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Best f2p + cash shop game
I like how Skyforge looks but I'm wary of f2p games now because I had a bad experience with ArcheAge.
A lot of people say all f2p games become (if not p2w, which I don't want to discuss here) subpar because of the need to monetize the content.
If this is not true, then what f2p game has got it right?
Comments
It's true that I haven't heard people saying these games are p2w. I've never played Tera, so I can't say from personal experience anything about it. When I played Rift, I subbed, so the cash shop was not an issue for me.
To stay in business, these games must be selling something their players want.
What I'm looking for in this thread, what I hope to see, is if there is some kind of general principles about what makes an f2p game a good value and good experience for players. For me, a good experience, in addition to gameplay means content not mainly in the form of cash shop items and good customer service and community relations (like what Blizzard provides).
What are the characteristics of these games monetization that makes them good? In what ways have they got it right?
Well if you want the gold standard for free to play, you only need to look at Fallen Earth.
You could play the entire game without spending a dime and be just as good as anyone else.
And thats all you need to say.
FFA Nonconsentual Full Loot PvP ...You know you want it!!
Rift. Hands down.
PoE gets F2P right, I am about to log in for the night.
In a fairly ordinary wow-clone mmo called Rift, Trion has delivered a sandbox building feature that is currently unmatched in the genre: Dimensions. Landmark is a contender and there are other games in development that could compete. But for today, there is no other mmo that allows free-for-all building like Rift Dimensions.
Because of Dimensions, I started playing Rift. They are the reason I continue to play and subscribe two years later. And they are the reason I am spending wayyyy more money on Rift than I ever did when I played other mmos. Hopefully that answers your clarified question a bit.
When I look at F2P these days, I look at one thing primarily: Is the game designed around the cash shop? By this I mean have the devs purposely designed the game with significant hurdles or barriers in progression that pushes players towards the cash shop. Rift, for example, is definitely not designed around the cash shop. Whether you sub or not, you can play the entire game without hindrance.
Are things like additional inventory space only available through the shop? Many F2P games give out daily rewards in the form of fillers that take up bag and bank space, but either aren't useful to you now or you require a good many of them to be useful, but since you don't know, you keep them. Then you end up buying more inventory space to house all these free goodies. If that inventory space is only available with real money, then I give the game a pass. LOTRO and Rift both have considerable bank and inventory space available for in-game currency before asking for real bucks, and in both these games you can still obtain the required currency (Turbine Points or Credits) in-game (LOTRO through deeds, Rift through trading plat for Rex).
The majority of F2P MMOs, particularly browser-based MMOs, are almost entirely cash-shop designs. The cash shop is designed first and then the game is wrapped around it. In most cases, you are playing a marketing scheme, not an actual game.
In any event, those already mentioned, Rift and PoE are good choices. I'm tempted to add LOTRO here, the first Western AAA game to go from sub to F2P (assuming that you don't consider DDO a AAA MMO); however, LOTRO pushes the envelope in my opinion on game design, clearly gimping some late-game systems, such as legendary weapons and slayer deeds, to benefit cash shop sales. Nonetheless, you can play LOTRO entirely without paying a penny in real money by earning Turbine Points in game, this includes buying zones and expansions, if you are wiling to grind out deeds.
In my experience, LoL and Achaea have the best F2P + cash shop. In both games, you can buy anything from the cash shop with points earned in-game, so you can buy everything from the cash shop without ever needing to spend any money.
EVE is notable also because apparently you can pay for your monthly subscription with points you earn in-game.