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The Daily Grind: Do you look down on players who game for free?
For some reason that escapes my attention, it seems like a lot of people have been talking about the pros and cons of subscription-only MMOs as of late. Maybe it's a passing fad, I don't know. But in reading the always-entertaining comments section of some random article, I noticed a distressing tendency for some pro-sub players to be slinging derogatory terms at others who don't like to pay for games, calling them "welfare gamers" and the like. I guess that means today I need to ask if these are the words of a few folks looking to discredit the opposition or if there's an actual undercurrent of dislike for F2P players who never spend a dime. Do you look down on players who game for free, and if so, why? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Do players ask for too much free in a free-to-play game?
In a couple of decades, I imagine that telling people that playing an online game used to cost money will be met with some strange looks. These days everything is going free-to-play, with only a few games holding on to the traditional subscription model. As a result, though, I can't help but find more people complaining about how much a game gives you for free and what things should never exist in a free-to-play game, despite the fact that as little as three years ago the business model in its entirety was considered an also-ran. On the one hand, this is totally reasonable -- companies have found a lot of ways to monetize games of late, and some of those have become both ubiquitous and incredibly annoying. On the other hand, it's increasingly difficult to establish a baseline of what anyone "should" get for free in a game when the concept of "games are free to start playing" is fairly new. So what do you think? Do players expect more to be free in a free-to-play game than is realistic? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Cryptic uploads Star Trek Online's free-to-play plans
Curious about how a free-to-play Star Trek Online will look? We are too, which is why we're glad that Cryptic's followed up the unofficial announcement of STO's F2P conversion with specific and numerous details. On the site's new Free-to-Play page, Star Trek Online reveals what silver (free) and gold (subscribers and lifetimers) members will be able to access in the game. Free players will be able to enjoy a majority of the game's content, including character creation, all of the missions, the basic ships, the full range of levels, and special task forces. While free players won't be able to create their own missions through the Foundry system, they will be able to test out ones made by subscribers. The biggest restrictions a free account player will face are a limited mail system, reduced inventory space, and only two character slots. Subscribers and lifetime members will enjoy certain perks under the new system, including a monthly stipend of store points, priority login, respec tokens, Foundry access, and other basic MMO staples. It's interesting to note that when the game changes to the new system later this year, Klingon content for subscribers and free players will unlockable at level 25 instead of the current low level access. This is so that Cryptic can spend more time working on this weaker aspect of the game. The new system will also replace several types of currencies with a single new one, Dilithium, which will be used to purchase ships and gear. There are plenty more details on the site, including an FAQ and Features Matrix. Stay tuned later this week for an in-depth analysis of this information and a Q&A session with Cryptic in our STO column, Captain's Log!
The Road to Mordor: What to do with Destiny Points?
To say that Lord of the Rings Online has many types of currencies is like saying that Firefly has a couple fans out there. My characters' homes are like those houses you see on Hoarders, except that instead of collecting used newspapers and bobbleheads, I've stuffed every nook and cranny with tokens, barter chips, gold, and the odd Orc head. Yet there's one type of currency that always seems to fly under the radar in my gaming experience: Destiny Points. I'm forever forgetting they're there and I almost never use them. To be honest, I'm not quite sure why they're in the game in the first place. Destiny Points are a shared currency between your characters that seem to be vitally important to PvMPers (monster play) and vastly less pertinent to your average PvE adventurer. Still, as they exist and offer you an opportunity to get an edge -- however slight -- in the game, I figured it was about time to dive into the subject and see if they're worthwhile or just more junk for the closet.
The Road to Mordor: Horton hears a patch
Few things get me more excited than the promise of a big steak dinner and a big, beefy patch. Both get the mouth watering, the senses tingling, and the anticipation racing. However, the former comes and goes within minutes, while the latter is here to stay. I love devouring a good set of patch notes, chewing every morsel of information as my mind tries to picture it in action. Mental note -- I should not be writing columns when I'm hungry. I trust you were as pleased as I was when you woke up to the Lord of the Rings Online November update patch notes this past week (Standard Disclaimer: These are for the test server and are subject to change, void in Nevada). We knew that Turbine had a few substantial projects in the works for November, but this is far beyond what I'd speculated. It's one of those "There's something for everyone -- well, almost everyone" updates that has a little of everything, a buffet of sumptuous delights. Sure, it's not going to please folks looking for new dungeons, the promised LI and housing revamps, or the continuation of the epic storyline. That said, Turbine's first post-F2P patch is considerably bigger than anticipated, and if this is any indication of the course the company is setting with releases, I'm happy to be on board. Let's break down this LotRO update after the jump, and see just who this patch is for and what it has to offer, shall we?
