If you have been reading the official Free Realms blog (you ARE reading the official Free Realms blog, right?) our Creative Director Laralyn McWilliams has detailed lots of new stuff that is coming your way in the near future. If you haven’t read the latest post, you should check it out by clicking here.
For those of you interested in housing, you’ll be able to pick from several models of homes and also be able to decorate your yard. Many of the decorations will be interactive and your pets will be able to play in your yard all at once!
Speaking of pets, we’re going to simplify the way pet tricks work and we’re adding cool new pets like a pegasus, t-rex, a miniature pony and even a dragon! Instead of levels, characters will earn trophies as their pets learn tricks without having to change into your Pet Trainer job. Get all the trophies and you’ll get an exclusive pet! If you’re already level 20, you’ll get all the trophies and pet right away.
Through the end of the year we are also adding Fishing, holiday and daily in-game events, streamlined User Interface (UI), clothing dyes and much more as detailed in the blog.
Job Sampling
The first new feature that will be coming is what we are calling “Job Sampling”. Next week we will be changing the way newly-created characters try out the different jobs. How will this affect you? Read on and find out...
Since our launch in April players have been asking if there would be a way to sample the Members Only jobs. With the launch of the Soccer Star job in the Goal Time update, we allowed characters on free accounts to sample the job up to level 5. Job sampling proved popular enough for us to change the way new characters take on jobs.
Beginning with our next update, new characters created after November 1st, 2009 on free accounts will be able to play all jobs up to level 5 for free. To reach level 5 and above, all jobs will be Members Only. Adventurer and Card Duelist jobs are unchanged and will be available to everyone though level 20. All characters will also be able to advance through all of the Pet Trainer trophies and earn the exclusive pet.
How does this affect existing “Original Characters”? If you have a Member account, you won’t see any change because you already get access to everything in the game! If you are playing on a free account, or you let your membership lapse, any of your characters created before November 1st will retain access to all of the current free jobs though level 20. Those characters will also be able to sample Member jobs up to level 5!
If you are wondering how this affects you, here is a quick FAQ:
Member Accounts: You get everything Free Realms has to offer whether you have an original character or if you create a new one.
Original Characters on Free Accounts: Any character created before November 1st, 2009 can still play as a Ninja, Chef, Postman, Kart Driver, Demo Derby Driver, Brawler and Miner all the way to level 20. You also will be able to sample the Member jobs Archer, Wizard, Medic, Blacksmith , Warrior and Soccer Star up to level 5 and Adventurer and Card Duelist all the way to level 20. All characters will also be able to advance through all of the Pet Trainer trophies and earn the exclusive pet.
New Characters on Free Accounts: Characters created after November 1st, 2009 will be able to play all jobs up to level 5 and Adventurer and Card Duelist all the way to level 20. These characters will also be able to advance through all of the Pet Trainer trophies and earn the exclusive pet.
The important thing to note is that these changes apply to the CHARACTER creation date, not your account. So if you delete an original character, you will lose the special status and any new characters you create will use the new job sampling system.
To learn more, check our handy FAQ. If you have questions, feel free to join us on the forums.
