Okay, my title is a bit misleading to the point of this rant, but at the same time, it's spot on. So, let me explain. Possibly one of the real benefits of MMO's is the fact that the vast majority of them have Free Trials. Basically, it allows you to enjoy the game's entire experience for a set period of time. The most popular being a 14 day trial, but some offer 20, 24 or 30 day trials. While it guarantees that you will never be able to see the entire game with a trial, it at least allows you to understand if you really want to get committed or not for the price of nothing. After all, who wants to pay $10-20 on a game they only play 1-5 times before they quit as it's not for them?
Now for the bad. In many of these games, if you are playing them via the free trial, this is indicated. Some show it on the character description when someone examines you, while others indicate it on screen next to your avatars name. This is a problem as playing these games via trial comes with its own form of instant hate. The vast majority of this hate spawns from the early days of free trials. Gamers would pour hours, if not helpful items, into new players, only to have them stop playing when their trial came to a end. This causes an understandable hate towards trial gamers thanks to the amount of time and gear wasted. In the end, you see a trial player, you ignore them or treat them poorly.
Where this goes so wrong for these games is that many gamers that jump into the trial know they want to play a MMO. They want the insane size of experience, the creativity that comes from it, and the online friendships that will spawn. They desire the team up and get things done feeling that only these type of games can create, even more so then the Call of Duty's and Left 4 Dead's of the world. Yet, no matter how much they come to like what the game offers, the chances of them sticking around when they see the other players treating them so damn poorly is slim.
I'll take a personal experience. I wanted to give WoW a good go, and the first time I tried my computer threw up. >.> <.< By my second try, mostly via a suggestion of a friend, I couldn't really get into it. It was the first time I used a keyboard and a mouse to play in a long while (read: Half Life being the last game I really used the combo on), which lead to a great deal of dscomfort and lack of joy. The third time I gave a trial a chance was when I was comfortable again with a mouse and keyboard and another friend asked me to give it a go. My experience with WoW for the first time unhindered was a lot of fun. Despite the cartoony graphics, which fit the game and its old school dance weilding avatars, the depth of many elements was what I was looking for in a MMORPG.
Take for example the quest system. Most games give quests where the reward is a set single item. So, if you can't use it, I guess you can always sell it. Though, that route is rarely as rewarding. Also the quests give no real feeling of restraint on your level to complete it. Sure, some are for lower level characters and others for higher, but you don't really feel like there is anything in the way, unless it's too tough at the time. WoW on the other had offers quests with multiple awards to choose from, giving you a high level chance of earning something you can actually use. Also, these quests are level based, just like mobs. So, if you are level 10 trying to take on a level 20 quest, the rewards (items and exp) are going to be much higher compared to you taking on the same quest at level 30.
Stuff like that made me excited about the game, but I never started to pay the monthly fee. Why? Attitude.
The attitude towards me and my character were piss poor from everyone I ran across in the game. Not because I didn't understand the game or was a horrible player. It was because it indicated me as a 'Trial player', which immediately slapped me with bad juju. The only thing anyone wanted to do together with me was Duels. And, to say the least, that's not much of doing anything together then beating each other up. Could be fun, but not when you are trying to make progress.
Sure, I understand that once I lose that little indication I'd have no problems, but that's not what I pay for. My x amount of dollars a month goes to knowing there will be expansions, improvements and so on, from the game and it's developers. I don't pay to just be accepted, and that's how it feels to someone that understands why the bias exists.
What I'm getting at here is this; Free Trial Periods to the game, esperially MMO's, are a must. In fact, a 30 day trial should be the standard, as that would deliver to the player the exact feel of what it is to pay month to month. Yet, I believe that there should be absolutely no indication that someone is on that trial to the rest of the players.
The prime reason for this is then more players can truly start these games for the reason they are trying them out in the first place. Not just to play a game, but to team up with people all over the world, and to make new friends. Something that rarely happens to many gamers because they are never given the chance, just because of one small stupid thing.
In the end, I'd love to see some real stats on a game like World of Warcraft. The number that are playing compared to the number that started a trial, then stopped. Then for those that stopped, just how many stopped because of 'the lack of other players wanting to do what MMO's are about. To join up and kick ass.' Even though I have no numbers in front of me, I'm pretty damn positive that most stop playing because of the lack of comradely, and not because they don't enjoy the game itself.
Now for the bad. In many of these games, if you are playing them via the free trial, this is indicated. Some show it on the character description when someone examines you, while others indicate it on screen next to your avatars name. This is a problem as playing these games via trial comes with its own form of instant hate. The vast majority of this hate spawns from the early days of free trials. Gamers would pour hours, if not helpful items, into new players, only to have them stop playing when their trial came to a end. This causes an understandable hate towards trial gamers thanks to the amount of time and gear wasted. In the end, you see a trial player, you ignore them or treat them poorly.
Where this goes so wrong for these games is that many gamers that jump into the trial know they want to play a MMO. They want the insane size of experience, the creativity that comes from it, and the online friendships that will spawn. They desire the team up and get things done feeling that only these type of games can create, even more so then the Call of Duty's and Left 4 Dead's of the world. Yet, no matter how much they come to like what the game offers, the chances of them sticking around when they see the other players treating them so damn poorly is slim.
I'll take a personal experience. I wanted to give WoW a good go, and the first time I tried my computer threw up. >.> <.< By my second try, mostly via a suggestion of a friend, I couldn't really get into it. It was the first time I used a keyboard and a mouse to play in a long while (read: Half Life being the last game I really used the combo on), which lead to a great deal of dscomfort and lack of joy. The third time I gave a trial a chance was when I was comfortable again with a mouse and keyboard and another friend asked me to give it a go. My experience with WoW for the first time unhindered was a lot of fun. Despite the cartoony graphics, which fit the game and its old school dance weilding avatars, the depth of many elements was what I was looking for in a MMORPG.
Take for example the quest system. Most games give quests where the reward is a set single item. So, if you can't use it, I guess you can always sell it. Though, that route is rarely as rewarding. Also the quests give no real feeling of restraint on your level to complete it. Sure, some are for lower level characters and others for higher, but you don't really feel like there is anything in the way, unless it's too tough at the time. WoW on the other had offers quests with multiple awards to choose from, giving you a high level chance of earning something you can actually use. Also, these quests are level based, just like mobs. So, if you are level 10 trying to take on a level 20 quest, the rewards (items and exp) are going to be much higher compared to you taking on the same quest at level 30.
Stuff like that made me excited about the game, but I never started to pay the monthly fee. Why? Attitude.
The attitude towards me and my character were piss poor from everyone I ran across in the game. Not because I didn't understand the game or was a horrible player. It was because it indicated me as a 'Trial player', which immediately slapped me with bad juju. The only thing anyone wanted to do together with me was Duels. And, to say the least, that's not much of doing anything together then beating each other up. Could be fun, but not when you are trying to make progress.
Sure, I understand that once I lose that little indication I'd have no problems, but that's not what I pay for. My x amount of dollars a month goes to knowing there will be expansions, improvements and so on, from the game and it's developers. I don't pay to just be accepted, and that's how it feels to someone that understands why the bias exists.
What I'm getting at here is this; Free Trial Periods to the game, esperially MMO's, are a must. In fact, a 30 day trial should be the standard, as that would deliver to the player the exact feel of what it is to pay month to month. Yet, I believe that there should be absolutely no indication that someone is on that trial to the rest of the players.
The prime reason for this is then more players can truly start these games for the reason they are trying them out in the first place. Not just to play a game, but to team up with people all over the world, and to make new friends. Something that rarely happens to many gamers because they are never given the chance, just because of one small stupid thing.
In the end, I'd love to see some real stats on a game like World of Warcraft. The number that are playing compared to the number that started a trial, then stopped. Then for those that stopped, just how many stopped because of 'the lack of other players wanting to do what MMO's are about. To join up and kick ass.' Even though I have no numbers in front of me, I'm pretty damn positive that most stop playing because of the lack of comradely, and not because they don't enjoy the game itself.
