I did some alpha testing for a game I have discussed in the Top Ten before over the weekend. Of course, I can’t talk about it yet. I also played some more browser games: Civony and NationStates2. I have mentioned before that Civony is a game that heavily borrows elements from Sid Meier’s Civilization and that it was a good game to play while doing other things at the PC because of its real-time construction component. Let me now also add that it gets brutal once you have played long enough for the newbie protection from PvP to wear off. Every time I log in now, my cities have been raided by some (much) higher level player. It killed the fun for me, so I stopped playing. I have a feeling that EVE Online players would feel right at home in such a hostile environment.

Meanwhile, Annatar mentioned NationStates in our forums, and Reavi mentioned that NationStates2 is in public beta. I signed up for the sequel and could best describe it as the Chia Pet of games. I log in every 24 hours to address two political issues facing my budding nation, The Sultanate of Ralsu. It’s like watching a plant grow; it’s not a thrilling action-packed adventure, but you get attached to it and can do it in only minutes per day.

Gamers in NationStates2 can form alliances with other players, set trade agreements (including embargoes), and eventually spy on other players. Still, most of the action happens based on “rolls of the dice” dependent upon the selections I make in dealing the problems. One of my citizens formed a group against profanity, suggesting I should ban use of swears. I chose the opposite stance, and The Sultanate of Ralsu now has a National Day of Swearing. NationStates2 is still in beta and has some pretty serious bugs if one believes the posts in the forums. Still, for a free game that can be played five minutes each day, it’s good fun.

One change you’ll see this week is that I have replaced MLB Dugout Heroes with CABAL Online in Ralsu’s Watch List. The baseball game is arcade fun but flawed. It also has the difficult task of competing with franchises that appear on console games, which is tough enough. To top it off, it seems that the PC demographic hardly cares about sports the way console gamers do.

For the future, I hope to explore the new system in Runes of Magic that sounds a lot like Warhammer Online’s Public Quests, and I’d like to learn more about Holic.

Top Ten Free MMOs April 30, 2009
Rank		Game
1 Last week: 1		Atlantica Online - (http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/) NDOORS Atlantica is a squad-based fantasy strategy game that breaks the mold. Players can control up to nine characters at once in fast-paced turn-based combat. A lot of the systems in Atlantica are different from the standard fare on the market. Atlantica Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
2 Last week: 2		Mabinogi - (http://mabinogi.nexon.net) NEXON Mabinogi provides so many things to do that it earns its self-appointed moniker of “A Fantasy Life.” Players can farm, play music, hunt, craft, go to school and more in this fantasy land. In Mabinogi, combat is not the only way to advance. Mabonogi Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
3 Last week: 3		Runes of Magic - (www.runesofmagic.com) Frogster Runes of Magic is a traditional fantasy game that uses a Dual Class system to inject a little strategy into character planning and a lot of flexibility into grouping. RoM has all of the features gamers want in a subscription-based game, but they’ll enjoy them for free here. Runes of Magic Portal Preview
4 Last week: 4		Dungeon Runners - (http://www.dungeonrunners.com) NCSoft Dungeon Runners is a hack and slash fantasy game that infuses every aspect of gameplay with humor. DR makes fun of other games, the genre, and even itself. This is the perfect game for a player looking to blow off steam after a rough day at work. Dungeon Runners Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
5 Last week: 5		Requiem: Bloodymare - (www.playrequiem.com) Gravity Interactive Requiem: Bloodymare is a horror-themed game that blends the traditional elements of MMOGs with the visceral feel of a gore film. Requiem is worth a look because of its fresh take on setting in MMOGs. Requiem Portal Preview
6 Last week: 6		Dream of Mirror Online - (http://domo.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment Dream of Mirror Online puts the player in the starring role of a classic Chinese myth. The eastern-based lore provides a refreshing twist on MMOGs, and the multi-class system makes character development in this fantasy game fun. DOMO Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
7 Last week: 7		Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine - (http://megaten.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online brings the popular RPG to life in the MMOG sphere. Players can use friendly persuasion or aggressive coercion to get demons to fight by their side. The dark subject matter and modern setting of the game is a welcome contrast to the enchanted glens filled with pixies we often find in MMOGs. Megaten Portal Preview
8 Last week: 8		Rohan: Blood Feud - (www.playrohan.com) YNK Interactive Rohan is a traidtional fantasy MMOG with deep lore and nice graphics. The world features intense PvP, gambling, and a few creative systems for managing gear. The level curve steepens midway through the game while the story diminishes. Rohan Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
9 Last week: 9		Exteel - (www.exteel.com/us) NCsoft Exteel is a visceral PvP-centric game featuring mechs and beautifully designed levels. Exteel uses a lobby system to connect players, and people can upgrade their mechs with resources found in game or purchased from the item mall. Exteel Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
10 Last week: 10		Florensia - (http://en.florensia-online.com) Florensia Western Global The peace in Florensia is fragile and you need your friends as well as strong allies to fight against sinister monsters on shore and at sea. Train your skills, experience thrilling trips through the countryside, load the cannons and hire a skilful crew to explore the ocean. Get ready for Florensia! Florensia Portal Preview

Ralsu's Watch List
	Game
	CABAL Online - (http://cabal.ogplanet.com/main.og) ESTsoft CABAL Online drops players in a brutal world where people are on the verge of extinction. Combat is  pretty fast, and the difficulty level runs higher than the average game.  The game requires grinding or grouping from an early level because of abrupt shifts in the difficulty of mobs. CABAL Portal Preview
	Free Realms - (www.freerealms.com) Sony Online Entertainment Free Realms is a a 3D fantasy world designed to encourage exploration and support casual play. With graphics similar to WoW and all the gameplay of a standard MMOG, Free Realms could appeal to adults. Its many minigames and events are designed to please teens. Free Realms Portal Preview
	Neo Steam - (http://neosteam.atlusonline.com) Atlus Online Neo Steam is a steampunk game set in a world where warring factions compete for a limited supply of the resource Neo Steam. It was above average in most categories during closed beta for the US, but it had multiple translation problems. Atlus Online should iron out the kinks. Neo Steam Portal Preview
	Warrior Epic - (http://warriorepic.com) Possibility Space Warrior Epic is ready to begin the next round of closed beta soon. It provides a fantasy hack and slash dungeon crawler experience with some very innovative features, including the ability to choose different character classes for each dungeon and a Warrior Hall that grows with the player. Warrior Epic Portal Preview (coming soon!)
	Wizard101 - (www.wizard101.com) KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. Wizard101 is an online, wizard school adventure with collectible card magic, and wizard duels! The game allows players to create a student wizard in an attempt to save Wizard City and explore many different worlds. In Wizard101, cards are magic spells. There are Fire spells, Ice spells, spells of Myth, and much more. The game is free to download. To access all of the areas, gamers will need to subscribe. Magic101 Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review

About This List

Please refer to the Top Ten Free MMOs Portal to find out how to get a game you make or like on this list.