New Free-to-Play, FPS-Centric, MMO Hits Closed Beta

Nexon America, publisher of MapleStory, has announced the closed beta for a new free-to-play, FPS-centric, MMO. The new "Combat Arms" is planned for a full release later this summer and promises not only the ability to customize your soldier, but also your guns and equipment. "The closed beta test will run exclusively at FilePlanet.com for one week beginning May 30th. Once the game is released to the public, Combat Arms will receive regular content updates, including new weapons, gear, maps, and more free game modes."

Comments

MMO?

[bazald]

I see that there are persistent customizable characters, but how is this an MMO?

I see nothing to indicate that it is, judging from the official website: http://combatarms.nexon.net/

Re:MMO?

[spyder913]

Yeah I concur, doesn't look like it's MMO at all. This is more like Halo for free than Planetside.

Re:MMO?

[Cornflake917]

Not only am I suspicious that this isn't an MMO, I'm also worried about whether it's truly free. I think Nexon makes the types of games where you have to pay for the good items. So while this game may be technically free to play, don't be surprised if you only get a handgun and have to pay real cash to get your AK-47.

Re:MMO?

[nog_lorp]

That is only true to a small degree. Usually, Nexon resists selling items of actual use, so a player who does not pay will not be too significantly disadvantaged.

Re:MMO?

[hurfy]

What is unique here? Looks like another FPS to me. Has custom charcters, is that like HL mods from 10 years ago?

I wouldn't call 16 people Massively Multiplayer either. Massive at least needs more people than can plug into my hub....

Didn't read far enough to find the catch tho.....

Dang we get the worst summaries/headlines around here. Turning into a cheap advertising showcase. Be nice if at least the submitter and/or editor RTFA :(

Re:MMO?

[TriezGamer]

I have little experience with MapleStory, but in Mabinogi (another of Nexon's newer titles) paid services/items are like night and day. You can't compete without paying.

That said, I find myself enjoying micro-transaction games like these far more than games with monthly fees, because I only pay for what I want and what I will use -- and many of them are one-time purchases that last forever.

Re:MMO?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only am I suspicious that this isn't an MMO

Requirement for MMO tag. A game that can be played on the internet with hundreds to thousands of people in the same "virtual world". "virtual world" does not necessarily mean the same server as most worlds are broken down into different servers. As long as people are connected to the same world (even if there are multiple instances of the same zone), it generally can be called an MMO, whether I like it or not.

MMO does not mean RPG, though most MMO's are RPGs and apparently Combat Arms is more FPS with some RPG elements, kind of like Warcraft III was a RTS with some RPG elements.

'm also worried about whether it's truly free.

Games like Maple Story and, apparently, Combat Arms use a micro-transactions business model. Not unlike "Sword of the New World", which was originally $20 purchase but was quickly turned into "free to play". You can purchase "epic" weapons real quick or you can just take the long and tedious farming to obtain it. Usually, you are given both options.

In the short term, most people are willing to drop some beer money to buy some extra gold/credits to advance their character instead of just killing the same stuff a million and one times. In terms of WoW, just think of it as gold farming, only it's the actual company selling the services and you can also buy your PvP weapons, instead of grinding out arena/PvP and just have fun.

Re:MMO?

[Kalriath]

Since FilePlanet will probably open it only to subscribers, yeah.

Re:MMO?

[TheRaven64]

Quake 1 supported 4 people by default, 8 if you launched it with -listen and 16 if you ran a dedicated server. As I recall, Half Life supported up to 32 and Tribes let 64 people play.

Re:MMO?

[Trent Hawkins]

"I see that there are persistent customizable characters, but how is this an MMO?"
you can skin the terrorists and mine for oil

Re:MMO?

[Reapy]

I agree. I've found done right, micro transaction games work out. Usually you get an MMO environment you would be paying 15 a month for, for free. And often times you can stick around and play at the level you want for free. Then later if you want to be more competitive or do more, you pay for that access.

So I get to try the game for free, and if I really like it, I have no problem spending upwards of 40 - 50 dollars to unlock stuff, because normally i'd have payed that just to try it out in the first place!

Is this better than Counterstrike?

[the_humeister]

Counterstrike is also an MMO (not a MMORPG), although that depends on your definition of massively multiplayer. For a really massively multiplayer FPS, how about Sony's Planetside?

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[zehaeva]

is that still running? i thought it closed down a while ago.

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[josteos]

they just did a server merge -- now they are down to one EU server and one US server. I logged back on for a few minutes after the merge and pops were pretty high. But that was most likely due to the free play period for veteran players that ended 5/21.

The game itself is still up & running, and they even managed to add some stuff last year: Galaxy Gunships & Phantasm stealth transports.

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[IntergalacticWalrus]

No, 32 people by server definitely does not count as "massive".

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[drsquare]

Does 40 players per World of Warcraft instance count? Or 50 in a town centre who all ignore you because you're not in their clique/guild?

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[Alsee]

Sure it does.
It may be only 32 people, but they're Basement Dwellers Of Unusual Size.

-

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[fractoid]

BDOUS's? Nah, I don't think they exist.

Re:Is this better than Counterstrike?

[mcvos]

Counterstrike is also an MMO Is it? I was under the impression that you had only a limited number of players per game of counterstrike. To count as Massive Multiplayer, as opposed to regular multiplayer, you need to support hundreds or thousands of players at least. Or technically be able to support them in a single game, even if they don't show up.

xkcd

[j1m 5n0w]

There's an xkcd comic for every occasion.

yawn maybe?

[jollyreaper]

MMORPG's can go piss up a rope. Big multiplayer games that don't require a zillion hours to keep up with, now that I can get behind. I'm very impressed with the GTAIV multiplayer experience on xbox live. You can play it for ten hours or ten minutes and have a blast the whole time. I was surprised at how unlaggy my experience has been because I've heard some real horror stories about how microsoft oversold the service.

Re:yawn maybe?

[Tubal-Cain]

You can play it for ten hours or ten minutes and have a blast the whole time. Zero Punctuation disagrees (as usual).
(allow escapistmagazine.com through noscript at least temporarily)

So rather than a MMORPG...

[Tubal-Cain]

This is a MMOFPS?

What's the catch?

[Mr.Fork]

Hmmm... a new FPS, it's MMO, and it's free. So is America's Army - but that is a recruiting tool for the USA Military.

So, how do they plan on making money, supporting development costs, and online servers? Donations? Considering a professionally developed game now can cost as much as a Hollywood movie to make, something's amiss here... but I'm a sucker for a free game (usually to my own detriment). Anyone know more on this? Nothing in life is free...

Re:What's the catch?

[Ambiguous Puzuma]

Presumably it'll follow a microtransaction model similar to that of Maple Story, where the core gameplay is free but there are optional enhancements that you can buy.

Re:What's the catch?

[Fozzyuw]

Micro-transactions. The company will sell gold and items to people who don't care to spend weeks/month farming it themselves.

Re:What's the catch?

[Culture20]

You probably get to buy ammo, grenades, or perhaps special items with real cash. When it turns into a MMOFPK(nifer), they'll have free-ammo days where they give 3-4 guys free ammo as a lottery, then let the other people buy ammo to stay alive.

Re:What's the catch?

[mcvos]

Hmmm... a new FPS, it's MMO, and it's free. So is America's Army Is it? I was under the impression that America's Army was just a regular old multiplayer game.

Re:What's the catch?

[Mr.Fork]

Believe it or not it was made and developed by the US Army as a recruitment tool. For training, they actually use Operation Flashpoint from Bohemia Interactive - an eastern europe software developer. Still, AA is not a bad free game. :)

Re:What's the catch?

[mcvos]

Believe it or not it was made and developed by the US Army as a recruitment tool. I know that, but I don't see how that makes it massive multiplayer. You're not playing a single game simultaneously with thousands of other potential recruits.

Re:"Your" is not "You're"

[Hellpop]

I remember back than, it was much more common then it is now two no the difference between your and you're. It really is to hard two keep track of. Most people can tell know difference between the too words.

Re:"Your" is not "You're"

[Culture20]

Your wrong. In the days of you're, yore common weigh of remembering yore, your, and you're, was much harder because people couldn't reed or right. Many peephole spelled awl three as "X".

Re:FUCK STEAM THOSE FILTHY COCKSUCKERS

[freedumb2000]

I'll aggree that Steam is a piece of donkey crap. Unfortunatly CS is still one of the most playable and fun FPS games around IMO. Or have I overlooked anything?

Re:FUCK STEAM THOSE FILTHY COCKSUCKERS

[ShadowMarth]

Apparently, if you still think so highly of CS. Games that I, personally, prefer: Unreal Tournament (2004, but I hear good things about 3), Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty 4, and Battlefield 2.