It has similarities to a few other MMOs, but at this point that is unavoidable. RPGs and MMOs have been around too long for anyone to design a game with no ideas that have already been done.   A lot of the things they emulate were being done right, so why reinvent the wheel?  The dual-class options really add a ton of options to character development .

F2P is fine by me.  I seem to play MMOs in spurts; I'll play religiously for weeks, and then not log in for months.  I've always had a hard time justifying monthly fees with my playstyle.  I've seen people bash the Cash Shop, but I'm not really sure how someone can expect to play the game completely free and also expect to have no divide between themselves and people who pay to keep the game operating.  As others have stated, the developers can't survive on good will. 

I've seen random neckbeards break out complex formulas showing  how someone could theoretically use the Cash Shop to become overpowered, but these fantasy scenarios always require that the hypothetical person be spending hundreds of dollars per month in the Cash Shop.  I'm pretty sure Bill Gates does his gaming using live actors on a private island, so this doom scenario is far-fetched, at best.  Honestly, how many people willing to spend that kind of money on a game are going to be playing a free MMO in the first place?  If you are that concerned with a few random other people gaining an advantage on you because they contribute to a game you play for free, maybe  online gaming isn't for you, because people willing to spend $ will always be able to buy an advantage in online gaming.

Anyway that's my $.02.  If I continue to enjoy the game, I may buy a few items here and there, because ultimately I would like the developers to make money and for the game to stay running.  But I'm glad to find a decent MMO that I don't have to spend money on every month if I don't want to.

Good for you,although im still looking for that "special" game,i hope i can turn into the luck you had in finding your game

Originally posted by Tharzidun

I've seen random neckbeards break out complex formulas showing  how someone could theoretically use the Cash Shop to become overpowered, but these fantasy scenarios always require that the hypothetical person be spending hundreds of dollars per month in the Cash Shop.  I'm pretty sure Bill Gates does his gaming using live actors on a private island, so this doom scenario is far-fetched, at best.  Honestly, how many people willing to spend that kind of money on a game are going to be playing a free MMO in the first place?  If you are that concerned with a few random other people gaining an advantage on you because they contribute to a game you play for free, maybe  online gaming isn't for you, because people willing to spend $ will always be able to buy an advantage in online gaming.

If most players will never pay a dime, how do you think they get their money?  It comes from the handful of players who will and do pay quite a lot.  Also, don't assume that what's in the item mall right now is all that will ever be there.  The common business model is to make it not so bad at first and keep adding more stuff to make it more and more unbalancing as time goes along.

Furthermore, when people complain that the item mall gives too big of an advantage, they usually don't mean compared to completely free.  Rather, it's a question of how much you have to pay to get a level playing field.  If that costs $15/month in a subscription game and $100/month in an item mall game, that's a point in favor of the subscription model.

Originally posted by Quizzical

If most players will never pay a dime, how do you think they get their money?  It comes from the handful of players who will and do pay quite a lot.  Also, don't assume that what's in the item mall right now is all that will ever be there.  The common business model is to make it not so bad at first and keep adding more stuff to make it more and more unbalancing as time goes along.

Furthermore, when people complain that the item mall gives too big of an advantage, they usually don't mean compared to completely free.  Rather, it's a question of how much you have to pay to get a level playing field.  If that costs $15/month in a subscription game and $100/month in an item mall game, that's a point in favor of the subscription model.

There are always loads of lazy people, someone made a poll here earlier and almost 25% who answered (of a lot) had bought gold in a game.

I don't think most people would pay $100 bucks a month but you never know, but you can still get around without paying, even though you have to spend a lot of more time playing.

Everything in the shop can be found in the game.

Nothing is free of course, but if I like a game I don't care how I pay for it. I thought ROM was quite ok but not that special game I been looking for.

Originally posted by Loke666

 

There are always loads of lazy people, someone made a poll here earlier and almost 25% who answered (of a lot) had bought gold in a game.

You're assuming that buying gold in a game gives an advantage.  In many games it does, but if it gives too big of an advantage, that's just bad game design.  In Guild Wars, if someone else wants to buy gold, I don't care; they get no advantage from it.  Puzzle Pirates isn't far from that, either.

Originally posted by Quizzical

Originally posted by Tharzidun

I've seen random neckbeards break out complex formulas showing  how someone could theoretically use the Cash Shop to become overpowered, but these fantasy scenarios always require that the hypothetical person be spending hundreds of dollars per month in the Cash Shop.  I'm pretty sure Bill Gates does his gaming using live actors on a private island, so this doom scenario is far-fetched, at best.  Honestly, how many people willing to spend that kind of money on a game are going to be playing a free MMO in the first place?  If you are that concerned with a few random other people gaining an advantage on you because they contribute to a game you play for free, maybe  online gaming isn't for you, because people willing to spend $ will always be able to buy an advantage in online gaming.

 

If most players will never pay a dime, how do you think they get their money?  It comes from the handful of players who will and do pay quite a lot.  Also, don't assume that what's in the item mall right now is all that will ever be there.  The common business model is to make it not so bad at first and keep adding more stuff to make it more and more unbalancing as time goes along.

Furthermore, when people complain that the item mall gives too big of an advantage, they usually don't mean compared to completely free.  Rather, it's a question of how much you have to pay to get a level playing field.  If that costs $15/month in a subscription game and $100/month in an item mall game, that's a point in favor of the subscription model.

I didn't assume that most players would never pay a dime.  I expect that far more players will do as I stated I would do in my last paragraph than will spend hundreds of dollars a month.  I was pointing out how silly the assumption was that "most" players will be paying out $100 or more a month and that you had to do the same to be competitive.

Originally posted by xeochange

Good for you,although im still looking for that "special" game,i hope i can turn into the luck you had in finding your game

Good luck.  If you find it, let me know.

I still plan on checking out as many F2P as time will allow.  This game is still beta, so it could go either way.

I'll keep looking at games that seem to meet my requirements.  I don't mind if they give an advantage to people who use the Cash Shop more, but I'm not interested in any that restrict content from those who don't pay.  That's not F2P to me.

As you said, this game contents nothing "new". Now you could say that the dual class system is an invention, still I don't like it at all, it's way too undeveloped. I don't think this game will last rather long because of lacks in inventions and great ideas.

I'm told the game only has 5 zones. Is this true? 

Originally posted by WastedAgain

I'm told the game only has 5 zones. Is this true? 

Couldn't tell you, I've only made it to the 3rd so far. 

If it does, then I'm glad it was free.

It is still in Beta, i think more content will be released at launch.

I'm downloading it now (at 70%).   I've been on a f2p binge lately.    I'm learning I prefer the monthly fee model.

And I looked at the map of the game world in Runes of magic... It struck me as incredibly small.

Actually there are 8 zones, with about 4 or 5 dungeons in each zone, not counting the instanced ones. The zones are small, but there is actually quite a lot to do, and the way they put the quests into the world, well, I enjoy it a lot. I like the game, not to the point of addiction, but I think it will hold me for a while, escpecially as i am not a hardcore mmo'er. Also there are a boatload of quests to do, and the community is quite nice and helpful, haven't seen a rude person yet.