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style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Top
Ten
Free-to-Play Games

Week
of Feb 14 - Feb 20, 2010




1.Dungeons
and Dragons
Online: Eberron Unlimited
href="http://allods.gpotato.com/" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;">

2.  target="_blank">Allods
Online
target="_blank"> href="http://everquest2.station.sony.com/"> style="text-decoration: underline;"> style="text-decoration: underline;">

3.  Runes
of Magic
style="text-decoration: underline;"> style="text-decoration: underline;">

4.  target="_blank">FreeRealms style="text-decoration: underline;"> href="http://www.freerealms.com/" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;"> href="http://allods.gpotato.com/" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;">

5.  href="http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/center/default.asp"
target="_blank">Atlantica
Online
href="http://cabal.ogplanet.com/Reloaded.html" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;">

6.Earth
Eternal
target="_blank"> href="http://rappelz.gpotato.com/" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;">

 7. 4Story
target="_blank">

8.  target="_blank">Cabal
Online


9. Dragonica
Online
target="_blank">

10. style="text-decoration: underline;">Heroes of Gaia

href="http://heroesofgaia.gpotato.com/" target="_blank">
style="text-decoration: underline;">

href="http://allods.gpotato.com/" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;">



style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">gPotato
made my week by extending the final
closed beta of Allods Online by a few days,
allowing me to get some
extra play time on my Orc Shaman. The Shaman is a great class that
combines
magic, melee and pet play and is reminiscent in many ways of a couple
classes
in EverQuest. For those who’ve played it - think a
Shaman with a
controllable pet that is slightly more powerful than their warder, but
not
quite as OP as the EQ Beastlord’s minion. We will be looking at both of
the hybrid
type classes in our final Allods Class Preview this
week. Both are
capable of a form of healing but aren’t quite as adept as the Healer
archetype,
and both feature a pet of sorts--perfect for the soloist who hates to
feel
alone (although you could play any Gibberlings class and get that fix.)



Another gPotato game that you will be hearing more about in the days
ahead just
finished its first week of closed beta, and it too features a "pet"
for all classes, although this one may seem a bit more controversial
and creepy
to some players. Aika allows players to have a persistent companion
from level
7 onward called a Pran. The Pran starts out as a small nymph-like
creature that
will assist in battle and has its own skill set, experience bar and
leveling
system. As the Pran, and the player, gain levels it will morph from its
fairy-like state to that of a humanoid child and then again to that of
an
adolescent female. Aika may turn out to be the most lopsidedly
male-player-dominated
game of all time.



Over the last few weeks, Microcosms has been dominated by the folks at
gPotato
and their games, and with good reason, but fear not-- next week brings
us back
to normal as we broaden the scope a bit more. It has been an exciting
month for
MMOGs with free-to-play games beginning to dominate the scene.




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style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Microtransaction
Highlight of the Week

style="background: rgb(57, 65, 76) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; margin-bottom: 12pt; vertical-align: middle;">The
subject of microtransactions is quickly becoming one of interest to
more and more gamers. As the medium gains acceptance and more games
dive into
one form of premium content or aesthetic upgrade options it has become
clear
that microtransactions will eventually affect players of all MMOGs.



Ten Ton Hammers own ZeroMerc is href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/rom/guides/diamonds"
target="_top">exploring
the issue of microtransactions and how they relate to his
game of choice, Runes
of Magic
. Fans of the game should definitely check this
article out this
week as he demystifies this crucial aspect of the game. Even if RoM
isn’t your
cup of tea, if you play MMOGs (and we know you do!) I would highly
recommend
giving it a look as the microtransaction mechanic is sure to be part of
the
gaming landscape for a long time.


Allods Online Class Preview - Part 4


While
the term Hybrid typically
conjures images of a class that perform any of the "holy trinity" of
MMOG roles--healing, DPS or tanking--the scope is slightly narrowed in Allods
Online.
A hybrid here is more of a DPS or tank who can dish
out some heals,
or a tank who can DPS and resurrect their fallen allies, as opposed to
a class
that can completely specialize via talent choices to excel at one
particular
role.



The two archetypes that finish up our series inhabit this grey area of
classes
that can potentially do more than one role in the game. They are the
Warden and
the Summoner (there is a third archetype that also fits this bill, but
we
discussed the Paladin our tank feature). Both archetypes feature some
form of
pet play, with the Warden being a force of nature while the Summoner
uses the
powers of death and disease to wreak havoc.



Warden





Keepers of nature, the Warden archetype has its roots in the more
primal and
tribal aspects of the Allods world.
Three races inhabit the mystic world of the Warden, the Orcish Shaman,
the
Elven Druid and the Gibberlings Animist. While all three essentially
share the
same talents and skills, racial specialties give each a unique flavor.




cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
Name Race Description style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Shaman Orc style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">One
of only two Orcish classes to wield magic,
the Shaman is hand picked by the elders of the discipline to learn the
sacred
art. Shamans are employed in military battles to help bolster their
allies and
heal the wounds of fallen troops. The Orc Shaman can mitigate damage
intermittently by using "Bonds of Brotherhood" to share a portion of
their wounds with their pet. . Animist Gibberlings style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Keepers
of the Great Tree, Gibberling Animists
are a respected and vital part of the Gibberling culture. Often holding
positions of mentors and spiritual leaders to the races’ youth,
Anamists are
capable fighters due to their years of practice and knowledge. Using
the
special ability "Hold'em," the Animist can command his pet to rush an
enemy and engage a powerful taunt that forces all attacks onto the pet
for a
short time.   Druid Kanian style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mystic
and shrouded in secrecy and legend,
the Druid is the only Kanian class that has no military classification
or squad
assignment. Enigmatic wanderers, the Druid appears of their own
volition, often
when the battle is dangerously close to being lost and uses their
formidable
powers to help sway the outcome and save the day. The Druid has
mastered the
ability of "Scare'em" that commands their companion pet to fear their
target




Summoner


Often wrongly understood to be forces
of death, Summoners are
able to see clearly the aspect of life that makes it so precious--its
inevitable
end. Using the powers of life over death is a potent magic that only
the most
disciplined can wield. A well-rounded archetype, Summoners are an asset
to
their allies and inspire dread in foes. The three races which inhabit
this
realm are the Xadaganian Defiler, the Elf Demonologist and the most
ironic of
the classes--the Arisen Savant.


cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
Name Race Description Defiler Xadaganian style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
ultimate in stand alone weaponry for the
Xadaganian army, the Defiler is its own support team. Able to increase
the
strength and dexterity attributes of their summoned minions, this
caster can
pack a devastating punch. Demonologist Elf style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tracing
its roots to the famed de Desirae
Family, Demonology is a specialty only practiced by an elite few among
the
Elves. In keeping with the close kinship to nature and healing. which
are
hallmarks of Elven society, the Demonologist has a special ability that
takes
health slowly over time from an opponent and converts it to health for
the caster’s
party.  Savant Arisen style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Long
the trainer of the undead arts for the
Empire, the Arisen Savant has now become a leader in all aspects of
summoning
magics. Featuring the ability to fully heal all of their controlled
pets with
"Savant's Touch," these casters can lull their enemies into a false
sense of security and make them easy prey.



style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Whether
you chose to follow the forces of nature
or the allure of the undead, both of these Archetypes provide players
with a
great overall experience that is perfect for MMOG newcomers or seasoned
vets
alike.



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style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Hot
off the Press!




To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Allods Online Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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