First Look- Knight Age And Sevencore

☺I still love to check out new free to play MMO games. I was reading about some new releases recently and read about a cute little game called Knight Age and decided I had to download it and try it for myself. It is a lovely little game with bright, cartoony graphics, the characters have a chibi look and are pretty adorable overall. The graphics have their own charm and give the game a unique feel. The camera focuses in and out as you come closer to scenery in the world, giving it a shaded yet tangible feeling.

I only played about an hour but I did enjoy myself. This game offers a pet system and mounted combat. At level one you get your first pet, after leaving the tutorial you can run around and grab eggs, which you can slowly carry to hatch them at the 'pet trainer'. For each pet it seemed I gained a title, which was a nice bonus, who doesn't like titles?

At level five you gain your first mount, which gives you a small bonus to your character as you assign stats to it, also speed increase. Questing is pretty simple, nothing new here, basic theme park  Combat was fluid and smooth. The game also sports a nice UI which is easy to get a feel for and laid out with a clean feel. 

I spent a lot of time running, well, walking rather slowly, to the trainer to hatch pet eggs, which was quite fun. I wonder what this egg will hatch? I almost got to level five but it was time for bed and I'll have to pick it up another day. This game is by Joymax, they also are known for SilkRoad and SilkRoadX, both older games but ones I played years ago and really enjoyed. I also noticed they have mobile games in the works, I'll definitely be checking those out.

Pros? The game has an auto-routing system, which is always awesome. Nifty pets and mounts, speedy XP gain, smooth combat that doesn't drag out, talent trees, clean UI, lots of direction with quests, job boards, active community, dungeons and groups- I saw a lot of LFM. Cons? The quests seemed to require me to kill a higher and higher amount of mobs as a leveled up, I suppose questing could get a bit dull. Classes are gender locked and not a huge amount of customization, better than a lot of other games I've tried though, plenty of faces, hair and skin colors.

Just wanted to share some thoughts on the game. For a free to play it has a nice feel, doesn't seem to heavy on the cash shop to play, mostly things you might want on the side. A real fun game to putter around with if you are looking for something fun and laid back. I did see a lot of other players, currently there is only one server. As far as I can tell there are PvP areas and duels, for those who want that type of interaction. This is one I'll be keeping on my HD as I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this game!


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Next up I decided to try Sevencore, GPotato's latest MMO. I've read some good things about this game and seen some really nice screenshots, so why not? It is nice to hop around and try out some of these free to play games, they seem to get better and better. I've enjoyed Allods, as it is one of the most polished F2P games I've played over the years so I thought I'd see how the latest addition was holding up.

I suppose you can call this game... Interesting. It is dated in graphics, even on high they seemed aged. The last 'new' Gpotato game I invested time into had been several years old when it hit the Western audience and  it also had dated graphics, despite the fact it was a great game, sadly the plug was pulled before the game was out for a year, over here. That game was Prius.

Anyhow, the game, as I said, is interesting. Supposedly there are pets you can use as mounts, and cool vehicles, later on. Hitting level seven I managed to grab one only to find it lasted five minutes, very cool feature as you could hop on and off the mount and it would follow you, a boar.

The combat is okay, a bit sluggish at times and fast others. The worst thing is that if you are a caster and you run out of mana, you basically have to run away. I didn't understand this part. The game is very heavy on use of food and drink to use while in combat, a huge turnoff for me.

The game does have some nice aspects but all in all it is pretty dated feeling and needs some tweaks. It is alright for free to play but there are a lot better out there currently, it the regen system was tweaked it might hold my interest more so. The character models had an 'Aion' feel to them, or even close to Lineage 2. Overall it is a pretty game with a neat technologic feel but I didn't get how it all tied in. I have read that the game has a lot of depth, so it may be worth giving it some time.

If you're bored and looking for something to kill some time with you might find the game fares better in the later levels. I just wanted to try it out and see how it was. I don't have room on my plate for this game currently. Compared to Allods it doesn't shine very brightly, I really am sorry to see this publisher close one dated game just to release another, which could potentially close down the road too. The game does have charm, it just wasn't what I was looking for.



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Aw well, try them out yourself! Just some first impressions on some games that caught my eye. Like I really need to play MORE games? I just cannot help myself! Safe adventures!

Hidden Gems (F2P)

I thought I'd write about some of the free to play stuff I've been dabbling around in. When I look for a free game, I always look for ones that offer a lot of stuff to do, sometimes those that have pet systems, but mainly those that are easy to jump in and get to playing. I found a few hidden gems, just sitting there waiting to be discovered, hadn't heard of these until pretty recently. Need something enjoyable and laid back to play around with casually? Something to tide you over while you're waiting on GW2 or one of the 'near' future releases? These are good ones to tide you over.

War of The Immortals
I play a lot of PWI games and this is one of the newest. If you've played Battle of The Immortals then you'll probably notice a lot of similarities. It is pretty much the same type of game, newer flashy graphics, same type of play.

The game looks good, has a high xp rate (might make your head spin), and is really fun for a basic hack and slash MMO. It has the same pet system as BoI, basically you can tame whatever mob you want in the game, so many to choose from! I really like this pet system. There is a PvP system too, if that's your thing. I'm not high enough to have had a chance to try it.

You'll get a free, and very nice looking, mount from questing. Also you're shown how to obtain a pet, given several items to tame more- in case you don't like that one. The game also gives you a free class oriented appearance item. I was pretty happy with all the things I started out with and the rate the game moved along. I did see a lot of people running around so it seems to be doing well.

Pros- Fast fights, lovely visuals, can zoom into character and waaaay out. Auto-routing system, simple quests, huge variety of pets to tame. Fast leveling, interesting looking zones.


Cons- The game is just like BoI, which might not be a con, but it is almost exactly like an updated version. Repetitive combat, no PvE server (though only certain maps are said to be PvP later in levels), huge dependency on potions. 


Dragon Oath
This isn't as slick and smooth as many newer games but it has it's own charm. Very similar to WoI in play and style (you can see the sky in this one though) but it has a nice story and it is something that I've never tried, it was unique. The graphics are a bit older but I'm not too fussy about that, I still play EverQuest ;)

The world is pretty, despite the older look and feel of the game, it has a nice oriental / fantasy feel to it. Questing is interesting, nothing outstanding but it does give you a feel for the game and leads you through things instead of just throwing you into the fray without having any idea of what is what. You choose your class after a few levels, it gives you the option to think and check them out. It has a nice selection of classes and you get a class pet, class weapon and appearance clothing when you choose one. At level 40 you also get a pet specific mount. They are very lovely and interesting looking too.

I have read that the game has great holiday events, it also has events through the day, so there is a lot to do. I saw a few people here and there, not as many as other games but I did see people questing and a few higher levels running around too. I do hear it has a nice community as it isn't large. One thing that drew me to try this is it is under the same publisher as Zentia, so I had to try it to see if it was good.

If you go in expecting a cute hack and slash with some charming yet older type graphics you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for flashy graphics with a newer UI, you might be ;) Leveling seemed a moderate speed and auto-routing can help you find what you need. All in all it seemed solid.

Pros- Tons of pets to choose from, a pet area to tame them, class pets, class mounts. Appearance slots, cool looking armor, meditate ability to regen with. Auto-routing to help find your way, nice community, very cool pet system- such as second generation (stronger rares) and breeding system. Simple quick fights in combat.


Cons- Pets can die easily at lower leves at least (summon again to bring them back out). Lots of walking all over for quests. Graphics may be a bit dated for some players, smaller community.


Zentia
Yeah, I'm going to talk about Zentia again. I love this game. IMO it has to be one of the best F2P games out there. If you want a game that offers a lot, this one really delivers. Tons of daily events, quests, instances, solo instances, collection quests, group quests and the like.

There are lots of fun things you can pick up along the way of questing such as access to a special leisure instances. Like what? Like; fishing, trapping wolves, treasure hunting, whack-a-mole, all rewarding a nice amount of experience while being fun and refreshing.

There is a nice selection of classes to pick from too. Lots of content to keep you busy, this isn't a game where you don't have many objectives, there are almost too many quests, which is a great thing. You won't run out of things to do or choices. There is a lot of content in this game and fun things that still carry on after the level cap. It also carries through with a main quest line which leads you from area to area, gives you some sort of direction.

Pet and mount system, I love it. You can tame pets (which get cooler and faster as you get higher levels) and mounts in the game, you don't have to rely on the cash shop for it. You have to work on your taming skills to keep it up to par with your level though.

I can't brag enough about Zentia. Really, I haven't felt the need to buy anything from it unless it was cosmetic stuff, which I haven't yet and that is just a want. For a free game it is absolutely fabulous.

Pros- In-Depth pet and mount system with taming and training. You can sell/give pets and mounts to other players. Engaging combat, many instances to solo and group in. Daily events, leisure events, and holiday events. Decent xp rate but not too fast where your head spins. Guilds, guild halls, PvP specific arenas, PvP and PvE servers. Auto-Routing, huge amount of quests, quest list limit is large. Interesting tradeskills that don't have you running all over. Computer wise it runs well on many different specs.


Cons- Cute cartoony graphics and armor, some players might be turned off by those alone. Playerbase isn't huge, rather small when you compare it to more popular games, some players may feel lonely at the low levels. Taming mounts can be time consuming to get them to spawn, or you might get lucky and find the one you want sitting there. Cash shop is rather expensive and many items have a duration on them. Taming skill requires you to work on it at a steady rate as you level and it can be dull, which you will want to keep this up as it is needed to tame different and better mounts or pets.

So, check them out if you're looking for something free, casual and laid back! Doesn't cost anything and you just might have some fun. Click on the game names to take you to the official sites, if you're looking to check into them.

Free Days

I've been dabbling around with some free time and free games this week, enjoying myself quite a bit. I wanted to check back into some games that I haven't played in awhile. It is always nice to pop back into a game that you haven't played for awhile or perhaps one that has gone F2P, check out the changes see whats new. I love me some free stuff!

First up would be Rift. I've been tlaking to my bud, Rak, about messing around with some different games, just for a refreshing feel on gaming. He is still subbed to Rift so naturally he suggested I check it out again. While I didn't want to resub for just popping back in, I wanted to check for free time on my account. I remember reading about something about it recently, sure enough I had a few days.

It's been really nice being back. Rak prefers the Guardian side, which I've never tried past level six, so I started over as Guardian. We picked Byriel, since I do happen to know people on this shard. Not sure if many still play there but it seemed like a good choice. My old shard is now a trial so I ended up moving my other characters too. But, yeah, it has been nice. The guardian side is so much more appealing in terms of scenery, starting out it has a much more inviting feel, it's so lovely. It was like playing in a different game almost. I don't think I'd go back to the Defiant so soon.

I'm not going to sub now but I'm thinking in the near future of doing so because it is just like night and day, for me at least, playing on the different areas. I wish I hadn't missed the Christmas event but maybe I'll poke back in there next year. I'm glad I took the time to check out Rift again, the game is lovely and has a good feel to it, I really enjoyed myself being back. Too bad it isn't F2P, I'd spend more time, and money, on this game. I just can't value paying for more than I have going now- I have too many games going on as it is.

Next up is Lineage II. I've been wanting to get my hands dirty, roll up my sleeves for some action and see what all has changed since I last played- 2007. Things really changed immensely. When I last played the game had a lonely feel to it, at least at the lower levels. I rarely saw other players and I remember feeling so lost. The game is now bursting at the seams with players all over. Players now start in a new starting area and there are quests galore to start you off and get you feeling more situated. I was really impressed, it was a huge difference from the game I played years ago. The game felt 150% better off just for this. Being free to play seems to have brought in more players and players whom stuck to private servers, I think the population is quite healthy.

This is a PvP game but it is one that has a lot of charm even to a carebear like myself. The graphics look great still, there's a lot to do higher up and the game really starts you off on a good foot. If you've been thinking of trying it, really it's worth a look, at least to see how things have changed. Plus, it is fully free to play, no more subscriptions only cash shop items- which really didn't seem like pay to win.


Onto the next contender for free fun. Two actually, Perfect World Entertainment's: Perfect World International and Ether Saga. I've not played Perfect World since.... Maybe 2006-7. It is much the same, still grindy, but hey I play EQ I don't mind a grind. There have been some neat additions like genies, little fairy pets that give boosts to stats and attack. The game has been kept up to date and updated with patches and content so it's really a good lasting F2P game, as with all PWE games. Some of the cash shops and game mechanics are harsher than others but I'd say PW has a decent balance. It's nice being back and I think I will be dabbling with it for awhile. I've already managed to drag one friend there! I started over as starting back at level 30 might just not give me a real feel for jumping into the game again, I might try a few different this time around.

Ether Saga is one of those games that is a bit more expensive for fluff items and has a steeper learning curve due to all of the things that are part of the game. But it is a rewarding game. I recently received an email about not logging in for awhile and it offered rewards. Which were very nice, I even gained about 18 levels on my main, some saved still for an alt. So that makes my highest character level 40. I did have a time trying to find wheere to quest but the nice thing, I always forget this too, is that the quest log has a button that also shows available quests to you and will auto-route you to them. I wanted to smack myself after fretting about where to quest after gaining so many free levels. Well, now I have it jotted down here for the next time I forget!

It is nice being back, the game is just so cute and lively. Always something to do, there are a few grindy levels but for the most part it is quest driven, which is nice for a F2P game. It does take some time getting back into the fray but I'd say it is a lot of fun still.

I've been lazy this week posting but I have so much to talk about yet! Another day though, I've been playing a lot of stuff, having fun bouncing around testing the waters. Sometimes I know friends miss me and I drive others nuts with all the bouncing but it's who I am, I'm always off to adventure. Maybe one day I'll settle down. Next up should be some thoughts on STO, when I've had more time to sit down to it and my latest alt in EQ, the monk! Have a great weekend!

2011 Year of F2P

Time to celebrate?

This has surely been year of the F2P MMO- 2011. We have had a lot of nice F2P games come out and many convert from subscription to F2P. Even WoW added an unlimited free to play/try version. By the end of the year EQ2 should be fully free to play, after trying to separate paying and free to play subscribers. That was one I didn't expect to fully convert.

Neverwinter wants to open the doors to make it accessible to more people (I'm actually really excited about this one). On November 30th Linage 2 goes F2P, which I love the look of the game but I don't even think I played past my full month, but I would try it again and play here and there with a F2P model.

I do think it helps aging games draw in more players and sometimes even keep them, look at LoTRO and how it has flourished with this model. While some models are better than others it is nice to have access to more titles without having to buying anything, it looks like F2P is here to stay.

GW2 is going to be similar to the original GW, in terms of having no subscription, which is fantastic and I'm hoping it will stay much the same without the limits that most F2P models have. I'd have to say Guild Wars is my favorite model, they do have things you can buy but these are mostly cosmetic. I don't feel 'dollared' to death with this game.

Being able to try out stuff for free is always nice, even if there is sometimes a catch, these games do have to bring in profits. Things are looking interesting with several more going F2P before the end of the year and still many more to come. Compared to when I first started, where there was such a stagnant selection, it is really nice to have variety.

Even Facebook now offers more interesting games than the standard Farmville. I enjoy the Sims Social in short bursts and Castleville looks pretty neat too. There is something for everyone it seems, when it comes to free games.  

I still need to try out DCUO and mess around in Fallen Earth oh... and I have been thinking about AoC too lately-  so there is still a lot for me to dive into while I wait on EQ2 and Lineage to roll out the 'free' carpet. Do any of these new free models have you enticed?

Speaking of free, I noticed What MMORPG is offering a chance to win time cards or the equivalent for F2P games, worth checking out- you can find it here. Have a great week, peeps!

What?! EverQuest 2: Fully F2P

The old subscription model fades into the sunset with yet another subscription based MMO.

When will I be able to play EverQuest II for free?
We do not have an exact date at this time, but we are anticipating releasing EverQuest II as Free-to-Play early December 2011.

Yikes! Really?!

The latest news is that EQ2 is going fully free to play, no more is there only the Freeport server for EQ2X- All of the game is going to be F2P. I'm a bit shocked, especially after the whole deal with the EQ2X server, I wish I hadn't put so much into it at this point. I enjoyed my character there but mostly because I could access her in the F2P setting.

I supose I am not truly surprised in the decision. Free to play is carrying over to many games we never thought we'd see this happen with. It's nice in some ways. However, I was never the biggest fan of the SOE F2P model because it was so restricted (broker, bags, money). I need to check out the plan with a closer look but so far it looks pretty familiar. I am sure I will hop in to check things out when it goes live, dust off my inquisitor and necro and then end up playing for awhile, lol! 

One thing I would like to see would be server transfers being free when this goes live, at least being able to transfer the EQ2X characters. I doubt it happens but I'd like my EQ2X character and EQ2live characters to be on the same server. I have housing on both I'd like to share.

My EQ2X and EQ2 characters are on the same account, so will my silver membership carry over? I am curious. I haven't read through all of the information yet, I just skimmed through it and took a look at the pricing information mostly. I know I will end up paying for it on my second account, for my necromancer, so I suppose I'm not all too worried about it at this time.

I'm sort of excited about the thought of logging in my EQ2 live characters in again soon. That means more for me to do on a regular basis. Plus, maybe I can bring some friends along with me to at least try it out. I've been dying to get Twig over to try the game. She loves the housing aspect of SL and I think she'd flip over EQ2's housing.

All in all I'd say I am glad EQ2 is going F2P but it does feel sort of bitter sweet- For SOE at least. Maybe we'll be able to log into the other Everquest free in the future, I'd absolutely love that. I do admit my jaw dropped a bit when I read about this today. I was quite shocked, as were some of my friends. I suppose with so much to compete with on the horizon it offers more incentive to play EQ2. Long live EQ2, I wish SOE the best with these changes! 

More information on the official EQ2 Page- here. EQ2 Wire has some great info as well- here. See you in Norrath soon!

Forsaken World

This week Forsaken World launched into open beta. This is a game I've been interested in for awhile and never had the chance to get into closed beta. I'm excited to try it, Dire is even dabbling around with it. I've not had a chance to get very far but I am ambling my way through the first few levels, so far, and enjoying it.

The graphics are very clean and fresh. You could almost compare the scenery to WoW. It's charming and well done. The artists did a fantastic job. The characters and armor are quite beautiful, as well. Starting out in this game is nice, your character doesn't look like some poor homeless person, you aquire some pretty snazzy stuff right away.

The combat seems pretty fluid, I've not gotten very far to know how much this changes. Most games are cake at the lower levels anyhow. The UI is simple and easy to figure out too. The game is built upon questing for leveling, you'll get far more xp this way, grinding nets far less, or so I've read. There is also an autoroute system which runs you to quest NPC turn in's, mobs and so on. Some may call it lazy but it's pretty simple and I like it.

Groups are needed for instances and I've read there is a LFD system. How well it works is beyond me, I'm not high enough to access it. I suppose anything to help move things along towards getting a group is a plus. 

The game features many tried and true classes like priest, mage and warrior. It also has the vampire class which seems quite fun. You carry a big cross across your back, after doing a few quests. it's pretty bad-ass looking. The races are your basic fantasy with a few little twists.

There is also the zodiac system which awards different things at intervals. I've not yet grasped this system, instead looking to see my goodies pop up and grabbing them with a smile. Along with that there is a pet system and these pets do different things such as buff, debuff and so on.

All in all it looks like a pretty good F2P game. I have heard making money is quite hard and it's simply aimed for people to buy it from the CS. I don't like that idea but I'll have to spend more time in the game to see what the deal is.

Just a glance at the game, I'll post more thoughts as I progress. If you want a more in-depth review MMORPG-Tactics has a good one worth checking out.

-kaozz