I'll suggest a few F2Ps that I've play/played or go back to every now and then.
-Dragon Nest
-Dungeon&Fighter Online
-Mabinogi (this one does require a bit of investment to really get into, mainly for Pets because they are very useful)
-Vindictus
-Heroes Of Newerth
And yeah, oddly enough there's 4 Nexon's Games in there. Not the greatest fan of Nexon but they import great games. As for Atlantica Online (which is also now published by Nexon), AO has a nice start but it gets repetitive very quickly. It's not enough for the gameplay to be repetitive (controlling 9 characters, 1 to 9 actives per turn, always using the same actions) but the story gets very redundant too (I could sum up the pattern of every new area this way: Kill 20--->Fetch 20---->Kill 20---->Fetch 20---->Kill 20---->Go to town A---->Kill 20---->Kill Boss---->Move to new town....rinse and repeat).
Haven't really bothered with new F2Ps and Converts due to time constraint and lack of interest. Waiting for FireFall for now which looks really fun.
As for f2p , some players here in west are accepting this model , and it will stay. Some are not accepting it and this won't change also.
I tried this model and it's variations like freemium , in few titles and I've learned that I cannot accept it , cause cash shop violate one of core principles of playing mmorpg for me personally. I want that in my game ONLY option to achieve something is by dedication , skill and/or time. Getting is solely or altarnatively for money I realized is unacceptable for me.
Of course in pure p2p games there is illegal market (contrary to some belieft is exist in f2p / freemium games also ) , but well there is illegal market for most things in virtual and real world nowadays.
So when time comes I won't be able to find pure p2p game that is interesting to play at same time (f.e. WoW or Rift is not for me ) I will quit playing. This day might be getting closer as many p2p games add/ expand cash shops above having very few vanity items , and that is also unacceptable by me.
IF worst comes to worst well then maybe one day , there will be big enough niche for game developers to offer pure p2p versions of their f2p titles , or separate p2p tiles again, then I might come back, I am not holding by breath though.
As for f2p , some players here in west are accepting this model , and it will stay. Some are not accepting it and this won't change also.
I tried this model and it's variations like freemium , in few titles and I've learned that I cannot accept it , cause cash shop violate one of core principles of playing mmorpg for me personally. I want that in my game ONLY option to achieve something is by dedication , skill and/or time. Getting is solely or altarnatively for money I realized is unacceptable for me.
Of course in pure p2p games there is illegal market (contrary to some belieft is exist in f2p / freemium games also ) , but well there is illegal market for most things in virtual and real world nowadays.
So when time comes I won't be able to find pure p2p game that is interesting to play at same time (f.e. WoW or Rift is not for me ) I will quit playing. This day might be getting closer as many p2p games add/ expand cash shops above having very few vanity items , and that is also unacceptable by me.
IF worst comes to worst well then maybe one day , there will be big enough niche for game developers to offer pure p2p versions of their f2p titles , or separate p2p tiles again, then I might come back, I am not holding by breath though.
Thing is, even with the "illegal markets" in P2P games - they're not a fat icon on your screen while playing, they're not random pop-ups taking up the screen, they're not little links when you go to try to do something that you have not bought yet, etc, etc, etc, etc...
...when all is said and done, when it comes to a F2P game - it's generally a case of hitting up Bejeweled, Dynomite, or one of those other quick online casual games.
As an aside, I'm not sure why you listed GW as F2P. It is not F2P. It is B2P. There is a trial, but the base game is still $19.99 to buy. There are addons/xpacs/etc that you can purchase as well. I think that plays a large part in much of the confusion and even the animosity toward the term F2P.
The B2P model with the ability to buy additional content is nothing new. Hello, D&D/AD&D/etc... you could buy the core books to play and do your own adventures or you could buy adventures, campaign settings, etc. We also see this with single player games that offer DLC. Generally speaking, it works pretty well for PnP RPGs and single player games.
When you get into MMOs...well...think about it. There are a lot of costs involved in hosting the game - whether you're talking about the boxes the game is hosted on, the bandwidth, gamemasters, IT operations, etc, etc, etc. Some B2P games will build some of that cost into the game itself and attempt to make a profit off of the sheer volume of box sales (addon/DLC sales). You're paying more upfront to cover the costs later.
"F2P" games do not have those box sales. They need to make a profit, need to cover their development and operating costs. So you're going to find them limited in some fashion so that the player spends money. Not every player needs to spend money, but enough players have to spend enough money to generate a profit.
The experience you have as a "free player" will vary greatly. You might be able to do a bare naked walk to the end while having fun on the way...as long as somebody is forking over the cash. In some cases, you might be able to pull off a passable single player experience in an online persistent world. For some, that is all they need. For others, they're likely to spend far more than they would have on a sub... possibly for the same as they would have gotten with a sub and possibly for less.
I was baffled at some of the conversations taking place in Help on Virtue in CoH yesterday... as players were talking about buying things to enjoy the free to play experience. Um...hello? It is a trip. For some people, all "F2P" means is that there is no sub. They'll spend money left, right, and center - but as long as they're not paying a sub - the game is "F2P" to them.
Again, part of the confusion and apathy that comes about in discussing the term.
I had a year's paid time, almost 4 years of Vet rewards, I had bought all but four of the booster packs, bought GR, etc, etc... my "F2P" experience in CoH is far different than somebody that never played before or perhaps only played a month and bought nothing else. That is because my "F2P" experience is based upon having paid at some point. For somebody to get to where I am, they'd have to pay to do so. In order to advance in the tiers to unlock additional items, I would have to buy things - but then again, to unlock them previously - I would have had to pay for a longer subscription - so it would have been the same.
All in all, I have to say that CoH has the best "F2P" model that I've seen. I have not played many F2P games - cannot say that I have played any, tbh. I have quit many games that have introduced a F2P/hybrid model though. I have quit many games that have introduced RMT item shops, etc.
So it is definitely easy to see where much of the apathy could be coming from... B2P and P2P are pretty clean/clear cut... "F2P" tends to be "P2W" on the other hand. Even in the replies to this thread, it is funny to see people talking up games that others have talked down or talking down games others have talked up. Different people enjoy different things, have tolerances for different things, etc, etc, etc.
You're looking for a F2P game to love - well, they're F2P - no box costs. Just time involved in trying them out. So try them out...
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Why don't you try DDO.... I've been dying to play DDO for quite sometime but couldn't give up WOW and RO... Now that I've taken a break from these games I'm planning of starting to play DDO from next week....
As for f2p , some players here in west are accepting this model , and it will stay. Some are not accepting it and this won't change also.
I tried this model and it's variations like freemium , in few titles and I've learned that I cannot accept it , cause cash shop violate one of core principles of playing mmorpg for me personally. I want that in my game ONLY option to achieve something is by dedication , skill and/or time. Getting is solely or altarnatively for money I realized is unacceptable for me.
Of course in pure p2p games there is illegal market (contrary to some belieft is exist in f2p / freemium games also ) , but well there is illegal market for most things in virtual and real world nowadays.
So when time comes I won't be able to find pure p2p game that is interesting to play at same time (f.e. WoW or Rift is not for me ) I will quit playing. This day might be getting closer as many p2p games add/ expand cash shops above having very few vanity items , and that is also unacceptable by me.
IF worst comes to worst well then maybe one day , there will be big enough niche for game developers to offer pure p2p versions of their f2p titles , or separate p2p tiles again, then I might come back, I am not holding by breath though.
Thing is, even with the "illegal markets" in P2P games - they're not a fat icon on your screen while playing, they're not random pop-ups taking up the screen, they're not little links when you go to try to do something that you have not bought yet, etc, etc, etc, etc...
...when all is said and done, when it comes to a F2P game - it's generally a case of hitting up Bejeweled, Dynomite, or one of those other quick online casual games.
As an aside, I'm not sure why you listed GW as F2P. It is not F2P. It is B2P. There is a trial, but the base game is still $19.99 to buy. There are addons/xpacs/etc that you can purchase as well. I think that plays a large part in much of the confusion and even the animosity toward the term F2P.
The B2P model with the ability to buy additional content is nothing new. Hello, D&D/AD&D/etc... you could buy the core books to play and do your own adventures or you could buy adventures, campaign settings, etc. We also see this with single player games that offer DLC. Generally speaking, it works pretty well for PnP RPGs and single player games.
When you get into MMOs...well...think about it. There are a lot of costs involved in hosting the game - whether you're talking about the boxes the game is hosted on, the bandwidth, gamemasters, IT operations, etc, etc, etc. Some B2P games will build some of that cost into the game itself and attempt to make a profit off of the sheer volume of box sales (addon/DLC sales). You're paying more upfront to cover the costs later.
"F2P" games do not have those box sales. They need to make a profit, need to cover their development and operating costs. So you're going to find them limited in some fashion so that the player spends money. Not every player needs to spend money, but enough players have to spend enough money to generate a profit.
The experience you have as a "free player" will vary greatly. You might be able to do a bare naked walk to the end while having fun on the way...as long as somebody is forking over the cash. In some cases, you might be able to pull off a passable single player experience in an online persistent world. For some, that is all they need. For others, they're likely to spend far more than they would have on a sub... possibly for the same as they would have gotten with a sub and possibly for less.
I was baffled at some of the conversations taking place in Help on Virtue in CoH yesterday... as players were talking about buying things to enjoy the free to play experience. Um...hello? It is a trip. For some people, all "F2P" means is that there is no sub. They'll spend money left, right, and center - but as long as they're not paying a sub - the game is "F2P" to them.
Again, part of the confusion and apathy that comes about in discussing the term.
I had a year's paid time, almost 4 years of Vet rewards, I had bought all but four of the booster packs, bought GR, etc, etc... my "F2P" experience in CoH is far different than somebody that never played before or perhaps only played a month and bought nothing else. That is because my "F2P" experience is based upon having paid at some point. For somebody to get to where I am, they'd have to pay to do so. In order to advance in the tiers to unlock additional items, I would have to buy things - but then again, to unlock them previously - I would have had to pay for a longer subscription - so it would have been the same.
All in all, I have to say that CoH has the best "F2P" model that I've seen. I have not played many F2P games - cannot say that I have played any, tbh. I have quit many games that have introduced a F2P/hybrid model though. I have quit many games that have introduced RMT item shops, etc.
So it is definitely easy to see where much of the apathy could be coming from... B2P and P2P are pretty clean/clear cut... "F2P" tends to be "P2W" on the other hand. Even in the replies to this thread, it is funny to see people talking up games that others have talked down or talking down games others have talked up. Different people enjoy different things, have tolerances for different things, etc, etc, etc.
You're looking for a F2P game to love - well, they're F2P - no box costs. Just time involved in trying them out. So try them out...
I did try multiple f2p and freemium games as I stated in my post.
I did not list GW as f2p. I never said anything about GW in my post. I will try GW2 out of curiosity to experience b2p model in mmorpg myself though I don't think I will be able to follow this model ,well maybe I will be proven wrong , I have not played GW1 though , cause as corpg game it does not hold my interest.
I know that F2P games need to operate cash shops just to earn money, this is normal and expected as whole f2p / freemium business model revolves around it. Ok.
I just tried for months and I realized that I just hate this model , sole existence of item shop.
This is not about game itself but what item shop bring to a game ,and how it change a game and community. That is why I found by trying , that personally I will never be able to accept and play again freemium / f2p games.
I've played several F2P games. Allods Online, LotRO, DDO, RoM, PW, Forsaken World, etc...
The BEST F2P (imo, of course) is Turbine's games. DDO and LotRO, with LotRO being my favorite. The reason is that it is the ONLY game that allows be to realistically play the game without buying anything with *real* currency. The one thing that I love about it is that I can earn Turbine Points IN-GAME and use those earned points to purchase additional content. Grant it, there's a lot of grind to do it, but the ability is there. To date I have *bought* the following using earned Turbine Points: Several Riding skills (for different toons), the Lone Lands Quest Pack (before it was included in the F2P), Trollshaws questing area, 2 additional Skirmishes, and a couple of Virtues for new toons. All of these were with earned points in the game. That's why I enjoy LotRO more than the others because I can truly play the game for free, albiet for more work...which is how it should be. As a F2P customer I do NOT expect to have the same benefits as those that pay, nor should I.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. LotRO may not be for everybody, but imo Turbine has the best F2P out of anyone out there. It definitely did wonders for DDO and LotRO and for their customer base.
i understand all that perfectly, atm there is like nothing new to test and when it comes to old games i can't fancy any of them for more then a few minutes of gameplay... or maybe it's just me getting bored pretty fast
OP as you know your plight is very common. I have looked high and low for some thing to tide me over until GW2. My latest answers
King of kings 3....ftp...has depth,good graphics....signifigance community....deep crafting...even housing
I had a very kind person give me a buddy key to STAR TREK. The game is going ftp and I'm playing for free and checking the game out.If I like it...i'll have an advanced character
Strongly consider leaving the mmog world.Buy a single player rpg and drop out for a few months.There are countless demos to let you try the game before buying.Steam is one place to look. File planet..and there are others.
AOC....with my new computer gets a look on occassion.The graphics on dx 10 and their new graphics engine are incredible.
AoC is a good game in all essence and i'm pretty sure the free to play model is more flexible then most of the games that made the transition although some classes are bought as well as access to some areas are limited, but you can do up to tier 2 raiding without any purchaces. If you are looking for session based game play and Dragon Nest is too cartoony for you then Vindictus which is made by the same company is a good option. Although if i were you i would just wait until STO or DCUO go F2P and join one of them if you haven't already. Plus you would be able to write a lengthy and probably extra synical review of them
I've spent a couple days playing Eden Eternal and thought I'd add that one to the suggestion list. I'd like it a lot more than I do if the artwork didn't make me feel sort of like I'm sitting in a Kindergarten coloring with the big crayons. Other than that, it has (or will have in a few days, not sure if it's in yet) housing, crafting, a pretty nifty class setup where you can swap them out whenever, and all in all it's a nice looking game, it's just clearly designed with little kids in mind.
But I guess when I feel like feeling like a grownup while I'm playing computer games, Global Agenda is my antidote, so I'll mention that one too. I just wish it was bigger. And not so much desert, and I wish it had more non-combat stuff to do. If someone would just moosh a few of these free to play games I've been sampling lately into one MMO, then pick out the boring and ugly bits, it would make a fine game.
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
I'm having a lot of fun with Jade Dynasty. And I've won enough ZEN for free from surveys to make me not want to spend any money on it.
"Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a dissolute imagination of the like which has never been seen, atheistic to the point of fanaticism, there you have me in a nutshell and kill me again or take me as I am, for I shall not change. Never." (De Sade)
@fenistil, I should have broken my reply out better so it did not come across in the way you took it. Only part of what I said was in reply to you - the rest was in reply to the OP.
My apologies for any confusion that may have caused... it was probably at a time like this, where I'm only half asleep and half not awake yet.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
You have to buy the Guild Wars game (and any expansions you might want). After that, you can log in and play anytime you like for nothing.
I've owned GW for a number of years, despite what one commenter seems to think, and I go back to it now and then. It's just that it's not new to me.
It's also not F2P.
Why oh why do so many people - now including the column's author - insist on describing GW as F2P.
GW requires an initial purchase, of the original game and/or all expansions.
You don't buy the game, you don't play the game outside of a trial, or someone giving you their account. Period.
That is not F2P.
You don't have a subscription fee, but that still don't make it F2P. This is why people describe GW as B2P, or 'buy to play' and not F2P'.
GW1 also has a cash shop, selling a variety of things, such as skill packs, items, character slots, gear sets, etc.
So you could say it's B2P + Cash Shop.
I guess people are going to continue pushing that myth for as long as the game exists. Funny how it almost *always* happens in the context of a post or article pushing, or otherwise discussing F2P in a positive light.
Perhaps people feel if they keep including GW1 in the discussion of F2P (even if it isn't) that it'll give F2P a better name by association.
Ugh... anyway lol....
"If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road, and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Played DDO for a couple months off and on, but its getting pretty stale. I played a lot when it launched.
Can't stand Lotro for some reason. Rift either.
Never gonna play WoW again, I'm just done there.
EQ2 has some neat stuff to it, I just cant seem to get into it. I like the housing, but don't like the gameplay. Might have been okay if I would have leveled up with everyone else.
I have the first 3 guildwars games and I just don't get the appeal. Again I started really late though, and that makes it hard. I got all the games on sale for like 12 bucks so its no big deal, I just can't seem to get into it.
Eve was kinda interesting at first, but the "spreadsheets in space" killed it for me. The fact that you can never really catch up in EVE is a hindrance too. Haven't touched it in over a year.
I tried Allods and runes o magic and a few other FTP type games. Didn't see much going for them after playing a few levels and never played most more than 1 night.
STO isn't as bad as most people say, but it is a lot like the TV show where its better in small weekly bites instead of trying to powergame it. ( I bought a lifetime - maybe got my moneys worth back- not bitter)
Champions and COH are big fun, flying , beating up bad guys, villians and their speeches. Unfortunately for me they also got stale fast, I played both games for about a month this summer just to play something different and compare the games. By the end of the month I paid for I wasn't really interested in playing anymore- they got really repetative.
Unfortunately... I got nuthin at this point to share. DDO maybe?
Fortunately there are some new games coming out. Can't come soon enough for me.
Have a sense of humor, no need to get ALL MODDY ! A Simpson's quote shouldn't be worth a warning. You are lucky anyone is bothering to read this rag.
I spend more money on free to play game then I do subscription games. I can not wait for Arche Age and GW2 to come out so I can get away from all these poorly developed games.
But if I had to choose a F2P, I like Forsaken World pretty well. It's a decent game though a little buggy at times. But it has some very fun aspects.
My suggestion is to play a game designed to be free to play and that came out this year. Anything older will nickle & dime you, anything converted from sub will nickle & dime you.
Eden Eternal is probably the best of the bunch, though be prepared to hit a wall when it comes to leveling. I've not got there yet, but it will come. Outside of that, it is very good, simple world design that may put off those used to a big open seamless world, but otherwise it has everything you could want from a modern MMO.
The other would be Forsaken World, but if you're coming off of WoW burnout then probably best to avoid FW, as visually it takes a lot from Blizzard's monster and the gameplay isn't too far removed either, though as you'd expect from a PWE game, it has their typical asian feel to it.
I quite like Luvinia too, but then I quite like playing MMOs that are different to WoW/LOTRO/Clone.
As nobody before mentiod it yet, i d like to recommend Scarlet Legacy, it has very nice graphics and combat animations (also combat is fun and somewhat differs from the typical) also has a very nice story behind it, only thing to bear with is the somwhat poor translation, which personaly didnt bother me very much. Also one of the rarely mentioned that i myself enjoyed ofr over a year is Battle of the immortals which features an awesome pet system based on astral signs and at almost all times decent numbers of players online + easy to find parties (which seems to be rare nowadays in f2ps)
3. Find a tribe to join that will explain the new questing model
4. Have a ball ranking up a toon while dodging the freep players
Its like a good combination of the best bits of Darkfall and Lineage2, you have territory control, pvp and questing and it keeps you coming back for more. But it is important to give it a day or two and really understand how questing gives you rank on the creep side now.
Playing: Darkfall New Dawn (and planning to play Fallout 76) Favourite games have included: UO, Lineage2, Darkfall, Lotro, Baldur's Gate, SSX, FF7 and yes the original Wizardry on an Apple IIe
Comments
I'll suggest a few F2Ps that I've play/played or go back to every now and then.
-Dragon Nest
-Dungeon&Fighter Online
-Mabinogi (this one does require a bit of investment to really get into, mainly for Pets because they are very useful)
-Vindictus
-Heroes Of Newerth
And yeah, oddly enough there's 4 Nexon's Games in there. Not the greatest fan of Nexon but they import great games. As for Atlantica Online (which is also now published by Nexon), AO has a nice start but it gets repetitive very quickly. It's not enough for the gameplay to be repetitive (controlling 9 characters, 1 to 9 actives per turn, always using the same actions) but the story gets very redundant too (I could sum up the pattern of every new area this way: Kill 20--->Fetch 20---->Kill 20---->Fetch 20---->Kill 20---->Go to town A---->Kill 20---->Kill Boss---->Move to new town....rinse and repeat).
Haven't really bothered with new F2Ps and Converts due to time constraint and lack of interest. Waiting for FireFall for now which looks really fun.
You have to buy the Guild Wars game (and any expansions you might want). After that, you can log in and play anytime you like for nothing.
I've owned GW for a number of years, despite what one commenter seems to think, and I go back to it now and then. It's just that it's not new to me.
[mod edit] Ony games that I have found at least acceptable as F2P are those that have also option for full sub.
Well there are p2p games in Asia as well
As for f2p , some players here in west are accepting this model , and it will stay. Some are not accepting it and this won't change also.
I tried this model and it's variations like freemium , in few titles and I've learned that I cannot accept it , cause cash shop violate one of core principles of playing mmorpg for me personally. I want that in my game ONLY option to achieve something is by dedication , skill and/or time. Getting is solely or altarnatively for money I realized is unacceptable for me.
Of course in pure p2p games there is illegal market (contrary to some belieft is exist in f2p / freemium games also ) , but well there is illegal market for most things in virtual and real world nowadays.
So when time comes I won't be able to find pure p2p game that is interesting to play at same time (f.e. WoW or Rift is not for me ) I will quit playing. This day might be getting closer as many p2p games add/ expand cash shops above having very few vanity items , and that is also unacceptable by me.
IF worst comes to worst well then maybe one day , there will be big enough niche for game developers to offer pure p2p versions of their f2p titles , or separate p2p tiles again, then I might come back, I am not holding by breath though.
Thing is, even with the "illegal markets" in P2P games - they're not a fat icon on your screen while playing, they're not random pop-ups taking up the screen, they're not little links when you go to try to do something that you have not bought yet, etc, etc, etc, etc...
...when all is said and done, when it comes to a F2P game - it's generally a case of hitting up Bejeweled, Dynomite, or one of those other quick online casual games.
As an aside, I'm not sure why you listed GW as F2P. It is not F2P. It is B2P. There is a trial, but the base game is still $19.99 to buy. There are addons/xpacs/etc that you can purchase as well. I think that plays a large part in much of the confusion and even the animosity toward the term F2P.
The B2P model with the ability to buy additional content is nothing new. Hello, D&D/AD&D/etc... you could buy the core books to play and do your own adventures or you could buy adventures, campaign settings, etc. We also see this with single player games that offer DLC. Generally speaking, it works pretty well for PnP RPGs and single player games.
When you get into MMOs...well...think about it. There are a lot of costs involved in hosting the game - whether you're talking about the boxes the game is hosted on, the bandwidth, gamemasters, IT operations, etc, etc, etc. Some B2P games will build some of that cost into the game itself and attempt to make a profit off of the sheer volume of box sales (addon/DLC sales). You're paying more upfront to cover the costs later.
"F2P" games do not have those box sales. They need to make a profit, need to cover their development and operating costs. So you're going to find them limited in some fashion so that the player spends money. Not every player needs to spend money, but enough players have to spend enough money to generate a profit.
The experience you have as a "free player" will vary greatly. You might be able to do a bare naked walk to the end while having fun on the way...as long as somebody is forking over the cash. In some cases, you might be able to pull off a passable single player experience in an online persistent world. For some, that is all they need. For others, they're likely to spend far more than they would have on a sub... possibly for the same as they would have gotten with a sub and possibly for less.
I was baffled at some of the conversations taking place in Help on Virtue in CoH yesterday... as players were talking about buying things to enjoy the free to play experience. Um...hello? It is a trip. For some people, all "F2P" means is that there is no sub. They'll spend money left, right, and center - but as long as they're not paying a sub - the game is "F2P" to them.
Again, part of the confusion and apathy that comes about in discussing the term.
I had a year's paid time, almost 4 years of Vet rewards, I had bought all but four of the booster packs, bought GR, etc, etc... my "F2P" experience in CoH is far different than somebody that never played before or perhaps only played a month and bought nothing else. That is because my "F2P" experience is based upon having paid at some point. For somebody to get to where I am, they'd have to pay to do so. In order to advance in the tiers to unlock additional items, I would have to buy things - but then again, to unlock them previously - I would have had to pay for a longer subscription - so it would have been the same.
All in all, I have to say that CoH has the best "F2P" model that I've seen. I have not played many F2P games - cannot say that I have played any, tbh. I have quit many games that have introduced a F2P/hybrid model though. I have quit many games that have introduced RMT item shops, etc.
So it is definitely easy to see where much of the apathy could be coming from... B2P and P2P are pretty clean/clear cut... "F2P" tends to be "P2W" on the other hand. Even in the replies to this thread, it is funny to see people talking up games that others have talked down or talking down games others have talked up. Different people enjoy different things, have tolerances for different things, etc, etc, etc.
You're looking for a F2P game to love - well, they're F2P - no box costs. Just time involved in trying them out. So try them out...
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
I've been dying to play DDO for quite sometime but couldn't give up WOW and RO...
Now that I've taken a break from these games I'm planning of starting to play DDO from next week....
I did try multiple f2p and freemium games as I stated in my post.
I did not list GW as f2p. I never said anything about GW in my post. I will try GW2 out of curiosity to experience b2p model in mmorpg myself though I don't think I will be able to follow this model ,well maybe I will be proven wrong , I have not played GW1 though , cause as corpg game it does not hold my interest.
I know that F2P games need to operate cash shops just to earn money, this is normal and expected as whole f2p / freemium business model revolves around it. Ok.
I just tried for months and I realized that I just hate this model , sole existence of item shop.
This is not about game itself but what item shop bring to a game ,and how it change a game and community. That is why I found by trying , that personally I will never be able to accept and play again freemium / f2p games.
I've played several F2P games. Allods Online, LotRO, DDO, RoM, PW, Forsaken World, etc...
The BEST F2P (imo, of course) is Turbine's games. DDO and LotRO, with LotRO being my favorite. The reason is that it is the ONLY game that allows be to realistically play the game without buying anything with *real* currency. The one thing that I love about it is that I can earn Turbine Points IN-GAME and use those earned points to purchase additional content. Grant it, there's a lot of grind to do it, but the ability is there. To date I have *bought* the following using earned Turbine Points: Several Riding skills (for different toons), the Lone Lands Quest Pack (before it was included in the F2P), Trollshaws questing area, 2 additional Skirmishes, and a couple of Virtues for new toons. All of these were with earned points in the game. That's why I enjoy LotRO more than the others because I can truly play the game for free, albiet for more work...which is how it should be. As a F2P customer I do NOT expect to have the same benefits as those that pay, nor should I.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. LotRO may not be for everybody, but imo Turbine has the best F2P out of anyone out there. It definitely did wonders for DDO and LotRO and for their customer base.
Thanks, all.
"I am handicapped...I'm psychotic."
i understand all that perfectly, atm there is like nothing new to test and when it comes to old games i can't fancy any of them for more then a few minutes of gameplay... or maybe it's just me getting bored pretty fast
OP as you know your plight is very common. I have looked high and low for some thing to tide me over until GW2. My latest answers
King of kings 3....ftp...has depth,good graphics....signifigance community....deep crafting...even housing
I had a very kind person give me a buddy key to STAR TREK. The game is going ftp and I'm playing for free and checking the game out.If I like it...i'll have an advanced character
Strongly consider leaving the mmog world.Buy a single player rpg and drop out for a few months.There are countless demos to let you try the game before buying.Steam is one place to look. File planet..and there are others.
AOC....with my new computer gets a look on occassion.The graphics on dx 10 and their new graphics engine are incredible.
league of legends all the way... Especially wonderfull for someone with little time!
AoC is a good game in all essence and i'm pretty sure the free to play model is more flexible then most of the games that made the transition although some classes are bought as well as access to some areas are limited, but you can do up to tier 2 raiding without any purchaces. If you are looking for session based game play and Dragon Nest is too cartoony for you then Vindictus which is made by the same company is a good option. Although if i were you i would just wait until STO or DCUO go F2P and join one of them if you haven't already. Plus you would be able to write a lengthy and probably extra synical review of them
PLAY IRON REALMS GAMES
It really makes me sad when you mention F2P games and old F2P games without mentioning Iron Realms
I've spent a couple days playing Eden Eternal and thought I'd add that one to the suggestion list. I'd like it a lot more than I do if the artwork didn't make me feel sort of like I'm sitting in a Kindergarten coloring with the big crayons. Other than that, it has (or will have in a few days, not sure if it's in yet) housing, crafting, a pretty nifty class setup where you can swap them out whenever, and all in all it's a nice looking game, it's just clearly designed with little kids in mind.
But I guess when I feel like feeling like a grownup while I'm playing computer games, Global Agenda is my antidote, so I'll mention that one too. I just wish it was bigger. And not so much desert, and I wish it had more non-combat stuff to do. If someone would just moosh a few of these free to play games I've been sampling lately into one MMO, then pick out the boring and ugly bits, it would make a fine game.
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.
~Albert Einstein
I'm having a lot of fun with Jade Dynasty. And I've won enough ZEN for free from surveys to make me not want to spend any money on it.
"Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a
dissolute imagination of the like which has never been seen,
atheistic to the point of fanaticism, there you have me in a nutshell
and kill me again or take me as I am,
for I shall not change. Never."
(De Sade)
FFS... this site...
Is there not one column that isnt gonna be used to shill for F2P?
@fenistil, I should have broken my reply out better so it did not come across in the way you took it. Only part of what I said was in reply to you - the rest was in reply to the OP.
My apologies for any confusion that may have caused... it was probably at a time like this, where I'm only half asleep and half not awake yet.
I miss the MMORPG genre. Will a developer ever make one again?
Explorer: 87%, Killer: 67%, Achiever: 27%, Socializer: 20%
It's also not F2P.
Why oh why do so many people - now including the column's author - insist on describing GW as F2P.
GW requires an initial purchase, of the original game and/or all expansions.
You don't buy the game, you don't play the game outside of a trial, or someone giving you their account. Period.
That is not F2P.
You don't have a subscription fee, but that still don't make it F2P. This is why people describe GW as B2P, or 'buy to play' and not F2P'.
GW1 also has a cash shop, selling a variety of things, such as skill packs, items, character slots, gear sets, etc.
So you could say it's B2P + Cash Shop.
I guess people are going to continue pushing that myth for as long as the game exists. Funny how it almost *always* happens in the context of a post or article pushing, or otherwise discussing F2P in a positive light.
Perhaps people feel if they keep including GW1 in the discussion of F2P (even if it isn't) that it'll give F2P a better name by association.
Ugh... anyway lol....
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Iron Realms games are great... but I highly.... highly doubt they'd be played by a signficant number of people who visit this site.
Plus they're technically MUDs.. so I don't know if they'd qualify.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
I can't find anything good to play at all either.
Played DDO for a couple months off and on, but its getting pretty stale. I played a lot when it launched.
Can't stand Lotro for some reason. Rift either.
Never gonna play WoW again, I'm just done there.
EQ2 has some neat stuff to it, I just cant seem to get into it. I like the housing, but don't like the gameplay. Might have been okay if I would have leveled up with everyone else.
I have the first 3 guildwars games and I just don't get the appeal. Again I started really late though, and that makes it hard. I got all the games on sale for like 12 bucks so its no big deal, I just can't seem to get into it.
Eve was kinda interesting at first, but the "spreadsheets in space" killed it for me. The fact that you can never really catch up in EVE is a hindrance too. Haven't touched it in over a year.
I tried Allods and runes o magic and a few other FTP type games. Didn't see much going for them after playing a few levels and never played most more than 1 night.
STO isn't as bad as most people say, but it is a lot like the TV show where its better in small weekly bites instead of trying to powergame it. ( I bought a lifetime - maybe got my moneys worth back- not bitter)
Champions and COH are big fun, flying , beating up bad guys, villians and their speeches. Unfortunately for me they also got stale fast, I played both games for about a month this summer just to play something different and compare the games. By the end of the month I paid for I wasn't really interested in playing anymore- they got really repetative.
Unfortunately... I got nuthin at this point to share. DDO maybe?
Fortunately there are some new games coming out. Can't come soon enough for me.
Have a sense of humor, no need to get ALL MODDY !
A Simpson's quote shouldn't be worth a warning. You are lucky anyone is bothering to read this rag.
I spend more money on free to play game then I do subscription games. I can not wait for Arche Age and GW2 to come out so I can get away from all these poorly developed games.
But if I had to choose a F2P, I like Forsaken World pretty well. It's a decent game though a little buggy at times. But it has some very fun aspects.
My suggestion is to play a game designed to be free to play and that came out this year. Anything older will nickle & dime you, anything converted from sub will nickle & dime you.
Eden Eternal is probably the best of the bunch, though be prepared to hit a wall when it comes to leveling. I've not got there yet, but it will come. Outside of that, it is very good, simple world design that may put off those used to a big open seamless world, but otherwise it has everything you could want from a modern MMO.
The other would be Forsaken World, but if you're coming off of WoW burnout then probably best to avoid FW, as visually it takes a lot from Blizzard's monster and the gameplay isn't too far removed either, though as you'd expect from a PWE game, it has their typical asian feel to it.
I quite like Luvinia too, but then I quite like playing MMOs that are different to WoW/LOTRO/Clone.
As nobody before mentiod it yet, i d like to recommend Scarlet Legacy, it has very nice graphics and combat animations (also combat is fun and somewhat differs from the typical) also has a very nice story behind it, only thing to bear with is the somwhat poor translation, which personaly didnt bother me very much. Also one of the rarely mentioned that i myself enjoyed ofr over a year is Battle of the immortals which features an awesome pet system based on astral signs and at almost all times decent numbers of players online + easy to find parties (which seems to be rare nowadays in f2ps)
Just my 2 cents, have fun
"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power....."
I suggest the following:
1. Start playing Lotro and level a toon to 10
2. Create a reaver on the creep side
3. Find a tribe to join that will explain the new questing model
4. Have a ball ranking up a toon while dodging the freep players
Its like a good combination of the best bits of Darkfall and Lineage2, you have territory control, pvp and questing and it keeps you coming back for more. But it is important to give it a day or two and really understand how questing gives you rank on the creep side now.
Playing: Darkfall New Dawn (and planning to play Fallout 76)
Favourite games have included: UO, Lineage2, Darkfall, Lotro, Baldur's Gate, SSX, FF7 and yes the original Wizardry on an Apple IIe