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Is there a trick to enjoying most F2P type games?
elocke
Member UncommonPosts: 4,335
I've tried as many as I possibly could in the last 2 years. NONE of them stuck with me. Even the supposedly popular ones like Runes of Magic, Perfect World, Forsaken World, Allods. I have to wonder how these games get anyone to play and stay and actually "pay" for things in their Cash Shops. Is there a trick to enjoying them that I haven't tried? Like vegging out to your own music while grinding in them or watching a movie/TV out of the corner of your eye, to reading a book in one hand and grinding mobs with your other on the mouse? What?
Every time I even try to get into Allods or Perfect World, for example, I end up in that tired/bored state when a game just doesn't do anything for you. Kind of how I feel when I log into WoW of late, but at least with WoW I had a good 5 years before it became that way. I know they have interesting endgames and nice graphics and lots of features and even pvp content at higher levels, but getting through the miasma of levels and mob/quest grind to get to those points, I just have to wonder how anyone does it.
Is it young kids that play these games and keep them afloat and pumping out "expansions" every 6 months? Or is it something else?
Any advice or theories on this, I would love to read and hear about. Thanks in advance.
Edit: I'm specifically speaking about eastern F2Ps. Not current Freemium games like Lotro or Aoc or EQ2, as those I enjoy and can get into. It's also not the WoW factor, as I enjoy games like Rift that are very similar to WoW. Currently I'm really enjoying the betas for GW2 and TSW, but those aren't F2Ps either, but you can see my gaming tastes do span out a bit for someone who likes/liked WoW.
Comments
You played WoW for 5 years, most of these games are like WoW
That's your problem :P
Elocke, you've probably already tried LOTRO but if you haven't and you enjoy that story, you might want to check it out.
Turbine's F2P model has been touted as one of the few genuine F2P success stories for the company and the players, and I'd agree (looks like GW2 will have a similar model).
i think this games cater to oposite group of ppl:
- Those who play 100% free, its free so they play it and normally jump from F2P to F2P game.
- Those who are wiling to spend a huge amount of money on game buying power, the easiest way to be powerfull in-game.
Perfect wolrd make low quality games but they can be fun for a while, special because its F2P at least untill we hit against the "CS wall".
i give up Perfect World in HoTK, i really like the game features untill one day, lvl 72, was not acept as a tank in a party because my gear didnt had gems, and guess where gems come from?
Well, maybe is that way now because when i try LoTRO some time ago, the F2P model give me really limit gameplay.
It was like a trial without time limit but alot of content limit.
I learned a long time ago that you get what you pay for in F2P games. I played Lotro from MoM release until about a month after the game went F2P. I haven't played it or any F2P since nor will I ever again. I haven't played any MMO since Feb and haven't missed it a bit. Gave up on them all.
You may want to give MMO's a break for awhile. Up until I stopped in Feb I had been playing them since about 2002. Didn't think I could handle stopping cold turkey, but it was easier than I thought. Take a small break and then jump back in. You may find that they are enjoyable again when you come back.
For me, Unless of course something ground breaking comes out, I'm done with them for good.
I'm not an IT Specialist, Game Developer, or Clairvoyant in real life, but like others on here, I play one on the internet.
I purposely didn't mention Lotro or other converts because they were sub based first and still can be. Very different gameplay to those anyway. Plus, I have a lifetime sub to Lotro and play it from time to time, hehe. Guess I'm specifically looking at eastern F2Ps. I want to enjoy em, but they never grab me.
If that were the problem, then I wouldn't enjoy Lotro or Rift and I do.
There haven't really been all that many new ones tbh. 5 or 6 years ago there seemed to be a spurt of half decent F2P's but since then it's mostly just been a bunch of cheap copycats and the conversions.
As for a trick to enjoying them, i found that i couldn't really get into any unless they were open world guild based pvp games. None of the asian ones really have much content to speak of but guild politics was something that could hold my interest. Between F2P games being crap and everyone i play with having moved away from them i wouldn't go near them again.
Word.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Key to enjoy them, at least in my case... just enjoy them for what they are, a quick diversion.
At least that's how I've played (and enjoyed them) in the past. Create one or two chars, play for a little while, if I don't feel it fun I just move on, and that's about it.
When I do start a F2P game I know beforehand that it won't be a long term thing (if it becomes one, then it'll be a grateful surprise). I understand that I won't reach endgame, and will just play for as long as I can have fun without paying. Most of them have restrictions that you won't feel at first, and usually don't become really "need to pay" until you're fairly late in the game. By then usually I just moved on to another one.
Note that that doesn't mean I can't get attached to one game for longer periods, though. I played WoW almost exclusively for several years (3 or 4 IIRC), playing GW1 for several months now, but most F2P games have been for me just a quick thing to do between games.
What can men do against such reckless hate?
From these and your other posts, it seems like your issue is primarily the business model and the style of content is secondary to that. In that light, i would say stop trying to figure out why you don't like something and just play what you do enjoy.
I don't like hummus. I don't care why i don't like it and I'm not about to try sampling all the hummus out there to figure it out.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
It have not changed. Their model is atm same like it was right after change to F2P / freemium.
Just store is much bigger.
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Nah GW2 business model from looks of it is very diffrent. Of course there are some similarities, but I would not call them similar.
These are the only 2 types of people that truly enjoy a p2w game.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Normally there are a few things in the CS that players generally cannot play without using. Just focus on obtaining the important items and everything else should be bought with the in-game currency. A lot of times making a quick $50 investment and selling items or starting when there is an event is the best way to get yourself a good start. Another good way is to start one where there is a friend that help you out.
I don't like fish and I don't care why but people around me keep giving me shit about why I don't like fish. So I can't really ignore it either.
Its the same with games too.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Low expectations and your own bag of crisps....
You can just ignore people giving shit about not liking fish or move somewhere else where people don't care about you not liking fish..
What can men do against such reckless hate?
LOL! Fair enough.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
I think that people who closed/narrow minded have the hardest time just trying to have fun.
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
I don't see the P2P and F2P games themselves as being all that different, if games of a given level of completion* and similar designs are compared.
Just ignore the payment method and look at the game itself. If it's entertaining, it's worth playing. If not, skip it.
* buggy, incomplete and poorly-crafted versus highly polished and well-crafted
Thankfully it's the internet, so actually yes, you can.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. When you invest some money in subs, b2p, or even f2p, there is usually at least the sparks of a symbiotic relationship as opposed to merely looking for a free ride. This is why changes to sub games tend to evoke such howls of protest and threats of leaving than you get with your average f2p--funny how monetary investment and emotional investment coincide. Who takes better care of their car and appreciates it more? A teen who was given a car by his parents, or one that had to work at put some his own money into it? Usually the latter. Now, I suppose one could object that pure free players invest time rather than money, but in my case it was frittering time rather than investing.
So, there's no trick really. The best thing to do is try out these games and having the old manager's question in the back of your mind: where do I see myself in six months?
The Real trick to enjoying F2P games is the same as Sub games Put the MM back in MMORPG find a group of people to run Instances or Raids with or even join a PUG. I have Played all the games you mentioned(still do except WOW) and when I am Soloing I get bored real quick like anyone does, but when I join even a PUG and I Have people to run with or just gab about it makes the game more fun. Play an alt which forces you to change your Play style. Join a Guild that focuses on Sieges or instance running. I had great fun with the little guild I ran with back in WOW. MY Kinship In LOTRO has it moments too. The Grind is still the biggest gripe with any MMO. Me I try to enjoy the journey to endgame and not rush forward. A game is only a chore if you make it one. Take a break or play another game. switching between games(provided they are different enough) also forces you to change playstyles.
all in all it's in what you make it.
That was a horrible analogy. A better one would be I like Cheeseburgers. There are tons of restaurants around that make cheeseburgers yet not all of them taste the same. Some suck, some don't. My issue is with certain restaurants having awesome pics of their burgers and I go and find them bland yet for some reason, the place is popular. Like TGIFriday's. So, is there a trick to liking them? Burning half my taste buds out? Drinking so much I can't taste the actual burger?
Now apply that analogy to MMORPGs and F2P versions.
As for your business model comment, I just use the business model label here, because they do reflect the style of content. I have yet to play a F2P that lived up to Freemium or subscription based games. Although, to be fair, some sub/freemium games aren't that good and should be F2Ps, lol, like Tera.
Hmm, that's a good point. Every F2P I've ever tried, I never really was looking for friends or community, I was looking for gameplay and immersion. Guess that has to do with their budget, since they never have it. So I guess the trick, would actually be to play with people in those games. Hmmm.
Yes the trick is to have a credit card with a big credit limit or play casually