Allods Online To Introduce Subscription Server

By Michael Dunaway, News Editor October 4, 2013

It's no surprise to see a subscription game go free-to-play. But for a F2P game to introduce a subscription? That's something you never see.

Until today, that is. Allods Online has introduced a new, subscription-only server, titled Smuggler's Paradise, which will launch at a later, undisclosed time. The details regarding the server are extensive, but the main points appear to be:

* +30% XP and double stat points per leve
* No access to the Item Shop or Currency Exchange
* No Runes, Patronage Rank 5, no Strongbox bonuses, no cursed items, and no incense
* Pretty much everything that was in the Item Shop now buyable solely with in-game gold

The F2P servers will still be available, so players not wanting to pay a subscription still have that option -- though since Smuggler's Paradise is touted as "No shop. No runes. No strongboxes. No bull" (emphasis mine), it makes you wonder what kind of "bull" they think the F2P version is.

On the one hand, adding more options for players is a good thing, especially when it doesn't overtly take away from the other options. On the other hand, does segregating players in this manner hurt the game's ability to maintain critical mass and keep enough players around on both servers? SOE tried something similar with separate servers for free players of EverQuest II Extended, but later went fully free-to-play.

What do you think of this change? If you play/played the F2P version of Allods -- which has been repeatedly criticized for its cash-shop policies -- does the idea of a subscription rekindle your interest?

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In this article: Allods Online, f2p, SOE, gpotato, subscription, Everquest II.

About the Author

Michael Dunaway, News Editor
Michael Dunaway has been part of the MMOBomb team for years and has covered practically every major Free-to-Play title since 2009.

Dantt 8 years ago

Cool! I'll play this game! definelly!

awful game who cares. 8 years ago

When it came out it was bad, nothing has changed.

Former Allods Player 8 years ago

Too little , too late.

xcr00k3dx 8 years ago

It's great for games to add more options for players. I see this as no issue, although they should have integrated it into the standard server to avoid player segregation.

Jellopy 8 years ago

You people who keep complaining about the game being pay to win.. You realize there is an npc that converts in game money to cash shop currency right? Trying to figure how it even remotely classifies as pay to win when you aren't forced into buying anything at all and can get it by investing time in the game...

shitgame 8 years ago

This game is a big pile of Bullshit. vixion go f* your self you f* “Corporate Shill”.
Dont talk about this game anymore just let it Die in Peace it wont last.

-Empty Servers
-Pay 2 Win PVP
-Boring PVE

= This game will Die soon

legend 1 8 years ago

runescape is an f2p game that has a subscription so are the game from artix

Lorisha 8 years ago

I think this is a great idea and can't wait to see if it works out for them. I loved Allod's until I got to Asee-Teph or whatever it's called. I personally called that zone asshole zone because that's all that was there! A game who's main focus is PVP can NOT be a pay to win game or it WILL fail. REAL pvpers want a skill challenge not who's wallet is the fattest type challenge. I haven't played allods in a very long time but I'm somewhat tempted to check it out again.

vixion 8 years ago

It's funny how they realize that the free to play server is pay to win, but they don't care, coz money.

vixion 8 years ago

Allods is actually a great game, it looks beautiful, the animations and the effects are amazing, they spent 11 million to make this game with real motion capture animations and so much more. At first launch they said that they would only sell vanity items in the cash shop and no pay to win at all but soon after they started adding pay to win stuff and that's when people started to leave the game until it was nearly empty. Only now they realised how bad they screw up the game?! I doubt they will be getting much people on the new server, i would, but i'm concerned of how many players will play there, most of the players in the old servers are players who payed a lot of money to be op and none of these will leave to the new server for sure, so i think the new servers will be empty but i really liked this game.

lux 8 years ago

nice to see it leaving the whole realm of pay to win

Golgo28 8 years ago

A f2p title going p2p.This is the first sign of the apocalypse.But in all seriousness Allods doesn't do anything unique.

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Karnaij 8 years ago

Also there idea is smart

Anon 8 years ago

Allods is total crap but that's actually an amazing idea. I wish more popular F2P games would consider that idea. There's plenty of F2P MMOs that would benefit from this if it had the popularity to pull it off. The F2P model is a plague and i'm tired of being required to pay hundreds to enjoy a game instead of just a flat fee every month and be allowed all the content the game has to offer.

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Rufinus 8 years ago

there isn't any f2p server its p2w and now they have a p2p server. they knew exactly what they were doing when they open a server with no cash shop. the p2w(f2p) server is pure bullshit now. the imps are 80% populated thanks to the switch that could have been done through the item shop(2000gpots) (20$) which is not there anymore.smh

70calories 8 years ago

Why not both? *Mexican music*

PnumbraViktus 8 years ago

They're getting desperate :/

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Cody 8 years ago

I agree.

Jellopy 8 years ago

This is actually a very good idea, a lot of games could benefit from having two models like this. Some people hate the idea of a cash shop and others don't want to be forced to pay every month so it makes sense to do it this way.

Cody 8 years ago

That's actually a great idea...too bad Allods is old and theres nothing sepcial about it! but never the less that is an interesting idea that other companys should consider.

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Nuno 8 years ago

Lol why, does even anyone play the game anymore?