I believe that it's mainly due to the inherent need of science to justify how something works. I always find it interesting how a Sci-Fi MMORPG is going to explain healing, buffing, shape-changing, etc. While no one seems bothered by the limited range of spells, I'm sure you'll hear people complain that said gun should be able to shoot for hundreds of meters. Personally, I understand the need for gameplay to overshadow realism, but maybe the sci-fi crowd needs the scientific justifications to enjoy the game. Before this article, I've always believed that sci-fi MMORPGs were going to suffer due to this situation.