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.

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?

Originally posted by Jaedor

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).

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.

Originally posted by Jaedor

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 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. 

Originally posted by comrademario

You played WoW for 5 years, most of these games are like WoW

 

That's your problem :P

 

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.

Originally posted by comrademario

You played WoW for 5 years, most of these games are like WoW

 

That's your problem :P

 

 Word.

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.

Originally posted by elocke

Originally posted by Jaedor

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 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. 

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.

Originally posted by Jabas

Originally posted by Jaedor

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).

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.

It have not changed. Their model is atm same like it was right after change to F2P / freemium.

Just store is much bigger.

----------

Nah GW2 business model from looks of it is very diffrent. Of course there are some similarities, but I would not call them similar.

Originally posted by Jabas

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.

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.

Originally posted by Loktofeit

Originally posted by elocke

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.

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.

Low expectations and your own bag of crisps....

Originally posted by Quirhid

Originally posted by Loktofeit

Originally posted by elocke

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.

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.

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.. :)

Originally posted by Quirhid

Originally posted by Loktofeit

Originally posted by elocke

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.

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.

LOL! Fair enough. :)

Originally posted by Loke666

Low expectations and your own bag of crisps....

I think that people who closed/narrow minded have the hardest time just trying to have fun.

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