[silvarilon]

Castle Marrach is P2P, but also has a free trial.

Sign up, and play for a month for free without giving them any payment information.

You'll get to see whether the game is worthwhile, and you'll get to see the things Darren is talking about (or not see them)
Either way, that first month is the hardest, since many players ignore new arrivals with the expectation that most new players don't stick around. So they wait and see if you stick around and start playing before putting much effort into RPing with you.

Which means you see the worst of the game in that first month. If you still feel it's a fun game (and worth the cost) then you'll be right, since it'll get better after that point once your character gets known and players realize you are paying (and therefore likely to be sticking around.)

Of course, not all players are like that. Many will involve new players, and when they do the experience can be amazing.

My impression is that when you get that "right" plot happening in Castle Marrach the game is amazing. And much of the rest of the time you are really just marking time and waiting for things to happen. (Which is why it's a pity more players there aren't proactive about making things happen.)

... and this is a tangent, since the thread isn't about Castle Marrach. But I think it's still relevant. People talk about only putting in 10 minutes a day, vs 12 hours - but I think one of the keys is investment.

Someone who puts in 12 hours a day, but changes characters every two days isn't going to get nearly as far as someone who puts in 10 minutes a day, but uses those to write to other characters, gather gossip about what's happening, and involve themselves in the plot.

P2P games turn a lot of players off (understandably!) but they also tend to have a higher level of investment from the players (since you typically value things more if you pay for them.)
Of course, that's not the only way to get investment. Making players write long essays to join a guild creates investment, too.
If players feel that they had a "cost" to earn something, they are less likely to want to give that "something" up.

Of course, that doesn't mean there can't be fun ways to get that investment. Making someone feel like a special part of a group creates investment. Having a character history involving the group or game creates investment. Having fun initiation ceremonies creates investment.

And I do think we need investment if you want an in-depth game with politics and solid roleplaying. Even if that investment comes from players logging in for 10 minutes a day and slowly but consistently working towards a goal.

More time online doesn't necessarily mean more value to the game.

And I urge you all to try out some P2P games. Just try free trials, since I'm not trying to convince you to spend your money. Have a look at how the player atmosphere, and their opinions on roleplaying are different. (Not better or worse, just different) due to the payments changing the way they view the game. Do the same with a few pay-for-perks games, and a few free games. It's interesting how it effects the game atmosphere.