So I’ve had a bit of a lull in the various games I play lately, so I thought I’d try something I’ve been meaning to try for a long time now. I’ve seen various bloggers call it various things, but I’m calling it MMO Tourism. Basically, I’m going to give a variety of free-to-play MMOs I’ve never played before (or only played briefly) a try. I’ll create a character and do at least the tutorial and the first zone or two. Then I’ll write a shortish travelog about my experience. Bio Break did this about a year ago, and while I was compiling my list of games to try, I noticed Why I Game started a “game hopping vacation” as well. (I know I’ve seen this a few other places, but those were the only ones I could dig up) I’ve enjoyed reading other peoples’ exploration of strange new MMOs, I hope someone else does too.
My format for these posts will go something like this:
- Opening Comments
- Commentary on character customization, races, classes, etc.
- Tutorial
- General gameplay thoughts
- What was unique about this game?
- Comments on F2P model
- Would I play again, and why?
So far, I have these games lined up:
Wildstar Beta
EverQuest 2
Dungeons & Dragons Online
Neverwinter
Champions Online
DC Universe
I may do these games as well if I find I like this format and/or based on feedback (note some of these are pay gate):
Order & Chaos
Landmark
Guild Wars 1
SWTOR (Haven’t played this since the expansion(s))
RuneScape (My first MMO, but haven’t played this in years… kind of afraid to go back for fear that it’ll be too depressing with all the changes)
Path of Exile
EverQuest 1
I plan on trying for one a week. Any other suggestions on free MMOs to try out?
Check the MMO Tourism tag for updates!
2 thoughts on “F2P MMO Tourism”
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Occasional Hero 
It’s fun! And while we may not be able to fully evaluate or review a game, it’s a pretty good look at how well each game manages to hold or retain its influx of newbies… or not.
I do suggest moving Path of Exile up into the first list. It’s a very quick install, and I’m finding it very refreshingly fun in the Diablo/Torchlight vein. The notorious skill tree is still a little crazy when you try to grok it all at once, but I’ve had good results just trying to focus on the local area I wound up in after picking a class and choosing from the much more limited path options in that small area.
Looking forward to reading your thoughts about each game. 🙂
One of the MMOs that I keep coming back to and have periodic cravings to play is Rusty Hearts. It’s a Perfect World title, and was one of the first “active combat” MMOs… but MMO is a loose term for it. It’s basically a grindy dungeon brawler, but a lot of fun when that craving strikes.