Guild Wars 2 MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

Defining Good

Identifying the quality of a game is the most elusive step in building my Top Ten list. Gamers can often agree on universally good games (like World of Warcraft) or universally bad games, but everything that falls in the middle gets muddy.  Do I rank free titles only among themselves, or do I compare them to pay-to-play offerings, too? For certain, picking good titles is a process subjective to the gamer, and my opinion should never be taken as scientific fact just because I have voice in a media outlet. Part of the fun of gaming is debating the qualities of each title with other players.

To be completely honest, even I (a huge proponent of F2P gaming and microtransaction models) find the quality of F2P games leaves a lot to be desired. Atlantica Online is far and away the exception to the rule, and the title from NDOORS is good enough to stand toe-to-toe with P2P offerings like Warhammer Online in my opinion. The gap between Atlantica and the rest of the games on my list is rather large in my mind, and the gap between my #4 (Dungeon Runners last week) and the next game is huge again.

By #6 (DOMO last week), I consider the games to be pretty average compared to P2P titles. I frequently feel like swapping in and out different #10s just because I don’t believe one game is significantly better than another. This is why I so often focus on upcoming titles (Warrior Epic, for instance) that promise to offer something new. In fact, one of the primary reasons I am so enamored with Mabinogi is because of its quirky features, like farming and playing musical instruments. Put Requiem in the standard fantasy setting and it’s not nearly as impressive as it is when its horror setting is taken into account. Defining good is hard, especially with such a burgeoning format like F2P gaming.

What’s the Point? (Parting Thoughts)

As the cost of producing quality games skyrockets, companies will continue to investigate methods to maximize profits while minimizing risks. That means we assuredly will see more P2P titles that also adopt microtransactions for convenience items and services (like character transfers). It also will mean more F2P titles will offer bargain subscriptions and affordable box sales. I only see the line between F2P and P2P continuing to blur. I have my own definitions for MMOG, free, and good; still, I don’t want to try to define things too rigidly and cause a gamer to miss a whole lot of fun.

I think maybe it is time for a change. My Top Ten list needs to introduce readers to some free gaming experiences (at least initially free) and then allow the players to define the rest for themselves. Look for a name change soon; I’ll be talking about the best free (to download) games I have tried, and I’ll trust you to decide if it meets your criteria for being free-to-play. So long as I provide a clear explanation about potential costs and restrictions, the most important person, the reader, can define the free part.

Have a list of ten favorite free MMOGs you want to share? Email your thoughts or post them in our forums!

The Top Ten

Continue to page two to see Ralsu's latest Top Ten list.