SEGA tried this once before... it was future themed and called '10six'. It did not end well.

Ahh, they're tapping the ideal business model. Charge customers a premium for an incalculably small chance of getting what they're looking for.

I wonder how well this will work.
I can just imagine a free player sending all his infantry to siege the castle of a card buyer, only to be met by an army dragons, ogres, werewolves and special abilities that cause volcanoes and earthquakes to erupt all over the place...

I think I tried this a while ago when it was in beta or something and it was pretty meh. Of course that's not stopping me from downloading it as we speak.

@Coquiton: you can't engage in PVP unless you're a paying customer, so that's not very likely to happen.

I can see what you're trying to get at, though.

@Gwydeon: Was the failure of 10six due to their game-model, or for the money sink that was known as Heat.net?

I participated in the open Beta. I thought it was pretty fun, though buggy as heck. I would have liked to keep playing it, but I really can't see myself paying for booster packs.

Im sure with Battlefield Heroes coming out, we'll see a lot more of these Play 4 Free games with micro transactions and booster packs.

pshh weak

I realize that the MMO part allows you to do quests, but why bother if you can't fight other people in an RTS unless you pay? It would be like a free to play MMO where you have to pay to use equipment. You can only gimp so much until the free part isn't even a game.

I'll admit, I played the beta only to see what it was like. And I have to admit, I wasn't at all impressed. The graphics were years behind regular RTS games, unit design was completely uncreative, and while the resource system (or rather lack of it) and unit deployment was somewhat creative, it felt much too much like a shoehorned way of fitting in the fact that it was based on cards rather than anything strategic. They do keep sending me emails though.

Who put that blurry lens on my Total War? Take it off, it looks disgusting.

Just played the tutorial right now... and I hated it.

Horrible, horrible game. I had high expectations. But absolutely terrible.

Wait... you have to pay for pvp? So... you build an army, and you... what? Stare at it? Kill forest creatures?

I was in the beta. TRIED to play it for about a week. It's absolute junk. Avoid at all costs. Not worth the download, not worth the time, not worth even being free.

@Tiber: Fre to play MMO? Pay to use equipment? They've already got that, it's called Dungeon Runners and the system actually works well. There are multiple tiers of items and equipment and after a certain level (I forget what they all are- it's been a while since I last played) only paying members can use them.

The problem I found though, which caused me to quit was once you stopped paying you lost the use of all of your collected equipment from when you were paying. So you kind of screw yourself over by becoming a member and then not paying.

Anyway, this system could end up working just fine. There are tons of ways to pull off a free to play game with the full game for people who want to shell out the cash for it.

@HappyWulf: Well.. maybe you are a graphicwhore?, the graphics are not impresive, but is a good game, also, try all sphere: trading carts, social, questing, economy, etc... questing could be somewhat weak, but once you get the latest level, you invents of time on the other spheres get a interesting goodwill.

@brieeyeball: I meant an MMO where you have to pay to use any equipment. That is, unless you paid, you'd be max level and punching things in your skivvies, because you didn't pay for the divine knowledge of how to put on pants.