Ever had one of those relationships where "he" plays online games and "she" doesn't? If so, you'll definitely want to check out MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy's article about Lucent Heart. Calling it a "game for couples", Bill spent some time playing Lucent Heart and has a lot of experiences to share. Read on!

I love my wife. But there are precious few games she’ll play with me, and even less MMOs. If she wasn’t so sweet and pretty, I swear I’d kick her out (kidding). With this in mind, when the folks at Gamania told me Lucent Heart is the perfect game to get my wife to try MMOs, I scoffed. But then last week I had the chance to sit down with Jon and Mark from the team, and well… I’m starting to believe that they’re onto something. Sure at first glance, Lucent Heart looks like little more than another F2P MMO ported from Asia. But I was surprised to find out just how deep the rabbit hole went, just how cheap and well-planned the cash shop is, and just how much my wife loves the cuter more “romantic” aspects of the game. Heck, during the closed beta they had a 45% female demographic… and believe it or not real women were playing female characters!

Read more of Bill Murphy's Lucent Heart: A Game for Couples.

Mine plays Vanguard. She would probably be a little ill if I came in and suggested this.

I think if you could build a house or a farm, I might actually be able to get my wife to play the game.

Mark was happy to tell me just how cheap they’re able to keep everything with 30-days of additional backpack space costing a mere $1.50. Gamania doesn’t seem to be about nickel and diming their players.

F2P but you don't buy extra storage space from the store, you buy a storage space subscription?  How is that not nickel and diming?  I was never very interested but they completely lost me right there.

Originally posted by cali59

Mark was happy to tell me just how cheap they’re able to keep everything with 30-days of additional backpack space costing a mere $1.50. Gamania doesn’t seem to be about nickel and diming their players.

F2P but you don't buy extra storage space from the store, you buy a storage space subscription?  How is that not nickel and diming?  I was never very interested but they completely lost me right there.

Welcome to the smoke and mirrors of so called 'F2P'.

Once the current 'freemium' adapted AAA MMOs built under the sub model have all gotten too old and gone away this is exactly the model that will be left for you to play.

I hope the folks out there using them as poster boys for 'F2P' understand the future they afre building for themselves.

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Originally posted by vesavius

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Originally posted by cali59
Mark was happy to tell me just how cheap they’re able to keep everything with 30-days of additional backpack space costing a mere $1.50. Gamania doesn’t seem to be about nickel and diming their players.

F2P but you don't buy extra storage space from the store, you buy a storage space subscription?  How is that not nickel and diming?  I was never very interested but they completely lost me right there.

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Welcome to the smoke and mirrors of so called 'F2P'.
Once the current 'freemium' adapted AAA MMOs built under the sub model have all gotten too old and gone away this is exactly the model that will be left for you to play.
I hope the folks out there using them as poster boys for 'F2P' understand the future they afre building for themselves.
 

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Originally posted by lizardbones

 

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Originally posted by vesavius

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Originally posted by cali59
Mark was happy to tell me just how cheap they’re able to keep everything with 30-days of additional backpack space costing a mere $1.50. Gamania doesn’t seem to be about nickel and diming their players.

F2P but you don't buy extra storage space from the store, you buy a storage space subscription?  How is that not nickel and diming?  I was never very interested but they completely lost me right there.

---

 
Welcome to the smoke and mirrors of so called 'F2P'.
Once the current 'freemium' adapted AAA MMOs built under the sub model have all gotten too old and gone away this is exactly the model that will be left for you to play.
I hope the folks out there using them as poster boys for 'F2P' understand the future they afre building for themselves.
 

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It would be more accurately named 'À La Carte', where you choose what to spend your money on. This game developer is focusing on convenience items to generate income. They could just as well focus on power level items. I think the convenience items are the way to go.

** edit **
Virtual land ownership for real world money is OK in my mind too. Except I don't think you can buy a house or anything like it in this game.

 

 My objection wasn't to selling the space for $1.50, it was to selling a subscription to the bag space.  That's a new low.

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Originally posted by cali59

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Originally posted by lizardbones
 

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Originally posted by vesavius

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Originally posted by cali59
Mark was happy to tell me just how cheap they’re able to keep everything with 30-days of additional backpack space costing a mere $1.50. Gamania doesn’t seem to be about nickel and diming their players.

F2P but you don't buy extra storage space from the store, you buy a storage space subscription?  How is that not nickel and diming?  I was never very interested but they completely lost me right there.

---

 
Welcome to the smoke and mirrors of so called 'F2P'.
Once the current 'freemium' adapted AAA MMOs built under the sub model have all gotten too old and gone away this is exactly the model that will be left for you to play.
I hope the folks out there using them as poster boys for 'F2P' understand the future they afre building for themselves.
 

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It would be more accurately named 'À La Carte', where you choose what to spend your money on. This game developer is focusing on convenience items to generate income. They could just as well focus on power level items. I think the convenience items are the way to go.

** edit **
Virtual land ownership for real world money is OK in my mind too. Except I don't think you can buy a house or anything like it in this game.
 

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 My objection wasn't to selling the space for $1.50, it was to selling a subscription to the bag space.  That's a new low.

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Do they allow same sex couples?  I'm guessing not.

Originally posted by just1opinion

 

Do they allow same sex couples?  I'm guessing not.

Until it's more widely accepted, I highly doubt it.  I thought I heard of one game you could have same sex couples though.

Originally posted by vesavius

Originally posted by cali59

Mark was happy to tell me just how cheap they’re able to keep everything with 30-days of additional backpack space costing a mere $1.50. Gamania doesn’t seem to be about nickel and diming their players.

F2P but you don't buy extra storage space from the store, you buy a storage space subscription?  How is that not nickel and diming?  I was never very interested but they completely lost me right there.

 

Welcome to the smoke and mirrors of so called 'F2P'.

Once the current 'freemium' adapted AAA MMOs built under the sub model have all gotten too old and gone away this is exactly the model that will be left for you to play.

I hope the folks out there using them as poster boys for 'F2P' understand the future they afre building for themselves.

 

MMO's have always been this way, before the money was spent privately through E-bay or IGE. Now it's given to the studios, nothing has changed in this respect except the way in which money transfers and what is being sold.

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Originally posted by just1opinion

Do they allow same sex couples? I'm guessing not.

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In the Japanese (original) version of the game, you couldn’t select same gender matching, but the Gamania folks realize that more than just for romantic roleplaying, the cupid system can be used as a great group-finding tool.  So once you’re matched up you’ll be able to level and play alongside them and earn relationship points which can then be used to get considerable buffs in-game.

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so yes, they do. except you want to play the japanese version :P

Originally posted by vesavius

Mine plays Vanguard. She would probably be a little ill if I came in and suggested this.

 

I agree...looking over my shoulder at the screenshots with me, she keeps repeating the same term for each image: "Ghey". It appears as if they recycled the human models from Uncharted Waters Online, which too is "ghey" according to her. I'm inclined to agree.

They do In Voyage Century Online...but then, that game is a money sink.

Originally posted by Dunkare

 

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Originally posted by just1opinion

Do they allow same sex couples? I'm guessing not.

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In the Japanese (original) version of the game, you couldn’t select same gender matching, but the Gamania folks realize that more than just for romantic roleplaying, the cupid system can be used as a great group-finding tool.  So once you’re matched up you’ll be able to level and play alongside them and earn relationship points which can then be used to get considerable buffs in-game.

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so yes, they do. except you want to play the japanese version :P

 

Thanks for all the info.  I think the free to play model is probably going to keep me from wanting to play anyway, but it's nice to know the game is out there should I ever get so bored that f2p sounds like an option.

is this really a game for couples?

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Originally posted by thebigchin11
is this really a game for couples?

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