That's not a photo of Alan Smithee; it's a photo of a funicular credited to Smithee. It's the best I could do.
Unlike last week's column, this week's edition is about far less weighty manners, instead discussing candidates for potential free-to-play adventures in response to a very large question from a long-time reader. As always, questions may be mailed to ask@massively.com or left in the comments for inclusion in a future edition of Ask Massively.
Utakata asked: What F2Ps would you recommend with the following criteria: It has to be a great and immersive game; it has to have a healthy character creator with plenty of slots; there can be no intrusive pay-to-win features in its cash shop; there can be no spammy cash shop features that remind you obsessively [about the cash shop]; it can't make you feel like you're a second-rate player if you don't pay; it can't make you feel like you're playing a glorified free trial; it can't make you feel you're being nickel-and-dimed for everything (a la Cryptic); it has to have a fairly decent, dynamic, and helpful community; and did I mention it has to be a great and immersive game?
The problem here is that a lot of these elements come down to personal preference and the needs of the business model. Lord of the Rings Online doesn't repeatedly advertise the cash shop because the developers think players love to be reminded of its existence; it's advertised because that's the way the developers get to have money and can feed their families. Whether or not the advertisements are spammy or not comes down to personal preference, and certainly a lot of players feel that it's several steps over the line, but it's kind of in the best interests of the people behind the scenes.
All that having been said, with the knowledge that Guild Wars is already off the list, some suggestions. Allods Online has had woes with the cash shop before, but the game has really developed past that point and offers a lot of content for free. Lord of the Rings Online offers a lot for players as well, and its roots as a traditional subscription title definitely show. Fallen Earth is also a chance to get involved in a big sandbox environment without a subscription, although the recentness of its conversion means that how it will work out remains to be seen. And if you want a really unique game and setting, Ryzom is currently in the free-to-play zone.
If none of those is quite your cup of tea, our weekly Rise and Shiny feature goes through a lot of free-to-play games on a steady schedule. Considering the number of games Beau goes through, we think he has a pretty solid and analytical eye for whether or not the game is any good. Just keep in mind that like all things, the greatness of a game is in the eye of the beholder.
Looking for some advice on which class is best for soloing in Aion? Not sure who this Raph Koster fellow is? Curious about the release date of NCsoft's newest MMO? You've come to the right place! No one knows MMOs like we do. If there's anything you'd like to know about the MMO genre or the site itself, Ask Massively is here to help every Thursday afternoon. Just ask!
