While
RF Online does offers an intriguing end game in the massive PvP battles that take place between factions every 8 hours, nearly 90% of the game build around grinding for experience so you can reach level 25, at which point you can participate in these battles; though your participation won’t make a lick of difference since you don’t have access to your faction’s special weapons, which come in at level 30. While most MMOs tend to boil down into an endless experience grind,
RF Online doesn’t try to mask it. A shallow story about an infestation that needs to be cleared or something along those lines is included with each mission, but really all you are doing is killing X number of a creature for experience. No attempt is made at even making it seem like you’re part of something bigger, which makes you wonder why they even bother with the window dressing in the first place and don’t just say, “Here’s a bunch of monsters, kill them until you’re at level 30.”
Really though, it is the three hours of all-out war that erupts every eight hours that you’re looking to participate in. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it makes the hours of mindless grind worthwhile, but it certainly gives you something to look forward to. At least, that’s the working theory behind it all. Once you get to the battles, combat is a mindless chore.
So why do these fights break out? According to the game’s back-story, the game’s three factions (the Accretia Empire, Bellato Union and Holy Alliance Cora) are at war over a special ore deposit that lies at the center of the planet. This mine is guarded by The Keeper, a powerful entity that cannot be defeated, but who can be persuaded to join the group holding the most power. Aside from factional pride, holding the mine provides a financial boost for members that can be spent on getting better weapons.
A major issue with RF Online is that the reward comes too late in the game. Yes, the promise of giant battles is a great one, but the grind to get there is so long and dull, players are likely to quit before reaching the goal. The PvP battles are supposed to be what the game is built around, yet in practice it feels like it was simply tacked on to any old MMO. Rather than giving even low-level players some place in the conflict, it simply shuns them, which is a bit of a slap in the face considering they’re paying $15 a month to play.
