I really enjoy this game, but i am afraid to actually get into it for various reasons

Mervik - Heavens Tear · June 2009

Hey guys, I just want it to be known that I really enjoy my time in PW:I. Its one of the best mmorpg games in general thus far, from my experience 1-15 that I have ever played. I have played tons of mmorpgs, (well over 30) and In terms of F2P this one takes the cake.

This bothers me, Allow me to explain.

Every time I got into a F2P MMORPG, I would reach the mid levels or so, and something in the game would happen, All of a sudden the grind gets amazingly high, its like it went X200% more exp required to level, jump out of no where.

If that is not the case then its usually a cash shop issue, something like the game REQUIRES you to regularly use Cash shop items which are consumables, and the game economy is so inflated that it makes it near impossible to farm enough money to keep up with a busy guild raids/pvp schedule while still having a life outside the game.

the 3rd Issue that happens sometimes, is I find out a bit to late about a feature or an issue with the game that I just can't deal with having. Such an Issue is like what Jade Dynasty does after around level 135, making you do the "Rebirth" and go back to level 1 to obtain the best skills...that alone is a game breaker for me.

So I am worried, and I am only worried because I actually enjoy PW:I, I met some nice people in a great guild in my server, I spent a week with them and then I left, Why? Because The more I get attached to the good people here, the good game and the more I enjoy myself the more it will suck and sting once I find out what that one thing this "FREE" game has that screws the player over in one way or another.

I can never relax when I play a F2P game, My mentality has and will always be, "How are they going to "force" me to spend more money on their game, than I would normally spend on a P2P game". And So far no F2P mmorpg has been able to prove this mentality wrong! So Id say I have a good excuse to continue to think this way. Some games make you buy items at high levels to keep up, some games actually have the company put up a LOT of sales, and lower prices on cash shop items a lot, while allowing players to buy from in game sources, but this causes massive inflation, and makes it very hard for pure F2P players to enjoy the game.

Anyways, Lastly I just want to say, Its not that I don't want to spend money on the game, its that right now, I just cant. Its summer, I just spent my last few hundred dollars on my summer college classes and textbooks. The company I worked for went bankrupt 3 months ago and I am basically living off financial aid. I already spend 15/mo on FFXI, its about all the money I am willing to spend on games for the next few months, hell I even got the homebrew channel and a external HDD on my wii to save $ on them.

So what I am asking is really nothing, Im conflicted, I really do enjoy this game, but the only way I can describe it as is being in a relationship you enjoy but know wont work out in the end. Thats kinda how I feel about all F2P games from all my past experiences... Which have been a very large amount

[removed]

To name the ones I can think off the top of my head.

Esteban - Harshlands · June 2009

Uhh The cool thing I like about PW is the fact that you can get the "cash shop" items through in game currency. I have 2 accounts over 75+ (even though this isnt even high for some) and I have never spent 1 dollar in the game.
Yes you won't be any competition to those people that spend hundreds on the game. Seeing how you play for the fun and to be around friends I say don't even worry about the cash shop.

Mosz - Heavens Tear · June 2009

all 3 of those issues here are minor compared to most MMOs :] , especially compared to last chaos/RYL2 that i played recentlyish before here, the cash shop one here is least minor , but is not bad compared to most games really, CS provides shortcuts of not needing to farm, but doesnt give you immediate insane bonus(last chaos you could get 12x XP per kill, here just 50% more, but charms and AoE zhen party party go together for faster xp, especially for some classes) refining here is not as bad as some games, yah its near impossible to do without cash shop items, but you can get form other players, and the game doesnt require huge refines and its not really an issue until 80/90+,

i gotta say your worries are the ones ive had in games and i enjoy this game quite a lot despite the minor issues, id assume you would too, granted youve played so many MMOs you should be able to learn effectively to use your class (forums here got good guides) and should be fine

as a note, i havent spent any real money on this game yet, but i have spent a bit of time farming dungeons to make money, although most classes IF played efficiently make good coin from just straight grinding, doing quests, you know typical lvling up MMO stuffs, although as an archer in 9x its gotten a bit of a pain for grinding cash/xp , then again enough people consider 90 end game (insert lvl 99 end game arguements here)

DarkSniper - Lost City · June 2009

Getting cash shop items is actually not nearly a big of a deal as it is in other games. You do need charms once you hit mid levels if you want to pvp. But they are suprisingly cheap. There is even an system to buy cash shop gold with coins.

Compared to other games I have played (Flyff) cash shop is a really minor problem.

Tearvalerin - Sanctuary · June 2009

the leveling starts to get hard about 80+, prior to that, its a cake walk, cash is not needed anywhere in the game. i spent maybe.. 10$ in my time of play for some vanity purposes like clothes, but never has it inhibited me from playing because i cant spend. PWI is TRULY free as it speaks, go back to your friends.

TheGoliath - Heavens Tear · June 2009

well it's an endless problem, u can't have a game completely free but with a MMO like PWI u can have those players buying +12 refine orbs that keep the game free for the others o.o

Mosz - Heavens Tear · June 2009

TheGoliath - Heavens Tear wrote: »

well it's an endless problem, u can't have a game completely free but with a MMO like PWI u can have those players buying +12 refine orbs that keep the game free for the others o.o

about this, some games crate an immediate huge disadvantage with cash shop, 12x experience in some games AAA+++ armor in some games,(6-10x damage of normally obtainable grade) cash shop item to reach or get past a certain level, cash shop to go to high lvl maps, game events that are only lottery based on cash shop, max stat gear only from cash shop or lotterys, in game grind bot mode from cash shop items, temp expensive cash shop leet refines, here its a lot more fair, ++ gear is more balanced, farming coin is more obtainable (TT wise or grind for most class/player/lvl) yah its not ideal where cash shop is more for fashion/non in game advantages but those games are very rare and few and mostly suck

DoctorGideon - Dreamweaver · June 2009

About the grinding - I've had a lot of characters in PWI and from what I've experienced you'll have to grind most of the 40s, then you'll get filled with quests in the 50s, then again - grind most of the 60s, get a lot of quests in the 70s.. etc...

So you won't have to worry much about grinding!

Fyrah - Sanctuary · June 2009

Mervik - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Hey guys, I just want it to be known that I really enjoy my time in PW:I. Its one of the best mmorpg games in general thus far, from my experience 1-15 that I have ever played. I have played tons of mmorpgs, (well over 30) and In terms of F2P this one takes the cake.

This bothers me, Allow me to explain.

Every time I got into a F2P MMORPG, I would reach the mid levels or so, and something in the game would happen, All of a sudden the grind gets amazingly high, its like it went X200% more exp required to level, jump out of no where.

If that is not the case then its usually a cash shop issue, something like the game REQUIRES you to regularly use Cash shop items which are consumables, and the game economy is so inflated that it makes it near impossible to farm enough money to keep up with a busy guild raids/pvp schedule while still having a life outside the game.

the 3rd Issue that happens sometimes, is I find out a bit to late about a feature or an issue with the game that I just can't deal with having. Such an Issue is like what Jade Dynasty does after around level 135, making you do the "Rebirth" and go back to level 1 to obtain the best skills...that alone is a game breaker for me.

So I am worried, and I am only worried because I actually enjoy PW:I, I met some nice people in a great guild in my server, I spent a week with them and then I left, Why? Because The more I get attached to the good people here, the good game and the more I enjoy myself the more it will suck and sting once I find out what that one thing this "FREE" game has that screws the player over in one way or another.

I can never relax when I play a F2P game, My mentality has and will always be, "How are they going to "force" me to spend more money on their game, than I would normally spend on a P2P game". And So far no F2P mmorpg has been able to prove this mentality wrong! So Id say I have a good excuse to continue to think this way. Some games make you buy items at high levels to keep up, some games actually have the company put up a LOT of sales, and lower prices on cash shop items a lot, while allowing players to buy from in game sources, but this causes massive inflation, and makes it very hard for pure F2P players to enjoy the game.

Anyways, Lastly I just want to say, Its not that I don't want to spend money on the game, its that right now, I just cant. Its summer, I just spent my last few hundred dollars on my summer college classes and textbooks. The company I worked for went bankrupt 3 months ago and I am basically living off financial aid. I already spend 15/mo on FFXI, its about all the money I am willing to spend on games for the next few months, hell I even got the homebrew channel and a external HDD on my wii to save $ on them.

So what I am asking is really nothing, Im conflicted, I really do enjoy this game, but the only way I can describe it as is being in a relationship you enjoy but know wont work out in the end. Thats kinda how I feel about all F2P games from all my past experiences... Which have been a very large amount

[removed]

To name the ones I can think off the top of my head.

They don't force you to buy it with inrl money. There's a way to buy gold, among other things. Some people even pay you boutique items for helping them do certain things, if you're lucky. But the best choice is save up money in game, and buy the things you want. But the things that bother me in the cash shop is how some of the things are ridiculously priced, for example a new mount worth 50 bucks, only out for a limited amount of time. And besides, if it was the Boa or any of the mounts that lots of people want I can understand, possibly. But any who, PW listen to the demand of your players, and I'm sure you'll get the money out of us.

Mistimancer - Heavens Tear · June 2009

Am a stay at home mom, with no cash entry.
I play the game since almost a year and to treat myself, I bought a total of 50$ and I still have some of it in reserve.

I got many clothes, that I bought through the game. I always have charms that I buy though the game.

I am level 72 ( I only play 1-2 hours per day and not all day.. that's why I am only 72 after almost a year)
Getting money in game is not too hard, you discover places that usually has good drop/drop rates and sometimes if you are lucky, you can get between 200k-500k in an hour or so.. all depends of the ration of the day

So when I want an item, I'll just go to my favorite $$ grinding spot and spend an hour or so there

Or I'll go to AH and sell my clothes hahaha... after I get what I want.. I'll start saving to get some clothes back.. etc... it's a circle...but up to now.. you don't need to really spend real money on the game... I am a proof of it

I don't have an Hercules or Nix.. and it's by choice... I could save and save and save my coins... but I don't want to.. I have my tameable litte pets and I do very well with them

Stay.. it's very a good game and a free game for real

We have to thank the peeps that will spend hundreds per month for that

But you truly have the choice here to spend real $ or not

Alyyy - Sanctuary · June 2009

hy tear gratz

(cuz u lvled :P)

Leonnator - Sanctuary · June 2009

Such an Issue is like what Jade Dynasty does after around level 135, making you do the "Rebirth" and go back to level 1 to obtain the best skills...that alone is a game breaker for me.

WTF!?!? That is the most **** idea everb:angry Good thing I sticked to Perfect World, now let's hope Perfect World doesn't follow it's brother pathb:shutup

Abbadon - Harshlands · June 2009

The grind is horrible compared to standard North American MMORPGs like WoW or WAR. It's on par for foreign MMOs such as Lineage 2. Lots of grinding for hours and hours, even level 60+ quests force you to kill 60+ mobs for a leg.

HP Charms from the cash shop are REQUIRED if you want to play competitively. This is true for all classes. MP Charms to a lesser extent for some classes. Translates to roughly $4 a charm. If you don't buy it with real cash, your going to be relegating yourself to even MORE grinding to get the coin to buy them from players.

And even though you didnt mention it, I thought I should. The end game is... well, there isn't an end game. You could argue that it's Territory Wars, but it works out over the long run to two powerblocks taking up half the map each in a stalemate with little to no change.

Overall: it's free, and its fun for a while, but don't expect it to be a long-running addiction.

erethizon1 · June 2009

Abbadon - Harshlands wrote: »

The grind is horrible compared to standard North American MMORPGs like WoW or WAR. It's on par for foreign MMOs such as Lineage 2. Lots of grinding for hours and hours, even level 60+ quests force you to kill 60+ mobs for a leg.

HP Charms from the cash shop are REQUIRED if you want to play competitively. This is true for all classes. MP Charms to a lesser extent for some classes. Translates to roughly $4 a charm. If you don't buy it with real cash, your going to be relegating yourself to even MORE grinding to get the coin to buy them from players.

And even though you didnt mention it, I thought I should. The end game is... well, there isn't an end game. You could argue that it's Territory Wars, but it works out over the long run to two powerblocks taking up half the map each in a stalemate with little to no change.

Overall: it's free, and its fun for a while, but don't expect it to be a long-running addiction.

To the original poster, both of the people that have told you that charms are required (this includes the post I quoted as well as one on the first page that said you need them at levels 60+) are playing on PvP servers, which is why they have that opinion. You are playing on a PvE server and will not find charms to be nearly as important. They are nice, but not nearly as important. In case you have not yet learned what a charm is, it is an item that you equip that automatically causes your HP or MP to fill up to maximum whenever it gets low and it can replenish 100's of thousands of HP or MP (which means it lasts for many hours or even days). I am currently level 83 and have never used a charm (and I play a Cleric which is considered to be one of the most charm dependent classes).

As many people have told you, cash shop items are optional in this game. Not only have I never spent real money on this game, but I have not even spent in-game money to trade for cash shop items for anything except inventory expansion. There are people that play without any inventory expansion, but I am a pack rat so I wanted to make mine bigger (and inventory expansion in this game is permanent unlike Runes of Magic where you pay cash shop money just to rent a larger inventory temporarily).

As for the grind, the levels do indeed get longer at higher levels, but there are daily quests (usually referred to as Crazy Stone (CS) and World Quest) that can be done once per day starting at level 30 and 70 respectively. These quests give large amounts of experience and require no killing at all (so you do not even have to grind creatures to do these quests). I have used these quests to get to level 83 without needing to grind even at higher levels. This is why I am level 83 instead of 90+, but I feel it is worth it to avoid the grind. Unlike most F2P MMORPG's where you either grind or stay the same level forever, this one has non-combat options which I appreciate very much. You can hit level 100 without ever killing a creature after level 29 (since Crazy Stone starts at level 30). That would take well over 2 years so I would not recommend it (at least do the other quests you are given as well), but it can be done, which is a huge improvement over other F2P (and even P2P) games.

Cal - Harshlands · June 2009

it just boils down to one thing, are you a mad freak who wanna be the best or just njoy a game.

If u are first u'll spent a lot cough*yoshiki*cough

If u are anyone who just wanna have fun, u can go on without spending a penny.

If you want enough comforts, pick a veno.

eatwithspoons · June 2009

I'll echo the sentiments of the other posters. As always any company needs money to be able to continue running, but I like PWI because we make a real effort to put mechanics in the game that have the potential to even the playing field in terms of "cash shop vs. non-cash shop" use.

Maddrox - Harshlands · June 2009

I have spent way more than I should have, hundreds. I started at the beginning of the year. The only reason I have spent that much is because I work 60-80 hours a week, the latter usually. I don't really havee the time to level, but I enjoy the game enough to buy some gold and sell it for coin so I can run the cube of fate as a daily, as well as blow through the world quest and crazy stone. Easily getting me %20 a day atm. Since I don't have the time to run TT for materials or anything, i'll buy the mats for what I need. I haveen't really +'d anything up until I got my HH80 gold Firelotus, and there was a sale of Dragon Orbs.

Grinding isn't too bad, it is doable. You just need to put forth some effort if you need to grind. I was able to grind for 2 hours last night, was an hour late for work today b:chuckle

Cash Shop items can again, be bought through other players. No need to worry about that.b:victory

Lareish - Harshlands · June 2009

Point 1: Fear of the Supergrind
I understand from other people, coming from the typical P2P and F2P mmo, that the grind here is immensely easier. Leveling slows down after 60-70 because yes, the EXP requirements per level do jump up as you go on, and the very late levels have fewer quests. But there are daily events to make up for that, plus training scrolls to give you 150% exp. (These are cash shop items but can be bought from other players for coin.)

Point 2 - Fear of the Cash Shop Requirement
Some high levels here have never ever used the cash shop. They've played this game as truly Free To Play. Cash shop items like +EXP Training scrolls, Dolls to protect you from dropping items or losing EXP when killed, Fashion, Mounts, and much more can be bought from other players using coin. Coin is not hard to earn as virtually everything you do aside from walking gives you some. Stuff gained from the cash shop ranges from 20k to 500k to 4 million to get from other users. As reference, I recently started a Barbarian and have 80k in the bank after three long days of questing. And that's WITH the riridiculous repair costs a barb incurs (I spent about 21k yesterday fixing his armor taking him from level 11 to level 22 >.>). By the time you get to a level where you'll want Cash Shop items, you'll likely have the gold saved on hand.

You will want the special stash breaking Hammer at level 50 and level 80. It is $5/5gold in the Cash shop, which is roughly 500k on the server. But the items you get from it are worth more than that compared to their in-game counterparts, like weapons made from molds that you had to work for forever to gather the materials for. Find a user who can buy it for you and you're good to go spending your grind-earned coins on some sweet items.

Point 3 - Evil Game Economy
Maybe a little. But it isn't too bad. People gripe about it but such is the way with any game economy. It's workable, people just like things for cheap and whatever things are going for will always be too much for them. Others complain when things aren't expensive enough. If you're in a guild that owns Territory, and help them with the Wars, you'll probably get an income from that on top of what you make by grinding through quests. Not bad.

Point 4 - Evil Sudden Surprise
(JD does WHAT now? Ouch.) I have immersed myself pretty deeply into every aspect I can about PWI. And I don't think there are any nasty surprises like that lurking around O.O Unless you count the people who roll Lost City or Harshlands without realizing that when they hit level 30, their names will turn white and anyone else above 30 can start killing them without consent.

Counterpoint:
You're having fun, with fun people, and it's free. There are drawbacks to every game but this one balances pretty well towards the Good Times side.

Tearvalerin - Sanctuary · June 2009

Leonnator - Sanctuary wrote: »

WTF!?!? That is the most **** idea everb:angry Good thing I sticked to Perfect World, now let's hope Perfect World doesn't follow it's brother pathb:shutup

dude thats such an old idea in games, first implemented in iRO with its 'transcended class' system, where after 99->1 for better skills/stats, it did make things more difficult, but your character became powerful for it! is not a game breaking feature at all :P

Maddrox - Harshlands · June 2009

Tearvalerin - Sanctuary wrote: »

dude thats such an old idea in games, first implemented in iRO with its 'transcended class' system, where after 99->1 for better skills/stats, it did make things more difficult, but your character became powerful for it! is not a game breaking feature at all :P

Yeah.. Conquer Online started the Rebirth system maaaaany years ago, bring you from 120-130 back down to 1. You gain new skills depending on what class you reborn too. Neat idea, pain though. Took a month of nonstop grinding from 129-130.b:shocked I think thier up to like 4 rebirths now. LOL

IceJazmin - Heavens Tear · June 2009

mm Can't decide which class I want to the reborn as...... Cleric or Wiz....

Zareh - Dreamweaver · June 2009

Any cash shop item you could possible need can be bought in game for In Game money. Though, as far as i can tell, you are not required to buy anything from the cs at all. And, as there is still a small chance you would be required to, it would be easy enough to buy it in game. You should never Have to buy anything with real $$ so go back to your friends and guild b:bye

Aadi - Lost City · June 2009

Maddrox - Harshlands wrote: »

Yeah.. Conquer Online started the Rebirth system maaaaany years ago, bring you from 120-130 back down to 1. You gain new skills depending on what class you reborn too. Neat idea, pain though. Took a month of nonstop grinding from 129-130.b:shocked I think thier up to like 4 rebirths now. LOL

FlyFF does that too, going from level 120 to 60 and then you get 1/2 exp the second time through those levels. x____x;

Azura - Lost City · June 2009

Cal - Harshlands wrote: »

it just boils down to one thing, are you a mad freak who wanna be the best or just njoy a game.

If u are first u'll spent a lot cough*yoshiki*cough

If u are anyone who just wanna have fun, u can go on without spending a penny.

If you want enough comforts, pick a veno.

Yes, venomancers are the best class for free play. Their pets tank for them in pve. If you wanted, you would not need a charm cause they can exchange their mp and hp. Also, they can make a lot of money though HH/Fbs etc. although I think low level venos would struggle against the high levels venos cause they already own the market on HH stuff, but who knows.

Mervik - Heavens Tear · June 2009

Well I will play for a while longer, since it seems there are no nasty surprises to jump out at me...at least not for a few levels anyways. I am currently still level 15, Im a very casual player sometimes or a hard core one at others. I can go from playing as little as 1 hour a day or less, to as much as 10 hours on a weekend day. So I guess on average I am very casual. Hopefully with this kind of playstyle I can accomplish something in this game by September 2nd.

Hopefully Blade Master can make good money, as well as get by without much cash shop use.

Tearvalerin - Sanctuary · June 2009

they make plenty fine money without the CS, we've expressed that in multitudes, everything is purchaseable via in game currency, this game is truly free :P.

Shadek - Heavens Tear · June 2009

i felt the same way when i sarted playin pwi cuz i just got done playing wow an 1 thing that i learnd about pwi is that unlike wow pwi has a balanced sytem were u need all the classes 2 do a TT/TW u cant rely on just 1 like in wow.the pwi makes it money through the botique which like some1 else mentioned u can buy with in game money. the game leveling sytem is awesome there are no suprises lke being set back 2 lvl1.

I really enjoy this game, but i am afraid to actually get into it for various reasons

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