Free to play fantasy MMO Allods Online has had a chequered past when it comes to its take on microtransactions, implementing systems that encourage players to pay for items to overcome death punishments. The most recent update has taken significant steps towards resolving some of the problems that many Allods players have been struggling with.
Initially, players who died while scrapping in Allods Online's universe of floating islands would suffer a stacking 25% stat debuff that would last up to an hour. This could only be removed using Incense, an item that had to be bought with real money from the in game item store, or from other players at auction for extortionate amounts of in-game money. This system was changed earlier this year. Now, upon death, there is a roughly 10% chance that one of the items you have equipped will have their stats reversed, rendering them useless. This can only be stopped by preventing the curse using a Holy Charm, or by removing the curse after the fact using a Scroll of Purification, both of which had to be purchased from the item store, or from the player auction house.
The changes caused an uproar among much of Allods Online's playerbase concerned that they were being forced to purchase items in order to be able to play the game competitively, meaning that Allods Online was technically no longer a free-to-play MMO. The latest update goes some way towards reassuring these players, adding a series of daily quests that will allow players to earn Holy Charms and Incense without having to buy them in the item shop. All existing players on the European servers will also be receiving a free gift of incense and Holy Charms if they log in within the next 30 days.
For more information on the latest update, the full patch notes can be found on the Allods Online forum . If you fancy giving Allods Online a go then the client can be downloaded for free over at the official Allods Online site .
