With DDO's transition from subscription based to a micro transaction business model, we decided to check out the game and see if this change has rejuvenated this entertaining MMO.

Does anyone remember a time when subscription based gaming was considered to be the only business model employed by MMORPGs?  I remember this period distinctly because I was in my early years of high school at that time, and it was just so frustrating to be denied access solely because I was too young to own a credit card. Of course, following this period, MMO developers also realized subscriptions didn't help them in a super-saturated market, and, after a while, a part of the industry began to make that shift away from subscription models and more towards free to play micro transaction business models.

Sadly, one of the casualties of this "shift" of business models has to be the MMORPGs that needed to make the change, almost sheepishly, from P2P to F2P. You see, a problem that came with these business model swaps was also the fact that these changing P2P MMOs picked up certain stigmas that float around micro transaction F2P games. Micro transaction games are often seen as shallow in comparison to subscription based games, and one of the most troubling problems in F2P games is that it often devolves into who has the most money to spend to get the really cool stuff. I remember thinking that games that made the switch from subscription gaming to micro transaction gaming were really admitting to the world they were: a) not "good enough" to be a subscription based game, and b) even though the game itself would be free, it was now going to be very expensive to keep up with the Joneses (especially when your competition doesn't have to pay University tuition!).

I'm telling you all of this because, I'll be honest here, the above stereotype is exactly what I assumed when I heard the Dungeons and Dragons: Eberron Unlimited was swapping from its pay to play model and opting for a micro transaction based free to play model instead. I say assumed as well, because I'm also here to admit that I was incredibly far off base on both counts. Truth be told, Dungeons and Dragons Online is an incredibly unique MMO, and it may be because of this uniqueness that DDO is one of the best free to play MMORPGs in the market.

For those of you who don't know, Dungeons and Dragons Online was initially created by Turbine to be a pay to play MMORPG based on the Eberron campaign setting. A few months ago, however, Turbine announced that DDO would be moving away from its pay to play business model, and, instead, they would be moving towards a free to play model with micro transactions aplenty. Interestingly enough, DDO may very well be one of the first MMORPGs to make the switch from P2P to F2P not because they were unhappy with their subscriber numbers, but because they truly felt that DDO was the best platform to experiment with alternative business models, and DDO's unique development makes it naturally better under a micro transaction system. Bold words indeed!

Initially, I was suspicious of a statement like this, because most MMOs that have made that awkward transition from P2P to F2P really did so because they couldn't get enough subscribers. I decided that the only way to really see if this was the case was to check out the game and see if Turbine telling the truth.

Upon loading up DDO, one of the first things I noticed was that there were two races, the Drow and the Warforged, and two classes, the Monk and the Favoured Soul, that were unavailable to me at the moment. Interestingly enough, while the DDO store proclaimed that I could purchase these races and classes outright (if I really wanted to play them now), but another option was that I could simply choose to unlock some of them by playing the game and gaining 'favour,' which is DDO's version of faction reputation. While the Monk and the Warforged could only be accessed by purchasing them, it was kind of cool to see that the Drow race and the Favoured Soul class were still available for people who really didn't want to pay. I actually found that the Warforged race was… a little too cool to pass up, so I decidedly went with a Warforged fighter named Ooglariffic Sparklepants (awesome name, I know).

Interestingly, favour is a recurring theme within DDO because, as players gain favour within the game, Turbine actually rewards them with Turbine Points to spend in the store! While each little gift of points isn't enough to buy all that you want, some players note that, if you really want to experience all of DDO for free, you can accumulate an endless amount of Turbine Points if you're willing to constantly re-roll characters to grind favour. If that doesn't make sense, I'll explain.

When you think of free to play micro transaction MMOs, what usually comes to mind is the kind of MMO where you can purchase a wide variety of potions, exp modifiers and giant golden weapons that shoot lasers, all for under $30 USD. In reality, DDO is more akin to the North American "free to play" industry that's been spearheaded by family-oriented MMOs, like SOE's Free Realms and Wizards 101. While there aren't too many North American MMO developers that opt for the "pay to play" model, the ones that do dabble in the micro transaction industry tend to lean towards more of an "unlock the game" sort of approach. In this way, DDO actually sells "adventure packs," which are, essentially, zones within the game that need to be purchased if you want to do quests in that area.

Of course, in DDO, it's possible to repeat quests and it's actually possible to reach the highest levels by grinding these quests over and over. On the other hand, there is a wide variety of adventure packs that open up a plethora of new things to do, and this effectively keeps the player moving through dozens of environments and quests instead of simply 'grinding' the same six quests in the same area over and over. Here we understand why Turbine believes that DDO was destined to be a free to play game with micro transactions.

In reality, Pen and Paper Dungeons & Dragons has always been about choice and choosing just how far you want your experience to go. Some players will pick up a full set of mini figurines and even construct 3D maps to enhance their D&D experience, while others may simply scribble everything down on scrap paper and use skittles to represent their character as they battle furiously against the potato chip (perhaps a Dragon). As well, campaigns and stories do need to be purchased, piecemeal, as the players find the scenarios interesting. If you look at it in this way, Turbine's DDO was almost perfectly made for micro transactions because it's so heavily instanced. As I played the game, DDO isn't quite as "massive" as most other MMORPGs, and this is because the team decided to focus heavily on instancing and creating that "adventuring with your party" vibe that's so prevalent with Dungeons and Dragons. If you were to pick up this game with four other friends, you would, literally, be playing a multiplayer online RPG with little to no interaction with the "massively" portion of the acronym.

At this point, some users may be scoffing at the idea of "purchasing" their game piece by piece, as they want to experience it, but this isn't to say that you live in a grey box and you have to buy a light before you can even see the walls. DDO does give its players the opportunity to play a game that's well beyond the scope and depth of other free to play MMOs, and then they offer you a huge variety of adventure packs to purchase; not to mention the fact that the more you play the game, the more favour you earn and therefore the more Turbine Points you can use to purchase more adventure packs. There is also the incredibly good deal (ask anyone) that Turbine offers for players who want to unlock it all: for a standard MMO subscription fee of $15, you unlock all 20 adventure packs for free, and you get a free 500 Turbine Points every month you 'subscribe.' In this way, Turbine is essentially giving a greater reward for players who stick with their subscription fees, but they're also opening the field to players who want to pick and choose their adventures, and players who simply want to play a great game for free.

In reality, DDO has done a great job of evolving within the MMO market, without alienating its loyal fan base from before it went to F2P. DDO still has one of the smoothest action-based combat systems that I've ever played and, if you combine this with the fact that server populations are booming, then this certainly is a recipe for one of the best free to play games I've ever played (and I've played a lot!). If you have a few friends who are into this kind of thing, or if you really liked playing Neverwinter Nights on LAN, or if you just want to check out one of the best developed free to play MMORPGs in the market (without having to pay a penny), then I'd highly suggest you check out DDO.

Christopher "Pwyff" Tom
Editor
ZAM.com