Welcome to the 1,137th Edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

Champions Online will follow in Lord of the Rings Online's pioneering footsteps by letting players dodge ongoing subscription fees with a lifetime subscription payment. Unlike with LotRO, we know a little more of what we're getting into this time around. What makes a lifetime subscription worth the initial pricetag? Do some MMOs make better life partners than others? Thoughts on lifetime subs and pricing in today's Loading... Becoming a Lifer.

Coyote's daily column explores all things geek with Coyote's trademark wit in It's All Geek to Me. Read it daily at Ten Ton Hammer! Today's topic:

Loading... Daily

Pricing details were unveiled for Champions Online yesterday, and usually things like this wouldn't make Loading, but Cryptic is offering the lifetime membership of LotRO fame at $199.99. The deal offers a nice set of costume sets and in-game item perks. But here's the kicker: lifetimers are promised access to Star Trek Online closed beta "later this year." It might not have the lasting appeal of eight character slots, but STO beta

Now, you and I probably both balk at dropping a high schooler's paycheck on a game before launch. As a matter of editorial disclosure I should note that I pay for any game I have any interest in playing, usually giving away any freebies that come my way to you folks. It's important to me on an integrity level to approach any game from the average player's perspective, and the pain of the pricetag is a big part of that. I do make exceptions for games I'm asked to preview that I have absolutely zero desire to play - my time may be cheap, but it ain't free - and I don't condemn reviewers and writers that use the goodies they're given. Lordy knows that covering even a small fraction of the almost 300 MMORPGs we have on our list is a pricey endeavor.

With a monthly subscription fee of US $14.99, you would have to play Champions Online through December 2010 (14 months) to make the deal work for you, and that's not including the true cost of paying up front - the time value of money, psychological pricing, and other considerations that make accountants giggle. There are certain games that I certainly wouldn't recommend a lifetime subscription for, but having played a touch of every part of the game, including the endgame, I can vouch that it's there. Not only that, but I entered the game with a healthy amount of skepticism - I'm not really a comic book guy and wasn't sure I could dig the art style - but CO grew on me in a big way. I think it's the sort of game (like EVE Online) that polarizes people at the outset, but if you stick with it for a length of time, you might find yourself hooked.

All told, I have trouble seeing lifetime pricing as a bad deal. $200 is a lot of money for a game, especially in this economic climate, but CO is exactly the kind of game that would benefit from removing subscription guilt. Much like City of Heroes, it's easy to pick up, put down, and pick up again when the latest gaming fad subsides, and the fun of creating characters and nemeses assures you of having a decent group of folks to group at any level for a very long time after launch.

What think you of lifetime pricing deals? Is 14 months too long to make it pay? Can't justify dropping your family's cell phone budget for a month on a game? (Just give your friends and loved ones your vent info!) Your thoughts and opinions welcome in the Loading... forum, or feel free to email me..

Shayalyn's Ethec's Epic Thread of the Day

(Shay's on a well deserved mini-vacation)



From the Final Fantasy XIV News & Articles Discussion

FFXIV Classes & Races Revealed!



Blizzard steps up the content updates in more ways than one.

Kudos to Khalus for digging up and translating some pieces on Final Fantasy XIV races and classes from a Japanese gaming magazine. All eyes are on Japan, since we know that Square Enix is contemplating an incredibly short (in MMO terms) ramp up to release. If Square Enix form follows XI fashion, once FFXIV launches on the other side of the Pacific it's only a matter of time for the NA / Europe launch.

We can't vouch for the translations but they make perfect sense. But, to be honest, if this came from another game site or another immediately available source we'd have to pull the thread in a hurry over copyright concerns, much to our chagrin. I've never dealt with a print piece repost before, so while I ask our lawyers, enjoy the info!

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Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread



"Humans are now called Hyuran, and have undergone basically no change. Tarutaru are now Lalafell, and have grown a lot taller in this game. Galka are now called Roegadyn, losing their tail and gaining size in comparison to XI. Whether or not there are any new races is still unknown." - Khalus

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Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!

6 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 16 in August! 876 in 2009!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

• The Guild In-Depth Interview with Director Sean Becker
  While Ten Ton Hammer was at Comic-Con '09, we ran into Sean Becker, the director of The Guild, and asked him a number of questions regarding his work with the online series. Keep reading to get an in-depth look at what it's like to work on one of the most popular web series on the Internet!
• World of Warcraft Op/Ed - The Rise and Fall of Rogues
  In our latest WoW Rogue Article, Stow dives into the history of the class and how it has evolved over the years since release. From the glory days of the Barman Shanker ambush crits, to the 'You must be behind your target' of Mutilate, to the lovely balance we've struck today, we cover it all here at Ten Ton Hammer.
• Aion Class Guide - The Spiritmaster
  The Spiritmaster has ascended past the weakness of simple spells. Through pure force of will, they've learned to summon the spirits of the realm and bend them to their will. Join Dalmarus as he explores the intricacies of the Spiritmaster class in this helpful guide.
• Aion Prologue Videos
  Aion's localized voiceover project for Aion is progressing nicely. This week we have videos of the Asmodian and Elyos prologue, complete with English voiceovers to show how the cut-scenes for Aion will appear when the game launches. If you haven't taken a look at the new videos, you may want to check these out and enjoy the perspective of your chosen race.
• Champions Online Guide: Ultra-Awesome Leveling Flowchart
  The launch of Champions Online is just a few short weeks away, and there's soon going to be a wealth of new verbiage and MMOG trappings to learn. Let Ten Ton Hammer help you by giving you an overview of the level-progression by zone in Cryptic's new MMORPG. Our Ultra-Awesome Leveling Flowchart will give you a very good grasp on just where you'll be fighting baddies come September!
• New Champions Online Comic: Zeroes - "Nothingman"
  Champions Online is based entirely off of superheroes. The big, the bad, and the bold all share Millennium City as their home. But what about the less than average caped crusaders? Who will tell their story? Meet Nothingman, one of Millennium City's lesser-known heroes:

Hottest Content:

1. The Guild In-Depth Interview with Director Sean Becker
2. Bringing MMOs to Consoles - A Discussion with Turbine
3. A New Saga Begins - A Fresh Look at Vanguard
4. World of Warcraft Op/Ed - The Rise and Fall of Rogues
5. Champions Online Guide: Ultra-Awesome Leveling Flowchart
6. Aion Prologue Videos
7. Aion Class Guide - The Spiritmaster
8. New Champions Online Comic: Zeroes - "Nothingman"
9. Builds and Roles in Champions Online
10. EVE Online - Sins of a Solar Spymaster #22 - The Seven Types of Spy
    

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

-Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team