This is Part 2 of the Gym MMO Player’s Guide. Check out Part 1 here.
Gearing And Builds
The Gym MMO has this weird cross-play system that can grant you Self-Esteem and Confidence buffs in many other Life MMOs. When you hit mid-level, you’ll gain the Very Light Armor proficiency, adding bonuses to the Sleeveless Shirt, Crop Top, Form-Fitting Tee, and more. In addition to a bit of heat resistance and extra maneuverability, you might find the CHA (Charisma) boosts offered by these items useful in the Town, Beach, or School MMOs.
You’ll also earn a host of other cosmetic items that can be applied to your arms, legs, chest, and stomach slots. These items improve muscular definition to the part they’re slotted on. They’re applied passively while playing, so you might not notice them until you step in front of the mirror after a shower. The RNG on these is really consistent. They’re basically guaranteed drops at certain levels.
The Gym MMO has a freeform class system similar to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Champions: Online, Eve Online, Mabinogi, or Runescape Classic. And in those games, niche specialization is all but required if you want to reach your top potential. But the Gym MMO doesn’t have much in the way of a PvP module, so a balanced “Adventurer” build is totally viable even in endgame.
Similar to traditional MMOs, going for a specific build means you’ve got a certain plan in mind, and a certain role you wish to fill. For you, the leveling process is a means to an end. There’s something else you’re reaching towards.
>”So, is there something else I’d like to get to?”
If there is, you’re probably already aware of it. If you’re on a sports team, you could consider a “build” that helps you improve the muscle groups to benefit your role on that team, just as you’d train the skills most useful for your role in a guild. If not, go for a general, balanced workout routine; Most people at the gym are doing that anyway. But even if you do go for a build, don’t neglect your core. Core is basically your Constitution stat in the Gym MMO: It increases your HP, which lets you farm for longer. And hey, more HP never hurt anyone.
The Grind (And Microtransactions)
The progress curve works a LOT like most MMORPGs. In the beginning, you’ll find yourself leveling with every quest or two, or being able to weight up / increase reps every week or two. Then after a while, the grind will start to set in. You’ll go quite a few quests (weeks) without leveling up, and might feel like you’ve hit a wall. It’s even worse with the incomplete leveling bar described in part 1: With no way to tell whether you’re gaining ground, it might feel like progress has stopped altogether. But that’s not true.
One of the things you can do to speed up progress is to try working until failure. This is the MMO equivalent of grinding a zone until you fall asleep on your keyboard. Take a weight that you know you can lift for at least 5-6 reps, and keep doing more and more sets until you physically can’t continue. So long as you stop before you hurt yourself, it’s a tad more efficient than standard grinding.
There’s also microtransactions.
Now I hear what you’re saying: “Microtransactions??? In a subscription Gym? If this were a free-to-play Gym I’d understand, but this is too far.”
Don’t worry: There’s nothing on sale that can’t be gained by grinding. It’s all XP boosters. From lifting gloves to ankle supports to the personal trainer, none of these actually increase your max potential. Pick one up if debuffs like muscle aches or frustration are getting you down.
There’s also steroids. Don’t do steroids. Steroids are those sketchy sites that offer hacks / trainers that might work, but will probably give you viruses. And in this case, those viruses go straight into your body. Not a good time.
The…Endgame?
The closest MMO I can equate the Gym Endgame to is Warframe. For those who know it, Warframe’s endgame has been nicknamed “Fashionframe” because the biggest ‘goal’ of the endgame is to look as cool as possible. There are some people who go for faster clears on specific instances, and those will be the people at the Gym who went there to improve at a sport.
Also like Warframe, you’ll want to party up as you approach the later levels. The penalties for death in the Gym are, well, death, and you’ll want someone to back you up once you level to a point where your weights start getting dangerously heavy. And as mentioned in part 1, Gyms have good communities. Ask around. Someone will lend you a hand.
The Party XP Bonus works exactly the same way for both. I think most MMOs actually stole this mechanic from the Gym. Working with friends will encourage you to work harder, leading to more productive sessions. And that’s what we’re all there for.
Conclusion
Don’t knock it till ya try it. It looks boring and the “tutorial” lasts a few weeks and kind of sucks, but you’ll feel it open up like crazy after that.
The best way I can describe it: It’s one of those games that looks boring but isn’t. Like Skyrim. Combat in Skyrim looks very boring. Combat in most MMOs looks very boring; Despite the flashy effects and colors, you’re still just standing in front of something and running through a skill rotation. You don’t ‘get it’ until you start playing.
So start playing. You just might surprise yourself.
