Free to play games are a good idea in theory. Small, not a lot of content, but fun and entertaining gameplay for nothing at all is a pretty good deal. Unfortunately, almost every single time these experiences are ruined by badly implemented cash shops. I understand that developers need to make money somehow, but giving players willing to part with their money greatly overpowered weapons and gear is a fantastic way to make me never touch your product again.
One of the reasons I adore League Of Legends is how well Riot designed their cash shop. After every game of LoL, you'll be given some Influence Points, which can be spent to unlock new champions, runes, and anything else that actually affects the game itself. Riot Points are purchased with actual money, and can be used to buy anything Influence Points can purchase, as well as skins and small temporary boosts to XP and IP gained. In essence, if you never spend a cent on League Of Legends, you're still able to enjoy the game to the fullest. If you want to look a little different, you can drop some cash, but no gameplay advantages are sold, period. I'm amazed it took this long for someone to come up with this style of cash shop, really. It makes so much sense, and it works extremely well.
Before I get ahead of myself anymore, I should talk about the game itself.
League Of Legends is a PVP focused multiplayer game in which players pick from a roster of Champions to battle with. The ultimate goal is for one team of champions to destroy the opposing teams Nexus, while protecting their own. Of course, the fight to reach the Nexus is far from easy. The game structure follows a pretty simple flow. Each map has a number of "Lanes", or roads, that connect the two bases. Along these lanes are a series of turrets, 3 per lane for each team. Your first priority is to escort a wave of your teams constantly respawning minions to the next enemy turret in your path, destroy said turret, and repeat until the Nexus is reached, while defending against the enemy champions trying to do the same. Each champion has a unique set of abilities that can be used to either harm or aid. For example, Sona, as a "Support" champion, has abilities designed to assist her teammates, like damage buffs and shielding. Jax, on the other hand, has abilities that allow him to leap great distances to hurt his foes, and can increase his chance to dodge attacks by using his counter strike ability wisely. Some champs go beyond simply having offensive or defensive capabilities, and instead have a combination of ability types. Swain, for instance, has an Area Of Effect ability that stuns enemies, allowing his teammates to deal serious damage without fearing retaliation. At the same time, Swain can also transform into a monstrous form, allowing him to draw attention away from his allies while he deals damage himself. The roster of Champions grows by a single Champion once every few weeks, and as such there is no shortage of unique ways to play.
Every week there is a new rotation of Champions available to use for free. This allows players to discover new favorites, and make smarter decisions about what they want to save their points for. Pricing on Champions is tiered, as in the pricing reflects the difficulty to properly use that champion. Ashe, an archer with great keepaway, is only 450 IP, whereas Swain costs 6300. To put it in perspective, you'll earn extra IP your first win of each day, around 400, and at least 100 for every match afterwards.
If you enjoy intense multiplayer skirmishes, I highly suggest you check out League of Legends.
