for sure it will never be forgotten by us the original maplers.. U bring me back too many lovely memories thank you!!

You are the voice of all the old school maplers! Love this video !! ❤

The ending of the video was impactful. I binged watched old MapleStory videos, and other parts of my childhood for nostalgia. I think we are all reminiscing the “good times” of when we had no worries & could get lost into something when we were young. I think our lives right now we aren’t in a positive state so we keep looking back at the past. But ur video made me realize like u said “it’s time to wake up” and stop looking at the past. Let’s enjoy our current lives now and work towards making memories, just like we did when we were younger. If we keep looking at the past, it could cause depression if we get too deep into it. Thank u for this video. “Don’t be sad that it’s over, be glad that it happened”.

i actually got into maple story recently, within the last year. tried the current version and found it to be obnoxiously bad, and then my fiancé introduced me to a private server, maple legends. even as someone trying the game for the first time in 2021, with no nostalgia for it to speak of, i found old maple story to be so much more fun overall. notably, there are so many secret areas to find in old maple story. if you press up on a suspicious rock or like, most instances of "two things next to each other" youll often find a brand new place, a discovery of your own! most if not all of these secret areas have been removed in modern maple story due to how much every map has been overhauled. it really goes to show how much character and charm was lost when maple story became not a game about YOU going on your own adventure, but instead a game about Some Other Character going on an adventure. you dont get to figure out how to navigate the world anymore because it's not your adventure. they might as well just cut to the next action thing.

Haven’t watched it yet, but I also love Maplestory. But I actually still come back from time to time and find myself binging it in those periods. But the game has changed from a social platform to a solo/modern MMORPG endgame grind. So I bet that’s what you’ll talk about. But I hear in South Korea it’s actually still as we once remember it

I'll never forget logging in for the first time with friends back in 2005 winter break. I spent years leveling my I/L Mage and I remember in the beginning I put my stat points into HP because I had no idea what I was doing lol. Haven't touched the game in a decade and probably never will but I still often search my character on the leaderboard just to see that he's still there. I agree with what a lot of people are saying in the comments on how even if we got a classic server it just wouldn't be the same. The game was so broken but I still appreciated every second! Great video btw you really captured the emotions of nostalgia perfectly :)

I will never forget this game my cousin introducing this game to me. My brothers and me spending countless hours, lost summers, and lost time with family over this game. Maple story will forever be in my heart and I will never play a game like it again. Cloud1583

Huge nostalgia I think most of us that are in our 20's can easily relate to this video. When all you had was free time the grind was so much fun. Thanks for putting in the time for this video and making the inner child smile.

This video hit me hard. Probably cause I too spent lots of time in Maple Story around that time and also Cause around your age with similar feelings about the world. Ive been really nostalgic for old MMOs, but don't quite enjoy modern MMOs like lots others do, nor do I have the time to sink into them like I used too. But heck, it hasn't stopped me from trying. Ive been playing a modded server of Toontown called Corporate Clash. And its been really enjoyable so far. Thanks for another great video dude.

So many good memories from back in the day playing this. Just as you had your special area where you’d sit, talk and listen to the music, mine was within the Christmas zone. The moment I stopped playing was shortly after Aran came out and I was grinding to be one of the first to get to 4th job. I remember vividly the moment I got to 3rd, logged off for the night, then went back to find out my account got hacked and they deleted my character. Nexon was completely dismissive on helping my young self and I quit due to frustration. I’ll never forget some of the friends I made, even their names(Aimee, or Ffayd), and I hope they’re doing well in the world wherever they may be. Bera strong, thank you to all the amazing people who shared their time and thank you for this video. Truly great stuff man.

This was the exact same experience I had. This brought back so many memories for me. Great video!

I loved listening to this. It reminds me of a lot of relationships I've been able to make and that I've lost throughout the years

I never even heard of the game, but from the gist of it, you could have been talking about my "relationship" with WoW. Even your assumptions about how a "classic" version of MapleStory would play out ring true with going back to classic WoW. It took me a while to get to the same conclusions but sometimes, moving on is really the only healthy option.

The social part hits so hard man, I really get what you said about that girl you played with, I had the same feeling with many people as well we played so much together exploring the world, we even took the ship from Ellinia to Orbis just to chill with new people and include those onto our journey too haha, good old times I wish I could go back. Also, your storytelling skills are insanely good, I was really hooked!

Thank you for this video...... When I first played MapleStory I did not know a lick of English, unironically I learned more English in this game than I ever did in school. It is as you said the community aspects of MapleStory really kept the game alive. Things like training at the different maps, partying up at PQ's, Standing for hours at the FM trying to sell your items or simply chilling in Henesys and showing off your NX, created many small instances which would push you to socialize with other players and create bonds which would last a lifetime. This is something which modern MMORPG's simply lack, you can just queue for Dungeons, there is no need to socialize as most content can be done alone, you can just sell your items at an automated auction house and the difficulty component is gone. All of this is antithetical to a healthy MMORPG that I am not surprised at all that what once was a vibrant MMORPG like MapleStory is simply a shell of it's former self, there is no class variety, they all have the same mobbing abilities now where once all classes filled a specific niche and were needed to fight difficult bosses, warriors would give HP and Defense buffs, Mages would give Mana buffs, Thieves would give Speed Buffs and you would need all of these classes to fight difficult bosses like Pianus, Papulatus and Zakum. Gone are the days where we would sit around Henesys hunting ground chatting on top of the shack or going to Maya's house socializing with players old and new. Taking the Black Taxi accidently and going down the Ant Tunnel with your friends just to see how far you would go before dying out of sheer curiosity. Hiding in the Cargo hold of the Orbis ship because you're afraid the Balrog might get you. going down Orbis tower trying to get to El Nath as a low-level because you wanted to see what the "Pro town" was like. attending a wedding in Amoria between friends because really you just wanted the great couples buff haha. Finding the elusive Pig Beach which was the only hidden map at the time. Competing with other players at the Free market spamming @@@ just so other people could see the item you were selling, and partying up with your friends and guildmates to defeat difficult bosses because that is what it was all about. We will always remember, the first time we disembark the ship at Lith Harbor, experiencing a brave new world not knowing what was in store for us, the friends we made along the way and the memories that will forever be enshrined in our hearts. ;) "We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun." - Winnie the Pooh

This is the video that no one asked for, but what everyone needed. Thank you for making this video, the nostalgia factor was insane.

Been playing from 2005. Your video is exactly what I feel in all of the aspects. Never had school friends to play with, all of them I met ingame. I’ve always come back to this game and it will never feel the same. But in the end, I cant manage to leave this game and feelings as its was too much part of my life. Trying my best to wake up for my bed finally, but its really hard.

the bombardment of info and quests once you start the game now is OVERKILL. back then you had a clear vision of what you needed to do, and if you wanted to explore, you knew what was around you. now though? you'll accidently teleport yourself to a different continent. the item upgrade system got worse over time. dark scrolls>hammers>pam songs>white scrolls>potential>star system ect.... like... $1000+ to make an item the best it can be is NOT an overstatement, not to mention you'd need to do this for ALL your other equips (11 or more). that's INSANE! i really do miss the old days. i remember being SO happy to ride a pig as a warrior class because we had no mobility options lol. i wouldn't mind playing this again just to see whats changed, if only for my community. great video!

Maybe the real MapleStory was the friends we made along the way. I played from the open beta(2005) to maybe early 2007 on Scania. The grind and the rampant hacking due to the grind slowly led to more and more friends dropping off the game. Around that time I got into my first real offline friend group in high school and drifted away myself. Still have lots of good memories from that period though but unfortunately lost contact with everyone I knew from GMS very quickly. Hope you're all doing well out there, Maplers.

as a Maplestory content creator, great video! really enjoyed watching/listening all the way through!

AGHHGHGHH I am working on a video rn about how delightful it was to just, like, be in a game with other people, even if the gameplay was nothing to write home about. This is such a validating video to watch; I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way xD This video is so heckin' cute :)

Definitely not the only one who feels this way. I'm playing an older version of the game right now that's doing its best to emulate the game from back in the day. You nailed it on the head that modern MMOs have forgotten what makes these games so good. I wish I could do something about that and make an MMO that captures it all, but it's tough and there's no time to work on that for adults that need to make money to live. Maybe someday we'll get an MMO our kind can love again. For now, MapleStory private servers do the trick.

I started playing Maplestory back in 2007. I've made a few good friends while playing that I still talk to today. I met one guy that lived about 3 hours away from me, so we met up and played Maplestory for about a month during the summer of 2011. Now we are both old guys and still good friends. I miss it a lot sometimes, but it was worth it. Great video by the way. I didn't think I would watch it for the full 40 minutes, but after it was over, I noticed myself wanting a little bit more. Kinda like the old Maplestory. :)

Man this brought back so many memories

amazing video, it's bizarre to see such production quality put towards this silly little game nobody cares about anymore. this is truly a perfect explanation as to why things are the way they are, and i hope people have the attention and care to watch to the end to understand this isn't just about "old maple good new maple bad". it's a special type of game from a special era of the internet. just be glad you were there for it. i was a little too late for the golden era myself

28 year old here. i spent ages 12-14 in this game, and some beyond. brilliant analysis, and thanks for the nostalgia. the memories i have of maplestory are all about the exploration, learning about the maple world, and FRIENDS. precious memories and time spent with friends, all of whom i've long since lost touch with, but i agree it would be nice to know if they're doing okay. i grinded my way to level 70 and had a blast doing it. if i recall correctly, after big bang, i got my primary character up to 130, but the magic was gone, and so were my friends.

That was unbelievably narrated and directed so well, took me back on a journey and I cheerfully thank you for that. Kudo my friend (Also, your online friend of 5 years touched heart strings, hello to her)

For me it was Ragnarok Online 18 years ago. But a good reminder for the times is the soundtrack of the game. Brings back memories :)

This has brought up tons of old memories and nostalgia - I started Maple Story back in 2005 right after Beta ended, I remember when cash shop first opened and new server Windia was introduced where I moved from Bera to Windia starting a new journey, I had the time of my life, running around seeing my very first level 50 person sitting in Perion was the greatest thing ever and I aimed to reach that level my self as a level 25 warrior. Later remaking my character to an archer when I saw one using arrow bomb in Orbis tower, I was blown away and wanted to play an archer, thus I made a new character again starting anew, making countless friends along the way, some that became my real life ones, but time is the greatest enemy, we got jobs, we grew up, we went our own ways, bonds broken, friendships lost and the only thing that remain is the memory of a great time, I was lucky I got to enjoy such an awesome game while it lasted, over the last decade I have been looking for something to recapture the feeling MS gave me in the past but there's nothing that even comes close, there's always something missing, always something that doesn't feel right, I don't think i'll ever be able to find something as fun, not because today's games are bad (most are) but because I have changed, I don't have the free time i used to have, I don't have the creative mind that I used to and with that I got nothing else to say but that the memories I made in this game will always remain with me. Thank you for making this video as it has made me remember a lot of things, surge of emotions that i haven't felt in years, remembering all the good and bad times I had, Farewell Old school Maple Story.. you were great.

The video in the back is from Mapleroyals. Awesome video! Brings bacj so many memories

I stumbled upon this video and I nearly cried. The forgotten nostalgia came flooding back. My high school friends and I used to play all the way back in the Beta and most of our time was before the cash shop and pirate class. Things have definitely changed.