Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

It has been a long time since we here at Ten Ton Hammer brought you a weekly look into the world of free-to-play games, and while we do cover many of them on a regular basis, we thought it was high time that we caught back up with this large and dynamic subset of the MMOG genre. In the past several months many new games have launched and a couple of major titles have dropped their subscription plans in favor of the free-to-play with RMT enhancement model.  Without further ado, let’s take a look at what is new and improved in the land of the free (to-play).

Free at Last

 During these fickle times of penny pinching and unrealistic expectations, many games that look like sure fire hits or at least solid contenders can get easily brushed under the rug. While many developers and publishers simply pull the plug on under performers, there is a new trend developing recently, dropping the subscription plans and switching to a free-to-play or pay to upgrade free access model.  The first two free-to-plays we look at this week come from this category in the forms of Dungeon and Dragons Online and CrimeCraft.

 

Dungeons and Dragons Online

Trading Subscriptions for Micro Transactions is Breathing New Life Into DDO

Many gamers assumed that the virtual embodiment of the granddaddy of the RPG would be an obvious success story, unfortunately that never quite came to fruition.  Various factors played in to the games ultimately lukewarm reception but despite it all neither the developers, publisher, or the games community was ready to see it go. Rather than pull the plug, Turbine got creative and opened the game up for anyone who wishes to play it by simply downloading the client and setting up a free account. The game has a tiered approach to access with a micro transaction store for those that wish to purchase in game enhancements and a subscription service for those that desire to take it a step further. The game is high fantasy and is modeled after the 3.5 rule set with a level cap of 20. Click here for the official site, and check out our own section devoted to DDO here.

 
CrimeCraft

Live the Thug Life in CrimeCraft

This action shooter MMOG from Vogster is only a few months old but is already feeling the pressure of a hostile market. In an effort to stem attrition and rope in some new blood CrimeCraft recently announced a free trial system that in effect allows players to keep playing for free even once the “trial” ends.  The game does still offer subscription plans and you can purchase “gold bars” as an in game currency through the RMT store, you can also purchase the retail box for a quicker install and three months of premium membership.  What sets CrimeCraft apart is really the play style and game world, players looking for a way out of the sword and sorcery world should give this a shot for something rarely seen in a free-to-play. For an in depth review of this game check out “Going Gangster” by our own editor extraordinaire Benjamin de la Durantaye as well as the official site and our own CC section here. 

Fantasy Free-To-Plays

 
As with the rest of the online gaming community, the largest number of games in the f2P category resides here in the high fantasy realm. While many of the titles feel like stripped down carbon copies of each other, a few stand out from the crowd, with one in particular that is raising the bar for the no subscription crowd.

Runes of Magic

This European import from Frogster continues to grow in popularity by the hour. Featuring a robust world with all the elements you would expect to see in a retail game with a monthly fee, Runes of Magic delivers a very stable product for the investment of little more than a 45 minute download (I apologize in advance to dial up, satellite and 3G internet users) and a few minutes of account creation. I moonlight as an EMT and I have found that the majority of folks in that line of work value escapism which leads to a high percentage of gamers in the field. Many shifts are spent discussing this game and that and recommendations to try new games are always a hot topic ,we are also a notoriously cheap bunch as we are grossly underpaid, but that’s a whole other discussion, so free-to-plays get quite a bit of action among us. Rare is it that I can recommend a F2P to a colleague without a standard disclaimer of “It’s a good game and all but…..” Runes of Magic is the first one that no forewarning is tossed out during the discussion, no caveat is needed here, if you like the classes then you will love the game.  The official site can found here and RoM is the newest game at Ten Ton Hammer to have its own dedicated community site, be on the lookout for more on the game in the near future.

Atlantica Online

Stylized Graphics Give Atlantica Online A Unique Feel

This is one of the more established free-to-play titles on the market today and it is brought to us by Asian F2P powerhouse NDoors Interactive. Featuring a turn based combat system reminiscent of older console RPGs,Atlantica Online engages the player from the earliest level and it’s quick and easy to learn style puts fun front and center. The UI is basic and functional, nothing really special but also nothing completely game breaking either. The game features in game coins along with an item mall for RMT fans to use to spice up their game play.  In addition to unique combat, which can be done with the help of NPC “mercenaries”, Atlantica Online showcases the world in a globe trekking adventure that offers an amazing amount of depth for a game with no monthly fee. This game has undergone a host of major changes recently, with most centered on class balancing issues.  Check out the official site here. 

Rappelz Online

Pets Are Intergral to Gameplay in Rappelz

This anime style game from gPotato is one of the more unique free-to-play fantasy games available today. Featuring three races and fifteen character classes, Rappelz is a visually appealing game with a couple of interesting twists with the most important being the pet system. Pets play a huge role in this game and can be used for virtually any purpose in the game, you can have multiple pets and they can be used in combat to fight alongside you. Your pets gain levels and also will evolve during their lifetimes, morphing each time into something more powerful.  Keep in mind that Rappelz is a PvP game and even though there are switches to disable PK mode, you can still be attacked by other players.  The game has a RMT shop which offers in game aides as well as some pretty interesting visual enhancements. Learn more about this game here. 

You Mean it’s Not All Swords and Sorcery? 

While fantasy may rule the day, there are several games that break away from this trend. Most free-to-play games tend to have a paying counterpart they were modeled after, giving fans a sense of familiarity to make for an easier transition. 

Requiem:Bloodmayre

Creatures are the Stuff of Nightmares in Requiem

Billed as a horror MMOG, Requiem was originally launched in June of 2008 with Bloodmayre suffix that has now been replaced with the new title Memento Mori. This gory free-to-play features rag doll physics that allow for severed limbs and decapitated heads to fall away with maximum shock value. Not a game for the faint of heart, it even has special mobs that only spawn during the wee hours of the night and are significantly more powerful, think Kithicor Forest if you’re an old school EQ player. This offering from Gravity Interactive has all the standard fare in terms of questing, adventuring and even PvP matches.  The standard game is free-to-play with optional subscription packages and an RMT store.  If you are interested you can click here to learn more. Definitely a great game for the current holiday season. 

Free Realms

Diversity is the Key to Free Realms Success

While many fantasy elements exist in this browser based free-to-play they only do so because nearly every gaming element exists here. Free Realms is centered on the idea of a virtual gaming community where practically anything you can think to do for fun can be done here.  This offering from SOE is heralded as an innovative step for MMOGs and may be looked back on as the originator of a whole new subset for the genre. Marketed for primarily for youth and early teen players, this game has become a quiet addiction for many gamers with its easy flow and fun mini games. Free Realms is free to play and the downloading is done behind the scenes on your browser as you play so it truly is a load and go game.  Players can use Sony Online’s Station Cash here as in many of the company’s other offerings to enhance gameplay.  The official site can found by clicking here.

 
The future of F2P gaming gets brighter with every release as developers continue to find new ways to make the lucrative RMT system a bigger part of our gaming worlds. Love it or hate it, the world of microtransactions continues to expand and evolve. So far I have personally never felt at a loss for anything to do in these games due to not shelling out cash and as long as THAT trend continues I think F2P games will be a viable and interesting alternative to traditional subscription games.  What do you think about free-to-plays? Have a favorite that wasn’t listed here then tell us about it, but  please don’t flame because your game of choice wasn’t mentioned, with a couple hundred to chose from there had to be some sacrifices made.