free-for-all
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Free for All: A game for every mood
At any given time, I have between 30 and 40 different MMORPGs sitting on my desktop, waiting for me to click their shortcut. There have been moments when I would stare at them while suffering from "gamer overload" and then end up getting up from the desk to go watch Adventure Time instead. Usually, though, I am making progress in a certain game or area and will log into that world to complete a few more steps or will log in to do some maintenance such as farming fields, pruning auction house items or loading AFK shops. This lifestyle is not suited for the weak of wrist, or for those who want to do the same thing in the same game, over and over. It's also not for those who think that a monthly fee will somehow inspire you to play more out of obligation. Contrary to what you might think, this nomadic gaming lifestyle is not the result of too many boring games and one bored gamer, but instead is the result of too many fantastic games and one overexcited nerd. That's what I love about the world of free-to-play: the sheer variety and accessibility of so much great content.
Free for All: Introducing my trade route
There isn't a game in existence that will perfectly match every type of player. I have found that even my favorite games of all time could do with some tweaking, which is not the fault of the developer. No game-maker can read our minds, and there will always be limits on technology that will hamper the MMO creative process. But let's not forget the tools that are provided by developers, even within simple games. In almost every game I play, I try to apply some section of the Immersion Rules, a set of guidelines I made a few years ago that dictate how I interact with the world and other players. It's not a rigid set, though, and I am always bending it to a particular game or style. Lately I've been determined to assign my characters, in all my games, some sort of job to make money with. It could be an adventurer, a collector, or in the case of Mabinogi, a trader. This week I wanted to show you how I do it, so that you might find some inspiration to assign your own character a task or two!
Free for All: My top five F2P games
You know, I think I have a pretty clear mission here at Massively. I want to do my part to point out anything different or fresh to help keep this special genre of entertainment going in a good direction. If I can introduce 20 people to five new games, then I think I did a pretty good job. It can be a pretty rough trip, sometimes, as I wade through horribly designed websites and illegible fonts to fish up some independent gem or two. Over the last few years, I have discovered that my playstyle has changed to meet the demands of my curiosity. The games that I enjoy the most allow me to come and go, like a faithful dog that meets me after a long days work. They have to meet certain criteria, and even then have to be flexible enough to bend to my MMO ADD. So, here's a short, very short, list. This is the hardest list to write, not because it is hard to fill, but because it is almost impossible to cut off. Read on and see if you agree with my top five favorite free-to-play MMORPGs. (In no particular order.)
Free for All: How much content does 25 dollars buy?
With the recent announcement of 25-dollar mounts in EverQuest II, gamers drew lines in the sand. "Step past this line, developers," said some, "and we'll teach you a lesson." Understandably, many thought that 25 dollars was too much to ask for a single in-game item. Meanwhile, hundreds, if not many thousands, bought the item and further blurred those lines. Some think that this is sending a dangerous message to developers, one that will only encourage further lazy development and lackluster efforts on the part of the world-makers. I think the more dangerous message is sent when you avoid the purchase of the mount, or avoid the use of any cash shop in any form. We can look at established and successful free-to-play games for our evidence, proof that content should be measured on a case-by-case basis. Players have shown that they are comfortable with buying their content a bit at a time, and developers have shown that they can be trusted to put out good content. But, what are these dangerous messages that the standard subscription model and box prices send to developers?
Free for All: Accept envelopes full of cash
Well, at least that was the advice that Min Kim, vice president of Nexon America gave would-be game developers and other audience members at GDC Austin last year. To be clear, he was not telling them, while rolling his evil mustache and laughing, to get their hands on kids money no matter what. He was simply suggesting to game makers that they accept as many forms of payment as possible, including envelopes full of cash. And if you look at the Nexon website, Pay-By-Cash does allow you to send money through the mail. There are, quite literally, scores of ways to get your money into the hands of free-to-play developers. It's a little ironic, if you think about it, that the "free" market so easily fuels the addiction to pink dresses or limited-time mounts. So, are they enablers or just very smart?
Free for All: just slap "free" on it
I will admit it. I am just as guilty as anyone else, even though we are all coming from a well-meaning place. We see our favorite game seemingly going south, and pass judgment that nothing will save it. Or, we simply don't want to see a good game go to waste so we come up with the same solution almost every time. The idea is one part daydream, one part hopeful nostalgia and several parts unrealistically easy. I can list the games that I have wished this on, for no other reason but for the fact that they are or were good games, and I want them to be frozen in time or want them to be there for me whenever I can make the time. Games like Ryzom, Vanguard, Tabula Rasa or The Matrix Online. How many hours have we spent writing up forum posts or dreaming up ways to implement this idea: just slap free on it, and the game will be fine.
Rise and Shiny: Mabinogi
Each week Rise and Shiny asks you to download and try a different free to play game, decided by me, Beau Hindman. Some of the games will be far out of your gaming comfort zone, and some will pleasantly surprise you. We will meet each Friday night at 8 PM Central time, followed by this column the day after. If you cannot make the event, I will stream and record it here. I welcome any suggestions for games, either in the comments or at beau at massively dot com. I decided to start out with Mabinogi because it's easy to jump into, yet has more systems and skills than most games I have ever come across. While the graphics might turn some players off, once they give it a chance they should find a game that never ceases to delight. Nexon America continues to improve the game, adding new features and expanded areas several times per year. I have been playing the game for quite a while yet still have to complete even the first few chapters of the main storyline! Not only can you chase after dreams of conquest, but can become a tailor, a blacksmith or many other jobs that will result in the same fame and riches. So let's take a look at the game that we picked for this week, and please let me know what you think in the comments section!
Explore free to play games with Massively
To keep up with tradition, we would like to extend an invitation to our readers to come explore the world of free to play titles with us. Of course, there is a twist. Beau recently announced that he would be covering one free to play game per week, will be inviting players to play along with him, and then he would cover it in a new column called "Rise and Shiny" on Saturday afternoons. But what fun is exploring if you do it alone? So log into the current game and play all week, in this case Mabinogi, and join us on this Friday night at 8 PM Central Time, USA. Send a friend request to Beau on the Mari server, channel 6, and we'll see how much damage we can do to the local fox population! Keep an eye out for the follow-up column on Saturday, though, being that we will be announcing the next game of the week to explore. Be warned that some of the game picks might make you step out of your gamer comfort zone! If you cannot make the Friday night session, Beau will be streaming/recording it live here.
Free for All: RP in FTP?
Roleplay is a funny thing. Its definition can change over time and can adjust for each world that it is needed in. In a game set in modern society, there wouldn't be much that would not be out of character besides mentioning things that do not exist in that specific version of a modern world. If you get into a heavy fantasy game, though, you would probably avoid any modern references or phrases for the sake of staying "in character." And no, "thou" and "thus" are not needed. "Hello, how are you?" will serve just fine. Roleplay is becoming a lost art, though it seems. Most players are in the tavern just long enough to grab the quests. Standing in front of the bank, an old hot spot for roleplay, has become a spot to show off new armor or mounts instead. This doesn't stop me from trying, though, but in my own subtle way. I don't want to scare anyone off, and certainly not some 15 year old kid inside a free to play game. Yes, that's right, there is roleplay inside free to play games.
Free for All: A look at WURM Online
WURM Online is no ordinary MMORPG. Sure, we have seen some systems like this in a few other games and are seeing more games come out that promise features like this, but WURM has a charm and a community that make it second to none. Essentially it is a game of survival, pitting the player against themselves. There are many ways to die but those can be avoided if you use your head and practice some patience. I have a short history with the game, recently playing it with my social network site and for my blog, but after a few months break I decided to check out some of the changes that came along. There have been some tweaks to character models (which are essentially slightly animated dummies) and improvements to performance (the game runs in JAVA) but it was nice to see some of the same buildings still standing and to hear the familiar sounds of sawing and wolves howling.
Free for All: The first sample is free
There is a common myth floating around the MMOsphere, and I will have to admit that I have done my part in spreading it. It's one of those half-truths that can be used on either side of the free-to-play debate, and could help or hinder the spread of high quality free to play titles. That myth? That free-to-play games are free. They are not, essentially, as is nothing in life. Someone has to pay at some point; either at the point of creation, the point of making a character or at the point of paying the electricity bills. Also the price to make the games keeps going up more, the last quality game driving up the stakes for the next. Free-to-play is steadily shaking off the stereotype of cheap and grindy, but soon enough they will face the same issues that subscription model games face. Being free does not mean costing nothing, even though many of us blissfully log in night after night without paying a dime.
Free to Play: The value of zero
Recently I read about Min Kim, VP of Nexon America, commenting that he thinks that their new set of games might actually be looked over because of the lack of a subscription. Essentially, it is the same quandary that an artist gets into when he or she wonders how much to sell their art for. I used to be scolded by my fellow artists all the time for not charging enough for works of art, the argument being that something handed out for too low of a price is often seen as gimmicky or cheap. As Kim put it, if "someone were to pass you a gift card worth $100, and they say, 'Hey take this, it's free.' Initially you would clam up and go, 'Wait, what's the catch?'" He pointed out that many subscription based developers might have to start giving more bang for a player's buck in order to keep up with the new, higher quality games that are coming from the FTP market. It will be interesting to see if this happens or not. But I can totally see what he means about pricing, or the lack of. My artist friends and I used to have those discussions about pricing for hours. I used to practically give the stuff away not because I thought it was bad, but because I just saw it as something I wanted people to enjoy. One of my friends told me he set his prices sort of high, and that this created a "value" for the item, something that the collector could claim that the piece was worth. If you look at the millions of dollars that some art brings, you have to wonder: is it only worth that amount because someone paid for it?
EVE Fanfest PvP tournament to have free-for-all and Tech III matches
The Drone Bay podcast returned recently with an EVE Online Fanfest preview. The podcast's hosts Crovan and Alsedrech got air time with EVE developers CCP Tyr and CCP Claw, as well as StevieSG from EVE TV. In addition to dropping more info about the sixth annual Fanfest and some of the options players will have for excursions in Iceland beyond the player gathering itself (which will be October 1 - 3), they discuss the Fanfest PvP tournament. The Fanfest PvP tournament is a major draw to the event. The Fanfest tournament differs from the Alliance PvP Tournament (which will be held earlier in the year, in September) in some noticeable ways. Where the Alliance tournament is taken very seriously by most competitors who spend weeks in preparation -- after all, a substantial part of the game's playerbase are watching or listening to the event live -- the Fanfest PvP tournament is meant to allow for more impromptu, spontaneous match-ups. Indeed, some winning teams at the Fanfest tournament were comprised of virtual strangers who joined up at the last minute, and the rules can lead to some... unusual scenarios. In keeping with this spirit of mixing it up, CCP has decided to hold free-for-all PvP matches at Fanfest 2009.
The Digital Continuum: Is free-for-all PvP really for nobody?
Many MMOs with the "hardcore" PvP mentality are often argued as an experience that isn't for everyone -- something for a very set niche. Or in other words, these games aren't for people who prefer a little structure and intelligently crafted incentive to participate.Don't get me wrong, I love me some crunchy PvP snacks. What I don't have any affection for is a system that promotes players being douchetards. Sure, we're going to get them regardless, but encouraging the behavior is just not smart at all and it makes for a terrible experience.Here's the problem: If these PvP-centric games aren't for "carebears", then who are they for? Griefers? Well when you design a game that only they want to play, then yes.
Breakfast topic: Urge to kill, rising....
Just like PVE to PVP transfers and gnome priests, the idea of a free-for-all PVP server keeps popping up on the forums long after Blizzard has said no. Apparently people really, really want to kill players of their own faction. That, at least, I can understand -- while the opposite faction can kill and camp you, players of your own faction are the only ones that can harass you, hit on you, report you, cause guild drama, and generally be annoying prats. But a lot of players who say they want a FFA server note that they'd also like to wage war on their own NPCs. It seems there's some deep-seated grudges between questers and questgivers. Night elves seem to really hate Archdruid Staghelm in Darnassus, Hordelings want to take out Magatha Grimtotem, and more than a few players on both sides have serious issues with the Naaru. (Yes, technically you can attack the Naaru, but only if you really hate your reputation.) Especially me. If I could get 24 other people to ruin their reputation, I'd burn down those tinkling Christmas tree ornaments so fast ... In addition to the Naaru, I'd also like to knock some sense into Zul'jin. Player character trolls have cleared out the Echo Isles innumerable times, and Zul'jin just sits there in Orgrimmar, playing backgammon with Thrall's advisors. He needs to get up and get building a new troll city down there, with forts in trees and neat stuff. Are we to be parasites of the orcs forever? Would you roll on a free-for-all server? Are there any characters -- both players and NPCs -- that you'd kill if you could?
