Free MMO

[Caliostro]

That closed beta looks interesting, anyword on the price of said MMO?

Likely free, with microtransactions. We gave it a look in the office yesterday, and it has been deemed terrible. Maybe it'll improve during development though.

And maybe the moon will grow wings and pigs will learn to talk a minimum of 7 different languages fluently...


...Seriously, I'm done having any hope for MMOs, I tried it for too long. If they manage to ruin the ones with true potential, there is absolutely no hope for the ones that start out being bad.

 

[Aethonic]

You might as well pretend all the garbage games that NC Soft and Acclaim Games pumps out doesn't exist, you'd be better off for it. SMT Online is probably the closest thing to a playable Item Mall MMO that is currently available. Maybe it will change when it officially releases, but it feels like it moves pretty quick, and has game mechanics that seem well balanced so far. My biggest gripe is the resolution options, but that isn't too big of an issue.

 

[chaosd1]

I had a really hard time getting into the PQ's in Maple... hopefully they fixed that somehow.

A good alternative to Maple Story is Aeria's "Pi Story". It's 2D sprites on a pseudo 3D plane. (Like old-beat-em-up games, Final Fight, Golden Axe or even Battletoads) And the combat is action oriented. The gameplay is very casual, and you never feel like you HAVE to level.

 

[nathan-dts]

Runescape, it's a pretty basic game, 3D but only just unless they gave it a major overhaul since last time I played (admittedly that was about a year ago). It's free in theory but in practice all the goodies only become accessible when you choose to shell out something approximating $12 a month.

I worry about your sanity.

 

[MONTGOMERYWOODRUFF69]

Try Perfect World, it's sort of a low rent version of World of Warcraft.

 

[I20I3]

Most free MMO's tend to be asian in origin, and most asian MMO's tend to be terrible. I think you can see where that leads.

I don't have a problem with monthly fees for a simple reason - I'll probably put more time into them than I would a single player game, and I buy fewer games when I'm playing an MMO. Right now I'm playing LOTRO - I purchased a lifetime subscription when it launched ($200) and I figure that I've just recently passed the break-even point. It's all free from here

I have no problem with most asian MMO's just so long as they are properly translated. Even so I'm sure there must be some dimond in the rough that would be just perfect for me, and maybe some of you out there. Mostly just something with good team or partner gameplay.

 

[chromewarriorXIII]

I played Rappelz for a little bit. It's sorta like Runescape, but it gets sorta boring fast cause the quests can take a while to get to a high enough level to do. It looks good and it is fun.

 

[Enskie]

Runescape, it's a pretty basic game, 3D but only just unless they gave it a major overhaul since last time I played (admittedly that was about a year ago). It's free in theory but in practice all the goodies only become accessible when you choose to shell out something approximating $12 a month.

I worry about your sanity.

Dare I ask why?

 

[nathan-dts]

Runescape, it's a pretty basic game, 3D but only just unless they gave it a major overhaul since last time I played (admittedly that was about a year ago). It's free in theory but in practice all the goodies only become accessible when you choose to shell out something approximating $12 a month.

I worry about your sanity.

Dare I ask why?

Because you were playing runescape last year.

 

[Neosage]

Maplestory great graphics and a retro sort of style but also really fun PLUS the community is great, unlike some of the leading MMORPGS around.

 

[Voltano]

*rummages in his bookmarks*

Dungeon Runners (http://www.dungeonrunners.com/)
This might be the closest you can get to an MMORPG mimicking the experience of Champions of Norrath, in my opinion. It plays a lot like "Diablo" except with some snarky humor (which should be visible on the main website, just watch the two demons argue with each other). The game is free to play, downloads and installs with no problem. There is a tiny monthly fee that gives you the benefit of equipping better random gear (by "random", it means you still have to find them), and more slots in the bank. Overall, it's not that much of a different experience for being non-member. A pretty nice casual MMORPG.

~*WARNING: VIOLENT GAME! CHECK OUT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!*~
Requiem: Bloodymare (http://www.playrequiem.com/index.aspx)
I saw this advertised on Escapist long ago and thought I would give it a try. It's a horror MMORPG that has some interesting use of the HAVOK4 physics engine for the death scenes on your character and monsters. It's very familiar to WoW--same combat, same linear path in quests, even the items are pretty similar. The game differs in having a very dark atmosphere and an attempt at creating a depressed world (though some of them seem too happy for me at times). One nice thing about this game is that it does have raids and instant dungeons like WoW, so think of it like the "Goth version" of WoW. It does have a cash shop and from my knowledge, doesn't overbalance the game much. It'll take awhile to download but it's a lot of fun.

 

[CUnk]

Wurm Online (http://www.wurmonline.com) can be played for free with some limitations.

I think Ryzom (http://www.ryzom.com) is still free but honestly it's a pretty pointless game once you leave the newbie island.

 

[CIA]

Try Guild Wars. Not free exactly but no monthly fee.

 

[fd18e3d0-816e-11e4-b4a9-0800200c9a66]

Plane Shift

totally free multi platform MMO. still in beta at the moment and i havnt given it a real go yet because the mac version was too buggy when i tried it

worth keeping an eye on

 

[EliteFreq]

Guild Wars, you buy the game and you're set for life, no subscription fees or anything!
Has a decent story, arguably better graphics than WoW, and is pretty damn awesome.

 

[buckythefly]

I've played just about every MMO under the sun, and you can play just about any of them and be happy for a while, DOMO Online, Conquer Online (You can walk by the way), I even got into some of the weirder ones, Dance! Online, and The new upcoming Shin Megumi Tensai: Imagine. Well in any case, the end result be it WoW or some obscure barely translated online game, Is you can play it about a month, before growing tired of the game play. It really is the people that keep you in the game. Personally, if you want the most together, content heavy Free-To-Play MMO's look into Rappelz, they release patches and changes regularly, and have a pretty developed quest system, the graphics also scale nicely to a ton of different machines.

As far as Runescape goes, I don't think you guys give it enough credit, The game is programmed entirely in Java, and has more content and depth then World of Warcraft, the problem is, its rather old fashioned. At least in Runescape you don't have to kill bandits to get cloth, Who thought of that anyway...
In any case, beneath that hard crunchy shell of Low-Rez graphics, there is a good game, But definitely don't just pass it by on principle, give it a try first, what free isn't good enough for you.

 

[WolfMage]

Here is a couple of things to consider:
1] Runescape member's stuff really isn't that great or necessary, but it's $5 a month to see for yourself.

2] Maplestory is free. All you need to know.

3] Perfect world is pretty much WoW, but Asian.

4] Try some of the MMOFPS games, they're pretty good, namely Gunz, unless it changed since last I played.

 

[vampyricvoid]

OK, here's the breakdown

Guild Wars - In my opinion, the best MMO out there. Very few "collect x object" missions required to go through the storyline. Lots of quests, excellent storylines, good graphics (for an MMO), and no monthly fee.

Runescape - Pretty good MMO. It's had a lot of criticisms for its graphics, but recently has had a major graphics update with the release of Runescape HD and fullscreen options. It has pretty good quests, hours and hours on end of gameplay, and many minigames for the gamer who wants teamwork involved. It has really evolved from what it used to be. The downside is, though, in order to get all the features, you must become a member (which I highly recommend, especially after completing all the free user quests). Membership costs $5 a month, but it does have a ton of new features and updates constantly. Good news is that you can be a free user and try out very much of the game, and if you like it, spend the money on becoming a member (it's less than any other fee-based MMO).

Last, but not least...
Neverwinter Nights 2 - Not an MMO, but pretty damn close. It's an offline RPG that can be played on online servers, and is constantly expanding, due to the fact that other people make modules for it. This is my favorite RPG, It has an excellent storyline, great graphics, different character personalities, and the ability to actually command all of your party, adding a strategy element to it. It costs no money to play online, and can be played on servers hosting many other people (exactly like a computerized version of D and D, the original RPG).

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. If you wish to contact me in the top 2 games, here's my user names:
Runescape - Saiyanpower2
Guild Wars - Urlso Arcanum

 

[Gotham Soul]

Codemasters makes pretty good MMOs. Archlord if fantasy is your thing, and RF Online if you like big robots with inhumanely large projectile weapons.

 

[ffxfriek]

Runescape, it's a pretty basic game, 3D but only just unless they gave it a major overhaul since last time I played (admittedly that was about a year ago). It's free in theory but in practice all the goodies only become accessible when you choose to shell out something approximating $12 a month.

I worry about your sanity.

well i play but less and less.. now been waiting patiently for christmas so i can play oblivion and the force unleashed and GH WT for the 360. But i need a new arsenal of games. Ive also been re replaying Jak 2 for ps2.